#Updated Val! Newer Val!

[sovenasark]

Self-indulgent drawing of some D&D characters :3c

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Meet Vox!📺

Made my own take on Vox for fun! This one was really fun to do!📺

Wanted to go for a mix of 50s salesman and modern TV show host. He’s a man of show and business afterall!

Made his screen a mix of 50s TV and modern flat-screen . Show even with a his new trends, fads and updates he's still a product of his time📺

Replaced the bowtie with a tie. To parallel with my Alastor more and neckties were the iconic 50s vibe and allude to him being a big businessman.👔👨‍💼

For his color scheme, ngl I always liked Voxs, especially since it has good contrast to Al, @the-burd-lord suggested I'd go with RGB theme, colors on display screen. Ngl I was conflicted what colors to go with for the vees(Primary, Red blue purple etc). But then I realized when u mix those colors u get those other colors and then I decided to give the Vees two main color themes for each. One for show, the other their true colors! I also looked at 50’s colors for inspiration, mixing it with a more modern electric ZAP! ⚡️ also looked at his pilot colors.

Vox advertises with bright electric blue like cyan! In reality, he's a dark sad blue.

Val advertises with passionate and romantic red but really he's a deceitful toxic yellow

Velvet advertises with elegant purple/magenta but known truth an envious and materialistic green.

Wanted his look to parallel Alastors, keep the vibe of dressing like him but also looking like his own brand! Both have Wave symbols as well as symbols relating to their special media, Alastor radio 📻, Vox TV 📺. Power buttons on his suit, TV waves in his tie, like a satellite📡 🛰️ ,

even incorporated his Logo. Love it!!!! Wanted Vox to give off a newer, brighter vibe! Show he’s keeping up with trends more than Al, staying relevant. Like those TV product ADS!!!!!!!!

Added sharper edges! Sharp guy!

Gave him a bigger build. More square shaped square along with his facial features for a robotic feel◼️🤖📺

Went more with his old Shoe design, but made them white with red.also added more stripes like the OG.

Removed the top hat to make his antennae look like a hat itself, along with making the V symbol.

For his time the pinstripe suit Def fits him, removed the long coattails.

Here’s a Link to Alastor and another. Might connect his story with Vox.

What do u think?How would u redesign Vox? I’d love to know💖

[chaotic-on-main]

Hey lovely Sky 🩷

🎉 Congrats on 250 followers 🎉 It's really deserved & I bet you'll soon get many more!

For your Summer Event, may I request

☀️ Matcha green tea sugar cone

☀️ Fresh fruit topping 😏

☀️ Levi and reader are stuck at home on a very hot day, no air conditioning, shutters half closed, beads of sweat sliding down their skin... Fluff & slightly suggestive if it's ok for you.

Sending lots of love 🩷

Order up!! One matcha green tea sugar cone with fresh fruit for Val!!

Sky's Summer and 250 Follower Event!

☾ Pairing ➼ Levi Ackerman x afab!Reader

☾ Content/Warnings ➼ suggestive (MDNI just in case), fluff, modernAU, sweaty bodies lmao, implied sexual intimacy, friends to lovers, established relationship

☾ A/N ➼ Hi Val!! Thank you so much for sending in a request. I've been sitting on this one for a bit and I'm pleased to see where it went. Before anyone asks, yes I did give the house a history. I was imagining one of those really old Victorian homes. Yanno, the ones with really old white painted wood and a porch lol. Let me know what you think! Likes and reblogs are always appreciated. 💕

☾ Word Count ➼ ~2.6k

Levi had told you when you both first started dating that he lived in an old building. He currently leased a room with a few of his other friends, something that needed to be done as rent was high and it was the only place they could find at the time. Since then, they never had any reason to leave, and they were fortunate to have a sweet old lady as their landlord.

According to Levi, the house had been in the landlord’s family for many generations spanning back to the mid-1800s. Very little upgrades were made in those years as they wanted to preserve the physical body as much as possible. There were a handful of updated kitchen appliances, a few wall-mounted A/C systems, and of course newer plumbing. But outside of that, the house has looked the same for the past few centuries.

This meant that the door that you were currently fighting with had been there just as long as the house has. Levi had warned you hours ago that sometimes in the summer, the door could expand and get stuck. On this particularly hot day, Levi’s bedroom door might as well have been superglued to the frame.

“You know it can get stuck like this, yet you still close it?” You hiss at Levi as you continue to pull on the knob with no avail.

“I don’t want people peeking into my room as they walk past.” Your boyfriend of a few months’ grumbles behind you.

“Erwin and Hange are both at work. You make no sense.” You hear Levi’s tongue click in annoyance.

“Just give it a few minutes.”

With a huff, you turn around and face Levi. He’s sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at you with his eyebrows knit. You take a few steps towards his bed and fall face first into the soft comforter. His laundry detergent wafts up into your nose as you do, and you find yourself nuzzling into the sheets more.

“Well, at least the air conditioning is working.” Your words come muffled through the blankets. Just as you finish your sentence, there’s a soft pop and then deafening silence. The heat that comes after is instant.

“You just had to say something, didn’t you.” Levi groans as he gets up from the bed, the mattress underneath him whining at the sudden lack of weight. Your face is still down in the mattress, so all you hear is him messing with the air conditioning unit above his dresser. From the sounds of it, it’s still blowing but softly and only warm air is coming out. Something clunks on the top of his dresser then he starts tugging at the old wooden door.

“Shit.” He mutters under his breath after a few minutes of struggling. “I think it’s actually stuck this time. Where’s your phone?”

You roll over and sit up to face him, feet crossed under you. You can already feel the sweat starting to build up on your face and neck.

“I left it out on the coffee table. Where’s yours?”

“Kitchen counter. Fuck.” He rakes his fingers through his hair and the way it’s sticking back, you can see he’s starting to get sweaty as well. He crosses his arms over his chest and stares at you.

“Maybe we climb out the window and go through the house to the other side of the door?”

“We’re on the second floor and the front door is locked. My keys are out in the living room.”

“What about kicking down the door?”

“And risk the wrath of Mildred? No. We’re stuck here until one of the other idiots comes home.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose in between fingers as you try to think of more options, but nothing comes to you as the heat of the room is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Your clothes are sticking to your skin, and you feel your scalp becoming damper by the second.

“That could be hours, Levi.”

“I’m well aware.” He sighs heavily and steps over to his window before sliding it open then pulling the shade down to block out some of the afternoon sun. The room is still hot but at least there’s circulation now.

Eventually you and Levi both find each other lying on your backs on his bedroom floor. Fortunately, he kept it clean so you had no worry about what you might pick up while down there. You think an hour had also passed, either you or Levi getting up periodically to check on the door – which didn’t budge in the slightest.

The beads of sweat that moistened your skin and pooled into your clothes became irritating by the second and you couldn’t stand it anymore. After pulling yourself up, you tug your shirt up and over your shoulders as much as you could despite the wet fabric clinging to your skin. Then, you push your shorts down until they’re around your ankles and don’t hesitate to use your feet to kick them back up to you to save you from leaning down.

