#I will also be featuring Sophia this week!

[ninguitar]

୨୧　 𝓐PT.　˒˒　DA

─── ﹙🪷﹚for a girls' outing with katseye, rather than you doing your makeup as per-usual, daniela insists on doing yours for you.

pairing. daniela avanzini x 7th member f!r genre. fluff wc. 800+ notes. domestic dani my baby 💔💔 (MASTERLIST.)

now playing ⋆ APT. by ROSÉ ft. bruno mars

"C'MON BABY, JUST THIS ONCE!"

"it's just one time, baby, i swear—"

for the past few weeks—months, even—your girlfriend, daniela, has been begging you, practically on her knees, to let her do your makeup, just once, for a single outing with the other members.

and as much as you wanted to indulge in her pleas, especially with the latina's hand tugging on your sleeves, you knew how distracted and late you two would be with just daniela near you with her hands perched on your face, and you also knew how frustrated sophia would be with the two of you.

however, to your dismay, today was daniela's lucky day.

"stop moving!" daniela exclaims, her ring-clad hand brushing against your cheek with a makeup wipe.

"i'm not!" you huff, as you scoot over closer to daniela, the two of you sprawled on the wooden planks of her room.

she rolls her eyes before tossing the used makeup wipe into the trashcan, an eyeliner pen in her hands, as she straddles your lap. daniela's hand brings the eyeliner pen back to your closed eye, her breath fanning against your ear.

"y'know, it shouldn't take this long, dani," you tease, prodding at her cheek, a mischievous gleam painting your eyes. for a fleeting moment, you think about pressing your lips against hers, only to realize that'd delay you guys further.

"well, it wouldn't take this long if you just closed your eyes," the blonde-haired girl retaliates, letting out an irritated huff, before her thighs once again rest on your lap.

the eyeliner pen finds its way back to your eyes, as daniela tries to keep her movements steady against your fluttering eyelids, forcing the pen's tip to fall off of its course.

while daniela grunts in frustration, a grin tugs at the corners of your lips, as a giggle escapes your breath. "c'mon, lighten up; you wanted to do this!" you tease, seeing the incredulous look on the latina's face.

"oh shut up," she rolls her eyes, pausing before continuing, "just shut your eyes; you're messing me up."

"i just wanna look at my beautiful girlfriend!" you shrug, settling on a cheeky grin, before seeing the irritated look on daniela's face, making you huff, and finally shut both of your eyes.

your hands rest on the latina's waist, keeping her tuck and secure, as you lean back, giving the girl more access. the simple, familiar touch between you two reminded the both of you of how close you guys were, as you felt every breath and mumble escaping daniela's mouth.

finishing the second wing, daniela sighs with content, allowing her to finally move onto the last step. her eyes wander around the room, looking for some specific product, while your hands rest on the wooden planks, meekly waiting for the latina to finish.

grabbing the closest lipgloss to her with all the makeup scattered on the planks, daniela inches herself closer to you. the corners of her mouth quirk up, as she slides the cap off, bringing the balm to your lips. she quickly coats your lips with the muted pink-color lipgloss.

your eyes fixate on daniela's lips, as you instinctively press yourself closer to her, a gentle smile playing on your face.

"what?" the latina asks, a shy chuckle escaping her breath, as your eyes wander her features.

"nothin', you're just gorgeous, that's all," you shrug, before daniela presses herself closer against you, her arms snaking around your waist.

heat curls on the latina's cheeks at your comment laced with sincerity, as she meekly giggles before locking her velvety lips with yours. of course, you cave into her touch, as your noses' bumping against one-another's.

your hands find their way to daniela's locks, entangling them, as you savor her taste. her hands rest on your hips, as her flawless velvety lips pressed themselves against yours feverishly.

pulling back, you notice the way your lipgloss transfers onto the latina, as you laugh, bringing the mirror to her face. before you could tease her, daniela captures your lips again, humming against them.

in between each kiss, you try to push the blonde-haired girl away to avoid being scolded by sophia, only for daniela to pull you back stronger, adamant on keeping you on her lap. and of course, you attempt to again push away from daniela's loving grip.

"dani, we have to go," you mutter against her lips, your hands resting on daniela's chest to push her away. she dismisses your comment, as she presses her lips against yours again, only to mumble:

"not yet, pretty girl."

for the next moments, you continue to try to push daniela off of you gently, though you'd fail, as you inevitably give into the blonde-haired girl's, letting yourself cave into her touch.

"we don't have to be early, just on time," daniela coaxes against your ear, "sophia wouldn't mind, surely," as her whispers send a chain of shivers through your body.

you roll your eyes, meekly nodding, before giving into your temptations, an unexplainable feeling driving you to press yourself closer against daniela.

daniela flashes a grin against your lips, her gaze concentrated on you as though you were the center of the universe. and you knew, daniela was infinitely yours, and vice-versa.

don't you want me like i want you, baby?

don't you need me like i need you now?

[d3adlove1]

Lovers Rock❤️‍🔥

Summary: The story of how you and Carl came to be with a time jump into Alexandria. It’s late at night and you're at your boyfriend Carls's house and he plays “Lovers Rock” by TV Girl

(I know TV Girl wasn't around the time that the show aired so just like pretend)

TW: Mention of death, blood, kissing, and cuddling, use of pet names?? (just incase)

(Carl Grimes x fem!reader)

You and Carl were what everyone considered "puppy love" or "best friends to lovers" trope. Before you and he had started to date you two were insanely close ever since the farm when the group was looking for Sophia but instead found you. Well they didn't exactly find you, you had appeared on the farm, alone, scared, and splattered in blood. Your parent's blood to be exact. The same day Carl was shot while trying to pet a dear (which you still scold him for to this day) you were taken in by Maggie coming back on her horse from collecting Lori and warning the others. She cleaned you up and basically took you in as her own even though her dad Hershel was completely against it since she was only in her early twenties but over time you grew on him. When Glenn and Maggie got together he accepted you as if you were his own blood as well since you were nothing but a meek child.

However during your first week on the farm when Carl was on bed rest it didn't stop you from being the curious kid you were, resulting in you asking Maggie to visit the unfamiliar boy non-stop until she finally gave in and asked Lori and Rick if you could see him. They said yes thanks to worrying about their son being lonely. When granted permission you walked into the room slightly nervous but confident that you would easily make friends with the boy. You saw Carl fiddling with the sheriff hat his dad had just given him but when you walked in he immediately stopped and stared at you. It freaked you out a little but you pushed it to the side and sat on the chair beside the bed.

"Hi, my name is y/n y/l/n, what's yours?" you ask trying to spark up a conversation. You could tell he was shy, it was written all over his facial features. "My name is Carl Grimes" he mutters as he fails to keep eye contact. "Well Carl Grimes I like your hat", you add to give him some type of confidence though you really did like the hat. He looked at you again with a smile on his face, "Thanks, my dad gave it to me" he spoke clearer than before. You smiled back at him and spent the rest of that day with him talking about random things you liked and sharing common interests.

Since then you and Carl were a pair nobody could ever seperate even if they tried. To say the least, he and you had gone through thick and thin together, losing Lori and Shane, the governor's attack, thinking Judith was dead, the collectors, terminus, and the church which is where you two had made it official, but now you were in Alexandria. It had taken some adjusting to get used to everyone and the environment but you did it with Carl by your side.

Earlier today while you were on your watch shift at the gate Carl had stopped by to bring you your favorite snack. You sat on top of the gate on the lookout when you heard the ladder being used. Soon enough Carl was sitting by your side with chocolate-covered strawberries in a container. Your face quickly lit up and you snatched the container from his hand. "Um a hi would also be appreciated y/n" he remarks. You playfully roll your eyes at him and give him a tight hug, as you pull away you place a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Carl I appreciate it" You look at him with pure admiration and gratefulness in your eyes. "Of course baby", he places a quick kiss on your forehead as you open the container and start to eat.

"Soo, I was wondering if you wanted to come hang out at my house after you're done with your shift" he questioned with a hopeful expression. "Yeah of course" you reply with a smile. Carl grins at you and looks at your lips for a moment before pressing a kiss onto your lips. "What was that for i'm literally swallowing my food", you respond with a chuckle. "There was chocolate on your lips" he states with a shrug, "I'll see you later though". He places a quick kiss on your cheek as he moves to the ladder. "You're gross!" you call out for him to hear. "I know!"

A few hours had passed and you were at Carls's front door. You knocked and Rick answered the door with Judith in his hands. "Oh hey y/n it's good to see you" his accent strong on his tongue. "Hi Rick it's nice to see you too, and it's especially good to see you Judith", you poked at her stomach causing her to giggle. "Well we were just headed out, Carl's upstairs". "Oh alright well see you guys later" You smiled at them as you walked towards the stairs, hearing the door shut. As you reached Carl's room you heard your favorite song play.

Lovers Rock

You couldn't help but smile as you opened the door to see Carl sitting on his bed with a beautifully picked bouquet of roses in his hand. You closed the door behind you and he stood up from the bed. "Awww this is cute Carl thank you but you didn't need to play my favorite song to give me flowers", you say as you wrap your arms around his neck. "The song isn't for you sweetheart", he says within the crook of your neck. You pull away to look at him with a displeased look on your face, "Then who the fuck is it for?" you ask. "Me", he responds with a low chuckle. You tilt your head at him still slightly confused. Carl's cheeks flush a light pink before he responds, "The song reminds me of you".

You smile up at him before he leans down to give you a tender kiss on the lips as he holds you by your waist.

"She might want a kiss before the end of this song".

Hii again, this is now my second post. I decided to post this oneshot before I post "Running Feelings Part 2" so that will be coming soon. I'm not sure if this oneshot is either too long or too short because I don't really know how to feel about it but I'm posting this anyways!

[emeryhiro]

I over analysed TBOC trailer

I did it again, I don't know how to stop overanalysing anything that I find that's Carol & Daryl Related, and I'll say in advance that this will be another long one, but I really hope you guys enjoy it because as always I had a lot of fun writing it ♡

Firstly, I want to say that there will be a second post coming, which will briefly cover my thoughts on the SDCC panel. However, in this post, I'm going to breakdown all the scenes from the trailer that I think are the most important/interesting. I'll also be expanding on some of the scenes that I saw in episode 1, specifically the ones shown in the trailer, so that I can avoid spoiling anything that hasn't been shown yet.

Also, just as a note, I've listed the scenes below in what I think is timeline order (to my best guess), which means that I'm leading with the scenes from the trailer that are actually in episode one. So, a spoiler warning for those, as I'll be delving into them in a little more detail than I have before.

Carol's flashback at the barn doors:

This is the flashback scene of Sophia that Carol has in episode one, which has already been spoiled/posted online, but here you can see a glimpse of it in higher resolutions.

Isabelle and Daryl at the Nest

This is one of the scenes from episode one, specifically the scene where Daryl tells Isabelle that he doesn't know if he'll ever be happy staying at the Nest/France.

