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e-dash-lace · 3 months ago

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My Very Own Locked Tomb Playlist

A bunch of songs that I listened to while I was doing a Summer 2024 re-read of The Locked Tomb (mostly Harrow and Nona) in no particular order. I took notes because this fandom makes you crazy and Spotify is so stupid that instead of having a notes feature, it has an algorithm that makes you a new playlist four times a day that's called something like "gut-wrenching wailing girl dinner slay brat summer afternoon." Anyway, notes under the cut (spoilers for the entire series sorry)

Psychic Wound - King Woman

The song that Ianthe puts on the radio when she needs to focus to give Harrow her lobotomy. (In all honesty though I think that most songs off of the I Saw the TV Glow playlist go kind of crazy over Harrow the Ninth. Something something horror of being a queer teenager.)

Intergalactic - The Beastie Boys

When Gideon the Ninth the animated feature length film opens, the opening credits play to this song. This song also plays during Camila's fight with Ianthe Naberius on New Rho

Go Away Little Girl - Percy Faith & His Orchestra

This song really screams Jod to me. It plays during John 8:1. Like really close your eyes and imagine it. Like there's no sound it's just like a jumbled up bunch of slow motion scenes.

My Smile is Extinct - Kane Strang

Honestly I just needed to put this song on the playlist because it's the kind of depression song that's like just goofy enough to make you laugh even when you're sad. RIP Harrow Nonagesimus. She would have loved My Smile is Extinct by Kane Strang.

Army of Me - Bjork

Another sword fight song. This song plays during Gideon and Harrow's first fight on the Ninth House. I think that my brainworms just also really wanted to bring some of that girls fighting in steampunk muted colors vibe from Sucker Punch into this playlist.

Growing Pains - Ethel Cain

The queen brainworm living in my mind demands that all playlists I make have 1 Ethel Cain song. I can't really tell you how this fits, but when I tried to remove it, I thought "no. she stays" This song is Harrow the Ninth coded but maybe like Harrow Coffee Shop AU

Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression) - Zack Fox

First House National Anthem I fear. If I had money, I would pay it to comission a Harrow the Ninth animatic to this song.

Sunday - The Cranberries

Not really sure why this is on the playlist. I think it might have been an accident, but also it just sounds kind of appropriate so it stays :)

August Underground - Ethel Cain

Spotify gave me a really really good daylist ONCE that was just like atmospheric music (mostly from videogames). It was so stellar that I saved it! I listened to that playlist while I was reading like the last 25% of Nona. This song plays throughout all of NtN Chapter 28 or at the very least an extended scenes of Sex Pal and Camilla turning into Paul.

Ghosts in the Static - Ben Babitt

Atmospheric music to listen to while Nona drives through the River. A lot of the songs on the KRZ soundtrack fit that vibe. If you want music to drive on the River to, you should listen to the Kentucky Route Zero soundtrack.

Dumbest Girl Alive - 100 Gecs

I think that Gideon Nav would be a really big 100 gecs fan

Thick Skull (Re: Julien Baker) - Paramore & Julien Baker

I think that Jod would be a really big fan of Paramore. I think this song is about Jod, but it's the song that plays during the flashback scene when Gideon kicks Wake out of the airlock and she falls into the Ninth House

Bad Lil Vibe - Coco & Clair Clair

HEAR ME OUT. In my mind, Jod has gifted Ianthe a cassette player and for some reason, the only cassette that's in it is like some collectible 10th anniversary cassette tape of the album Sexy by Coco & Clair Clair. (that doesn't exist yet but it will). I feel like Coco and Clair Clair are good music for the Coronabeth and Ianthe dynamic duo, but I think that this song is for Ianthe. I think it has that evil hot mess (not like Sharpay Evans evil hot mess, more like Shego with smeared lipstick and a broken heart at the club) vibe that the Saint of Awe brings to the table.

4AEM - Grimes

Grimes TO ME ok IMO strikes me as someone who in 2015 would have been fancast as ianthe because she's blond, skinny, and like swinging around a long sword in her music videos like someone who just kind of thinks that swords are cool conceptually and will go well with the special effects but couldn't actually use one to defend themselves if it came down to it and that's really ianthe tridentarius-core TO ME. I imagine that deep down Ianthe hoped that becoming a lyctor meant she would get to be like an international pop star but more. Not to digress but this song is an Ianthe Tridentarius fight song.

Combat Baby - Metric

Actually lol okay hear me out. So actually Ianthe was also gifted a cd player by jod and this is the song that she cries to (ALONE) when she thinks about Harrow. I think Ianthe wishes she had a y2k style but she was just born in the wrong decade sorry

Pluto - Bjork

This is the song that is playing after Harrow wakes up and Gideon is inside her brain helping her fight Cytherea. I think snippets or like altered instrumental versions of this song also play in each trial that Harrow and Gideon work through. Like some version of this song is definitely playing the first time Harrow siphons Gideon to get those keys

Femininomenon - Chapell Roan

First of all, what is any playlist made in 2024 without a Chapell Roan song on it. Second, when I first wrote this note I imagined this as the song that plays immediately after mercy kills Jod and then like there's a full 3 minute music video where like Mercy is on lead vocals, she's like arguing with Augustine a bit then they're like dancing and then the song really abruptly cuts off right before the end when Jod sucks himself back together. Alternatively, this song plays every single time Nona sees a woman.

Dream Girl Evil - Florence and the Machine

Alectopause Hive International Anthem In the parallel universe where Nona the Ninth was released as a webcomic or like an AO3 fic, Taz Muir has linked this song in the Notes and there are 1000 animatics of the Nona epilogue with this song.

Springbreakers - Charli XCX

Alectopause hive international anthem 2 electric boogaloo (Remember how I said "gut-wrench9ing wailing girl dinner slay brat summer afternoon"? I meant that) I would also accept this song as the Nona epilogue animatic song

Bit of A Monster - Vylet Pony

I can't explain this one. I don't know why it's here it just has to be. If you made it this far, leave ur theories in the tags idk.

Mysteries of the Cleft - death's dynamic shroud

I think like if you asked me to I could make a whole playlist of songs about being in the River, so this is either like a planetkiller harrow song or like the song that plays when Jod takes Ianthe and Harrow through the River the first time.

Kizaki Lake - Satoko Shibata

One thing about me, if there's an opportunity to put a Japanese song on the playlist, a Japanese song is going on the playlist and right now the other queen brainworm in my mind is the brainworm that's been addicted to this album since it was released in February and I think everyone should listen to it. The instrumental for this song plays throughout the entirety of Day One in Nona and IF I WAS IN CHARGE Satoko Shibata would be tapped to do the score for the film because she's just that good. Go listen to Your Favorite Things!

#tlt #the locked tomb #harrow the ninth #nona the ninth #gideon the ninth #playlist #gut-wrenching wailing girl dinner slay brat summer afternoon is probably the spotify daylist-sona of the tlt books idk #mine

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popculturebuffet · 1 year ago

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Lion King II: Simba's Pride Review (Birthday Review for WeirdKev27)

Hello all you happy people and it's time once again for that annual tradition where I celebrate Kev, my client turned friend and client who comissions much of the reviews you see on this blog, exactly how he likes.. by talking about lions for a while. And after covering the rather abismal interquel 1/2 last year, we're finally onto the sequel this year, Simba's Pride.

Simba's Pride is my first time covering one of Disney's various DTV sequels. And while many a kid can recalled having to suffer through these things , I honestly don't have a ton of experince with them. I saw about 6 as a kid: the aladdin sequels, extremley goofy movie, this one, pocahantas and hunchback. I saw them advertised sure but I was more a toy story kid. I watched and was scarred by that one way more than most other disney films outside of say Aladdin, which I remember watching all the time .That and the aristocats. MOstly for that bitching opening

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So i'ts not a suprise the only ones I really remembered were the aladdin sequels.. and extremley goofy movie, which is likely responsible for me loving goofy so much. Yes over the orignal , I just headbanged to the aristocats what makes you think I just magically turned into this one day?

That said.. I was curious to revisit this one when the time came as Lion King II has one of the better reputations among the disney sequels, feeling both SLIGHLTY more necessary. It's well liked to the point that when lion king sequel series LIon Guard happened, Lion King 2 was kept fully canon, to the point season 3 goes out of it's way to explain why the new crop of chracters from lion guard are absent during this film.

So the question is does this film hold up... or is it simply good by comparison to Mulan II: Everyone Woke up On the Wrong Side of the Bed This Morning? Find out with me under the cut.

We're Doin a Sequel: I almost didn't have much of a production section this time, but thankfully wikipedia provides.. in this case an old LA Times article from when the movie was in pre-release. It's not DEEP into production but it least it gives me some insight into how the sausage was made on this one.

The first was this pretty damming line from Buena Vista Home Entertainment's president, which sums up the DTV boom in a nutshell

“We look at the feature animation business as a way to set up the original story,” said Michael Johnson, president of Buena Vista Home Entertainment Worldwide. “Their energies are absorbed completely in new productions. So we have set up a division through the television animation group to do the sequels. . . . That’s not to say this isn’t good enough to go theatrical.”

This.. may be one of the grossest things i've seen disney do. It's not homophobia gross, it's not "making a feature film next to a concentration camp" gross, but it's still horrible to make a division just to make cheap sequels you don't consider anything but money , not only discrediting the work done by the animators on these films, but also admitting your making a shoddy product just to get money from parents who trust your brand. Am I saying this is the first or last time any company, disney included, pulled this kind of shit? No. Not even close. Even GOOD movies have done greasy shit to their animators, see the shoddy conditions on across the spider-verse. But this is still a special kind of wrong and set up a whole industry of wrong in these cheap half assed sequels. If antyhing could remind me WHY we need the writers and actors strikes, this is a big flashing symbol as to why as execs haven't really changed how they treat animation, just the tactics for being shitty to it.

That being said as always it didn't stop the team from trying hard, as Sharon Morill, then vp of DisneyTVA which also ran these things, was determined to break the stigma. It sadly didn't happen, but I can't fault her for trying. And Lion King II did try. It had a four year development cycle, which for animation seems pretty normal, but for one of these films is twice the length. They also changed up some things along the way but we'll get more into that with the film itself. The film released to mostly good reviews, with no one liking it more than the first but still finding it a fine sequel. So what'd I think of it? Let's explore that shall we? A Good Idea at The Time The core of Lion King II isn't terrible. it has some cracks just from the foundation but it's a solid idea for a sequel: We focus now on Kiara, Simba's daughter, played by the star of one of my faviorite franchises and a huge get for the time, Scream star Neve Campbell, who was just coming off scream 2 when this film came out no less. She does a great job once we get to the present with what she has, suprising no one. This honestly wasn't a bad move: unlike most disney sequels the setup for one is there in the finale with Kiara's cornoation, which is where this film picks up before going into her life as a cub, then spending most of the film on her as a young adult. Not only that the film does have the clever idea to play off Simba's trauma: he's overprotective of his daughter and Nala can see it.. and it wears on her more and more with time, with her finding pride rock confining and being annoyed he constantly sends her gay grandpas to go spy on her. You can see both sides: To kiara the pridelands have become a cage her dad's keeping her in but you get that simba still has lingering trauma from both Mufasa's death and his own buffet of near death experinces. Simba is wrong to smother her like this, but you can at least see why he's like this.

