#The ICONIC tangled pose

[inumbrapugnabimus-maybe]

idk

Sorta a sequel to this post

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

King the silly guys, Lupin III!

(for @dying-suffering-french-stalkers)

[zahri-melitor]

Spirit World #3: this is a fascinating reinterpretation of Cass’ death.

Now, I can tell that the team for Spirit World have read Batgirl 2000, and read it closely. But even as they’ve recanonised Cass’s deaths, what they’ve put in the issue is not actually how Cass died.

First of all, while Shiva has killed and resurrected Cass, this was in Batgirl #25, when Shiva stopped Cass’ heart with the Leopard Blow punch to the heart. In the scene they’re replicating above, Cass’ second death, Shiva did not kill Cass. Mad Dog did, in Batgirl #72 when he stabbed her in the heart with a knife. It was a blade, not a bullet.

Here’s the closest anyone gets to shooting Cass during the fight scenes around this death.You’ll note Shiva’s already taking Cass to the Pit, and the knife is still in place.

Shiva wouldn’t bother trying to shoot Cass. Not only does she prefer to kill via sparring, but she knows Cass can dodge bullets. While she does shoot at Cass after the Pit, it’s with a tangle gun to trap Cass while she recovers from a very temporary bout of pit madness. Which resolves in a couple of panels.

I’ll also note here that in the process of simplification, they’ve put Shiva into the outfit that she wears in Batgirl #73 for the whole spread. This isn’t what she wore to Cass’ death. This is what Shiva wore when she died. (I think it’s interesting they picked this outfit, as it’s not only the more iconic one, but in a situation where we are discussing the Spirit World, the fact they remember this by what both Cass and Shiva wore at the moments of their OWN deaths is interesting)

The other thing about the introduction of a gun to the mythology of Cass’ death is that it ties her more tightly to another classic Bat death scene: Thomas and Martha Wayne. The gun, and Martha’s pearls lying in spilled blood. This is really interesting, as guns are actually pretty rare in the various family death scenes.

Now why would they choose to do this? Well, Cass already has her mother’s pearls.

She took them in Batgirl #8 after the first fight she won against Shiva.

So giving Shiva and Cass’ relationship the gun to go with the pearls? It’s striking to me.

Lastly:

Here’s Cass thinking about her family in Batgirl #70.

Here’s Cass thinking about her family in Spirit World #3.

Look at the echoed positions for Bruce and Babs. Look at the changes.

I know the reasoning for why the blocking is the way it is here, but I do quietly wish for this one moment they’d put Steph in her original Spoiler costume. Because her pose (hood back, cape flare, even the stance somewhat) is pretty clearly supposed to echo the most iconic Steph and Cass panel of all time from Batgirl #72:

I know why they didn’t. But it would’ve been satisfying.

[chillfaerie]

Tangled fandom, I need help!

I'm working on a Varian drawing but I'm stumped on the pose. I thought I would reference something from the series, so if you have any suggestions for iconic, full-body poses of Varian from the show, please send them! If I end up using your idea, I'll credit you for the help :D

[thecursedprince]

Disney Collector Radiance Collection Belle Doll 🥀

Price: $75.00

August 18, 2023

Disney’s Belle is the first of the Disney Princess characters to feature a newly reimagined look. Adorned in her iconic yellow gown, this sparkling doll captures the bold and bright heroine of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Her stunning jacquard and sheer pleated gown is decorated with elegant charmeuse rosettes, while tear-shaped gems evoke the petals of the enchanted rose from the beloved movie.

Disney Collector Radiance Collection™ Belle Doll

Shimmering style inspired by an iconic gown from the beloved film

Nine points of articulation for a variety of posing and display options

Premium gem-cut packaging design reflects the color of Belle’s gown

Package dimensions: 10” W x 3” D x 15” H

Disney’s Jasmine and Aurora will follow Belle in this series later this year

Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Doll cannot stand alone. Doll stand included.

©Disney.

SKU#: HLX64

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[ogradyfilm]

Andor: The Terrible Mundanity of Evil

[The following essay contains MAJOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]

How does a totalitarian regime solidify its reign? Through fear and intimidation? Although the Star Wars saga’s nefarious Empire is no stranger to flashy shock and awe tactics (as evidenced by their propensity for planet-obliterating super weapons like the Death Star), Andor—the franchise’s most recent Disney+ series—reexamines this brute force strategy. Tyranny, writer Tony Gilroy argues, is at its most insidious when it subtly permeates all aspects of everyday life, desensitizing the populace to its presence; the machinery of subjugation becomes normal, mundane, inevitable. Indeed, the inherent inefficiency of the bloated, underfunded bureaucracy—the false promises, the inconsequential concessions, the tangled web of red tape—becomes so utterly boring that it’s almost a comfort.

The show’s prison arc—which finds our protagonist incarcerated (without trial) on a remote penal island—explores this theme in miniature. The facility’s security staff is surprisingly minimal; instead of being locked behind iron bars and beaten with truncheons, inmates are forced to perform monotonous menial labor on an assembly line—twelve-hour shifts every day until their sentences expire. The work is as competitive as it is repetitive: the most productive teams are granted insubstantial “rewards” (food that tastes marginally better than their usual flavorless nutrient paste), while those that “neglect their duties” are severely punished (remote electroshock torture). Additionally, certain trusties—such as Andy Serkis’ Kino Loy—wield a modicum of authority, acting as overseers and enforcing the guards’ stringent quotas. These methods serve to dehumanize and isolate the victims, reducing them to individual cogs in a much vaster mechanism: by exhausting them with tedious tasks, making them resent one another, and convincing them that they pose no significant threat, their jailers ensure that they become too resigned to the abusive treatment to deviate from the routine, much less rebel.