Ash and Carol opening the shed door:

This was also a scene from episode one, in which Ash shows Carol his stockpile of fuel, which is enough to get them to France and back.

Genet and Daryl:

This is another scene from episode one, which directly follows the scene in the sneak peek where Daryl attacks Genets' convoy. As seen in the trailer, as Daryl is about to shoot Genet, he's interrupted by a delayed explosion in the background, allowing her to get away. Anne's performance here blew my mind!

Carol & Ash takeoff:

These few shots are also from episode one and are pretty self-explanatory. But just to go over it again briefly, certain events led to Carol and Ash having to leave America/take off in the plane in a rush, which I'll add may not have been the ideal time in terms of logistics (you'll see what I mean); however, we can see that they make it into the air, which then gives us the beautiful shot of the sunrise in the distance.

This scene also features a really beautiful moment and dialogue between Ash and Carol, which I know you guys will love. It definitely made me love Ash a lot more.

For the Anon from last week: This scene may or may not have been the one I was referencing with the emojis 😊💖

~~~~

This wraps up all the scenes from the trailer which are from episode 1 that I wanted to talk about. There are a few others, but I don't think listing them right now is relevant.

From here on out, all the scenes that I mention come in later episodes, so the order of the scenes is just my guess of how I think things are going to happen, and it could honestly be completely wrong.

~~~~

Genet flashback:

To me, this looks like a flashback of younger Genet watching someone she cares about getting killed, which is potentially what motivated her and led her on her journey to becoming who she is and touches on what Laurent meant when he told her, "you're not angry, you're heartbroken" in season 1.

Additionally, the scene's background looks to be set in the Louvre, which we also see in an outside shot.

Ash/Carol's plane landing in France:

As I've mentioned previously, it appears that the plane lands somewhere in what looks like the French Alps, the possible location of which I broke down in one of my previous posts [here]. However, what we can see here is that the plane doesn't appear to be in good shape and will probably need some repairs before it can fly again, which is one of the reasons I don't expect Daryl and Carol to be leaving France using the plane and instead having to go to Spain (by land) as confirmed by the showrunners and cast.

Also, how good do Carol and Ash look in this scene?!

They look like a literal ad, and I love seeing them fighting walkers together! I'm genuinely gonna start praying that Ash survives.

Daryl surrounded by soldiers:

This is another really interesting shot because it appears that Daryl is being chased and surrounded by civilian soldiers who seem to be dressed just like the people of the Nest, with the addition of a red armbands and using older guns, which makes me think that these could possibly be civilians from the Nest that Genet had recruited to betray and attack the nest from the inside, alongside her soldiers. This solidifies what Norman said we'd see in season 2 as "wolves in sheep's clothing."

Another thing to point out is that Daryl's face is not covered in cuts and bruises yet, which leads me to believe that this is set early in the season, possibly in episode 2, before the reunion.

Daryl getting beat up:

Daryl appears to be captured by Genet and her men here. Although they make it look like Genet is talking to him directly as he's getting beat up, I think the scene with Genet is placed there to throw us off and, in fact, happens at a different time.

We then see the scene of this boy locking himself into the cell where Daryl is being held as he tries to get away from walkers. An interesting thing to note here is the resemblance between this guy and the guy in a cream-coloured jacket standing behind Carol in the previous teaser (comparison images below).

However, another possibility is that some of the group from the nest have come to save Daryl, and the walkers inside and outside are being used as a distraction.

Daryl fighting the walkers outside the car

The location of this scene looks exactly the same as the place that we can see in the shot below of Carol in a car surrounded by walkers.

The second angel solidifies that Daryl is the one killing the zombies surrounding the car as he approaches it. It's important to note that there appears to be at least one other person with him who shoots the walker that can be seen on the right, in the head.

Daryl in the car

So we can see the blood covering the windows of the car, which matches the scene where Carol is stuck in a car surrounded by walkers, and we can tell that there's someone outside the car killing the walkers, resulting in the blood splatter covering all the windows.

However, it looks like all the blood on the windows is now dry in this new scene, which leads me to believe that they (Carol and Daryl) were in that car for a while, maybe stuck/hiding from someone or just catching up and figuring out their next move.

And then we see what looks like a person or walker thrown through the back window��; they really can't have a moment of peace.

Codron at the gates of the Nest:

This scene looks to be set outside the gates of the Nest, which we saw in season one. Codron looks to be chained on top of a buggy that launches an explosive, destroying the Nest's gates. I expect that Codron was chained there as bait to lead the horde of walkers that we see running into the Nest.

Motorcycle & Car crossing a bridge in Paris:

This scene could involve the group (Carol, Daryl, Codron) returning to Paris after the attack and fall of the Nest.

Codron and Falou:

This is most likely the moment when Codron arrives at the Paris Nest base, and Fallou appears to be pointing a gun at a kneeling Cadron, furious at what Cadron had done to his group in the past; however, Carol and Daryl probably vouch for him; explaining that he helped them. It's also likely linked to the set photos/video that we've seen of Carol, Falou, and Codron sitting around a table in the same location.

Daryl and Carol in Paris:

No joke, I was cheering out loud when I saw this scene at the end of the trailer!! Having them in the same frame again (even if Carol is blurry) is a literal dream 😭 I love them so much, and this single frame was worth the long wait for the trailer. More on my thoughts about this scene in my theory at the end of the post (below the line).

Carol Walking through Paris:

We see Carol approaching a building (below), the Mobilier National, a museum and tapestry manufacturing facility in Paris. The side of the building that Carol is looking at is the chapel.

This location could be Genet's Paris base since, as you can see, several vehicles are parked outside, resembling her convoy and soldiers dressed in her group's uniform. Additionally, we see many people in civilian clothing walking into the building, similar to the ones that surrounded Daryl previously.

Daryl walking with the guitar

I believe this scene is post the Carol x Daryl reunion because of 2 main things.

The scars and bruising on his face match those we saw in the behind-the-scenes photos of Melissa and Norman filming together.

The surrounding area looks like the race track that we also know they filmed in together from set photos.

The other thing I want to mention here (I'm going to fangirl for a second, so bear with me) is the smile on Daryl's face; I just imagine that he's looking at Carol in this scene and overwhelmed with joy at the thought that they're together again, that they've found each other and they're going home. I really hope I'm right.

Codron shooting at a convoy:

So many interesting things in this shot which I haven't completely figured out how they'll fit into the story but I'll just breakdown what I see.

Ash/Carol's plane is in the background, and I'll add that it is not in the same spot where we see them land it in the other scene (Maybe after Daryl saves them in the car, Ash is injured so he heads back to fix and move the plane while Carol goes off to help Daryl).

Cordron is covered in injuries (broken arm, bandaged eye, bruising) potentially caused by Genet and her men as punishment for not giving away the location of the Nest in Season 1.

It also looks to be on the same race tracks we saw Daryl at in the guitar scene.

Cadron appears to be shooting at Genet's men/convoy that's approaching.

Dary sitting in a different car.

Looking at the seats of this car, they appear to be different from the one Carol was hiding in/surrounded by walkers.

The seat style suggests that it's an older vehicle, which could be the interior of the black sedan approaching Codron as part of the Convoy (gif above).

Daryl looks a little defeated, which may be due to them losing the plane (or the pilot😭).

Daryl in a tunnel:

As we can see, Daryl has his crossbow on his back, which means that this scene is also taking place post-reunion, possibly near the end of the season when Carol and Daryl decide that it's time for them to leave France and find their way home.

They appear to be in the unground Channel tunnel connecting France and England, which I expect them to try to head through since Losang had told Daryl in season one about boats that can travel between England and New England (US). However, it looks like there may have been a Chemical explosion/blockage in the tunnel that prevents them from getting across, leading them to try to find a way back to America through Spain.

~~~~~~

I know that was a long one but there was so much content in that trailer!! I'm so happy that the promo season has now kicked off and can't wait to keep getting some amazing content and interviews.

Thank you to all of you who read through this analysis! I would love to know your thoughts on any of the things I mentioned or left out. ♡♡♡

Also, based on all the content we got today, I now have a theory of how the rest of the season (episodes 2-6) will go, which I've included in this post (below the line) for those of you who are interested.

My Theory:

Thank you for sticking through the whole post and getting to this part ♡ Okay, so the trailer gave us all of these scenes out of order, but after I put them into some kind of order (to my best guess), I now have a theory about how things are going to play out from episode 2 onwards, I'll be leaving out episode 1 because that part wouldn't be a theory and I don't want to be giving any major spoilers 😅

Episode 2:

I believe that Daryl somehow hears that Carol (or someone who could be Carol) is in France and is looking for him, which is when he decides that he has to leave the Nest and go and find her; however, this is when the Nest is attacked (for the first time), and Daryl is surrounded by Genet's civilian soldiers, captured, and taken to Maison Miere, where we see him getting beaten up in the trailer.

Carol, Ash, and the two other mystery people with them either find out that Daryl has been captured and is being held there or get ambushed and stuck on their way to the Nest.

One of Carol's companions manages to find their way past the walkers into the building/Daryl's holding cell and frees Daryl. Daryl is then seen fighting his way through walkers inside the building as he's trying to get out and then fighting through the walkers surrounding the car that Carol, Ash, and the other mystery person are trapped in, leading to the long-awaited reunion.

Episode 3:

Now that they're reunited, I expect they spend some time in the car catching up on everything (at least long enough for all the blood that's on the car to dry, as seen in the scene above) and coming up with a plan. Finally deciding to leave once the walker comes flying through the back window, they head back to the Nest, potentially knowing that a second attack is imminent and wanting to help whoever they can.

As Carol and Daryl get back to the Nest, they manage to free Codron from his chains. However, they're too late and unable to save everyone. This final attack leads to some of the people from the Nest (Laurent, Isabelle, Silvy, etc.) ending up on the run or being captured by Genet.

Now that the Nest has fallen, they (Carol, Daryl, and Codron) have nowhere to go except back to Paris. Once back in Paris, we find that Daryl is now torn; he's finally reunited with Carol, and this is their chance to leave without taking any more risks; however, he feels guilty about leaving Laurent and the others in Genet's hands.

Carol is initially frustrated with Daryl (maybe this is where they're bickering like an old married couple 🤣) and how he's considering risking their lives again even though they only just reunited and are safe despite all the odds; however, seeing Daryl in this predicament, how he clearly cares about these people and how the guilt is affecting him, Carol ultimately decides to help him rescue whoever they can.

Episodes 4-5:

This will lead us into Caryl's rescue adventures for the next two episodes. Ending in them rescuing some of the people who were captured, including Layrent, Syvlie, Emile, etc. (Unfortunately I don't expect Isabelle to make it)

Episode 6:

After the rescue, they leave Laurent in Cordrons care, who has now redeemed himself and can raise Laurent as the brother he once lost.

Now that they've made things as right as they can, they feel ready to leave, however, there may be several failed attempts,

The first being the plane. Unfortunately, Genet's people find their location and try to stop them, which is where we see Codron shooting at the convoy in an attempt to slow them down, allowing time for Daryl/Carol (and maybe Ash) to try to get away. However, they end up losing the plane (or Ash 😭), and they're no longer able to get away.

Their second will probably be through the Channel Tunnel, which is another failed attempt due to what we can see in the trailers, which appears to be a chemical/acid explosion, with a portion of the tunnel collapsed and overrun by walkers.

Their final attempt will be going to Spain on land in hopes of finding another way across the Atlantic.

