#When the shrimp did i get into dandys world

[blehpierrot]

Beep beep beep beep........... Oh sorgy that was just my gay alarm. It beeps when homosexuality

[elefishwrites]

Hihi, may I have the pleasure of reading some romantic shrimpo x reader hcs from you? Have a nice day !!

yes, yes you may! :D very kind anon here~☆

shrimpo's an incredibly charming character honestly- like yeah i know his whole gimmick is that he hates everyone but it sort of circles back around to being endearing for me xD

"hateful sweetheart" ★ shrimpo x GN reader hcs

pairing ❥ shrimpo x reader (dandy's world)

relationship ❥ romantic

reader's gender is not mentioned!

dividers by @/bumblethecat ⊹₊⟡⋆

♡ Shrimpo... Oh boy, Shrimpo

♡ Getting him to just not hate you is a challenge all its own, so if you're in a relationship with this shrimp, it means you're probably gonna need patience. Like, a lot of patience.

♡ But, once you're past that, it's surprisingly not the worst!

♡ He's not really used to being friendly with someone, much less being romantic, so he's gonna be... Awkward at times

♡ He probably talks about you really highly, but he does so in the same sort of condescending way he does about himself

♡ Like "[NAME] IS SO MUCH BETTER AT THIS THAN YOU!!! JUST GIVE UP, YOU'LL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS THEM!!!"

♡ He gets flustered really easily, so even something as small as holding hands in front of people is enough to have him refusing to make eye contact with you or anyone else in the room

♡ That said, PDA is usually a no-go unless it is something small like that. Being affectionate in front of other people is embarassing for him...

♡ Immediately on the opposite end of that, though, he's touch starved!

♡ Once you're behind closed doors he'll be a lot more open to affection

♡ He's actually very cuddly, but he's also very stubborn about it

♡ He doesn't like initiating because that means directly asking you for affection in most cases, so sometimes you'll just catch him staring at you with rosy cheeks and have to figure out what he wants from there

♡ On the occasion he does put aside his own pride long enough to ask he'll always yell about how he hates being cold or something, literally anything not to admit he just likes your touch

♡ He prefers positions where you can both wrap your arms around each other, but he doesn't really mind as long as you two are close together!

♡ Onto something completely unrelated, you have to stop him from fighting people a lot

♡ You've become the individual the other toons go to whenever Shrimpo's about to try and beat someone

♡ You always have to grab him and drag him away from whatever confrontation he's in to go calm him down. He'll struggle around and grumble at you the whole time, but he won't try to get away when you let him go...

♡ Everyone is confused as to how you can keep him pacified; You're the only one who's been able to do so without sustaining some variety of injury

♡ You're also usually the one to tend to any cuts or bruises he sustained during the altercation. If you didn't know how to dress a wound before, you're about to learn!

♡ Shrimpo really loves you, even though he's bad at showing it sometimes. He's really trying, please be patient with him!

"...I HATE BEING COLD."

You blinked, looking up from what you had been doing to be met with the flushed frowning face of your partner.

Shrimpo glared at you, though his eyes held no malice; If anything, there was something expectant in them.

You stared back, searching through your brain for what possibly he could want. Seconds passed with nothing but silence between you two, and from an outside perspective, one could easily assume you two were locked in a standoff.

It clicked after a bit. He wanted to cuddle!

You asked him as such with a smile, offering him a seat beside you.

He grumbled something you couldn't make out as he moved to slide in next to you. He didn't object when you wrapped your arms around him, nor did he when you gently pulled him against you.

He sat there for a moment, content to simply bask in your warmth, before slowly returning your embrace.

His grip was tight, just enough so to be secure but not uncomfortable.

...You weren't going anywhere for a while. You didn't mind though. You were happy in each others' arms, even though one of you probably wouldn't ever admit that.

You mumbled out an "I love you" which was met with a huff and a "I HATE HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU TOO."

With that, you both fell into a comfortable silence, which would soon become snores as you drifted off to sleep.

He wasn't cold anymore.

[crowvert-bird]

quick warning: i dont support the creator (u know which one) of dandys world, i just like the game, thats it

second batch lets go!! went waay too hard and spent 2 weeks instead of 1 lol, it was pretty hard coming up with redesigns for them ngl but honestly i like all of the ones i finalized!! i gotta start making sure all of them have unique silhouettes tho cuz i just realized a lot of abilities rely on that and i wanna stay true to that

first batch , third batch

waaay less aggressive rant below cut

srry for being so aggressive in the first batch and not even explaining y (i forgot to add that)

lemme explain myself, the reason im even doing this in the first place is cuz the game literally advertises itself as a mascot horror game and then proceeds to have JUST humanoid object show charatcers, which would normally be fine with me but it literally has mascot in the genre name so my expectations on the character designs were raised and after looking at all the designs i was disappointed

and i say JUST humanoid object show characters cuz they dont even do anything cool with most of the objects theyre designed after and some of the color palettes just feel so... low effort?? and that ticked me off the absolute most, i did see cool things like actually changing vees face turning it into a blue screen when hit and twisted boxs head opening up when chasing u and some of the abilities but thats all i remember honestly

like im fine with indigo parks designs cuz theyre canonically basically disney so the designs fit and they have little things like patterns on their body, and object shows are extra ok cuz theyre literal objects in an object show (no shit)

i guess the thing that fully set me off was shrimpos canon design, i get the synbolism with making him a shrimp and i really like it which is y i kept it in the redesign (bottom feeder that is at its best as a meal)!! but they just executed it so poorly??? it just feels like they didnt even try u kno? to the point that it made me wanna redesign all the characters i didnt like the design of cuz they just felt so basic and generic

i guess the problem was that i expected the game to have designs that id enjoy when in reality they had another audience in mind and a legit good and fun game to develop, it wouldve been better for them to focus on making the gameplay good instead of just the character designs (even tho its a MASCOT horror game, its still a game), especially when in my eyes i can make better designs than them, all a matter of opinion

still gonna do redesigns and play the game tho, its fun i like it!!

