#Her fashion choices *chef's kiss*

[cupophrogs]

@dxkjf I’m sorry but Loona and Ami would be besties tbh (extrovert and the introvert she adopted lmao)

Also Bonus:

Full page :DD

[nebulanewts]

Next is Karin!

My pick: February - Gap moe. That is my MAIN reason,like the only other song we’ve seen her be a little soft on is Wish and that’s one of my favorite Karin songs so imagine her singing someone to sleep?? Idk we need more gentle soft Karin is all I’m saying

What about y’all though?? Lmk your picks and why in the tags / reblogs :3

[snackugaki]

.... i have been so normal about wanting to draw tactical!Venus and tactical!Jennika.

hey. HEY. y’all need to go check out @donathan ‘s artwork, and if you are the proper age, go throw some money into their patreon for some... some real, real good art. 👀👀👀 ...but do not if you are a minor, that shit ain’t for you.

some IDW TMNT comic spoilers... and.... I guess... Next Mutation ssspoilers? I know some of you kids haven’t turtled up and watched my beloved childhood iteration yet.

alright, so, y’know, completely normal expenditure of my energy and skillset, amirite? big big thanks to @/donathan for allowing me to play around in their AU’s aesthetic because I have severe, terminal VenusAndJennikaDeserveEverythingoccocal SoIWillManifestItMyselfitis.

and tbh, all y’all’s fics have been, mwah, chef’s kiss. but SOME of you put LORE. delicious, tasty, appetite-inducing lore.

and i am nothing but the littlest hoebag for lore.

okay so, quick rundown for those who both A) are immune to spoilers B) also do not know Venus or Jennika’s origins-- bulletpoint time~!

So Venus de Milo, the “girl turtle”, the “fifth turtle” (not counting April’s extremely brief stint as a white-bandana’d turtle in the Archie comics run) was introduced in 1997′s Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

An episode of “The Toys That Made Us” touched upon Venus’ creation so idk it’ll cover what I won’t deign to acknowledge.

her backtory is interesting (just her show was a trashfire /affectionate)

Master Splinter’s frolicking around in the dreamscape where all the cool enlightened old people hang out away from teenagers, right?

but oh no! dragon lord, a bad dude with a widow’s peak to rival Vegeta Dragonball’s widow’s peak; is there too! stomping around, ruining shit!

Splinter’s dreamscape buddy Chung I warns Splinter to stay out of the dreamscape ‘cuz Dragon Lord’s around

And like in true old people fashion, just ignores his friend’s admonition and tries to investigate himself

bad choice, womp womp

Splinter gets trussed up and rendered “stuck” in the dreamscape

cue the catalyst for Venus to make the 10+ flight from China to the U.S

don’t worry about what the boys were doing, just literal surfing in sewer grey water, breaking their little turtle skulls on cinderblocks, and picking fights in warehouses with Foot clan goons

tl;dr Venus still has Sixth Ranger mode on, so naturally she whoops all of their asses in the dark, ties them up (like how some of y’all enjoy writing Leo does huhu nudgenudge winkwink)

venusistheoriginalshibarienthusiastandteadrinkerfightme

and then, y’know, it’s still the 90s and children’s television so blah blah the usual “oH My gOd a GiRL tURTle???/?? AWoooOOogaaa ga ga ga” 

it’s.... I mean, i’m 38 so it no longer strikes me as bad as just really fucking embarrassing... for them. to be written saying. fuck, at least they didn’t make her bandana color pink.

so fast forward to Venus teaching them to dreamwalk so they can go rescue Splinter from Dragon Lord’s clutches in the dreamscape.

unfortunately, Dragon Lord offscreen murders Chung I so Venus is narratively anchorless post-rescue, so she’s invited to stay with them. thus ensues wacky hijinks with their new pal, Venus Boom Boom de Milo.

I glossed over the urge to write a cumulative review of Next Mutation. Just, take my word as the target demographic of the show during the last gasps of 90s Turtlemania that TNM was a trashfire overall but... y’know... if you ever needed a palette cleanser after some grimdark or angsty TMNT content, give TNM a whirl. The slapstick was intentional and The Point in the show. Venus’ circumstances for coming was as serious as it would get.

... Also, yes, they made them not related in TNM, preteen snackugaki didn’t clock why because I watched a lot of wuxia as a kid so brotherhood is a term beyond blood ties to me (and if I’m being honest, martial brotherhood is fkkn metal) and later I heard tell that it was to lure more girls into the franchise with both a girl turtle and romance options. which idk whatevs man. 

I also have to clear that, actually no, Donatello and Venus did not fight EVERY episode. Donatello, despite sprinkling a little too much barely disguised snobbery, did defer to Venus’ expertise in “the supernatural” when the situation called for it, and Venus would commend Donnie on his scientific ingenuity. They even teamed up skillsets to create surveillance drones! She essentially casted Calm Emotions on him while he tried to hack the controls of the Astro Megaship back for the In Space Rangers. They breached the divide between STEM and Humanities! They only had one “real fight" near the end of the season-- because Donnie was playing his containment breach elevator mid trash copyright strike immune proto-EDM too loud while she was trying to meditate. and that’s just being bad roommates tbh.

...christ I know it’s gonna come up too, but also NO, there was not constant advances made toward Venus during the show. At most was Mikey pulling his ol’ “I work out every day~!” schtick for like 2 episodes of the 5 spent to introduce Venus. And then after? A shipper’s desert, you’d have to dig and peer behind like 8 curtains for any viable fodder. 

...OKAY NOW FOR JENNIKA’S ORIGINS: Jennika is an IDW character specifically so, naturally why she isn’t in (or would’ve been, AHEM) a lot of iterations yet (or at all, COUGH) (but to continue in honesty there’s a lot of legal tape to cut through since Jennika is IDW’s while TMNT overall is Nick’s) Introduced as a Foot Assassin, her place in the Foot Clan shifts when Splinter takes over from Shredder (Saki), eventually she forms actual bonds with both the turtles and Splinter to where it’s implied she also saw him as an important figure to her if not an outright surrogate father figure. And because TMNT is mess and drama the other 50% of the time, Karai takes over the Foot from Splinter and shenanigans compounded by Karai’s then-current machinations for the Foot-- results in Jennika getting shanked in the stomach by Karai during a clandestine meeting to resolve clan rivalry. She’s losing blood fast, Donnie works to save her and it’s Leo who volunteers for blood transfusion to keep her stable mid-transit. 

SURPRISE!

Leo’s blood mutates Jennika into a mutant turtle. And then Casey ghosts/dumps her. My poor daughter. She has a real rough time of it before fully integrating with the boys. Raph falls in with Old Hob, gets hoodwinked, and now they live in Mutant Town. Jennika slowly finds herself again, as a mutant turtle, a Splinter clan ninja, a girlfriend, a guitarist in a band she started, a sister in a found family, and a constable to a very little town.

okay! we’re all marginally informed about my two wonderfull daughters, Venus and Jennika~!

so if I can indulge further, I’m going to use my cognizance and make it everyone’s problem because I have beem quietly foaming with ideas for bg lore for tactical!J&V, more bullet points!

ok so, donathan mentioned a bit about their tac! Leo and Donnie being the snipers, Mikey and Raph spotting for them while also being demolitions and heavy ordinance specialists respectively

I would think, then for Vee and Jen, they’d be classified as close quarters combat specialists, complicated extraction? compromised area? call them to clean up and clear out~

give or take “magic” being a thing used in donathan’s AU, or anyone’s AU of this AU, Vee would probably be a close combat specialist along with Jen.

Vee, I feel, would, barring a ...”tactical fan”, (even though in TNM it was just her fists and her little wizard components but her toy came with a fan so.) probably use batons, Jen in lieu of her tekagi-shuko would... most likely use tactical karambit. not that large of a leap really.

for my personal lulz, Vee and Jen are... accurate, height-wise. Raph gets to be the biggest brother since alligator snapping turtles are, in fact, the largest motherfucking freshwater turtles on the north american continent. no getting around it.

my Vee in all Rise AUs is a softshell since the messy hanzi used to write her first given name, Mei Pieh Chi (美鱉气) has the hanzi that’s most commonly translated as softshell turtle (鱉). eh ‘di wow talaga

snacku what do you mean ‘accurate’???? tl;dr female turtles are usually the larger ones in most species.

and listen, I love and I mean LOVE, how some of y’all have written the tac!boys, mwah; but god I’m a professional turtle bully. I need to see them get dunked on. for nutritional value. and if it comes to it, I will provide that food for myself. brb laughing at eventually drawing Venus just offhandedly tossing Donnie into the air to skeet shoot his ass for fun brings me the greatest joy.

they absolutely dote on Mikey, as is the natural order of things. 

and even tho I stated TNM Donnie and Venus got along in the show, and depending on the existence of magic in this AU; I just really love dichotomous rivalries (in as much “science” and “magic” exist as a dichotomy, much less as “diametrically oppose” fields-- just, opposites man. i’m a simple girl with simple trope needs)

Vee’s arms (and legs) are absolutely covered in burns, scars, and missing flesh divots, just as close to swiss cheese limbs as you can be

Jen and Donnie debate tracks that go into their joint “On Our Way To Commit Murder” playlist

if Vee’s tactical look seem very familiar, and you’re wondering if-- yes, you’re correct. and you can “call her ms. de milo if ya nasty”

Vee was actually pretty calm and rational in TNM... but for this AU, she can be a little unhinged, as a well-deserved treat. (and ‘cuz that specific anime unhinged facial expression is fun as fuck to draw, which is my treat)

[drawingducktalesducks]

You make great art!