Fortunately, the Imperials fail to account for one crucial factor: compassion. Despite his stern exterior, Kino legitimately cares about the men under his supervision, encouraging them to endure their fatigue and despair because he genuinely believes that silent, submissive obedience will guarantee their survival. Thus, when he discovers that their toil is for naught—that the calendar counting down to their scheduled release date is a total fabrication, and they will merely be transferred from factory to factory for the remainder of their natural lifespans—he immediately joins Cassian’s uprising, using the skills that he’s acquired as a foreman to inspire cooperation and unity among his former subordinates:

There is one way out. Right now, the building is ours. You need to run, climb, kill! You need to help each other. You see someone who is confused, someone who is lost, you get them moving and you keep them moving until we put this place behind us. There are 5,000 of us. If we can fight half as hard as we've been working, we will be home in no time. One way out! One way out! One way out!

Once they finally breach the exterior doors, however, Kino reveals that he can go no further: the final stretch of their escape requires them to paddle across turbulent waters, and he never learned to swim. He knew from the beginning that he wouldn’t be able to reach freedom, participating in the revolt solely for the benefit of his comrades—a sacrifice that perfectly mirrors the iconic monologue delivered by Rebel spymaster Luthen Rael during the episode's conclusion:

I burn my decency for someone else's future. I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see. And the ego that started this fight will never have a mirror or an audience or the light of gratitude.

When confronted with such altruism, despotism wilts and decays—as all systems of oppression should.

[manmetaphysical]

1: Song to the Stranger in Strange Lands

You quickly realise from Robert A. Heinlein’s novel Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) what all the controversy was about. The topics in its pages skip casually from free love, polyamory, water sharing rituals, telepathy, OBEs,  cannibalism, the intertwining of corrupt politics and religions and journalism and the messiah complex. That’s quite a lot to pack into one story. The extended version published in 1991 contained the extra 60,000 words that the publishers had thought too controversial to publish back in 1961. 

While not a main character there is an astrologer called Becky Vesant who gives advice to the leader of the one world government that has taken over the world. Major Douglas relies on this resident astrologer Becky Vesant, for predictions on how to proceed in life. This is uncanny as, written in 1961,  it foresees the role that  Joan Quigley played as secret astrologer to the Reagans during their time in the 1980s at the Whitehouse. 

Quigley influenced world events that heralded the Perestroika period. It was Nancy who had Ronald’s ear and persuaded him to follow astrological advice, even warning him about the day of the attempted assassination. Vesant does the same for Major Douglas and his wife Alice, only 20 years in advance of it happening. In a similar scenario Becky Vesant’s astro-analysis is vital to Alice Douglas who then advises her husband Major Douglas what should be done about the man from Mars so Jubal Harshaw can intercede in his favour.  Astrology has its uses even for top policy makers and Heinlein suggests a future where use of astrology is normalised and no longer needs to be hidden. 

The novel is a rich stew of visionary ideas mostly ahead of their time and it propelled Robert Heinlein to the list of top writers of the 20th century. Its original title was ��The Heretic’ and the words ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ is a quote from the King James Bible, from Exodus 22.2. But ironically, in spite of its iconoclasm, it has achieved iconic popular status. It was given the Hugo award, and even was associated with the liberation movements of the 1960s and even became tangled up in the cult of Charles Manson and his followers who borrowed its ideas of living in communes and sharing lovers.

Putting aside the debate about whether Heinlein is still fashionable or not, there is still something important to learn from Heinlein’s book and that is to pose the question: where do the ideas on Earth originate? Who among us feels just like the man from Mars, like strangers here on Earth who see things differently from other humans? Do we really belong here or do we sometimes feel we are from somewhere else? Or to ask if we have been given a special mission to fulfil and if that should be our sole task? And to ask if it is true that,while we are in this world, we are not of it -as the famous Sufi mystical doctrine goes- then who are we really?

What occurs on Earth can appear insane, absurd, twisted, profane, evil, massively infested by parasitic energies, and what we witness during one lifetime is shocking travesty of the true potential of what it means to be an evolved ‘human’. You could be forgiven for thinking that Earth is the battleground for wars on the physical, emotional and metaphysical levels.

And who feels most alienated among social groups who might feel this existential anxiety about others? Chiron in Aquarius, especially if that is in the 7th house. Heinlein's Chiron was in Aquarius which is how he can teach us about what happens to individuals in groups, as they either feel rejected as aliens or they descend into an orgy of groupthink. Someone has to be the sin eater and soak up all the ugly projections. People with this placement are the introverts and loners, people who don't 'fit in'. They have a troubled sense of belonging.  Chiron has been in and out of Aquarius at various times, but retrogrades a lot, so double check where your Chiron placement is here. Chiron is in Aries at the moment chipping away at the existential angst people feel. Heinlein points to ideologies that sincerely intend to be for the good of all but that develop into dystopias- another quirky quality of Aquarius. is the imposition of their ideas on the rest of the world- always for the greater good.