Levi’s head rolls over in your direction at the sudden rustling and you spot his eyes widen at the sight of you now only in your bra and underwear. You feel his gaze linger before looking up at the ceiling.

This is the first time Levi has ever seen you this stripped and you think you might regret this later. But in the heat of the moment, all you can focus on is making yourself comfortable.

“The fuck are you doing?” His face is flushed and you’re certain it’s not just from the heat.

“It’s hot as shit and I can’t stand the feeling of wet clothes. Don’t read too much into it.” You say down to him, resting your fists on your hips. “Unless you want heat stroke, I’d recommend doing the same.”

“No.”

“Suit yourself.” You shrug before sitting back down on the hard floor. The cool wood on your back elicits a content sigh from your lips.

A few minutes pass before you hear an irritated click of a tongue then the rustling of Levi standing up. Just as you had, he’s pulling his t-shirt off and tugging down his jeans, grabbing them and folding them neatly before placing them on his dresser.

You had suggested it but now you wish you hadn’t. Levi’s side profile is enough to make you swoon, his hair dripping with sweat and sticking to his forehead. The realization that you were both now half naked in front of each other hits. Not like you were intending any funny business but your eyes don’t leave his porcelain skin as they trail down his body and the feeling it leaves behind makes your heart flutter.

Lean muscles pop up throughout his small frame. His back and arms are more prominent, though it’s obvious he never skipped a core or leg day either. A happy trail matching the raven hair on his head leads down under his semi-tight polyester boxers and you force your eyes away from staring any further – not without a small glance though.

He lies back on the floor next to you, avoiding your gaze.

“Happy?” Levi grumbles finally. He pulls an arm up and over his eyes.

“I feel better, yeah. Do you?”

“…I guess.” You can’t help but smirk at that.

You imagine it had been another hour since that. The time was filled with talks of anything you could think of - mainly about what you would order for dinner tonight. You forced yourself to stop as your stomach started growling painfully.

The sun shot straight through the window and Levi had gotten back up at some point to lower the curtain more to block it out. That also meant blocking out any air flow so the room began to feel stuffy. You’re debating on taking off more clothes before Levi pipes up again, his voice crackly from the lack of moisture.

“I shouldn’t have invited you over.”

Lolling your head to face him, you eye his sweaty face in surprise. His dark eyes side-eye you as you consider his words. There’s a trace of guilt in his expression from what you can see.

“And miss all of this fun?” You joke back, a smile tugging at your lips. There’s a pool of sweat building under your skin and onto the hard floor now.

“You could be anywhere else right now.”

“True. But I wanted to spend my day off with you. If this is how I go, then so be it.” You reach over to gently push the hair strands sticking to his face out of the way. They stick straight up and you can’t help but chuckle at it. “Besides, if I knew this would be a way to get your shirt off, I’d have glued the door to the frame way earlier.”

“You’re such a dumbass, you know that?” You hear a lilt of amusement tickle his voice. “If you wanted my shirt off, you could have asked.”

“Would you have if I did?”

“I guess we’ll never know.”

The perks of being good friends with Levi for so long before officially dating included seeing Levi in a different light and you knew he would rather die than show anyone else. Levi Ackerman was the funniest person next to your friend Hange, but no one would ever believe you if you told them.

And If you looked past his dry tone and brusque demeanor, you’d see the softest soul anyone’s ever seen.

“Hey Levi?” You push yourself off the ground, which proves to be a little difficult as the floor is slippery from your sweat, and onto your butt. He hums back in response, opting to stay flat on the ground. Your eyes scan the sweat gleaming off his soft, pale skin. You really want to reach over and touch his chest but you hold back, folding your hands on your legs that sit straight out as you lean against the end of the bed.

“What made you finally ask me out after so many years?”

“You’re asking this now?”

“If I’m going to die here, I’d like to know before passing on, yeah.”

“Tch.” Levi sits up effortlessly and turns to face you, sitting with his legs crossed underneath him, then leans back against his dresser. “Hange.” He rakes his fingers through his wet hair that fell in his face and pushes it back out of his face. With the amount of sweat building up, it stays slicked back which makes your heart jump at the sight.

“Hange?” You furrow your brows at that. It was the last thing you thought he would say.

“They told me to stop being an idiot and make a move before someone else did.”

“Did they now? Couldn’t stand seeing me on someone else’s arm?” You pinch your lips together to hold back a smile as you watch him. Beads of sweat roll down his face and neck.

“No.” His eyes stare into yours with straight sincerity. “It annoyed me just thinking about it.”

“And how long were you crushing on me?” This time, you don’t stop the cocky smile carving into your face and no doubt into your eyes as well.

“Speaking of annoying.” He rolls his eyes at you, but there’s a small smirk on the corners of his mouth. You notice the way his eyes trail down your body, lingering on certain places that makes your face heat up more than it already was.

“Hm, but that’s why you like me.”

“Is that why?” Levi leans forward so that he’s on his hands and starts crawling over to you. In mere seconds, his face is right in front of you as his body hovers over your legs – hints of lemon and sweat seeping into your bubble. The proximity of his warm body makes the air around you hotter. You swallow hard, eyes bouncing back and forth between his dark gray.

Before you can answer, he pushes forward and his soft lips meet yours gently. This isn’t the first kiss, but it might as well have been. Every kiss with Levi always leaves your heart with palpitations and your head dizzy, this one was no exception.

He raises a hand so that he’s only leaning on one, and wraps it around your neck to pull you deeper into him. You taste the saltiness of sweat as well as him and you’re quick to melt into his touch.

The heat of the room is unbearable, but it’s nothing compared to the heat blooming throughout your whole body as Levi's lips make their way down your jaw and to your neck. You feel his razor sharp teeth nip at your soft skin before his lips make their way back up to your mouth - his movements hungrier with every passing second.

“Where the heck are you guys?! It’s 4:27!” You hear from the other side of Levi’s door before it’s being flung open from the other side a second later. You squeak in surprise as the door vibrates on his hinges from slamming against the wall. Levi is still inches from you but now both of your heads are turned towards the tall person standing in the door frame. The cool air from the hallway blasts through and if you weren’t in such an awkward predicament, you would have jumped for joy.

“I’ve been in the parking lot for the last 30 minutes waiting…” They trail off as they take in the situation. Half-naked, flushed and sweaty, and Levi practically on top of you. Your eyes widen up at them.

“Well, well, well. I can see why you left me hanging.” They muse as they cross their arms over their chest and raise an eyebrow at you.

“I- it’s not- his door wouldn’t open so-” You stutter out, hands waving in front of your chest in protest.

“Go away, four-eyes.” Levi grumbles as he sits back on his knees and turns away from the door, leaving his back to Hange. You note his hands sitting on his lap in a graceful manner.

