#Guillermo having a nickname for each of them

[sizzling-eggs]

I can't believe we're being served a found family relationship moment- Nadja going feral to save THEIR FAMILIAR and literally keeping his secret, Guillermo's weak ass high af power finally working at its peak to save and help Nadja, Nandor dragging Collin Robinson who continuously being weaker and weaker the more interesting he becomes, and practically risking his life to transfer energy to Collin Robinson, and Collin Robinson essentially reviving Nandor, Lazlo just using science to try and help everyone. Like they would clearly just risk everything and do what they have to do FOR EACH OTHER.

[livingwithhorrors]

I think Laszlo lied to Nandor and is still in dad mode.

We’ve seen in the past that Laszlo does perfectly fine hypnotizing people on his own.

If anything Nandor has been known to screw it up if not make things worse when adding to others hypnosis.

I think Laszlo lied to Nandor as a learning experience and confidence booster. He showed Nandor was to talk out of situations, but also the right times to actually use hypnosis so that he will not just freely use it in the future.

Then seeing how he talks with Guillermo and how he will be helping him in the future episodes, he’s blunt with him cause he know Guillermo is smart and understands right away when he’s messed up or needs to fix things.

Over time Laszlo has gone from seeing vampires as superior and Guillermo and other humans as stupid, to at the very least seeing how smart and clever Guillermo is and giving him more respect and caring for him.

Laszlo has gone from calling Guillermo Gizmo as insult of I have no reason to know your name to using it as a nickname of affection.

All the vampires cover up and pretend not to care and see Guillermo beneath them, but it’s a facade and they do actually care and see him as family.

I think they put off turning Guillermo cause they didn’t want what was human about him to change. Possibly leave them.

We saw when Nadja turned someone, other then Laszlo, that they left and moved on to be their own vampire.

It could be similar that they worry Guillermo would leave as well.

I think they’re quite aware they’re not the most popular group and they’ve found each other and stay together.

We’ve seen what happens when they lose someone close in the group, it tears those left apart and separates them.

The whole group is smarter then they let off. We’ve seen how Guillermo can talk them into doing things, how he protects and cares for them.

Nadja is often has been shown as smarter then the men when trouble arises and solving the issues.

Laszlo is behind the scenes clever and helps others without them knowing.

Nandor isn’t the brightest but when it comes down to it he is loyal and will stand up for those he cares about.

Colin is clever in a way that the others don’t notice as they often drown out and ignore him after a time cause he enjoys causing some chaos in the group unless it is important. Then he helps out, even if still trying to feed or mess with them a little. Though we have seen he can forget not everyone knows everything he does.

The Guide now joining the group is also an outcast in her own way as having worked so much for the council she hasn’t had friends outside of the wraiths in who knows how long. She clever and keeps up to date on human technology, which most vampires haven’t. She saw how out of sorts the group has been from the starts but wants to join cause she sees how much of a family they are and has grown attached to them. May take some times but she’ll get there.

[therelentless]

♡ (and you know the ship)

Send me a ♡ plus a ship and I'll tell you... II @gui1lermodelacruz II

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙰𝚂𝙺𝙴𝙳 𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃? guillermo. a pretty spontaneous kind of thing

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝙸𝙽 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙺𝙸𝚂𝚂? nandor. i mean... the height and yeah.

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙶𝙸𝚅𝙴𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙽𝙸𝙲𝙺𝙽𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂? both give nicknames to each other, i want to think that sometimes they're a bit funny and ridiculous and other times real sweet.

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙲𝙾𝙾𝙺𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙼𝙴𝙰𝙻𝚂? guillermo brings in the meals.... : )

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙷𝙰𝚂 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴 𝙸𝙽 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙸𝙲? they both claim to have better taste in music, but are always to give a try to whatever the other is listening to or might be into at the moment.

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙷𝙾𝙶𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙴𝙳? when they sleep in one? nandor

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝚆𝙰𝙺𝙴𝚂 𝚄𝙿 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃? guillermo for sure

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙴𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙲𝙾𝙵𝙵𝙴𝙴? i can say that nandor would try to make some coffee for guillermo, but fail miserably.

𝚆𝙷𝙾'𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙸𝙶 𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙾𝙽? both can be the little spoon, both can be the big spoon. it just works like that.

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝚄𝙿 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙴𝚂𝚃? guillermo as well

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷𝙴𝚂 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚆𝙷𝙾'𝚂 𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙳? both. both do u.u

𝚆𝙷𝙾'𝚂 𝙰 𝙵𝙰𝙽 𝙾𝙵 𝙿𝙳𝙰? i go back and forth on this, i think guillermo more than nandor, but i also think... that perhaps not much pda is happening, because they want to be very discreet about this whole thing they have going on, because of the van helsing thing and how it can go for them... yeah.

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝚂𝙽𝙾𝚁𝙴𝚂? probably nandor, not always but he does... and kind of annoying and loud (he just looks like that kind of guy)

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙶𝙴𝚃𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙽𝙾𝚈𝙴𝙳 𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙴 𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙸𝙻𝚈? nandor u.u

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙰𝚃𝙴𝚂 𝚂𝙴𝚇? nandor

𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙰𝚂𝙺𝚂 𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙸𝚁 𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙸𝙽 𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚁𝙸𝙰𝙶𝙴? it's not hard to guess. nandor would.

𝙼𝚈 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙴'𝚂 𝙵𝙰𝚅𝙾𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙴 𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙾𝚁𝚈 𝙾𝙵 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂: just all those moments they have in private, when it's just the two of them and no cameras. the intimacy of it.

𝙰 𝚁𝙴𝙶𝚁𝙴𝚃 𝙼𝚈 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚂 𝚁𝙴𝙶𝙰𝚁𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚂: killing derek for him so he could go back to being human again. he knows it was the right thing to do, what he needed to do, but that doesn't mean he never stops and thinks "what if..."

𝙸𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝙻𝙳 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴 𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶: just all the wasted time between them.

𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙸𝚁 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝙲𝙲𝙾𝚁𝙳𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙾 𝙼𝚈 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙴: acts of service

[shoque]

Realms of Whitmore - Patrons of Tartosa

In the 5th round, a small hamlet on the southern edge of the Terra Amorosa had developed into a small town. Seeing the advantages of incorporating the town, but having seen the pitfalls of monarchy in other kingdoms, the merchants of the town came together plan a form of government.

Tailor Vaughn Miranda, musician Francesca DeLaRosa, and jeweler Tybalt Rathbone- the most prosperous and influential merchants at the time- were chosen to lead the newly established Merchant Republic. Collectively, they were called the Patrons of Tartosa.

The three convened their first meeting in the DeLaRosa household. Faced with new taxes, they knew the towns people would immediately expect an improvement for the town. The three were had very different opinions on what the town needed most and how to raise funds for it.

Vaughn Miranda considered a community center for meetings and to educate the children the highest priority.

Tybalt Rathbone saw many businesses, including his own, lacking employees, and called for more housing.

Francesca DeLaRosa thought of Tartosa as Pillar of Culture. She desired a Cathedral to display the wealth and creativity of Tartosa.

At the time though, the newly founded Republic had no money to construct any of these things, and it was obvious the merchants could not agree. That was until Tybalt had an idea.

The First Great Doge-Off

The title of Doge of Tartosa would be created to be the leader of the Patrons of Tartosa. The first doge would determine what improvement to make to the town. A challenge of the trades, agreed upon by the patrons, would pick the winner.

Each would have four days to make as much money through their business as they could. 75% of their earnings would be given to the new government and the individual who raised the most would become the first doge.

Franchesca, convinced of her creative passions ended the meeting with a private performance for the other patrons. She was ready to set out the next morning to busk on the streets.

The gods did not look favorably upon her first day, as the clouds opened and a storm rushed the shores of Tartosa.

On the second day she went to the main square but found it to be mostly empty. She returned home dejected.

Her husband, Guillermo, spoke with her that night. "My songbird, there is nothing to fear. If the people won't come to you, go to them."

On the third and fourth days, Franchesca found crowds of people on the beach. She played for them and took many donations. After her cut, she earned $1,656 for the improvement funds.

Tybalt suggested the challenge as he was sure it was an easy win. However, he wanted to put the other merchants to shame, so he woke up very early each morning to create his most dazzling designs yet.

Once word got out, crowds would line up on the streets outside his workshop eager to catch a glimpse of the day's creation. Rathbone Jewelers earned more money in four days than it had any previous month.

Tybalt submitted $11,156 to the town treasury.

Vaughn had just expanded his tailoring business to include a florist. The plan was for his wife to supply the new addition, but with the competition looming, they decided to invest more and import a better variety of plants.

The Mirandas knew that Vaughn would need to focus on the business, so his wife, Lara, took the kids to their cabin in the mountains that they originally built when moving to the area.

The locals loved the new exotic plants and many, having developed friendships with the Mirandas, were decided to come together to support the business more than ever.

At the end of the fourth day, Vaughn turned in $13,253 to the treasury.

Tybalt was shocked at Vaughns success, but was true to his word and acquiesced.

That summer, the people of Tartosa set about constructing the new community center on a small island near the coast. The building, nicknamed the Piccola Luce opened later that year. Its interior was meager, given the lack of funds, but the citizenry were delighted to finally have a place to meet and send their children to school.

You can catch developments in Whitmore live on twitch at: StandbyEntrance - Twitch on Sundays 1:30pm Central US Time.

[engineergutierrez]

have you seen GUILLERMO “WILLIAM” GUTIERREZ around the crash site? we’re trying to make sure they’re still alive after the crash! according to the manifesto, HE is a 30-year-old CISGENDER MAN. i hear they’re known for being an ENGINEER. WILLIAM is also known to be ADAPTABLE & LYRICAL yet also GREEDY & SMUG at times. we have a couple questions for WILL when we find HIM, we heard something about a secret they might have? such as THEY ARE A RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC!

basics...

full name: guillermo gutierrez

nickname(s): william, will, memo, willy & g-man (nsfw meaning)

preferred name(s): william is the english translation of his birth name; any variation is fine.

birthdate: may 25, 1969

age: 30 years old

gender: cisgender man

pronouns: he/him/his

sexual orientation: straight

birthplace: río piedras, san juan, puerto rico

hometown: san francisco, ca

ethnicity: latino/puerto-rican

nationality: american

physical appearance...

faceclaim: josh segarra

height: 5′ 11″

eye color: blue

hair color: brown

weight: 175 lbs

dominant hand: ambidextrous

personality...

positive traits: lyrical, magnanimous, realistic, adaptable, clever, confident, & smooth talker

negative traits: greedy, wise-ass, smug, & lustful

mbti: ESTP-A — The Entrepreneur

astrological sign: taurus

hobbies: singing, guitar playing, hiking, rock-climbing, wood-working & fishing

handy habits: can build random things out of crap & is generally good with electrical components

bad habits: sleeps around too much, drinks too much, inappropriate jokes, & stays up too late

bio...