[astral-pr0jectile]

Finally caved and played dandy's world...finished poppys mastery quest which I know is not that big of a deal, but oh well. Stupid shrimp got me to play the game >:( also the first thing I did was get him when I had enough ichor....

[berlysbandcamp]

Mazouni - A Dandy In Exile - 1969/1982

1958, in the middle of the liberation war. While the rattle of machine guns could be heard in the maquis, in the city, the population listened at low volume to Algerian patriotic songs broadcast by the powerful Egyptian radio: "The Voice of the Arabs". These artists all belonged to a troupe created by the self-proclaimed management of the National Liberation Front (FLN), based in Tunis and claiming to gather a "representative" sample of the Algerian musical movement of the time.

1960, cafe terraces were crowded and glasses of anisette kept coming with metronomic regularity, despite the alarming music of police sirens heard at intervals and the silhouettes of soldiers marching in the streets. The mood was good, united by a tune escaping from everywhere: balconies, where laundry was finishing drying, windows wide open from apartments or restaurants serving the famous Algiers shrimps along with copious rosé wine. Couples spontaneously joined the party upon hearing "Ya Mustafa", punctuated by improvised choirs screaming "Chérie je t’aime, chérie je t’adore". The song, as played by Sétif-born Alberto Staïffi, was a phenomenal success, to the point that even FLN fighters adopted it unanimously. Hence an unfortunate misunderstanding that would trick colonial authorities into believing Mustafa was an ode to the glory of Fellaghas. 

1961, Cheikh Raymond Leyris, a Jewish grand master of ma’luf (one of Algeria’s three Andalusian waves) who was Enrico Macias’ professor, was killed in Constantine, making him the first victim of a terrorist wave that would catch up with Algeria at the dawn of the 1990s by attacking anything that thought, wrote or sang.

Mohamed Mazouni, born January 4, 1940 in Blida – “The City of Roses" both known for its beautiful ‘Blueberry Square’ (saht ettout) in the middle of which a majestic bandstand took center stage, and its brothels – had just turned twenty. He was rather handsome and his memory dragged around a lot of catchy refrains by Rabah Driassa and Abderrahmane Aziz, also natives of Blida, or by 'asri (modern music) masters Bentir or Lamari. He would make good use of all these influences and many others stemming from the Algerian heritage. The young Mohamed was certainly aware of his vocal limits, as he used to underline them: "I had a small voice, I came to terms with it!". But it didn’t lack charm nor authenticity, and it was to improve with age. He began his singing career in those years, chosing bedoui as a style (a Saharan genre popularized among others by the great Khelifi Ahmed). 

1962, the last French soldiers were preparing their pack. A jubilant crowd was proclaiming its joy of an independent Algeria. Remembering the impact of popular music to galvanize the "working classes", the new authorities in office rewarded the former members of the FLN troupe by appointing them at the head of national orchestras. In widespread euphoria, the government encouraged odes to the recovered independence, and refrains to the glory of "restored dignity" sprung from everywhere. Abderrahmane Aziz, a star of 'asri (Algiers’ yé-yé) was a favorite with Mabrouk Alik ("Congratulations, Mohamed / Algeria came back to you"); Blaoui Houari, a precursor of Raï music, praised the courage of Zabana the hero; Kamel Hamadi recalled in Kabyle the experience of Amirouche the chahid (martyr), and even the venerable Remitti had her own song for the Children of Algeria. All this under the benevolent eye (and ear) of the regime led by Ahmed Ben Bella, the herald of the single party and vigilant guardian of the "Arab-Islamic values" established as a code of conduct. Singers were praised the Egyptian model, as well as Andalusian art intended for a nascent petty bourgeoisie and decreed a "national classic"; some did not hesitate to sell out. These Khobzists – an Algerian humorous term mocking those who put “putting-food-on-the-table” reasons forward to justify their allegiance to the system – were to monopolize all programs and stages, while on the fringes, popular music settled for animating wedding or circumcision celebrations. Its absence in the media further strengthened its regionalization: each genre (chaâbi, chaouï, Kabyle, Oranian...) stayed confined within its local boundaries, and its "national representatives" were those whose tunes didn’t bother anyone. The first criticisms would emanate from France, where many Algerian artists went to tackle other styles. During the Kabyle-expression time slot on Radio Paris, Slimane Azem – once accused of "collaboration" – sang, evoking animals, the first political lines denouncing the dictatorship and preconceived thinking prevailing in his country. The reaction was swift: under pressure from the Algerian government, the Kabyle minute was cancelled. Even in Algeria, Ahmed Baghdadi aka Saber, an idol for fans of Raï music (still called "Oranian folklore"), was imprisoned for denouncing the bureaucracy of El Khedma (work).

For his part, Mazouni was to be noticed through a very committed song: Rebtouh Fel Mechnak (“They tied him to the guillotine”). But above all, the general public discovered him through a performance at the Ibn Khaldoun Theater (formerly Pierre Bordes Theater, in the heart of Algiers), broadcast by the Algerian Radio Broadcasting, later renamed ENTV. This would enable him to integrate the Algerian National Theater’s artistic troupe. Then, to pay tribute to independence, he sang “Farewell France, Hello Algeria”. 1965: Boumediene's coup only made matters worse. Algeria adopted a Soviet-style profile where everything was planned, even music. Associations devoted to Arab-Andalusian music proliferated and some sycophantic music movement emerged, in charge of spreading the message about "fundamental options". Not so far from the real-fake lyricism epitomized by Djamel Amrani, the poet who evoked a “woman as beautiful as a self-managed farm". The power glorified itself through cultural weeks abroad or official events, summoning troubadours rallied to its cause. On the other hand, popular music kept surviving through wedding, banquets and 45s recorded for private companies, undergoing censorship and increased surveillance from the military.