While Stranger in a Strange Land may not be the greatest of literary achievements, it is regarded as one of the best Science Fiction novels ever written and the best Heinlein ever wrote. That all makes for a racy novel full of questions about why society on Earth is the way it is. It is written in satirical vein, so it is quite comical in parts, almost picaresque. It is about a man Valentine Michael Smith, born in Mars, who is a hybrid half human. He has special powers of telepathy, going out of body, able to teleport thigs, people, clothes, and have deep emotional understanding. He lands on Earth and has to learn its history and psychology all from scratch so his viewpoint is innocent and objective- at least at first.

But he learns quickly and becomes the messiah of his own religion of free love. He is compared to a Prometheus stealer of fire- so that’s a stand- in for Uranus and the genius that bestows. They way he looks at the humans he meets is without judgement like a tabula rasa- until he ‘groks’ them and begins to understand. This word ‘grok’ originated in  Heinlein’s book yet has multiple and profound meanings: to get, to dig, to asborb, to drink, to know fully, to understand, to consume, to eat, to identify with and so on. 

The novel reveals such a lot about our time in the 21st century and the issue of how religions create the chains on the human mind and where they are mingled with politics and sex i.e. where political movements act like substitutes for religion and where sex is repressed and/or sublimated unconsciously. This is especially true for people who are lost and vacuous, without any inner spiritual compass, or who have strayed away from the religious tradition they were born into. State policies and laws take on the guise of evangelical and theological dictats to be blindly obeyed, and the appeal to what is the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to think is put down to which knee-jerk emotions are triggered and not to any facts or to any enlightened reasoning process.  In another lesser known novel ‘Orphans in the Sky (1964) there is a massive spaceship and all  humans aboard truly believe that it is the living extent of the entire universe as they have never actually been to the edges of the ship. 

Extract 1 from 'Song to the Strangers in a Strange Land' on ProteusAstrology.co.uk

[kintatsujo]

the real doomed yuri is they're doing the iconic magnet pose with the butterfly headphones and their microphones get tangled up

[a-mag-a-day]

MAG 83 - hair dying session

Georgie's smelling there is more to this compulsive statement recording behavior. And is actually questioning where these statements come from and why it's super weird that Jon doesn't know

JON "I mean, I’m not, I’m not on drugs or anything." [GEORGIE LAUGHS DISBELIEVINGLY] "What? … I could be on drugs!" - Sure xD Iconic moment! Also… if Jon is addicted to statements… doesn't this mean he actually is on drugs? xDDD

So after the two wrap-up/follow-up episodes to the S2 finale we're jumping right in to introduce this season's big bag. "So when I came in one day to find that the ringmistress mannequin had been replaced, I knew instantly. It was wearing the same clothes, certainly, and was posed the same way, but I could see the difference." - Is it Nikola who's now posing for the department store?

"The raincoat mannequin had, it seemed, been… disassembled, then rebuilt into a tangled bunch of limbs and joints. The torso was upside down and the two arms jutted out from the front and back of the pelvis, bending up to hold the mannequin’s head aloft." - Who else is thinking of Silent Hill here?

"Its steps were jerky and stiff, arms snapping out and back as it moved towards me step by step." - Interesting. Something like this in visual media would always get me. Here my imagination fails me for once. I don't know, I feel like uncanny profits highly from visuals.

"have located a few stories about the death of Lana Billings, found… strangled and partially skinned in the storage of Fanton’s department store" - So is this where Nikola got some of their parts from?

"I cannot help but notice, parked just at the edge, is an off-white delivery van." - Oh wow, I totally forgot about Breekon & Hope being in this episode! So they picked up Nikola. Or maybe even delivered her in the first place?

"Hiding won’t bring any answers, and it won’t stop whatever’s going on." - I love TMA's canon reason to carry on despite the characters knowing that their lives are on the line. There is just no escape… (well, that they know of at this point)

I've seen a bunch of meta talking about his statement reading and speculating whether it's addiction to something he doesn't need or actual sustenance like food. An interesting question to be sure

[smashlawlai]

Here’s a Super Smash Bros. Lawl moveset for the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus:

Reveal Trailer:

The trailer begins in a spooky, moonlit forest. Characters like Mario, Link, and Kirby are seen exploring a creepy, abandoned house. Suddenly, eerie laughter echoes, and the Sanderson Sisters—Winnie, Sarah, and Mary—appear, floating in on broomsticks. Winnie cackles and says, "We’re back, and this time, we’re here to win!" The screen flashes: "The Sanderson Sisters Bewitch the Battlefield!"

Moveset:

The Sanderson Sisters’ moveset combines their witchy powers, spells, and iconic elements from the Hocus Pocus film. Each sister has unique abilities, making them a dynamic and unpredictable team.

Neutral B (Witch's Brew):

Description: Each sister takes a turn casting a different spell. Winnie casts a green fireball that travels straight, Sarah creates a swirling, charming mist that confuses opponents, and Mary conjures a swarm of magical insects that cause damage over time.

Inspiration: In Hocus Pocus, the Sanderson Sisters use various spells and potions to attack and enchant their enemies.

Side B (Broomstick Dash):

Description: The sisters fly forward on their broomsticks, dealing damage to anyone they touch. The broomsticks can be angled up or down, and the attack can be used to pass through the stage and return from the opposite side.

Inspiration: The Sanderson Sisters are frequently seen flying on broomsticks in the film, using them for both travel and combat.

Down B (Spellbook Summon):

Description: Winnie opens the Book of Spells and releases a powerful spell that causes a magical explosion around her, dealing area-of-effect damage and briefly stunning opponents.