—Guillermo Gutierrez’s birth parents were madly in love, but sadly they were not meant to be together. Guillermo’s birth mother was a well known as a singer in Puerto Rico. His mother had an affair with someone she worked with closely—exactly who this was has always been a mystery. Guillermo was born in secret and put up for adoption. He never knew either of his birth parents. He was adopted by two young Californians and would go on to have a have a very spoiled and happy childhood. —He showed promise of a bright future. And because of his upbringing and roots, Guillermo would attend some of the best schools in California. He took a special interest in learning how to build things and take them apart to learn how they function. While at school, he also nurtured his love for singing. Aside from English, he’s fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. —It was at the ripe age of 20 when things would start to spiral downwards for him. It wasn't noticeable at first. His first drinking binge in college was quick and harmless to everyone but him. The binges gradually increased— shockingly enough, they never affected his work. It was almost as if his best work came out when he was drunk. He became dependent on booze and when graduation came, it became apparent to everyone that something needed to be done. —His birth parents staged an intervention and signed him into a rehab facility to detox. Will would attempt to break out a few times, but fail each time. He stayed the mandatory month to get clean and then started attending his AA meetings outside. His family was really supportive. And for a time, it seemed like things were looking brighter. —That is until he boarded a plane from SFO to SYD on New Years' Eve....& it crash landed onto a mysterious island.

other...

—syfy timeline: ( coming soon )

—headcanons: can be found ( here )

—playlist: ( here )

[yesthatssadirichardslove]

'Three Amigos' friendship key to success, say Mexican filmmakers

LOS ANGELES

Dubbed the "Three Amigos," directors Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron have amassed multiple Oscars between them and forged a golden age of Mexican filmmaking.

At a Los Angeles event celebrating their new films, the trio told AFP their long-standing friendship had been essential to their success -- even if they don't take their Hollywood nickname too seriously.

"Amigo one calling amigo two!" said del Toro, nudging Cuaron.

"I could have been a good director without their intervention. But they have intervened and I survived!" joked Inarritu.

The bond between the directors -- born just a few years apart -- goes back decades, with Cuaron and del Toro finding success together in television, and Inarritu in radio, before each switching to filmmaking.

Back as far back as breakthrough hits such as Inarritu's "Amores Perros" in 2000, the compatriots have frequently traded notes on new projects, and even helped to totally re-edit each other's works.

"Honestly, I think it has been crucial... To not be walking lonely in this job is a beautiful gift for us," said Inarritu.

"Either we talk or we don't talk, but I know that the other two are there for anything," agreed Cuaron.

"Sometimes you even avoid their opinion! You go 'I will just keep going because I know what they're gonna tell me!'" joked del Toro.

In 2018, Cuaron -- marginally the oldest of the triumvirate -- made waves in Hollywood by teaming with Netflix to create "Roma," an intimate black-and-white drama that earned him his second Oscar for best director (after "Gravity.")

Inarritu and del Toro have recently followed him to partner with the streaming giant.

For Inarritu, who won back-to-back Academy Awards with "Birdman" and "The Revenant," Netflix provided the opportunity to make his most personal film yet.

The sprawling, dreamlike "BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths" follows a celebrated Mexican filmmaker as he explores the fuzzy lines between reality and memory, life and death, and the US and Mexico.

Its main character is granted a prestigious global award by a US institution, prompting a period of dramatic soul-searching -- and evoking parallels with the careers of the "Three Amigos."

"I don't think that it has changed us as filmmakers... but definitely recognition like the Oscars or awards, they make sometimes the journey a little easier later on," said Cuaron.

For del Toro, his best picture and best director Oscars for "The Shape of Water" in 2018 were "a life-changing thing."

"You don't know you have a chip on your shoulder until it disappears. And it kind of disappeared that night for me," he said. "It was beautiful. And it was very, very, very moving."

His latest movie "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio," a dark, animated take on the Italian novel about an exuberant living puppet, has been another hit.

It is tipped to win best animation prizes at next week's Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, and is a likely frontrunner for the Oscars in March.

But when asked what the joint secret to their success has been, the trio refused to be drawn into a serious answer.

"I think our craving for tacos maybe, that's what we share... but he always wins!" said Inarritu, pointing at del Toro.

"I think humor," responded del Toro. "And good breath!"

[livehorses]

Hispanic names (Both genders)

Here I leave a list of Hispanic names for people who write Coco and Encanto fanfics or any other Hispanic inspired story. I'll have reblogged each gender section separatedly because, as always, Tumblr doesn't allow me to have more than 4096 words per post. I'll start with both genders names and red will be used for less common names.

Adrián/Adriana

Alejandro/Alejandra

Alexis/Alexa

Andrés/Andrea

Camilo/Camila

Carlos/Karla

Cristian/Cristina

Daniel/Daniela

Emilio/Emilia

Eugenio/Eugenia

Esteban/Estefanía

Gabriel/Gabriela

Jorge/Georgina

José/Josefina

Juan/Juana

Julián/Juliana

Julio/Julia-Julieta

Luis/Luisa

Mariano/Mariana

Miguel/Micaela

Pablo-Paulo/Paula-Paulina

Patricio/Patricia

Renato/Renata

Valentín/Valentina

Víctor/Victoria

Agustín/Agustina

Alberto/Alberta

Alfonso/Alfonsina

Ambrosio/Ambrosia

Antonio/Antonia

Benito/Benita

Bernardo/Bernarda

Bruno/Brunilda

Ernesto/Ernestina

Félix-Feliciano/Felicia-Felicitas

Francisco/Francisca

Guillermo/Guillermina

Manuel/Manuela

Pedro/Petra

Rafaél/Rafaela

Tomás/Tomasa

Vicente/Vicentina

Ángel/Ángela

Claudio/Claudia

Eliseo/Elisa

Silvio/Silvia

Valerio/Valeria

Carmelo/Carmela

Constantino/Constantina

Cornelio/Cornelia

Fabio/Fabiola

Jacinto/Jacinta

Lilian/Liliana

Manolo/Manola

Marcelo/Marcela

Oliverio/Olivia

Pricilo/Pricila

Tulio/Tulia

Valeriano/Valeriana

Click here to see the male names and here to see the female ones.

This is so far the most of names I could remember. If I get to remember more, I'll be adding them all, of course, if Tumblr allows me to.

I have to point out that there are non-hispanic names that have become popular and that they don't have any translation in spanish. Some of them are "Brandon" "Brian" "Nelly" "Denisse" or "Leslie" Or that they actually have one but people prefer the foreign version. These ones can be "Marion" instead of "Mariana" "Karol" instead of "Carolina"

I guess you would also like to know the nicknames of each one of the names I provided you with, or maybe even last names. If you want me to dedicate some posts to that, let me know! For the moment, I hope all of these names are useful for your O.Cs and fanfics. 😉

[leoyoons]

—THE DAREDEVIL ( 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐉𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 ), 𝕃𝔼𝕆 𝕐𝕆𝕆ℕ

✦⋆ CONNECTIONS ✦⋆ PINTEREST ✦⋆ PLAYLIST

FIRSTLY, SOME BASICS

FULL NAME: Leonora Everly Yoon PREFERRED NICKNAME: Leo ( call her Nora at your own risk ) PREFERRED PRONOUNS: currently she/hers, but she’s reevaluating DATE OF BIRTH: April 1st, 2000 ( aries sun,  pisces moon, aquarius rising ) [ Leonora was born two months premature; her dad thought it was a joke but lo and behold, Odessa’s water had really gone and broken on April Fools ] ZODIAC SIGNS: aries sun, pisces moon, aquarius rising ( une ) AGE: Twenty-Two but she feels ancient HOMETOWN: born and raised in Gravewood, WV FAMILY: George Yoon ( father, sheriff ), Odessa-Marie Yoon ( mother, waitress ), Feodore Avery Yoon ( older brother & Yoon golden boy ) OCCUPATION: Ice Skating Attendant & Teacher at the Windsor Ice Rink SEXUAL ORIENTATION: she’s not for the streets, but it’s the whole spectrum ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: re: last line [ —the rest can be found in the DOSSIER: additional background information, physicalities and personality stuff among other things! ] 

WHAT’S IN MY BAG: The Shape of Water by Daniel Kraus, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, a sketchbook she’s been filling up with still-lifes and stuff, and an empty planner her dad gave her SENIOR SUPERLATIVE(s): class clown, life of the party, best smile CURRENT QUOTE(s): “the feminine urge to enter a hell of my own making” “who the fuck decided to call it emotional baggage and not griefcase?” TV PARALLELS: Gina ( Brooklyn 99 ), Winston ( New Girl ), Montana ( Do Revenge ), Orla McCool ( Derry Girls ), Sokka ( ATLA ), Ruthie ( Shrill ), Willie Jack ( Reservation Dogs ), Guillermo ( What We do in the Shadows ), Sperncer Shay ( iCarly ) TROPES: Allergic to Routine, Annoying Laugh, The Chew Toy, Cloudcuckoolander, Cool Loser, Crouching Moron Hidden Badass, Deadpan Snarker, Endearingly Dorky, Erudite Stoner, I Just Wanna Be Special, Jack of All Stats, Kaleidoscope Hair, Once Done Never Forgotten, Sad Clown

SECONDLY, A LIGHT OUTLINE

✧ No one would really admit it, but Leonora was that baby that married couples have when they’re on the brink of divorce— she was meant to fix George and Odessa’s failing relationship but the novelty of a new baby faded soon enough as her parents returned to their old routine, the new baby falling to the wayside. 

