#I never draw bikes or mecha

[triona-tribblescore]

Concept from a few days ago that has been ROTTING my brain. BIKER ANGEL BABYYY!!! Something I didn't know I needed in life-

Hes so cool and like, idk I just need to consume more media where angel is being badass. DGMW!!! I LOVE HIS PRETTY FEM SIDE. But also I think ppl forget he's a chaos maker/ prankster/ turf war participator who will run you down without hesitation if in a fight uvu

[overcookedsushi]

Captain Collateral The one that almost got away... 8 fucking times.

I have talked about this character before, if you scroll down in this very blog you will see where I talk about killing your darlings... To bad I can't take my own advice~

This character design has been a fucking brainworm of my for three years now... It always eluded me, but I could never forget it. I tried so hard to make it work, spawning and branching off into something else whenever I felt I couldn't do it, but the pull always brought me back like some sickly disease. This time though... its different.

Yes this is a shitpost, but it is still the root of the inspiration. When I saw this, it gave me some ideas for something else entirely. But when my partner suggested how dumb it would be as a head, the idea formed and there was no stopping it.

There were a couple drafts, most uninteresting failures. This was the last one before I scrapped it all and made major changes, cutting the strings holding me back.

Biggest changes: 1. Instead of a lowrider knock off Ghost rider, it was switched out for a dirtbike. A bit easier to draw, plus it was so much easier to find poses for a bike people typically stunt with. 2. The head was reconnected to the body. There was no need to have both a Nuckelavee and a Dullahan in the same design anymore with Weed wacker taking the latter. 3. The removal of his chararcteristics and personally being "reckless on purpose". For a while the design was supposed to be an adrenaline junky, but when it was changed to "reckless as a byproduct", other elements started to stick a bit better.

He turned from a hapless accident sideshow to the very definition of survivor's guilt. The body was roughed up to try and show that he was not in the best state of being. It was starting to come together fairly well~

Last major changes were trying to remove to many points of focus, getting rid of the fire, some unnecessary details, changing the goo from green to yellowish orange (since apparently Plutonium glows orange), also my best attempt at weld lines to try and show damage. In hinesight I probably could have done this better, but oh well.

And believe it or not... "Oh well" is kind of important. The freakshow was first created to give me a challenge, to push me to get better while also giving me cool OCs to draw. Part of getting better is recognizing when you need to stop. Recognizing that until you learn some foundational work, nothing is going to change. To get the captain collateral that is truly in my head, I need to keep improving. I need to do some studies. Mecha studies, vehicle studies, non-organic studies. He will continue to be my white whale, but now I have a tracker on him. Eventually I will conquer him fully, but until then I am happy with out it turned out, and that I can finally close this book. And that I won't have to look back for a few years~

#character design#original character#artists on tumblr#clown art#freakshow#wendigo#king in yellow#Retcon King

[marinersubmariner]

I don't normally like to show WIP/sketchy/unfinished artwork because my process is a complete mess and I'm embarrassed by how bad it all is before I reach a point where I'm satisfied enough to call something done. That being said, as the AI inundation is upon us, it feels valuable to share the human trial and error and my own manic desperation that goes into making art. I always spend too much time on stuff that ends up looking like it should not have taken that much time, but I REALLY overcooked my last drawing and fried my own brain. Trying to draw a speeder bike was torture. Here's some of the goofy shit I did!

I really had intended to simply draw an existing speeder bike, but as I considered the ~aesthetic~ I wanted and examined the standard ROTJ-style bike, it wasn't working for me. In terms of motorcycles they're too much like choppers for my taste when I vastly prefer the chunky '80s futurism/cyberpunk/mecha anime look (clearly, since this started out as an Akira reference). But. I have zero expertise in mechanical design or even concept art itself. I do not know how vehicles work or how to draw them. And referencing either real or fictional motorcycles isn't a huge help because they have wheels to focus the design around, which of course hover bikes don't have.

So obviously trying to both design a speeder and draw it in perspective was really difficult to wrap my brain around. I started out by photographing one of my old '90s Micro Machines for reference, but it wasn't exactly useful for extrapolating the shape into a new design:

I sketched out some profiles, but, again, tough to convert to 3D using only my very weak power of imagination:

The only 3D-adjacent tool I know well enough to use is After Effects, which is a poor substitute for a real 3D modeler because it can really only do flat planes and basic shape extrusion, and it was too cumbersome for this. I started to try it and it sucked:

"Just learn a 3D program," you say. "Blender is free." WELL. Maybe someday. But not today. So I resorted to building it in miniature out of cardboard:

This is less mortifying than taking pose reference photos of myself (which I have done a lot! it's a great way to make yourself feel like a complete lunatic!!!) but it was also more work, so. Still makes me feel like a lunatic.

Thankfully it did make it possible for me to finally draw something. The design isn't groundbreaking, and I still have absolutely no idea how to create convincing mechanical details despite poring over mountains of concept art… but an attempt was made. My perspective is probably still out of whack because, despite having studied art throughout my entire academic career, I never officially learned all those multipoint perspective tricks, drawing cubes inside of cubes, etc. I've always preferred and been much better at organic shapes than anything mechanical or architectural.

My initial iterations were more X-Wing/BSG Viper-esque, but I kept being unhappy with the nose shape. I wanted it to be pointy and triangular but I couldn't add enough detail to make it interesting. Even after building it MULTIPLE TIMES I didn't like it, so the shape I ultimately landed on… wasn't one of the prototypes I built. LOL. It was just so hard to tell in the earlier stages, so I had to go through the whole refining process just to land on "nah." It looked alright in cardboard, and then translating it to line art, and then once I colored it I didn't like it. It would have been a lot easier if I could tell at an earlier stage than that!!!!!!

There wasn't any one ship/vehicle I referenced, but things I looked at for inspiration included: the Akira bike (obviously), Tron lightcycles, every time we've ever seen a speeder bike in any piece of Star Wars media, actual motorcycles, X-Wings, A-Wings, U-Wings, Jedi Vectors… etc.

Once I had settled on the split nose, I tried adding vertical stabilizers to the tail section for some more interest back there and to balance out the front, but even though I liked them I thought they made it too busy. It also started to look too much like a miniature ship instead of a bike, like he was riding one of those coin-operated kiddie rides. No!!! I wanted this to look cool!!! So I stuck with the nondescript tail section.

Pose and likeness referencing aren't very exciting but just know that I use a mishmash of references for literally everything. Normally I would pose myself (even though translating my own blobby female proportions into those of a large man is another layer of awkward difficulty), but riding a speeder is a tough action to recreate so I downloaded the "MagicPoser" app on my phone and used that instead. The basic version is free and you can move around limbs and joints in their normal range of motion—some of it gets rubbery, but for the most part it did what I needed it to do.