~~~~~

That was so fun to write and I'd LOVE to hear what you guys think, and if you have your own theories, ♡♡♡ Mine seems to be constantly changing.

[lokiondisneyplus]

How Marvel officially added McDonalds to the MCU

On the very last day of filming on the first season of the Marvel Disney+ TV series Loki, executive producer Kevin Wright sat on the steps of The Citadel at the End of Time with costar Sophia Di Martino (Sylvie), and they started to chat about what might be next for her character. Not in any official script capacity, just as fans of the story they’d just finished filming. 

“This character had been on a decades-long, maybe centuries-long revenge mission, and the classic trope of those stories is that it’s all-consuming and she’s not thinking about what comes next,” says Wright. “Now she has this moment of opportunity, where is she going to go?”

Di Martino thought about it for a moment, and said, “She’d probably be pretty hungry.

There are more than 13,000 McDonald’s across the United States right here in 2023, and untold more across the multiverse. In a new campaign launched this week, the fast-feeder gave Marvel and Loki fans a peek at its own cameo in the series’ upcoming second season, set to launch on October 6.

“As Featured In” is the Golden Arches latest Famous Orders meal campaign and, instead of being tied to a particular artist or character, it celebrates all the instances in TV and movies that McDonald’s has appeared or been mentioned by characters: Friends, The Office, Seinfeld, Space Jam, Coming to America, and many, many more. But at the center of the campaign is Loki, one that hasn’t even happened yet, which is probably appropriate for a show that revolves around the multiverse and many different timelines. 

The meal itself—a choice of a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or Big Mac, with medium fries, a Loki-branded Sweet ‘N’ Sour Sauce, and a medium soda—is, like the Famous Meals before it, nothing all that special, but that has always been the point. The genius of Famous Orders is that it drives customers to McDonald’s core menu items rather than a limited-time stunt. There is, of course, also a merch collaboration, this time with streetwear darling Palace Skateboards. The packaging features QR codes that customers can scan to get fun Loki content and buy pieces from the Palace collaboration.

Long after his conversation with Di Martino on the Citadel set steps, Wright and his team were developing season two, and they were finding it difficult to pick up a new Sylvie storyline. She had just killed He Who Remains in season one, where does she go? 

“When we stayed in the view of character, this woman who went on the run as a child, had been running through time, a fugitive of time, living in apocalypses, never being able to relax or slow down, the novelty of walking into a 1980s McDonald’s looked appealing,” say Wright. “You play a Little League game and go to McDonald’s. You go to a kid’s birthday party at McDonald’s. Someone like Sylvie would never have experienced that, and would be really taken by that.”

Marvel Studios has been a brand partnerships factory since Iron Man first ate a Whopper in 2008. Typically these things happen when there is a finished script, and producers go through it with the studio’s brand partnerships team to see where opportunities may be. A car chase, you say? What brand of car should we use? Maybe an Audi?

But this latest collaboration happened in reverse. A 1982 McDonald’s was specifically written into the script, so Wright approached Marvel’s partnerships people to talk to the brand about helping them out with the details. “I was worried that McDonald’s would think we wanted to do something ironic or make fun of them,” says Wright. “But we were selling an earnest story, a love letter to nostalgia through a character’s eyes who will see all of the novelty and joy of it.”

He needn’t have worried. “When I pitched it, our internal team said, ‘Uh, you realize we have a partnership with McDonald’s already, right? The fact we’re going to them wanting to do something makes it even better.”

Around that same time mid-last year, McDonald’s marketing execs were on a tour of sorts, meeting with content creators and creative teams at studios like Disney about the brand’s interest in participating in cultural moments beyond the typical product tie-in. That’s when the call from Marvel about Loki came in.

“We tend to embrace things like this,” says McDonald’s global chief marketing officer Morgan Flatley, “which we feel can be an opportunity for us to learn, especially because we felt that between Marvel and Loki, there was a real willingness to take their rabid fandom and mix it with a fan truth around McDonald’s and bring them together.”

The fan truth Flatley refers to is of McDonald’s as a congenial gathering place, a common experience for so many people. “Sylvie’s storyline perfectly aligned with how we think about our brand in terms of providing comfort and familiarity,” says Flatley. Familiarity is the key to the emotion of nostalgia and shelter that Wright was aiming for in the story.

That same familiarity is indicative of a brand so ubiquitous, it’s become a cultural touchpoint. Hence all the McDonald’s references in TV and movies. There’s a reason McDowell’s works as such a big bit in the classic comedy Coming to America. We all get it.

That all sounds great, but many brands get nervous or overprotective when they aren’t in full control of the creative. Not that long ago, McDonald’s was among them. The success of Famous Orders, allowing artists and partners like Cactus Plant Flea Market to play with its brand logos and characters, and the passionate response from fans—along with the sold-out merch and boosted sales—has given Flatley and the brand more confidence than ever in what she calls “sharing the pen.”

“I’ve become a big believer that if we lean into the right kind of creators in the right cultural phenomenon, and loosen some of our control on the brand, magic will happen,” says Flatley. “A few years ago, I don’t know that we would have felt as comfortable handing over key aspects of our brand to be part of a storyline like this, but today we’re really aware of the authenticity of our brand and the role that it can play.”

Wright is very familiar with the pitfalls of ill-conceived brand partnerships, and the impact they can have. “Wayne’s World was making fun of this stuff 30 years ago,” says Wright. “When it’s done poorly, it looks like business not driven by story. I don’t think that was ever a concern for us, mainly because we knew it was being driven by our story, and the more McDonald’s partnered with us, the better we were able to service the story.”

Multiversal marketing? Let’s see McDowell’s try that.

[eljeebee]

(i got lazy copy pasting it sorry 😭)

@simblr-question-of-the-day

The Davis Legacy started as literally me trying to play normally (keyword: trying). Eventually, since I am a writer at heart, I decided I'll write their stories instead of playing it out. The supposed gameplay aspect (that I failed to continue 😭) was inspired by Puck's (@chaotic-plumbob) Lacey Legacy, which I read on Twitter when Dex was still a teen.

Currently, The Davis Legacy, as a whole, is a slice-of-life story about the Davises, and the stories of their dear friends and other characters that revolves around them, and stories that exists in the same universe (I call it the DLU or the Davis Legacy Universe). Originally, "side stories" would be named "Side: [name of the household or sim]" which I used in Side: Swanson & Harper (which concluded already) and Side: Roxanne Burt. Now, "side stories" are no longer sides to me, if that makes sense. I want to tell every character of mine their stories.

From side stories, I classified them as "segments" of my legacy story. Like segments of a show. Del Sol Vanderburgs is a segment, which focuses the "minor" Vanderburgs from Hidden Springs who moved to Del Sol Valley.

Another segment is Beneath, which is a segment that focuses on my occult characters. All minor and major stories of my occult characters are filed under this segment. I named it like that because it's "beneath the Davis Legacy".

So, I have three running segments in my simblr, the main one (the Davises), Del Sol Vanderburgs, and Beneath. For Roxanne's side story, I will be planning on moving it somewhere in those three. I haven't forgotten Roxie. She's the best rival turned friend of Sophia (the game generated her when they released mid-life crisis and work rivalries).

On my other short stories, Right Person, Wrong Circumstances is Tony and Priscilla meeting again after their divorce. The tension is high. It's clear they still love each other. It's just the circumstance.

By The Fireplace is where Priscilla admitted she still loves Tony, and decided to try their relationship again.

New Beginnings is just a series of loose short stories based on Priscilla, Tony, and Albert. It's ongoing. I have something planned for it but I have a loooot of things to do. It requires full attention. Which is why I'm still not doing it.

I could be a good mother, is another short story, featuring Priscilla, who woke up from a dream. A dream where she and Tony had a little family somewhere far from the city, far from their deadly career. Somewhere where she has a daughter. Its namesake is from the song "not a lot, just forever" by Adrianne Lenker. Its name is also the thought of Priscilla thinking that she could be a good mother, if only her life is different from what she has. It has a follow-up, Memoirs of a Dream, it's that empty disorienting feeling, waking up from a nightmare, or a dream that feels real, except, hers lasted for a week.

Thank for reading my rambling, I hope you can check out my work, because all of these are file under my computer in a folder named "proud works of mine"

[junikicker]

Under Her Spell - Lady Bellaston x fem!reader

Under Her Spell - Lady Bellaston x fem!reader

warnings: smut

word count: 2.3k

note: Lady Bellaston has my heart. Well, Hannah does. Anyways here is something I just came up with.

You were the only heir to your family’s wealth and fortune. Desperately, your father had hoped for a beautiful baby boy to take his spot someday. Your mother died giving birth to you, a little girl. Your father couldn’t help but grieve. But after losing the only hope for a male heir, the only thing that seemed to reason with him was to raise you as his son.

From the beginning you were dressed in boy’s clothes, learned to hunt, and play sports. You grew up wealthy, your father being the Viscount, making you the Hon.

You sure had noticed the shift of atmosphere around your home in London upon the arrival of the infamous Sophia Western. Your father had made it more than clear that she would be a suitable match for you as you were almost twenty-two years of age and had yet to be wed. Upon his request, you had agreed to see her.

You were greeted by a great entrance hall, people running around, carrying things from one place to another. “I am here to see Miss Western?” You asked a young lady that looked as if she knew how you could find her.

“Of course, follow me.” She spoke and started walking. “My Lady, I’m here to introduce Viscount Huntington’s heir upon request to meet Miss Western.” She spoke to someone you couldn’t yet see. “Very well then. Let him in.” You heard the reply. Sometimes you’d forgotten that to the public you were a male.

The young lady stepped aside and let you in, closing the door behind her and leaving. “My Lady Bellaston. It’s an honor to meet you.” You spoke, gently bowing down in front of her. You’d heard a lot of stories about her. Her wealth and how she loved to seduce young men.

“If it isn’t the Viscount’s only son.” She flashed you a smile and stood up, walking towards you. You wanted to correct her but decided your chances were best if you didn’t.

“I must admit you would be a good fit for my niece.” She stated, starting to circle you. “Tell me, what are your intends in marriage?” She asked you, coming to stand in front of you, looking down on you.