✧ Even so, they’d never gotten around to the divorce. Babies are like monkey’s paws in that way and neither one of them wanted to go through with a divorce when they’d gone and had another baby to care for. Through the mess of their marriage, they loved each other still, and those legals proceedings would only be inconvenient.  

✧ After his paternity leave had come and gone, George went back to working his long hours in the Sheriff’s office and Odessa was left home with a toddler and a newborn. She’d spend all day feeling alone at home, tending to the home and her kids; trying and failing to rekindle the love they’d cultivated in their adolescence.  

✧ While Leonora and her older brother were babbling little ones then, kids can still sense these things. Leo was a fussy girl herself, and she’d always demanded more attention than her mother was willing to give. Once she’d started crawling, her mother set her down in a little corral and left her to her own devices. 

✧ Most of her infancy was spent that way, her mother holding her at arms length as she reached out to her. George was a little better, though his own love came in bursts and then fizzled out entirely— he’d never had much energy when he came home, and most of the time he’d set her on his chest and doze off. 

✧ Toddlerhood was a little easier on Leo, if only because she’d had access to other forms of distraction ( unfortunately for her mother, these were messy ). She’d started painting around this time, though it’s something all kids do, right? Must be the same with the colorful handprints all over the walls which pissed her mom off to no end.

✧ Life teaches Leo to be loud and messy— those are the most surefire ways to get her mother’s attention: throwing food at her brother, running a crayon along the surface of the fridge. Anything to get her parents’ attention, though hindsight would say these acts only pushed her mother further away than before. 

✧ By the time Leo and her brother are in elementary school, Odessa’s thinking of joining the workforce. Desperate for anything that will get her out of the house, she applies for a waitressing job at Marie’s. The pay is minimal but the work fills whatever hole in her heart George has left. She needed this.

✧ It’s obvious then why she turned out the way she did: needy, nosy, annoying and whatever else the other kids would call her during her childhood. Leo hadn’t learned how to separate the good press from the bad; so long as someone was looking at her she’d felt like a sunflower facing the sun, and that would be her undoing in the end. 

✧ Puberty hits a girl like a ton of bricks then and it only gets worse. At home she’d had no audience save her brother and he’s gone and tired of her shit. He was hanging out with his own group of friends and she’d grown ungrateful of the ones that had allowed her in their own circle; she’d go and ruin them soon enough.

✧ One risky dare starts it all and then she’s flying higher and higher towards the sun in one massive Icarian feat before the wax on her wings start melting. Icarus’ own father warned him about his recklessness, and her own had gone and put her in handcuffs. When she’s high as a kite, she thinks about how tragically poetic that is.

✧ Fuck up first, apologize later is all fun and games until you’ve gone and burned all your bridges. Leonora now exists in a limbo of her own creation, not knowing how to move forward though everything she’s done keeps her from turning back. ‘I’m sorry’ seems meaningless at the end of the line, but what else is new.

✦ keeping myself from adding more so we can fill in the gaps together? ✦

THIRDLY, SOME HCS

Leo wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until the latter years of Middle School; while she knows this is due in part to the socialization of girls and all of that, it digs the ‘your parents really went and overlooked you’ knife a little deeper.

The first time she ever put ink on her skin, it was because of a dare ( go figure ). Leonora could choose whatever design she wanted so long as the ink went on her lower back; the pain of getting her tramp stamped nearly killed her.

If memory serves her well, Leo first bleached her hair the day before the first of high school. She’d thought to make it subtle to keep her mom from freaking out, but once it was said and done she didn’t even try to hide it.

Foster Home for Imaginary Friends was one of those things that stuck with her in her childhood, so when her grandfather gifted her a red doberman, Leonora was quick to name the little guy Blooregard Q. Kazoo ( Bloo for short ).

She feels ridiculously lonely all the time, and her therapist tells her that it’s directly correlated to the reckless behavior of her youth. Leonora doesn’t necessarily think correlation equals causation, but the man might be right. 

One such bit of reckless behavior had her piercing one nipple on a dare, another had her biting into some shellfish she was allergic to ( leading to a fun ER night ), and a third had her eating a steak even though she’s vegetarian.

As far as more lasting consequences ( the piercing has since closed, so that doesn’t count ), one small piece of the cartilage on her right ear is missing and she has one scar running down her calf from these dangerous liaisons. 

Watched a single clip of Euphoria, a zoom-in of some lady’s eye makeup and it's kinda become a whole thing. Leo isn’t going all out with it or anything, but she can’t stop herself from sticking those little diamonds underneath her eyes.

As far as cliche artsy things go, she’s lugging around a sage green kanken decked in patches and pins, filled with hb pencils, an overfilled sketchbook, an empty one, and two toiletry bags because you can never be too prepared. 

Has a replica of Sam’s iCarly remote, which is basically her soundboard. She’s got it programmed with her favorite bites but switches some of the other ones out depending on the season ( and she’s got terrible comedic timing ). 

Follow-up for the iCarly remote, she’s got two specific sounds on lock: a slow clap ( because obviously ) and the sound of the world’s smallest violin from that one episode of Spongebob. The other stuff on rotation is mostly from TikTok. 

She’s got a membership to the fabric store in town and they know the girl by name; Leo loves all those fashion things but she’s not gonna burn money she doesn’t have so enter a hand-me-down, some fabric and a sewing machine

Also did some tasks for character development! ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR.

[thingsandstuffyousee]

It’s well known that Kojima makes his games partly autobiographical.

By his own admission, on the surface level the Metal Gear series is about soldiers trying to find meaning in constant, pointless war, but on a deeper level it’s about Kojima working out his feelings surrounding his father’s early death.

On the surface level Silent Hills is a horror story about a man who killed his family, but on a deeper level it’s Kojima telling us that he’s sick of working for Konami and wanting to leave. There’s a very good video on YouTube titled P.T.’s Hidden Meaning about that.

And the same seems to be true for Death Stranding. Surface level: Finding connection with other people. Deeper level: Kojima leaving Konami.

I’d really love to hear your input on this theory because it’s a work in progress that hasn’t been fully thought through and needs refining.

First off, Konami is a family business where everyone at the top are related to each other in some way, Kojima being the odd man out.

Kojima wanted to move on from Metal Gear but Konami kept demanding more games in the series so Kojima tried passing it on to a different team. It was still his baby though and he couldn’t quite let I go when he saw what the other team was doing.

While things were still going relatively well for him at Konami he met Guillermo del Toro and the two of them bonded over geeky stuff.

But then things started going downhill fast for Kojima. His games were getting too expensive for Konami and he refused to follow the rules. They started focusing on mobile games with micro transactions and had no use for Kojima any more. They demoted him, locked him in an office away from his team and cut off his internet access. Konami had become obsessed with surveillance and control. They installed cameras in the offices, hired people to keep taps on their colleagues and timed people’s breaks, shaming them publicly if they didn’t work enough.

It was at some point just before everything really went to hell Kojima met Nicolas Winding Refn and became fast friends with him.

Kojima started planning his next move and with the help of Guillermo made Silent Hills with Norman Reedus as a covert Konami diss track.

Finally Kojima got fired for real and was caught by Guillermo, Norman and Nicolas who helped him land on his feet.

It seems pretty easy to decode Death Stranding knowing all that.

Sam is Kojima, isolated, disillusioned and feeling like a failure because he destroyed a lot of people’s lives because he thought he knew better. Like Kojima who was the only person not related to anyone at Konami, Sam is the adopted child of Bridget. Amalie even wears red like the Konami logo.

Bridges, in some aspects, is Konami. They don’t allow the people working for them much privacy, puts Sam in a small room where he has little contact with other people and force him to do grueling, repetitive work. And a spiderweb is hardly an uplifting symbol for any organization. They’re not known for connecting, but for trapping.

People have said that it annoys them how many references are made to the real people who Sam, Deadman and Heartman are based on. That it breaks the immersion. But I think that’s the point. Kojima wants us to make a connection between the characters and the real people.

Sam/Kojima meets Deadman/Guillermo very early in the story and he stays a constant help and support for him throughout the game. He is the main factor in helping Sam/Kojima break free of Bridges/Konami and at the end Sam/Kojima puts his arms around him and thanks him for everything.

Lou seems to be a symbol either of Kojima’s wish to birth his own company or some other future project, and even though Deadman/Guillermo isn’t sure about it at first he eventually coparents her.

Heartman pops up halfway through the story the same way Nicolas popped up in Kojima’s life in the middle of the whole Konami mess. Heartman/Nicolas is almost embarrassingly honest about himself without expecting anything in return from Sam/Kojima. He just talks about his family, his love of movies and even his sex life, and to Sam/Kojima’s own surprise he opens up to Heartman/Nicolas within minutes of meeting him. Fast friends. Also, giving what we know about Kojima and Nicolas having a pseudo sexual relationship it’s definitely not a coincidence that Heartman starts dating a woman he nicknames Sam. He’s not actually dating Sam, but there is a fantasy/roleplay of dating him. Heartman will certainly be shouting Sam’s name during sex.

There are things that are a little more difficult to interpret. Is it symbolic of something that happened in real life or just part of the game’s surface story that Lou/the project is always out of commission around Heartman/Nicolas? Does it mean anything that Heartman/Nicolas is afraid to touch the pod? Why does Heartman/Nicolas pop up as a sort of replacement for a woman, Mama, who even have a lot in common with him? It’s really hard to tell if any of that is symbolism or just story.

But eventually Sam/Kojima breaks free of Bridges/Konami and frees Lou from the pod, giving birth to her so to speak, promising a new beginning.

Any thoughts? I’d really love to hear anything any of you might have to add. Do you think the other characters represent anything or anyone? What is timefall? Why all the dead sea creatures? Please give me anything you got to add to this theory.