As for Mazouni, he followed his path, recording a few popular tunes, but he also was in the mood for traveling beyond the Mediterranean: "In 1969 I left Algeria to settle in France. I wanted to get a change of air, to discover new artistic worlds". He, then, had no idea that he was about to become an idolized star within the immigrant community. During the 1950s and 1960s, when parents were hugging the walls, almost apologizing for existing, a few Maghrebi artists assumed Western names to hide their origins. This was the case of Laïd Hamani, an Algerian from Kabylia, better known as Victor Leed, a rocker from the Golf Drouot’s heyday, or of Moroccan Berber Abdelghafour Mociane, the self-proclaimed “Vigon”, a hack of a r&b voice. Others, far more numerous, made careers in the shadow of cafes run by their compatriots, performing on makeshift stages: a few chairs around a table with two or three microphones on it, with terrible feedback occasionally interfering. Their names were Ahmed Wahby or Dahmane El Harrachi. Between the Bastille, Nation, Saint-Michel, Belleville and Barbès districts, an exclusively communitarian, generally male audience previously informed by a few words written on a slate, came to applaud the announced singers. It happened on Friday and Saturday nights, plus on extra Sunday afternoons.

In a nostalgia-clouded atmosphere heated by draft beers, customers – from this isolated population, a part of the French people nevertheless – hung on the words of these musicians who resembled them so much. Like many of them, they worked hard all week, impatiently waiting for the weekend to get intoxicated with some tunes from the village. Sometimes, they spent Saturday afternoons at movie theaters such as the Delta or the Louxor, with extra mini-concerts during intermissions, dreaming, eyes open, to the sound of Abdel Halim Hafez’ voice whispering melancholic songs or Indian laments made in Bombay on full screen. And the radio or records were also there for people to be touched to the rhythm of Oum Kalsoum’s songs, and scopitones as well to watch one’s favorite star’s videos again and again.

Dumbfounded, Mohamed received this atmosphere of culture of exile and much more in the face. Fully immersed in it, he soaked up the songs of Dahmane El Harrachi (the creator of Ya Rayah), Slimane Azem, Akli Yahiaten or Cheikh El Hasnaoui, but also those from the crazy years of twist and rock’n’roll as embodied by Johnny Hallyday, Les Chaussettes Noires or Les Chats Sauvages, not to mention Elvis Presley and the triumphant beginnings of Anglo-Saxon pop music. Between 1970 and 1990, he had a series of hits such bearing such titles as “Miniskirt”, “Darling Lady”, “20 years in France”, “Faded Blue”, Clichy, Daag Dagui, “Comrade”, “Tell me it’s not true” or “I’m the Chaoui”, some kind of unifying anthem for all regions of Algeria, as he explained: "I sang for people who, like me, experienced exile. I was and have always remained very attached to my country, Algeria. To me, it’s not about people from Constantine, Oran or Algiers, it’s just about Algerians. I sing in classical or dialectal Arabic as much as in French and Kabyle”.

Mazouni, a dandy shattered by his century and always all spruced up who barely performed on stage, had greatly benefited from the impact of scopitones, the ancestors of music videos – those image and sound machines inevitably found in many bars held by immigrants. His strength lay in Arabic lyrics all his compatriots could understand, and catchy melodies accompanied by violin, goblet drum, qanun, tar (a small tambourine with jingles), lute, and sometimes electric guitar on yé-yé compositions. Like a politician, Mazouni drew on all themes knowing that he would nail it each time. This earned him the nickname "Polaroid singer" – let’s add "kaleidoscope" to it. Both a conformist (his lectures on infidelity or mixed-race marriage) and disturbing singer (his lyrics about the agitation upon seeing a mini-skirt or being on the make in high school…), Mohamed Mazouni crossed the 1960s and 1970s with his dark humor and unifying mix of local styles. Besides his trivial topics, he also denounced racism and the appalling condition of immigrant workers. However, his way of telling of high school girls, cars and pleasure places earned him the favors of France’s young migrant zazous.

But by casting his net too wide, he made a mistake in 1991, during the interactive Gulf War, supporting Saddam Hussein’s position through his provocative title Zadam Ya Saddam (“Go Saddam”). He was banned from residing in France for five years, only returning in 2013 for a concert at the Arab World Institute where he appeared dressed as the Bedouin of his beginnings.

At the end of the 1990s, the very wide distribution of Michèle Collery and Anaïs Prosaïc's documentary on Arabic and Berber scopitones, highlighted Mazouni’s important role, giving new impetus to his career.  

Living in Algeria, Mohamed Mazouni did not stop singing and even had a few local hits, always driven by a “wide targeting” ambition. This compilation, the first one dedicated to him, includes all of his never-reissued “hits” with, as a bonus, unobtainable songs such as L’amour Maâk, Bleu Délavé or Daag Dagui.

[softboywriting]

Christmas Eve | Werewolf AU | Shawn Mendes

Summary: You and Shawn spend some time together on Christmas Eve and he spoils his big Christmas surprise. [baby mention] [fluff]

Word Count: 1.7k

|Masterlist in Bio|

You wake up on Christmas Eve morning to see snow blanketing every inch of the world outside. It weighs heavy on the old pines, bowing the branches, turning dark pine needles vibrant glittering white. The landscape around the cabin is completely untouched as far as you can see, not even the deer or the rabbits have braved the snow yet. It's peaceful, relaxing in a way that only the first snow of the year can bring.

Shawn wraps his arms around you where you're stood at the sliding glass doors to the deck. The snow has gathered against the glass, a good four inches if you were to guess. Shawn lays his head on your shoulder. “Good morning honey,” he kisses your neck, flooding you with warmth.

“Good morning.” You reach up, threading your fingers through his thick tangle of hair. He has been letting it grow recently and you can't complain. His hair is gorgeous and the more you can grab the better.  

“What do you want to do today?”

“Sleep more?”

“I was thinking we could go for a run.” Shawn noses against your neck and nips at your skin. “It feels like it's been ages since I've shifted.”

You giggle at his attentions. His lips leave warm little wet spots on your skin as he kisses up and down, pleading his case. “I would have to bundle up. It's very snowy out there, or did you miss that?”