This time though there's ANOTHER lead, Kovu, played by disney legend and goof Jason Marsden, which sets a trend: While Cambell is a big flashy name most of the cast are either returning form the first one or are vetran voice actors or tv stars. Nothing wrong with this as the cast with one glaring exception we'll get to all does a fantastic job. The only one not to return is Rowan Atkinson, whose replaced by Fraiser Vetran Edward Hibbert and who does.. fine. He's not as good as rowan, but he's not bad and Zazu isn't in the film enough for it to be a real issue.

Kovu is one of the outcasts, a group of lions who were banished from the pridelands for supporting scar wholeheartdly. I'm a bit torn on the outsiders as the concept: I like the idea Scar had actual supporters, that Simba, given how much scar had done to him, overreacted and banished them all instead of trying to work with them, giving them legit reasons beyond WE EVIL to hate Simba and want him dead. That said.. their also a MASSIVE retcon that makes zero sense in the context of the original film. What lionesses we saw hated Scar and resented him, the pridelands were dying so it's hard to see why anyone would support him, even a small pack , EXCEPT simply being evil, and NONE OF THEM did anything about scar being eaten by the hyenas nor against the rest of the lions, nor tried to start a war when Simba exiled them. The Hyenas are also conspciously absent as , despite Cheech Marin being tapped to return, they were apparently written out.

There's also a massive elephant in the room: See if you look at Kovu you notice he kinda LOOKS like Scar and his mom, the leader of the outcasts and one of the best parts of the film Zira, played by Suzanna Planchette to vllanous resentful perfection, acts more like a vengeful widow. Surely i'm just reading too much into this and Disney didn't SERIOUSLLY consider making a film about incest right?

Yes. I wish to Mufasa up above I was kidding. Granted this info is midly suspect as neither tv tropes nor wikipedia have a link for it.. but givne Kovu looks like scar, how Zira acts about her former leader and lover, and how it seems very weird Scar wouldn't just sire an heir outright and just pick some random baby, i'm feeling it's true and it's laughable they got as far as they did before someone said "Wait isn't this incest' Which yes, yes it is. It makes the romance between the two feel weird as even with the film trying to act like Kovu isn't scar's son just his heir... it still very much comes off like Kovu IS scar's son and no one brings it up becuase lions apparently give a much of a shit about incest as the writers of this flim did.

Zira and Kovu are fascinating though: Zir ais as clever as scar, has a swagger to her and seems just at all times like a snarling engine of vengance. Her husband is dead.. and so his murderer shall burn. She's not deeply complex, but she is incredibly fun to watch and sometimes tha'ts all you need. Kovu meanwhile has a LOT of fascinating layers: he shows up hostile to kira as a cub and it's clear with how the outsiders function that he's been raised as a weapon his whole life: only to fight an dsurvivie with what scraps they have out there. And his transition to adulthood is shattering: Kiara is just herself but older, simply less willing to take her dad's shit after a lifetime of it. Kovu by contrast goes from a fairly sweet innocent kid.. to a revenge engine modled by his mom to infiltrate the lions and kill simba. Marsden gives a truly awesome performance, with just what Kovu has become being clear.. but also that beneath that what he could get from Simba's side of things.. could be better.

The problem is that while the setup is really good, the first third of the film having the two as kids and setting up the situation, and it's enough that I just ignore the massive leaps needed for the outsiders to exist or the fact their basically the hyenas but as lions, the rest of the film... does almost nothing with it. Instead of diving into these two characters and especially Kovu's very complciated crisis of concious.. they just do things in the most most cliche and tired way possible: Kovu finds his new life almost instantly better and plans to tell Kiara asap but can't, his clan gets tired and attacks, Simba blames Kovu and tries to clamp down harder and kiara leaves, theyg o back to stop a war. it's basically west side story or romeo and juliet but speedran so all the actual conflict and emotoin is gone. Kovu dosen't even kill anyone, the death is on Simba for Kovu's brother.

Oh and since we have to talk about him at some point let's talk about Kovu's brother. His brother is Nuka, a shabby lion who thinks he should be heir but proves every second why he shoudln't and why his mom didn't choose him, basically being comedy relief. They then try to give him a tragic death scene which would work.. if it were not for one clear error. one horrible mistake that ruins the character. They cast Andy Dick to play him

Yeah even putting aside his harassment , general creepiness and the fact John Lovitz had FRESHLY punched him in the face for making a crack about Phil Hartman post death (AFTER also enabling Hartman's wife's drug addiction), WHY would , even for the price of a nickle, you cast ANDY DICK for a dramatic death. Even before we knew he was somehow even worse, Andy Dick's whole existance was to be a punching bag. you hire him to annoy your audience and your characters. You CAN have a comedy characters death mean something and be truly gutting, take 24's death in venture bros or even among disney hooty getting turned into a puppet during owl house. But you have to make us care about that character on some level beyond being a joke no one takes seriously first. With Nuka.. he's just a dick who envied his brother and stupidly challenged Simba to a fight. And even as much of a dick as Simba is in this film, more on that in a moment, Simba STILL tried to just bat Nuka away. Simba, despite being ambushed, despite his hatred of the outsiders, despite everything you'd expect.. WENT EASY ON HIM. He didn't want to kill anyone. He only started getting serious when Nuka, somehow, proved to be an actual opponent and didn't even kill him on purpose. The idea of Simba being forced to that is good, but it just dosen't work when the character is nothing and had no personality other than "Pralines and Dick". Fuck em. And most good ideas end up like Kovu or Pralines and Andy Dick. Kiara is mostly wasted, mostly just wanting to bone her cousin and having a fairly sterotpicla disney princess arc, Rafiki is just there to push the main couple together, and Simba .. simba gets done kinda wrong. While the idea of him turning to his worst impulses over trauma is good, the film has so much going on instead he just comes off as a massive prick whose prejduiced, judges Kovu because he , in the context of the film HAPPENS to look like his arch enemy and isn't related to him, and treats his daughter like shit. Brodrick tries but there isn't enough depth given to Simba or anyone for this flim to work. The film just feels half assed...

It dosen't help despite not really giving the story time to breathe.. it also spends a LARGGGGEEE MEATY CHUNK of the storytelling on musical numbers. There's about as many as the original.. but I can barely recall them, with all just feeling like half hearted rehashes of the originals And unlike the original films songs which were all vital to the plot in some way (Circle of Life set the tone and theme of the film, I Just Cant' Wait To Be King fully sets up Simba's character for the first act and has him ditching Zazu, Be Prepared fleshes out Scar and sets up his big plan to kill Mufasa while also revealing at it's start that Scar was working with the Hyenas and by it's end reveals the Hyenas as a real threat, Hakuna Matata handles the time skip and sets up Simba for the third act, and Can You Feel the Love Tonight? has Simba and Nala begin their romance, which is key in getting him to go home. ). In contrast while these numbers COULD commuincate key stuff, they all go on so long they just pad out a film that REALLY didn't need padding, it needed a liver and some kidneys to help it function better.

The one thing the film does really well.. is the animation. Seriously while you can tell this isnj't a theatrical budget.. you can also tell the animators stretched every dime they had to make this LOOK theatrical grade. While some shots i've seen, or some sequels i've seen outright look like they were made cheaply, Lion King II looks damn good and worthy of the original. Despite all the challenges it'd bring the characters still look expressive, colorful with just that hint of real animal movements that made the original's animation so damn good. It may not look as good as the original but for what they had to work with it looks as close as they could possibly get and that's DAMN impressive.

So yeah overall this film isn't great. I wanted to like it I did: It sounded good.. but the final product , even acknowlding the struggles they likely had, is so padded and full of wasted potetial it just makes me sad. It's still probably one of the better Disney Sequels as it both had a reson to exist, good ideas and the animation is again fucking beautiful. But it sadly isn't as much as it could've been. Hopefully when I get to Lion Guard at some point, we'll see what a lion king followup truly could've been. For now.. we can only watch this and see someone almost but not quite make it. Maybe if disney wasn't treating these like disposable money factories this could've actually worked.

#the lion king #the lion king ii: simba's pride #kiara #kovu #simba #zazu #timon and pumbaa #neve campbell #matthew broderick #jason marsden #andy dick

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dangerous-advantage · 1 year ago

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38, 40, 41? :3

[link to ask game]

(sorry for the wait, and thank you so much for the ask!!)

38. Would you ever write commissions?

oh, that would be so fucking fun.

i am perfectly fine with writing for passion, but if i were willing and able, i would absolutely write comissions. not even comissions (though, i will admit, it would be nice to spend hours of time and effort on something that would allow me to feed myself, haha.)

the only reason a balk at this is the same reason i balk at becoming an actual published author. i am very much a perfectionist, and that becomes even more apparent when i'm writing something for someone else.

i'm working on it (i swear, i am), but old habits die hard, and people-pleasing is one that is especially pervasive.

that being said, if i ever got to a point where i felt a little more confident about my writing abilities, and where i had more of an open schedule, i would absolutely write commissions.

i've actually already considered what that would look like-- i think i'd have different categories like how artists do, seperated by things like word count or type. it might be difficult to stick to something like that (especially since i am a very detail-oriented writer), but i can image having a category like 'character creation' (i love making characters/filling out those silly little sheets and forms. i used to have this huge, uber-detailed one that i'd fill out for all my ocs, haha).

i'd probably classify them in things like, 'drabbles' and 'character studies,' vs things like whole-ass oneshots. i can't see myself doing big, multi-chapter projects, just because i'm afraid i'd never be able to finish those, but smaller works with a few chapters, or maybe a series of oneshots might be possible.

i could see myself doing poetry as well-- i don't share a lot of the poetry i write, since it's usually just something for me, but i could think of some really fun ways to implement poetry into commisions, especially since it's a lot more of a 'stricter' medium.

for the time being, i don't see myself opening up commissions like this anytime soon, but like... if there's anybody who might be interested in that, maybe let me know? really it comes down to if anybody would want to commission me to write something for them, which i'm not sure there are many in the market for haha.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

(tw: mentions of blood/gore)

since the only fic i really have to write for at the moment is 'it was futile,' that's probably all i have to work with.

honestly, i would love any and all fanart of my works. like, if anybody ever makes anything based off of/inspired by my work, no matter if you don't like it or think it's bad, hit me up, because that is so fucking flattering to me.

like, as somebody who relies on motivation as a currency, the fact that you could be so inspired by my work that you'd whip out a comic or animatic or whatever is just like '!!!'

it's right up there with long-ass comments, because you know somebody spent time creating something like that because they really, truly did enjoy what you made. the day i get fanart for something i've written is the day that i peak.

to answer the actual question, at the moment, i... don't have anything off the top of my head? sometimes you'll read something and be like, "oh, yeah. this moment-- this moment-- is gonna be drawn." but those are often later on in stories.

i can think of some future scenes that might inspire fanart (i've shared one in particular with you over discord that i am so fucking excited to write), but as it stands, nothing really immediately comes to mind. maybe something from one of my upcoming chapters, but nothing so far.

if i had the artistic ability to do so, one scene that i always thought would be cool is from the first chapter of my fic. (spoilers from this point on, if you hadn't guessed already).