[smashskate]

Honey Newcomb - For @eeriesims​‘s “The Many Suitors of One Clary Wiggins”

Honey Newcomb is your resident nymph-next door; A bubbly personality surrounded by unearthly beauty, she’s a staple character in the Glimmerbrook community. Having lived there since she was a child, Honey is well integrated with the residents who inhabit the sweet little sea town. Although she was urged by her mother and father to go to a specialty school to develop her inherited powers, Honey decided she would rather settle down with a normal job, taking up the position as Head Waitress at Dino’s Diner. Since then, she’s developed a strong foundation within the community, often letting people confide in her over a morning cup of coffee. If you need help with a problem, need to vent, or just want to talk, you go to Honey. She also bakes a mean apple pie; you’ll always come back for another slice.

General Information

Name: Honey Erytheia Newcomb

Birthday/Age: October 7th, 1994 (Age 25)

Astrological Info: Libra Sun, Cancer Moon, Pisces rising

Species: Hesperides Nymph

Height: 5’5

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Gender/Pronouns: Female, she/her pronouns

Nicknames: Honey (her name is a nickname in of itself), Bee + Honey Bun by friends and family, Betty by many of the townsfolk for her similarities to a stereotypical 50s blonde

Occupation: The Head Waitress at Dino’s Diner; everyone knows her, everyone loves her.

Fun Facts

“You know, back when I did roller derby…” - The key factor that drew Honey to the waitress application at Dino’s was the inclusion of rollerskates in the uniform. Honey competed in professional roller derby during her early twenties, and never quite gave up her love for it. However, she soon found out she was much more coordinated on the track than in the diner when she fell flat on her arse the first day. She’ll bring her past up at random points, but mostly to convince people that she’s not a complete mess on wheels.

“How are y’all doin’ today?” - Somehow, over the years, Honey developed a slight southern drawl. This was peculiar, since no one in her family has a southern accent and Glimmerbrook is nowhere near the deep south. However, customers find it quite charming. Honey chalks this quirk up to her being incredibly impressionable, assuming she picked it up from some passing tourists.

“He’s not weird, he’s adorable!” - Being a nymph, Honey has always had a connection to nature and animals. This has brought her to collect an interesting array of pets over the years. Her most beloved pet is her tarantula, Alberto. People never seem to want to get to know him, and just think he’s strange. It wounds her deeply, he’s a lovely fellow once you warm up to him!

“Oh my gosh, I’m not even goin’ that fast, stop screaming!” - Honey is a horrible driver. She’ll never admit it, and always offers to give people rides or be the designated driver. Don’t let her. Please, it’s for your own good. She drives a buggy that looks like its been through a hurricane.

“See, watch!” *fuse bursts* - Honey’s overarching classification is a Light/Star nymph, although specifically her species is a Hesperides. This means that she cannot create light, but she can manipulate it. Or rather, she would be able to, if she went to school to hone her skills. As it stands, all she can do is make lights shine a little brighter, although it usually comes with a few busted fuses. She can light candles without matches though, which is pretty cool.

“A second chance can’t hurt, right?” - In her younger years, Honey was incredibly trusting, almost to a fault. She often put others before herself, and some took advantage of that. While she’s learned from her mistakes, there's still a part of her that always wants to see the best in people. She doesn’t like to use the term naive, but she knows that it’s an accurate descriptor sometimes.

“... Sorry, what was I saying?” - Honey tends to ramble a lot, and often loses her train of thought. You’ll get her started on one topic, and in a few seconds you’ll be miles away. You might have to tap her on the shoulder to reel her back into the present.

Fun Little Quirks

Her favorite fruit is peaches, and she has to have some at least once a day. It brings her life a little more consistency.

Her handwriting is incredibly neat. The cooks who read the orders at the diner appreciate this immensely.

She’s played the violin since she was a child. While she hasn’t played ensemble in years, she still picks it up for a tune now and then.

There's a tally board in the kitchen at the diner counting how many plates she’s broken. They’ve already had to move to a second page.

She loves to embroider, and often gives her latest projects to her friends for free. Most of the shops in town have one hanging in their window.

Important Questions

How did you meet Clary?

“Well, it’s the funniest thing! I actually heard about her before I met her. I was pouring a morning cup of green tea for Guillermo Reyes, you know, the librarian? And you know how much that man loves a little gossip. Well, he told me that he had heard from Layla who heard from Jack who heard from Mabel that Ronnie had seen a mysterious woman pull up to Etheline’s house late the afternoon before, and that apparently it was her granddaughter! So, of course, I’m intrigued. And then, as luck has it, right when Mr.Reyes walked out the door, she walked in! She sat down at a booth, and I was so nervous that I forgot to take off my skates when I went to take her order! So, of course, I fell. Oh gosh, I’m embarrassed even thinking about it! Thankfully, she didn’t make fun of me, just gave a little chuckle and helped me to my feet. I took her order in pretty much a daze. I almost fell over again when she waved at me on her way out.”

What was your first impression of Clary?

“Honestly? Well, of course I thought she was absolutely gorgeous. Dark hair, dark eyes, ugh! I could go on all day! I also noticed her ears. While elves and nymphs aren’t exactly uncommon ‘round here, their ears haven’t really been passed down. So seeing a dame with those ears? Shocking, but amazing! I haven’t seen someone with ears like mine in many moons. Her hands were also incredibly soft. Literally, I don’t think I’ve ever felt something so soft in my life! Well, that’s probably not true... but that’s how it felt!”

What is your ideal date?

“Oh gosh, I haven’t been on a real date in so long! Well, from my experience, it’s always best to get to know someone a little bit before going on a date. I would invite them over to the diner a few times, just to form a bond. They also get to see me in my natural habitat, at my happiest and my most stressed. Then, once that’s done, I’d love a picnic at the wharf! Sure, the area’s a bit grimey and cluttered, but it’s just so peaceful there, you wouldn’t believe it! One of my other favorite past times is stargazing in the fields just outside of town. There’s this hidden nook in the trees there that my parents used to take me to for training. It gets the most beautiful lighting, day or night. I’ve always wanted to take someone there!”

What is your ideal relationship?

“I really just want someone who’s as invested in the relationship as I am. Some people only want to date for the sake of dating, not actually caring for the other person as they should. If I get into a relationship, I want to feel everything. The highs, lows, and in-betweens. Obviously no relationship is perfect, but I am a firm believer in clear communication. I need to know how you’re feeling.”

“I’m also super touchy-feely. Doesn’t matter when or why, I’ll probably be draping myself over you in some way. Physical contact doesn’t have to lead to something more; Sometimes the best thing is just knowing that the other person is there with you.”

“I want a relationship where we listen to each other. Even if I don’t understand your emotions regarding something, I want to validate them and be there for you. But I want that from the other person too. I tend to be pretty insecure at times, and it would be nice to have someone to snap me out of those thoughts every now and then. I believe that in a relationship you grow together.”

“I never really know what to expect out of a relationship, because everyone’s different. I’m not gonna lie, there's been a few people who have taken me through the ringer, and I haven’t come out undamaged. I want someone who can show me how beautiful love can be, even with its faults.”

What is Honey’s personality like?

Like her name, Honey is sweetness personified. She dislikes the stereotype of nymphs being air-headed and easily manipulated. She is kind and caring, but she doesn’t want to let people walk over her. Sadly, she is often one to walk over herself. She tends to be very self-critical, always wondering if she could have ever amounted to something more. Although she never craved a life beyond her current status, her mother’s powerful reputation as a healer looms over her. She’s also probably the clumsiest person you will ever meet, often taking off her roller-skates to deliver orders to tables out of fear of falling over. Big “i’m baby” energy.

Even though she’s young, Honey is definitely the mom type. Everyone who walks through the door has a story, and she wants to make them feel welcome and wanted no matter what, rain or shine. If someone’s feeling down, she’ll make the sun shine a little brighter. She also has a knack for guessing just what people want to eat on any given day. If you think you don’t know what you want, no problem. Honey’s great at reading people, but there have been times where she’s let the glasses stay on a bit too long.

Honey lives in a cottage in the suburbs of Glimmerbrook. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, but don’t come in without being invited. She’s got about fifteen guard animals waiting.

Honey’s hobbies mostly revolve around baking, cooking, and general upkeep of the diner. After hours, you’ll most likely find her bundled up on the back steps of the diner, sharing a hot chocolate with one of Glimmerbrook’s interesting residents, or giving tourists tips on the hidden gems around town. Honey is perfectly amicable with the townsfolk, and loves them dearly, but she’s never been able to find that special someone. She hopes that one day someone will come to sweep her off her feet and make her feel the things she’s heard about from the local lovebirds.

In-Game Information

Traits:

Cheerful

Outgoing

Clumsy

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Outfits (L to R: Work ~ Everyday ~ Date)

[arcadialedger]

As promised-- 100 things about admin

1. I am really, really short. 4′10 short.

2. Books are my favorite thing in the world-- I am a die hard bookworm, collect them endlessly, read about 3 a week.

3. I had spinal surgery for scoliosis and have Turner’s Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder

4. ASPIRING AUTHOR!

5. I’ve got big blue eyes 

6. Harry Potter is one of the most important things in my life, and literally my childhood. It is my heart, and it is home.

7. I have lived in 10 different houses, because my family loves to move

8. I am a double major in English and Film Studies, hoping to be both an author and work as a creative executive for Walt Disney Animation Studios, or in publishing

9. Boston is my favorite city in America

10. I am very, very Italian- Sicilian. Ciao. 

11. Overprotective cat mom, and crazy cat lady

12. I absolutely adore BBC/ PBS television, and anything British: including Victoria, Downton Abbey, Poldark, and more.

13. Astrological sign is Cancer (July 20th)

14. Lifelong Sherlock Holmes nerd. I adored Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories as a child and the friendship between Holmes and Watson is incredibly important to me.

15. Scholar and lover of all fairytales, folklore, myths, and legends.

16. Yo hablo español. ¿Alguien mas?

17. Language and linguistic studies fascinate me. I love both learning languages and language family trees. The story of history is written within them.