Also just had to make up an excuse to put him in a pilot helmet! The shape is based on a Y-Wing helmet—a personal favorite of mine—which made sense to me for using on a speeder since it has more face coverage like motorcycle helmets tend to have. (not that I drew him actually wearing it on the speeder, haha. safety first, kids!!—UNLESS you're a dumbass space wizard, then just do whatever looks cool.) I really waffled back and forth on what color to make the visor, because I'm extremely partial to the pink from the Y-Wing helmet, but ultimately I went with the more traditional yellow-orange. Either one looks good with blue and white so I still like 'em both.

This all feels like it was an enormous waste of time, but I did realize the thing that was in my head, so. I guess that's an accomplishment. Unfortunately the problem with making art for myself is that I invariably end up hating my own work, and being in a dead/dying fandom on a dead/dying platform means there is very little external validation to counteract the self-loathing brain worms. Agony!

[aki-chan2014]

Moodboard, drawing and picrew for the spring from this aesthetic list. I decided to not incorporate the drawing and picrew into the moodboard to give me more room to work with, and i think I shall take that approach in the future. But, anyway:

This is Suki Sakuramiya, the SHSL Youth Suicide Prevention Worker. 

Her first name is written with the characters for ‘celebrate’ and ‘life’ and of course has the additional meaning of ‘love’ from how it sounds like one of the words for love. Concieved after many miscarriages and other fertility struggles, needless to say Suki was a very, very treasured child.  She was pampered and indulged a lot as a child, and a little coddled too, resulting in a naiveness that persists to this day. Luckily her parents realised they were stifling her and backed off in mid-elementary school, otherwise she’d have been quite spoiled too. Nonetheless, she is idealistic and sweet-natured, very feminine and used to the security of being cherished. 

However, she’s not unrealistic, and this is partially due to the culture shock of middle school. She’s always been determined in a cheery way and academically inclined, so the high achieving enviroment oddly suited her, but it put a lot of pressure on a lot of her classmates, upper and lower-classmen, and for quite a few it was to the point of suicide. Looking around her, Suki was baffled and struggling to understand why she was losing so many friends (because Suki is the person to make friends easily and genuinely, so all of these people were friends to her). And she found that the adult response was lacking, lazy, too quick to blame things that teenagers were interested in rather than taking a more nuanced view. They also kept brushing off distress signals. 

So, Suki decided to do something about it. She set up her own phoneline with the help of some other friends, as well as a text chat line, for teenagers and run by teenagers, to help them through whatever issues they were having that may have pushed them to the brink. Initially it was only a service for her school, but then it gained a life of its own, and teenagers all over her prefecture were using it. Soon, other teenagers in other prefectures set up their own versions to reach out to their own classmates and the like, and it wasn’t long before social media and the news learnt more about it. And they were definitely interested because the impact was huge-it didn’t eradicate the issues, sure, but it made a difference and saved a whole bunch of lives. 

Once it really took off, adults wanted to take over the running of the line, concerned that it was ‘too much’ for teenagers to handle. Suki took umbrage at this, considering it’d only been through teenage actions that anything had happened at all. The only help she’d accept was along the lines of mental health first aid training, and general advice. Otherwise, the idea of the line was teenagers for teenagers, as they could relate in a way adults never could. As she was adept at juggling her obligations, and was still the same cheery, industrious girl she’d always been, in the end it was allowed. Her parents, though initally anxious, supported her all the way, proud at her helpful nature. 

Suki is sweet anf girly and though not vain, enjoys being pretty. She enjoys doing her hair in all sorts of elaborate hairstyles and finding cute new accessories to wear. But she’s always been able to hold her own with the most rough-and-tumble boys, too, and knows more about shonen manga and mecha anime than most of them. She enjoys bike rides and would rather bike for ages somewhere than get the train. 

[tizzymcwizzy]

A Stranger’s New Year’s Resolution - Chap 2 - Truths and Lies

THE SECOND CHAPTER IS HERE 

Ao3 Link

Chap 1 

If you haven’t seen the first post then check the “a stranger’s new year’s resolution’ tag, you’ll find the 1st post there

Summary:

Adrien wasn’t the most extroverted person. Yeah, he could get super lonely sometimes but being around strangers wasn’t the most fun thing in the world. Especially those from his status. Old men and women talking only about money and gossip as they ripped each other to shreds when their backs were turned. The younger generation wasn’t great either. Self-centered brats left and right that had no respect for anything but themselves. So, when seeing most of whom he was forced to spend time around, one could understand why he tended to avoid talking amongst his peers. 

Never going to public school didn’t help either. He’d met Nino, thank God, out of a stroke of luck, but having one normal friend in a sea of awful acquaintances can really damage a person’s social skills. Most of his interactions with other people, outside his two friends, consisted of polite conversations, practiced smiles, forced laughter, and shameful agreement.

So, when the well-mannered Agreste was a bit tipsy and sat in front of this clever and attractive girl he nearly lost his mask.

“Okay, okay,” Marinette held up three fingers and grinned, bouncing a little in her seat. “I never learned how to ride my bike until I was ten because I was absolutely terrified of falling, I have never eaten an olive in my life, and…” she waved her hands around drawing out her words as she thought. “Ooh! I once beat everyone in my class in a rock paper scissors tournament.” She stared at him intently, suppressing a grin.

“Okay,” he stroked his chin. “You definitely have eaten an olive before.” He pointed at her and raised a brow. She gave him no reaction. “And, something tells me you definitely won a rock paper scissors tournament.” He didn’t dare look away or blink.

Her smirk just got wider. “What makes you so sure, Agreste?” She leaned on her elbow, sizing him up.

“You aced your AP psychology class, you definitely know how to beat a bunch of high schoolers in rock paper scissors.” He leaned in over the table to match her.

“Final answer?” A sickening sweetness that made his heart flutter laced her sing-song voice. 

“Yup.” Adrien folded his hands over the table and under his chin. She didn’t move or say anything for a moment, letting his answers float between them. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t make him nervous.

She broke the eye contact and sighed, leaning back fully in her chair with a thump. “Uugh, all correct.” She groaned overdramatically. 

“Yes!” He fist-pumped and laughed at her defeat. Marinette pouted at him with a scowl. Her nose scrunched up in the cute way it did when she was frustrated.

“What gave me away?” She pressed her hands against the flat of the table.

“You live in a bakery, in Paris. You have to have eaten an olive. It’s obvious.” He shrugged. Marinette raised her brows and smiled.

They’d been talking for who knows how long, on subjects ranging from terrible movies, cooking, color theory, gardening, back to cooking, and then to video games. 

He didn’t believe her when she claimed to be a master at Ultimate Mecha Strike three, which led into an intense game of two truths in a lie. In which he was currently beating her five rounds to three. And in the time that flew by, he learned many interesting things. Four of which stood out prominently. One, she had dropkicked someone by accident in the twelfth grade during a Halloween party. Two, she had been in a ballet class for three years until she broke her wrist; she was also apparently absolutely terrible at ballet. Three, she had a mild obsession with anything cat related for the majority of her childhood. And four, the more he learned about this girl the more he was going crazy.