Your opinions on Vi’s alternate designs?

I could stare at her all day. Perfection.

Design wise? Her final one is (chef's kiss) SUCH a good balance of showing and contrasting Violet’s personality.

And the alternates show why!

She’s a nerd. Shorthand for that is usually glasses, as seen in almost all her alternative designs. (Think Velma from Scooby Doo.) Not a bad trope.

But at the same time, does her character need a visual short hand for smartness?

Just the way Violet SPEAKS tells you she’s a nerd. She uses big words, and calls people by their full names. When we first meet her it’s in a LIBRARY and her and Webby instantly start switching between various ancient languages.

We don’t need glasses to know she smart and a nerd.

So unless the show is willing to commit to some moments or gags where Violet loses her glasses / takes them off specifically not to see something / cleans them regularly as a character tick (think Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Conservation of Character Design says get rid of them.

Which the show creators did.

(also her introduction scene includes Quackfaster, and I appreciate that, instead of them both wearing glasses- a thing that isn't actually about smartness literally it's just wanting to be able to see- the thing Violet shares with the Terrifying Librarian is... hair tie / hair band, including the color thereof.)

(It's a more personal choice. And it's message is "Practical")

Next is clothing style. Most of her alternates have a more fancy, ‘outfit’ kinda look to them. Like this is something she put together to get a specific Look. Nothing wrong with that. Nerds can be fashionable (Ellie Woods queen thereof).

But… there isn’t anything in Violet’s personality, story, or situation that connects to that idea.

Her things are Books, Learning, Forbidden Magics, Honorable Conduct in Contests and Duels, Adopting Stray Shadow Teens Off The Street As Her New Sister, Brining Pie To A Sleepover, Smacking Invading Moon People With A Spiked Mace, and Using Tibetan Breathing Techniques To Survive Eating Three Bowls Of Deadly Hot Spices In A Row.

The closest she gets to caring about her appearance is when her and Webby (and then her and Lena) put on gruesome costume make up and prosthetics for fun.

So a snazzy outfit, while cool, doesn’t really… jive with the vibe of Violet Sabrewing.

Nerd clothes, like a vest, isn’t needed the same reason glasses aren’t. Also the details would be a pain to draw over and over again. Even Webby’s clothes don’t have that much little bits in them.

High collars again look cool… but Lena’s already got that covered. Stand them next to each other, and where’s the contrast?

Violet wouldn’t “pop” next to Lena if they had that on top of Violet’s dark color scheme and Lena’s dark sweater.

Wearing the same thing (to show characters are connected to each other) works best when either the color or the style DOES contrast sharply

(Huey Louie Dewy and May June wearing basically the same thing as their siblings, but in very different colors)

(side note I’ll make a separate thing for someday: Lena and Webby with button down collar shirts worn under something, but with different style, effect, and colors)

The leggings are seen on two of Violets alternates and I think that got picked for Meta Simplicity and also In-Character Practicality.

They’re athletic, the kind of thing that isn’t at risk of snagging on stuff (befitting an eventual Senior Junior Woodchuck), and the dark color balances out with her hair. And they’re VERY easy to draw. Very good!

Sweater.

Sweater with turtle neck (unless it’s one of those very loose ones) usually gets used as shorthand for “Comfort over Appearance” (Velma again, contrasting Daphne)

And in this case it’s a contrast with Lena who LOOKS like she doesn’t care at first glance but actually has put maybe the most effort into her outfit (sweater stolen from favorite band, dyed her hair, wears bright colored converse in a world where most people go bare foot)

and Webby, who is wearing basically a uniform (picked by her Granny or by herself while daydreaming of experiencing Normal School Things???)

So to balance out Lena’s rebel teen punk look, and Webby’s prim and proper look, Violet has a comfort and practicality look.

BUT!

They kept the eyeshadow.

A VERY GOOD MOVE.

See, eyeshadow on someone who wears an ‘outfit’ (Lena, Daisy) says fashion minded and image conscious.

(this includes Beakly the former spy taking up the role of grandmother).

Eyeshadow on someone who wears a non-snazzy turtle neck and legging with her hair tied away from her face in a simple ponytail says something else completely-

It says, Violet likes eyeshadow, and that is the ONLY reason she wears it.

Either she doesn’t notice that it’s unusual to do this, or she doesn’t care.  

THAT is showing her personality.

If it’s that she doesn’t know it’s unusual, then that fits with her in the Woodchuck Challenge not knowing about smack talk until Lena teaches her, and in Friendship Hates Magic brining a pie to a sleepover, and in The Split Sword of Swanstantine wondering in the middle of a fight if she should change in to more occasion appropriate clothes instead of, you know, running.

Smart yes, savvy to social norms? Not so much.

If it’s that she doesn’t care, then that fits with her direct and blunt way of getting what she wants out of situations, never mind others' objections-

-Instantly running to Webby’s loft so she can see the picture of the demon lord and confirm the crookedness of his fang, repeatedly pressing for using the runes to try contacting the shadow realm despite Webby’s nervous boggle deflections, happily employing smack talk so she can learn it properly without stopping to ask what it’s effect on her competitor might be..

So the clothes of her final design all work really, REALLY well telling new parts of Violet’s personality, without just repeating what we’d instantly know from listening to her talk for half a minute.

Hair.

One of her alternates has loose floofy hair, which I imagine is what canon her would look like without the hair tie, and it rocks.

But the hair tie is kinda important.

Violet isn’t a book nerd who never leaves the library- She’s active, she gets in the thick of things, she’s happy to jump in a fight, and she’s a Junior Woodchuck. Practicality, again, makes more sense. Keeping her hair out of her face works with her character.

Her little flop of bangs is really fun to me too because… well…. It reminds me of Lena.  

Again, it’s different enough to pop while the two stand together, but it’s there. Lena has flopped bang thing. Violet has a curly bang thing. They are sisters. It’s cute!

Also helps her silhouette stand out more against Webby and Lena, who’s hair is pretty smooth and down in general. Gives her this sharp thing that moves around and makes her extra easy to pick out, even when you just see part of her head. Important for a main side-character.

If you're going to add detail, add it to the silhouette -> very big visual payoff.

Colors! COLORS!!!!

Already mentioned the pants balancing her hair nicely, dark on top, dark below, but then there’s her eyeshadow and sweater!

They ALSO tie her with Lena!!!!

Lena’s shirt, hidden under her sweater, is pale blue- the same color her friendship magic is later- it’s the color of Lena being happy and being connected to people.

And Violet’s eyeshadow, is also blue? And Lena’s eyeshadow is purple! Like Violet!

Eyeshadow! That thing both her and Lena wear, them the Sabrewing Sisters, but Webby doesn’t!

That’s so cool! That’s a way to show a connection between them AND their personal tastes, before they even become family! And once they ARE family it helps them visually LOOK like one!

Also, Violet’s green sweater?

Again we’ve got the color contrast compliment thing (huey red dewy blue louie green) this time with Team Magic: Webby pink, Lena blue, Violet green. It helps them feel… individual in scenes they’re all in frame together, while also making them look good next to each other.

The choice of all of team magic’s colors to be either more pastel or duller than the Primary Colors Trio also lets all six of them work together visually, like in Nightmare on Killmoter Hill.

But again, LENA.

Lena has two other bright colors tucked into her design, aside from her pale blue.  

The pink in her hair (visual cue to Webby) and her lime green shoes. Green. GREEN. It’s enough of an important color for it to ALSO be in her friendship bracelet.

And it’s the main color Violet, her adopted little sister, wears.

Oh my heart….

Finally, it’s looks like they tested out ideas of Violet being some kind of, parrot maybe, or wren, or such.

I love her being a humming bird for one very queer reason.

Female violet sabrewing humming birds are actually green, not purple.

And Violet.

Is purple.

Just like her dads.

(also name puns for the win yeeeeessss)

So on the whole, looking at the designs Violet could have had, I guess I’d say they’d make nice occasional outfits for her...

but if you’re going to make her an important supporting member of the cast and if you have to draw her over and over again, almost always with the same other two characters… and if those characters are Webby and Lena...

