#I'm bored XD

[kaddyssammlung]

[fox0war]

(Cracks knuckles okay let's give this a shot) When they cracked their eyes open, they could barely remember their conversation with.... er.... what were they really? They were sorta... person-ish, but not really, guess that conversation didn't come free with the "all your prior memories" huh? Well th- FUCK, ow. Shit. Their head hurt like hell now that they thought about it, and they felt like they remembered... more than they used to? Like they remember having paws at one point, webbed fingers at another, no arms at all in a third, and so on. Hold on- they hadn't even thought about their environment yet! They looked and- were they in an egg? Were they fully sapient and about to hatch? They certainly felt all curled up and damp- aw fucking hell they didn't want to start as a damn baby! But it was better than not being a dragon, they guessed. So they began to attempt their eggy escape, which was mostly just trying to tear the outer egg. Honestly the egg felt kinda soft from the inside... but they could feel something harder on the outside as they tore through the first skin of it, which would be cool to get into the biology of but they had already busied theirself into thinking too much, it was hatching time! As they eventually made their way out, they shook off a thin... slime? Slime felt like the right word. That had covered them. Now was a good time to stretch, first forelimbs, then hindlimbs, two- no- four wings followed next, the more frontal pair feeling larger, then finally they stretched out their tail, which had apparently been tightly curled while they were in their egg. Man, it felt so nice to have so few cramps, desk jobs couldn't get them anymore! Oh man- had they specified what kind of dragon they wanted to be? What if they were a lame dragon with no breath wea- eugh. They felt hungry, and gross. Nearby they could hear a stream, that'd fix both problems spoke one corner of their brain, but their more recent corner, the human corner, just went ew, no! unsafe and gross! you can't eat raw animals and wash in random water! but honestly? They just decided to ignore that part, they asked for a dragon, they're going to get their money's worth! (or, I guess, death's worth?) So off they ran, hopping in as soon as they saw the stream. Some distant memory told them to be careful, their scales were soft, they'd be damaged if they'd be too enthusiastic. So they listened, being careful in how they washed the egg gunk off. Honestly- this was a good time to see theirself, they thought as they looked for their reflection. They looked kinda... cute in a weird way, but certainly still scary. They also didn't seem to be only scaled? Or at least, it looked like they had other textures, pinfeathers? That'd also be interesting to think about biologically..... if it weren't for their stomach yelling at them. Sheesh they'd only just hatched! Rude! But whatever, they went fishing, swallowing some smaller ones whole, as unsafe as the human corner of their brain nagged it to be. Honestly? This whole remembering everything deal didn't seem like a downside, it all seemed kinda distant and vague, but it felt good, helpful, right. What had that weirdo been so worried about?

“A what?” “A dragon.” “I can’t just-” “You said I could reincarnate as any living thing.” “Yes… But dragons are fantasy in your world! That means you’d have all your prior memories since you’d exist outside the laws of nature!” “Even better!”

[experiment14-12]

spoot

[cuddlytogas]

So I accidentally almost got into an argument on Twitter, and now I'm thinking about bad historical costuming tropes. Specifically, Action Hero Leather Pants.

See, I was light-heartedly pointing out the inaccuracies of the costumes in Black Sails, and someone came out of the woodwork to defend the show. The misunderstanding was that they thought I was dismissing the show just for its costumes, which I wasn't - I was simply pointing out that it can't entirely care about material history (meaning specifically physical objects/culture) if it treats its clothes like that.

But this person was slightly offended on behalf of their show - especially, quote, "And from a fan of OFMD, no less!" Which got me thinking - it's true! I can abide a lot more historical costuming inaccuracy from Our Flag than I can Black Sails or Vikings. And I don't think it's just because one has my blorbos in it. But really, when it comes down to it...

What is the difference between this and this?

Here's the thing. Leather pants in period dramas isn't new. You've got your Vikings, Tudors, Outlander, Pirates of the Caribbean, Once Upon a Time, Will, The Musketeers, even Shakespeare in Love - they love to shove people in leather and call it a day. But where does this come from?

Obviously we have the modern connotations. Modern leather clothes developed in a few subcultures: cowboys drew on Native American clothing. (Allegedly. This is a little beyond my purview, I haven't seen any solid evidence, and it sounds like the kind of fact that people repeat a lot but is based on an assumption. I wouldn't know, though.) Leather was used in some WWI and II uniforms.

But the big boom came in the mid-C20th in motorcycle, punk/goth, and gay subcultures, all intertwined with each other and the above. Motorcyclists wear leather as practical protective gear, and it gets picked up by rock and punk artists as a symbol of counterculture, and transferred to movie designs. It gets wrapped up in gay and kink communities, with even more countercultural and taboo meanings. By the late C20th, leather has entered mainstream fashion, but it still carries those references to goths, punks, BDSM, and motorbike gangs, to James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Mick Jagger. This is whence we get our Spikes and Dave Listers in 1980s/90s media, bad boys and working-class punks.