Inspiration: The Book of Spells is a central item in Hocus Pocus, and its use by Winnie to cast powerful spells is a key element of her character.

Up B (Potion Flight):

Description: The sisters each throw a potion into the air, creating a magical burst that propels them upward. They can briefly hover and attack with the potions, which cause explosive damage when they land.

Inspiration: The Sanderson Sisters’ potions are a recurring theme in Hocus Pocus, often used for various magical effects.

Final Smash (Sisters’ Revenge):

Description: The screen darkens as the Sanderson Sisters gather in the center of the stage, chanting an incantation. A huge, swirling vortex of green magic erupts, pulling opponents in and dealing massive damage. As the vortex subsides, the sisters appear in the center, triumphant and glowing with dark energy.

Inspiration: This Final Smash embodies the Sanderson Sisters’ ultimate power, combining their spells into a devastating attack, similar to the climactic moments of the film.

Taunts:

Up Taunt: Winnie raises her hands and cackles maniacally, saying, "I’ll put a spell on you!"

Side Taunt: Sarah sings a short, haunting melody from her song, "Come Little Children," while floating and twirling.

Down Taunt: Mary scowls and mutters, "You can’t escape the darkness," as she stirs an imaginary cauldron.

Victory Poses:

1. Victory Pose 1: The sisters stand together, arms linked, and chant a spell while glowing with dark magic. Winnie says, "We’re the most fabulous witches!"

2. Victory Pose 2: Sarah and Mary float around Winnie, who’s holding the Book of Spells triumphantly, while Sarah sings and Mary laughs.

3. Victory Pose 3: The sisters are seen in their iconic costumes, with Mary holding a broomstick and Winnie casting a spell into the air as they look down menacingly.

Defeat Pose:

Defeat Pose: The sisters are seen in a tangled heap, with their broomsticks and spellbook scattered around them. Winnie shakes her fist in frustration and says, "You haven’t heard the last of us!"

[iviarellereads]

The Eye of the World, Chapter 12 - Across the Taren

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Flame icon) In which several things are awfully suspicious.

They make their way to the ferry crossing and wait, hardly even talking among themselves. Moiraine tells Lan he has to handle the crossing, because if she stands out in the ferrymen's thoughts, the group will be that much easier to track down.(2) Rand finds himself a little jealous of Egwene, who's in the flush of finding a sought-out adventure, while he's had adventure thrust upon him and he just feels damp, cold, and sore from the night's hard ride.

Lan moves Perrin's cloak to expose his war axe, and Rand moves his own cloak to show his sword, and tries to mimic Lan's confident pose with his hand on it. The ferry haulers get in position and they start the crossing.

Quietly, Lan and Rand discuss how the ferryman is untrustworthy. Lan says those who would harm a stranger are often the quickest to accuse a stranger of wanting to harm them, since the ferryman noted loudly that the gold he was already given is in a safe place, he can't be robbed. Rand is just surprised the people of Taren Ferry are every bit as strange as he always heard.

Once they're across, the ferryman and the haulers follow them down onto the bank to get the rest of their pay. Moiraine looks out over the river. Rand shivers and pulls his cloak closer around him, and suddenly the ferry gets caught up in a whirlpool, though the ferryman notes that this river never gets whirlpools.(3)

The ferrymen go off to deal with getting back across the river, and Lan leads the group to a cave hidden in a tangle of fallen trees, well defended against curious eyes. Moiraine takes Egwene aside while the men take care of the horses and set up camp. Perrin remarks that the horses don't look tired at all, but Lan says they just don't feel it, they'd run themselves to death if you let them. It was a necessary risk, for Moiraine to do that.

When they're done with the horses outside, they go in the cave, where Moiraine is giving Egwene a lesson.

“The One Power,” Moiraine was saying, “comes from the True Source, the driving force of Creation, the force the Creator made to turn the Wheel of Time.” She put her hands together in front of her and pushed them against each other. “Saidin, the male half of the True Source, and saidar, the female half, work against each other and at the same time together to provide that force.(4) Saidin”—she lifted one hand, then let it drop—“is fouled by the touch of the Dark One, like water with a thin slick of rancid oil floating on top. The water is still pure, but it cannot be touched without touching the foulness. Only saidar is still safe to be used.” Egwene's back was to Rand. He could not see her face, but she was leaning forward eagerly.

Rand misses some of the conversation, but hears Egwene ask if Moiraine thinks she can really learn to use saidar, to be an Aes Sedai. Moiraine says she has no need to learn to use it, but without training, she may not survive the process of using it.(5) When she mentions that men who can channel are gentled by the Red Ajah, Thom growls next to Rand, and even Perrin and Mat look uncomfortable.(6) Rand doesn't know much about the other Ajahs, but he does know the Red take as their mission the prevention of another Breaking, and work to do that by gentling or killing every potential male channeler they learn of.

Moiraine guides Egwene through channelling in a focused way, and when Egg makes a stone light up, Moiraine says most who go to Tar Valon study for months before they can do what she just did by instinct. Egwene has a natural talent, might even be strong enough to become the Amyrlin Seat herself someday. The chapter ends with Egg's delight at her new future.