Lady Bellaston was, undoubtedly, a beautiful lady. Her features were so detailed. She could have easily been a marble statue made by the great Michelangelo himself. She stood taller than most women did. She stood taller than you. You thought she might take suspicion.

“The question should be what do you see for her if she and I were wed?” You inquired, looking straight into her green eyes. “A tough one we have here, don’t we.” She smiled again.

“I shall lead you upstairs.” She replied and started walking, you followed her suit. She led you through the hall you had come in just a few moments earlier and up two flights of stairs. “Sophia is a bit occupied at the moment, would you mind waiting with me for a few more minutes?” She asked you, leading you to a room a bit further down the hall.

The theme of the room seemed to be the color blue. It also seemed to be a bedroom, but that was something you didn’t really pay attention to. The view out of the windows was nice, you could see most of London looking out of it.

There was a table close to the fireplace. That’s where the two of you had sat down. Someone had brought in tea just as you entered. You never really understood how things like this just worked. Even after living your whole life in wealth, you never seemed to understand how meals and beverages just appeared at the right place and time.

You ran a hair through your short hair. Your father had it cut by a hairdresser every three weeks so that under no circumstance anyone would ever think you to be a woman.

“You will do your best to try to capture her with your charms, I believe. But do remember what I tell you now.” Lady Bellaston began, standing up from the chair opposite you and taking a seat on the one closest to you. “A woman does not only fall for the charm of a man.” She rested a hand on your thigh. “A woman adores the subtle touches. The feeling of something soft, the art of eye contact.” She spoke further and placed a hand under your chin, making you meet her eyes.

“A look that lingers and that promises so much more.” She continued as you held the eye contact, unable to tear your eyes away from hers. “And lastly.” She started, leaning in closer so that your faces were only a breath apart. “Taste.” She whispered and with that, placed her lips to yours.

You couldn’t quite believe you had fallen for her act. You were no better than all the other men that she seduced over the years. But it all was so intoxicating. Her taste and the smell of her perfume. The way she moved with such grace and caution.

Her lips felt soft against yours. When you had slipped your tongue into her mouth, you drew a small moan from her that traveled to your lips.

Once air became a problem, the two of you drew apart. “You’re so young still.” She whispered. “So eager to follow your father’s request and marry already. But for someone like you. So kind and handsome, you could sure have yourself anyone you want.” She continued and stood up, taking your hand, having you stand up as well.

And then she kissed you again and you felt the world dissolve around you, her soft lips feeling like heaven. You press kisses along her jaw and down to her shoulder before turning her around and starting to undo the strings of her dress on her back, continuing to press kisses to her shoulders and neck.

Once the strings were close to being completely opened, the blonde spun back around and started to undo the buttons of your clothes, sending one after the other either to a completely different part of the room or just letting the item fall right to the floor.

You stopped her just as she was about to remove the last thing covering your torso and lower half. “Let me help you out of your dress.” You offered and she immediately agreed with a feverish kiss on your lips. She had been just as eager as you. Once she was down to her corset and undergarments, you pulled her in for another fierce kiss. You bit down on her lip and she let out a whimper. Music to your ears.

“Such a pretty lady.” You sighed as you shoved her down on the bed, trapping her glorious body between your legs as you straddled her lap. You had a perfect view of her breasts as you looked down on her. “That corset of yours must be quite restricting. I’d love if you were to have your full range of motion.” You stated and pulled her up, your eyes now one level with hers. She kissed you deeply and passionately. She had not yet muttered a plead so that you would start pleasuring her. But you could practically taste the need on her tongue.

During the kiss, you undid her corset. She immediately relaxed into the new found comfort. You drew away to lift the corset over her head. “For heaven’s sake.” You breathed as you took in her figure. She had this tiny waist, wide hips, and her chest was huge. Nothing like you’d ever seen before.

You pushed her back down and started pressing kisses to her shoulders and chest. Her hands had a firm hold on your hair and started dragging you down toward her core. “I could cherish your body for all eternity.” You breathed against the soft skin of her stomach. “Please.” The word had left her lips so quietly that you almost didn’t hear them. “I will need you to elaborate, my Lady.” You teased her.

“Make love to me.” She whispered and you were happy to oblige, once again, your lips locked. You hooked your fingers under the hem of her undergarments and gently slips them down her legs before sending them to the floor next to her dress. Once that was done, you leaned down to place kisses on her breasts. You weren’t sure if she had never experienced someone paying much attention to that part other than occasionally giving it a squeeze here and there during the act, but the way she arched into your touch and how her eyes widened in shock and ecstasy when you wrapped your lips around her nipple made you almost certain that this had been something new for her. Not to mention the stream of moans that left her mouth like a waterfall.

You let your hand wander down her body again, making sure to trace as much of her soft, pale skin as she could, as her breathing got heavier by the second, anticipation growing.

Her breathing was even heavier when you reached her thigh and let your hand slide between her legs. She was dripping wet, and you let your finger slide up her slit before you took it to your mouth. “You taste heavenly, my Lady.” You groaned, throwing your head back at the taste. “As sweet as honey.” You added, looking into her eyes. Her pupils were blown, and very little of the emerald green color was left. She seemed to regain some sense of the situation and grabbed your hand, placing it between her legs again and leading the other one up her body, to her breasts. You started circling her sensitive bundle of nerves and she let out a rather loud moan now that she finally had what she wanted. You pressed kisses to her breast while your hand started to caress the other one. The sight of her face, so full of pleasure in front of you had you feeling intoxicated.

“What sort of witchcraft is this?” She breathed out between moans and you couldn’t help but smile. “Do you want me to stop, my Lady?” You asked her and she immediately shook her head. “Don’t you dare. I’m not gonna last very much, oh, longer.” She breathed and you bit your lip. The fact that you could have her tumbling over the edge by as little as you had done to her made you confident.

True to her words, she unraveled before you moments later, a loud moan leaving her throat that was unlikely not to be noticed by anyone.

You gently guided her through her high and once she had calmed down, lay down next to her. You pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and met her eyes, pupils still blown wide with lust. Now it was your turn to hold her chin and crash your lips into hers.

This time, you took your time to cherish her body, taking the time with exploring every part of her that you hadn’t had the time to before.

Eventually, you settled between her legs, placing kisses up her thigh, skipping the area where she needed you most before kissing down the other thigh. When she least expects it, latch onto her clit. Her grip on your hair tightens harshly as she tries to comprehend what is happening. Her scent was overwhelming and intoxicating. Within minutes, she was a whimpering, moaning mess, head and back arched, eyes closed, her body on fire. A fire you had started,

“Oh, please!” She moaned. “Just a bit more!” And you gave her that bit more, expertly inserting your fingers into her, feeling her clench around them immediately. The feeling of your fingers inside her was something that, based on her reaction, seemed rather new to her as well. You couldn’t help but grin as she released around your fingers just moments later.

Once again you helped her calm down and then lay down beside her. “Where did you learn this?” She asked, genuinely interested. “Let’s just say I got around a lot.” You replied and tugged a strand of hair behind her ear.

“How am I to repay you for this?” She asked, something in her feeling as if you were left unsatisfied. “I have to return the favor.” She said, sitting up in bed, pulling the covers over her chest. “Oh no. You don’t have to.” You said genuinely. “I cannot possibly-” You cut her off with a finger on her lips. “Shh.” You hushed her. “I can wait till next time.” You said and climbed out of the bed. You had spent about enough time in her bed, your father would be asking questions upon your return if you were to stay much longer.

“What about Sophia?” She inquired as she watched you gather your clothes and get dressed again. “I still deem you a suitable fit for marriage.” She added, looking a bit disappointed. “We both know that I am no match for her. She is in love with Tom Jones. The heart wants what it wants, I suppose.” You explained.

“What are you going to tell your father?” She asked as you slipped your shoes back on. “I suppose I’ll tell him that lovely Lady Bellaston did not quite share my intention to marry her niece.” You explained with a smirk.

You walked over to the small desk in the room, sitting down and wrote a quick note.

“Meet me here. Thursday. At eight.” You said as you handed her the note. Champagne Lane. Thursday. 8pm sharp. X Huntington

You placed one last kiss to her lips before heading out. You weren’t quite sure what you were doing but it did feel better than you expected it to. And you were looking forward to what was going to become out of this.

[takaraphoenix]

My Ranking of D20 Campaigns

So I actually managed to watch all of them (or all that are out so far; not counting the still ongoing Junior Year yet) and since I like making lists, I drafted this post early on to keep track of which I love the most and how that love changed whenever I started watching a new campaign.

A Starstruck Odyssey

The Seven

A Court of Fey and Flowers

The Unsleeping City: Chapter II

The Unsleeping City

Mice and Murder

Burrow’s End

Fantasy High: Sophomore Year

A Crown of Candy

Pirates of Leviathan

Escape From the Bloodkeep

Coffin Run

Dungeons and Drag Queens

Mentopolis

Misfits and Magic

Fantasy High

Ravening War

Tiny Heist

Neverafter

Shriek Week

This was actually really, really hard, because the recency bias usually has me go “this is SO SO GOOD”.

I started watching D20 back in April last year, Misfits and Magic was the first campaign I watched - and The Seven was, I think, maybe the fifth or so? And it was my number one for the longest time. I love the girls, both the characters and the players, I love the plot, I love everything about that campaign. It is so heart-wrecking with the emotions it goes through for them all.

But then I watched A Starstruck Odyssey and it just hit all the right spots - the found family crew of a spaceship having wacky space-adventures is just something I deeply, deeply love and these characters were so much fun - and has the benefit of being longer and giving me more to fall in love with, I suppose. Still though, the difference between first and second is very narrow.

And I consider 4 and 5 a tie, to be honest. The Unsleeping City is one story, to me, I know the seasons are very distinct, but the flow of it and also my love for both is near equal. This campaign has the highest concentration of favorite PCs for me, like, when I made a list of my favorite Intrepid Heroes characters, their TUC characters all came in as either first or second place. Sophia Lee is the best Emily character ever, I will fight for her.

I am so madly, deeply in love with A Court of Fey and Flowers, which features my favorite PC romance so far, plus an impeccable cousin dynamic between Lou and Emily, also... there’s no fighting. While most fights are somewhat entertaining in DnD, I still remain Just Not An Action Gal and could skip on those in favor of more roleplaying scenes of character development and relationship exploration. And this campaign absolutely hit that spot just right. Plus, the fantasy fairy setting, and Aabria’s wonderful storytelling (how is this woman so talented? She was my first introduction to DnD as a DM, and then I got to see her as a player in the Seven and Pirates of Leviathan and she makes such great choices as a player too).

This list was ridiculously hard to make, because I look at it and I see Mice and Murder only on 6th place even though that definitely was the campaign where I had the hardest time to stop watching, I pulled an all nighter to watch half of it because it had the greatest grip on me, but then I look at the ones I placed higher than it and I can’t find it in me to move any of them lower either.