“Hello, Earth to Adrien?” Marinette snapped a hand playfully in his face. “Anyone up there?" 

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Ah, sorry I spaced out.” His cheeks felt a little hot.

“Went off to your own little planet, huh?” She chuckled. 

His eyes went wide. “I completely missed that!” He put his hands up into his hair as she buckled with laughter. 

“Maybe you make so many bad puns it’s like second nature to you,” she said between giggles. “How do you even come up with them?”

He smirked. “It’s not like it’s rocket science, little lady.” Adrien shrugged again. His smile grew wider as she groaned.

“Shut up.” She poked his arm and stuck out her tongue.

“How menacing! I’m terra-fied!” He mocked her with jazz hands, putting extra emphasis on his pun. “And don’t you mean, shuttle up?” He grinned even wider as she reached over the table to smack his shoulder.

“Stop punning!” She barked between laughter. “It’s your turn, don’t prolong the wait before I wipe the floor with you.” She crossed her arms, biting back a smile.

“Astro-service, little lady.” Adrien bowed his head with a flourish. The fire in his chest was only stoked higher with her grumble. Well, maybe there was a fifth thing; teasing her was probably the most fun thing in the entire world. “Okay,” he straightened and readjusted his seat. “I took a karate class but quit after I got a green belt.” She nodded and squinted at him, trying to dissect his story. “I’ve never owned a pair of mismatched socks in my life, and…” He paused.

Adrien picked up a stray pencil on the table and scribbled a small flower on the little mess of a drawing they had started to form on a new page in her sketchbook. There was a crude drawing of a whale, his doing, and a cartoonishly short pirate, Marinette’s, and several other weird things. 

“And in my entire life, I’ve pricked myself on a rose fourteen times.” He glanced up at her, her nose still scrunched, deep in thought.

“That’s an oddly specific number,” she tapped her lips.

“Is it?” He tried his hardest to keep a poker face. But for all his professional model training he couldn’t for the life of him prevent the smile tugging on his lips from forming. 

“The mismatched socks one is definitely true.” Marinette glanced under the table and lifted his pants leg with her shoe. He almost snapped her pencil in half. His heart picked up the pace and his legs felt gooey. Is she serious? Well, she did dropkick someone. “White socks, with black pants? Who raised you?” She looked back up at him and smirked. His face was probably more red than any ripe tomato on the planet. He laughed awkwardly.

“My king of the fashion underworld father, apparently.” He choked out, taking a nearly desperate sip out of his drink. She’s gonna kill me.

“I barely know anything about karate, but you took fencing, right? Those aren’t very similar, and you can get far more injured in karate than in fencing. So, taking into account your reputation and importance, I’d say that’s the lie.” She pointed a finger up in the air matter of factly.

“What about the roses?” He smiled, regaining his composure slightly, and placed the empty glass on the table.

“It’s too specific of a number for you to have made it up.” Marinette paused with her eyes closed. Then she peeked them open and squinted at him. “Unless you’re faking me out.” She leaned forward and poked him again. His skin prickled where she touched him.

“You calling me a trickster?” Adrien gasped. 

“I wouldn’t put it against you, Agreste.” She stuck her tongue out again. 

He put a hand to his forehead and leaned over the table. “Oh my, what a scandalous accusation!” He peeked between his hands and found her stifling a giggle. The fire was stoked higher. “The fine lady Marinette accusing me of being a trickster,” he pulled himself back up to the table and shook his head furiously. “Maybe she just doesn’t know me as well as she thinks she does.” He leaned in towards her face, smirking wildly.

She didn’t lean back. “Do you or do you not wear mismatched socks, Sir Agreste?” She narrowed her eyes.

“If I told you it wouldn’t be much of a game, right?" 

She paused, staring back at him for a while. "You joke too much to not own a pair.” She concluded and leaned back. The air against his face was suddenly cold as she moved away.

“A pair?” Adrien raised his eyebrows. Marinette scowled at him and crossed her arms.

“You own a pair of mismatched socks, you’ve pricked your hands fourteen times, and you’ve taken a karate class.” She listed them off on her fingers.

“Oh, so now I’m unfragile enough to take a karate class?” He tilted his head and smirked at her. Her nose scrunched up again. He’d never get over that.

“Stop it!” She sat up. “That’s my final answer, now is it right or wrong?” She pointed up at him.

He stared at the sharp finger pointing at his nose. Then he looked back to her and grinned wide. “Wrong!” He sang.

“Aauugh!” She threw her head back and put her hands in her hair. Adrien burst out laughing. “What did I get wrong?” She sat up again.

“I’ve never owned a pair of mismatched socks in my life,” he gasped between laughter. His sides were starting to hurt.

“What!” She threw her hands up, bewildered. That sent him into another fit of laughter. “Your kidding! You have to be kidding!” She leaned forward in her chair and chuckled.

He shook his head, breathless. “I- I’ve never gotten the chance to buy a pair.” He gasped for breath, trying to regain his composure.

“At least I know what to make for your birthday,” she murmured. That caught him by surprise. She covered her mouth the instant it slipped out. Her cheeks turned an impossible pink. “I- I mean!” She paused. “If- if I- If we, I-” she tripped over her words and looked away. Her ears began turning the same color as her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I-”

“I’d like that.” He met her eyes again. 

“Really?” She almost whispered.

“Definitely.” He smiled at her gently. Absolutely.

She slowly smiled behind her hands and giggled. What would he do to hear that again?

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen!” They were snapped out of the moment by a voice over the loudspeaker. “Here is just a quick reminder that there are twenty minutes remaining until the new year officially begins, the firework show will begin in five minutes. Have a fantastic evening!” They both glanced back at the other.

“Did you want to go see the firework show? I know a really good spot to see it from,“ he whispered and glanced around before winking.

She stared at him, cheeks still pink, hands still cupped gently over her mouth and giggled. "Sure,” she whispered back. He almost fist-pumped. “Let me just just get my stuff,” she stood and began to gather up the pencils littering the table.

“Here,” he stood and closed her sketchbook. He reached to hand it to her before admiring the cover. It was covered in fabric and a black cursive M decorated the corner along with embroidered flowers. “Did you sew this?” He handed it back to her.

“Yeah, I design most of my accessories myself.” She shoved it onto a bag that had a matching design and color scheme.

“That’s amazing,” he glanced at her dress. “Did you design that too?” She looked down at it and pulled at the fabric.

“Yeah, do you like it?” She looked up at him nervously and swung her bag over her shoulder.

“I do.” It was a short navy blue dress that fanned out at the waist. Glitter and gold sequins lined the bottom edges and faded as they went up. It was simple but beautiful.

“Thank you,” she smiled shyly and glanced up at him from under her bangs. “I made this a few years ago, so it’s not as good as my more recent stuff. But I still like it.” She fiddled with the fabric near the bottom.