Then they picked exactly the right design to go with <3

[mahou-furbies]

Miss Meguca contest (casual outfits), comments

All preliminary rounds are now over! Since there was some variance in how many people voted each round, I'll have to calculate everyone's scores with percentages. So I think the final round won't start until tomorrow. In the meantime, here are the comments:

Round 1

Let’s Hope Madoka Wins this Thing Again. I want to See an Idol or Maybe a special Surprise Image song round or something.

Most of these outfits are so good. I only docked off points for some of them cause they weren’t as interesting. Also Ayaka’s outfit is perfect except for the color of her tights

Always glad to see my girl, Ashley!

Hoods are always a good taste, so…

I'm a sucker for suspenders!

Yuuna, Rena and Kokoro are the TOP of winter fashion!!!

There're quite a few outfits I WANT to like but they're just drawn so weird. Like. Why is Mitsune's sweatshirt Like That.

Also why is Mami dressed like she's in her 40s.

I really love all the varied silhouettes Magireco gives its characters in their casual clothes. Yuuna's is probably my least favourite because it's so boring. Ikumi's cat socks are extremely 2010s fashion and I love them.

Ashley has the best one here! It's practically something I would wear!

Rena's was so cute… until the short shorts. Girl!!! Your thighs are going to freeze!!! At least with skirts it's easy to wear skin colored thermal tights!

Ikumi: I'm going to wear e-girl cat socks with the most boring fit possible.

Round 2

Ren's outfit is so adorable!

Bring On Da Next Round! I Need Madoka to Win!

Yuma stands out not being super detailed, but I like it.

Scene 0 Madoka's outfit isn't bad but I don't think the silhouette and blue jacket necessarily suit her. Also adult Hikaru's outfit looks like something I'd wear in IRL help

Yuna: I don't understand the transparent fabric on her, but aside from that, is a pretty fashionable outfit

Akari: The bunny purse? The bow with the scarf? The puffy shorts? *chef's kiss

Moka: teh top part is a 10, but the bottom is a 3

I would once again kill for Mami's, but Ria's on the block too

Felicia ily but THAT clothes???????

Round 3

It's designs like these that get my hopes up about character design and fashion.

Alina wins out because of the paint on her clothes!

No Madoka Here but I’m Alright with That Besides Madoka Is Gonna Be the Winner Again!

I love Alina's painting clothes 💚💛❤️

So many cute designs in this round💖

ADORE alinas outfit, its so unique among the rest of the super feminine and cutesy casual outfits!

What is up with that bow on Tomoko’s outfit? It feels like everything was just slapped together when it comes to how she’s dressed.

Round 4

sorry, kyouko. i cant stand orange+green color combos.

Finally a good outfit for Kyoko!

Why does it feel that they put more effort into making the winter ones and just slap some ramdom shirts and skirts for casual?

They really did Kyouko dirty in this game.

Looking Good I know Madoka is the Winner nothing ordinary or new!

Thought Homura had a mustache necklace for a sec

I was gonna give glasses Homura a -1, but she's getting a 2 for the mustache necklace actually. I don't like it but it's such a bold choice and I love that for her lmao

I dislike Kirika but her clothes are in my fav choices ;;

I find my choices a little funny in hindsight because Kokoro's outfit is a hiking outfit and it looks nice but it also feels very generic, but I also feel like Leila's outfit looks like she's about to go camping or something. Also I am OBSESSED with Homura's mustache necklace.

Round 5

I'd like to make a disclaimer that I'm not rating Ranka's outfit 1 because I hate it, I just don't think it makes a good winter outfit necessarily. But does this also mean she's into larme kei and shops at places like MA*RS and Ank Rouge? Also: 1) Yachiyo's cold shoulder sweater dress amuses me for some reason. Girl your shoulders! 2) Green is a very interesting colour choice for Temari.

Hotaru, my beloved!! Sleepy queen!!

This is getting Good Final around Ahead and Madoka must Win!

I want Konomi's one so baaaad!!!!

Homura with glasses has the best outfits ;_; I have seen a lot of hers in the polls and always I love how she mixes cutesy with black clothes

Some of these are awful

Round 6

Lots of threes this time for interesting silhouettes or designs that make me go "yeah, that's [character]"! Also Mifuyu's outfit is just one of my faves in general

These are not as awful as the other but somehow most of them has something that ruins the look for me.

The thing is, a magical girl costume is always so extravagant and beautiful, that when we go back to their casual clothes, we expect nothing less. Bu then it comes some disappointment, because they look so plain and simple.

Last One I Need Madoka To Win!!

hard to be picky abt it ;-; they're all so pretty tbh

ui looks adorable!! i love her little outfit! you can certainly tell she's a kid. i find her outfit works really well over all. a lot of others i felt like there'd be one or 2 elements just don't fit with the rest but ui's just matches perfectly in my eyes

This is so difficult because imo the game has really really good designs for the casual outfits

Round 7

Kyoko looks really good in purple

After seeing Yachiyo's dress everything seems pretty.

Disclaimer I like Kyouko's outfit but I don't think it suits /her/ personally. I don't really like the mauve on Oriko? I feel like she should be wearing white or a very pale lilac at least. Tsubaki's is okay I guess and there's something about Tsukuyo's I don't entirely vibe with for some reason

I came to the conclusion that Homura is the Fashion Queen…

And poor Kyouko has so much to learn…

Let’s Hope Madoka wins this whole Thing!

Kyoko's outfit is great, but not a good fit for Kyoko.

Nagisa gets a 3. The OG deserves it. Too good for this world. Too pure. Deserves all the cheese.

Again, Homura has the best outfits

[f0point5]

ok ok i will 100% understand if you don't post this ask because i know any mention of kelly gets you 100 rabid bitter people hate spamming her on your ask box

But i was looking at her skiing posts and I really like the fact that she dresses P like a normal child 😭 like yes the bar is low but it's nice to see a child wearing color and not a sad beige baby

also love the little moments she posts of max he looks so endearing

I am not scared of the rabid mob lol. Gets annoying but we do not negotiate with terrorists. Imma post it.

That said, I have to say, I love a sad beige baby. Not necessarily all beige, but coordinated. The biggest issue for me as a mother would be watching my daughter go out in bright and uncoordinated outfits and knowing I have to let her because you don’t want to control them so much they rebel. But oof. But generally I think Penelope is a well dressed child.

Kelly also is a not a sad beige type of person, she wears a lot of vibrant colours and can be quite daring with her fashion choices so that clearly rubs off on P. Their ski outfits have been *chef’s kiss* for me!

[thehyperfixationspeedrunner]

so uh… thunder saga. are you alive.

Do not get me started.

I am not gonna lie when I got into this fandom (around January) and found out about the different sagas the one I was least excited about was the thunder saga (not for any reason in specific, it's just that I was most excited for the underwold, wisdom and Ithaca sagas, I love Circe with all of my strengths and the vengeance saga (I think that's the name) has Dangerous and another song that I'm always forgetting but that I am so hyped for and I hate fights between friends and this saga has a song called mutiny) so I did not have much expectations for this. Boy, did I understand that wrong. It is currently my favourite saga.

Suffering - SO DIFFERENT. Jorge always likes to play with old-fashioned and modern music, but he went all in for the synths. The melody was so pretty and the fact that in the chorus Odysseus picks up the you from penelope/sirens line "I will take my suffering from you". Also, fuck you Jorge, you made me believe that this wasn't sirens and I was already thinking of an alternative universe where he didn't go to war and spent his time with Penelope and instead of a son they have a daughter but because of his other self's shit he is also afraid of water (yes, I know, way too far but that's how my mind works)

Different beast - FUCK YES, I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. THEY SOUND SO FUCKING BADASS THAT I ALMOST BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SURVIVE THIS EVEN THOUGH I KNOW HOW THE STORY GOES. FJENENRGKVKCDKSMSNEFNFJCJ IT MAKES ME FEEL POWERFUL. New favourite song from the musical in case it wasn't obvious. AND IT'S SO FUCKING CATCHY, I'VE BEEN SINGING THE CHORUS FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS

Scylla - this was the song I was most hyped for and it did not disappoint. Holy shit those harmonies were everything AND HER VOICE??? *chef's kiss* I do not have much to say because I was in awe the entire time (also is it just me or whe Odysseus says "the lair of scylla" it sounds weirdly like when Athena says "goddess of wisdom" in the first berse of warrior of the mind)

Mutiny - I was so scared of this one and I was right, it was horrible (<- in a this destroyed my feelings kind of way not in a this was a bad song kinda way). As I said before I hate when friends have fights, so this was... a struggle, but I got through it, barely. I absolutely love the fact that in the Odessey, Odysseus men were just dumb. They were warned by Tereseus and still did it. HOWEVER, in Epic, they just seem so exhausted and pessimist. It's just heartbreaking to hear. The do not have hopes of getting home and their too blind with hunger. Also, when they start singing "how much longer must we suffer now" and Odysseus starts overlapping? 😩👌 Perfection. Also, the men singing full speed ahead while Odysseus just screams faster is also everything to me.