And some of the above "historical" design choices clearly build on these meanings. William Shakespeare is dressed in a black leather doublet to evoke the swaggering bad boy artist heartthrob, probably down on his luck. So is Kit Marlowe.

But the associations get a little fuzzier after that. Hook, with his eyeliner and jewellery, sure. King Henry, yeah, I see it. It's hideously ahistorical, but sure. But what about Jamie and Will and Ragnar, in their browns and shabby, battle-ready chic? Well, here we get the other strain of Bad Period Drama Leather.

See, designers like to point to history, but it's just not true. Leather armour, especially in the western/European world, is very, very rare, and not just because it decays faster than metal. (Yes, even in ancient Greece/Rome, despite many articles claiming that as the start of the leather armour trend!) It simply wasn't used a lot, because it's frankly useless at defending the body compared to metal. Leather was used as a backing for some splint armour pieces, and for belts, sheathes, and buckles, but it simply wasn't worn like the costumes above. It's heavy, uncomfortable, and hard to repair - it's simply not practical for a garment when you have perfectly comfortable, insulating, and widely available linen, wool, and cotton!

As far as I can see, the real influence on leather in period dramas is fantasy. Fantasy media has proliferated the idea of leather armour as the lightweight choice for rangers, elves, and rogues, a natural, quiet, flexible material, less flashy or restrictive than metal. And it is cheaper for a costume department to make, and easier for an actor to wear on set. It's in Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, Runescape, and World of Warcraft.

And I think this is how we get to characters like Ragnar and Vane. This idea of leather as practical gear and light armour, it's fantasy, but it has this lineage, behind which sits cowboy chaps and bomber/flight jackets. It's usually brown compared to the punk bad boy's black, less shiny, and more often piecemeal or decorated. In fact, there's a great distinction between the two Period Leather Modes within the same piece of media: Robin Hood (2006)! Compare the brooding, fascist-coded villain Guy of Gisborne with the shabby, bow-wielding, forest-dwelling Robin:

So, back to the original question: What's the difference between Charles Vane in Black Sails, and Edward Teach in Our Flag Means Death?

Simply put, it's intention. There is nothing intentional about Vane's leather in Black Sails. It's not the only leather in the show, and it only says what all shabby period leather says, relying on the same tropes as fantasy armour: he's a bad boy and a fighter in workaday leather, poor, flexible, and practical. None of these connotations are based in reality or history, and they've been done countless times before. It's boring design, neither historically accurate nor particularly creative, but much the same as all the other shabby chic fighters on our screens. He has a broad lineage in Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean and such, but that's it.

In Our Flag, however, the lineage is much, much more intentional. Ed is a direct homage to Mad Max, the costuming in which is both practical (Max is an ex-cop and road warrior), and draws on punk and kink designs to evoke a counterculture gone mad to the point of social breakdown, exploiting the thrill of the taboo to frighten and titillate the audience.

In particular, Ed is styled after Max in the second movie, having lost his family, been badly injured, and watched the world turn into an apocalypse. He's a broken man, withdrawn, violent, and deliberately cutting himself off from others to avoid getting hurt again. The plot of Mad Max 2 is him learning to open up and help others, making himself vulnerable to more loss, but more human in the process.

This ties directly into the themes of Our Flag - it's a deliberate intertext. Ed's emotional journey is also one from isolation and pain to vulnerability, community, and love. Mad Max (intentionally and unintentionally) explores themes of masculinity, violence, and power, while Max has become simplified in the popular imagination as a stoic, badass action hero rather than the more complex character he is, struggling with loss and humanity. Similarly, Our Flag explores masculinity, both textually (Stede is trying to build a less abusive pirate culture) and metatextually (the show champions complex, banal, and tender masculinities, especially when we're used to only seeing pirates in either gritty action movies or childish comedies).

Our Flag also draws on the specific countercultures of motorcycles, rockers, and gay/BDSM culture in its design and themes. Naturally, in such a queer show, one can't help but make the connection between leather pirates and leather daddies, and the design certainly nods at this, with its vests and studs. I always think about this guy, with his flat cap so reminiscient of gay leather fashions.

More overtly, though, Blackbeard and his crew are styled as both violent gangsters and countercultural rockstars. They rove the seas like a bikie gang, free and violent, and are seen as icons, bad boys and celebrities. Other pirates revere Blackbeard and wish they could be on his crew, while civilians are awed by his reputation, desperate for juicy, gory details.