“Well, I think it looks dress great.” He smirked and puffed out his chest. She chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“You two leaving for the night?” Jackson, who apparently appeared out of nowhere, asked.

Marinette jumped up in the air. 

“No, we’re just going to see the fireworks.” He squinted at Jackson, who was giving him a look. “Anyway, can I have the check?” He reached behind him to pull out his wallet. 

“Oh, hey,” she batted his arm away. “Let me pay,” she dug through her bag.

“Wha- I was the one who told you to try the drink. Let me pay for it.” He pointed to his chest.

“It’s fine,” she pulled out her wallet and dug through it.

“No, let me. I sat at your table anyway,” he touched her arm. “Come on, my treat.” She frowned. "Please, Marinette?” He cupped his hands together and gave her a winning smile. 

“Fine,” she stuck her nose up in the air and turned away. “But I’ll pay next time.” She dissolved slightly. “If there is a next time?” Marinette cast him a glance.

“Of course,” he smiled at her and took the check as Jackson handed it to him. Next time? Oh god.

As he handed it back, Jackson pulled him in by the shoulder. “You take care of that girl, you hear me?” He whispered.

Adrien nodded firmly and blushed. Jackson gave him a kind smile and picked up the empty glasses. “Have a good night, you two.” He winked at Marinette and walked off. Adrien caught her looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Her face was red as well.

“Okay,” he turned to her and pulled his jacket off the back of the chair. “Follow me,” he grinned.

“Lead the way,” she bowed and waved her hand out, gesturing for him to go. 

He guided her through tables to the glass staircase near the far wall. Adrien offered her his arm, which she took, and helped her up the stairs. 

“Y'know, I’ve never understood these stairs. They’re a hazard waiting to happen.” He shook his head as they reached the second floor.

“I think they look pretty,” she looked behind them and glared at the stairs. “But I can’t imagine walking up them in heels.” He shrugged. 

They walked to the double glass doors that lead out to the balcony; it was located in one of the far corners of the upper level. The balcony was pretty small and secluded, and it was freezing outside, so the fact that it was almost deserted wasn’t much of a surprise. All the while, Adrien tried not to pay too much attention to the fact that she never let go of his arm.

There was a man standing next to the door that looked him up and down wordlessly. Adrien flashed a money-making smile and walked past him with confidence. Marinette looked up at Adrien and made a face. He shrugged. “Not sure why that guy was there, but it is New Year’s Eve after all.” He whispered. She nodded and and looked forward.

Not that he’d never been there before. When he said he’d been to this restaurant plenty of times he meant it. There weren’t many happy memories he’d had on that balcony, but the view of a glowing Paris always seemed to pull him out of a bad mood. He opened the glass door and watched as she stepped through. She slowly let her arm fall from his and walked out onto the terrace. The cold December soon to be January wind bit through his clothes, but he could barely feel it. 

As Marinette looked out she gasped quietly. The city’s lights reflected in her eyes and seemed to make her glow. She looked beautiful in the dim light. It took his breath away. He followed her out and closed the door behind him, not taking his eyes off her. 

“It’s amazing,” she breathed.

“I know.” A smile tugged at his lips and his heart pounded in his chest.

Marinette walked towards the railing and watched the city below. 

A sudden crash and sparkle of light caught their attention. The fireworks. They sparked and shined in the air, flickering out as quickly as they came.

“Wow,” she laughed and looked up to the sky. 

After a moment she turned and beckoned him closer. Adrien walked over and leaned over the railing. “Enjoying yourself?” He smiled. She nodded, her cheeks were turning pink. Probably from the cold. She was pulling her jacket tighter around her.

Another whiz through the air and a crash. 

He took his coat off and draped it over her shoulders. Marinette jumped a little from his touch. She turned to him and then stared at the jacket. It was unsurprisingly too big for her. Cute.

“Aren’t you cold?” She asked. Her breath was warm on his face. 

He shook his head. “I’m fine.” He leaned his head on his hand and watched her. She scowled, pushing out her bottom lip. Marinette shrugged off one of the shoulders of the jacket and reached up to wrap it around both of them.

“There,” she smiled softly. “I don’t want you to catch a cold.” Marinette turned to watch the fireworks again. Good thing, too. She didn’t see how red his face was.

They watched the fireworks in silence for a bit. Marinette giggled every once in a while when the fireworks crash was so thunderous it’s vibrations could be felt in the railing. Their shoulders rested against each other, he wondered if she could hear his heartbeat. 

After a breath she pulled up her watch and gasped.

“What?” He turned to her.

“It’s almost six minutes until New Year!” She bit her lip and smiled. Cute.

He idly kicked his leg back and felt something hit his foot. It skidded backwards, drawing her attention. “What’s that?” Marinette picked the something up off the ground and dusted the snow off. She gasped. “They’re sparklers!” She waved the somewhat wet box in his face.

“Wha- how did you manage that?” He laughed.

“Guess I’m just lucky,” she giggled lightly and opened the box. She pulled out two and handed him one. Their fingers touched for the briefest of moments.

“I didn’t ask you earlier,” she looked up at him. “What’s your New Year’s resolution?” He blinked at her.

“Uhh, well.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.” He played with the end sparkler, twisting it in his hands.

“We- well it doesn’t have to be a resolution. Cause, maybe there isn’t really anything you want to do better next year. You could just make a wish.” She flipped the sparkler in her hand.

He laughed. “Well, I guess if I think about the past year,” he turned back to the city and watched the fireworks. “I’d want to try and be happier. And live a little more. Like, to do things that are out of the ordinary, or try something new.” He looked down at his hands. “I feel like I’m slowly getting more and more tired of my life. So, maybe I should change it. I guess. I don’t know,” he laughed dryly. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”

“Don’t apologize.” Her voice was quiet and soft. “Here,” she dug through her bag and pulled out a small box.

“What’s that?” He asked.

“It’s a flint kit,” she chuckled, “a little weird, I know.” She took out the metal pieces.

“I don’t think it’s weird.” It wasn’t the weirdest thing he’d ever seen. And even at that it was funny, and cute. Very cute.

Marinette looked up at him and blinked. Then she burst into soft laughter. “Thanks,” she took his hand that held the sparkler and tilted it to the side. Her fingers were freezing, not that his were any better probably. She clicked the metal together and lit the sparkler. He gasped and held it up straight, the sudden light and sound of it startling him. She laughed and put the flint kit away, then took her sparkler and lit it on his. “Are you gonna make a wish?” She asked.

“Uuh, well,” he held the sparkler up and watched it. “I…” He closed his eyes, it felt silly. “I wish that, I wish that next year I will be happier. That I’ll do the things that I want to do, and that I’ll grow as a person. And that next year will be a year that I can look back on with fond memories.“ He opened his eyes slowly to find her staring up at him. "Sorry, was that a bit much?” He laughed.

She shook her head and smiled.

“Well, what are you going to wish for?” He nudged her shoulder. 