Recency bias definitely made placing Burrow’s End very hard. Not to repeat myself, but I am madly, deeply in love with Aabria’s storytelling. Combined with talking animals, the family focus, Brennan playing a mom as a PC (moms are my favorite Brennan characters), I have a lot of love for this campaign and I hope so badly that we’ll get a second part.

And here’s the reason why I couldn’t count TUC as one. Because Fantasy High: Sophomore Year ranks so much higher than the first FH for me. This was such a fun, ridiculous story, and it introduced my two favorite NPCs of all campaigns; Ayda and Garthy. It set the bar for FH3 really high and I am looking at Brennan to keep up the great work.

A Crown of Candy is well-placed in the middle. I am not the biggest fan of tragedies and definitely not into character death, but the characters and the world, are so very compelling still, even if I prefer the ones that died over the replacement characters - and that’s what puts it in the middle. Good, but could have been better.

Pirates of Leviathan was short but the characters, the players. Aabria is so so so good in this, it kills me. And she’s not alone. Bob is one of the greatest PCs of Dimension 20, to me, and that is vastly due to Krystina’s talent.

Escape From the Bloodkeep is one of the most surprising campaigns for me. This is a LotR parody that turned out to be way too heartfelt and much more found family than expected and it is great.

And Coffin Run is honestly one of the funniest D20 campaigns and I am wildly in love with about every single decision Izzy Roland made in this campaign. I am also entirely and absolutely gay for every decision Erika Ishii made.

Dungeons and Drag Queens was a very... standard adventure, but the players were so much fun to see. This would honestly be such a good campaign to start your D20 journey with, because the way Brennan eases them in and explains everything is so wonderful, and the excitement and joy of everything new they’re trying is contagious.

Mentopolis was cute, though I’m not big on noir and detective stories so that factors into why it ranks relatively low for me, even though the players and the characters were amazing. Dan Fucks is brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

And though the very first campaign I watched, Misfits and Magic didn’t make it too high. Some of it is the bytaste of HP, which I have come to just... not be able to stand anymore even though I am well aware that it’s a parody of it, and the other factor is the length. It’s hard to compete with 10 to 12 episode campaigns, that had so much more time to flesh out dynamics, worlds and characters and make me fall in love with them all, and that’s not really a reflection of the quality of this campaign.

I remain not much of a fan of the first Fantasy High. Maybe because I watched The Seven before this so when I watched FH, it gave me more of a feeling of “why is there a prequel spin-off about Zelda’s boyfriend who never had a proper appearance anyway? My girls should have bigger roles in this??”, but I largely feel that FH1 was more set-up, and the Bad Kids and their story really took off for me in the sequel, which I greatly enjoyed.

While I enjoyed the characters and the players’ dynamic in Ravening War, I am just... I guess I’m generally not much into “and it’s all futile anyway because I know how the story continues and these guys are not in it”? Matter of taste, I guess, but if that has to compete with others, it will lose.

Honestly, I enjoyed Tiny Heist when I watched it and I don’t dislike it, but it’s just so short and didn’t have anything that incredibly stood out to me in a manner that gripped me, so it had a hard time competing with other campaigns that gave me something I deeply fell in love with. 

I don’t like Neverafter, it had some good characters in it but on the overall this absolutely did not vibe with me. Which is a huge disappointment for me as a lover of fairy tale crossovers, but the dark horror approach does not work for me at all.

The only thing that was easy was the bottom of this list, honestly. Shriek Week was, hands down, the only campaign I absolutely did not enjoy. The storytelling was a mess, even before watching the Adventuring Party for it, it was clear that the whole ~villain plot~ was improvised and I still wish it had just... not... been in there.

[askthedevicer]

Lies Of P Predictions

So the game comes out in less than a week and after playing the demo several times, here's a few theories I have about how the story of our protagonist is going to play out

Sophia isn't human, and none of the humans can see her (She never interacts with anyone, and no other human is shown to have powers.)

At some point, you are going to have to lie to Geppetto (His line "always be a good boy to me" is very suspicious)

Gemini is the soul of Geppetto's human child (Both Sophia mentioning that Gemini is different than other cricket guides, and also Gemini's clear forgetfulness of the "child who popularized the Pinocchio fairy tale" stand out to me.)

The beginning of the game isn't the first time P has been awake. (Geppetto mentions that the city is very different from how P remembers it, and the train the P wakes up in shows clear signs of a struggle, with blood flowing throughout the cars, and Sophia's mention of "ah they got to him TOO")

P wasn't originally a puppet but is genuinely a human. He was injured so badly that his entire left arm and almost all of his internal organs had to be replaced with puppet parts. (See the aforementioned blood stains in the train, the surgical tools lying around, the idea that P has been awake before, plus the idea that he clearly is different from all the other puppets with flexible facial features and of course the ability to lie.)

[soulsisterif]

Progress Update 15/10/24

I am, indeed, alive. Working sucks. Good news is, I will be on vacation for two weeks soon enough, and that means I can finally have the time I need to write. I swear, I wanted to have the demo out fucking months ago. A deep bow to all of you who manage to get shit done while dealing with real life, too.

I hate indentation with a passion. Also, I have to choose between having a lot of sections nestled into others or creating way too many scenes for it to be comfortable to work with, so there's that. I love the unique scenes and flavour text that it allows readers to see, but god if it isn't maddening.

(I'm still gonna do it, though. Thank god for fake choices.)

Ugh. Anyway.

Let's see what's new!

•It dawned on me that I need to add an option in Abbie's route for your MC to be uncomfortable/worried when she starts to notice Abbie's feelings for her. It can't be just being chill with your BFF being in love with you, or you loving her back. Writing that is being a pain in the ass mostly because... well, I happen to love Abbie. Her pain is my pain. Why would anyone not love her back?!

•Joanna's purely romantic options have been written. I had fun with bold MC's path, mostly because it's a crash and burn situation. Joanna's type are shy, little things, and she will have no initial interest in someone bold that doesn't offer a little spice. It's funny watching a bold, confident MC fail miserably XDDDD

•Abbie's first jealousy moments have been written.

•To allow me not to go insane, the first initial choices you'll encounter in the game will have a deep impact in your MC's personality in the first few chapters of the story, as your stats will trigger or block certain scenes and choices. For example, if you want Dawn to be more open and raw, you should probably go for a blunt and kind MC.

•Your choices when you fill the forms will determine who your first date is once you're in the show. It matters not who you choose to be interested in, or who has her eye on you, it will all be about compatibility on paper. You can either get an amazing first date with the woman of your dreams, a horrible time but entertaining read with someone you loathe or a friendly outing with no sparks on sight. I think it's fairly easy to tell who will be assigned to you if you read their descriptions in the pinned post, but I would encourage you to be honest in what your MC wants and try it out. There are several saving slots, anyway.

•You will also get to read the RO's POVs on their first dates if they are interested in you, but that's optional, and I have yet to write all those scenes, which will feature in Chapter 2, in any case.

•Yet more trills have been added. My favourite trillers have to be Virginia Woof and Sophia P. Trillo. If you know, you know ;)

I think that's the bulk of it, really. I have certainly not written as much as I wanted to this las month, but I guess I just wanted you to know that, thought small, there's been progress and this game keeps on being developed.

Have a good day, everyone!

[femtober]

FEMTOBER BLOG: Fridays & Franchises

Happy Friday the 13th!

While no woman has directed an installment of the Jason Voorhees saga, there have been a few franchise films that women have helmed, including one featuring Jason's rival Freddy Kruger, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, directed by Rachel Talalay.

Perhaps somewhat predictably, Freddy's Dead received poor reception but was a modest box office success, outgrossing its previous installment. The movie was relatively tame in its violence; Talalay instead wanted to focus on more surreal meta humor that the series had begun to stray from. True to its name, Freddy's Dead is the last film in the original Nightmare canon. The next three installments (New Nightmare, Freddy vs. Jason, and its 2010 reboot) all existed in a separate canon from the original franchise. While Freddy's Dead is not necessarily looked on fondly, I personally find it to be a very passable installment in a franchise I otherwise don't really enjoy. The 90s introduced the more acerbic side of humor in horror, so the slapstick goofiness of Freddy's Dead feels like a fitting goodbye to the previous decade.

The most powerful man in horror currently, Jason Blum, infamously stated in 2018 that "There are not a lot of female directors period, and even less who are inclined to do horror." He's since rightfully walked back on this statement, and while Blumhouse - under its various labels - has produced a fair number of horror films directed by women on streaming and television, theatrical releases of these films are few and far between. Enter Black Christmas (2019) directed by Sophia Takal.

Black Christmas is an interesting beast. On first glance it seems as though there's heavy studio interference. There's virtually no language or blood, and the story seems fractured. How much interference, it's hard to say. Sophia Takal stands by her vision for the film, wanting to make it as feminist as possible for a PG-13 audience. The end result, unfortunately, is underwhelming. Black Christmas ultimately feels like a shadow of its predecessors. While the 2006 remake is also maligned, there's a certain level of insanity that serves the film well in hindsight. The 2019 version often feels less focused on horror and more on identity, a criticism I hate to make about a female-directed film. Black Christmas's negative reception may have helped it fade into obscurity; in addition to being a critical failure it was also a box office bomb. I'm not the biggest fan of Takal's work, and certainly not of Black Christmas, but I think the most important takeaway we can have from this film is that women should be allowed to fail. We do not need an all or nothing approach to intersectional filmmaking. Sometimes things can be bad, and sometimes they can be worse than bad. We persist.

To date, Black Christmas is the only major theatrically released Blumhouse horror directed by a woman. Of course, this will change in just a few weeks with the release of Five Nights at Freddy's, directed by Emma Tammi. I can't say I'm particularly excited about the content of the film, but the prospect of a highly anticipated studio film directed by a woman is a major milestone. Between FNAF and Barbie, it's a good year for women to be making films, but of course there's always room for more.

My biggest pet peeve with major films directed by women is the passing of the torch to a male director when the first film succeeds financially (see Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, etc.). Blumhouse is obviously planning on making FNAF a franchise IP, so it would be great to keep the momentum going with Tammi or another woman continuing to lead the series. Fingers crossed!

If you're interested in any other female-directed franchise horror films, check out the following: •Candyman (2021), directed by Nia DaCosta •See No Evil 2, directed by the Soska Sisters •Critters 3, directed by Kristine Peterson •The Slumber Party Massacre series •The Pet Sematary Series, directed by Mary Lambert •Sorority House Massacre, directed by Carol Frank •The Fear Street Trilogy, directed by Leigh Janiak •V/H/S/94, 99, and 85 •Darlin', directed by Pollyanna MacIntosh •Mirror, Mirror, directed by Marina Sargenti and more!