Thunder bringer - holy shit this was so much better than I thought. When I heard in the snippets "If I were to make you choose/ the life of your men and crew or your own/ why do I think they'd loose" I thought it was just a reference to Odysseus' monster side NOT THAT ZEUS WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE HIM CHOOSE. Anyways I heard the last instrumental part of the song one (1) time, which was in my first way through the saga. I cannot listen to that knowing that Odysseus is drowning and his crew is all dead because of his choice, I just can't.

ANYWAYS, after this I just have to say one thing: CALL👏BACK👏SAGA👏. There were SO MANY references to previous songs.

BUT WHAT DID YOU THINK. WHAT'S YOUR OPINION????

(To answer your question the only reason I didn't perish is because I have to reach the end of this musical)

[skwigelfskwisgaar]

He could see his breath. Sweden, 1984. Cold winter blanketed everything in white. He was wearing a thick wool sweater his mother picked out for him, knitted in a creamy color to bring out his sparkling blue eyes.

Cold. Numbing cold. And blinding white snow. It pained his eyes. Still he marched on. Pride bloomed in his chest, his heart swelling in joy after he studied for music class and successfully remembered everything they had covered.

It was the first thing he felt. Pride and joy.

Each step he took it brought him closer to home. The snow under his feet gave way easily, promising relief from winter's grasp and the blinding snow.

He had been looking forward to school. He had been such a good student. His mother had promised sweet bread and spiced mead for him to try. He would be like the warriors of Valhalla. Drinking mead, eating a feast of his choice. He was so excited to show her his grade in music class. He finally remembered the terminology and the scale! He struggled with it badly before -

He took a small hand out to turn the doorknob.

Skwisgaar's heart thumped in his chest. He knew where this was going and he screamed at himself to stop before the all too familiar sight played again.

He flung opened the door.

"Momma, I'm home!"

Skwisgaar smiles as the smell of lussekatter rolls fills his nose, and his mom's special stew. He was so happy that she found them a home. She was tired of moving just like he was. Unpacking and packing up was always a hassle.

He quickly took his shoes off and walked over to the kitchen to see Serveta in an apron saying "Kiss the Chef", pulling out the rolls from the tiny oven in the kitchen. She placed them down on a cooling rack before going over to kiss Skwisgaar on the forehead.

"Skwisgaar? I'm in the kitchen!"

... what? The kitchen? It felt like the very day he first saw his mother's very active lifestyle, and not... whatever this was.

A deep confusion set in the adult Skwisgaar's mind. Was this not the day he first walked in on his mother? What was going on?

" So tell me? How was school?"

"I did it! Just like we studied yesterday. I remembered all the words and passed the test in music class." He looked at the table set up and smiled big - his mom had prepped her stew, his sweet rolls were cooling down and she had gotten some fruits and jams to eat afterward. And right in the center was the bottle of spiced mead.

"I knew you would get a passing score. Go and wash up, put your books away, and come down to set the table. Afterwards, we can watch some television."

In his mind, Skwisgaar's confusion gave way to hurt. To anger. To questions he knew the answer to.

Serveta took off the oven mittens she had and began to take off her apron, leaving Skwisgaar to walk up to his room as he hastily put his books away. She had a plain blue dress shirt on with buttons down the front, and a pair of white jeans on. She looked like she walked off one of the American fashion magazines she liked to gawk over in the big market.

" You think I'm going to let you drink your first glass out of a cup? You must be mistaken." Serveta pulled out a set of glass ...teacups? Skwisgaar had seen her and his grandmother use them when drinking glögg around this time of year. The glasses were in a bath of water in a pot in the sink, and as she dried them he noticed it was hot water they had soaked in.

Coming back down, his mother dried her hands and stepped aside as he washed his own hands and quickly set the plates and the glasses down. This was after his first growth spurt, the first of many that made him the tallest member of Dethklok. He remembered how awkward he felt and lacking in grace it all was. Watching how to move himself because his body's new height was changing so frequently, he couldn't keep up and adjust.

"If you're drinking glögg, you're going to do it properly."

"Like you?" Serveta stopped, a questioning look on her face. She responds, "Yes? It's meant to be taken like a tea. Hot and steaming." She takes the mead and sets it in the pot, before finally sitting down.

Skwisgaar paused as Serveta finally took the bottle of mead and poured it into the glasses. Rasing the glass up to her face, she took in a deep breath and blew a bit on the top of the liquid. Passing one of them, he took it, a genuine wonder in his face and touch, never blinking. As if the glass would vanish if he blinked.

As they ate, that pit of anger grew. Fury rose in him. What was this weird ... dream? Nightmare? Deep down, he knew what it was. Quit lying to yourself.

It was the childhood desires he ruthlessly buried in the snow. It was the yearnings of a child that he left behind with her that first time he was forgotten, ignored, accused of being selfish for wanting a mom. For wanting his mom to care. The childish want for companionship from his family that he numbed with each high, each couch he slept on, each step he took away from her and the disasters that befell him and his first few bands in Gothenburg.

Back in the murky glow of the kitchen, dream Skwisgaar asked the strange version of Serveta about her day, as she served food and he tore open a roll, still warm to the touch.

"Traditionally, your grandmother made me wish for something for the first glass of the season."

"I wish this was real. That you actually cared."

Skwisgaar had glued his eyes to his mother before she spoke, now boring holes into the glass in his hands.

"Make a wish, Skwisgaar."

The words came out before he realized what he said.

He looked back up and watched as his small hands poured out the glögg, right into the rolls. "Then I wish you stopped hurting me."

"Oh, Skwisgaar," she replied, back in her normal red strapless dress, "wake up and stop wishing for useless things." He looked at her as she rose, he face disappointed and annoyed. That was the woman he knew.

You're not useless. You were distant, but not useless.

She hands him her glass, before dusting her dress and patting his shoulder. "Then drink mine. I don't need it anymore." She walked away, her heels loud as she took each step away from young dream Skwisgaar.

"Don't you have a wish?" He asked.

"It came true years ago. You are not in my way, anymore."

He drank her glass, as the ache in his chest became less and less until he couldn't hear his heels anymore. All he felt was anger.

Fury.

- - - - -

He jolts as he wakes and tosses the covers off. He touches his chest, his arms and then his head. No sweater, long hair. Adult sized.

After making a mental note to never touch whatever Pickles was handing out last night, he got up and texted his mom to make sure she was fine before he washed his face. It was something his grandma did when she dreamt of him or his mom, before passing away. She'd make an effort to go out and find them, always believing dreams were omens. An old habit he kept.

This burning coal of anger simmered deep in his gut, and he figured that with sleep efrectively ended for the day, he might as well grab his guitar and play.

Isn't that what he did anyways? Just put to song what words could never describe?

His phone flashed.

"Hej, momma."

His mom was calling.

Confused, he picked up regardless.

"Skwisgaar?"

"Hello, stranger. You never text. What's happening, Skwisgaar?" Serveta quipped in her usual way.

It brought relief he didn't know he was seeking to hear her usual tone, her self coming through in unfiltered annoyance. Tension rolled off him. There were some background noises of what he assumed was possibly the lumber mill for firewood, or maybe she was in the city. There was chatter and vehicles and the sound of water.

".... I was checking in to see if you were... uh, if you were okay."

"I was headed to the market. Isn't it... four in the morning where you are?" Huh, so it was.

"I'm ... busy. With recording. And planning... tour stops."

"Skwisgaar, I know when you're lying. You and my mother always reached out when you had odd dreams."

He sighed. The rage was simmering low in his gut bow, not boiling and flowing through him like it did earlier. Oddly enough, Serveta was cooling him down a bit. Was this what moms did? If anything, he only saw how they made his bandmates uncomfortable, at best.

"Am I not allowed to call you anymore, mom?"

"I was not expecting it."

There was a pause. He was always such an awkward person when speaking to his mother. Always the awkward teenager that she let go back in 1988.

"Uh, I'll visit soon. We can make plans later this month."

"...thank you. For asking. And I'll have some glögg and lussekatter ready for you."

"... do you think you could make some of that stew?"

"That was your grandma's recipe. I'll have to search for her recipe book, but I can." With the promise of a visit and the excuse of being needed for Dethklok stuff, he hung up the phone and collected his thoughts.

With plans to visit her at some point in the future, Skwisgaar brushed his hair and grabbed his guitar after he dressed himself.