it's where leo has just defeated the kraang beast and is laying beneath it, slowly realizing what just happened while droplets of blood rain down on his face. very angsty, i know, but i feel it's a very pivotal scene for the chapter-- a turning point of sorts-- with a lot of emotions going on beneath the surface. also the image just goes really hard in my brain, haha.

some other scenes might be from chapter... seven, i think? 'the rest of us.' it's the future raph chapter, where he basically just makes the decision to (finally) create the resistance. while i was writing it, i just couldn't get the image out of my head of f!raph's hulking silhouette, standing against the backdrop of the burning city.

something about it-- the fear and terror of the people fleeing the area, looking up to see f!raph push away some sort of debris and step out in a shower of sparks and embers-- i dunno. it just... embodies this ideal of hope that f!raph brings to the apocalypse. also just a cool visual to me.

i guess another one might be the scene where f!donnie switches their headphones. i poured a lot of my own experiences into that one, and how i wish people might have handled things like that with me in the past.

i imagine a comic, maybe just a few panels, with donnie pressing his broken headphones to his head, as the static and noise and everything just gets worse and worse around him. and it follows this progression of everything just getting worse, until suddenly he looks up and sees, y'know, f!donnie.

and then, wordlessly, he gives donnie the other pair of headphones, and then just steps back and lets him have his space. and just... the immediate relief as soon as donnie puts on the new pair of headphones.

i dunno. it's a little silly describing it, but the ideas behind the scene mean a lot to me. i wrote that chapter while i was feeling really overstimulated, and tried to base it off of what i felt might actually help me in that kind of situation. so i guess it's a bit of a personal scene, haha.

just... that idea of not having to justify why you need something, or even what you need, because there's somebody else there who knows exactly what you're going through, and just wants to help. i think it's something a lot of nd people might relate to (though, who knows? /lh)

41. Do you tend to reread fics, or are you a 'one-and-done- type of person?

do... do other people not reread fics? like, not even the really good ones? never?

ok, that's not fair. sometimes, some fics really are just meant to be enjoyed once. an ephemeral experience that's treasured more for the memory of the moment than returning to it. and that's fine, and good!

i'm also not somebody who rereads every fic. usually, especially when following along with a fic i really like, i'll go back and reread chapters while i wait for the next one to come out. then when i'm done, i like to go back and read the whole thing without any breaks, because it's a bit of a different experience.

i'll also often just return to a fic to reread certain scenes or moments that really got to me in my first read-around. there are some fics out there that i do consider good enough for me to revisit and reread in their entirety again and again, like a book.

however, like there are some fics that are best read only once, some fics are meant to be read again and again. details and foreshadowing you might not have noticed the first time will become apparent, and it can be fun looking back and finding all the little details and the 'trails of breadcrumbs,' as someone once described it to me.

#@sundere1181 #thank you for the ask!!#long post #tw long post #asks #writing #answered #just in time for your homebound arrival too!! <3 #unedited #tw blood

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stringyworm · 2 years ago

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Hey y'all im selling my art, not comissions but physical art i have would anybody be intrested? lemme show some of my pieces

warnign these were done by an ameteur so are pretty low quality physcially. ill post the initial images then the close ups if you want through dms. jsut send an ask or dm and can talk prices

I am based in the US and will try to ship out of country but it would probably cost more and I would have to see where im allowed to ship to

This is a physical picture frame with the drawing inserted inside to mimic a bathroom mirror. kinda small like the frame goes around my hand small $25

this is on canvas in acrylic. there are fake 3d flowers sewn into the canvas, and individual glitter pieces glued on. honestly i feel like this painting could fall apart any minute because this was my first acrylic painting and the glitter falls off sometimes. also i didnt use varnish because i didnt have any at home. kinda big like a foot and a half tall and like 3/4 a foot wide. $60

acrylic on canvas still life of a candle i got for halloween. probs my fav painting. except i painted the background entirely in striaght black oof. now? i wouldnt do that but this was like years ago. i have learned my lessons. same size as the other one. $50

i grabbed the randomest thing as a canvas which was this nice deep purpleish colour folder and cut up some red envelopes from chinese new year, painted a pink snake and was like yeah. im going to submit this for an ap art assignment. i called it the universe coils. size is get a manilla folder and open it. its that size. $40

Im hesitant to post this one because I dont think its a very good painting. it's ok. again ameturish and not varnish coated or whatever it's called i still dont know what to call it. i named this one hands touching hands reaching meeeeeee in my laptop lol. it's digitally drawn, printed and cute out and taped to canvas. everything besides the hands are painted. same size as other canvas, it was a pack for cheap. $60

Oh boy if you think i felt bad about the last one i feel even worse about this one. honestly if you want it go for it but if i get no offers i would not be suprised. same size as above. $40

thx for reading if you somehow see this and buy one in like 24 hrs ill enter you into this raffle my class is doing to raise money where the prizes or some apple products. the raffle is in 24-23 hours and im selling these painting to raise money for the class so whatever you send is appreciated

my paypal is stringyworm and my zelle is [email protected]

ignore the deadname on my account

dm if you want more info and exact measurements and more detailed shots

#art #pgra2am but art #signal boost #please boost #selling art #pinned posts

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zzprompto · 1 year ago

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☆ bandages and kisses

cloud strife x male reader [he / him]

sypnosis: [name] ends up bandaging cloud up after one of cloud's comissions. cloud finds himself opening up to [name] and confessing. (meant to be viewed as romantic.)

the lowercase is intentional !

- warning: cuts, bruises and blood mentioned.

"you've got to stop doing this to yourself, cloud." [name] sighed, shaking his head as he continued to wrap bandages around cloud's arm. "like, seriously. remind me how many times i've patched you up this month?"

cloud looked away, frowning a little. he didn't want to admit the amount, it was definitely too much to count. it was definitely way too much for a normal person to be bandaged up. but, of course, cloud wasn't a normal person. he was a merc, an ex-soldier carrying a bunch of burdens on his shoulders.

"..too many times." cloud mumbled, finally accepting defeat after being called out. "i'm sorry." well, that was a first. [name] had never heard cloud apologise before, so this was definitely a first for him. "i know i should take it easy, but i can't. i have a duty to fulfill, even if that means i injure myself badly because people don't know how to fight properly.."

[name] just hummed, tying up the bandage that he finished wrapping on cloud's arm. "i get it. you're strong and you want to flaunt it around by having scars." [name] teased, chuckling a little. this made cloud huff, he didn't appreciate this 'joke' [name] made.

"you have any more cuts or bruises i should check out?" [name] asks, removing his hand from cloud's arm and looking at him with a face of concern. cloud nods in response. "yeah, my chest has a few i think." he says. [name] smirked back. "pull your top off then. i can't help you if your shirt is still on." he chuckled. cloud then pulled off his top, revealing an array of scars, bruises and freshly formed wounds on his skin.

[name] whistled as he saw cloud's bare chest. it was toned and glistening in the light, a truly pretty sight to see. [name] couldn't believe he was so lucky to see this sight. he didn't think cloud was going to take his top off so quickly without a rebuttal.

"damn, you probably pick up a lot of ladies with a body like that." [name] joked. in all honestly he loved to tease cloud, it was so easy to get a reaction from the blonde. this time was no different, of course.

cloud's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and he looked away from [name]'s gaze. he couldn't stand the jokes [name] made. he didn't appreciate them one bit.

"i'm not even going to answer that." cloud muttered, his face still turned away from [name]. "just hurry up and clean my cuts. i'm getting cold." cloud sighed. it was true, he was getting cold. there were goosebumps forming on his arms and his hairs started to stand on end.

"okay, okay." [name] smiled, getting some alcohol wipes and grazing them over cloud's skin. luckily, the cuts cloud had on his chest weren't deep or that painful, so the cleaning process was quick and left cloud unharmed.

[name] continues cleaning up cloud's few cuts with some wipes before speaking up again. "i must say, you're complaining about being cold but your shirt has no sleeves anyway. how are you not cold all the time?" he asks, genuinely curious about how cloud was not cold in that tank top. if it was [name] wearing it during the winter, he'd definitely freeze to death. maybe it was because cloud was an 'ex-SOLDIER' or because of the whole mako thing. either way, [name] didn't get it.

"..what? not appreciative of my jokes today?" [name] cocked his head to the side, smirking slightly at cloud to get a rise out of him. "i mean, yeah, the ladies probably love the tank top and your bod and all, but i don't understand how you don't get cold wearing that." [name] simply stated, shrugging before continuing to clean cloud's wounds.

"i bet tifa loves all of it." [name] mumbled to himself with a smirk still playing on his face.

that's when cloud had enough of [name]'s games. he was fed up by all of this talk about ladies.. and his body.. and now tifa.

"i don't want tifa to love my body, or whatever you're implying." cloud replied, sighing. he was growing more and more frustrated by [name]'s comments, but he couldn't grow too angry. [name] was patching him up and the one most dearest to cloud. "i want you to.." it slips out in a whisper, completely by accident.

[name] stops for a second. he didn't know if he heard correctly, so he just threw away the dirtied wipe into the nearby bin and he laughed.

"oh." [name] laughs, thinking it was cloud's turn in telling jokes. however, by the look on cloud's face (his blush, and eyes darting everywhere to not look at [name]) it was obvious the blonde was not joking.

"shit. you're being for real?" [name] asks, tilting his head and raising a brow at his friend. "i always assumed you were into tifa- i mean, you guys were always close back then and now you are.. i guess?" [name] sighed before speaking up again. "men are confusing." he says, as if he is not a man himself.

"i'm serious." cloud speaks up, a little flustered and embarrassed by this whole ordeal. he never expected that he'd fumble this bad and confess in the most stupid and unromantic way ever. "i want you to love my body.. not just my body though, that sounds weird." cloud's voice is quiet, and seemingly nervous. definitely a different and more vulnerable cloud than the one [name] was used to.

[name] hummed in response and he finally finished wiping down cloud's chest, putting a few plasters on the really bad areas. he then handed the blonde his tank top, watching him put it back on. [name] smiled a little at cloud before he spoke up.

"i do love your body.." [name] joked again, staring at cloud with a sickeningly sweet smile. "but i love all of you too." he admitted, taking one of cloud's gloved hands into his own. "i just thought you were into tifa." [name] repeats, shaking his head. "so i didn't say anything, just incase you did actually like her."

cloud was now totally flustered. even though [name] was holding his hand through a glove, cloud could feel everything about [name]'s hand. it was driving him crazy. in a good way, of course.

"i should probably stop mention tifa now.. you literally just said something and i just confessed so, this is not the right moment.." [name] muttered, laughing nervously as he met cloud's eyes. "but, i mean it. you know, the whole 'i love all of you' thing. seriously." [name] continued.

cloud nodded and he smiled back at [name], taking in a deep breath before he spoke himself. "thank you.." he says, feeling the need to say it. nobody had ever confessed to him before, so he didn't know what to say. sure, people flirted with him on the streets calling him a 'hot merc', but this was different. this was an actual confession. "i love all of you too.. i mean it." cloud whispers.

[name] grins even wider, if that was even possible. he then leans over and places a small kiss on cloud's forehead.

"i'm glad you feel the same way, then." [name] replied, stroking cloud's gloved hand. "we should probably go out some time, don't you think? we'd make an awesome couple." [name] smirked.

cloud laughed this time, looking at [name] with a slight tint of pink dusting his cheeks. "of course, i'd love to go out with you some time." cloud said, feeling the happiest he had ever felt in ages.