“I’ll give you some time to uh, get ready. Erwin and the rest of the gang are already at the restaurant waiting for our asses.” Hange winks at you before turning on their heels and walks down the hallway. Their footsteps clunk down the old staircase, growing fainter with every step.

It’s silent besides the rushing of air from the other a/c units throughout the house. The cool air tingles on your skin, turning the beads of sweat cold. You can’t help it, you laugh out loud – obnoxiously so.

“Figures Hange would find us.” Levi mutters. He’s still facing away from the door but you can see his side profile as he side-eyes you once again.

“They saved us though.” You say after catching your breath. Using the back of your hand, you wipe the sweat off your forehead. You were going to need to clean up before meeting up with everyone for dinner. An idea strikes as you pull yourself up off the floor.

“You know, we need to shower before leaving.” You say down to Levi.

“That would be wise, yes.”

“It would save time and water if we shower together.” You say quietly as you tug on an invisible string hanging off your bra.

Levi is off the floor and pulling you into the bathroom across the hall before you can say anything else.

[thenextchapterbegins]

blitz pinned info update very important.

i just wanted to say before i went to bed because its been happening afew times with some of my newer mutuals which is fine its ok i aint mad.

BLITZ is an overlord, its not a funny title, its not an ego trip he is an actual overlord just like vox, and val, alastor etc. He rules or his territory is imp city. if u the MUN are confused ON WHY HE IS. there is important information in my pinned under the read more the playwright is a good event to let u really kno this blitz is different, and the overlords proclomation is a end important event that i made after blitz successfully killed stolas.

THATS ALSO THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING. stolas is dead in any rp with my blitz. stolas is dead. to make SURE that this is known im going to be updating the important info for my blitz. and to make sure the links are showing the right things. realistically ur muses should both kno that one my blitz is an overlord and two he killed stolas if that isnt coming through then hopefully by me editing my pinned to have that event in there can help sorta cement everything.

if u still come out confused plz just im me and ask i would rather u come into my ims and ask me what the flub is going on in my lore then ur muse just not knowing whats going on with blitz because it just creates weird rping where ur muse should have pretty pivtol knowledge and my muse will just be super confused.

[devilsrecreation]

OKAY, SOME CHANGES/UPDATES:

-Almost everything I said above stays the same except where I said Atlas tries to confront ROR after Randall gets kicked out, since it seems like Randall stayed with the frat throughout college. That being said, Randall still apologizes post-Scare Games and Atlas forgives him, accepting that Randall is with ROR now. But they made sure to not let them get between their friendship :)

-The pic with Peter is now Atlas’ reaction when ROR started selling unwanted merch

“I just wanna talk to him”

“….What-what’cha got there?”

“Is that a knife?”

“I just wanna talk to him-“

-Randall and Atlas still made their friendship known to ROR, but Atlas promised to not kill Johnny as long as he leaves Oozma Kappa alone, which they do (ROR is still scared of Atlas lmao)

-Since Randall was only in the human world for a few minutes before Johnny “saved” him, I’m changing my entire hc involving my other oc, Sam

Atlas is now the one Sam meets first while following some reptiles deep into the Bayou where they live and became fast friends. Long story short, Sam is the reason why Atlas changed from a fiery little shit to a hippie. Sam ultimately decides to run away from his crappy home life and join Atlas into sneaking back to the Monster Realm. Like Boo, Sam gets his own handmade disguise as a lizard monster, courtesy of Atlas

-As short as their reunion was with Randall, it was super sweet. As soon as they saw each other, they practically jumped into each other’s arms and when they pulled back they saw each other’s scars, went “What happened to your face???”

-Oh btw Atlas got their scar from a fight with another banished monster…and they won

-They kindly offered Sam and Randall to stay at their place. Sam’s grateful she has a better home life while Randall mostly uses it to lay low. But at least he can hang with his bestie and catch up :)

-Speaking of catching up, it doesn’t take long for Atlas to find out the entire truth since Randy can’t lie to them. While they’re rightfully pissed and can barely recognize him at first, they firmly believe that he can still change. They’ve known Randy forever, there HAS to be some good still in him….somewhere. And right now, they’re working on it (with help from Sam)

-They were honestly super happy that Johnny’s in prison with Waternoose. They had a bad feeling about him the MOMENT they met him so nice to know they were right :)

-Chet is still terrified of them, but fortunately, they respect him more when they learned he ratted Johnny out

-Sam got them to open their mind more, so they don’t have a problem with laugh energy. Spreads a lot more “positive vibes” according to them

-I think they’ll return to their job as a receptionist for now. It was Sully’s orders when he learned about Atlas’ side of the story (he already knew Waternoose banished them but never learned the reason)

-They got to know MIFT and the newer employees really well. They love Val, see Fritz as a second dad, they’re cool with Duncan (although definitely would have beaten him up when they were younger lol), Cutter’s easy to talk to, and Tylor radiates a lovely aura. They were admittedly wary of Roger based on his familial ties with Waternoose, but he was SUCH a relief when they met him in person

-They’ve also gotten pretty close with Joy, since she reminds them of Randall. They’re teaching her about kindness :)

-Fortunately, they slap some sense into Randy and get him to see how Johnny was always using him for his own gain. Randall’s just grateful his best friend stuck by his side no matter what

Ya’ll I’m not gonna lie, I’m actually thinking about making a Monsters Inc/University oc

I did this monster oc challenge from tiktok a while back and now I’m like “yk what? Let’s make them a monsters inc character”

Everybody meet Atlas

-They’re kind of a mix between a sea monster and a scorpion except their species can go on land and in water

-Randall’s childhood best friend and went to MU with him

-Met Randall in elementary school when he was getting bullied and they (formerly she) beat the bullies with a book

-Used to be a feisty and sassy little shit who would gladly pick a fight but has since matured and become more of a hippie…who would still pick a fight if you messed with their friends. Their heart is in the right place, they just don’t make the best decisions

If you don’t believe me, this was Atlas’ reaction when Randall was kicked out of ROR

- Was a business major in MU but didn’t know what kind of business they wanted to run

-Friend of Art and Squishy during the events of MU (they think Art’s funny and they must protect Squishy at all costs)

-Was NOT proud of Randall when they saw what ROR did to Oozma Kappa at the party and they even confronted Johnny about it

To be more specific, after OK ran out, they (having been a new friend of Art) stomped to ROR and was all “What the hell did you do that for?! What have they ever done to you?!”. After Johnny and Chet told them some bs excuse like “Lighten up, it’s just a prank” and “They’ll never be scary, anyway”, Atlas told them that while they aren’t the scariest monsters around, they’re still the nicest, most hardworking people in school if you got to know them. “They’re better monsters than you jerks will EVER be!”. Then Johnny would say something even more condescending and douchey that ultimately gets himself punched in the face (and Chet punted across the room).