[this-week-in-rust]

This Week in Rust 550

Hello and welcome to another issue of This Week in Rust! Rust is a programming language empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software. This is a weekly summary of its progress and community. Want something mentioned? Tag us at @ThisWeekInRust on X(formerly Twitter) or @ThisWeekinRust on mastodon.social, or send us a pull request. Want to get involved? We love contributions.

This Week in Rust is openly developed on GitHub and archives can be viewed at this-week-in-rust.org. If you find any errors in this week's issue, please submit a PR.

Updates from Rust Community

Foundation

Welcoming Rust-C++ Interoperability Engineer Jon Bauman to the Rust Foundation Team

RustNL 2024

Visual Application Design for Rust - Rik Arends

ThRust in Space: Initial Momentum - Michaël Melchiore

Arc in the Linux Kernel - Alice Ryhl

Making Connections - Mara Bos

Replacing OpenSSL One Step at a Time - Joe Birr-Pixton

Fortifying Rust's FFI with Enscapsulated Functions - Leon Schuermann

Oxidizing Education - Henk Oordt

Postcard: An Unreasonably Effective Tool for Machine to Machine Communication - James Munns

Introducing June - Sophia Turner

Robius: Immersive and Seamless Multiplatform App Development in Rust - Kevin Boos

Compression Carcinized: Implementing zlib in Rust - Folkert de Vries

K23: A Secure Research OS Running WASM - Jonas Kruckenberg

Async Rust in Embedded Systems with Embassy - Dario Nieuwenhuis

Xilem: Let's Build High Performance Rust UI - Raph Levien

Rust Poisoning My Wrist for Fun - Ulf Lilleengen

Type Theory for Busy Engineers - Niko Matsakis

Newsletters

This Month in Rust GameDev #51 - May 2024

Project/Tooling Updates

Enter paradis — A new chapter in Rust's parallelism story

Tiny Glade, VJ performances, and 2d lighting

Diesel 2.2.0

Pigg 0.1.0

git-cliff 2.3.0 is released! (highly customizable changelog generator)

Observations/Thoughts

The borrow checker within

Don't Worry About Lifetimes

rust is not about memory safety

On Dependency Usage in Rust

Context Managers: Undroppable Types for Free

Rust and dynamically-sized thin pointers

Rust is for the Engine, Not the Game

[audio] Thunderbird - Brendan Abolivier, Software Engineer

Rust Walkthroughs

Build with Naz : Rust typestate pattern

How to build a plugin system in Rust

Forming Clouds

Rust error handling: Option & Result

Let's build a Load Balancer in Rust - Part 3

The Ultimate Guide to Rust Newtypes

Miscellaneous

Highlights from "I spent 6 years developing a puzzle game in Rust and it just shipped, AMA"

Crate of the Week

This week's crate is layoutparser-ort, a simplified port of LayoutParser for ML-based document layout element detection.

Despite there being no suggestions, llogiq is reasonably happy with his choice. Are you?

No matter what your answer is, please submit your suggestions and votes for next week!

Calls for Testing

An important step for RFC implementation is for people to experiment with the implementation and give feedback, especially before stabilization. The following RFCs would benefit from user testing before moving forward:

RFCs

No calls for testing were issued this week.

Rust

No calls for testing were issued this week.

Rustup

No calls for testing were issued this week.

If you are a feature implementer and would like your RFC to appear on the above list, add the new call-for-testing label to your RFC along with a comment providing testing instructions and/or guidance on which aspect(s) of the feature need testing.

Call for Participation; projects and speakers

CFP - Projects

Always wanted to contribute to open-source projects but did not know where to start? Every week we highlight some tasks from the Rust community for you to pick and get started!

Some of these tasks may also have mentors available, visit the task page for more information.

No Calls for participation in projects were submitted this week.

If you are a Rust project owner and are looking for contributors, please submit tasks here or through a PR to TWiR or by reaching out on X (Formerly twitter) or Mastodon!

CFP - Events

Are you a new or experienced speaker looking for a place to share something cool? This section highlights events that are being planned and are accepting submissions to join their event as a speaker.

Scientific Computing in Rust 2024 | Closes 2024-06-14 | online | Event date: 2024-07-17 - 2024-07-19

Rust Ukraine 2024 | Closes 2024-07-06 | Online + Ukraine, Kyiv | Event date: 2024-07-27

Conf42 Rustlang 2024 | Closes 2024-07-22 | online | Event date: 2024-08-22

If you are an event organizer hoping to expand the reach of your event, please submit a link to the website through a PR to TWiR or by reaching out on X (Formerly twitter) or Mastodon!

Updates from the Rust Project

308 pull requests were merged in the last week

-Znext-solver: eagerly normalize when adding goals

fn_arg_sanity_check: fix panic message

add --print=check-cfg to get the expected configs

add -Zfixed-x18

also InstSimplify &raw*

also resolve the type of constants, even if we already turned it into an error constant

avoid unwrap diag.code directly in note_and_explain_type_err

check index value <= 0xFFFF_FF00

coverage: avoid overflow when the MC/DC condition limit is exceeded

coverage: optionally instrument the RHS of lazy logical operators

coverage: rename MC/DC conditions_num to num_conditions

create const block DefIds in typeck instead of ast lowering

do not equate Const's ty in super_combine_const

do not suggest unresolvable builder methods

a small diagnostic improvement for dropping_copy_types

don't recompute tail in lower_stmts

don't suggest turning non-char-literal exprs of ty char into string literals

enable DestinationPropagation by default

fold item bounds before proving them in check_type_bounds in new solver

implement needs_async_drop in rustc and optimize async drop glue

improve diagnostic output of non_local_definitions lint

make ProofTreeBuilder actually generic over Interner

make body_owned_by return the Body instead of just the BodyId

make repr(packed) vectors work with SIMD intrinsics

make lint: lint_dropping_references lint_forgetting_copy_types lint_forgetting_references give suggestion if possible

omit non-needs_drop drop_in_place in vtables

opt-in to FulfillmentError generation to avoid doing extra work in the new solver

reintroduce name resolution check for trying to access locals from an inline const

reject CVarArgs in parse_ty_for_where_clause

show files produced by --emit foo in json artifact notifications

silence some resolve errors when there have been glob import errors

stop using translate_args in the new solver

support mdBook preprocessors for TRPL in rustbook

test codegen for repr(packed,simd) → repr(simd)

tweak relations to no longer rely on TypeTrace

unroll first iteration of checked_ilog loop

uplift {Closure,Coroutine,CoroutineClosure}Args and friends to rustc_type_ir

use parenthetical notation for Fn traits

add some more specific checks to the MIR validator

miri: avoid making a full copy of all new allocations

miri: fix "local crate" detection

don't inhibit random field reordering on repr(packed(1))

avoid checking the edition as much as possible

increase vtable layout size

stabilise IpvNAddr::{BITS, to_bits, from_bits} (ip_bits)

stabilize custom_code_classes_in_docs feature

stablize const_binary_heap_constructor

make std::env::{set_var, remove_var} unsafe in edition 2024

implement feature integer_sign_cast

NVPTX: avoid PassMode::Direct for args in C abi

genericize ptr::from_raw_parts

std::pal::unix::thread fetching min stack size on netbsd

add an intrinsic for ptr::metadata

change f32::midpoint to upcast to f64

rustc-hash: replace hash with faster and better finalized hash

cargo test: Auto-redact elapsed time

cargo add: Avoid escaping double-quotes by using string literals

cargo config: Ensure --config net.git-fetch-with-cli=true is respected

cargo new: Dont say were adding to a workspace when a regular package is in root

cargo toml: Ensure targets are in a deterministic order

cargo vendor: Ensure sort happens for vendor

cargo: allows the default git/gitoxide configuration to be obtained from the ENV and config

cargo: adjust custom err from cert-check due to libgit2 1.8 change

cargo: skip deserialization of unrelated fields with overlapping name

clippy: many_single_char_names: deduplicate diagnostics

clippy: add needless_character_iteration lint

clippy: deprecate maybe_misused_cfg and mismatched_target_os

clippy: disable indexing_slicing for custom Index impls

clippy: fix redundant_closure suggesting incorrect code with F: Fn()

clippy: let non_canonical_impls skip proc marco

clippy: ignore array from deref_addrof lint

clippy: make str_to_string machine-applicable

rust-analyzer: add Function::fn_ptr_type(…) for obtaining name-erased function type

rust-analyzer: don't mark #[rustc_deprecated_safe_2024] functions as unsafe

rust-analyzer: enable completions within derive helper attributes

rust-analyzer: fix container search failing for tokens originating within derive attributes

rust-analyzer: fix diagnostics clearing when flychecks run per-workspace

rust-analyzer: only generate snippets for extract_expressions_from_format_string if snippets are supported

rustfmt: collapse nested if detected by clippy

rustfmt: rustfmt should not remove inner attributes from inline const blocks

rustfmt: rust rewrite check_diff (Skeleton)

rustfmt: use with_capacity in rewrite_path

Rust Compiler Performance Triage

A quiet week; we did have one quite serious regression (#115105, "enable DestinationPropagation by default"), but it was shortly reverted (#125794). The only other PR identified as potentially problematic was rollup PR #125824, but even that is relatively limited in its effect.

Triage done by @pnkfelix. Revision range: a59072ec..1d52972d

3 Regressions, 5 Improvements, 6 Mixed; 4 of them in rollups 57 artifact comparisons made in total

Full report here

Approved RFCs

Changes to Rust follow the Rust RFC (request for comments) process. These are the RFCs that were approved for implementation this week:

No RFCs were approved this week.

Final Comment Period

Every week, the team announces the 'final comment period' for RFCs and key PRs which are reaching a decision. Express your opinions now.

RFCs

Change crates.io policy to not offer crate transfer mediation

Tracking Issues & PRs

Rust

[disposition: merge] Allow constraining opaque types during subtyping in the trait system

[disposition: merge] TAIT decision on "may define implies must define"

[disposition: merge] Stabilize Wasm relaxed SIMD

Cargo

No Cargo Tracking Issues or PRs entered Final Comment Period this week.

Language Team

No Language Team RFCs entered Final Comment Period this week.

Language Reference

No Language Reference RFCs entered Final Comment Period this week.

Unsafe Code Guidelines

No Unsafe Code Guideline RFCs entered Final Comment Period this week.

New and Updated RFCs

No New or Updated RFCs were created this week.

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2024-06-27 | Virtual (Charlottesville, NC, US) | Charlottesville Rust Meetup

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Quote of the Week

Every PR is Special™

– Hieyou Xu describing being on t-compiler review rotation

Sadly, there was no suggestion, so llogiq came up with something hopefully suitable.

Please submit quotes and vote for next week!

This Week in Rust is edited by: nellshamrell, llogiq, cdmistman, ericseppanen, extrawurst, andrewpollack, U007D, kolharsam, joelmarcey, mariannegoldin, bennyvasquez.