She may not have been the best mother, but she was his.

Pickles was able to get over his mother. He was able to heal, and finally tell her off. He could maybe do the same. Or at least try to mend things. Maybe it would work out better.

Murderface was able to keep his grandmother happy. Even if it meant spending boatloads on scooters and medical expenses, he could see that Stella did care and appreciated Murderface. She and Rose were tied for most visits - considerably impressive, given her limited mobilty.

Toki had been in contact with Anja on several occasions. He didn't pry on that particular aspect of Toki's home life, but she messaged him frequently. He also made sure that she had access to him with her own Dethphone, although she seemed more confused than thankful for it when the exchange happened.

Nathan had his mother visit him frequently back when they kicked out Magnus. She was the woman who made sure her kid and his friends had food to eat besides beer. She made sure they knew a mother's touch, helping them with chores and being at their first few venues to give them a ride back. It was maddening at first, to him anyways - his mother was rarely around and having one this ... present was stifling. It nearly suffocated him. Over the years, though, he really came to appreciate Rose Explosion.

He left his room, ooting to stop by the kitchen to grab coffee. As it brewed, he pondered on the women who shaped this band, who raised his bandmates.

If they all managed to get along with their mothers, couldn't he?

[amaltheas-garden]

HOTD S1 Costumes Review:

Some thoughts on season 1 of HOTD's costumes since I'm bored and feel like complaining...

Starting w/ young Rhaenyra :)

...yeah there's literally nothing I could say that hasn't been said already. The internet tore this dress (rightfully) to shreds. It doesn't fit well, the material is all crinkled, the bust darts just look kinda off, the short sleeves make it look more dressed down and less "royal", and the red trim around the neckline and shoulders is just ugly. Which is a shame because the embroidered strip going down the dress is actually quite pretty, but we can't even see it in the show. 2/10.

Her dragon riding outfit on the other hand was amazing! The dragon scale shoulders, with the little metal beads layered throughout looked great, it fit properly, and looked fashionable while still being practical 10/10 no notes.

Words cannot begin to describe how much I hate this dress. The costume designer said they used silk for almost everything but look me in the eyes and tell me that isn't printed poly cotton from walmart. And don't even get me started on the sheer collar thing and the awful puffy sleeves it's giving amazon queen Elizabeth, which is a shame because the actual design for the dress was beautiful, with the dragon wing-esque collar, and the long flowy white sleeves. We were robbed!! 0/10.

Next is her funeral dress, which honestly might be my favorite young Rhaenyra look. I think in terms of color and silhouette, it's by far the most "Targaryen" look she wears. It's actually two pieces, with a black dress under a cape with the pointy shoulder bit. I adore the little white puffs on the sleeves, and the gold trim embroidery around the neckline is just chef's kiss perfection. The structured look to the cape is very reminiscent of Dany's seasons 7 and 8 looks which is a nice homage, and I love the bit of red just peeking out from the cape's underside. Honestly my only gripe is she didn't get more outfits like this 10/10.

...but sadly, the ugly dresses continue. I hate the fabric. I hate the sleeves. I hate the color. I hate the belt. I hate the string tying the sleeves to the dress. 1/10.

I don't even remember her wearing this but it came up on google when I was looking for pictures so I guess I'll include it. Ummmm... it's nice I guess? The main thing throwing it off is the fact that this is the only time we see this sleeve style, so it just looks a bit out of place. The fabric drape looks good, and all the embroidered bits really elevate it. 7/10.

Her nightgown only appears for like 2 seconds but it was so pretty and reminded me of a chemise a la reine :) 9/10.

YELLOW DRESS REDEMPTION!!! FINALLY!!! Beautiful fabric choice, elegant cut, feels like something a princess would wear. Love the addition of the red undersleeves, really makes the red in the main dress pop and the embroidery around the collar?!!?! Gorgeous. 9/10.

Her leather riding outfit has grown on me, I think the fit is great, and the cutout work is beautiful. Someone on twitter already pointed this out, but it does look eerily reminiscent of this wool coat from Armstreet, just desaturated. I wouldn't call it copying but the glaringly obvious similarities are a bit funny. 8/10.

Another amazing red and gold dress, this time leaning more into the red! I know so many cosplayers have scoured the internet looking for this fabric with no luck, but damn is it gorgeous!! Perfect silhouette (notice how it opts for simple princess seams w/ no weird bust darts!) and the gold dragon belt just sends it over the top. The coat she wears over it is also serving Targ royalty (finally), especially with the red velvet shoulders and collar, that give it that classic Targaryen shape. 10/10.

Her wedding dress might be the one I have the most mixed feelings on. It could have been a bit more fitted, and while I like the fabric, I think it needed more gold ornamentation to feel like a proper royal wedding dress for the crown princess and heir to the throne! Also, I really don't like the belt or the weird gold shoulder straps, they cheapen the overall look. Also, compared to the concept art, I wish they had gone for the solid gold belt, it would have added some much-needed contrast. The Targaryen/Velaryon split cloak however looks great. When I first saw her hair, it was definitely... striking. It doesn't look terrible, just maybe a bit too top heavy and squarish, while the concept art crown looked so much better. 7.5/10.

And of course I had to save the best for last. imo this is the best costume in the entire show. It has three main parts, with lots of accessories. There's the red dress, which actually has a deep v neckline, and is covered in embroidery on the front, the sleeve cuffs, and on the back near the neckline. Then there's the gold cape with zardozi trim all around it, and a separate black velvet piece on top embroidered on the front lapels with two golden dragons, and two more smaller ones on the back with a sunburst design around them. It's perfect. 100/10.

Really hope I didn't miss any but oh well... young Alicent is next :)

[brightlight-dazzlingeyes]

the french exit | chapter 02

kylian mbappé x original female character [+18]

synopsis: alice is a lonely rich girl whose biggest fear is to become a lonely rich woman. ever since they moved to paris, her fiancé doesn’t seem to be interested in her anymore. so alice decides to find comfort in the arms of another man. warnings: cheating; angst; smut; i have never been to france; minors dni.

previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter

Chapter 02 | Old Money

“My mother's glamour lives on and on

Yet still inside, I felt alone

For reasons unknown to me”

“You smoke?”

They’re in Kylian’s bed, after sex, and Alice opens her purse looking for her phone. Discretely peeking its content, Kylian notices a pack of cigars.

“Only when I can’t help it.” Alice chuckles. Groaning, she throws the phone back on her bag, after noticing the time. She’ll be late to dinner. She suddenly gets up, quickly gathering her clothes and trying to fix herself. Alice takes another look at the naked man lying in bed. He smirks and she almost forgets she has to leave.

After their first time together, Alice tried to be good and behave. She tried to pay for her sins by being a good bride. Her afternoons were filled with long conversations with her mother and friends; about flowers, cakes and gifts. She was understanding when David said he wasn't interested in making any of these decisions.

“As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” It 's what he said.

She got busy with work and occupied her mind with upcoming fashion shows and photoshoots. But by the end of the week she still felt incredibly lonely and unsatisfied with her life. David was spending the weekend in Nice, for work, of course. So she did what a good bride would do and invited her friends for dinner. Somehow, along the way of trying so hard to be good, she lost herself. She found herself once again in Kylian’s arms, in his bed, with his lips between her tights.

“Come here. Give me a goodbye kiss.” His voice was rough, he was almost asleep but still managed to look lewd. Alice was scared of kissing him again and never making out the door. Instead, she blew him a kiss and waved goodbye. Kylian turned to his side and went to sleep.

The restaurant was quite popular in Alice’s social group. The young chef leading the kitchen is in the middle of his 20’s and already has a Michelin star – so she has been dying to eat here ever since arriving in Paris. The place was modern, elegant and served ‘reinvented’ French cuisine. It was interesting and tasteful enough to keep the guests entertained with the ambience alone. The food tastes heavenly, with complex flavors and a beautiful presentation; there’s nothing else in Alice’s mind after the first bite.

“This place is amazing, right?” Clara asks. She’s one of the friends Alice made in Paris; she works in a fashion maison and they both have around the same age and appearance. She’s practically Alice’s French doppelganger. 

“I feel like I’m in heaven.” Alice answers, agreeing. After they’re served the wine, the girls cheer in celebration of their friendship and gracefully take a sip of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

“I’m coordinating the marketing campaign for Dior and it’s been hectic as hell.” Lili, the other woman at the table, said. The trio were already having dessert by the time they brought up their work.

“Ugh, don't even get me started. I'm so swamped with work right now.” Clara brings her finger to her nose bridge, making a worried expression.