Thankfully, Randall camouflaged himself to avoid both the verbal beating and the embarrassment (cuz if ROR figured out he and Atlas were friends, he’d be kicked out of the fraternity for sure). But he did show himself when Atlas was leaving and the two had a little spat. Randy begged Atlas to just let it go while Atlas argued how wrong it was to do them dirty. It gets to the point where Atlas does the somewhat cliche “You’re not the person I remember” thing, which sours their friendship

-It’s okay though, cuz after Randall gets kicked out of ROR post Scare-games, he goes back to his old dorm and sees Atlas as his new roomate. They make up and still remain best friends to this day

They also made their friendship known to ROR, who are now afraid of them due to Atlas kicking them where the sun doesn’t shine. Nobody messes with either of them now

-I’m thinking Atlas gets banished sometime before the events of Monsters Inc. They were a secretary in the company (either working alongside Celia or they worked on her days off) and somehow found out Waternoose’s true colors after catching him doing something to “save the company” (it wasn’t the scream extractor but it was definitely illegal). Instead of reporting it to the cops or something like that, they decided to confront Waternoose themselves, leading to a fight where Waternoose ends up pushing Atlas through a door, thus banishing them. They eventually get un-banished after the events of MI, but oh boy is Randall in for a surprise

Living in the human world (in a bayou to be exact) is the reason they went from a little shit to a hippie

They have sort of a reputation, where they’re known as “The Beast in the Bayou”

-They can live anywhere as long as there’s a body of water nearby. Whether it’s the ocean or a lake or a river or even a creek in a forest, as long as there’s water, they’ll be just fine

-That tentacle hair can move on its own. It has done some damage

-When they (and possibly Randall) get un-banished, they once again become a receptionist

Or maybe they own a hippie boutique, haven’t decided

[arcxnumvitae]

It’s been a while so I figured it was time to make an updated list of who in my muses knows who, for newer mutuals and in case it doesn’t confuse if one alludes or mentions another. This might just be a two-parter, depends on how long it ends up, the dragons alone might need their own post. 

Everything in on everyone’s respective relationship pages too if more info is wanted. There may be gaps though since I won’t be redundant and include stuff or relations that are already explicitly in history sections of their bios.

Ren, Lucia, and Aeon are all essentially childhood friends who formed a little group for a few years when they were younger and out on the streets. A falling out between Ren and Lucia caused things to splinter though, and while Aeon is still of good terms with each, things are dicey between the other two. 

Val was there with Alexander Moore during the meeting where everything went wrong. Arata personally witness Val shoot and injure his mother, and it was Val who he also specifically held a grudge against over the years. It culminated with Val being sent to kill Arata once Alexander realized the other was still alive. Arata managed to escape, which led to Val’s own eventual escape from the Moores. During their last meeting where it was believed that Val would kill him, the two seemed to come to some mutual understanding of the things they'd been forced to do during their lives. Not forgiveness, but an understanding. They have not seen each other since.

Cousins! Uh, sort of! Maybe fourth or fifth cousins, I haven’t really done the math or managed to figure what their official title would be but they basically call themselves cousins. Dawn met Cornelius on a trip to her parents’ hometown in Texas and was struck by how much he looked like her deceased father. It turned out that Cornelius is a paternal relation descended from her uncle (from the 1960′s) side of the family. Though her meeting with the rest of that side of the family wasn’t as pleasant, the two remain incredibly friendly, almost like siblings, and keep in touch. Cornelius is fully aware of Dawn’s whole supernatural dealings.

Basically coworkers. Their personalities are very different though so honestly they don’t really ever interact. Or think of the other much. Arya barely keeps track of the other sins anyways since it’s only a matter of time until new ones rise to take their titles. 

Aur is currently without memories so this is kind of moot on his end, but basically think of “two kids whose parents know each other and so they ended up at a lot of the same functions together.” 

[huskofachance]

If Vox did die in the 50′s. Then could he possible be a demon who had a brush with Alastor. Realized he wasn’t strong enough yet and started to upgrade himself. Since the 50′s generally have that whole vibe of “looking forward” and have a great sci-fi   going for the era.  So really, it’s interesting you think of Vox as an overlord who doesn’t stagnate and instead makes a point to keep pace with the times. His taste matching with the era of newer demons but still keeping rooted in that 50′s tv host personality.  I think i just enjoy the idea of Vox having a update to date vocabulary but around Vox and Velvet he uses slang like “Val, I love ya but you’re curisin’ for brusin’.”  or  “Velvet don’t take this the wrong way, but you have a classy chassis.”   Like I do hope we find out that Vox is from 50′s and that he’s been keeping his death year hidden from others so Demons think he is younger then he actually is.  Like dude faking his death so he can change bodies and look like a new overlord on the rise.  

[baguetteavocat]

i just came out to all of my friends through text and this is the fuckn crackhead message i sent:

eyo, it’s me again. wanted to slide into your dms or whatever while i’m not able to think myself out of it, and give you a little fun fact about yours truly.

ya boi has been doin some thinking, and by that i mean i remembered that i did this like a year ago, and so i wanted to give a little update.

first of all, hi. i’m non-binary. i prefer they/them pronouns.

second of all, hi. i’ve been going by valor/val online and with two of my newer friends. i quite like it.

basically, i’m gonna try it out. maybe i’ll like it, maybe i won’t. that’s fine by me. i’m in no rush to figure myself out. but basically i’m gonna be testing the name out with you as one of my lab rats. you can call me val if you don’t wanna say valor. don’t worry, i actually love val.

and, yes, i’ve been doing fine! i’ve been trying to express myself more as, well, myself! it’s helped my confidence quite a bit, other than the comments i get from my mom. i... haven’t told my parents. last time it got brought up, my mom said that being a non-binary lesbian was impossible, and she wouldn’t listen to my explanation. regardless, i’m feeling more like an actual living thing than i have in a long while.

i’m almost finished with finals, and i’ll probably have an extra week or so school-free at this rate. i will warn you, though, that i’m getting a haircut soon. bye-bye long hair!

so, yeah! i miss you a lot (no homo) and i’m glad i’ll get to see you next semester! hopefully i can actually be emotionally available this time around!

love ya!

[menswearmusings]

A Few Beautiful Photos From Italy

Sorry for no updates in a long time. We just returned from a three-week trip to Italy, and the lead-up to the trip was just incredibly busy not only packing but just in life in general.

Not to make this a travel blog suddenly, but I did want to share a few photos from our trip. We spent about three weeks, splitting our time between three places: the Dolomites region, Cinque Terre, and Sabaudia, a small coastal town south of Rome.

Our main purpose for traveling is religious—we observe an annual biblical festival called the Feast of Tabernacles every fall, which we keep by traveling somewhere for eight days to gather with others and worship. This year we chose to travel to Italy to be with our Italian brothers and sisters, as well as other visitors from all over the world. So, that’s why we stayed the last half of the trip in Sabaudia.