This isn't all of why I like the costuming in Our Flag Means Death (especially season 1). Stede's outfits are by no means accurate, but they're a lot more accurate than most pirate media, and they're bright and colourful, with accurate and delightful silks, lace, velvets, and brocades, and lovely, puffy skirts on his jackets. Many of the Revenge crew wear recognisable sailor's trousers, and practical but bright, varied gear that easily conveys personality and flair. There is a surprising dedication to little details, like changing Ed's trousers to fall-fronts for a historical feel, Izzy's puffy sleeves, the handmade fringe on Lucius's red jacket, or the increasing absurdity of navy uniform cuffs between Nigel and Chauncey.

A really big one is the fact that they don't shy away from historical footwear! In almost every example above, we see the period drama's obsession with putting men in skinny jeans and bucket-top boots, but not only does Stede wear his little red-heeled shoes with stockings, but most of his crew, and the ordinary people of Barbados, wear low boots or pumps, and even rough, masculine characters like Pete wear knee breeches and bright colours. It's inaccurate, but at least it's a new kind of inaccuracy, that builds much more on actual historical fashions, and eschews the shortcuts of other, grittier period dramas in favour of colour and personality.

But also. At least it fucking says something with its leather.

[raplinenthusiasts]

best album poll

[yuriyuruandyuraart]

self indulgent horross doodles just because i can >B)

[partof-mydestiny]

[userundead]

Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion I gain strength. Through strength I gain power.Through power I gain victory. Through victory my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.

[bubblegumflavor]

After 40+ years of rivalry, combining dojos, refreshing their marriage for the 5th time, in the middle of their honeymoon:

Johnny: Glad all the years of flirting paid off.

Daniel: "THAT WAS FLIRTING!?"

Johnny:

[izartn]

On Blue Lock, Episode Nagi movie:

It was like one of those outsider pov fics from a secondary character pov but official. Given that's one of my fave genres of fic amd I knew that about the movie coming in I enjoyed the perspective it offered, and also the melodrama of NagiReo xD

Also why was the ost so much better than in the anime itself? Did I blitz too quickly through the episodes? It made the kinda recap this was, entertaining as it got, much better. Why XD I hope that ost is in season 2.

Liked how NagiReo were the last ones to cross that door and that Ego had to bait Ngi into it. Would have messed up his 300 teens plan for Blue Lock is these two refused lol though I think he was absolutely prepared for that. Funny how Nagi is the one who gets the Blue Lock mentality despite being the reluctant of the pair.

I loled at how little the other guys in V mattered though, and at the replay of the match against Z, Nagi getting more and more fixated in Isagi and football for himself, to Reo alarm and happiness respectively.

I am not the only one who thinks Nagi is/was depressed due to a lack of challenge and isolation in his life, right? That whole, leave me I don't want to even try, just want to stay in my comfort zone idling the days away....

Going to other matters....

Also. Why did that Isagi and Bachira separation at Stage 2 look 100% more gay than it was in the anime? I swear it was the typical Shonen friendship on the season. Ah I know. Because Nagi, BL character that he is, was there remembering himself and Reo in rosy flashbacks. Hilarious taking what happened just before between them. But then Nagi is confident on their friendship in a way that Reo just isn't.

The contrast between their mental states re:change are so fucking funny in a sad way too. Reo is so insecure, compared to Nagi, I guess it comes from his family reputation and money being all he was before he meet Nagi and so he's insecure about his own merits but really. He's coping about as well as my bestie in HS did to her situationship with another girl collapsing when she was 14, that's the level of gay ass failing were talking about. That Nagi just didn't voice aloud the emotional reassuring parts to Reo during the breakup was so teenage boy of him, he just thinks he's being clear enough and then, everybody else can see Reo is just. Not manging it well. Love that they just fucking went pass Nagi being brutal to Reo on the 3vs3, like. Yes this is Nagi PoV the movie no you don't get to see what the fuck was he thinking. I personally imagine he was trying to like, do a reverse psychology on Reo, but it didn't work(?) (except it kinda did) bc Nagi has a 0 in interpersonal communication. Who knows though. Maybe the manga?

Anyways I'm really happy about that post-credits and additional time! So season 2 is gonna start from the jump after the 50 days timeskip, huh? Not surprised at all by who I saw there as the starting 11 for the U-20 match, of course our protags and company are there.

That after all the movie they end up bringing it back to NagiReo kinda having maked up, and Reo having friends/rivals telling him to quit the sad face, they're gonna be the best is soooo funny. Yes Reo you have friends, you're there on the 25 of 300 even if you're on the sidelines right now, relax XD Happy for him he seems to get friends other than Nagi, he needs more than a (boy)cough(bestie) friend.

And that was it!!! Thanks to @ashen-sky for telling me to wait for the post credits! Very appreciated given almost my whole sala walked out.