“I know,” he groans. He pulls away and walks around in front of you, blocking the view. “I really need to shift though. I'm itching to feel wild again. Please, I really want you to come with me.”

“Okay, okay.” You chuckle at his big eyes and pouty lip. “Your such a puppy sometimes I swear.”

Shawn kisses your cheek. “Wolf. I'm a wolf.”

“Yeah yeah.” You wave him off and go to search for some warm clothes to layer up with. Shawn would be perfectly fine and dandy with his thick fur coat. You are almost jealous of him, almost want  to say no because of the cold, but you know he wants you to be out there with him, that it means a lot.

___________________

Half an hour later and you find yourself standing in snow that is far deeper than you initially thought. Your boots are covered and you're thankful you decided to wear your coveralls that your mom got you last Christmas. They come down over your boots and keep the snow out completely. You're sure you look like a stay puft marshmallow girl, standing in the middle of the back lawn in your white coat and coveralls, but you don't care. No one can see you. Your closest neighbor is over a mile away.

Shawn bounds out of the forest, having run in there as soon as he got outside while you were still dressing. His dark fur is a stark contrast to the brilliant snow and though it's beginning to stick and cake on his outer coat, he's still very visible.

You laugh as he jumps back and forth, coming toward you where you're perfectly content by the house. As he approaches you take note of just how big he is. It wasn't often you saw him in this form, in fact, he usually doesn't shift unless he's really in need of it like today. So you're always in awe of his large stature. Shawn wasn't like a big dog, not really like a regular size wolf either. He was bigger, like a wolf from a Grimm fairytale.

Shawn approaches, butting his head against your stomach and nearly knocking you back. His head alone was nearly the size or your torso.

You can't help but wonder if he was abnormally large because of his alpha genetics or because he was also a large human. You thread your gloved fingers into the fur around his neck and it's deep, your hand keeps going, fingers wiggling until they reach the base.

“Your fur is thicker than I remember.”

Shawn nudges his head against you again and this time you do fall back onto your butt. The soft snow breaks your fall for the most part. Shawn flops down beside you, laying his head across your stomach.  

“You're way too big,” you laugh, struggling to sit up then running your hands through his fur on his back. “Does the snow feel good?”

Shawn wiggles around on to his back, wallowing in the snow. He may not like being called a puppy but damn if he didn't act like one.

You stand up and he flips over to stand as well. You know he wants you to come out into the woods with him, he always did. It wasn't like there was much for you to do, he just likes the company. Shawn takes off for the trees again and you trudge through the thick snow after him.

An hour or so passes and you're exhausted. Between the energy spent walking through the snow and entertaining Shawn, you're completely wiped out. Shawn likes to chase you in the woods, it is his favorite game actually. When there wasn't snow it wasn't too bad, you could actually try to run. With the snow as thick as it is, it's like running through molasses.

Shawn runs up behind you, nudges you with his head or nips at your hand. That means you should run. So you do, well you try. Running is more like a lopsided hurdle that gets you no distance at all. Shawn circles you, staying away like he's stalking his prey from a distance until he decides to pounce. When he does he comes running at you, leaping through the snow until he gets to you and licks at your face instead or knocking you down like he usually does. This goes on over and over again, running and stalking then licking, until you wave your arms, signalling you give up.

__________________

Once back at the house you step into the kitchen through the back door and Shawn follows you. He shakes off and you glare at him. The snow flies everywhere and you are not cleaning that up. You turn your back, not wanting to watch Shawn shift back to his human form. You had seen it twice and both times it was disturbing enough that you didn't want to witness it ever again.

“You're good,” Shawn says softly and you turn around. He is naked, stepping into his boxers he left on the stool before shifting earlier. His skin is pinkened, a result of being out too long even in his wolf form.

“You look cold,” you chuckle, stepping out of your coveralls. “Like maybe you could use some snuggles.”

“I'm a little chilly. I may have rolled in a little too much snow,” he says sheepishly. He walks over to the fridge and opens it, grabbing a plate of leftovers from last night and putting it in the microwave. It's chicken and pasta with steamed vegetables but only enough for you to get full on probably. He was always starving after a run.

You hang up your winter gear and go to wrap your arms around him from behind, pressing your face into his back and kissing his light colored birthmarks between his shoulder blades. “How about you go put some clothes on and I'll make some more food. There isn't much on that plate.”

“Can I have more chicken?”

“Yes, we have plenty.”

“Do we have any of the popcorn shrimp left?”

You laugh. Of course he would want both. “Yes. I'll make both. Go get dressed.” You kiss his back once more and give him a little shove.

“Don't act like you don't want all of this,” he says, tossing you a cheeky smile as he walks toward the stairs.

“Later big guy.”

“I'll hold you to that!” He yells as he heads to the bedroom upstairs.

__________________

Half an hour later and Shawn is full and content, stretched out across the couch while you watch the holiday baking championship together. You're sitting with your legs out on the giant ottoman that is pushed flush to the couch, blanket on your lap with Shawn's head resting on your thighs. It's his favorite way to snuggle aside from laying on top of you and squishing you within an inch of your life. But he's too full for that now.

“Who do you think would win in a bake off, me or you?”

“Really?” You chuckle. “Are you actually asking me that?”

“I can bake,” he says defiantly, looking up at you.

“You can burn.”

“Is that a challenge?”

You raise your eyebrows. “Name one thing you've ever baked.”

“A bun.”

“A bun?”

Shawn turns and presses his face against your stomach. “A bun in the oven.”

“Are you- Shawn, how did you know?”

“I just know,” he mumbles, hiding his face against your stomach.

You run your hand through his hair and tug a little so he will look at you. “I was gonna surprise you tomorrow with the news.”

His cheeks are pink, splotchy and flushed like they get when he is drunk or embarrassed as he avoids eye contact, looking down at your shirt instead. “I noticed last week.”

“Mmhmm. How'd you notice? I've been hiding it so well.”