The first half the trip, we split in half: 5 days we stayed in Siusi in the Dolomites region, and 5 days we stayed in Monterosso, the northernmost village of Cinque Terre.

We absolutely loved the Dolomites. Our Airbnb was amazing, the people were all very nice, everything was kid-friendly, the food was this great mix of Austrian and Italian, and we saw some of the most breathtaking scenery I’ve ever witnessed. One of the best things is some of those amazing scenes are so easy to get to, like the stroller-friendly roads and trails up in the high plateau of Alpe di Siusi, or the cable car in Ortisei that takes you straight to the amazing views of Seceda. And everything and everybody was very kid-friendly, too (all Italians, everywhere, I should note, love babies, and ours was no exception).

Alpe di Siusi

We liked the small town we stayed in of Siusi—Rick Steves recommends staying in the next town over, Castelrotto, which has more going on and is a bit bigger. For more selection of restaurants, that’s probably a good idea. But Siusi is where the cable car up to Alpe di Siusi is, and everything is within walking distance. We rented a car (adventures in driving manual, something I only do when I’m in Italy renting a car!), which got us around everywhere, though there are bus routes throughout the region. It was nice to have a place to keep our stuff, though, when we went out for a day of doing things.

Cinque Terre was a major contrast—we came from cool mountain air in clean Austrian villages to warm coastal weather with full-blown Italian culture. Stepping off the train into Fegina, the newer part of Monterosso where the beach is, felt like stepping into a Mexican resort to be honest. But we enjoyed our time there, eating focaccia and pesto (both of which the Liguria region is known for), and doing lots and lots of walking. Actually we killed ourselves with the hikes here more than we did in the mountains.

Vernazza

And Sabaudia, what can I say—it’s a place probably no Americans ever go, but it’s got beautiful sandy beaches and is a short drive from Rome, and about 2.5 hours from Naples (where we went, ate amazing pizza at da Pellone, then hit up Herculaneum one afternoon).

We had one final day in Rome before flying home. We scheduled a family photo shoot, then met up with a friend who was also traveling in Italy for a Spritz, dinner and gelato. Walking around that city—even after three weeks of sometimes exhausting, grueling travel, being ready to come home—got my heart beating again and wanting to stay another week. The Pantheon took my breath away as usual, the cacio é pepe was excellent (even at the over priced tourist spot we ate at out of poor planning and desperation), and the gelato from Giolitti was outstanding (a recommendation Antonio Ciongoli had given me years ago that really paid off).

Our favorite city from all our travels to Italy so far is Florence (where I’m returning in January for a certain menswear trade show), but this time, the Eternal City put its hooks in me, calling to mind the very first Eidos collection five years ago, This Is Rome.

Even after the exhausting 10-hour journey home (with a baby, just turning on in-flight movies to pass the time is not an option), I’m already excited to return.

Seceda

Val di Funes

Lago di Braies

Read more at Menswear Musings

[askribbonsbloom]

“I don’t know why.... D-D-Do you think servants dress like this around he-he-here?”

/ Starting off simple and small for newer updates! Feel free to send in more questions! Remember there is also Bolt, Val and Strut out there still~

[nahasready]

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V13 – In 2014 for all major version were updated including the versions for mac.V13 – In 2015 released new updates for Medical (UK, French, German) (Dragon Medical Practice Edition 3) supporting all OS.V14 – In 2015 released new updates for Professional version for all operating systems.V15 – In 2016 Dragon Professional Individual Dragon Legal Individual Dragon Professional Individual for Mac (version 6) were updated.V15 – In 2017 Dragon Professional Group (Languages: English US and German only).V15 – In 2018 Dragon Medical Practice Edition 4 (Languages: English US) were updated discontinued for OS operating systems.Versions of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Software : and till then it is known as Nuance dragon naturally speaking software. anmd makes a deal to distribute and support IBM ViaVoice Desktop Products.Ģ005 ScanSoft becomes Nuance, Inc. 2003 ScanSoft Ships Dragon NaturallySpeaking 7 Medical, Lowers Healthcare Costs through Highly Accurate Speech Recognition.Ģ003 ScanSoft closes acquisition of SpeechWorks International, Inc. And in, 2001 ScanSoft closes acquisition of Lernout & Hauspie Speech and Language Assets. 1997 Dragon introduced “ Naturally Speaking“, the first “continuous speech” dictation software available.ġ999 Microsoft acquired Entropic, giving Microsoft access to what was known as the “most accurate speech & voice recognition system” in the world.Ģ000 NetBytel launched the world’s first voice enabler, which includes an on-line ordering application with real-time Internet integration for Office Depot. 1996 BellSouth launches the world’s first voice portal, called Val and later Info By Voice. It was the first time dictation speech & voice recognition technology was available to consumers. Speak and Spell used a speech chip which led to huge strides in development of more human-like digital synthesis sound.1982 Dragon Systems was founded and is well known for its long history of speech and language technology innovations.ġ995 Dragon released discrete word dictation-level speech recognition software. 1936 AT&T’s Bell Labs produced the first electronic speech synthesizer called the Voder (Dudley, Riesz and Watkins),which was demonstrated in 1939 by experts that used a keyboard and foot pedals to play the machine and emit speech.Early 1970’s The Hidden Markov Modeling (HMM) approach to speech & voice recognition was invented by Lenny Baum,HMM is a complex mathematical strategy that eventually was adopted by all the leading speech& voice recognition companies including Dragon Systems, IBM, Philips, AT&T and others.1971 DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) established the Speech Understanding Research (SUR) program to develop a computer system that could understand continuous speech.1978 The popular toy “Speak and Spell” by Texas Instruments was introduced.

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[valeriec80]

Helicon!

So, I have an announcement.

Guess what I wrote 31,000 words on this week?

Yes, it’s Helicon #6, tentatively titled Strawberry Fields Forever, tabled and put off since 2016!

I mean, no one cares about this, truly, except like maybe 3 people, two of which are the only people who have ever messaged me, EVER, about this series that I never finished five years ago. Like, I stopped writing it. NO ONE CARED. 

So, I never finished it. I mean, this series never made any money, and it had no fans, (or okay, not NO fans, but two. Maybe ten. Not a lot, all right?), so I didn’t even feel guilty about it.

Okay, lie, I felt guilty like every single time I thought about it. Anyway, I have these five books floating around in limbo that I feel like crap about promoting, because I haven’t finished the series, and I realized that I write books constantly that make no money. Like, let’s be real, there’s the entire Val Saintcrowe pen name, which is just a big pit of advertising dollars with no profit at all, because whatever I like to write is cursed to not make money (yes, this is true, Valerie, hence why you’ve been supporting yourself with your writing since 2012, because nothing you enjoy writing makes any money. *nods sagely*).

Okay, look, whatever.