"next time i have to patch you up, i'm giving you lots of kisses. just a heads up." [name] hummed, kissing cloud's forehead yet again. "every cut or bruise you get is one kiss from me." [name] said before leaning down and kissing one of the cuts on cloud's arm.

"i guess i'll get some more bruises on my next comission then." cloud joked, loving the way [name] was making him feel right now. he felt so loved and happy in that moment, he never wanted it to end.

cloud was sure looking forward to the next time he'd get tended to by [name]. instead of them being friends, it'd now be a boyfriend treating his boyfriend with lots of kisses. cloud absolutely loved the idea of that.

☆ author's note: this took so long to write. i'll try get requests done but i have absolutely zero time management help me. i hope this is actually somewhat adequate.

☆ requests ▪︎ masterlist

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jhilsara · 6 years ago

Photo

the internet at my place right now is shit and this took an hour to finally upload

#seduce me #seduce me the otome #seduce me otome #sam seduce me #Sam Incubus #aomaris #seduce me the demon war #my art #Self Insert #thebunnyofevil #listen sam is best boi and i honestly made this blog so i could do shit like this #all my dignity has GONE OUT THE DOOR #but in other words thinking about opening up comissions #but like idk

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i-like-writing-stuff · 4 years ago

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four months [five hargreeves x reader]

a/n: okayy so i feel like i should mention that in my defense- it’s the first imagine i write in months so im really sorry if it sucks! i barely got my account back after so long, but i just knew i had to post at least sumthen amirite??

summary: five finally decides it’s time to bring the crew back together in order to avoid the 1963 apocalypse, but the others feel like before that, you two need a moment to yourselves.

part 2

“I’m here, Klaus!” You yelled, bursting through the main doors of what used to be a store, “What’s- what was so important?”

“Of course you’d be drunk.” An all too familiar voice said, trying to sound disappointed as a hint of amusement was hidden behind his bored tone.

You couldn’t believe your eyes when they fell on the boy before you, watching as he made his way down the big stairs towards you, as his siblings smirked down from behind the railing at the two of you.

It had been four months since you’ve seen Five Hargreeves.

Four months since he decided to try to time travel again and try to get you and his siblings out of 2019 before the huge chunk of the moon could wipe out all of you and the chances of saving the world would have definitely been lost.

You were not one of the Hargreeves siblings, nor you had any special powers. You just happened to be a very unlucky, fifty year old agent of the Comission who was assigned to join Five on his JFK task. Before you knew it, you were sucked into the portal he created, breaking the contract at once without even trying to fix the situation- not that you could complain much, you and Five may have had your differences, but if there was one thing the two of you agreed on, it definitely was that neither of you wanted the world to end in 2019, in spite of the Comission’s heavy attempts at keeping that on track.

Unfortunately, when Five tried to go back in time to his family, he miscalculated an equation, ending up in his thirteen year old body, you as well- since you were with him the entire time.

One thing led to another, and the Hargreeves siblings were reunited with their long-lost brother and acquainted with his riddled partner, but nonetheless tried to help you two in stopping the end of the world.

“You’re alive.” You breathed out, a frown on your face, as you slowly stepped towards the boy, trying to make sense of what was going on, even in your tipsy state.

After being transported back in time, you found yourself all alone in a dark alley in Texas, Dallas, in August, 1963. You stumbled into a nearby hair salon, trying to find a newspaper, a phone, anything that could help you track down your friends with whom you grew close with in such a short period of time. However, you could not believe your luck when Allison walked from the back once she recognized your voice.

She welcomed you into her new life with open arms, telling her new husband that you were her adoptive little sister. Raymond did not hesitate to make you feel at home, immediately accepting you as his “little sister-in-law”.

“Klaus and Allison did say you are not in the best shape.” Five’s mouth slowly curled into a soft smile, as his hands were rested in his pockets nonchalantly, waiting to see what would be your next move.

It was true- you were not. You had begun your day with a big glass of wine alongside Allison and Klaus, who seemed to be as moody as you when it came to their love lives.

As much as you hated to admit it, during the small time you’ve spent in 2019 with Five, trying to stop the world from ending, you caught feelings for him. Feelings which you had never thought you’d be able to feel at your age- even if your appearance said otherwise.

“Shut up.” You said, waving your hands in front of your face, “Just... shut up...”

Before Five could argue any further with you, you fought back the tears of joy forming into your eyes, feeling your legs move on their own towards the boy, as you jumped into his arms for the tightest, most loving hug you could give. Happy that you could not see his face, Five tried to fight back the grin on his lips, nuzzling his face in the crook of your neck- he loved how even in your teen bodies he was still taller than you.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, trying your best not to cry on his shoulder, as he took in a deep breath, with his arms around your waist. He was never one keen on physical affection, but after all that had happened, this was just what he needed. A long, loving hug from the girl he had fallen in love with.

“I’m starting to think he missed Y/N more than he missed us.” Klaus told his siblings, resting his chin on his hand, as Ben couldn’t help but nod in agreement;

“At least they’re sweet.”

“I’m honestly not that surprised.” Allison shrugged, taking a sip out of her flask.

“What is Y/N drunk for if she’s not gonna tell him how in love she is?” Diego frowned, already tired of the way you and his brother spent the past two weeks hiding your feelings.

“Wait... they’re not a couple?” Vanya wondered confused, since her amnesia was still pestering her.

“We were just as surprised.” Luther sighed, recalling the first time you and Five had popped into the backyard- you started bickering like an old married couple over whose fault was it.

Unable to hear the conversation between the siblings upstairs, you and Five carried on your long hug for another couple of seconds, before you pulled away, feeling bold due to all the alcohol coursing through your veins- even if you looked thirteen, you’ve had your plenty encounters with the magical substance.

“I know I am a bit drunk, but honestly- Klaus and Allison left me alone with a huge bottle of wine all by myself.” You confessed, resting your arms on Five’s shoulders, “Point is- I’m really happy you’re fine.”

“Kinda feels like you wanna say more than that.” Five couldn’t help but smirk, feeling in your tone how much you were trying to hold back.

Deep down you wanted to tell him how much you missed him, how much you wished he was there with you these past months, how many times you went to sleep with him in your mind, or how many times you woke up and he was the first thought to pop in. You wanted to tell him all the stuff that made you fall in love with him, and even all the stuff that irritated you about him. You wanted to tell him so many things, but... you didn’t.

You knew that was not the time for love. You could only hope to get out of this second apocalypse alive. And maybe then... maybe then you could tell him how much he meant to you.

“I am not that drunk, Mister Hargreeves.” You lied with a smile, bopping his nose.

Yeah, definitely after the apocalypse.

#the umbrella academy #the umbrella academy imagines #the umbrella academy imagine #the umbrella academy x reader #number five #five hargreeves #five x reader #number five x reader #five hargreeves x reader #five hargreeves imagine #five hargreeves imagines #number five imagine #number five imagines

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zuffer-weird-girl · 4 years ago

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Soulmate AU

Before you meet your soulmate you have to deal with a chibi version of them before actually meeting them. So can he handle it?

Hawks point of view

Reader's view

He wasn't even 18... He had reached his 13 when it happened.

The hero comission never once talked to him about the said chibis, just honestly thinking that if Takami didn't interacted with anyone besides them, then he wouldn't had one. Soulmates were too distracting, and it could potentially bring a failure to Keigo's almost non stopping training.

Every time the winged boy would ask what were those things on their heads or shoulders they would ignore him or just tell for him to keep focusing on the training.

One day, sulking on his room with his old but inseparable Endeavour's toy, he pressed it again the chest, making the 'woosh' manifest and also to make the kid to smile a bit... only for a minute though...

He was tired and even sore from all his training... how much he wished he at least could have a friend again... someone who he could talk or even rely on excluding those guys in tuxedos who always told him what to do and where to go.

He really was a bird in a cage huh...? But he accepted that, if that meant he could be a great hero like him... then he shouldn't be complaining, right?

Before tears could threaten to form on his golden eyes his feathers ruffled when he heard and sensed it something moving on his room. Shooting up from his bed and already on guard, he narrowed his eyes like a true Hawk before sending one of his sharp feathers to where the sounds of something moving were coming from.

A wounded squeak came from the spot and he slowly came to the spot to see a tiny little thing, curling up their hand on their red bloddied cheek as tears rolled down their round cheeks. They looked like it much those things he always asked about for the men so regret suddenly came to his senses.

"Oh crap!" He whispered shouted, kneeling down and curling his wings behind his back as he tried to coax them to him "I'm sorry, I didn't meant to hurt you if I knew it was something like you..." he spoke on a hushed tone, crawling them on his palm only to blush at the pout they gave it to him "I said I'm sorry..." he mumbled before it squeaked at him again.

Looking at them again his amber eyes widened at seing them smiling at him and patting the tip of his nose, like it was some sort of way too tell him it was okay.

"You're bleeding..." he whispered regretfully before his wings went up at sensing someone coming. "Stay quiet." He hushed before hidding you along with his Endeavour plush before looking at the door to see one of his mentors.

"Takami. Is time for your training then dinner." The blond kid nodded before following the man hesitantly, sneaking one glance at his bedroom.

He almost passed his door from how fast he was flying before landing on the ground and opening the door. Bandages and snacks hidden on his shirt and arms as he nibbled on a piece of chicken.

"Hey... You're there..?" He spoke, uncharestically shy as he started to worry that his little possible friend had gone... as well...

A sudden squeak made him look at the desk the commision gave to him for study and Keigo immediatly brighten up at seing them there smilling at him.

"You're still here!" He whispered in relief before taking a seat on his desk, letting go of all the things he brought/stole from the dinner table and when they were patching him up after the training.

It squeaked at him again before hugging his hand, the first from a long time comfort he had made him smile as he introduced the bandages to help the injury himself had caused.

Thankfully it was a small little cut.. so it shouldn't be too bad.

"You eat right? I brought these things since I didn't know which one you would like, personally chicken is my favorite." He talked with a smirk before it looked at his wings flapping in glee before to his face with a worried look.

"What?" He looked over at his shoulder only to let out a chuckle "Is different! I'm not one of them so it's okay!"

It squeaked at him again before stealing a nibble from his own chicken. Making him widen his eyes before laughing and chasing the little thing while giggling.

"Give it back little thief is mine! You have a lots of food!" It squeaked at him again before he froze at hearing knocks.

"Takami? Is everything alright in there?" Came the nonchantly voice as he holded them like his life depended on it.

"Uh... yeah yeah! I'm just scretching my wings a bit!"

"Well do that in the morning." He sighed in relief as he looked at the little creature in his arms with a smile.

"We have to remain quiet, I dont know what they would do to you if they discovered this..." he spoke worriedly only to blush a bit when it kissed his cheek with the most quiet squeak, making him giggle after his inicial shock.

Years had passed since them. One day, with his little companion hidden on his jacket he came to discover what it exactly was when he annoyed one of the hero commision workers about it.

"Its a chibi Hawks."

"Eh?"

"A chibi is like a tiny version of your future partner. I had mine last year, so naturally when the time is right, I will find my soulmate."

His eyes widen a bit, feeling his chibi moving secretly on his neck as his whole body shivered in giddy.