“You smell different. Not weird, but different. I noticed when we took a bath together.”

“I guess can't hide my scent.” You chuckle and Shawn nuzzles your tummy. “Is the baby why you were less pouncy then you usually are when you're shifted?”

“Yes, I didn't wanna hurt you or the baby. I'm sorry I knocked you down anyway, I forget how big I am compared to you.”

“It's okay, I think the tiny little baby to be can survive a small tumble backwards into the snow.”

“Okay good, I was a little worried. Are we going to tell my parents tomorrow? Because I don't think I can keep a secret like this for very long. I've been dying to keep from telling you that I knew.”

You laugh. No wonder he was itching to shift. He had probably been driving himself up a wall he was so excited and trying to stay quiet. You won't make him go any crazier than he already had gone. “Yes, we can tell your parents.”

Shawn presses his nose into your tummy once more and growls. “Merry Christmas baby.”

You smile and run your hand through his hair and he begins to fall asleep, face still pressed against you. “Merry Christmas bud.”

____________

Thank you so much for reading! Please reblog and share! Also please let me know what you think! What’s your favorite part(s)? Would you like to see more werewolf christmas stories? 

Reblog and Let Me Know! Thank you!!!!

[the-nagakenny-archives]

New to the Party Pt. 1

(OOC: Here’s the cuddle party story I’ve been meaning to write for a while XD It’s set in the Batman: TAS universe again. It’s turning out to be kind of long, so I decided to break it up in parts, hope no one minds waiting for the next one ;v;)

Samantha Shaw stepped out of the car and sighed as she surveyed her surroundings. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

There was an amused chuckle as her friend Michael got out of the driver’s side door. “Come on, lighten up!” he said cheerfully. “I mean, how often are lowly interns like us going to get invited to a billionaire’s house for a party? Lobster, champagne, foie gras....should be a swinging time!”

“That’s kind of what I’m afraid of,” Samantha said with a frown, holding out her invitation and waving it at him. “Didn’t you read the whole thing? What’s this about a.....’cuddle party’? Sounds kind of suspect if you ask me.”

“Pfft!” Michael snorted and shook his head. “It’s not what you think, I’ve heard of them before. Everyone just lounges around, there’s no funny stuff going on.”

“Hmph.” Samantha put her invitation in her purse, tossing her blonde hair over one shoulder. “Well, nevertheless, I want to leave before it starts getting weird, okay?” 

Michael grinned and sighed with mock indignation. “Yeah, okay. We’ll call it a night when the weirdness starts. Come on, I’m starving.” He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and started walking toward the house.

Samantha hung back a moment, leaning against the car and looking up at the gigantic house belonging to her boss. She could hear people laughing and chatting in the distance---most likely out in back. Michael had already gone inside, probably hunting for the buffet table.

She sighed with resignation. She had never been much of a party person, but these kinds of parties were especially not her thing. She had to wonder why Mr. Huggins had even wanted to invite her; it was like Michael had said, they were both just interns at the office. Then again, Mr. Huggins was always very friendly with everyone, no matter where they were in the office hierarchy. She would often see him inviting people out to lunch, or bringing people coffee, even though he was supposed to be the head honcho. 

With another sigh, she started heading for the backyard where the bulk of conversation could be heard. As she came upon the huge yard, scattered with beautiful gardens of exotic-looking flowers (that she actually was a bit impressed by), she recognized a few people among the milling and mingling crowd, but otherwise they were mostly strangers to her. Fantastic. 

“Invitation, please! No one’s allowed without an invitation!”

She turned toward the lilting, mock-snooty voice and there was Mr. Huggins, dressed in a casual button-down white shirt and black pants, and flashing his brilliant smile at her. It was really weird to see him wearing something other than a business suit. “Just pulling your leg. Good to see you, Samantha,” he said in his normal tones. She felt a blush beginning to warm her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly; it was unreal just how handsome he was, especially up close, with his long beautiful red hair, perfect teeth, and jawline that could cut diamonds. She had once joked with Dorothy, one of the secretaries, that he must have been the result of a government experiment engineered to test the tensile strength of women’s panties; Dorothy had laughed so hard that coffee had shot out of her nose.

“Hello, Mr. Huggins,” she said politely. “Thank you for---”

“Kenny! Please call me Kenny, no need for formalities in these parts.” Kenny’s dark eyes twinkled; she rather liked that aspect about him in particular. She could dryly joke about his handsomeness, but the twinkle in his eyes was genuine, like a part of his soul was always there. She felt herself blushing again and she quickly composed herself. He’s your boss for Pete’s sake, she reminded herself. 

“Right, uh, Kenny. Thanks for inviting me. Michael and I were actually kind of surprised by it. We almost thought it had been some kind of, uh....mistake.” 

“You did?” Kenny had been hunting through an hors d’oeuvres plate for the biggest crab puff, and at this he looked up, blinking in surprise. “How come?”

“Oh, uh, well,” Samantha laughed sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. “You know, we’re interns and all that, so---”

“Ah, but you work just as hard as everyone else does,” Kenny replied matter-of-factly. He found the crab puff he was looking for and snatched it with a satisfied grin. “Actually, you probably work harder than I do. But keep that between us, okay?” He winked at her slyly. 

She found herself trying to stammer something out in reply, but before she could get herself coherent Kenny had sidled over and greeted a group of people hanging around the water fountain near the center of his yard, and they all began chatting and chuckling with each other. Samantha watched them for a moment and allowed herself a half-smile. Then she decided to find some food herself; the various rich, exotic aromas were starting to make her stomach grumble. 

There was a seafood buffet piled high with crab legs, oysters, clams, shrimp and giant succulent lobster tails; there were filet mignons being grilled by the dozens; there were mountains of fresh vegetables and fruit salads. She was disappointed that the only thing available to drink was water---she had anticipated wine and champagne galore---but it was refreshingly cold and pure, and there were huge crystal bowls of it with slices of lemon and lime and pieces of mint. There was even the biggest watermelon she had ever seen in her life, cut into neat and juicy isosceles triangles. 