I’m writing Helicon now. I’m finishing the series. That’s the point. And if you are one of the few, the proud, the TEN fans of this series, then... this is for you. Because I love you, and I never forgot you, and I was jonesing for drunken decisions, muses all sleeping with each other, an attempt at some plot that was immediately swallowed in soap opera, and Sawyer, Nora, and Maddie, who we all love so much.

I was going to link to the first book here for people who haven’t read the series yet, but I actually... like I first published this book in 2012, and that is NINE years ago. So, uh, I have decided against a total rewrite, because I just don’t have that kind of time. But I do have a few things I want to do to book one before I go saying to people, go read this! Primarily, they involve non-binary character Sawyer Snow. Sawyer does use male pronouns, but he is not a guy (even if, at some point in the books, I think he decides he is, but I think that’s the kind of thing a lot of kids go through when they’re trying to figure themselves out, and I support his journey.) Mostly, it’s terminology stuff, but there are a few cringe moments where I’m just like, “Ick.” Like, overall I’m proud to have a trans character as a main character in series of books in 2012, and I especially dig it as a little smiling wink at Joanne, since HP inspired this whole series and since she would freak out if Sawyer came into the bathroom with her. Hahahaha, Joanne! But, yeah, I have grown. To some degree, it’s also fine, because the characters themselves are also growing, Sawyer included. So, whatever they all are in book one, it’s not where they are going to end up, and the sixth book will also feature a trans man who is not non-binary like Sawyer, so there should be some better representation all around. So, anyway, if you don’t mind, wait until I’m ready to download that book. (Or... download it now for the cringe, but not from Amazon, because once you download from Amazon, they never let you have the updated file. So, get it from Google Play or something, and then you can compare when I give the link out with the newer version.)

For fans! Existing fans! I should finish the draft of book six by the end of October. When I will actually publish this book? No clue. Editing and proofing will take time. I usually won’t publish a book in November or December, but since this book has no audience anyway... *shrug* Who knows?

Last sentence I wrote in this draft: “Sawyer wrapped his arms around Roth and Roth turned and folded into the him, burying his face against Sawyer’s shoulder.”

Happy Friday!

[lcstinthewoods]

UPDATE &&;

Alright friends, the time for me to officially go on hiatus has come, so here is the list of threads that have been queued up for the duration of my vacation! Whatever isn’t on the list is either still in my drafts (newer and shorter threads), or has been dropped. Any and all replies from here on out will not be answered until I get back.

@thieveskingdom

darcy & adonis evie & verona regina & verona melinoe & sam

@unbreakablewidow

wanda & nat

@goddessofbirth

diana & thyia

@osayroleplay

victoria & asher

@kidfromoakland

wanda & erik

@prinsessemelodi

darcy & melody

@doctorharleymd

victoria & harley selina & harley

@princexftheplaza

wanda & austin

@redcladnerd

wanda & tim

@kuokoaikaika

diana & lois

@inkfated

regina & emma

@tragicalbeauties

emily & val

[valebatcattus]

bladeshowers​:

“You are,” Ardbert agreed simply, glancing around the Allagan ruin. All of this…Just sitting here, collecting dust. Somehow it had been enough to grant him a new life. How completely and utterly stupid. Stupidly lucky. Frowning, he glanced down at his body, sweeping a hand downward. “This? Seriously this is outdated? I look like a typical warrior! This is warrior gear. What else should I wear?”

He stared at her, half defiant, half in disbelief she would dare mock his attire. He’d worked hard to get this! All those long hours training and doing meaningless side quests tasks for desperate individuals. “Not all of us has our own personal tailor you know.” She was lucky to have Tataru around! “…Fine. I reckon you’re right. Damn it all… Can I borrow some gil?” Being alive cost coin!

“There’s newer gear out there now! Stuff that’s been updated to deal with the newer threats we had to deal with!” She flailed a hand at him, tail snapping against the air. “I don’t even get most of my gear from Tataru!” she added.

“I usually buy from vendors, or check out the marketboards to see what other adventurers have crafted and buy from them. Or my free company, A’me and Val are both really good at making stuff.” She usually just made the company’s food. Which they all appreciated very much.

“Anyway, don’t worry about it. I’ll pay for it this time.”

[themeatlife]

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - A Review

AND Reranking the Star Wars Movies

The Finale (Maybe)

2019 saw the end of several major pop culture series: The Avengers, Game of Thrones, and the Skywalker Saga of Star Wars (or at least it was proclaimed, we shall see a decade from now if it is resurrected). Having a major finale was en vogue.

So here is the spoiler-free review. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was enjoyable. It was imperfect, with a handful of glaring flaws, but nothing that would prevent die-hards or casual fans from enjoying the experience. You get the scale of things and at moments visually it is almost overwhelming. The action set pieces are fantastic. All-in-all, worth seeing in theaters.

Now for the spoiler-rific review below the line. If you haven’t seen it and don’t want to be spoiled (why are you reading this) then scroll until “The Star Wars Countdown” headline is at the very top of you window/phone screen.

——————————————————————

I’m probably going to skip a few things but this is the main storyline.

Palpatine has never really left. He’s been in the background in the Unknown Regions raising the Final Order, a super-ginormous fleet to rule over the galaxy once and for all.

We catch up with our new trilogy trio of Rey, Finn, and Poe and what is left of the Resistance, led by General Leia. Leia has also taken the lead in mentoring Rey in the ways of the Force. News of Palpatine gets to them and the trio find themselves planet hopping on a quest first to find a dagger which is the key to finding Palpatine and then a programmer to get C3PO to translate script on said dagger. Along the way they are being hunted by the First Order and Kylo Ren. This sequence is very Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but better executed.

Once the dagger is decoded, it leads them to the remains of the second Death Star where they must retreive a device with the coordinates to where Palpatine is. There is first a showdown between Rey and Sith Rey a la Luke in the forest in Degoba. Then is the showdown between Rey and Kylo where Rey ends up stabbing Kylo with his own lightsaber (Kylo was distracted by a dying Leia, Force-calling out to her son with her last breathe) and then Force-healing him and leaving him on the planet using his Tie Fighter with the device. Kylo then sees a vision of his father Han Solo telling him Kylo Ren is dead and his son Ben lives. Ben then leaves to chase after Rey to attempt to help confront Palpatine.

So Rey arrives on Exegol where Palpatine and the Final Order are gathered and preparing to deploy, leaving a signal for her Resistance friends and Ben to find. While Rey confronts Palpatine, the short handed Resistance tries to take down a communication tower in an effort to prevent the fleet from deploying. Epic battle ensues. Lando Calrissian comes with reinforcements for the Resistance while Rey almost gives in to Palpatine in an effort to save her friends. Ben comes in and they both fight Palpatine. Ben goes down and Rey uses the lightsabers she and Ben were using (coincidentally Luke and Leia’s lightsabers) against Palpatine’s Force Lightning, eventually killing him and herself in the process. Ben revives Rey and then kisses her (WHAT?!?) and then dies. The Resistance takes down the Final Order. The Resistance returns to their base, the new trio hug it out. Then the film ends with Rey returning to Tatooine where the saga began, burying Luke and Leia’s lightsabers and with their Force ghosts looking on takes on the Skywalker last name.