[atalienart]

I'm sorry, I'm not going to talk about frustrating stuff anymore. It's time for positive thoughts xD What's your favourite christmas song? Mine are "Last Christmas" and "All I want for Christmas is You".

[skeefee-sky]

'Rescuing; no matter what-.'

@thunder-tober Day prompt: 11 - Rain Characters: Gordon Tracy, Thunderbird Four, Virgil Tracy, OC Word count: 540

Writing with covid-brain is not recommended x’D but if I have to suffer, Gordon gets to suffer too lol- A little wet weather never bothered anyone, right? Unless you want to end up catching pneumonia..

💙💛TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB ~~~ TB 💛💙

“Gordon, this was a bad idea. We should get you home.”

“Mnn… I’ll be fine, Thunderbird Four…”

Any other circumstance, he would be. But even the Thunderbird was smart enough to know what happened to sick humans that stayed out in the rain too long… The sub quietly overlooked his vitals, noticing his shivers and fluctuating temperature. But the aquanaut continued to insist he was fine.

“Captain, I know how stubborn this family can be. I will call your brothers.”

At that, Gordon did pause; hands slipping from the rope he’d just tied into a knot. He pressed one hand to his forehead and sighed; she was right though. And Virgil was only a couple of minutes away – he could be back there in no time.

“Just-… I got this, Four,” Gordon insisted, hands finding the rope again as he hauled it over his shoulder. Thunderbird Four exhaled a gush of air through her vents, picking at the rope between her fingers.

“Okay… but if this rain gets any heavier, and we’re not done, I’m taking over,” she rumbled softly, watching her pilot carefully shimmy down the sloped surface beside her. She couldn’t hear the climber calling out to them anymore, but had faith the aquanaut could find them. If his sickness got the better of him, then they’d be in trouble…

::How’s it going, Thunderbird Four?::

“Gordon’s just gone to retrieve Rennels. The area’s pretty slippery over here so, I’m keeping an eye out, but they should be up soon,” the sub relayed to the cargo ship’s pilot, optics darting back briefly to watch her own. “… Virgil, did you know he wasn’t feeling well?”

A sigh. ::I did, but you know Gordon. A little cold isn’t going to stop him. He’s going to pay for it later though, especially in this downpour.::

“He’ll ask me to be his entertainment then, I’m sure,” Thunderbird Four giggled softly. She wouldn’t mind as long as it kept her pilot out of trouble while he was resting.

She quietened briefly at the footsteps coming back up the side of the slope; Gordon leading as he and the climber, Daisy Rennels, hauled themselves back up. Both were drenched, but uninjured. The Thunderbird happily provided them shelter while they got situated, but her gaze was mainly trained on her pilot. He was still shivering.

“T-Thunderbird Two? You can come get us now,” Gordon called to his brother, collecting up the remainder of rope and circling it around his hand. A sneeze snuck up on him, and he ended up dropping it to the ground instead.

“Seems I’m not the only one who’s going to need to rest up after today, Mr Tracy,” Daisy teased lightly, grabbing the rope for him. Gordon made a soft noise of defeat; his Thunderbird then beating him to responding.

“He should be glad he’s not a whole lot worse off from this weather!”

The aquanaut groaned, brightening up the slightest when Thunderbird Two appeared, and landed nearby to pick them up.

“Let’s just go homeee…”

“FAB Captain,” Four giggled, getting to her feet and following after them as they headed to the cargo ship. “Promise Virgil won’t be too hard on you.”

“Nhg, it’s not him I’m worried about…”

[true-blue-sonic]

I was thinking about, in a SXSG situation but then with Silver, what bosses he could fight... but then I realised he does not have a lot of bosses to his name to begin with. There's Sonic and Shadow, the Egg Genesis, and of course Iblis as the most remarkable one from '06. The Rivals games have a bunch of bosses, but all characters fight those (plus, I wouldn't be able to name them from the top of my head lol), and after that... Infinite in Forces if you stretch the situation a bit?

Then again, SXSG also put Shadow in two levels he wasn't playable in or even involved with to begin with, so I figure they could do the same with Silver. But then the question is, which ones?

[buruzaitama]

Tsurumi is scary! XD I think I like him, though, or I hate him, anyway, he seems to be interesting... XDD

Sugimoto is love.

[eddis-not-eeddis]

...why is boredom considered an attractive quality in the romance genre again?

[liaprime]

5 years ago today, I started this legacy by creating my version of who Marr is behind the mask in-game. The first OC of many, many more - but he remains the most important one (sorry Lia) because without him this legacy wouldn't even exist ♡

So I guess today's my Marr's birthday? ..Time to celebrate!

Will probably spend the evening datacron hunting with him Now that's an interesting idea for a date hehe

I've made an edit and wrote a fancy schmancy something, will post that separately (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