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Discuss on r/rust

[rachelkaser]

Stay Golden Sunday: Estelle Getty, In Memoriam

It's been over 15 years since we lost Estelle Getty, the first of the four main actresses of The Golden Girls to die. Let's take time to honor the life and accomplishments of another of the extraordinary women who starred in this show.

Picture It, Sicily...

When I first did an In Memoriam post, at the beginning of 2022, it was because the incomparable Betty White had just died. I wanted to take that moment, more than ever before, to talk about her fascinating life and the work she did, for The Golden Girls in particular. It's impossible to overstate how hard that hit us GG fans -- we were all hoping she'd live forever.

Sadly, all four of main actresses from the show are gone, so I don't have an urgent need to do another post, but I wanted to go over the others' lives just as I did for Betty. As much as we love and adore the characters they play, we shouldn't forget the interesting, extraordinary women who put in the work for our favorite show. And since Season Four features a substantial increase in Sophia time, I felt Estelle Getty was an appropriate choice.

Estelle Getty (whose real last name was Gettleman) is probably the actress about whom I know the least, if only because her career was not quite as well-documented as the other ladies. When the show began, she was the relative underdog of the cast, in the sense that Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White already had several major TV shows on their resumes.

Getty, not so much -- though it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. She achieved her "big break" fairly late in her life, but she had worked in show business for a very long time -- since her youth, in fact. She was also, like her costars, an outspoken activist, particularly for gay rights and AIDS victims.

That being said, the more I learn about Getty, the more I grow to admire and respect her. Most of the behind-the-scenes tidbits I've gleaned has focused on some of Getty's limitations. She was working at significant disadvantages every time she was onscreen, and she still managed to frequently steal the show from her more-experienced costars.

So this week, let's take a look at the life and career of the woman who brought the wizened wisecracker Sophia Petrillo to life. Who was Estelle Getty, and how did she come to be a star on The Golden Girls?

"Sticks and stones can break your bones, but cement pays homage to tradition."

Estelle Scher was born on July 25, 1923 in New York City, the daughter of Polish-Jewish immigrants. She quickly developed a fondness for theater and comedy, and tried for several years to get her break on the stage in New York. In fact, for most of her career, Getty was a New York-based actress. She married Arthur Gettleman in 1947 and had two sons, and kept auditioning for roles while working full-time and taking care of her family.

According to an account in the Jewish Women's Archive, Getty's friendship with actor-playwright Harvey Fierstein was the source of her most important role pre-GG. When he wrote his autobiographical play Torch Song Trilogy, he wrote the mother character, Ma Beckoff, with Getty in mind, and she originated the role both on and off Broadway. Getty, who was in her fifties at the time, eventually made it to Hollywood while doing the West Coast tour of Torch Song.

I'm not exaggerating when I say the story of Estelle Getty should be everyone's case study for why you should never give up on your dreams. She was in her fifties when she got her break on stage, and sixty-two when she landed the role that would make her a household name. She was sixty-five when she won her Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress.

That's not to say that her career is the only noteworthy thing about Getty. She was also notable for being an advocate for gay rights and for victims of HIV/AIDS -- during the 1980s hysteria, no less. She cared for her own nephew when he was struck with the disease, and later helped open a hospice for victims in his hometown after his death. She also professed to having many LGBTQ+ friends in show business (many of whom she'd sadly lost to the disease) and once said in an interview that one of the lines she drew was never doing "gay-bashing" jokes.

Getty died just a few days shy of her 85th birthday in 2008, and afterwards her family revealed she suffered from Lewy body dementia (which you might recognize as the same illness Robin Williams had at the time of his death). Her costars said, in a melancholy interview, that by the time of her death, she wasn't lucid enough to speak for long and rarely recognized them -- but that they loved and admired her to the very end.

"You're old, you sag, get over it."

When the casting directors at NBC began work on The Golden Girls, Sophia was allegedly one of the first parts they focused on. According to Jim Colucci's Golden Girls Forever, they believed that the role of the spicy octogenarian was going to be one of the hardest to cast -- they weren't even sure what she would look like. Getty had previously auditioned for (and lost) a part in NBC's Family Ties, and casting director Judith Weiner remembered her.

I'm going by anecdotes in the same book, but apparently Getty had all but given up on Hollywood and was only in town for two months in 1985 -- during which time she auditioned for the show. Strangely, Getty's talents at playing mothers almost failed her at this point. She was at first dismissed as a viable candidate for Sophia because, at sixty-something, she was too young. But according to her memoir, she knew she could play older mothers, so she mixed her own background with Sophia's, creating the Brooklyn-Italian woman we all now know.

Tony Thomas was the first of the three producers who saw Getty audition, and he immediately told Paul Witt and Susan Harris that they had to see her. They called her back several times and all three loved her performance, with their only apparent reservation being that she was too young. Getty's manager hired a makeup artist to give Getty wrinkles during one of her auditions to show she could look the part. By the time of her final audition, the role was already hers.

It was during this point that Getty also obtained one of (if not the) most iconic Golden Girls props of all time -- Sophia's bamboo purse. She found it in a thrift store in Los Angeles while putting together an audition costume, and it remained her primary prop for all seven seasons. Estelle Getty may not have been the biggest name they snagged at the time of casting, but she seemed to have committed throughout the process to show how she could play the 80-year-old Italian mama.

Now we get to some of the background on Getty, and the reasons why I admire her so much. In my main SGS recaps, I sometimes complain or ding an episode's rating because Sophia is not in much of the episode. However, I want to note that I know there is a good reason for this: Estelle Getty had crippling stage fright, and the writers and producers frequently pared down Sophia's roles in order to accommodate her.

According to interviews with her costars and the crew of the show, Getty would frequently have trouble with her lines, and would sometimes have to redo them after the studio audience had been sent home. That's also one of the reasons why The Golden Girls never aired a live episode, despite having at least one opportunity to do so. I believe at least some credit has to go to the show's editors for making Getty's performances look so seamless, but most of my admiration goes to Getty for having the guts to give such good work when just doing her job caused her such anxiety.

Betty White also added in an interview that Getty was afraid of death, and was deeply unhappy whenever the writers wrote jokes about death or brought the topic into the show. And, if you know anything about Golden Girls, you know this happened quite frequently. But would you ever be able to tell that from watching the show? I don't think you could.

"Not part of the show, people! Not part of the show!"

Getty's personal history is one of the primary influences for Sophia's character, and it was under her guidance that the "fat Italian mama with a bun" (the producers' words, not mine) became the acerbic Brooklyn-Italian grandmother. Getty's particular kind of humor was honed by years on New York-based stage work and a childhood love of vaudeville, and you can clearly see this in how physical comedy is always a component of everything Sophia does.

Sophia's a complicated character, for all that she sometimes only appears in episodes for a few quick lines. She's witty and feisty, yes, and there's no one who's too high and mighty that she can't knock them down a peg. She has barbs for every single one of her roommates, reminding Rose that she's dumb, Blanche that she's old, and Dorothy that she's single at every opportunity.

Throughout the show, there's a suggestion that Sophia's attitude towards others is in part her way of caring. In "On Golden Girls," she deals Blanche's grandson a solid clock to the cheek when he gets in her face, and Dorothy later tells him that she wouldn't have dealt this blow if she didn't care about him. In "Comedy of Errors," she uses a few well-placed heckles to help Dorothy find her groove when she tries stand-up comedy. As she herself says in "The Heart Attack," she's not an affectionate person and doesn't always show her love in the traditional way, but she leaves her loved ones in no doubt of her care and regard.

Like all the Girls, Sophia will stand up for herself and her loved ones when the occasion calls for it, but notably, she usually does so in subtler ways than the others do. There's no shoving little girls out of doors or calling out of asshole men -- she's not so ostentatious as that. Instead, Sophia is the type to defend her Girls from themselves. The first instance I can think of is in "Joust Between Friends" where she breaks the tension between Blanche and Dorothy and rubs Blanche's nose in it, to boot.

I'll go even further: I think her most awesome moments on the show are when she humbles the others. It's a running gag that Sophia is sometimes pushed out of things by the other Girls, including vacations and outings. Perhaps her best moment was in "Ladies of the Evening," when she not only swiped the Girls' Burt Reynolds tickets, but managed to charm several celebrities, including Burt, in her evening with them -- all after they were planning to leave her behind.

"They had said he would never walk again. He walked."

That said, Sophia was not without her layers. For all her outward acceptance of gay people, such as Jean and Clayton, she's less willing to accept her son Phil's crossdressing. "Ebbtide's Revenge" is the culmination of her intolerance, as she confesses, after much prodding, that she couldn't understand Phil and that led her to alienate him for the rest of his life. Getty struggled with this episode, and eventually put her foot down when the writers expected her to make a joke while Sophia is standing over her son's body in a casket. I think I speak for all of us when I express my appreciation of that particular choice.

There's also the implication that Sophia's wit and acidity are born from a need to protect herself. She says outright in "All Bets Are Off" that her insults are a defense mechanism. This is also apparent in "Old Friends," when Dorothy breaks the news to her that her friend Alvin has Alzheimer's Disease. Sophia at first cracks a joke, then earnestly tells Dorothy that she might be happier not knowing. I've said it's one of the finest pieces of acting in the show's run, and I still stand by that. Getty's performance of a woman going through the stages of grief over such bad news is a heartbreaker.

Sophia's not a perfect human being and she can be unnecessarily mean sometimes: Pretending to be possessed by Rose's dead husband for $20 in "Where's Charlie?" springs to mind. However, Getty played Sophia as being capable of learning and growing. In "72 Hours," upon learning Rose might have AIDS, Sophia initially balks at touching anything she has touched, even marking Rose's coffee cup with an R. By the end of the episode, she's happily drinking out of one such marked cup. I can't imagine Getty being happy about Sophia being the "villain" of the episode, but I hope she eventually understood how important and monumental the episode in general -- and Sophia's growth in particular -- were for the time.

"I'm old. I'm supposed to be colorful."

Let's wrap up this post with a collection of some of Getty's sharpest deliveries in a compilation of Sophia insults:

[nopizzaaftermidnight]

 For our last celebratory TENPAM anniversary post, I thought I'd do some character history. As you've seen, Lily's been around the longest, and I got Savvy worked out in math class the year before I started NPAM. Besides Lily's sporadically appearing parents, the first character I came up with for the strip was actually the Grub Guy.

A greasy looking fellow who has the monopoly on all pop-up shops, typically selling Grub but also seen slinging coffee, sweets, squid, stuff, and milkshakes, among other things. Over the years, we've learned that his name is Mike, he has a twin (or perhaps any number of identical siblings all with one-syllable M names), and his mom is the manager of the local grocery store. She looks just like him but with a bit more hair. Though the Grub Guy doesn't show up in the comic too often, I still think his totally blank face and superhuman franchise abilities are hilarious. The Grub guy debuted on July 13, 2013.