So my issues...

So, Palpatine is back? Last we saw his body fell down a shaft in the short-lived rebuild Death Star, thrown over by Vader in an effort to save Luke. I’m not sure how that even works that he’s back. I know they touch on it in the movie but seemed like we were done with the Emperor three (or is it six?) movies ago. But as a villain, Palpatine is effective.

The quest for the dagger and map device thing was a bit much. That actually could have been a movie itself. Like could have essentially replaced The Last Jedi with that quest. As much as I liked the The Last Jedi, I think a lot of the internet fanatics didn’t. And that hurt the Star Wars powers that be. And much of The Rise of Skywalker felt like it was actually attempting to write a lot of The Last Jedi out of the Star Wars timeline.

And yeah the Ben-Rey kiss was sudden. They seemed to have a very non-romantic connection so that was kind of out of place. Maybe it was more a goodbye kiss from Ben than anything, but it felt out of place.

And then the new trilogy as a whole. Although there was a new trio of main characters, the storyline was really dependent on the trio from the original trilogy. If the Force Awakens was the Han Solo movie and the Last Jedi was the Luke Skywalker movie, the Rise of Skywalker would have been the Leia Organa movie. And in many ways it was, but then it wasn’t. There is only so much you can do with extra footage. Rest In Peace Carrie Fisher, this movie needed more of you in it.

But with all that, it was still an enjoyable experience. It was imperfect, but that’s okay. No Star Wars movie is perfect (except for Empire). If you want comparison, better than Game of Thrones, no where near as satisfying as Avengers: Endgame.

The Star Wars Countdown

I ranked these almost two years ago. It didn’t change that much but I did switch a few and added the newer ones after I rewatched all the movies in the lead up to the Rise of Skywalker release. I FINALLY got my wife to watch them all with me. Disney+ and Netflix came in handy. So here are the updated Star Wars standings. I’ll do my college football wrap up later this week.

11 – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Surprise surprise, I know.  But yes, Episode I is by far the weakest and most disposable of the series (as evidenced by the omission of it in the Machete Order). Most of the major plot points are brought up again in Episode II, so not really that important to watch.  And the action in it, while okay for the most part, do not make up for the most annoying and boring parts of the film – Jar Jar Binks, child Anakin Skywalker, and the Pod Race.  If you must watch it, the main scene you need to watch is the battle on Naboo where Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn and the Ewan McGregor version of Obi-Wan Kenobi take on double-lightsaber wielding Darth Maul played by martial artist Ray Park.

10 – Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

While Attack of the Clones is a step up from Episode I, this episode is plagued by two things: awkward pacing and the unnatural evolution of the love story of Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker.  The way the movie was paced it felt like it was going by too slowly at times.  Obi-Wan’s story arc kept me interested as he investigates bounty hunter Jango Fett and discovers the clone army.  But man, that Padme-Anakin story is rough.  Anakin comes off with a stalker-like creep factor obsession for Padme, and somehow Padme is infatuated with that?  Yeah I’m not convinced, that dynamic always felt super awkward and forced. Not that Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen couldn’t have chemistry.  It’s just that in this movie, they didn’t…at least not convincingly. Cool stuff on the back end of this movie is the battle on Geonosis featuring a gladiator-style survival scene for Obi-Wan, Padme, and Anakin as well as the Jedi coming to their rescue. Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu and Frank Oz’s Yoda show off some lightsaber skills as well.

9 - Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

This ended up being not as bad as critics made it out to be. It was fun and action heavy. I slightly different take on the Han Solo character by Alden Ehrenreich. It was fresh and it was Han as a young man less jaded than his original trilogy self. It was cool to see Woody Harrelson (Beckett), Thandie Newton (Val), Emilia Clarke (Qi’ra), and Donald Glover (young Lando Calrissian) in the Star Wars universe. There were a few things wonky with the movie though. I don’t know if I liked the live story between Solo and Qi’ra. The whole Lando and a droid thing was weird. And resurrecting previously deceased Sith Darth Mal felt a little empty (I know he’s appeared in other Star Wars projects but the cliffhanger at the end of this was Darth Mal’s first film appearance since Phantom Menace).

8 – Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Out of the prequel trilogy, I like this one the best.  And while it was a longer movie (2 hours 20 minutes), it didn’t feel weighed down by some of the pacing issues of Clones.  The ever-present forced romance between Padme and Anakin is still there though, and it becomes the primary reason Anakin turns to the Dark Side.  While the premise seems feasible, the unnatural feel of the relationship hinders this reasoning.  Over the course of the prequel series, they did a good job of planting seeds to make it seem like the Jedi are plotting to take over the Republic. So as a secondary reason for Anakin turning to the Dark Side, this reasoning works.  Some people had a problem with the whole calling kids “younglings” but I didn’t really see that as a problem.  The Old Republic could have talked like that, so it wasn’t an issue for me. So minus the whole Padme-Anakin thing and an unintended hilarious “NOOOOOOOOO” moment when Anakin turns into Darth Vader, it was a solid movie.  It was sad to see several points where Anakin could have turned back but didn’t.

7 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Before going into this film, I have to say that doing away with having the episode number in the title was a welcomed change away from the George Lucas era awkward titling. When I first saw this movie, I was awestruck.  Filled with nostalgia.  Almost like seeing a Star Wars movie as a kid again.  But the second time around seeing it, I quickly realized that even though there were new characters that this was more or less a very borrowed plotline. It was basically the original Star Wars, only updated.  Rey (Daisy Ridley) was like Luke (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford, of course) like a less-Force oriented Obi-Wan.  The First Order is basically the Empire resurrected, the Resistance is the Rebel Alliance.  Starkiller Base is the Death Star.  And Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) killing Han like Vader defeating Obi-Wan.  But I was still thoroughly entertained, and the intro of Rey, Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), and BB-8 was a welcomed addition to the Star Wars universe and The Force Awakens put down a solid foundation for the franchise to build upon for its new trilogy.

6 - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

See above for the review. I will say for all it’s problems it was enjoyable for the most part and entertaining as hell.

5 – Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

While The Force Awakens feels borrowed, The Last Jedi felt more like its own things.  Some critical of The Last Jedi felt it similar to The Empire Strikes Back. While it did have some similarities, I think the major differences (particularly the Force Chat and dynamic between Kylo Ren and Rey, and some of the backstory behind Luke and Kylo Ren’s relationship) make it so much of its own story. It is the peak as far as quality of the newest trilogy. One of the coolest scenes in the entire Star Wars franchise was Kylo and Rey taking on Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and his Praetorian Guard.  And while clearly the main focus of the film is the Kylo-Rey-Luke dynamic, the side plot of Finn and Rose (Star Wars newcomer Kelly Marie Tran) to Canto Bight in search of a hacker to disable a tracking device while Leia (RIP Carrie Fisher) and Poe try to lead the Resistance away in escape of the First Order were welcome storylines. Don’t listen to the haters online, this one is the best of the new trilogy.