"Although-" came another voice, the superior from behind him "They usually would appear when you reached 18 or 20 years Hawks... but since you dont have one, is a one less distraction and one step closer for you to be the perfect hero out there."

He furrowed his eyebrows at narrowed his eyes at the man, anger building on his chest before he manage to let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"Well, fuck my personal life right?" He laughed more while leaving the room and waving at them, only to let down his wings along with his mood before he felt two little arms cuddling on his neck and kissing it.

"Ah? Trying to comfort me now little dove?" He spoke on a more brighter tone as the chibi squeaked back at him. "Hang on tight, let's leave this place" he said it casually before spreading his wings wide and taking a flight.

The chibi was his safe place, the only thing that made him sane after all this suffocating training and what would come next his life as a secret agent, soon enough coming to interact with the league of villains itself.

Walking with hands on his pockets before ordering two yakitori and offering to his chibi with a bright smile.

"So, soon I'm going to meet your real self them? I cant wait to see their faces." He closed his eyes in joy when the chibi squeaked back at him while enjoying their meal.

His peace was cutted in half when a newbie on his agent called him to an event of numbering the heroes and all that bullshit he wasn't willing to go. But was forced too since after All might's fall, he clbecame the number 2 hero. Hawks the winged hero.

He couldn't help but chuckle at during the speech he made before passing the microphone to Endeavour at feeling his chibi giggling on his jacket.

He should at least had expected Endeavour grabbing him by the colar after the show he made.

"What the hell were you thinking boy?!" He only laughed it off but the chibi squeaked in fear and accidentaly fell on the ground, making both men to widen their eyes and even serve the flames of the number one hero off.

"..."

"... I can explain." Came his response as Endeavour let him down on the ground again.

He was worried that the chibi could fell from his jacket but lifes were in danger as the number one hero fought that Nomu.

And it didn't helped much knowing that him, Dabi, hadn't made their deal a thing, hurting people wasn't the freacking plan.

Walking with his head down, only a feather left his attention suddenly came back to reality when his chibi started to grip on his jacket and squeak loudly.

"Woah hey dove wait, I have to visit Endeavour on the hospital-" ignoring his words the chibi jumped from his pocket and ran away "h-HEY WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT KEEPING IN SECRET WE TALKED ABOUT HUH?!" he went after his chibi almost freacking out since he couldn't exactly fly until his wings grew again and his heart almost dropped when the chibi jumped from where they were.

"DOVE!" He shouted in horror before seing a flash of red passing through them, like a skilled bird, a chibi version carrying his little dove appeared to greet him as he holded dove on bridal style. Making him breath a sigh of relief.

"Would you look at that, two birds of a feather." He chuckled before his own version of chibi montioned for him to follow them before flying away.

After a few minutes they were now on a park as he followed him, smirking and even getting a bit jealous of how much his chibi was kissing his dove and how much they were loving it.

His chibi version squeaked before flying faster to, him trailing after them before stomping on his tracks at seing a much beautiful and real version of his dove. Looking around with tears threatening to spill from their eyes before gasping when seing his little version squeaking at them.

"You bird brain! How much did you wanted to-... to.." you seemed to notice the new companion that his chibi had before it squeaked, showing himself nearby.

It was like a freacking cupid had shot him... You were far more beautiful on there. The moonlight making your eyes and skin glow as he slowly took steps towards you.

"H-Hawks..." you greeted as he couldn't help but chuckle at how red you were as your chibis versions watched from their spot

"Since we're soulmates, I guess you should at least call me Keigo..." he mused with a smile, taking his visor off to take a good look at you, frowning when he saw a scar on your cheek that remembered it much of when he hurted his chibi version unintentionally.

"Keigo.." he snapped of his thought at hearing his name falling from your lips as you brushed his bangs away from him "(Y/n)." You smiled at him as he carresed your scar with his gloved thump.

"How long do you have this?" He asked, noticing how you got insecure and just tightening his hold on you since he didn't ever wanted to break apart from his soulmate again.

"Since my childhood I guess... It was out of no where." You mumbled in embarrassment but still with a smile before you felt his forehead touching yours as he smiled at you.

"I like it chickadee." You snorted before a series of giggles escaped your lips he so desperately wanted to try to kiss.

"Chickadee? Really?" You asked breathless as he let out a raspy chuckle.

"Well, you did called the little fella over there birdbrain. Guess we're mates for life..." he mused with his husky voice as the chibis prefered to watch from afar on a nearby tree.

#bnha heroes #bnha fanfiction #bnha #bnha au #bnha imagines #hawks x reader #takami keigo x reader #keigo takami x reader #keigo takami #hawks #my writing #zuffer writings

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gladerwolfstarkimagines · 4 years ago

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Huan x female airbender Part Three (last part)

Part one here

Part two here

Tagged: @feitansrisingsun @sirkekselord @sillytimetravelcomputer @linrailme I tagged people who asked for a part three :)

----

You and Huan travel to the firelord’s palace for his appointment with firelord Izumi but another firelord decides to crash your appointment...following the meeting you and Huan get into an argument that ends the trip in a way you did not expect

You and Huan arrived in the firenation a week later and you grinned as Huan stared at everything like a tourist. Wanting to impress him you took the flashy route home to where your mother was waiting. It was the first time Huan had met her and you knew he was nervous given your dad’s attitude to him but he needn’t have been. Your mom had heard all your stories about Huan and greeted him with a large hug as if he was already family, sincerely congratulated him on his appointment with the firelord and enquired after his favourite meal so she could make it for him all within a minute of meeting him. Huan saw where you got your kindness from.

You were slightly worried your small fire nation home would seem quaint in comparison to Huan’s mansion but he seemed oddly entranced by it. You saw him examining everything curiosly, from the handprints on the wall from when you decided to paint the wall when you were 3 and your dad joined in to the bizarre overgrown flower maze your dad called a garden. As Huan was looking around the *kitchen* that was really more of a culinary laboratory for you mom to experiment with new recipes you worried compared to his efficient home this would all be odd to him. You watched his face for any sign of confusion or dislike but couldn’t read his expression. When Huan held up a cup you’d made out of clay when you were 8 you burst “so what do you think?”. “Honestly I think your clay modelling needs work” he joked and you smiled “no of my home...will it be okay for you? I know it’s not Zafou but...”. “Not Zafou? y/n your homes lovely!”. “But you don’t think it’s....” you hit your head on plans your father had hung from the ceiling and frowned “messy and disorganised?”. You knew Huan’s father kept all his research in his laboratory, not on the living room ceiling. Huan smirked and shook his head “no i like all this because it’s so you” he smiled “the warm colours! The personal touches crammed everywhere! The fancy artifacts used as vases” Huan smirked noticing the firenation vase your father had been given which your mom used to hold cooking utensils “it’s the exact embodiment of you I love it” Huan finished and you blushed. “Well that’s...not what I was expecting” you commented and Huan smiled “I can tell by how red you’ve gone, I like when I make you blush”. You blushed even deeper and Huan laughed making you roll your eyes. “Come on i’ll show you your room” you said attempting to distract him but Huan continued chuckling as he followed you upstairs.

Given the fact the meeting was early tomorrow morning you ate and got an early night before setting out for the palace. You and Huan gave your names and were taken through so many coridoors you lost count before eventually being shown into a room with a desk and some sofas. "Wow this place is...". "I know, i thought you were rich" you smirked and Huan smiled but you could tell he was nervous. "Don’t worry it'll be fine, if Iroh recommended it i bet the firelord's all for it". "Have you ever met her before?" Huan asked and you shrugged "a few times at fire nation parties, my dad and her were friends as kids, then he mentored her son Iroh when he joined the army. Iroh was always around our home, he actually babysat me as a kid". Huan paused "the future firelord was your babysitter?". You paused before nodding "i guess, he was always just Iroh to us...his parents wanted him to live as much like a normal teenager as possible so he'd babysit me once a month, kind of hard to think of someone as a prince when they make you food and play doll houses with you". Huan smirked and you smiled "but i’ve met firelord Izumi quiet a few times, and firelord Zuko and Mai once or twice at really formal events". Huan nodded slightly reassured and you touched his arm "it'll be okay i promise". Huan wanted to point out how you had no way of knowing for sure but he didn’t, he just smiled and put a hand over your hand on his arm.

The door opened and you both tensed. You jumped up turned to the leader of the fire nation "Firelord izumi" you said bowing low and Huan followed your lead. "Thank you but there is no need for that" she called "you are my guests" she said showing you a warm smile. You smiled back and she stepped closer to you both "y/n it is so lovely to see you again, how are you parents?". "They are well thank you ma’m" you smiled. “Your father an airbender...I bet he’s making a unique mark on the air nation”. “He is” you laughed “my uncle Tenzin is not too pleased with him”. Izumi smiled fondly "That sounds just like your father” before she turned to Huan “and how are you Huan? We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting before but my son was very impressed with you, how is your mother?". "My mother?" Huan asked "you know her?". "Well i haven’t see Su since we were children but i am fond of her" she smiled "you know my parents and your grandparents were close friends don’t you". You and Huan nodded "of course". Izumi smiled "that is why when my son told me about you Huan I knew I had to meet you. I've been wanting to freshen up the place and who better than such close friends?". You and Huan were slightly speechless but Izumi smiled "so please sit and we will discuss what i have planned". You had just gotten into the plans and areas Izumi wanted art work for when the door opened. Deespite neither of you having been around him much you both recognised the former firelord on sight. "Firelord Zuko" you and Huan gasped and you both rushed to stand and bow. "No no! You are my oldest friends children" he smiled "you do not bow to me". You and Huan blushed and smiled. "It is so nice to see you both here" he smiled coming to stand right in front of you. He searched your faces and smiled "y/n you look just like Aang but I see the hint of Sokka and Katara in you too and Huan....well you just eminate Toph energy" he grinned "it is so nice to see you both, it’s like having a mini Aang and Toph in the palace again..i am so pleased our bloodlines are still linked together". You and Huan smiled glancing at one another "it seems they always have a having of intertwining" you commented and Zuko laughed. "That they do! Now Izumi please continue" Zuko said taking a seat “pretend i’m not even here”. You and Huan smirked at the very idea and Izumi smiled fondly before turning back to your both “so the question isn’t if we want you but when can you start Huan?”.

---

You walked down the palace steps an hour later a buzz about what had just happened. Huan had been hired to comission the palace! The palace! Izumi had given him almost full artistic freedom and a mass amount of money and resources. She had set him no time limit, her only condition was she wanted to announce him as her royal artist and keep him in her books for future works. It was an amazing first job as an artist and more than many got in a lifetime. You were chatting away about how proud of Huan you were when he stopped walking and grabbed your hands. You looked at him confused as Huan grabbed you and kissed you. Huan never liked PDA or being overly affectionate but here he was kissing you infront of the whole fire nation. It wasn’t a quick kiss either, it was the longest kiss you’d ever had and Huan had initiated it. You finally seperated for breath and Huan looked at you "thank you" he smiled "for getting me here, for being my girlfriend, for coming into my life" he smiled stroking your cheek "i...you..". You smiled Huan’s energy running low and took his hand "i know". Huan smiled at you gratefully and pulled you into his chest hugging you. You wrapped your arms around him slotting into him and smiled. You looked up and noticed huan was bright red which was hard with his tanned skin but none the less adorable. "Come on" you smiled seperating from him and tugging his hand "my mom will want to hear the good news!".