Marinette tilted her head. “I’ll wish for the same thing. For me to be happier, and for you as well,” she elbowed Adrien and winked. “And for next year to be a year of good memories.” He gaped at her. Marinette held up her sparkler, giggled and poked him. “Besides, if we both wish for the same thing,” she touched the end of her sparkler to his, making the flame brighter, “it’s twice as likely to come true, right?” He was speechless, and it was not very often that Adrien could be left speechless. He usually always had something or other to say, but here, at this moment, on this balcony nearly freezing his butt off, he was silent. He blinked at her.

A quiet countdown crept through the glass door behind them. Marinette and gasped and bounced on her feet. A smile danced across her face as she looked back eagerly from him to the door. She started counting down with the crowd. “Seven, six, five,” he joined her.

“Four, three, two…” Marinette took in a deep breath and on the final count as the fireworks crashed and sparkled through the air, she blew the sparkler out with him; like a birthday candle. Hopefully, sending their wish off to wherever wishes go.

They both flinched at the loud and Earth rumbling fireworks, laughing the whole time until they died out. Cries and cheering could be heard from inside, as well as the bustling of the street below, but he barely paid any attention.

“Happy New Year, Adrien!” She laughed and hugged him. He tensed up for a moment before melting into the hug.

“Happy New Year, Marinette.” He whispered into her hair and held her tight. If there’s one thing that Adrien knew for certain it was that he was absolutely done for.

[gastricpierrot]

Title: Heartbeat

Series: Promare

Pairing: GaloLio

Rating: T

Summary:

Lio turns himself in after the final battle, the start of a new life he must get used to.

This is a story of how Lio Fotia navigates through the days that follow, learns that support comes in more forms than he’s ever familiar with, and deals with his alarmingly developing feelings for Galo Thymos.

Also on AO3

[Prologue][Chapter 1][Chapter 2][Chapter 3][Chapter 4][Chapter 5][Chapter 6]

[Chapter 7 (END)]

There’s scarcely a twitch in Galo’s expression.

“Oh. Um. Okay.”

“I’m being serious here, Galo,” Lio says, casually turning to thank the waitress as she places their food on their table as though he hadn’t said what he said. Galo runs a hand over his face, gesturing for him to not misunderstand with the other.

“I know. I... I just need a bit of time to process that.” He covers his mouth and takes a deep breath. Lio notices a wave of red gradually spreading from his ears to his cheeks. “This is bad. I really want to hug you right now.”

“It’s not the best place.” Some embarrassment is finally sinking in for Lio as well, though overshadowing that is a much stronger, much more intense sense of sheer, unadulterated fondness. “Bear with it just a little longer?”

Galo nods, but he refuses to meet his gaze. He absently shoves a forkful of food into his mouth, mumbling, “God, you’re so unfair, Lio. Why did you have to say that here and now...”

Lio doesn’t know either. He doesn’t know why he’d chosen this timing to tell him, why the words have insisted on spilling out before he even had a chance to ponder over them and their consequences. He's in love with Galo. The realization could’ve terrified him, could’ve sent him into fits of anxiety because what if that ruins everything between them? What if it’s just... not meant to be?

Yet right now, Lio has never felt as liberated. He doesn’t have to worry about what-ifs. He doesn’t have to fear anything when he’s with Galo.

They finish lunch at record speed, all the while hyperfocusing on their food and not exchanging even the slightest eye contact. Galo asks Lio if he’s got time once they’ve settled the bill, words blurred so badly together that Lio barely catches what he mutters. He responds that he’ll have the rest of the day free, he just maybe needs to get back by nighttime to do some last-minute revisions for a quiz.

Galo nods, then grabs Lio’s hand and holds on as he drags him along to go retrieve his bike. Lio keeps a bit of distance between himself and Galo when they both climb on, sensing Galo’s tension and not quite sure what he should do. He’d never imagine he’d even make it this far, honestly—much less how he should handle everything else that happens afterwards. What’s Galo thinking? How should he thread the now ambiguous boundary between them?

“Galo,” Lio begins at one point, deciding that perhaps it’s best to slowly talk it all out, but Galo only asks to trust him and wait.  

There’s really not much he can argue with, so Lio listens and slips back into the strange silence.

Galo brings him out of the bustling roads of the city, into a highway, and eventually to the forests near the hills in the outskirts. He parks his bike under a tree that flowers despite the winter; its branches heavy with bloom serving as a landmark with the large contrast to the barrenness around it. Lio climbs off first, then follows Galo as they continue their way to this unknown destination by foot along some beaten paths.

It’s even colder here than in the city. Lio tugs his jacket a little tighter around his body, nose and throat stinging from the cool air. It'd snowed in Promepolis during the height of its winter, and although most of the snow in the city has melted, patches of them still remain here. Untouched, barely even melting.

It takes a bit of time, but the trees eventually clear, and they come to stand before a frozen lake.

“This is...” Lio trails off, words lost to the breathtaking scenery before him. The lake’s surface is a pristine sheet of ice, reflecting the blue of the sky and glistening wherever sunlight hits. Opposite where they stand is the slope of a hill, one covered with an even denser forest of trees sprinkled with snow. Somewhere in the distance, a wild bird cry echoes through the air. The minutes seem to come to a standstill.

Galo’s told him about this place before, in one of the many insignificant conversations they’d shared to pass time, to get to know each other just a little more. Galo used to have a favorite lake he’d go to calm down when he gets much too agitated—but it had been the very same one they’d fallen into and completely evaporated during the whole Parnassus ordeal. The one now is the second lake Galo has managed to find and taken a liking to; he’d even once promised Lio to bring him here one day when there’s a chance.

And to think that the chance would be now, under these circumstances.

Galo proceeds to step onto the ice and make a show of inhaling huge, wheezing breaths; wildly swinging his arms and slapping his cheeks. He even hollers toward the distance for good measure as he skates in wide circles, getting whatever he’s been suppressing thoroughly out of his system. Lio quietly watches it all unfold, just a tad bit worried about the way he’s acting.

He really worked hard controlling himself back there, huh?

Galo does manage to calm down enough, eventually. It’s only then that he turns around, and stomps back to shore to place both hands on Lio’s shoulders.

“Right. Now let’s do that all over again,” he says, in all seriousness. Lio, understandably, blinks at him in abject confusion.

“Do what??”

Galo's ears start turning red once more. “Say the things you said earlier!!”

Lio is still a little taken aback, but his amusement brings a lopsided smile to his lips. “You want me to confess my feelings all over again?”

“T-The previous one doesn’t count because it wasn’t in the right time and place!!”

“Do you have to be so particular?” And such a hopeless romantic, on top of that. Lio finds himself barking out a laugh, sparks bursting within his chest as Galo sputters more excuses about wanting to react timelier and properly and all kinds of nonsense. Lio’s mirth fades as he listens to him ramble on, morphing into a pleasant tingle that spreads all the way to his fingertips. He takes a step forward, shutting Galo up the moment he closes the distance between them.