“Oh my gawd, Samantha?” Dorothy appeared just as Samantha was digging into her ambrosial piece of filet mignon. “Ya made it! How are ya?”

Samantha swallowed the mouth-watering bite she had taken and smiled. “Hey, Dorothy. I’m just dandy, thank you. Hard not to be with this kind of food, huh?”

“Oh my gawd, I know,” Dorothy said enthusiastically. “This is my second time being invited to one of these.”

Samantha raised a curious eyebrow. “Really?” Perhaps she could ask her what went on during the after-party festivities.

“Gawd, he’s so sexy, isn’t he?” Dorothy sighed. She hadn’t heard Samantha’s question; she was busy making goo-goo eyes at Kenny, who seemed to be just surveying the party by himself with a content look on his face, one hand in his pocket and a glass of water in the other. “Sometimes at my desk I just fantasize about what he looks like naked, ya know.”

Samantha spluttered; she had been in the middle of drinking from her glass. “Oh my god, Dorothy, you’re terrible!” she exclaimed in a fit of coughs and laughter. 

“Whaaaat?” Dorothy innocently batted her eyelashes. “Can ya really blame me?”

“Um, yes? He’s our boss. That’s just....wrong.” 

“If it’s wrong, then I don’t wanna be right, honey.” She grinned deviously and leaned closer, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper. “Ya know, sometimes I swear he goes commando under those suit pants of his. If ya look close enough, you can almost see the size of his---”

“Hey ladies! What’s the skinny?” Michael had seemingly materialized out of nowhere, holding a plate piled with lobster. Samantha was secretly relieved by his presence; Dorothy could be fun, but she was best in small doses. 

“What’s it to ya, bean pole?” Dorothy sneered at him playfully. 

“Uh, Dorothy was just saying,” Samantha chimed in, quickly taking the wheel to the conversation, “that she’s been to one of Mr. Huggins’ parties before! So you must know about the cuddling and all that weird stuff, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Dorothy looked uncharacteristically bewildered. “Ya know, it’s the weirdest thing, but it’s all kinda foggy? There was cuddling though, I do remember that.” She sighed heavily, and Samantha thought she detected a hint of longing in it. “It felt so nice---nothin’ like the half-hearted snuggles I get from my dates. Nah, this was....different. It was a special and safe and....all-over feeling, ya know? Like everything in the whole world was gonna be okay.” 

“Wow.” Michael looked intrigued, which made Samantha begin to worry. “You got all that from just a cuddle?”

“Uh-huh.” Dorothy smiled. “Well, anyway, I’ll catch you two later. Kinda want to grab some dessert before it’s all gone.” She gave them a saucy wink and sauntered on her way. 

“Don’t,” Samantha said as Michael barely opened his mouth to speak, “even think about it.” 

“Aw, come on, Sam, lighten up! You mean to tell me after what Dorothy said you’re not the least bit curious?”

“Yes,” Samantha said firmly. It wasn’t true by a longshot, but she didn’t want to discuss it anymore in case she changed her mind. 

Michael gave an exasperated sigh. “Fiiiiine. Hey look, they’re serving chocolate mousse over there, you want me to get you one?” Michael pointed to one of the tables on the large open back patio of the house, where people were grabbing big glass cups of the most delectable and rich chocolate dessert Samantha had ever seen. It even looked like there was candied bacon crumbled on top. 

“Yeah, okay. Just don’t go disappearing on me, it’s getting late.” 

“Roger roger!” Michael saluted her and playfully started marching toward the table. 

---End Part One---

[nyappyforeverbr]

100 Questions&Answers: Yuuki MEMORIAL ARTIST BOOK

In addition to several photos AN CAFE Memorial Artist Book also brought an interview and a special questionnaire of 100 questions with each of the 5 members. Here is the translation of the 100 questions with Yuuki’s 100 answers.