Dinner went smoothly like that. No conversations about decaying engagement or illicit affairs. After kissing their cheeks goodbye and calling an Uber, Alice was back in Kylian’s apartment building, considering whether she should go up or walk back. It was late at night and she never stayed after sex. But the other option was going back to her empty home. It didn’t take long for her to decide, while checking her phone for the time she got a new notification pop up.

k.mbappe  that’s a great restaurant good choice

He was once again referring to her most recent post. It was her and girlfriends – secretly, still in his bed, Kylian was relieved to see she left him like that to be with her friends, and not her fiancé.

alicemwebber if i told you i was outside your building right now what would you say?

k.mbappe  i would say baby, come back to bed

She followed his order, undressing for him once again that night. With the excuse of being cold, they cuddled under the covers. Limbs entangled, his arms around her, her legs around him. In the morning, Alice woke up with soft kisses all over her face.

“You smell so good.” Kylian’s morning voice gave her goosebumps.

“I smell like you.” Alice answered giggling. She opened her eyes to see him staring at her, admiring her. She blushed. He was lying on top of her, kissing her neck. She could feel he was hard, with only a silk bed sheet separating their naked bodies.

“I want to fuck you on the living room.” He lowered the sheet, kissing her breasts. “And the kitchen.” Another kiss. “And on top of the pool table.”

“Pick one.” Alice raised her index finger and Kylian playfully bit it. He carried her to the other side of the apartment, where what was supposed to be the game room was. There was only a pool table, though. And the two of them, completely nude, lying against it. Kylian manhandled her, placing her standing facing the table and putting both of her hands on top of it. Then, with his hand on her back, he guided her to half lay down. With his feet, he separated her legs and placed himself behind her. 

“Spit.” Kylian showed her his hand and she obeyed, happily. He used the hand to rub her clit, surprising himself when he noticed how wet she was already. “You’re dripping, baby. Why didn’t you say so?” He pushed himself inside of her. “I would have been fucking you already. I would have carried you here with my cock inside of you.”

Alice moaned, almost screaming. He felt way too good and knew exactly what to say to leave her a mumbling mess. They were both still half asleep, carelessly pushing their bodies into the other, chasing their own pleasures. It didn't take long for them to reach their climax. After coming down from the high, Kylian turned her to face him.

“I have practice, so I need to go.” He gave her a soft peck on the lips. “But you can stay for as long as you like.” 

They had breakfast together and she only went home on Sunday night. Back to David. She spent another week Facetiming her wedding planners in Greece. Another week of shopping at the Golden Triangle and dining at Le Marais. On Wednesday Alice had a business lunch at La Terrasse Montaigne; she was accompanied by her friend Clara, her boss Margot, and their very important client Mr Lavigne.

“So you’re Caroline Fischer daughter?” Mr Lavigne owned a few famous fashion houses in Europe. His family has been in the fashion industry for generations, even though they never met, Alice knew exactly who he was. There was an immediate understanding between the two of them – unlike Clara and Margot, they had an inherited right to sit at that table.

“Yes, I am. She’ll be so excited to hear I’m working with you.” Alice’s connections are what got her the job in the first place and it’s why she’s earned a place at the meeting. Margot needed Mr Lavigne to feel comfortable.

“I was actually at a Morgan-Webber Foundation charity dinner a few years ago, your entire family– they’re lovely people! So inspiring to see what they’re doing for those poor American children.”

“Yes, I know! I only started going to those quite recently. I was painfully shy as a kid.”

“I’m glad you lost that habit.”

They smiled and Alice noticed Margot subtly nodding at her, in approvement. They drank Champagne and by the time the work subject came up, Mr Lavigne was too distracted to be upset about any of Margot’s requests. Her boss was pleasantly surprised, those conversations were never that easy. She kept a mental note on the importance of having a beautiful American young woman by her side at times of need.

At home, Alice had a surprise: her fiancé was home early. He was sitting on the couch watching the PSG game on TV, beer in his hand, still wearing his suit – his tie was lost somewhere on the living room floor.

“Well, hello handsome.” Alice smiled brightly, throwing herself at his arms. “Bad day at the office?”

David nodded, groaning. He took another sip of his beer, then pointed to the TV.

“I thought about relaxing watching the game, and now they’re losing.”

“Not your lucky day, I guess.” Alice giggles and David can’t help smiling at her, finally finding time to admire her beauty.

“You’re so pretty, love. You should be a model.” He says, kissing her. Alice laughs, raising her eyebrows.

“You think so?” She asks, teasingly.

“I’m calling Vogue right now.”

“Oh look what I got.” Alice shows him what it looks like an invitation. In white and gold, an expensive paper envelope. “Do you know Mr Lavigne?”

“If I know him? I’ve been trying to work with him for months!” David sits up, grabbing the envelope from her hand.

“Well, I met him today. We’re promoting one of his brands in the magazine. He invited me to his Foundation charity event. What do you think?”

“This is incredible. What an opportunity! Baby. You’re the best.”

David is smiling brightly and doesn’t seem to notice Alice's hesitation as they continue to kiss. He never calls her ‘baby’. He always called her ‘love’. She tries to push Kylian off her mind. At that moment she decides she’s not going to see the football player again. Alice never liked gambling and she especially didn’t like the odds of this situation. There’s no way for her to win if she continues on that path.

"Let 's make love.” David is gentle with her. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.” She says, almost in a prayer. “So much.”

***

“You should get a pet.” Her mother says over the phone. “A cat! So French!” That’s her answer to Alice’s complaint about feeling lonely. “You’re in one of the busiest cities on the planet, Alice. I’m sure you can find something to keep you entertained.”

Alice decided to allow herself to spend one day as a proper American tourist. She visited the Louvre – a place she hadn't been to since she was a child, with her mother dragging her, trying at all costs to turn her into a cultured woman. In some ways Caroline succeeded. Alice spoke three different languages and could carry out a conversation about any topic one could throw at her. She was smart, funny, and obviously beautiful. But she wasn’t creative. And staring at all the incredible art at the museum she realized that she could never forgive her mother for that. Caroline kept the creativity genes to herself. She never taught Alice how to think for herself. How to express herself. And now the girl couldn’t even talk to her own future husband.

***

David was sitting in his home office, eyebrows furrowed, paying close attention to his laptop. It was supposed to be his day off, so they agreed on having dinner and watching a movie together.

“David…” Alice sounded like a lost kitten.

“What?” Her fiancé didn’t look up, eyes locked on his work.

“I love you.”

“Not now, Alice. I'm busy.”

That's all the answer she needed to send Kylian a nude photo of her, one she took thinking about him, a few nights before. It was taken after she saw pictures of him with another woman, they were all over social media. She was trying to prove a point, but ended up giving up. It was sitting in her gallery just waiting for the perfect moment.

k.mbappe  fuck me

alicemwebber i will

k.mbappe  now come over now lie to him and come fuck me

She obeyed him once again. It wasn’t too hard to come up with a lie, David would be relieved no matter what; no longer having the obligation to spend the night home. Something about Clara needing her and he was almost out of the door before Alice. But he kept his dignity and waited for his bride to leave first, following suit to pursue his own happiness in the bright Parisian night.

...

join the taglist

@mywhimsyjournal

[isabellehemlock]

Art vs Artist

My art vs artist collage features some of my favorite pieces I did this year 🥳

If you'd like to read the symbolism behind each piece, please feel free to look below the cut ✂️

✨️ Gabrielle de Lioncourt - based on a stunning reference pic of a ballerina, I wanted to convey her vulnerability alongside her empowerment. The moment she chose for herself to strip away the assigned clothing of her mortal life in order to fully embrace who she always was in her immortal one.

✨️ Armand, holding a Quran, paired with the verse, "He found you lost, and guided you." (93:7). Being queer religious myself I can deeply empathize with characters trying to balance a tight rope of two aspects of an identity. Here I allowed the viewer to decide if he's finding comfort as he clings to the holy texts.

✨️ Lestat in Magnus' basement ~ just before he's turned, paired with a poem about how resilience and resignation are two sides of the same coin. His face remains defiant against all odds, his body shows the results of violence, and he is surrounded by decaying death, resigned to whatever may happen next - but a kind of defiant determination not to show despair is paired with the overall composition.

✨️ A birthday piece I did for Tink featuring the character Steven Grant with his yarmulke and star of David necklace. This one meant a lot to me, too because I was encouraged by Tink's kind words and it was the paired with the verse: "Greater is he who acts from love than he who acts from fear." - Talmud, Sotah 31a.

✨️ Then there's me in the center 👁👄👁

✨️ I drew Aziraphale reading books in his shop for ace week back in October. It was a deeply personal piece because I wanted to imagine him finding books about asexuality and piecing some things together 😘 This one got uploaded with resource links for some 40+ ace books on tumblr & twitter 🖤🤍💜

✨️Louis, post Claudia, carrying the scythe after setting the coven on fire 🔥 This one is also one of my favorites and I wanted to convey the rage found in his grief, her ashes spread on him, and paired it with this verse from Job: "Therefore, I find myself reprehensible, and I will do penance in embers and ashes."