4 – Star Wars (1977)

Wow, trailers back then are nothing like they are now. Yes, I refrained from calling this film “A New Hope,” simply because that was not the original name of the movie.  I respect this movie.  It’s the origin story of Luke Skywalker.  It featured ruthless villain Darth Vader (before we knew he was Luke and Leia’s father), a love interest (Leia before we and Luke find out they are brother-sister), and the cool rebel too cool to be in the rebellion (at first) in Han Solo.  But as most movies of the time, the special effects feel dated (much more so in this film than the other two in the trilogy).  And while it is the origin story, it was merely the tip of the iceberg. A strong foundation to build the rest of the franchise, but not the most compelling plotlines of the series (that is to come later).

3 – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

I had this film actually up at 2 when I ranked this a year and a half ago. It isn’t an essential movie to the overall Skywalker storyline of the main Star Wars installments.  But you get the sense of urgency and the sacrifice it took to steal the Death Star plans.  Rogue One is one part chase movie, another part heist movie.  Two types of movies I always enjoy.  The characters fill out in a short period of time and feel so rich.  It is the only Star Wars movie where all the main protagonist characters you are focused on the entire movie dies, making it not feel like a Star Wars film.  But the death scene with Donnie Yen’s Chirrut Imwe and Jiang Wen’s Baze Malbus as well as Felicity Jones’s Jyn Erso and Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor are equally heartbreaking and powerful.  The feels!  While the film doesn’t add to the overlying plot of the entire series, it does add a bit of understanding of just how big the stakes were in getting those Death Star plans and how invested the Rebellion was outside of the core characters of the series in trying to topple the Empire.  And then, well, Darth Vader totally owning the Rebels while trying to board Leia’s ship is badass and leads right into the original Star Wars.  Loved this movie.

2 – Return of the Jedi (1983)

A great conclusion to the original trilogy. We see the movie open with Jedi Luke displaying his control of the Force as the team rescues Han from Jabba the Hut. The Rebellion wants to strike one last blow to the Empire by taking out the rebuilt Death Star. The fight culminates on the forest moon of Endor. Luke reveals to Leia what she probably felt but didn’t recognize, that they are brother and sister. One of the strongest scenes was that final confrontation between Luke and Vader that ends with Vader saving Luke’s life from electrocution from the Emperor. Some people had a problem with the cute, fluffy Ewoks but I was okay with it. This is the movie where the extras added by George Lucas in the 1998 theatrical rerelease (and updated again in 2004) hurt the movie experience though. The extended musical scene at Jabba’s place was unneeded. We don’t need extra celebration scenes on other planets when its mission accomplished. And we didn’t need Hayden Christensen’s ghost in place of original Anakin actor Sebastian Shaw standing there with ghost Yoda and old ghost Obi-Wan Alec Guinness.  But other than that, this was my second favorite Star Wars movie growing up.

1 – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Out of all the series, this is the masterpiece. If you ever want to make a successful sequel that continues the original story and add to the overall depth of a film series, here was the blueprint.  From the opening battle on Hoth, to the core team getting split up, to Luke’s journey finding Yoda and training, to Han and Leia being chased down by the Empire, all the way to the climax of the film on Cloud City, we find our heroes being tested and pushed as well as finding themselves.  The Han-Leia love story holds up and feels realistic.  Luke’s internal struggle to train and fight off the darkness in him while confronting his fear of Vader feels realistic as well. And of course, the mic drop of all mic drops in sci-fi and maybe movie history – “I am your father.”  I was eight or nine years old when I remember first watching and actually understanding some of what was going on.  I remember yelling “WHAT?!?” as I watched.  The most iconic moment of the series.  It made this more than just a space opera.  More than just a sequel to a sci-fi hit. Those words made Star Wars into an expandable series that they have since built upon twenty-fold.  It turned Star Wars from a battle of good vs evil into an internal family struggle – the Skywalker family saga that impacted not just that family, but the entire galaxy.  Luke’s fear was no longer about confronting some ominous unknown bad guy. It was Luke confronting his father, one he never knew.  And the 1980 special effects hold up pretty well in this one.  

The Force will be with you. Always.

[servingfish-blog]

Tank Update: May 1, 2017

I’ve had this 75 gallon set up for about 10 or 11 months now and I’m so excited about the progress! I’m just really proud of this.

75 gallon planted
- Parameters: 0/0/5
- Lighting: Finnex Planted+ on the 24/7 cycle
- 78°F

Flora:
- Anubias sp.
- Aponogeton ulvaceus
- Cabomba caroliniana
- Cryptocoryne parva
- Echinodorus sp. (Amazon sword) - Echinodorus sp. (micro sword)
- Java fern
- Nymphaea sp.
- Althernanthera reineckii 
- Vallisneria spiralis

I had some die off when my vals started to take over; I think the garden soil under the sand has been great for their growth. They unfortunately choked out my giant crypts, which started some crypt rot that has spread to my other crypts. Hopefully they recover! I finally yanked the giant crypts in the background last weekend and swapped in some amazon swords. Hopefully they can keep up and compete for nutrients before the vals strike again. I also added some Althernanthera reineckii to the sides to fill in some gaps. I tend not to have much look with bunch plants in this deep/tall tank, but they were too pretty to pass up. Finally, micro swords are doing great in the left corner. After some trial and error I think I've found a good mix of plants that grow at similar rates. As with the vals, root feeders seem to grow like weeds in here. I'll probably want to sell some (or swap) soon because they are taking over. For now I love the lush look.

Fauna:
- 8 Neon Dwarf Rainbows (M. Praecox)
- 5 Celebes rainbowfish (M ladigesi) 
- 3 Pearl gourami (T. leeri)
- 1 Queen Arabesque Pleco (L260)
- 1 very happy assassin snails

The L260 is stunning, but pretty shy. She's a newer addition, and the first carnivorous pleco I've kept. I saw one on an old fish forum years ago, and have wanted one ever since. A beautiful fish, and perhaps one I'd consider breeding if I came across more individuals. I'm on the hunt for a fan of some sort for her to create at least one more spot in the tank with heavier flow.

Quarantine: Glass catfish! I’ve seriously had a fish crush on these guys for more than a decade, and this is the first time I’ve ever had a set up that can support them. Old Town Aquarium in Chicago generally has healthy freshwater stock, so I swiped up the remaining six cats they had when I was there “just to buy some food” last weekend. I’ll probably up their school to a total of 12 individuals next time I see some healthy fish/when I go to the pet store near my office this week “just to look”.

They are so shy and skittish, but if I sit by their tank for a few minutes they start to peak out from behind the driftwood and sponge filter. I can’t wait to watch them play in the planted tank after I know they are disease free and eating well. They will probably be the last fish I add to this stock list.