=====

(1) Funny how, if you put this up against the Dragon's Fang, it would look like the symbol Lews Therin wore and drew attention to. It's once again going to be hard to tag this without giving it away, so, this is the Flame of Tar Valon, henceforth just the flame, a symbol of Tar Valon, the modern Aes Sedai, and female magic, saidar. Which adds some dimensions to the complementary Dragon's Fang piece, doesn't it? (2) So, does something have some sort of telepathy, or do they assume they'll just be interrogated? (3) Definitely Moiraine's intervention. I guess she had enough left in the tank for that, even with the fog. (4) I know that's an awful lot of Capital Word Jumble. And, if we're being honest? This is 2024, so it's been almost 15 whole years I've been in this fandom, and I still mix up the words for saidar and saidin at least 30% of the time. (5) So, some people will channel, probably under some sort of stressful circumstances, and many of them die because they're not prepared. We already know it's possible to channel more than a body can hold, maybe that's an extra danger when you're not prepared for it. Since official training would, as we see in this chapter, involve starting very small, that seems likely. (6) Thom's reaction definitely seems like something personal, and close. He doesn't seem in any way gentled, so what happened?

[tayarthur]

Important Images Over Summer Break 23'

“Hollywood’s Finest” by Christina House This image was taken by Christina House of the Los Angeles Times. I don’t believe this image was taken this year, but it was published along with a final piece that was. The project ended up earning House the Pulitzer for feature photography. The story of this image centers around a young adult named Makenzie who is homeless and living on the streets of Los Angeles. At such a young age, she found herself pregnant and forced to battle addiction, navigate governmental systems for basic services, the dangers of living on the street and learning to become a mother all on her own. I think this project and this image was especially both powerful and important because it reflects the state of so many Angelenos and beyond. Housing and the unattainability of it for so many hardworking folks is one of the major leading causes of homelessness. For young people, stagnant wages, student loans, and the temptation of drugs and alcohol pose real threats to our prosperity in society. This image grabs people because it shows the innocence of youth tangled with the harshness of real challenges that frequently are a hairline away from disaster. This image also focuses on motherhood in such a tender and loving way. This quality of the image is why I think it makes such an impact on the viewer. I think this image speaks to my generation as frustration grows around the lack of financial opportunity and social services that would make the “American Dream” possible. It may be the case that we will not be able to attain better lives than our parents. Lahaina Fires by Max Whittaker This news image by Max Whittaker, for the New York Times, is a more recent addition to what some may call “Iconic” images of our lifetime. Whittaker, among other photojournalists, have been covering the devastation of the fires in Hawaii. This particular image shows part of the Maui coastline with an overview of the sheer wreck the fire created of the town of Lahaina. One small structure remains, almost by a miracle. The impact of this image visually takes your breath away as it chronicles just another chapter of climate change and the battle over safe, sustainable power for an ever growing population and warming planet. The heinous nature of the fire might be flanked by the reality that on an island there are limited resources for shelter and safety resources such as fire departments etc… that could aid in curbing damages. Furthermore, as an island community, the prospect of rebuilding becomes further out of reach with extensive environmental damage, shark-like corporations that are lying in wait to gobble up locally owned real-estate and inflated costs for new materials. This image also shows the stark contrast between a once green, beautiful flourishing island community and parallel  histories of erasure of past indigenous culture and island life. I think it’s important to look at these images and recognize the true danger of a warming planet and let it force us to take action. Because, the consequences in my mind would seem to mirror Whittaker’s photo. 

[brokebark]

heyyy so i’ve been alone all day so my self care is eating reese’s and going through your blog💕 also if you’re ever having artist‘s block (is that a thing??) you should consider drawing steddie in the titanic pose or like some other iconic movie poster of your choice! if you ever do it, pls tag me!!

how abt… steddie tangled au

request a sketch

[bettertasting]

So back in June I forced suggested that my dear friend and cosplay soulmate @not-so-dead-fandoms read the incredible Gundam Wing isekai 1x2 fic I Reincarnated As A Minor Villainess and I Survived Past My Death Scene (link below) by the amazing @thaiteaaddict . (Now THERE’S a mouthful) this soon led to the following messages:

Bronwen: A proposal. We have the wigs. I can make the rings and probably the choker

Cindy: OMG

Bronwen: do we want to try for a duchess photo shoot

Cindy: I’m 1000% in

My current obsessions (cosplay, this fic, gundam wing in general??) all colliding?

It was ON.

It started out innocent enough, like she said above, we HAD the wigs from our regular cannon gw cosplays, but as they always do with us, things quickly got out of hand.

I somehow found myself attempting (and failing) to learn how to solder to set a black diamond on a twisted wedding band for Duo’s ring. (Bronwen’s husband eventually took over after my sad attempt and did a beautiful job) Meanwhile, Bronwen was working with an embroidery artist to design and create the Yuy coat of arms based on the description in the novel.

I sourced a square crystal accessory and together we tracked down some black freshwater pearls for the iconic (and spooky as hell) choker, which Bronwen lovingly assembled—as I quickly lost my privileges with the wire cutters.

I could go on about our construction process, and I might in another post, but for now here’s what we’ve picked from our photographer’s samples.

📸 @djmarasaki on ig

I wanted to go with a kimono style jacket to be reminiscent of the homecoming, though we took a few liberties, like adding black as an accent. Bronwen kind of went ham on the whole warrior duke concept and made a set of leather scale armour in 2 days 😅

When I saw the couple photos, I HAD to include the 4th wall break, what with Duo being aware that he’s living in the plot of the novel.

It’s hard to tell here but our photographer had us honestly tangle ourselves in each other, it was the most awkward pose ever, but I mean…she was right?