Translate: Japanese>Portuguese by Hiyori Portuguese>English by Shiro 001 How many sushi can you eat? 15 002 Which sushi's ingredient do you like? Breaded shrimp, tuna, corn and salad 003 If you have to eat something until you die, what it would be? Mochi 004 Which kind of lamen do you think has the strongest flavor? Tenkaippin 005 What do you in like in a hot drink? Bergamot Orange by Earl Grey 006 Which mixture do you think most matches rice? Shogayaki 007 What flavor of chewing gum do you like? Blueberry 008 What flavor of candies do you like? Milk-based 009 Soba or udon? Udon NOTE: Soba is a pasta made from buckwheat and udon is made from wheat only 010 Of your whole life, what was the most painful experience you've ever faced? (referring to physical damages) When I fell in the show 011 One part of body that demonstrates more confidence? Nose 012 What do you think about old times? Sloth 013 If you had won 100.000 yen what you would make? (Around 900 dolars) Renovate the furniture of the house 014 And about 100.000.000 yen? (Around 900.000 dolars) I would buy a house for me and my family and put the rest into the savings 015 I know this is kind out of reality, but if you could have a wild animal, which would be? I would be the capybara, they are very cute 016 To Cook, wash clothes, clean the house. Which one do you do better? Cook 017 If you were going for a walk with your girlfriend, where would you go? Hot Springs 018 Where would you spend your last days of life? (If you were an old man where would you want to live?) and why? Somewhere in a countryside, I think because I would have more social contact and I would do an exchange program 019 Is there anyone you consider to be the strongest person in the world? Of course it’s the candies 020 An anime character, manga, etc. that you consider to be the strongest?Deadpool 021 If you could turn into some anime character or something like this, who would you choose? The spiderman 022 First CD you bought? The album of Morning Musume 023 Your preferred winter song? “Yuki no Hana” 024 Your preferred xmas song? Meri Kuri 025 Forgetting that you were part of a band, if you were about to start one, what would it take? And why? A bass, they play fast and I can barely hear 026 And what would be the name you would choose for the band? Sweet Sweet 027 If you went to a desert island and could only take three things, what would it take? 1. Survival Knife2. Solar battery3. Cellphone 028 Do you know how to swim? Yes 029 Something you would never want to happen? Bungee jumping 030 If you were a child, how would you like to be called? At that time I seriously wanted to change this, something like Ramune, I even thought in DQN 031 Do you speak when sleeping? If yes, talk about something already happened to you.For now there is no information to prove this 032 If it was your last day of life, what would you do? I would like to stay with the person I like 033 What was the longest time you could stay awake? I guess it was about 60 hours or less? 034 If you could become someone important in history, who would you be? I don't admire anyone in particular... 035 Do you use a lot of emoticon on LINE? Have you been using LINE lately I’ve been using! The emoticon is Tsukkomi Kuma 036 What's the biggest lie you've ever told? "Hm? This? Afro? Yes Yes! It's my natural hair!" 037 Write the kanji that you think represents 2019 and why? 探 Because I'm looking for my new “me” NOTE: kanji's meaning is: to feel around for; to fumble for; to grope for; to search for; to look for 038 The most expensive thing you bought this year? On Kanon's birthday, I bought him an automatic machine to prepare several types of egg NOTE: If you’re interested in know how this looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk0dfEiiBS8 039 The most convenient thing you bought recently? A cardcover for the Suica card, I bought this year NOTE: Suica (スイカ Suika) is a rechargeable contactless smart card, electronic money used as a fare card on train lines in Japan. 040 A number from 0 to 9 that you like more than others? 04 41 Your longest finger without the middle finger, is it your index finger? Ring finger? Or are they both the same size? Ring finger 042 The word you most speak? “I don’t know, but…” 043 At what time do you think "I'm being bourgeois"? When I prepare a dish and the ingredients are all very expensive 044 If you could have powers, which one would you choose? Power to make barriers 045 If there was a magic word that said things would happen, what would it be? Oh, yes! 046 If you have to choose a follow up for the curry what would it be? Cheese 047 Some kind of punishment game you'd like to avoid? Need jump from somewhere high 048 Do you like of a specific hour? Why? The night. Because I prefer night-time habits 049 How much would you pay for a T-shirt? 2.900 yen (Around 27 dollars) 050 Tell something you would say to you 10 years ago.Are you living!? Are you happy with this!? 051 If it was 50 years ago, what would you be doing? I would be happy... I guess? It would be all right... I guess? 052 How could you imagine yourself 10,000 years ago? I think the language would be completely different... 053 What is the first impression you have of each member of An Cafe? Miku: A handsome guy; Takuya: A reserved stylish dandy; Kanon: Ha? He scares me? He scares me?; Teruki: has a high voice 054 If underwear could have another name, what would you call it? “what you wear underneath” 055 A live that you can not forget? The first live in Shinjuku 056 During those 15 years which member has changed the most? I would not say one in particular. Other than me, if it's just about them, I think their feelings have changed. 057 Do you prefer the traditional breakfast or bread? I don't eat breakfast 058 A teacher you always remember? He was a teacher who was always angry 059 The most fun song in a live? "Darling” and “Hatsumitsu + Lemon = ?” Look like happy songs to me 060 Where do you most like to do a live? Shinjuku Reny 061 A thing you most buy at a convenience store? Jasmine tea 062 If you were not an artist, which career would you choose? A confectioner ... I guess? 063 Which city goes through your head before a live? After I joined An Cafe,, the first city we come back, Kagoshima 064 A stationery item that you like? Ruler 065 An electronic device that you like? Electric oven 066 A person you think is erotic? A friend from high school age 067 What do you think of the vocaloids? Incredible. They are conquering the world, no? 068 A TV show that you like? Ame Talk 069 What's the first live you've been? Precisely in Bou's last live 070 How many pairs of shoes do you have? I think about 3 pairs 071 What is your average time in the bath? 30 minutes, I think 072 A mobile app you liked right away? LINE 073 Do you use a computer for what purpose primarily? I want to use at the same time I use my cell phone 074 What have you found funny lately? Those funny things that happen on TV 075 Who would you most like to meet? My best friends of long time ago 076 When you were a kid, who was your superhero? It was a Power Ranger (I just can't remember which one) 077 The flavor of Umaibo that you like? Mentaiko (Pollock roe) NOTE: Umaibō or "delicious stick" is a small corn cylindrical snack from Japan. 078 An entertaining artist that you like? Tokyo 030 79 First time you did a makeup? After I joined An Cafe 080 Talk a little bit about your first live. I didn't understand very well what I could do and always was standing without doing anything at all (lol) 081 Do you prefer night or day? Night! 082 When you can't sleep what do you do? I watch lives about games 083 Not counting your part in the band, which musical instrument do you like? Guitars, because they're so stylish, no? 084 The oldest memory you have? When I was a kid, I asked them to buy me a gumball machine 085 What color do you like? Black and white 086 What is your favorite mascot? Kanon 087 Where do you usually buy your clothes? GU! 088 Are there any manga or magazines that you buy frequently? One Piece 089 How long you already waited for a person who did not show up? I calculate the exact time of things, so it was about 3 hours and 24 minutes 090 How many times can you do sit-ups? Lately I'm not counting, so I don't know... 091 At this exact moment how much you have in your wallet? When I saw it was 534 yen (Around 5 dolllars) 092 Which Cocoichi curry do you think is the most spicy and the topping? Level 2 and cheese topping NOTE: Cocoichi is a Japanese restaurant franchise specialized in curry 093 Subject at school that you was better? Physical education and music 094 Subject at school that you was worst? Apart from those I’ve mentioned now... 095 What do you do before each live? I get worried about the setlist and keep reminding myself over and over again 096 What is the essential item for a live? Cell phone and recharge batteries for backup 097 Are there any objects that you can not throw away? Things that make me have memories, even just a little bit, I can't throw it away 098 What do you usually buy at McDonald's? French fries! 099 What do you use at bedtime? For over 1 year I have been wearing a jersey shirt 100 Leave a message to Caffekos. Thank you very much for your support! From now on I want us to continue living supporting each other!