“I’ll say it as many times as you want to hear, Galo Thymos,” he states, holding his gaze as he reaches out to cup his cheek with his palm. “My heart’s on fire for your love.”

His voice comes out rawer than he expects, charged with so much emotion that he can’t seem to breathe right. He has the chance to hear Galo’s breath catch, to spot his eyebrows draw together—before he’s yanked forward and enveloped in a tight, almost desperate embrace.

“That’s not what you said,” Galo protests weakly. Lio smiles, struggling to free his other arm so he could hug back with just as much intensity.

“Same difference.”

“I can’t believe you actually just blurted all that so casually back there!” Galo’s sounds unnecessarily distressed. “What if I don’t feel the same about you!?”

“Hmm,” Lio gives it a brief, halfhearted ponder. “Then I’ll just eat my feelings until I die, I guess.”

“Liooooo!!!”

Lio lets out another laugh, only patting the back of Galo's head gently in response to that. Galo is still somber when he continues, arms hugging tighter by a fraction.

“But why me? You know I’m not—”

“You’re enough,” Lio insists. “You’re already more than I will ever deserve.”

“There you go again, yappin’ about deserving this, deserving that!” Galo immediately complains, moving to part them and face him properly as if he’s one to whine. “We’re having a Moment here so can’t you stop that for one hot second? Please??”

“Sorry.” Lio shrugs. “It’s still true, though.”

“Lio, I will kiss you if you don’t stop talking.”

“Can’t you do that even if I do?”

Galo obviously isn’t expecting that brazen return, immediately getting extremely flustered and making more incoherent noises. Lio calls his name once, just to get his attention for that split second.

Then he shifts his weight to his toes, and tilts his head up to press his lips against Galo’s.

The first kiss is just a peck, his eyes shut and breath held and Galo’s frozen in place.

The second kiss, Galo leans down and chases after his lips, their noses brushing as they try to adjust better to the unfamiliar posture and contact.

The third kiss, they hold each other closer, closer, and Lio’s heart soars.

xXx

As with everything else, Lio gets used to his new schedule and all its challenges.

He gets used to the headaches, the voices of his roommates, the taste of stale coffee he’s probably come to rely too much on to keep himself awake after the long days. He gets used even to the strain on his muscles, to the burn of ice on his skin, the weight of a gun in his hands. Everything, over time, he grows used to them all.

One of the more unexpected things is, though, the fact that Lio eventually chooses to specialize in command and support. His first choice had actually been learning how to pilot Gears, him thinking it’s probably not too difficult because Galo and his team make everything seem to smooth and natural. They’ve come so far with technological innovation, surely mecha suits are designed to seamlessly respond to their pilots’ wills. Surely all pilots must do is think of a certain movement and maneuver, and computers would interpret their brain signals and command the suits to respond. Surely, it can’t be too much harder than driving a normal vehicle.

Except it is. The first time Lio sits in the cockpit of their training Gear, he immediately notices how he's surrounded by a ridiculous number of knobs and cranks and handles. The good news is that the basic movements are mainly controlled a single pair of handles and pedals; the bad news is that Lio, for the life of him, can’t seem to understand how it’s all supposed to work in coordination. He almost launches himself out of the cockpit maybe about a hundred times through the first week.

He doesn’t even blame the instructor for later walking up to him and suggesting to consider transferring into another stream. Lio might fail his way out of training at this rate even if his grades for other classes are decent. So he ends up in the command and support course instead after some deliberation, and fortunately realizes he enjoys it much more than piloting. He’s eventually one of the top scorers for most mission simulations, his ability to take charge and lead calmly not lost despite all the time he’s spent inactive. He could still be brash and rely way too much on himself at times, too, but he knows it’s a work in progress. It will take time for him to unlearn these habits.

As for his relationship with Galo, nothing much has actually changed. They still hang out together when they have the chance, they still bicker, they still goof around and let loose through impulsive pizza binges. Perhaps the main difference is that their physical boundaries seemed to have thinned out; they hold hands more frequently now, they’re less awkward about huddling close together in public when it gets too cold, and the little pecks and kisses they exchange have begun to feel more comforting than embarrassing.

It's just the little things. The phone calls made through the payphone when he misses his voice, their outings that can now sometimes be called dates. The hair-touching, the hands on waists. Yet at the very core, it all still feels the same.

Three months eventually pass, through days of hard work, of frustration and doubt and unexpected fun.

Lio goes over his parts of the room one final time to make sure he hasn’t left anything behind, before zipping his duffel bag close and slinging its strap over his shoulder. His roommates have all left earlier in the afternoon after the graduation ceremony and a quick celebratory buffet at the cafeteria. He steps out and turns around to lock the door, swallowing the sudden sense of forlornness that assaults him.

It... really is over.

Three months isn’t a long time; it’s the daily hecticness that made it feel like it would never pass. Lio had somewhat expected it to resemble his time in detention to some degree, yet he ends up enjoying himself much more here. Training activities are miles more engaging than community service, he’s got Gueira and Meis with him this time, and it had been so much easier to get along with everyone else around him. Fire training hadn’t necessarily been an experience he genuinely wanted, but it’d turned out to be something he unconsciously needed. A sense of reconnection, a chance to act and feel his age.

A chance to simply be Lio Fotia, and not Lio Fotia of Mad Burnish.

Lio leaves after returning his keys and settling some final documental revisions at the office. His brothers have gone off just a bit earlier, hurrying to deal with some sudden issues with the apartment they’d managed to find and temporarily rent. Lio walks through the deserted hallways alone, trying not to think about missing the place too much. He exits the building, crosses the courtyard, and his pace once again quickens as he makes his way towards the gates.

Galo greets and congratulates him with a hug, one that’s warm and just a little suffocating. And it’s when Lio laughs, it’s when they part and he sees the infinite pride and affection in Galo’s gaze, that he feels like he’s finally come home again.

xXx

Early one particular morning not long after Lio’s completed his training, he nearly burns the eggs.

Galo reacts faster than any fire detector, rushing in to snatch the pan out of Lio’s hands and save the food before it all goes to waste. Lio apologizes, though he never quite manages to say more than an “I’m sorry.” He realizes that his mind is filled with static, his fingers trembling.

“You okay?” Galo asks when he notices his disquiet after plating their breakfast, waiting for him to nod before walking over to where he stands by the sink and circling his arms around his waist from behind. Lio sighs, leaning into the contact while he tries to get his thoughts in order.

“Just didn’t sleep too well,” he admits. He could feel the tremors from Galo’s chest when he responds.

“Nervous about your first day?” he asks, and snickers when Lio hums affirmative. He starts swaying side to side, coaxing Lio into some strange little dance. “Don’t worry too much about it, Lio! It’s not like it’s your first time meeting the team!”

Lio idly matches his movements, shifting his weight from left foot to right, right foot to left. “It’s still my first time doing the job, though.”