The timeline on these is definitely murky, but they are intended to be set hovering just before, during and after chapter 19. I’ve only followed a couple of WIP fics in my time and this was an almost therapeutic way of channeling all of our anticipation from following the story. I’ve hit my image limit on tumblr so I’ll wrap it up with an effusive thanks to @thaiteaaddict for inspiring us with this unbelievable work of art.

[thedreadvampy]

btw obviously talking pure shite about the Corinthian thing but among the many things that makes me not want to watch the show. why ISN'T it a 90s period piece?

like honestly it's the same as with Good Omens being modernised for TV. Good Omens is EXTREMELY rooted in the specific cultural context of the end of the millennium. I just don't think it made sense to set it in the 2020s.

but so much of the plot and aesthetic of Sandman is so very of its time. the experience and ideologies of the feminist characters, the queer characters, the alt characters. the aesthetic of wealth and power. honestly the entirety of Rose and her brother's storyline is so rooted in the serial killer and stranger danger and suburban terror of crime in the 90s and I know that the serial killer obsession has come back around but it's a very 90s flavour of paranoia. like obviously a lot of the series is timeless but at the same time the main plot IS very rooted in time, especially Dolls House and A Game Of You, and it definitely can be modernised more readily than Good Omens but like. why would you. when the aesthetic of the comics is a) deeply rooted in the alt culture of the early 90s and b) fucking iconic. like the original run of Sandman finished the year I was born and despite not having been a goth in the 80s or 90s on account of being an Infant, the 80s-90sness of my style is so so so part of how I put my adult self together and What's Wrong With That?

and there's a lot of sticking points tbh. mostly again I'm thinking of the comic's handling of transphobia and homophobia. which I am concerned that this adaptation is going to address by "modernising" it out of the picture, instead of talking about it. which like. this is a different reservation I guess bc it's true whether it's a period piece or a modernisation. but. I am very concerned that under the guise of modernising it this is going to lose an awfully lot of its crunch.

and ymmv bc I know a lot of people take very deep issue with how the comics handle queer themes and I think a lot of that criticism is fair. but I also think that as a queer and traumatised kid the thing that made Sandman so deeply resonant and meaningful for me was that it was ok with getting messy. like it had a lot to say about homophobia, abuse of all kinds, lateral aggression, and it spends I would say almost all its Real World Main Plot Timeline being very interested in the nuance and moral greys and self- and laterally-inflicted harms among queer people. like it involves a lot of stories about abusive or unbalanced queer relationships whether it's with Alex Burgess or Judy and Foxglove (then Foxglove and Hazel) or the Corinthian. and it also wants to spend a lot of its time tangling with the support but also the spite and ignorance of specifically small queer communities (I think that Doll's House is more interested in depicting queer community as an oasis in the dangerous world of heteronormativity covering up violence. whereas A Game Of You is much more about lateral harm - everybody in that book except possibly Barbie is some flavour of queer, and maliciously (Thessaly) or through ignorance (Hazel and Barbie) or through anger (Foxglove) they are frequently spiteful, bigoted and unpleasant to each other, but Barbie, Wanda, Hazel and Foxglove still draw strength from each other's presence and care. and that rings very true to me of queer communities.

(for the record. my (cis) reading of A Game Of You has always been that it's a fairly direct condemnation of people like Thessaly. she's posed as being cruel and self-serving and ready to throw other women under the bus for her own benefit, and I always assumed we were meant to read her calling Wanda a man as part of that, and that that was the point. that Thessaly is in the book to make a point about TERF/separatist thinking. idk whether that's the intended reading or whether it's an appropriate thing for Neil Gaiman as a cishet man to be cracking into, but it's how it read to me as a 11 year old in 2004 who hadn't yet heard of TERFs or really had any idea about trans women, and i find it hard to take away a reading where we're meant to agree with Thessaly given the way Wanda is framed and the way Thessaly is framed throughout the story. I think there's more complicated stuff to unpick around like. whether Wanda's in the story to suffer and die for the Nice Cis Lady but I really have not ever got why depicting transphobia in this context has been so frequently read as endorsing it.)

like. The thing that makes Sandman deeply important to so many people is that it's messy and uncomfortable. it is. mostly interested in painful questions without answers. it's interested in power, rape, abuse (parental, familial, intimate partner, social, sexual, physical and emotional), homophobia and transphobia, CSA, bigotry, grief, trauma, madness, suicidality, addiction, etc. like. Almost everything in Sandman is focused around people and experiences that are hard to talk about and treated as scary or invisible and that's the point.

and to me again as a queer kid going through trauma and violence and abuse. that's what drew me to it. it's a really visceral read for me bc I think while I don't always agree with how it approaches every topic, it doesn't shy away from engaging with the actual messiness and complexity and no-right-answerness of those marginal experiences. it would not work as well if it was too afraid to say things that might have bad interpretations. and that was what made it matter for me, especially when it comes to queerness and disability and survivorhood (ie things I've experienced) - like it always felt like it had enough trust in its characters and audiences to let marginalised characters be fully fucked up and flawed and experience and inflict unjustifiable things. queer and marginalised characters in Sandman are, in my opinion, relatively unusual in that a) they're everywhere in the text and very internally diverse, there isn't a sense of Here's Our Gay Character Who Represents Gays, and b) they're neither utter villains Because They're Gay (/addicts/mentally ill/disabled/whatever) or Sad Objects Of Pity. they're given space to be extremely flawed and extremely sympathetic Whole People Who Fuck Up.

and my worry is. especially given how a lot of mainstream discourse is around representation and Problematic Media. but also tbh given how increasingly anodyne and pandery I think a lot of Neil Gaiman's output has been getting in this ourouboros stage of his career. I am almost certain that the Netflix Sandman series is going to sand a lot of the crunchy sharp edges off the story. I do not think we're going to see the willingness to make the audience uncomfortable and uneasy (and I'm not talking about the horror elements, but the human ones) and I think that's. honestly totally understandable from a production standpoint bc I think there are things in Sandman that would cause huge backlash if you screen them today. I also. think. that the story would be worse without them.