18. History buff and nerd.

19. Proud brunette who wishes she was ginger.

20. Youngest sibling of three girls.

21. I just realized I never said my name so hi, my name is Katie.

22. I am a die hard Whovian. Like, huge Doctor Who nerd.

23. INFJ, 4w3 personality. 

24. Alongside Harry Potter I grew up with Percy Jackson, which I love wholeheartedly to this day. The nostalgia I feel with that series-- man.

25. My best friend is @shadowqueendiangelo and I love her. We’re platonically married.

26. I love film history and learning about film techniques. 

27. Connoisseur of all period fashion.

28. I’m kind of obsessed with red lipstick.

29. Active member of the YA book community.

30. I’m a barista!

31. I am a barista because I love coffee and drink too much of it.

32. Only 19 but my mind is older.

33. Speaking of which, I am a theatre kid, and live for the stage.

34. I love Broadway and musicals.

35. Besides musicals/ Broadway, I was born and raised on country. I also love 80′s rock, and am an absolute classical nerd.

36. Beethoven and Tchaikovsky are my two favorite artists.

37. Shakespeare aficionado and lover.

38. Big Stranger Things fan and 80′s nostalgia junkie.

39. Would live in Victorian England if I could.

40. Proud Christian, of Catholic and Jewish ancestry. 

41. Very, very pale.

42. I practically live in preppy dresses and skirts.

43. Self proclaimed hobbit, and LoTR fan/ Tolkien scholar.

44. I suffer from severe OCD.

45. I play the piano.

46. I used to do archery, and was very good. I hope to take it up again.

47. Lifelong New Englander.

48. My favorite color is blue.

49. Huge HTTYD fan-- like, ridiculously obsessed.

50. Jane Eyre is my favorite classic outside of Sherlock Holmes, as well as the works of Austen, The Odyssey/ The Illiad, Little Women Frankenstein, Anne of Greene Gables, Beowulf, The Great Gatsby, and Alice in Wonderland.

51. I LOVE GAME OF THRONES AND A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE.

52. ^Arya Stark is my GIRL^

53. Obsessed with Queen Victoria because she was a short, stout, brunette blue eyes woman like me.

54. I long to travel abroad, and have serious wanderlust

55. I am absolutely obsessed with not only history but culture. I considered going into cultural studies for a long time.

56. Secretly a wannabe historian.

57. I collect coffee mugs.

58. For a Christian I am oddly obsessed with everything pagan and absolutely love Halloween/ Salem culture (us New Englanders have the best Halloweens!)

59. I’m a sketcher and a cartographer!

60. Had a childhood obsession with Pixie Hollow Fairies. Still kind of do.

61. I AM A HUGE DISNERD! I want to work for Disney, and am super passionate about not only their animation, but the history of the company and the parks.

62. I am very passionate about animation as a whole. I adore foreign animation, and anything highly stylized which stretches the reaches of the art form.

63. Guillermo del Torro’s Pan’s Labyrinth is my favorite film, and GdT is one of the all time favorite creators.

64. Avid reader and lover of Agatha Christie.

65. Art museums are one of my favorite places on the planet. They’re cathartic to me, and help my anxiety.

65. I absolutely love the solar system, constellations, astronomy, and astrology.

66. I have a deep connection with the ocean. It is home to me. Not only do I just love everything nautical, I love old maps, seafaring tools, ship wheels and ropes. I’ve been on SO many ship tours it’s ridiculous. The sound of the ocean waves and an endless horizon before me is pure magic.

67. There are few things I adore more than a starry night sky.

68. Other favorite shows not yet mentioned include A Series of Unfortunate Events (first the books then the series), The Umbrella Academy, Merlin, Lost, Reign, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Broadchurch and Vikings.

69. Star Wars and MCU fan.

70. I am starting to run out of ideas for this.

71. Middle grade was my golden age of reading, and middle grade books will always have a very special place in my heart.

72. I can best be described as passionate, stubborn, sassy, caring, and complex.

73. I have an incredibly aggressive and confrontational personality. I have been frequently called a chihuahua. 

74. I am half blind. My eyesight is awful, I need to update my glasses prescription yearly.

75. Right handed. Boring, I know.

76. I grew up playing soccer/ in a hardcore soccer family, and am now super passionate about fitness and working out. I work out 6 days a week and love it.

77. I love to sleep. Like, a lot.

78. I have to take Vitamin D supplements during the winter or I will pass out often.

79. Favorite foods include: pizza/ any Italian food, any seafood, eggs/ egg sandwiches, burgers, ribs, mac and cheese, dumplings, and grilled chicken. I also love anything corn (including corn bread and muffins), potatoes, and LOVE all fruit besides pineapple. 

80. Speaking of which, if you put pineapple on pizza my Italian ass will COME FOR YOU.

81. Ungodly introverted, but also very outgoing and social.

82. I continue to go my therapist mostly because of her dog and she is well aware of this.

83. I just really love animals in general.

84. Koalas are my favorite animal.

85. I tend to stick to canon shipping, and I kind of hate fan fiction. Nothing against it, I just find it stupid. 

86. One of my goals in life is to not only visit multiple countries on each continent, but to be at least trilingual.

87. I have crazy long eyelashes, and love to emphasize this with mascara. It’s one of the few features about myself I like.

88. Hopeless romantic who has never had a boyfriend and dreams of falling in love/ having a fairytale romance.

89. I have a stuffed Toothless gifted to me by my best friend-- I feel this is oddly important.

90. My favorite art form (as in literal art, drawing/ painting) is charcoals. 

91. I have always felt I would be good at knife throwing and have wanted to learn. 

92. Hermione Grander, Belle, Jane Eyre, Hiccup Haddock, Jo March, and Elizabeth Bennett are my heroes.

93. Nicknamed Angsty Yoda. (I really am an angsty Yoda).

94. I’m a big fan of ballets, operas, and arias. 

95. I love school. A lot. It’s kind of my element. 

96. My dream career (a writer) has stayed the same since I was 3 years old.

97. My favorite Disney animated film, is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I also love The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Moana, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Mulan and Hercules.

98. Favorite musicals include: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Wicked, Les Mis, Into the Woods, Rent, Once on This Island, Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton, The Sound of Music, Anastasia, Hadestown, Bandstand, Cinderella,  Singin’ in the Rain, Newsies, Finding Neverland, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Saigon, The Music Man, Beauty and the Beast, Something Rotten, Once, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Sweeney Todd.

99. I live for the deliciously dark and macabre (yet I hate horror?) Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton are my favorite creators.

100. Friendship is the greatest love in my life, and what I firmly believe to be the most beautiful, raw, powerful, unconditional love in this world.

[howyoutalktostrangers]

So,

Brad wouldn’t listen to reason.

It was mid-July 2004, and I’d woken up crazy early in the darkness of Emmanuel Children’s Home from an intensely vivid dream that I’d instantly forgotten. But there was an intense feeling of dread in my chest, and lingering images of some sort of Viking war on water. Something bad was about to happen, I could just tell.

“I’m serious, Brad. I don’t think we should go to Ensenada,” I told him, in the shade beside the children’s playground that we had built. “I have this really bad feeling like God is telling us to stay away.”

He blinked at me, distracted but also concerned. We’d known each other for years now, and he knew that I wouldn’t make a big deal out of nothing. But at the same time, he had a mission trip to run.

I could tell Brad was stressed. He was sweating. Our transportation for the day had fallen through, and there was some trouble locating a decent translator. Just a half hour earlier one had arrived with her two small children, but the church parents were still struggling to get things underway. I’d been taught my whole life to listen to the still small voice of God, and it was telling me that we were in fucking danger.

“I’m fucking serious,” I said.

“Will, you know that I don’t like it when you swear.”

Since arriving in Tijuana, we’d been having a grand adventure that included many of my favourite people — including Favio, a surly dude who was the son of the local pastor. His passion was pimping up bicycles for road shows, a hobby that I thought was pretty stupid. But we shared a passion for movies, and together we’d loaded the kids into the van to see Spiderman 2. He’d learned most of his English from going to the theatre.

At the end, he was confused by Kirsten Dunst’s words.

“Why did she say ‘go get him, tiger?” he asked me. “He is not a tiger.”

I laughed. “That’s just a saying in Canada. It just means, like, ‘I believe in you’, basically.”

He shook his head. “My mind is white. This makes no sense. He es spider, not tiger. They should change it.”

I’d had many deep conversations with Favio late at night. His nickname for me was Guapo Guillermo, because “sexy” was one of the few words I knew in Spanish. He was particularly earnest about warning me not to have children young, a decision he seemed to deeply regret, despite the fact he loved his niños. He also liked to mercilessly ridicule the boys on our trip with long hair for being “faggy”.

“In Mexico,” he told me, “more ugly es more beauty.”

“What do you mean?”

He pondered this. “Comprende sissy boy?”

I shrugged.

“You know, like ‘ha, I so pretty, I pretty sissy boy’?”

“Okay, like gay, you mean.”

“Si. In Mexico, no es beauty.”

He pointed out one of the other workers, an immensely fat man named Pedro. He kind of looked like a brown version of Shrek. He was married to one of the women who worked in the orphanage.

“Pedro, he es ugly. But en Mexico, ugly es beauty.”

I thought this conversation was hilarious, and made a mental note to remember and repeat it. Favio was about a decade older than me, and he treated me like a younger brother. Together we’d gone to an insanely dangerous water park, I’d participated in a salsa dancing contest, and late at night he dared me to sink my teeth into a hot pepper that felt like it would kill me. Just swishing the juices had me begging for milk, but he crunched them loudly and proudly.

But now Brad wanted to go to Ensenada. Why?

“Will, this is the plan. We’re already set to go.”

“I’m begging you, Brad. I feel like I’m going to throw up. Something is wrong.”

He considered this for a long moment, then dismissed it.

The truth was, Mexico scared me. There were policemen carrying machine guns and drug dealers everywhere. Next door to the orphanage was the home of the local cocaine dealer, who had mounted speakers that blasted Spanish rap all day long. Weirdly enough, in the mornings, it would repeatedly play the song “Eight Days a Week” by the Beatles, in Spanish. When Brad was driving through the chaotic traffic I was constantly worried we would crash.