“You’ll be fineeee! You’re not expected to help out in operations so soon after joining, anyway,” Galo reasons. “And I’m sure the Cap’n and the girls would be more than excited to teach you how things work.”

“I’m just hoping I won’t disappoint them.” Lio broods. He truly hopes he wouldn’t hold the team back when it matters; he can’t drag them down when they too, have done so much for his sake even when they were still virtually strangers. Lio stands here as a result of their goodwill just as much as he does from Galo’s.

“It’s normal to struggle at the start when you’re still getting the hang of things,” Galo assures as he guides him to their table. “Some might take a little more time than others and that’s okay, too! Not everyone could be as cool as your boyfriend here!”

“Not everyone’s as reckless as my boyfriend here, either.” Lio reaches to pinch Galo’s nose lightly, fully familiar with the stunt he’d pulled on the very day he joined Burning Rescue. Rushing into danger with minimal preparation and scarcely a plan, then saving someone but still ending up being burnt in the process. It's truly something so on brand for him that it’s amusing.

Galo only laughs gently to his retort, shifting out of his grasp to nuzzle against his hair. “But you love me for that, firebug.”

It’s only recently that he’s learnt to utter that as a statement and not a question. It's only recently that he’s learnt to accept that gosh, yes, Lio does love him for that. He loves him for all the heart he has to give, for all the silly things he does, and for even more, even the parts of him he still struggles to love himself.

Galo’s voice is soft, husky with a wonder Lio understands too well. Often Lio would lie in Galo’s arms, surrounded by his warmth and comfort, filled with an unrelenting sense of disbelief that he’s where he is. Often their kisses would end with silence basked in the very same amazement, with awed gazes and hushed voices followed by heated touches desperate to make sure it all isn’t just a dream.

And it’s not. They’re here, where they’re meant to be, surely.

“Stop, you’re gonna make me lose my appetite even more,” Lio protests, though they both know it’s just another excuse on his part. Lio has never quite gotten used to the pet names just yet. Galo happily obliges, nonetheless, and they finally sit down to have their toast with eggs just a little overcooked.

They’re silent as they eat, as they often are. Don’t speak while you chew or you’ll bite your tongue, Galo would nag despite doing the very same thing himself. Lio savors the present simplicity, basks in the normalcy and warm morning sunlight seeping through the windows. He listens to the idle hum of the refrigerator, the soft drone of the ventilation system. The scent of their favorite hand soap wafts mutedly in the air.

Lio breathes. His hands have stopped shaking.

“Have you gotten everything?”

Galo asks later as he waits for Lio to tie his shoelaces at the entryway. Lio pulls the final knot tight, then stands up to pat his bag and pockets. ID, documents, a water bottle. A foldable umbrella, boxed leftovers from dinner the night before to be heated up for lunch. His wallet, keycard.

“I think so.” He seems to have brought all the important things, anyway.

Galo nods, then moves to push the front door open. He turns around, and holds out a hand to Lio.

“Let’s go, then!”

And it’s like this, hand in hand with Galo Thymos, that Lio takes his first step towards a new tomorrow.

[hotwaterandmilk]

I haven’t seen anyone discuss this in English yet, so now that my copy of the first print volume has arrived I shall attempt to break the ice!  Shounen Kaitou Le Bread is an ongoing online spin-off based on Asamiya Kia’s 1990′s manga series, Kaiketsu Jouki Tanteidan (aka: Steam Detectives). Although the basic scenario takes its lead from Asamiya’s original work, Shounen Kaitou Le Bread is written and illustrated by Pixiv artist, Kanamura Ren.

What is Kaiketsu Jouki Tanteidan?

Set in Steam City, where technology is steam-powered and the city streets are constantly shrouded in mist, boy detective Narutaki, his nurse assistant Ling Ling, and the megamaton Goriki do battle with all manner of nefarious villains who wish to rob or maim the city’s residents.

The original manga ran for 13 volumes (over two series) and had a 26-episode anime adaptation in 1998-99. The anime also has an objectively great opening theme that I will fight you about.

Who is Le Bread?

Also written as Le Bled, this youthful masked thief is Narutaki’s nemesis and with his own nurse assistant, Lang Lang, seeks to make off with valuables and challenge Narutaki’s detective skills at every turn.

Le Bread lives a lavish lifestyle and is worldly beyond his years. When it comes to crime he’s arrogant and determined, always seeking to be one step ahead of Narutaki.

What is Shounen Kaitou Le Bread?

This spin-off series focuses on the phantom thief’s escapades rather than those of Narutaki. In this series, Le Bread (also known as Alain) works with Lang Lang and his pal Theo to just generally steal shit and make life difficult for Chief Inspector Yagami and Detective Onigawara. The bulk of the story in the first volume focuses on a forged painting and the introduction of some new complications for Le Bread & the regular cops in the form of NSS agents, Steve and Patrick.

Do I Need to Read Steam Detectives to Understand Shounen Kaitou Le Bread?

Nope, it’s all very straightforward -- you’ll obviously enjoy a few of the easter eggs in the spin-off more if you’re familiar with the original series, but it’s otherwise non-essential reading.

Should I Be Reading It?

If you like a fun little phantom thief romp or you’re bored between Detective Conan volumes, Shounen Kaitou Le Bread might just be what you’re looking for (the mangaka is also a fan of Conan which may be more than a little obvious when you check out this book). It’s all fairly light reading (the original series was a monthly Jump title, so y’know) and Kanamura’s art is a breath of fresh air for the universe (Asamiya’s art could never capture Le Bread’s sickly, beautiful face). One of the major downsides is that thus far there’s little in the way of mecha or steam action -- I’m not sure if Kanamura can draw the quirky megamatons or even some of the scenery/action on the same level Asamiya could (though her character art is undeniably leagues better).

On the plus side, there’s a lot of great character interaction between the main trio, not to mention Patrick & Steve’s motorbike scenes are fucking amazing (seriously, Patrick launching from the bike and putting his high-heel through a windscreen = lkdfgkjdlgkdg). 

Given this is an online comic, with relatively easy to access chapters it’s a bit sad that nobody outside of Japan seems to be talking about it! If a scanlation group was so inclined I’m sure a lot of English readers would love to get in on these fun adventures (particularly given the cast of handsome guys).

If you can read Japanese then you should absolutely pick up the first volume and support the mangaka. It’s available at CD Japan and Amazon Japan for international delivery. I eagerly anticipate future volumes~.

[cheesedoots]

              °°☆Commission time!☆°°                            Long post!! Hello everyone, in need of saving up some money for college expenses, I’m doing Commissions!! I will only take a few at a time, but I really need to make some extra cash. :)

So, once again I have a very special commission idea, Let’s Meme!! But we’ll get into details in a minute.

Some basic rules, I will NOT DRAW:

☆Mecha ANYTHING ☆ Gore or Vore ☆NSFW ☆Ridiculously complex designs ☆Landscapes

So, now that the basics are done, Let’s get to the nitty gritty:

                    °°☆Gem cuts☆°° I am still chugging on the SU train, so I’m here to offer some help to those who might need some or want some help designing a unique gem cut! There’s so many out there, how can you make yours stand out?! Never fear, cheese is here to give you a dazzling gem baby for just $5!