Just after Mike the Grub guy, Champ arrives on the scene! Everyone in his family is named after plants (his given name is Basil). When I was designing him, I was trying to go for a breezy, casual beach style. I accidentally completely designed (the yet-unnamed) Tyler, but it wasn't the right look for Champ. I pivoted at the last moment, adding the trademark hat and worn out jeans. You can see it on the far right above. Funnily enough, year later when I went back to figure out Champ's real hair, it looks a lot like those swoopy ones I started out with on the left! Champ debuted on July 23, 2013

Another side character, Bike Shorts Guy, showed up a month later! I think he's really funny in a very bizarre and inexplicable way. His main traits are his good posture and his hobby of hunting wild pastries. He has never been seen on a bike. I don't think he's been featured recently, but he always makes me laugh. Bike Shorts Guy debuted on August 31, 2013

Tyler came next. That early Champ design stayed in my mind, and so our sensitive artist showed up on the scene. He and Savvy became unlikely friends. Imagine, he could've been named Hamlet.

Tyler debuted on September 10, 2013

In eighth and ninth grade I went to school online. Eventually, every school subject had a main representative character, a sport/hobby, and a sidekick. (That's what happens when you spend two years at home and it's just you and your gel pens and workbooks). Zo was my science girl, with a bonus human, Nelly the assistant. Their pet friend was a plain cat named Kitty. Looks familiar…

(The lines under their eyes are safety goggles. My mom thought they were mustaches.)

Though I risked following the formula of every ensemble-cast comic, NPAM got its own fluffy friend, the precocious cat Herriman! He's named for George Herriman, creator of the historically iconic Krazy Kat comic. I fooled around with markings, whiskers, and noses, but ultimately made him very plain, just like Kitty. Herriman debuted January 6, 2014

I tossed out an anti-joke right around the time I was graduating high school. It was intentionally unfunny. I figured it was just a silly one-off sort of thing. I was... very wrong. Early on, I returned to the Slug every Saturday because they were an easy way to whip out that last comic as I drew them in sets of six week to week. To this day, the Slug is definitely my most popular character. The Slug debuted May 29, 2014

I had plenty of characters, so I didn't feel moved to make another until over a year later. I developed Sera Sophia and Dart at the same time, knowing they'd be best buddies, but Sera Sophia snuck into the comic a bit earlier. I wanted her to have that sort of earthy hippy fairy look. (It's pretty common around where I grew up.) Though this was way before I decided to literally make her part fairy! Sera Sophia debuted on July 6, 2015

I posit that Dart was always around the NPAM world, living his merboy life happily unobserved by the NPAM audience. Savvy, who knows all the living creatures on land and sea, has known him for ages. But she's very discreet, and never told any of the humans about him. Dart and Sera Sophia hit it off instantly, as Sera Sophia is very accepting of unusual (magical) phenomena. Dart debuted July 27, 2015

And that's our main cast! Savvy retired in 2020, and other characters have come and gone (anyone remember Kai, the Japanese fish?). This concludes our TENPAM celebration. I'd like to thank all of YOU, readers, for your continued support and kind words. I'm glad that this silly ol' comic can brighten your days. Ever onward we go!

[adrianodiprato]

+ “Living the life that you love and loving the life that you live is the truest demonstration of abundance.” ~ Lisa Nichols

2024 | A Year in Review

As I reflect on 2024, I am reminded of Lisa Nichols’ profound words: “Living the life that you love and loving the life that you live is the truest demonstration of abundance.” This year has been a journey of growth, creativity, and joy—a tapestry woven with milestones, moments of learning, and the privilege of helping others discover their greatness.

Celebrating Creativity and Connection The year began with a burst of energy in March, as LCI Melbourne’s Graduate Fashion & Costume Design runway event became a standout highlight of PayPal’s Melbourne Fashion Festival. Witnessing our final-trimester students showcase their raw, authentic creativity to packed matinee and evening audiences was a moment of deep pride and inspiration. It was the culmination of their hard work, passion, and innovative spirit.

Around the same time, Game Changers Series Sixteen launched with an extraordinary lineup of thinkers, educators, and creatives, including:

Professor Bill Lucas – Chair of the Global Institute of Creative Thinking,

Lamis Sabra – Associate Director, Creativity, Culture & Education (CCE),

Pip Cleaves – Associate Principal, Global Village Learning,

Michael Anderson – Co-Founder of 4C Transformative Learning,

Susie Wise – Author of Design for Belonging,

Russel Howcroft – Advertising Guru and Broadcaster,

Mykel Dixon – Author of Everyday Creatives

Each conversation delved into what it means to lead, learn, and inspire in today’s complex world. Surpassing 800,000 listens was a powerful reminder of the resonance of storytelling and the shared human experience.

Milestones and Impactful Moments March brought another milestone as our book, Game Changers: Leading Today’s Learning for Tomorrow’s World, became a bestseller, sharing its message far and wide. In partnership with PauseFest, LCI Melbourne hosted The Future of Business is Creative during Melbourne Design Week. This event emphasised creativity as a vital compass for addressing global challenges, from climate change to an ageing population.

June’s Intermission exhibition showcased the creative journeys of Bachelor of Design Arts students at their midpoint. The displays radiated not only their talent but also the incredible potential that lies ahead for each of them.

Leadership and Learning: Paving New Paths Mid-year, I had the honour of presenting LCI Melbourne’s groundbreaking Student Success Strategy at the National Education Summit. Later, I facilitated a Design Thinking for Learning masterclass at the Catholic Secondary Deputy Principal’s Association (CSDPA) conference in Western Australia. Working alongside passionate educators to navigate complexity and change was a humbling and enriching experience.

August’s Open Day featured an inspiring Creative Careers Panel with leaders such as Ty Henschke, Sophia D’Urso, David Constantine, and Ashleigh Falconer. Their insights into turning creativity into a fulfilling career left a lasting impression on attendees and on me.

Another cherished moment was MCing The Connection Curriculum book launch at LCI Melbourne, followed by an invitation to join Philip Murdoch on The Tattooed Teacher Podcast.

Sharing Stories and Sparking Conversations In November, I presented at The Second Arab International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education on Rethinking Education in the Age of AI: Unlocking Human Potential in an AI-Driven World. This experience highlighted the urgent need to blend technological innovation with human-centered creativity—a theme that resonates deeply with LCI Melbourne’s “Different By Design” philosophy.

November also marked the launch of LCI Melbourne’s partnership with Football Australia, opening doors to new opportunities for our students. Returning to The Art of Teaching podcast and preparing for the Pedagogy of Encounter workshop for ReimaginED24 rounded out a month rich in meaningful connections and conversations.

Moments of Reflection and Gratitude Amid these milestones were quieter, deeply personal moments. Writing 40 entries for Permission Is Triumph offered a space for reflection and growth, while continuing to care for my 90-year-old mother reaffirmed the importance of love, service, and family. Her resilience in the wake of her stroke has been a profound reminder of the strength we find in connection.

As I stand on the threshold of 2025, Lisa Nichols’ words remain a guiding light: “Living the life that you love and loving the life that you live is the truest demonstration of abundance.” The year ahead is a blank canvas, ready to be painted with our dreams, aspirations, and the beauty of everyday life.

Go gently, my friends. Know you are enough. And always remember to be kind.

Adriano xx

Adriano Di Prato is an influential Australian educator, best-selling author, former co-host of the leading educational podcast Game Changers, and the Campus Director at LCI Melbourne, a progressive art, design + entrepreneurship private institute of higher education.

[brookehenriksen]

NYC Study Tour 11/7: Accents by Sophia Inc.

This week, my classmates had the opportunity to visit Accents by Sophia Inc., a jewelry wholesaler specializing in precious and semi-precious gems, pearls. Run by Sophia So, the company offers a stunning assortment of jewelry that features exquisite jade and pearls, catering to both luxury retailers and individual clients. While I unfortunately couldn’t attend the visit due to illness, my peers shared incredible insights from the experience that I’m excited to reflect on.

Sophia’s passion for her craft was a central theme throughout her talk. She emphasized how fulfilling it is to follow your dreams and pursue what you truly love, no matter how challenging it may seem. From what my classmates relayed, Sophia’s journey in the jewelry business is a testament to the power of dedication and the rewards of turning a passion into a successful career. Her deep knowledge of gemstones and the art of jewelry-making, along with her clear commitment to quality, resonated strongly with everyone.

Accents by Sophia Inc. is not just about selling jewelry—it’s about building a connection with her customers through the beauty and meaning of each piece. By working with high-quality materials like jade and pearls, Sophia has built a brand that’s not only recognized for its craftsmanship but also for its personal touch. Even though I couldn’t be there in person, hearing about Sophia’s inspiring story reminded me of the importance of staying true to your passion and finding fulfillment in the work you do.

[common-man]

Small Story For Bonding No Boundary.

Small Story 55 For Bonding No Boundary Davidson landed at Chennai airport from London, ready for a six-month assignment with his Indian office. As a film scriptwriter known for his acclaimed documentary work, he was excited about the new adventure. Ramesh, a local photographer for the company, was there to greet him. “Welcome to India, Davidson! How was your journey?” Ramesh asked as they headed to the hotel. “Fine, thanks! And how's your family?” Davidson inquired. Ramesh hesitated. “My family… it’s just me, my mom, and my sister now. My dad passed away a few weeks back.” Davidson frowned, offering his condolences. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He quickly changed the subject. “Still a bachelor?” “Yes,” Ramesh replied. After dropping Davidson at his hotel, Ramesh promised to pick him up the next morning for his first day at the office. Davidson found the office welcoming; everyone was friendly and eager to help. A few days later, Ramesh invited him over for tea. On Sunday at 4:30, Davidson arrived at Ramesh’s home, where he met Ramesh’s mother, Radhika, and sister, Nanditha. “What do you do, Nanditha?” Davidson asked after tea and sweets. “I work as a narrator at a radio broadcasting firm,” she replied. “Nice!” he said, genuinely interested. As the weeks passed, Davidson explored Chennai and enjoyed its vibrant culture. One evening, while dining at an Indian restaurant, he spotted Nanditha with her friend Vasanthi, a feature editor for a leading online magazine. They chatted over their meal before parting ways. On his last day, Davidson decided to surprise Ramesh and his family. “I really appreciate you all,” he said. “You’re cultured and educated. I need a good narrator for my division, and I see those qualities in Nanditha. Would it be alright if she came to the UK with me? She can stay with my family—my wife, daughter Sophia, and I would love to have her.” Radhika was taken aback but impressed by Davidson’s sincerity, while Ramesh saw him as a fatherly figure. At fifty-five, Davidson’s straightforwardness and trustworthy nature made him a compelling choice. Nanditha was thrilled at the prospect of an overseas assignment. After discussing it with her family, they agreed happily. In the end, Davidson not only completed his deputation successfully but also found a daughterly figure for his division, forging connections that transcended distance and culture. K.Ragavan 23-10-24