“You just have to learn the Mexican style of driving,” he told me. “It’s like flowing through a river and you just need to let it carry you along.”

There were two church elders named Paul and Susan, and later that day when Brad was arrested they went screaming down out of the hills on dirt roads that were barely there. I had visions of our van somersaulting down the slope, killing all of us in the process. I was in the backseat with the translator’s kids, because she left with Brad. There was a 5-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy, and Susan had instructed me to be in charge of them.

When we got to the first police station, it turned out to be the wrong one. It took another hour to get to the right one, at which point Favio and the elders went inside to plead their case. Why had they arrested our youth pastor? What the fuck was happening?

I felt relieved to have a task, so I took the two small children by the hand and walked laps around the block in my flip flops. We took pictures and bought candy. My heart was thumping in my chest but I put on a brave face for the niños. God was in control, right? 

This must be some kind of mix-up.

A year later, after hooking up with the same girl I lost my virginity to, I slowed down midway across the Lion’s Gate Bridge. I was driving in my boxer shorts, rushing away from my sin too quickly to put on clothes. There was no traffic, so I slowed to a near-stop and considered what it would be like to jump over the side. I didn’t want to be me anymore, and I didn’t want to live in a world where my mentor and hero was languishing in a Mexican prison. People joked that he was probably being raped now, the stupid pedophile.

Weirdly enough, a few years later, my friend Todd died in that exact spot. A motorcycle accident. I was starting to feel like I was prescient in a way I couldn’t explain. I didn’t believe in God anymore, so maybe it was just some intrinsic force of the universe trying to send me a message. Unfortunately, the message seemed to be that I should fucking kill myself.

“You’re taking advice from a guy in prison?” my Dad joked, when I told him that Brad had sent me a letter from jail chastising me for abandoning my faith. He’d started a church in prison, where they now knew him as Padre Brad. I didn’t care about lifeguarding or university or the sexual hellscape I seemed to constantly find myself in. I wanted a machine gun, and I wanted to save Brad. Yesterday.

“You saved my life, maybe it’s my time to save yours,” Eminem sang in his song “I Need a Doctor”. The world had taken away my Dr. Dre, so now I was going to have to 8-Mile it. I figured I made a pretty shitty antihero, depressed and fat and angry at everyone. Not to mention I was an asshole.

The only thing I really enjoyed about my life was teaching swimming lessons, where I could take little toddlers and teach them how to blow bubbles and float on their back and kick their feet. I was especially good at singing songs with them, like “If You’re Happy, And You Know It”, and I took real pride in that while working my way through the female staff. I’d fucked at least 10 of them by 2007.

“Brad, you taught me that we need to listen to God’s voice. You taught me that. And God is telling us to stay in Tijuana,” I said, as he started to walk away from me.

The reason Brad trusted me was because I’d become a pseudo-son to him, which was a big deal since he’d lost his son in a custody battle long before I met him. He’d recently adopted a boy from Haiti that we all loved. I was Obi-Wan here, so I had a say, right? Right? Right? Right?

“Will,” he said. “We have to go.”

The Literary Goon

[xseedgames]

2017 End-of-the-Year Q&A Extravaganza Blog! #1

It’s time for our first 2017 End-of-the-Year Q&A Extravaganza! We’ve got a bunch of these we’ll be posting over the holiday break, so please look forward to them. Now, let’s roll right in!

We have answers from: 

Ken Berry, Executive Vice President / Team Leader John Wheeler, Assistant Localization Manager Nick Colucci, Localization Editor Liz Rita, QA Tester Brittany Avery, Localization Producer Thomas Lipschultz, Localization Producer

Question: Has selling your games on PC worked out for you so far? I know supporting the PC platform is a relatively recent choice for XSEED. - @Nate_Nyo

Ken: Being on PC has been great for us as it allows us to reach anyone anywhere in the world regardless of region or console. We were probably one of the earlier adopters in terms of bringing content from Japan to PC as we first published Ys: The Oath in Felghana on Steam almost 6 years ago in early 2012.

Brittany: I love working on PC. The work involved is greater than working on console, but I feel like it's a bigger learning experience, too. For console, the developers normally handle the graphics after we translate them, and they do all the programming and such. For PC, everything falls on us. I wasn't that experienced with Photoshop in the beginning, but I think I've gotten a lot better with it over the years. We can also receive updates instantly, and since I talk with our PC programmer through Skype, it's easier to suss out our exact needs and think of ideas to improve the game or bring it to modern standards.

Question: What non-XSEED games do you praise the localization for? - @KlausRealta

Brittany: Final Fantasy XII. I love everything about Final Fantasy XII's writing. I'm also a big fan of the personality in the Ace Attorney localizations. I'm still playing Yakuza 0, but you can feel the passion of the localization team in the writing. There are some projects where you can tell the editing was phoned in, and then there are games where it's obvious it was a labor of love. All of these games have a color I aspire to.

Tom: Probably going to be a popular answer, and not an especially surprising one, but I've got to give props to Lost Odyssey. It's hard to deny the timeless quality and absolutely masterful English writing that went into basically every line of that game's massive script, with the many short stories being of particular note. That game really does represent an inspirational high bar that I think most everyone else in the industry will forever strive to reach in their own works.

For a more unexpected answer, I've also got to give mad props to Sega for their work on Monster World IV. As a Sega Genesis game released digitally in English for the very first time less than a decade ago, I guess I was kind of expecting a fairly basic "throwaway" translation -- but instead, the game boasts a full-on professional grade localization that's easily up to all modern standards, brimming with charm and personality. It's really nice to see a legitimate retro game being given that kind of care and attention in the modern era, and it makes it very easy for me to recommend (as does the fact that the game is actually quite fun, and is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who's played through all the Shantae titles and really wants to try something else along similar lines).

John: I played Okami on PS3 earlier this year (before the remake was announced), and I was awed by how skillfully the team handled text that is chock full of localization challenges like quirky nicknames, references to Japanese fairy tales, and regional dialects. I was especially amused to see a reference to "kibi dango," the dumplings Momotaro uses to bribe his companions in that famous story. We dealt with the same cultural reference with STORY OF SEASONS: Trio of Towns.

Nick: My go-to response is always Vagrant Story, because it’s the game I credit with getting me really interested in a career in localization. Before that point, I had enjoyed games for their story and characters, but hadn’t realized just how much the specific word choices and tone contributed to a reader’s perception of a story as a whole. The gents behind VS’s localization would go on to be industry luminaries, with Rich Amtower now calling shots in Nintendo’s Treehouse department and Alex Smith being synonymous with the highly regarded prose of Yasumi Matsuno’s games – including the cool and underappreciated Crimson Shroud for 3DS, and Final Fantasy XII, which as anyone who’s played it can tell you is a stellar localization. Having spent a lot of time with FFXII’s “The Zodiac Age” remaster this year, the care and attention to detail put into the localization still blows me away. The unique speech style of the Bhujerbans (with...Sri Lankan inflections, if memory serves correctly) sticks with me, because I knew that I myself would never have been able to pull off something like that so deftly. I guess you could say Vagrant Story started a lineage of games that’s always given me something to aspire to as an editor.

Final Fantasy XIV, which I’ve been playing this year, also has a very good localization, especially considering the reams of text that go into an MMO of its size and scope. Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and his team have done a bang-up job giving life and personality to the land of Eorzea, and I’ve enjoyed seeing how the localization has changed in subtle ways as time has gone on. The initial “A Realm Reborn” localization sort of cranks the “regional flavor” up to 11 with heavy dialects and vernacular, but in subsequent expansions, they kind of eased up on that and have found a good mix between grounded localization and the kind of flourishes that work well in high-fantasy settings.

 And, while I haven’t played it in a number of years, I remember Dragon Quest VIII having a really great localization, too, with ol’ Yangus still living large in my memories. Tales of the Abyss was fantastic as well, and both DQVIII and Abyss delivered some really brilliant dub work that showed me how much richer one could make characterization when the writing and the acting really harmonized. I still consider Tales of the Abyss my general favorite game dub to date. The casting is perfect, with not a bad role among them. I also want to give mad props to Ni no Kuni’s Mr. Drippy, just as a perfect storm of great localization decisions. Tidy, mun!

Question: How hard is it to turn in game signs and words to English for Japanese? Is it as simple as going in and editing text? Or as hard as creating a whole new texture for the model? - @KesanovaSSB4

Tom: We refer to this as "graphic text" -- meaning, literally, text contained within graphic images. How it's handled differs from project to project, but the short answer is, yeah, it involves creating a whole new texture for the model. Sometimes, this is handled by the developer: they'll just send us a list of all the graphic text images that exist in-game and what each image says, we'll send that list back to them with translations, and they'll use those translations to create new graphic images on our behalf. For other games, however (particularly PC titles we're more or less spearheading), we'll have to do the graphic edits ourselves. When the original PSDs or what-not exist for the sign images, this is generally pretty easy -- but as you might expect, those aren't always available to us, meaning we'll sometimes have to go to a bit more trouble to get this done.

John: The best practice is to review graphic text very early in the localization process because it takes effort to fix and can throw a wrench in schedules if issues are discovered too late. On occasion, it is too difficult to change ubiquitous textures, especially those that might also appear in animation. This was the case with "NewTube" in SENRAN KAGURA Peach Beach Splash, which the localization team wanted to change to "NyuuTube" to make the wordplay clearer to series fans.

Question: With the Steam marketplace becoming increasingly saturated and being seen as a greater risk to publish on in recent times, what does XSEED plan on doing in order to remain prominent and relevant in the PC gaming space? - @myumute

Ken: It is indeed getting harder and harder to stand out as hundreds of new titles are releasing on Steam each month. We are working our way towards simultaneous release across all platforms to help leverage some of the coverage from the console version to get more attention to the PC release, so hopefully that's something we can accomplish soon. For PC-exclusive releases it continues to be a challenge, but at least they have a long tail and even if it's not an immediate success at launch we know it can continue to produce sales for years to come.