(none of this matters bc I'm not going to watch the show. why would I do that to myself I KNOW I will not enjoy it even if it's great, bc the comics are embedded somewhere 2 inches from my heart and I'm not. interested in What If That But TV. I can just read the comics again.)

[whosscruffylooking]

The Purest Things-First Day Jitters (Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader)

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: None.

A/N: There will be a Part 2 to this piece based on S3E10 in order to give some groundwork to the dynamics amongst the team once the reader joins them. Enjoy reading! I had so much fun making this piece. 

The Purest Things Masterlist

au! october 2007

"Criminal profiling is more of an art than a science. Modeling a criminal profile demands the precise marrying of psychological and rational instincts with the crime scene's particulars. What steps would you take in the process of analyzing a suspect to form a solid profile," the stoic BAU Section Cheif asks.

"First, I would want to accumulate all attainable information about the crime to help explain the "how" and "why" of the offense," you counter.

"What kind of information?"

"I'd want to acquire knowledge on the victim to examine the victimology. For example, I'd determine the victim's career and place of employment, friends, family, social status, criminal records, and daily routines and habits. Then, I can look at the connection between the victim and the unidentified subject. Did they know each other, or are they strangers? Why was the victim targeted, and was it them specifically, or are they just one quarry in a tangled web of attacks?"

You look for some signal in Cheif Strauss's attitude as to whether or not you should continue. 

Let’s ramp this up a notch. 

Taking the liberty of doing so regardless, you continue.

"Then, I want to know more about the attacker. I want to classify him...or her, as well as the offense. Why did it take place at a specific location? What is the motive? Is the suspect an amateur or a professional? This collection of data helps to assemble a proper crime assessment. I can now paint the picture of what happened before, during, and after the attack. Next, I can start to hypothesize and formulate a complete profile; I can deduce the kind of person we are dealing with. This assessment includes the age range, social status, what type of career he or she may hold, their I.Q., anything that describes the attacker. Now, I can give the profile to investigators and work to capture the assailant. The profile not only helps track him down but also helps refine the interrogation process."

Pausing the video recording, David sets the remote on the table.

"Academically, she's perfect for the job, Aaron. But will she fit in with the team? She seems too well trained, too straight from the textbook."

"That's why I wanted you to see this next part."

They both watch you in expectation.

"If I may Section Chief Strauss...as much as academic training benefits a student in laying the foundations for their selected career field, all of the studying and laboring over perfect grades becomes virtually obsolete once on the job. Instead, implementing the mechanics and learning through experience, trial, and error is far more beneficial. Executing what you've learned in the real world and refining your expertise in the field is the only way to accurately reveal whether or not you are capable of doing your job."

Rossi snickers at your straightforwardness. Aaron crosses his arms, struggling to fight back the urge to smile.

"Care to expound on that?" Strauss proposes.

"You don't trust the current...organization within the BAU. You feel as though Unit Cheif Hotchner and his team pose a threat to the unit. However, I think you put more emphasis on the chain of command. Specifically, you don't trust Agent Hotchner. In the entirety of this vetting process, you have continually undermined the Unit Chief's role in selecting a new agent. He has not been included in any of our telephone calls. Never once have you cc'd him on our emails. Nor has he been invited to sit in on our in-person interviews. I think the only time I've set eyes on him was in the lobby. He seemed to be completely unaware of my presence and purpose here. I'm sure that were I to be hired TodayToday, I could walk right into his office, and he would be blindsided entirely by my arrival and position on the team. Now, if I am to be apart of this renowned group of individuals, I want to know that I will be a part of it. I do not intend to be an outsider in my field or a pawn for higher-ups' ulterior motives. So, with all due respect Cheif Strauss, I would like to withdraw my application. If any of the aspects that I have touched on prove true and impact my role within this unit, I have no interest in undermining an established team that has no place for me."

Rossi claps Aaron on the shoulder, "She'll do just fine."

**********

You step inside the lobby of the FBI Academy. Although the sight is not new to you after your intense vetting process, it now takes on a new meaning. You have a new purpose. Processing your surroundings, you regard the entryway's clean efficiency. Considering the darkness that looms over this bureau, the lobby is welcoming all the same. 

So this is what my tax dollars have been paying for.

Noticing that an elevator has arrived, you call out to the person inside one of the many lifts. They hold it open for you. The sound of your clipping heels progresses as you run across the glossy tile floor. High heels may not seem like the most logical choice for your first day of work in the FBI, but when wearing them, you feel elevated. As if the world is your stage and you are the ballerina dazzling the crowd in her pointe shoes. Sure, they are uncomfortable at times, but wearing them can almost be considered a superpower. A quintessential accessory of the iconic femme fatale.

The woman in the elevator gasps as you climb on board, startling slightly.

"Are those Jimmy Choos?" She squeals.