✨️ the next one was another birthday gift, this one for Anna featuring one of the best characters ever, Will Graham! I wanted to experiment with monochromatic colors to give him a classical vibe reminiscent of ancient Greek statues, and still add pops of color with the gold laurel crown. The drip affect was an aesthetic choice, but I think it paired well with the artistic vibes of the show. Hannibal had once implied they were like Achilles and Patroclus, but which one is which? I left that one up to the viewer 😘

✨️ And lastly, but certainly not least, one of my favorite, fun, for the vibes of epicness pieces - Lestat on a rock magazine cover for Brielle’s IWTV BB fic ❤️ I loved playing with the fashion aspect, and found the most fun reference photo for the pose. Add some bi lighting color palettes and it's *chefs kiss* 🫶🏻

[titles-for-tangents]

Listen

I think Chappell Roan kickstarted an artistic movement overnight. I mean this performance straight up struck a chord. Of course any good artist will inspire more art, but the sheer flood of illustrative art of her I’ve seen on Twitter earlier this afternoon and how so few of it appears to be on tumblr - there are SO many artists out there all finding inspiration in Roan’s MTV performance from last night and all of them are capturing her gaze and stance differently and extremely well. She is making people feel things, and process much, much more.

I haven’t seen a musician this artistically precise with her costume choices since Lady Gaga, and Roan is being even more precise about it, I would say. In Lady Gaga’s earlier years especially, she dressed just slightly veering off the “cute, blonde, young, female musician,” path to keep everyone on their toes, guessing, and at a proper distance, and all the while she was thematically exploring the concept of fame at a time when it had for so many years been so goddamn commercialized and processed. *chef’s kiss* The timing was genius and couldn’t have been more perfect. While I’ve not been paying attention to what most celebrities have been up to as of late, I get a strong impression Chappell Roan just reintroduced the medieval fashion craze from the past year/year and half-ish(?) to the larger pop public mindset. We’ve seen it at one of the recent Met galas where the theme was basically Medieval Western European Catholicism, and this is keeping in perfect theme with Roan’s album art for her single “Good Luck, Babe!” And while it’s easy to say she’s always been this precise with her appearance, Chappell Roan came, slapped, slayed, and pretty much obliterated everyone else as a musician and an artist. The biggest difference I noticed is that while overall everyone else looked fine and more or less how you can expect (Sabrina Carpenter in particular looked stunning!) Chappell Roan and her team captured what it was like to appear beautiful.

Roan’s outfits captured something timeless, ethereal, and sublime, and all the photos and portraits that were taken of her featured her facial expressions ranging anywhere from the kind of tragic, somber beauty captured in a pre-Raphaelite painting to a strong, stern look devoted to slicing everything and everyone in her path. She and her makeup and costume team had these looks honed like a knife. I’ve seen tags for both “Roan of Arc” and “Julie D’Aubigny” and used them myself; the key here is that instead of simply evoking Catholic oppression and suffering, Roan is evoking themes of queer liberation. Liberation from the way of life that other people choose for you and expect of you is possible, even amongst an oppressive, medieval, Catholic aesthetic.

But let us not forget what “Good Luck, Babe!” is actually about. Chappell Roan’s knightly costume on stage invites us to think about the tale of Julie d’Aubrigny, but the actions she takes on stage and the background set design present us with a very different ending for what would otherwise be a rescue mission. Instead of burning down a convent where her lover is trapped, Roan sets aflame what is presumably the castle of an upperclass nobleman - the golden birdcage her lover has chosen over her, the safe option, the far less satisfying option, instead of the passionate relationship they had together. Roan as the narrator approaches the audience with an army of men - noticeably all men - and shoots an arrow tipped with fire brimming with flames as hurt and furious as her heart is right into the very heart of the castle. We can presume her lover is inside but whether or not she is, the effect is still the same. Roan drops to her knees and comes to grips with loss. What they had was real and they both knew it, but without her lover’s devotion true, their love could never blossom. More specifically and historically typical to the queer experience, her lover was uncomfortable and wishy-washy about being in a relationship with our narrator in general, but like a shitty partner didn’t quite want to break up with her either and so strung her along and delayed taking any action at all, until she left her behind entirely in the most cutting way possible.

The message Roan sends is blatantly clear: “Your ‘safe’ option isn’t nearly as safe as you think it is.” And yet many of the song’s lyrics can be applied to our narrator herself here: she literally shoots her shot - a flaming arrow - into a symbol of patriarchal, feudalistic society’s top prize - her lover’s husband’s castle and all the social standing that comes with it - but one arrow is all it takes for our narrator to halt her crusade (for the time being anyway) and watch as her lover’s new world burns down. Her men and the knights of her lover fall dead from bloody battle behind her, and she is the only one left upright with her broken heart, spurned, abandoned, and scorned, but now utterly alone.

This entire, powerful tale is told in about four minutes or less. The male dancers behind Roan skillfully leap and swing their swords with surprisingly no audible clanging. The iron bars catch fire in perfect symmetry, and massive, projected explosions burst upwards from behind the castle walls. Smoke machines capture the hazy, burning atmosphere by the false night’s end. The entire audience just witnessed the climax to a play on par with anything written by Shakespeare, and those privileged enough to be in the front seat stretch out their hands hoping to be touched by her. Roan stays in character and doesn’t oblige, her character staring out into a future without her lover. The entire theater is shrieking with delight.

Finally, some good, fucking entertainment. I haven’t seen anything quite this compelling since Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West” performance in the 90’s. I would be surprised if a massive amount of fanfiction wasn’t written about this in the coming months - I certainly will be on the happy lookout for more artists’ interpretations of her costumes. Much like Roan’s narrator suggests to her lover, this is going to be one hard act to follow without true devotion to one’s craft, and given she focused her performance around a single that was released after her main album was, I think we can safely agree the next coming acts are going to be nothing short of enthralling.

[phantom-of-the-501st]

Some random PotO moments that I love

(Some of these are little acting details from Jon Robyns' second performance on the West End aka the only live version I've seen)

This is also not a comprehensive list of all of them because everything in this show is great

Okay, everyone loves this, but the chandelier rising with the overture is incredible and deserves to be on every list.

The fact that The Phantom gets about 20,000 francs a month (which I'm convinced he just uses to keep his candle collection thriving).

"INSOLENT BOY, THIS SLAVE OF FASHION"

The fact that Erik was like "I'll show Christine the mannequin I have of her in a wedding dress. That'll go great!"

And then she passes out and he leaves her on the floor. 😭 (He does put his cloak over her though).

Is Erik that invested in his opera (Jon did have some very excited scribbling) that he didn't notice Christine wake up or was he just like "oop, she's waking up. Act natural, Erik. You are cool and mysterious. ACT NATURAL."

Jon half crawling half dragging himself across the stage during Stranger Than You Dreamt It (sir, how can you still sing like that???)

The whole Poor Fool sequence was very funny to watch and the cast nailed it!

Raoul being an adorable dork during All I Ask of You. 🥰 Matt Blaker is great.

The Phantom's reprise of All I Ask of You being one of my favourite vocal moments in the entire show! 🔥

Monsieur André's incredible sparkly skeleton get-up.

Carlotta's batwing dress!

Erik being the dramatic bitch he is and vanishing just to appear the top of the stairs again. Do you think he rehearsed that bit in his little sewer lair?

That sparky skull cane thing that Erik is waving around in the graveyard. 💀

Page Blankson is an absolute joy to watch as Christine.

Piangi drawing his coat around himself when The Phantom says he needs to lose weight and then him doing the same thing when Madame Giry asks Carlotta if they can be sure he's not watching rehearsals. Nice little detail.

The fact that in The Point of No Return The Phantom looks like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come from The Muppets Christmas Carol.

Me watching Raoul jumping into the lake and thinking "that's a big drop from the stairs to the stage" only to watch him disappear below the stage.

Erik's organ slam because he has to be a drama queen.

Erik being like "if only I wasn't so ugly, then you would love me" and Christine pointing out that his face is not exactly the problem in this entire situation.

Jon's, Matt's and Paige's vocals!!!

Jon's delivery of "make your choice" coming across as a little broken and scared is *chef's kiss*.

*Christine kisses Erik* Erik.exe has stopped working

Jon's delivery of "LEAVE MEEEEE!"

The little Masquerade reprise that makes me cry. Every. Single. Time. 😭 (It's the hand over the monkey's face. I can't do it 🥲).

"Christine... I love you" *cries harder*

"IT'S OVER NOW THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT"

Erik disappearing from the chair because he needs a final Dramatic Bitch™️ moment.