Question: What was your favorite film that you saw in 2017, and why? - @Crippeh

John: I'm way behind on movies this year (haven't seen Disaster Artist, Phantom Thread, or Get Out, for example), but recently I've enjoyed both Star Wars and Lady Bird. I expect I'll watch my favorite film from 2017 sometime in 2018.

Ken: Wind River. Mainly because of Jeremy Renner's performance and how many quotable lines he had.

Liz: Get Out for horror mindblowing amazingness, Spider-Man Homecoming for genuinely fun comic book movie, and The Shape of Water for Guillermo del Toro. Guillermo del Toro should always be a category.

That’s it! Stay turned for blog #2 later this week. Here’s a preview of the kinds of questions we’ll be answering:

Question: Have you ever considered selling the music CDs for your licenses stateside? - @LimitTimeGamer Question: If possible, would you please consider researching and localizing classic Korean-made PC xRPGs? - @DragEnRegalia Question: Do you have any interest in pursuing the localization of any of the large, beautiful Chinese RPGs that have been hitting Steam? Or are you focused exclusively on Japanese titles? - @TheDanaAddams Question: What inspired you all to do this kind of work in the first place? Also, what’s the story behind the company name XSEED? How did you all come up with it? - @TBlock_02 Question: What was everyone's favorite game(s) to work on this year? - @ArtistofLegacy Question: What's everyone's favorite song from the Falcom games you've released so far? - @Crippeh

[aion-rsa]

Monster Madness: Vote for Your Favorite Monsters

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Every season is monster season in our hearts. But this March is a particularly good time to celebrate our enormous, scaly, and/or hairy friends. In the film world, the long-awaited Godzilla v. Kong arrives on March 31. Meanwhile on television, the final season of behemoth anime Attack on Titan is in the midst of its final season right now. Given that many of us are already primed for bracketology in March, we decided to create a bracket of our 32 favorite monsters for you, the monster-lover, to vote on. 

In honor of Godzilla, Kong, and Attack on Titan’s many titans, we’re electing only to include kaiju-style monsters on this bracket. All of these monsters must A. be their own distinct individual (not a species like “cave trolls” or “aliens”) and B. be able to knock down a building (or at least cause catastrophic structural damage). That’s why you won’t see any Universal-style monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, et. al) on our list.

 If you’re unfamiliar with how a bracket works, never fear – each round we will present monster matchups one-by-one for you to vote on via our Twitter and within this post. The rules here are simple: peruse our list of 16 matchups and vote for your favorite monster. And whether “favorite” means “which monster would win in a fight” or “which monster I like the most” is up to you. 

You can vote over at Den of Geek‘s Twitter or within this post.

Whichever monster receives the most votes will advance to the next round to face another victorious monster. This will lead to five total rounds with round 1 featuring 32 monsters, round 2 having 16, round 3 having 8, round 4 having 4, and round 5 having 2. The full voting schedule will be as follows:

Round 1 (32 monsters) – Voting Opens March 15 (Closes March 16 at 12 p.m. ET)

Round 2 (16 monsters) – Voting Opens March 18 (Closes March 19 at 12 p.m. ET)

Round 3 (8 monsters) – Voting Opens March 22 (Closes March 23 at 12 p.m. ET)

Round 4 (4 monsters) – Voting Opens March 25 (Closes March 26 at 12 p.m. ET)

Round 5 (2 monsters) – Voting Opens March 29 (Closes March 30 at 12 p.m. ET)

Results – March 31

With the monster rules and arena set, let’s get into the round 1 matchups!

Godzilla Region

1. Godzilla vs. 8. The Blob

You know that saying “if you come at the king, you best not miss?” Well in this monster bracket, Godzilla is the king. The big lizard is the iconic kaiju, having appeared in over 30 films and countless other bits of media. Who dares challenge his monster supremacy? The Blob. The Blob is…well, a blob. Best of luck!

2. King Ghidorah vs. 7. Destoroyah

Though Godzilla may be the king of monsters, only one kaiju is bold enough to include “King” in its name. That would be King Ghidorah. This three-headed beast first appeared in the fittingly named 1964 film King Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. He’s appeared in multiple eras of Godzilla films as an enemy to Godzilla and Mothra. Opposing Ghidorah is Destoroyah, an unholy combination of crab, insect, and bat.

3. Biollante vs. 6. Colossal Titan (Attack on Titan)

Kaiju movies are happy to turn just about anything into a terrifying monster. Case in point is the plant monster Biollante. Despite its rosy origins, Biollante is a fearsome foe to all. Meanwhile the Colossal Titan can knock down just about any wall put in front of it. He’s not the most dangerous titan in Attack on Titan, but he’s unquestionably the most iconic. 

4. Yongary vs. 5. Quetzalcoatl (Q: The Winged Serpent)

Yongary looks quite a bit like Godzilla and that’s by design. The monster was introduced in 1967’s Yongary, Monster from the Deep to rival the success of the iconic monster. Suffice it to say, Yongary did not reach Godzilla heights, but he’s still pretty cool. Its opponent Quetzalcoalt comes from the 1982 film Q: The Winged Serpent. In some ways, Quetzalcoatl is the American answer to Godzilla, drawing from Aztec myth to create a winged beast. 

King Kong Region

1. King Kong vs. 8. El Blanco (Tremors)

Only one monster can challenge Godzilla’s claim to the monster throne. And that’s the MONKE. First appearing in the 1933 film bearing his name, King Kong pre-dates Godzilla by 20 years. He comes from a simpler time where monsters could exist naturally and not as a byproduct from man’s vile nuclear experiments. King Kong rules. Trying to take the gorilla down is El Blanco, a notable graboid from the Tremors film series.

2. Mechagodzilla vs. 7. Hedorah

What could possibly take a big nuclear lizard down? The answer is so simple it’s been staring us in the face all along: a ROBOT lizard. Mechagodzilla was first depicted as an alien in the 1974 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Since then he’s frequently turned up as a mechanical creation from mankind to keep Godzilla in check. And he does a decent enough job to be considered Godzilla’s archenemy. In this matchup, Mechagodzilla is opposed by Hedorah – who is just a big ol’ pile of toxic sludge. 

3. Anguirus vs. 6. The Mind Flayer (Stranger Things)

Anguirus holds the honor of being the first monster to go toe-to-toe with Godzilla in battle. It didn’t go well for the massive Ankylosaurus but that didn’t keep him from becoming a mainstay in the Toho Godzilla movies. Meanwhile, Stranger Things isn’t hurting for notable monsters, with the Demogorgon being the most well-known. It’s only season 4’s The Mind Flayer, however, who has the strength and size to compete in this tournament. 

4. Kraken (Clash of the Titans) vs. 5. Clover (Cloverfield)

The Kraken has had quite an impressive pop culture run. Who could forget Davy Jones crying “release the kraken!” in Pirates of the Caribbean? The Clash of the Titans version of this monster (both in the 1981 film and its 2010 remake) is undoubtedly the most fearsome. Opposing the Kraken in this competitive 4-5 matchup is the unnamed monster (oft nicknamed “Clover”) from the 2008 found footage movie Cloverfield. Viewers don’t catch many glimpses of Clover but when they do it’s clear he’s among the biggest and most dangerous monsters in the film canon. 

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Mothra Region

1. Mothra vs. 8. King Caesar 

Mothra is undoubtedly the most famous monster to come out of Toho’s kaiju films aside from Godzilla himself. As her name implies, Mothra is an enormous flying insect inspired by the “imagos” of silkworms. While many of the monsters in this bracket are destructive and villainous by default, Mothra is actually pretty chill and at times darn near heroic. Furred weirdo King Caesar draws the unenviable task of taking Mothra down.

2. Slattern (Pacific Rim) vs. 7. Pateesa (Star Wars)

Aside from the sprawling Godzilla franchise, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim provides the most potential monster candidates for this list. Given that they’re all confined to one film, however (and make no mistake: there is only one Pacific Rim movie), we’ve opted to choose the most powerful PR kaiju to represent them all. That honor goes to Slattern, the biggest and baddest subterranean monster our heroes encounter. In the other corner is the Rancor (named Pateesa) from Star Wars – Return of the Jedi. Pateesa can be pretty fearsome…as long as there are no gate doors above him.

3. Cthulhu vs. 6. Monster X

H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu is one of the most terrifying monsters in all of literature. In fact, Cthulhu’s appearance is said to be incomprehensible and enough to drive men mad. Well, movies and television have had little issue depicting the Great Old One, with him frequently appearing as a squid monster in everything from 2020’s Underwater to a series of South Park episodes. Lovecraft’s version of Cthulhu would probably be unbeatable, but the film and TV version of him is a fair match. It’s up to Monster X, a skeletal kaiju from 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars, to take Cthulhu down. 

4. Smaug (The Hobbit) vs. 5. Gwoemul (The Host)

Most of the monsters in this tournament fall a bit short of human intelligence. That is not the case for The Hobbit’s massive dragon Smaug. Smaug is a clever fire drake and possibly the last great dragon in Middle-Earth. He can cause some real destruction, if he can be bothered to leave his treasures unguarded. Meanwhile, Gwoemul is the creature from Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 The Host. It’s also quite smarter than any fish monster has a right to be. 

Rodan Region

1. Rodan vs. 8. Demon (Night of the Demon)

When it comes to Monster Madness battles, the ability to fly is never a bad thing. And that’s partially what makes Toho all-star Rodan so effective. Rodan is one of the Godzilla studio’s “big five” alongside Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla. That place of honor is well-earned for the irradiated Pteranodon. Rodan has the strength and the skill to go far in this tourney. The eight-seed that will try to stop him is the demon from 1957 British horror film Night of the Demon. Like the Cloverfield monster, this demon is little-scene but still quite powerful. 

2. Gamera vs. 7. Zigra

If you want a sleeper monster on this bracket, look no further than Gamera. This giant prehistoric turtle is a mainstay in kaiju movies and is often known as “The Friend of All Children” or “The Guardian of the Universe.” Alongside Mothra, he is one of the very few monsters willing to stick up for the little guy. His competition, Zigra, on the other hand is a total dirtbag. Gamera and Zigra’s matchups go way back to the 1971 film Gamera vs. Zigra. Gamera handled Zigra quite easily then. Can the loveable terrapin succeed again? 