You laugh and shake your head, peering down at the patent leather footwear, "No. I wish, though! They're just some old Steve Madden's I got on the clearance racks." Seeing her shoes, you imitate her enthusiasm, "Those are unique! I've never seen a green...quite that color on shoes before."

Chuckling, she thanks you, "Shoes are one of the many ways I express myself. I'm pretty sure at this point I have a pair of shoes in every color for every mood. Today I was feeling a little envious, so I chose this lime green."

"Envious?" You ask.

"There is a Doctor Who convention going on this weekend, and I have meet and greet tickets for the entire cast, but I've been called in on a case. Meanwhile, three of my friends from counterterrorism are on their way to meet David Tennant as we speak. So yes, I am envious."

"Oh my gosh, I heard about that! Catherin Tate is going to be there too. God, what I would give to meet Donna Nobel in the flesh."

"You watch Doctor Who?" Her eyes widen.

You shrug my shoulders, "I'm a bit of a self-proclaimed Whovian."

Shoving her bags underneath her shoulders to free her hands, she stretches them to you, "Penelope Garcia. We are going to be the best of friends."

Taking her hand in yours, you introduce yourself, "I'm Y/F/N/ Y/L/N. I look forward to having a best friend in the building. Today is my first day."

"Oh sweetie, you are going to do amazing," she looks up at the floor number as the elevator dings, "Well, this is my stop."

Stepping off alongside her, you notice her slight surprise. "Mine too," you announce proudly.

"Wait," she whispers, holding a hand up to your face in a stopping motion, "Today is your first day. Oh! Are you the newbie?"

"Today is my first day as a profiler at the BAU, yes."

Stomping her feet repeatedly, she cheers, "Oh, this day keeps getting better! My darling, you will fit in just fine. Now come with me. There's another fellow Whovian I'd like for you to meet."

Following her through the enormous glass doors and into the department, you can't help but feel slightly overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle. "Welcome to the bullpen," she turns around, beaming, "Oh! Spencer, come hither, the new girl is here!"

The young man spins around in his chair and raises his eyebrows, giving you a once-over; he strolls across the office to meet you. You can't tell if he is too tall or too thin. Perhaps, his head is just considerably big for his body, or his lengthy hair gives that illusion. When he nods at you, holding his hand out to greet you, he looks slightly like a little bobble-head doll.

"Dr. Spencer Reid at your service!" He melodically sings.

Nerdy pipe cleaner. I like him.

"It's a pleasure, Dr. Reid. I'm Y/F/N Y/L/N."

"I read you got a full ride through college and graduated from Berkley with a semester completed at the University of Kent for Psychology of Criminal Justice, and you have a degree in Forensic Psychology."

You nod, impressed by his research—time to dazzle him with yours.

"And you, Dr. Reid, attended Caltech. You completed your undergraduate degree at 16, and you hold Bachelor's degrees in Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy. Very impressive."

"You forgot PhDs in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering," he adds.

You nod, "My apologies."

Breaking a tiny smile, he shifts his gaze to the floor as you notice the light tint of pink shading his cheeks. Unable to resist, you feel the heat rise to yours as well.

"Ah! You must be our newest recruit—Benvenuto nell'esperienza della tua vita," a gentle voice echoes from behind you.

Turning around, you see a familiar-looking, dapperly dressed older gentlemen gliding down the stairs to greet you.

"And you are Agent David Rossi. I attended one of your guest lectures at Berkley three years ago," you reach your hand out to meet his.

"Call me Dave, and you can thank me for inspiring your career choice later. Right now, we have a case. It looks like it'll be a first day via baptism by fire for you kiddo," he lifts his thick eyebrows and winks at you. David motions for you to follow his lead, and you eagerly journey behind him.  

In the conference room, you are met with the eager faces of four other new colleagues. The first to catch your eye is the herculean adonis, whose attention fixates on you. You watch as his eyes scour you top to bottom, taking your whole body in.

Four words. Sculpted by the gods. Where has he been all my life?

"Where have you been all my life?" The statuesque man purrs, running his thumb across his bottom lip.

Ha. Jinx. You can buy me a drink anytime.

"Hiding from men who lead an introduction with that," you strut over to shake his hand. A knot swirls in your stomach as your finger-tips touch, but you quickly dismiss it as mere infatuation.

Throwing his head back in laughter, he responds, "I like you already. Derek Morgan."

"It's nice to see you again," the bright, blue-eyed young woman you recognized as the media liaison smiles, "I'm Jennifer Jareau, but you can call me J.J." On the day of your first interview with Strauss, she offered you directions to the Section Chief's office.

Next, Agent Prentiss introduces herself. Her thick, raven-colored hair elegantly falls to her shoulders and encompasses her diamond-shaped face. There is a spirited as well as clever expression in her eyes.

Finally, Agent Hotchner stands up. You are taken aback by his astute and severe manner. He's taller than you recall, although you have only observed him from afar. Like most men, he seems to have become an automaton of the modern workplace, measured and valued just for his productivity and obedience. He is tense, most likely swallowing intense trauma and concealing it so he can get up each day and do the same tedious job again and again. Most men display these traits in the way they parent, becoming domineering companions, stacking decay over destruction until their home-life collapses. What remains is a mass of bitterness resentment.

Yet, he exhibits none of this. Beneath this rather tough exterior, you can discern that he is the kind of handsome that infiltrates your bones, that exudes an air of olden times before he's even said a word to you.

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