Your mom was thrilled and said you should celebrate. You agreed and took Huan to one of the best resturants in the capital. You covered the bill, despite the fact Huan was filthy rich, and just enjoyed treating yourselves ordering everything and anything you wanted. You’d both dressed nicely and you were determined to make this a special occasion and it became one...but for reasons you weren’t expecting.

Huan loved when you dressed up but also couldn’t help but feel nervous or lesser beside you. He knew he was punching dating you but that was most apparent when you went places looking stunning and Huan wore all black or dark green floor length outfits. It was more noticable you were an odd match in moments like this and although you never seemed to notice Huan knew that couldn't be said for other people. Case in point, on your way home you were walking hand in hand back to your house and passed some men. Huan saw their eyes fall on you in that dress and sure enough their heads turned. They were so busy staring at you they didn’t even notice Huan’s glares for a few seconds. When they noticed him they did a double take at your joint hands, clearly thinking the two of you didn’t match. Huan glared at them his muscles tightening and you felt his arm contract. "Huan?" you asked glancing at where he was looking and saw he was staring at some men. "Huan?" You repeated "are you okay?". Huan nodded snapping his head back around "i’m fine". You frowned seeing Huan was angry but didn’t want to press it out in the open.

You got home and found your mom was out meaning you had the house to yourself. You and Huan settled in your room and you took off your jewellery and shoes while watching Huan worriedly. He hadn’t said a word since those men and was just sat staring into space as he expanded his metal bracelet and back again. You frowned and now in private decided to approach the topic. "Huan?" you asked laying a hand on his arm "are you okay?". Huan sighed but nodded "i’m fine". "Because you seem kinda...". "It’s nothing" he said but he’d raised his voice and you frowned "what did those men do?". Huan sighed "it’s not just them it’s everyone". You frowned "but those men must’ve done something to make...". "Yes they did but they’re not the only ones" Huan sighed "everyone does what those guys do when they see us together". You paused sensing this wouldn’t be good but still had to ask "and what’s that?". "They stare, mainly at you first and then they notice me there too and do a double take that you’re even with someone like me, i see them question it on their face, how is he with her?". You touched Huan’s arm again but he shook his head turning away from you "no i get it, i don’t need pity y/n i ask myself that too". “Huan but i...”. “Yeah you like me” Huan sighed “but that doesn’t change the fact you shouldn’t, we just don’t match! We’re complete opposites and it makes me wonder how long before you’ll find someone better and...”. “Huan!”. “No it’s okay honestly I’m just pleased we had this much time together”. "That’s enough" you snapped and Huan’s gaze shot back around confused to hear you raise your voice "what?". "I usually don't say anything because i know you’re just a realist but i won’t let you talk about yourself this way Huan!". Huan paused "but it’s true". "No you think it’s true because of what we’ve been taught but it’s not! Looks don’t count for shit Huan! Some people might think we look odd together but i don’t care, why would i care? I think you’re amazing, smart, funny, hot and care about me...why would i care what anyone else says or thinks? All i care about is what you think of us and I don't want you ever feeling like you have something to prove to me Huan, ever! In my eyes you’re amazing and i see you that way, i see how lucky i am to have you and when i look at you i just want to..." you trailed off and seeing the way Huan was looking at you just kissed him. Huan kissed you back but you could tell he was still hesitant. "You really don’t see how out of my league you are?". You shook your head not moving your face away from his "not at all, were equal you and i, i like you and you like me, what else matters?". "Nothing" Huan agreed and kissed you again. You smiled and kissed him again "you're incredible Huan, you need more confidence, if you could only see yourself how i see you" you sighed and Huan stared up at you "you're just perfection" and kissed him again. Usually you’d break away pretty early on but you didn’t want to this time and neither did Huan. Things progressed further than they ever had but Huan hesitated as you didn't show a sign of wanting to stop. "Y/n are you sure you want to...with me?' you paused but nodded blushing "yes but if you aren’t ready then that’s okay..." you started when Huan kissed you pushing you back down "no i just wanted to make sure you weren’t just doing this for...". You flipped Huan and pushed his shoulders down "i’m doing this because i want to, not because i want to make you feel better or because i feel bad, but because i find you incredibly attractive and i want this". Huan redenned but his eyes sparked “okay”.

***

"Do you believe me?" you asked Huan afterwards and he nodded "yes". You smiled against his chest as his arms tightenned around you. "Good" you smiled kissing his neck, the only part of him you could reach without having to move. "You’re brilliant Huan and i am completely infatuated with you". Huan nuzzled his head against yours and sighed happily “I am too”.

The next morning

You woke up with a jolt and Huan woke up too feeling you jump. "What’s wrong?" he asked and you smiled "nothing...i just wondered where we were". Huan smiled seeing how good you looked beside him and for once thought you fit. He kissed your forehead and smiled "we’re in heaven". You laughed and relaxed back against him "no but we did have an undistrubed night which is odd, my mother must’ve assumed you were in your room and luckily didn’t check". Haun nodded "lucky, very lucky". You grinned and pulled the covers over you two. "Are you cold?" Huan asked and you shook your head "no this way i can forget where we are, it’s just us". Huan smiled and nodded "that’s all i need".

When you finally couldn’t hide anymore you sauntered downstairs for breakfast while Huan went to shower. You mother was sat at the table and greeted you warmly. You ate together chatting happily before your mother smiled “ow i have news! Your father’s coming home tomorrow". You smiled pleased and went to ask when his ship was getting in when your mom continued. "So make sure Huan stays in the guest room tomorrow night". You almost chocked on your breakfast and swallowed with some effort "i’m sorry?". "I’m not stupid y/n" your mother said raising an eyebrow "i know Huan didn’t sleep in his own bed last night". You paled "we...we were...". "It’s okay, you’re both adults just be safe, i trust both of you". "You do?" you asked and your mother nodded "i’ve seen the way he is around you, he’s a sweet boy and i trust him with you, i like him for you". Huan walked into the room and saw the way you and your mother stopped as he entered. "What?" he asked startled and you smiled shaking your head "nothing" and just smiled up at him. You took a moment to just admire Huan in your kitchen, his long dark hair still damp moving as he talked. His goregous green eyes watching you as he pulled a signature frown at your behaviour. Huan was obviously very confused but ignored it and sat down next to you. You entwined your hands and Huan smiled "what’s gotten you so happy?". You sighed and shook your head "nothing in particular". Huan raised an eyebrow but smiled and held your hand tighter.

Epilogue

Huan stayed in the fire nation with you for many years to complete the palace renovation and afterwards decided to settle down in the fire nation permanently. He found the fire nation a perfect place for his modern art and was soon one of the biggests influences of your generation. You carried on your air bending, working as a representative of the air nation for the fire nation along side your father. You and Huan rented an excellently furnished and decorated apartment in the city and later when your duties reduced moved out to the colonies. Neither of you wanted children and instead invested in many cats and dogs, which you loved as dearly as children. Your home was constantly bustling with your and Huan’s family, your father was always popping, your cousins visiting whenever they got annoyed by one another and atleast one of Huan’s siblings was always around. You loved feeling like part of a big family but also love the quiet days where it was just you and Huan curled up infront of the fire. Huan never questioned your match again because he couldn’t. He knew something that felt this perfect had to be just that, perfect.

____

So this is my last part of this Huan series! Thanks for all your support, I never intended to do a part two let alone a whole series so thanks for encouraging me! I hope you like it :)

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kiisaes · 3 years ago

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Kii hiiii!!!! I want to start doing commissions soon but I have no idea how and where to start. I mean yeah I'll make a comission sheet and specify stuff I know those basics. But like how do I kinda know that people would actually comission me for stuff? How did you know when to start and like what was your whole process like? Don't mind me I'm just trying to ask about this to some artists I admire and who do commissions what their experiences were like so don't feel too pressured to answer this lol

hi anon!!! that's a really good question that i unfortunately feel like i'm unqualified to properly answer, because my commission work experience was also ... how you say ... less than desirable LOL. i didn't even make a commission sheet and my overall process was super wonky so you're already doing better than me!

honestly i don't think there's any real way you can gage if you even will get commissioners. the shitty thing about any freelance work is that opportunities aren't guaranteed, and you just have to put your foot out there and hope for the best. which is scary and overwhelming, i know! especially if you're down on yourself and your abilities, because your brain will always try conjuring up reasons as to why you shouldn't. i'm pretty sure almost every artist out there has felt like their art isn't good enough so people won't commission them — trust me, i've totally been there and i'm still there LOL — but those nagging voices in your head telling you that you're full of shit ... are full of shit and you should just ignore them. or at the very least, live unbothered by them.

because the fact is, you are your worst critic! you'll always spot mistakes and flaws in your work that others literally won't even notice. so in regards to when to start, i'd honestly say whenever you feel ready to, you should! there's always art appreciators out there who i'm sure would love to give artists a shot, whether beginner or master, a rookie or wholly experienced. i can't guarantee that you'll have customers, but not trying at all already bars you from any customers in the first place. if you try and you fail, take comfort in the fact that you tried!!! that's already amazing!!!

that being said, i think probably the "easiest" way to get commissioners is to understand your audience. know what your viewers like to see from you, and perfect that! and honestly i feel quite hypocritical saying this because i go to art school and the overall vibe here is "draw for yourself and don't sell out" but the truth hurts and that truth is, if you're looking to grow a client base and make money off of your art, it doesn't hurt to draw stuff you know your audience eats up. it leads to more interest in your art, and more potential people who are willing to pay you for that art. it also might make you seem more credible as someone who draws distinct things and people follow you for those things! i hope some of this makes sense because i am so bad at wording sentences that i end up going on long rambles LOL

personally, i'm very spontaneous and i just do things without even thinking twice, so i opened ko-fi commissions last year literally because i was bored and i wanted to avoid my other trillion responsibilities. i figured if i could get some money off of my art, why not give it a shot? i did NOT expect people to commission me actually, but it was a pleasant surprise that people found my art interesting enough to pay for :) i didn't make a sheet (which i probably should ... heh) but i have drawn enough uncolored line work art + flat color work where i think my audience knew what they were getting into (uncolored line art and flat color were the initial two options i provided btw).

i also think pricing plays a huge part into whether people will commission you, which is honestly so ass because i'm a firm believer that the majority of artists, myself included, undersell their work. like, reeeaaallly undersell it. i'm talking "this artist should charge $100 or more for what they're offering but they're only charging $40?!" kind of deal. art is a product of both time and energy, and is a direct antithesis to capitalist work demands. you can't force an artist to churn out art like a machine would, and an artist's efforts towards making a personalized art piece should also be taken into consideration regarding pricing ... but unfortunately people don't want to pay a lot for commissions. and it's understandable because not everyone has enough money to throw around whenever they feel like it, so oh well. anyway my point is if you charge lower, you're probably more likely to get people willing to pay :( it sucks i know, but that's just how it is. i'm sure your prices can raise exponentially once you have credibility as a reliable commission artist though!

i hope some of this helps ?? i'm not like a seasoned commission artist or anything but this is just from my own experiences ... your experiences might be completely different! so take my advice with a grain of salt as well but uhh yea B)