                        °°☆Icons☆°° Looking for that image to make your profile pop? Got em right here for $8, any design! And a deal! If you want a matching icon for your partner in crime, get two for just $10! ;D

                   °°☆LET’S MEME☆°° Every page is better displayed with a meme header image! Or, maybe you want a very special draw the squad with you and your friends? I’m here to offer a special commission! $15 For any meme of choice, whether you want a hilarious wallpaper, custom base, or just something to make you and your followers laugh! Go for it!

                         °°☆Busts☆°° Need that portrait looking fleek? Or maybe you’ll use this for ref of that one character you just can’t get quite right? Look no further my friend, a special shoulder up piece for you, just $10!

                   °°☆Waist and up☆°° Just $18 for a beautiful piece done from the sweet v-line up. ;)

                       °°☆Full body☆°° Got a rad character you wanna see drawn in a fantastic new style? Fresh and clean? Maybe it’s time for a revamp, but your stuck on that design. For $20 have that sweet child of yours all polished up and refreshed with options like fancy overlay or shading or flat! Maybe you need that character redone?! Here’s the place. Go on!

Though these prices are nice, they won’t last! I’m trying to save up a bit of money to buy a scooter for college so I don’t have to bike four miles!!! Please, anything helps!

Pm if interested, transactions will be done through Paypal, but I won’t send the art through there. (invoices are a nightmare.) I will send it privately, or tag you.

Reblogs are VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

Thank you all so much!

[petty-crush]

"I Love Maria" / "Roboforce" -a first rate comedy that combines sci fi cliches and graceful slapstick with Hong Kong speed -this film also has a ton of robot battles that are spectacular (better than many dramas with robots) -in fact this film is a marvel for its budget; it consistently goes for broke and is "Evil Dead II" inventive -it starts strong right out the gate, with a reporter witnessing a gundam like robot (Pioneer I) making mince meat out of the police as it robs a bank -the main crux of the scenario, a low level member of the gang making friends with a ex cop scientist while a camera reporter tries to uncover the story, is strong enough for a Scorsese drama -the ex cop scientist, Curly (hint hint) looks like a Chinese Woody Allen -the amount of abuse he and the gang member, Whiskey, suffer is worthy of Buster Keaton - the Maria of the title, played by Sally Yeh, is jaw dropping in her beauty and acting prowess + she is a wild, deadpan spirit who infuses the film with extra life whenever she is on screen -why anyone would come to a bar where the entire senior regulars beat you up with their feet at the drop of their hat is a mystery to me -I do admire the slip pun of the sliding glass of beer however -why does this reporter refuse to wear his camera around his neck? -maria's loyalty and regard for the leader of the gang is cute and appalling in the extreme -equally notable is "the Master" a old school gang member who nurtures Whiskey, and his contempt for Maria's cold blood killing -any head scientist who decides to make a crappier gun / disregard a effective tool because it threatens his job can got get fucked in my book -on the way I would hate to go, choking on my vomit stuck in my own coat wrapped around my head would be way up there -it's so fucking hysterical how the gang thinks Whiskey is a traitor (being taken care of by Curly after dead drunk) when in fact he tells nothing and may in fact know equally as little -I think the camera reporter takes the biggest shit kicking -this film is so casual in its destruction of property. I love it + possibly because it somehow keeps the story improbably intimate despite millions of damage done -I too would balk at taking a entire refrigerator. But I would be even more upset at being so hungry -the sheer hatred Maria has for the second robot Pioneer II (that is modeled on her) warms my soul -it's so stupid but I laugh-Whiskey's drunken obliviousness is so high he can't tell that his lock has been ripped out from the door, he flings his key in the gaping hole with such conviction -Pioneer's finger guns are so gotdamn rad -at this point, Whiskey and Curly(who is suspected by the police) running away with the deactivated Pioneer II is where the film caught me with surprise at its greatness and easy absurdity +it never lets go for the rest of the film -the film pries deep into cultural stereotypes as the hungry Whiskey and Curly look at stomach lust at a dog -what it infers they did to the dog and what they do next is a stroke of pure timing genius + I was red-faced at cruelty of it all -consider the number of times Curly gets shocked working in the robot then shares his pain with Whiskey. +Consider the wide grin the film is having -my gawd, this camera reporter can survive a nuclear fallout at this rate. Probably jumps off buildings for relaxation -Whiskey's pain at seeing the robot based on his crush, Maria, being tinkered on and forced to adore Curly is vindictive soup for the soul -oh shit, Pioneer I and II are going at each other and it is glorious -backing up a second, I love the design of Pioneer I, his chest piece coming off and tracking humans. It's so very very well designed -in my favorite part of the film Whiskey is running away from Maria and the gang in the jungle. He starts swinging from a vine (tastefully doing a little Tarzan yell before) and then in a moment that made me heart soar, Maria and company all take out a baton that shoots out a metal cord and they swing after him in unison, guns blazing. - like, fuck! -this was the vibe that scene in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls" was going for and this film just fucking nails it -it nearly tops that when The Master shows up in a motor bike, drives off the cliff to rescue Whiskey, turns around mid air with a button, then shoots the shit out of the gang +shit! -this robot fight is way way way up there, the part with the flying claw arms of Pioneer I is just incredible -robo Maria is just getting boned -to the ship yard -the part with the reporter quoting Shakespeare to Pioneer II is truly inspired lunacy -why in the name of fuck does the leader have a fifty foot robot (Pioneer III) and he was wasting his time going after Curly? This is like having a jet but keeping it in the garage and going on a unicycle -the camera reporter bring under the car is straight up "Cape Fear" remake material, but sooner in time -oh yeah, the camera reporter is named Chong + what a resistant bastard -another point that I draw attention to to kiss absurdity-at what point did the leader get robot arms? Oh the humanity! -why does Maria tolerate his spitefulness? Only the mecha Shadow knows -for those who have made it this far and do not think this film is not a willful jab at the po face seriousness of sci fi and anime, consider this; they use the recoil of one bazooka to access another -the police chief is pretty useless in this film; to be clubbed, to be shot, to be captured, to scream like a little shit -Pioneer I is just too damn good -in a dramatic moment that rivals the Bard, the leader dies and then Maria throws herself down the building to die with him, her hand touching his robot arm, with her locket of him falling and opening near both -Pioneer II has to do everything herself, including pull the trigger on her successor -love the moment where Chong, Whiskey, and Curly all come to laugh with Robo Maria, and the police chief tries to horn in "we all helped!" + they kick his ass to the curb -the shot of our three dudes and robo lady all dancing post credits is a moment that warms me heart -the three stooges meet Maria (from "Metropolis") and slapstick some expressionist sci fi into our hearts. I loved this film and cannot wait to see it again