[typekiku]

TSUKIHIME FASHION REVIEW 4!!!!

hello hello everyone

*insert applause here*

i totally haven't been dealing with some severe writers block for this relatively improvised series of rants no way i just been uhh climbing a.... spiritual mountain! yes! that is it!

i strongly suggest everyone climb their own spiritual mountains it really helps clear *things* up

uh yea whatever

so today we will be returning to the much awaited tsukihime fashion review with the one and only CIEL so go whip up some good ole curry and read along for this rant breakdown of ciel's designs evolution throughout the years.

CIEL

just look at her for a second and reconsider your life choices? have you done your homework today? (if not please go do it thats very uncool) have you returned your library books? have you tied your shoe laces? thats the vibe im getting from her in this pic

suddenly she hits you with this look and its like ugh i could go to war for much less. i could take on maybe a dead apostle or two or even a dead apostle ancestor. sure i'd die but what is death in front of curry senpai amirite? im suuuuuuure she would appreciate that sentiment

on a serious note tho she actually is adorable as hell and i can't believe i only literally just noticed that. the hair especially is to die for.

Takeuchi bless his heart really nailed that cute older student vibe he so sought for

wait wrong pic

now THIS is raw as hell. pure peak 90s edge. i imagine takeuchi was literally sitting on the edge of a blade on the edge of a cliff on the edge of the world.... well theres one more edge joke here but ill leave it be point is this is edgy and i lowkey love it.

i used to feel somewhat indifferent to the design here especially concerning the tattoos which i think i still am. the biggest issue with the tattoos for me specifically the angel wings is simply they aren't symmetrical and thus look bad according to me but everything else is chefs kiss

i talked about this in the roa post but like wtf is wrong with roa man... first thing he does is strip down is bro ok? why does he do this? what does he gain? freak.

CIEL REMAKE

excuse the border im literally copy pastin here ANYWAYs yea idk how i feel about the remake ciel at all tbh to the point that i considered accidentally forgetting this section

its like they brought up her cuteness factor by 100 points in exchange of any edge whatsoever

she got sanitized damn it

SANITIZED

don't get me wrong i still find her cute but GODDAMN where is the edge? where is the allure? i bet she wouldn't ask "Glasses or no glasses" OH WAIT THEY TOOK THAT TOO!! why can't ciel have a good thing in peace... they took away the roa boner yall...

its kinda meh to me overall

again ignore the large size i cba to find a smaller pic rn

yk what she looks dope here so ill allow it. i may be feeling things rn actually its weird because i have never really been a ciel fan but now im gushing over her... huh strange

no comment besides omg hot

ANYWAYS thats all i have to say about ciel

i like her og design much better then the remake because i feel it was very hmmm distinctive is the word i would use.

the remake makes her look much more generic in a sense especially concerning the hair

overall i would say the remake really went for a slightly more generic look in the hair department and i aint really a tm boomer or anything but it is such a shame

thats all i have again so cya folks

remember to read tsukihime right the fuck now or else....

[nonbinaryriversong]

do you have a favourite river song outfit? or top 3?

finally got around to this, the holidays really wore me out

thank you so much for this question it made me smile when i saw it in my inbox

1). my top outfit- the black outfit from The Husbands of River Song

outfit/fashion choices always tell a lot about a character if the costume designers know what they're doing, and i think it captures river's personality really well

this is the episode where we see under some of the masks she wears up around the dr, this river is always wearing some masks but here we see her more like herself

we know she loves her fashion but this outfit still has some practicality to it, and i think they balanced the utility and high fashion style really well, she has pants for easy running and she loves her heels and we know she can run in them but these have a thicker heel to them so its easier to get what she needs done in them, and of course she's got her belt for her trowel and even the belt has a bit of embellishment to it now, the jacket makes her look a bit badass too, and then its sprinkled with some jewelry, mmphhf *chef's kiss*

i just love everything about this

2). the spacesuit in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead

this one is a bleak foreshadowing of what's to come in the dr's future and river's past, spacesuits encapsulate the tragedy of river song's story (whether or not it was an intentional choice by moffat, i do not know)

3). the green dress with her hair down in Last Night in the Night and the Doctor minisodes

i am not immune to milfs (especially Alex Kingston)

[cynicalsympathy]

So I saw Last Voyage of the Demeter...

Spoilers.

Went in without any real expectations; it's been forever since I read the book or watched the old movie with Hopkins and I was honestly too young to really get them at that time. But it's been forever since I saw anything truly 'vampire horror' and the closest I've had was...Shadows Over Innistrad when it came out...

So with a clean palate and very little tolerance for the horror genre, I actually enjoyed it.

Visuals were great. The Demeter setting sail into the sunset felt like an adventure beginning and yet the shot of the Romani praying for them added dreadful anticipation. The cgi of the fog at the end was awesome and I had genuine dread of the bloodbath about to occur because as Anna pointed out, it was coming, he could feast. The old fashioned Nosferatu look with modern equipment was really good, and a good choice I felt instead of trying to make him look "exotic" somehow or just regular corpse with fangs. The changes as he fed were subtle but I'd likely see more with a second viewing or some side-by-side comparison stills.

And the audio! The sounds of the ship and calm ocean were so relaxing; it contrasts wonderfully with the horrible sucking as he feeds, the heavy raspy breathing, the wings beating, his voice coming from everywhere. I couldn't make out every word he said--at one part, climbing the rigging after a guy, I thought he said "Now, please," and when the storm kicked up a notch, I thought he did some vocal weather control. "You will be," was the first I didn't second guess my hearing. If that was the intent, well done! If not, oh well, I'll need hearing aids eventually.

The AC kicked on a few times, sending a breeze on my ankles in tense moments and I barely stopped myself from curling into the chair.

I was scared for Toby, trapped in the cabin with a monster inside and a friend turned monster outside and teared up at the funeral and what happened. The last image of him will likely be in my nightmares because it was the biggest gut wrench. The captain looked much older at the funeral and the way he yelled, reaching out even as he saw the horror Dracula had turned Toby into was just...10/10 *chef's kiss* traumatic. It looked like his mouth was moving as he sank. All I could think was that running water is a classic weakness so that second death was probably extra agony.

I did not expect anyone to survive that long. I really wanted Anna to survive because I like characters like her. I suspected she was infected and confirmation was still saddening. Her description of the toll that abuse had on her was a perfect blend of literal physical description and metaphorical for her spiritual pain. Really thought she died off-screen in that last fight and all we would see her bloody remains with a horrified expression; lived in fear and died in fear, her life tragic and her end unnoticed. Glad she didn't happen that way.

The mental connection between Dracula and his turned victims was cool. Very much an aspect of vampire lore I like to see. Makes me wonder if Dracula avoided the ambush because he was in Anna's head; she said "He knows me" as that fog rose up, as if realizing the two-way connection foiled the plan. But then, he used fog to escape the cargo hold so maybe he was just a clever hunter, knowing an ambush was their best chance. The Night Haunter just wishes. Dracula's first "ghoul"/"husk" I forget what Stoker used for a baby vampire, him trying to speak as if trying to warn them was bittersweet and just painful as I realized why he felt burning a second before the shot switched to the sun on the deck.

I'm glad Mr. Clarence survived though I suspect his death occurs off-screen, cat-&-mouse hunting Dracula in the moors, given that Dracula was full-fledged human looking by the time he sees Mina. I felt the last scene was implying that Clarence was the final 'meal' to restore the Count's body to youth.

Using the ship's knocking signal was a great touch; at first I thought it was Clarence having PTSD sound trigger to a random cause but no. And the way Clarence calls out the Count's terror tactics for what they are, calls out his cowardice as a challenge! I loved it!

I am a little confused on a few things, if anyone wants to explain. How come the Romani transporters never noticed the dragon sigils blatantly on every side of the crates and acted surprised by their cargo? How come Anna's connection to Dracula allowed them to know where each other was but she couldn't use that to guide the crew to the coffin, in the day, and prove his existence? Was it a general area of effect instead of homing beacon on her end? Why were so many crates filled with dirt but only 1 had a food source for him? The others seemed empty. I totally expected there to be dead victims. Why so much dirt for one coffin? I know it's the earth of home but why so much? Backup in case his special coffin was lost? Extras for multiple hideouts? Because he's nobility and they never travel light so it was the cheapest way to fake that he was moving a lot of stuff? Why the maggots linked to him, gross factor?

By the end I was hoping for a victorious ending even though I knew it wouldn't happen. I'm not good with horror so I often had to close my eyes so I missed a few things.

Alas, it was a late showing and my job starts before sunrise. Tomorrow will be fun.

I doubt I'll go see it a second time. Partly because my local theatre said Today Only on showtimes and it had one time slot so likely it's gone tomorrow, like the Demeter. Also because I live alone and wished many times in two hours that I had someone to grab onto. If I could handle horror better, I would watch it again.