#asks for becki

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mortellanarts · 3 years ago

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Twitter banner art + Update! Please give it a read if you uh like my art or me and are curious? (Aand if you have any interest in comissions opening anytime soon? 👀)

It's the tail end of the year and I'm realizing I didn't get to do a bunch of things I wanted to. This year came with way too many, and I mean MANY new adjustments for me irl, and I'm pretty sure I won't get around to any of it these next two months either. Which is fine! Life sure happens and I'm honestly in a good place despite the mess that it's been, I won't undersell that feat just for not being productive enough

I lived on my own for the first time through most of the year which has been really great but busy but a lot of aspects of my mental health improved because of it! I got back into college which has been mostly okay, I got to make a presentation about my favorite game while wearing an outfit inspired by my favorite character in it that was definetly a highlight. Getting back into zero escape for a bit felt like a nice break as well since the small fandom is more than chill to interact with, I didn’t feel as anxious posting my writing for it as I do with kingdom hearts and also like 999 means a lot to me ok I... it just does, for a lot of different reasons and these were good shaky times to revisit it

An example of something I wanted to get started on was commissions! A couple of wonderful people did reach out to me throughout the year and get me to try it out for the first time and I'm so grateful for the experience I've had so far, however I never got the nerve to properly post a commission sheet and actually open up slots on my own. Mostly because I always got scared off by thinking posting it will be the only time it'll get traction and therefore I should wait? Now I'm nearing finals and dealing with new health stuff that has me behind on every single deadline so I'm thinking about opening them around January, since it's when I'll get free time. Not sure that'd technically be a good month for it though? I’m doing some polls on other social medias to sort that out

Since this is on Tumblr any replies or asks with advice or questions are welcome! I am trying to be chill about interacting here more often since I've been getting such nice replies and tags to my stuff, and just all around fun again! I'm just awkward with any social media, and worried about oversharing or being annoying when people are here for art

But do know that every nice tag always makes me a bit prouder of my art and makes me smile ^w^ (and laugh a bit too loud sometimes, and quote it to my friends if the cholalia latche on to it, and convince me to actually commit to finishing an animatic)

#art #artists on tumblr #original #flower art #my art #since this isnt the comission sheet quite yet i'll hold off on tagging fandoms #I feel a bit bad about not going into a bit more detail not even here on tumblr but #the situation really messed with my head I think it's better to keep me from oversharing about this kind of stuff #personal but ok to rb

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theunmappedstar · 4 years ago

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Thoughts on Fitz paying Keefe to paint Fitz+Sophie?

a lot of people cringe at this moment - and sure, it was meant to catch the reader’s eyes and make us uncomfortable given our almost unlimited knowledge regarding the love triangle. however, i think it can also be viewed as sweet.

i don’t think that fitz realized how this had the potential to be awkward. because, to him, in his euphoria, it appeared as if keefe was moving on and there was no more stress so they could get back on the fast-track to being closer friends again and he had gotten the girl he loved. it was a win-win. fitz wasn’t focused on stressing over whether it would be awkward.

fitz also knows that sophie and keefe are close, so it wasn’t only meaningful to fitz to share such an intimate moment from his private life and comission keefe to create something so special, but fitz thinks it’s also nice for sophie given that keefe and her are friends and she’s shown interest in his art. fitz really did mean well with the gift.

now, another thing: i don’t think fitz has noticed keefe’s attraction to sophie. it might seem obvious to us as the readers, but i really don’t think fitz is catching on. if he does, it doesn’t appear to have clicked that it’s a very serious kind of love and much more than a crush that keefe is using to distract himself with. i think since keefe has always been very reserved when revealing his feelings for sophie that fitz hasn’t heard much (or anything) about keefe’s side of things - whereas keefe has heard a lot from fitz.

so, again, if fitz notices anything, it doesn’t appear he believes it to be strong enough for keefe to commit to it, so fitz isn’t worried it will get in the way of him and sophie.

honestly? this whole ordeal really does show fitz’s trust in keefe. it’s confirmed fitz went straight to keefe to gush about his night with sophie once they had confessed. he chooses to open up to keefe about this special thing that makes him happy and even goes so far as to involve him and request that keefe create something regarding it. i think this shows that even if fitz and keefe have rocky parts of their friendship, they’re still close underneath it. and they both know it.

bored? send me a “thoughts on” ask!

#kotlc #keefe sencen #fitz vacker #keeper of the lost cities #sophie foster #anonymous #asks #ask me anything #theunmappedstar asks

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popculturebuffet · 2 years ago

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Thomas and Friends Season 2 Retrospective: Now With More Near Murders! (Comission for Lachiev)

Hello all you silly little engines and welcome to pop culture buffet were we dig deep and hearty into some of my faviorite media and throw the stale stuff out. And today we’re going back to the Isle of Sodor for another round of Stupid Train Children for @lachievpoststhings as it’s time for Season 2 of Thomas and Friends

As a quick recap: A few months back I took a look at the first season of the children show Thomas and Friends on comission... and I quite enjoyed it. While it’s obviously meant for younger children and not 30 year old man children, the show had charm, immacuatley constructed trains, and some truly gorgeous visuals from time to time. It was also hilariously weird from a bunch of conducters deciding to make lunch out of fish fished from a train’s engine to calling the controller of the railway “The Fat Controller” to said Fat Controller (Sir Tottingham Hat) bricking up a train “for always and always” for mildly disobeying him. It was a wild ride so I gladly agreed to hop back on the train once Lacheiv had the money for round 2.

Well he finally did so i’m pushing the Venture Bros season 4b review back a bit (and likely not diong retrospectives monthly anymore anyways0, so we can get more antics.

Production wise there isn’t as much to go into as last time, as I covered the origins of Thomas and Friends, how a reverend’s tale for his sick child lead to a children’s book and then a tv deal with producer Britt Alcroftt that spawned a still ongoing franchise.

That said there’s still some intresting stuff: For starters this is the first series to have tales based on the good rev’s sons followup books, which were in part comissioned to have new books, instead of the original works. On top of that it also has two scrapped episodes and two that were later done next season: The first, Gordon Goes Foreign, which has Gordon determined to learn the name of the british railway, was scrapped for budget reasons, as it had Gordon journeying to the mainland and thus likely required a brand new set. Why it wasn’t done in later seasons like Percy’s Promise and Double Header, which we’ll undoubtly get to either later this year or early next year as i’m sure lachiev wants me to cover season 3, remains unknown to me and the wiki isn’t any help.

The other scrapped episode had more understandable reasons for being scrapped, making it half way before Britt Alcroft scrapped it and with parts of the ep rejiggered for “Break Van” which ended up being the intro for Donald and Douglas, the twin scottish engines instead due to her citing the plot as actionless and too confusing... which judging from the summary I read I can agree, as it involves a special coach, the two swapping numbers and thus while not a lot to me probbaly isn’t the best thing for 5 year olds. I mean i’m all for not undereistmating your audiences intelegence but this is a bit much.

Otherwise it’s mostly same as it ever was just with even more stupid trains to get our main cast into more hyjinks. So without further ado let’s dive into the episodes themselves so I can have a laugh at these silly train children.

Coal:

Thomas gets mad at Henry for maybe accidently covering him in coal dust, Percy ends up getting covered himself. I nearly fall asleep

While the picture here of thomas with murder in his heart is neat this is one of those episodes I honestly forgot till looking at the episode guide. It’s just kinda.. there and seems fairly weak for a season opener.

Cows:

Gordon is a prick...

Which I won’t be counting as it may reach the thousands. He thinks henry is weak for having part of his cars uncoupled by a cow, only for one to prove to be unshooable when it shows up on the track. This one’s more like it as it gives the series cows

And has Gordon being punished for his hubris. And while god punishing the stupid train children for their hubris is the show’s mo, it’s the most satisfying when Gordon gets it as he’s the most insufferable. If anyone is going to make a fuss about something not being proper or right and get punished by divine retribution via something silly, it’s Gordon, though thanks to some later additions this season, he’s not the ONLY consitent asshole in the railyard. Just the most prominent.

Bertie’s Chase

When Edward is an impatient cotton swab about Thomas being late, unaware he had a malfunction and Bertie had to take his passengers Bertie has to chase him up down and everywhere to get his passengers there. IT’s a neat story honestly, a rare full on spotlight for Bertie who may creepy me out a bit, as he looks like a car Leatherface would make for a london holliday, but is awful sweet.

Saved From Scrap/Thomas and Trevor

So in this one Edward retuns again, this time finding a traction engine named Trevor during a visit to the scrapyard. Trevor is the first new addition this season.. and also the creepiest. See as me and @jess-the-vampire who watched the first third of the season noticed Edward really, REALLY likes to talk about how his favoirite thing is to be with the children or just “the children” And look is this just bad phrasing? Probably. Is this the creepiest thing i’ve seen this week? Given i’ve seen a teenager eat ice cream off his pants with a manic grin, no. But is trevor inherently creepy looking and comes off like Thomas is going to have an adventure about finding a kidnapped child in the vicar’s basement with trevor wearing a creepy mask? yes. Also Trevor gets adopted by a Vicar. I just like typing the word Vicar. Vicar. Vicar. Vicar. Vicar. Vicarrrrrrr. It’s just fun to say.

Thomas later becomes friends with Trevor against the advice of everyone and helps contribute to his child kidnapping shed by letting him be around kids more. Not much to say about this second one or either of these other than i’d love to see Ethan Hawke voice a kidnapping train. Moving on

Old Iron

Pretty standard stuff: One train is a dick to another, god punishes the other train for his other hubris and the two bond. Standard day on sodor.

Percy and the Signals

This one is just 5 Minutes of Trains Being Dicks to each other.. which granted could and should be the title of the show, but still. Percy pranks, Gordon

And then Edward

Like Gordon geninely deserves it because he’s Gordo but Edward really did nothing. Also Edward gets punished.. despite his prank being told he got a message from the Fat Controller, aka his train dad, telling him to wait. Like.. Fat Controller.. dude.. Edward did nothing wrong. He thought he was listening to your orders. I mean it’s still far bellow sealing a train up to psychologically break him into obedience, so he’s grown as a person, but it’s also still what experts define as a “dick move”. The two get back at Percy for his hubris with a fake signal, which is pretty clever. All and all a highlight of the season as Percy suddenly being a prankish dick for no reason, the fat controllers weird hatred of edward and Gordon getting shamed all work to make this a fun one.

Duck Takes Charge

We meet new train Duck whose only real diffrence is his cool unique shape. He does make an impression though, not taking Gordon and the other big engines shit and having him and percy block them in. THe Fat Controller has none of it and tells them off for acting out.. and the bigger trains off for acting like they run the place, telling them if he had enough tunnels he’d brick in each and every one of their cabooses.... since I assume these trains do not have asses and i’m frankly scared to ask. I mean they have faces. So they could possibly eat. Either way i’m not sleeping tonight. Next!

Percy and Harold

We get our third new face, there are a LOT this season, with Harold, a hellicopter. And the effect for him is really cool as he’s clearly some sort of remote control hellicopter but not only looks real, but takes off impressively. How they pulled that off nor had him do so in time with the trains as this one focuses on Percy racing harold, I have no idea but it’s artistry like this that makes this series enjoyable. That and sentient vechiles being dicks. Harold claims it’s the end of trains with his existance and to make way for Homo Superior and such, so Percy and his fireman decide to prove him wrong with a race, which Percy wins. And honestly like Percy’s conductor, fireman and passengers I was rooting for him to kick this helicopters ass , and he did and it was wonderful. This was another highlight of the season and pure fun. I”ll also say I like harold’s design as he looks like the only vehcile character to not be wearing a freshly cooked face.