3. Megalon vs. 6. Gyaos

Megalon is a mainstay of monster comics who has also enjoyed a couple of film appearances. He’s yet another insectoid-style kaiju but he also brings some awesome drill arms to the table. Opposing Megalon this round will be Gyaos. Gyaos is a bat-like kaiju who first got a shot at monster-stardom in 1967’s Gamera vs. Gyaos. He was treated quite shabbily in that but perhaps he has a shot against this new opponent. 

4. Gigan vs. 5. Reptilicus

This bracket already had some alien cyborg representation with Mechagodzilla but you know what they say “you can never have enough alien cyborgs.” Thankfully, Gigan is around. This red-eyed, be-chromed monster first appeared in the 1972 film Godzilla vs. Gigan. He’s since popped up in several more movies to give Godzilla a hard time. The monster that hopes to take Gigan down is Reptilicus, a sea serpent, who hails from a 1961 Danish-American movie bearing his name.

The post Monster Madness: Vote for Your Favorite Monsters appeared first on Den of Geek.

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

[blindingechoes]

Tag Meme

I was tagged by the lovely @wereupallnighttoplaysims ♥ Go check them out!

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 20 people

Nickname(s): Stace, Tete, Cece, Echo.

Gender: Female

Sign: Aquarius

Height: 5′9

Time: 1:13pm

Birthday: January 23rd (yep it’s on Tuesday)

Favourite Bands: Damn, my favorite bands change weekly it seems. The ones at the top of my current Spotify list are: The Neighborhood, Echos, Evanescence, Marianas Trench, Paramore, The Pretty Reckless, Imagine Dragons, Amber Run, Daughter.

Favourite Solo Artists: Again, they change on a whim so I’ll just post the ones at the top of my Spotify list currently: MILCK, The Weekend, Sam Smith, Andie Case, Taylor Swift, Kesha, Aurora, Dodie, Skylar Grey, Fleurie, Halsey, Hayley Kiyoko, Madilyn Bailey, Shawn Mendes, Ellie Goulding, Joy Williams.

Song stuck in my head: Nothing right now, but give it time lol.

Last movie I watched: Crimson Peak, it’s a Guillermo del Toro movie starring Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska and a whole bunch of amazingly talented people. It’s a dark drama/ghost story, I wouldn’t call it a horror movie because it’s not really scary although it does have horror elements to it. Really, if you’re a del Toro fan like me, you need to watch this movie!

Last show I watched: Bob’s Burgers, I love me some Belcher’s before bed :)

When did I create this blog: October 2011.

What do I post: Sims, random video games, drama, you know, the usual.

What did I last google: If it was possibly to put Netflix in windowed mode on Windows 8, it’s not, like I figured but I wanted to check just to make sure.

Other blogs: @echoesfinds

Do I get asks: Yep, I usually get a bunch each week.

Why did I choose this URL: I honestly picked it out of familiarity, I started using this screen name online when I was I think 19-ish, and it just stuck. If you ever see BlindingEchoes somewhere else, there’s a 99 percent chance that it’s me. Also blinding_echos, because yeah, there was a time where I used underscores and spelt echoes wrong lol.

Following: 1,048, although I do need to go through them an unfollow any dead or deactivated blogs, I’m just lazy lol.

Followers: Enough :)

Average hours of sleep: Depends on the day, time of year and stress level in my house.

Lucky number: I like the number 7, I don’t know why, so I guess 7?

Instrument: I played the flute in jr high band, I always wanted to learn to play the piano but we could never afford it.

What am I wearing: Fleece pants with paw prints on them, and a black t-shirt.

Dream job: Nail tech, I know, dream big right? Lol

Favourite Food: Chinese food.

Last book I read: Omg I don’t even remember, I’m super picky about the books I read, I always feel like I don’t want to put the effort into anything that might be terrible so I usually end up researching the book beforehand.

3 favorite fandoms: Teen Wolf, Supernatural and Check Please!

Tag 20 people: Okay, I’m gonna try my best here lol. @funboysims, @finniepanda, @nerdychibimonster, @dangerouslynerdydreamer, @purpleleopard96, @twistedsimblr, @nervoussimblr, @kokiosims, @celebi88, @coliswonderland, @claudiasharon, @abundanceofpixels, @suspiciouslypinklady, @mwgaybachelor, @justasillysimmer, @berrysweetboutique, @simpyre, @chatterboxsims586, @neopixiesims, @nezucorni

Remember, if you’ve done this or simply don’t want too, then by all means, ignore me tagging you ♥

[delightfully-frazzled]

This is How Head Canons Die, Pt. 2: Rosa McClain

I posted this beautiful head canon a few days ago I’d had about Lance’s hotheaded little sister (which is sadly dead, thanks to sdcc2017). I was asked to expand on it more (hey thanks @cyan-not-blue​) and couldn’t say no because I love this girl. I don’t really have a fic (yet? who knows), but here’s some stuff I’ve fleshed out about her!

Her name is Rosa. Lance calls her Rosebud (or yema in Spanish). She calls him Lancelot (or caballero (knight) in Spanish). Lance loves her so much.

If Lance is the ocean then she’s a hurricane.

She’s shorter than Lance (somewhere between Keith and Pidge) and curvy. Same skin tone as Lance, same deep blue eyes, softer facial features. Slightly darker hair, pretty long, always messy.

She’s about 18 months younger than Lance. They’re the middle children in the family and were sometimes overlooked, but that was okay because they had each other.

Has a huge heart but is also feisty as hell– especially if you trash talk her family. Lance was constantly trying to calm her down and talk her out of fights (*cough* like a certain red paladin I could mention *cough*)

Was afraid of storms when she was little. 

She used to crawl into Lance’s bed whenever there was a storm at night and he would sing to her.

“La Vie en Rosa” was her favorite (for obvious reasons). He sang it to her whenever she was sad. She’s the reason Lance learned to play the ukulele. 

Took up kickboxing (at Lance’s suggestion) when she was 12 to channel her aggression. She can drop-kick literally anybody and 100% will fight you. And kick your ass.

The definition of “ride or die.”

Seriously don’t get on her bad side.

But she’d also literally do anything for her friends.

Swears solely in Spanish (and often).

A master at racing video games, and isn’t afraid to use her elbow for defensive maneuvers.

Strictly a Mac user.

Probably a Gryffindor. (Maaaaaybe Slytherin)

Loves indie movies. Watches Guillermo del Toro’s works religiously.

Hates tourists. Regularly gives them incorrect directions or pretends she doesn’t speak English. Also hangs out in cheesy tourist shops and talks up the value of crappy trinkets. The store owners give her free candy bars or drinks all the time.

Went through a hardcore emo stage for about a year. Her eyeliner game would have rivaled Space Dad Shiro’s. Still regularly wears her black combat boots.

Secretly obsessed with the current boy band craze but will kill anyone who finds out.

Pansexual but has never been in a serious, committed relationship.

Is the only person Lance trusts to cut his hair. 

Thinks human babies are kind of gross but would literally die for any smol, fluffy animal she sees. 

Wants a big house when she’s older so she can adopt all the animals.

Probably would have died from cuteness overload if she’d met Pidge’s Ghibli fluffball friends in s2e1.

Gets really hyper from too much caffeine.

Reaction to Lance’s disappearance and how she ends up in space under the cut, yo. Currently working on  The Reunion™ for later.

Grew up tinkering in their tio’s auto shop. She loves all things cars.

She was going to a well-renowned trade school to become a mechanic while Lance was at the Garrison.

She and Lance used to Skype (or the equivalent) at least once a week while they were away at school. Most of it was gossiping about their classmates and professors in Spanish. 

Lance always asked her if she was keeping up with her skincare. She always said of course she was. (She wasn’t.)

Lance wouldn’t shut up about his rivalry with this moody mullet kid? Rosa wasn’t sure who he was, but she was pretty sure she’d enjoy punching him in the face.

She liked talking shop with Hunk for a while if he was in the room. Hunk loved hearing more about Lance as a kid (much to Lance’s embarrassment). He thinks Rosa and Lance’s nicknames for each other are literally the best thing to happen to the world.

After Lance’s disappearance, the Garrison offered little to no information about what happened to him and his two other classmates. The official story was that the three of them died in a freak accident during a training exercise. Any request for more information was strictly “classified.”

Rosa used to love the stars– especially Lance’s stories about them. Now she blames them for taking her brother from her.

Rosa didn’t believe the Garrison’s flimsy story and decided to take matters into her own hands. She dropped out of her trade school and joined the Garrison as a mechanic instead. She pulled a Pidge and snooped around for information on Lance and the others as often as she could. 

After some less-than-legal information-gathering, Rosa found the surveillance footage of the night Shiro crash-landed– and saw the paladins racing away of Keith’s sand speeder thing.

Using the Garrison’s government version of Google Maps (and sheer stubbornness), Rosa found Keith’s shack in the desert. Studying the maps and notes eventually led her to the cave where the others found Blue.

The cave drawings illuminated at her touch and she fell into Blue’s chamber like the others had. However, instead of finding a cool giant sentient Lion robot ship, she stumbled across a platoon of Galra soldiers who had been send to find out what they could about the Lions and paladins. They didn’t find much but were more than okay with taking a feisty little captive on board instead.

Rosa was kept in a Galra prison for several weeks until she and the other prisoners were liberated by Rebel fighters.

She immediately joins the Rebel cause and spends every second she can tinkering with the alien ships. 

She “upgrades” their rides whenever she can. One ship has a flamethrower on the front, one can emit a nonlethal knockout gas, one can function as a flash bomb, and every ship she rides on suddenly has a souped up sound system.

She volunteers for any mission that takes her to a Galra prison, hoping desperately to find Lance in a cell or learn his whereabouts from other prisoners.

She obviously knows about Voltron. However, the paladins as described by other alien races are usually some fantastical, super menacing unknown race from a hellish planet millions of light years away. Every account is a little different. She doesn’t care much.

Like I said, I’m working on The Reunion™ and hopefully will post that tomorrow. Lmk other specifics you want to know!