The Runaway

Thomas goes in for repairs but comes back with his brakes stiff and ends up running away due to a stupid coachman not knowing to compensate. It’s a fine enough episode with an intresting enough premise.

Percy Takes the Plunge

So this one’s sort of a sequel to the Mine episode from last time, as Percy figures he can ride on water

Ignoring Thomas’ warnings about a sign warning danger as Thomas learned about that the hard way. Naturally .. well God dosen’t even have to punish him for his hubris this time, dumbass goes over a bridge into the water and the Fat Controller simply leaves him there a while to teach him the lesson. It’s honestly the most vindictive the guy’s been since he bricked up poor Henry, but unlike that bit of psychological tourture, this bit of torture feels a TAD more warranted. I mean it’s still a lot.. but Percy was warned about this, knew what happened with Thomas, and knew this was risky, and has PEOPLE inside him. Even if he wasn’t hauling passengers his fireman and coachmen were still inside, meaning they could’ve died. So yeah, leave the stupid train child in the lake for a few hours, let him learn not to nearly kill people with his stupidity.

The Diesel Trilogy

The next three episodes center around a new addition to the yard, a Diesel train... and it’s clear the good reverened REALLY didn’t like Diesels as Diesel is a huge asshole, and the first outright antagonist the series has had. While Gordon can be one, because he’s gordon, and the other trains take turn instigating the conflict, it’s really just a musical chairs of jackassery, and their just as likely to be the hero or simply learn a lesson via a horrifying accident.

In contrast Diesel is from the start an antagonist, and the other trains and fat controller only like him because he uses his smooth seductive voice and sexy backing soundtrack to seduce them into beliving him. Though behind the curtain instead of being a hard worker he’s natural a prickupine who only wants to do what he does and belivies in Disel superiority. I nevfer thought we’d be dealing with Train racisim but that shows I just hadn’t been paying enough attention.

So Duck let’s Disel fall on his own train-sword by letting him pull some old trucks that don’t move as well and letting his own ego make a fool of himself.

So Big Daddy Cool naturally takes this as you’d expect.. and plots to get Duck banished by sweet talking the trucks into spreading lies about Duck saying shit abotu the big engines, knowing Grodon’s pride and ego will cause him to raise a fuss, as will the others. The Fat Controller is forced to send Duck away, and Duck spends the next ep in exile hauling cargo.

And this episode.. is a treat as it has one of the more bonkers moments in the series thus far

So the Trucks, being nature’s second most perfect assholes behind Gordon, push Duck and cause him to nearly have an accident, barely switching rails.. but crashing into a barbershop. Duck tries to apologize but the Barber’s repsonse.. is to lather him with shaving cream in anger. I mean sure that’s one way to take nearly dying by train in your stupidly close to the rails barbershop.

So Duck is lauded as a hero and barberman repents by washing his face off while Disel got sent away offscreen. AN EPIC CONCLUSION.. which honestly it kinda was. I mean how many trilogies end with barbershop train crashes? I mean would lord of the rings have been better if it included Frodo getting a shave and having a train come in while sam who was obviously shaving his partner lathers up the train? yes. Yes it would have. Case dismissed.

Donald and Douglas Duology

Fittingly our next two chapters are about a set of twins. Yes engines can have twins, I don’t know how and i’m comfortable not having nightmares imaginging how that works in this universe.

The Fat Controller needs extra help around the yard, so he brings in Donald and Douglas, two scottish engines, with accents that are about as Scottish as Flintheart Glomgold. It sounds like someone trying to remember how to do scottish while drunk on Absynthe. It’s hilariously pathetic

So the Fat Controller plans to “send one home” which is cold for fire them from his canon into the murky depths surrounding the isle of Sodor. They are loyal to each other though as when Donald is bullied by a break van, Douglas defends his brother.. BY VIOLENTLY ASSAULTING THE CAR. I mean...it’s more just shoving him but he has no arms so he can’t take a crowbar to him and the thing has no head to put on a curb and stomp good. He has to work with the tools whatever cruel god made these trains sentient gave him.

Eventually though both are in danger as Donald and or Douglas accidently gets injured and the other one ends up CCASUING A MASSIVE ACCIDENT THAT KILLS THE BREAK CAR. Yes really. Apparently only trains get to surivive hubris. I mean look at him up there. He fucking died! His face is just.. being carried up there. This is the first time one of these characters has out and out died. Like I knew they’d get into stupid accidents due to their own hubris, it’s the shows basic plot, but holy shit.

The two are naturally in danger of being sent home after the homicide but the next episode has the two proving to be heroes despite having killed a man.. er car... abomination?

Okay good then. They save Henry who apparently hasn’t been through enough and got trapped in a snow bank, and the trains, nervous about an announcment from the fat controller, call a Deputation to save them and force a nervous Percy to do it because

The Fat Controller is also a mild dick about it telling them “I AM THE OUTER GOD EMPEROR YOU’LL DO AS I’LL SAY OR GET SENT TO THE MINES!”.. but was going to save them anyway. A fun enough two parter, especially the second half with Percy’s nervousness being hilarous.

Thomas Comes to Breakfast

So you had enough of Trains crashing into buildings people stupidly put close to the end of traintracks?

Then good because it’s Thomas turn to nearly kill some people and this time he has no valid reason like poor duck. Thomas is told by his conducter , jokingly that he can “drive himself”... which brings up a weird thing about this series. See the trains can SOMETIMES move all alone without a conductor or at least enough, but sometimes they can’t move at all and now this one gives us a third flavor, they can move a little but can’t do everything.

And I do get it, i’m asking for consitent lore from a show about stupid train childrne. The lore is “whatever the story needs”. But at the same time in a show where the layout of sodor and areas are clearly well thought out, why isn’t how the trains move thought out?

Anyways Thomas gets it in his head he can move without a master, and pays for his.. hubris I guess? I mean.. dude should be able to move his own body. he shouldn’t NEED a driver to make sure he can move properly he should just be able to do it. The more they reveal about these trains the more I go...

I mean... i’d watch Jordan Peele’s Thomas, wouldn’t you?

Anyways Thomas crashes into the station masters house, which I get why it’s near the station, obviously it’s a short commute to work.. but once again WHY IS IT AT THE END OF TRAIN TRACKS. And this time it wasn’t just some adults milling about... there were CHILDREN in there. Thomas the Tank Engine nearly killed a whole family.

He gets punished of course but.. you may see now why I take these comissions. While the money is very nice and in this case helped me when I needed it most, this series is just.. keeps baffling me. It’ll be a pretty standard kids show one second and then have death, near murder and exile the next. This is one of the times I really love my job.

The Daisy Duology

This one focuses on another new Disel, Daisy, who is full of herself, refusing to pull milk and only doing the jobs she does though unusually for this series she’s not punished for her hubris with some horrible accident, but instead extra work after percy gets hurt doing her work and is chewed out by the fat controller> Though as a sign of the changing writers, Daisy , unlike Diesel, actually reforms, befriends the engines and thus sticks around. We don’t see her the rest of the season, but it is a nice change of pace. Overall an okay two parter, though it does underline an issue with the season: it intorduces WAY too many characters. While it was a mild problem last season, most of them stuck around. But at this point we have 11 trains in the yard, a tractor, a pedophile, a bus, and a helicopter, not to mention temproary character disel and two MORE characters next episode. I’m fine with huge piles of characters in a series: it was one of the charms of Ducktales 2017 and Bleach has slowly won me over on it having so many and introducing them so fast as I read through it, even though it is often pushing it itself. But you have to have PERSONALITY in your giant bag of characters to justify having so many or it just falls apart. The characters of Thomas are mostly interchangable over these two seasons, with only their histories and very slight diffrences. We don’t need even MORE added to the mix. It’s hard enough keeping track of the ones we DO have.

The Diseaseal

So we’re thankfully at our final intros for the season, Bill Ben and Boco.. and while I stand by my rant as while having very unique and neat purpopses (the scottish twins are accident trains while these two transport china clay), they have the same personality. Seriously their both mischevous sets of twins. But again depsite standin gby my rant.. they do look neat, with unique deisgns, nice bright orange unique colors , especially in a series that tends to rely heavily on red, blue or green for it’s engines, and a cool overhang design.

The two decide to play a trick on a Disel that stole their trucks with their firemans approval but get in trouble somehow for it. Not a bad one as the twin magic is fun to see and Boco is the first Diesel to not be an ass at all, with the whole mess being a misunderstanding (though again why the two are punished when their drivers also participated is a mystery best left to God Emperor Fat Controller)

Gordon Is a Dick Again Wrong Road

Gordon sucks suprising no one, and complains about how the side tracks the other engines take are “not proper” and has to do it himself> This episode sure did happen

Edward’s Exploit

This is one of the season highlights. Bertie is driving Tourists around sodor as is James, whose exausted. Gordon wants to kill him for being old. I’m not even joking, he half jokes about James being sent to scrap. Thankfully other trains get pissed at him and James gets his finest hour, as he has to pull his coaches in the rain, while tired, and barely going on. So Gordon for once keeps his big trap shut. All is well

The Ghost Train

Percy decides the best course of action after Thomas tells him he ain’t afraid of no ghosts.. is to prank thomas by pretending to be dead and haunting him.

All in all a REALLY fun episode I suspect was for Halloween, with a creative premise (Percy sees a g-g-g-host and thomas dosen’t belive him), some fun visuals and a geninely creepy atmosphere despite being about stupid train children pranks. Easily one of the best episodes of the season

Wooly Bear

Thomas makes jokes about Percy being a catterpillar due to collecting hay lately.. and somehow gets the victory when Percy ends up covered in hay?

Thomas and the Christmas Tree

We once again end on a high and once again i’ts a christmas episode as Thomas goes to get the christmas tree only to get caught in a blizzard. it’s a fun but tense story as it’s up to the scottish twins to save him and the other engines worry of him being sweet, as is the heartwearming ending with all the trains, car like vehicles and pedophile traction engines. it’s a solid ending.

Final Thoughts

Season 2 was a mixed bag. On the one hand the new set pieces, some of the new effects and some of the nonsense was great. The crashes into houses and barbershops, the murders, attempted murders and suggested murders, it was all lovely and there were truly some great episodes. It’s main weakeness is it really just felt like more of the same outside of the breif injection of antagonisim with diesle. New thing gets introduced, maybe their a dick, maybe someone’s a dick to them, rinse and repeat. It really did nothing new with the cast nor really made them stand out from each other except prized asshole gordon. It wasn’t a bad season and i’m not expecting deep, rich character arcs from an 80′s television sohw for young children.. but I expected a bit more of a step up from a shows second season. Time will tell if Season 3 improves on this or not. But that’s up to Lachiev whenm, and if , he wants to do it. So for now I say good bye to these noble stupid train chidlren and their fat god emperoror dad controller and had fun doing it. Thanks for reading, consider joining my patreon, and have a good day, night or whatevers.

#thomas and friends #thomas the tank engine #ringo starrr #british #trains #gordon thomas #helicopters #traction engine

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