[lowkeysebastianstan]

Hey Hun, I hope you're doing well. I get what you mean about feeling detached during the ending scene, I felt the same. As of rn I've completely disregarded the way they ended Steve/Bucky relationship with each other by pretending it never happened. But as of right now that's not what I'm upset about (I'll cry about it but there's other stuff to focus on). The movie as a whole has major plot holes. There's so many questions that I have about the time traveling thing that just don't make sense?

yeah, im good, thank you!

well, yeah. there are plotholes, and plotholes within the plotholes, it’s like a neverending donut that keeps folding in on itself. to be fair though, that was going to be the case as soon as they decided on time travel as the out, time travel is a paradox in concept, and it’s hard to write consistently. i mean it can be done, but most times it just doesn’t work. and they tried with their whole “it doesn’t change anything” spiel, but obviously they fucked up as with a lot of things. 

just the split timeline concept, the infinite realities. ppl say that, well, maybe steve saved bucky, and then that’s okay, well, yes, but what about the steve in that timeline? where was he? well, he was frozen. so then he never wakes up? okay then. so the bucky that steve saves in this new timeline, he’s also just being left? or did he save him before he fell? did he kill himself before the war, did he lurk around the corners and took himself out just after he’d gotten big? did this bucky never fall off a train, didn’t captain america sacrifice himself here? then what of hydra? what of shield? that didn’t exist in this timeline? okay, good. excellent. it’s a brave new world. actually, im kinda liking this, im closing plotholes af. anyways, so this brave new world, without hydra, without shield, therefore without the avengers, how do they fare when thanos comes? they just stay dead and dusted? does steve fix that too? does he move on to other timelines, erasing buckys and steve as he goes? and then, when he pops back to “our” timeline, bc he must have popped back, he didn’t just emerge, bc ffs that would mean that the timelines weren’t separate, that it would have consequences, that everything he changed got changed here too, (and no, please, don’t go, “oh no, we don’t know that, maybe he just popped back but landed on the bench, no. (im not talking to you, im talking to the ones that try to defend this) tHIS IS A MOVIE, SHOW DON’T FUCKING IMPLY AND DEMAND YOUR AUDIENCE HAVE TO SPEND WEEKS WITH MENTAL GYMNASTICS TO FUCKING MAKE SENSE OF IT!), so the two cannot have converged, but yet there he is, shield in hand, old as sin, and answering sam like all he and peggy did was fuck, which makes sense for this steve, he did after all go back in time to get some. 

bc what they said was that, your past is still your past, the past will be your furute and nothing will change. with you. with the person who goes back. but what about the rest of the fucking world they go back to? what about everything they change about that. are they gods now? can they work the worlds they inhabit to their will? can steve rogers create a world without shrimp? apparently so, i guess.

hey, maybe steve teamed up with thanos, i mean, in a world without shrimp hydra, the population growth must be through the ozone layer, maybe he could nudge him a little and tell him to only wipe out the top of the food chains, you know, like a, still shit, but somewhat sensible plan. 

anyways. i dunno what they’re thinking, i have no clue. im just a poor sod on the internet, im sure other ppl can point out all the mistakes i made in this post, but whatever. whatever my sins are at least i didn’t fuck up a perfectly good character and made him into a shitheel, and i take comfort in that.

thank you sm for asking, i do appreciate it even if i might come off as a bit on the salty side, im just tired, but i just can’t seem to let it go. it’s like that one summer fling i had all those years ago, who moved on, i checked their fb, they’re really happy, but i figure i should look them- okay i’ll stop.

hope you’re having a wonderful day, read some fics, enjoy a better steve, and stay awesome.

[salty-yu]

day 3 - apocalypse surprise!!! its still oihina surprise pt.2!!!! i aint proofread 

also did i forgot to mention its another sad ending & someone dies

ao3 link

-

One night, when they're curled up in their hideout, Hinata says, "it's kinda fun, y'know." Oikawa nearly smacks him for making light of this fucking destruction, but manages to reign in the turmoil inside of him to fix Hinata with an unamused stare. Hinata snorts, fingers tightening protectively around the barrel of his rifle, and elaborates, "before started, I was having the worst time of my life."

And Oikawa gets it, understands how not everyone had a pretty decent life like he did before the world fell into complete and utter chaos. So he let's Hinata's somewhat disturbing comment slide, in favor of peeking out of the only window in their hideout. Their hideout is, in simpler terms, a fucking tree house. The only thing that makes it real special is that Oikawa and Hinata had spent weeks digging a wide and deep trench around it, hadn't even bothered to do more than that, because god already knows the undead are as dumb as cardboard boxes.

In the dark of the night, Oikawa can hear the screams of the occasional runaway, the revolting groans of those who once lived, and a multitude of other not-so-pleasant sounds. The sky is brighter now, the stars seemingly on blast. There's really no need for streetlights when the stars are out. Hinata tells him there never was a need for lights on Earth because the stars have always been this bright, they were just never visible because of the man-made brightness. It's one of the first realizations Oikawa has, suddenly aware of how much mankind had taken away from nature.

He guesses this apocalypse is the universe's way of checking them back in place.

-

There's a walled city somewhere on the coast of Japan, where the rich had all traveled to right away when news of the revived dead had reached the headlines. Of course, other civilians were allowed into the city if they passed all health checks. The possibility of even the smallest virus coming into the safe haven was unfathomable, and many were turned away if even the smallest symptoms of a cold appeared. Oikawa proposes they travel there, so they do.

The trip is sure to be a long one, so Hinata takes extra care to pack as many granola bars and waters into their small bags. The first obstacle they face is before they even leave the confines of their tree house. Oikawa says it's best to travel with light clothes, and pack another set if necessary. Hinata says it's best to wear multiple layers, because if they were to be attacked and bitten, it would be harder for the teeth to break through multiple layers. They settle on a medium of two layers, and packs third set into their bags.

They leave on a sunrise, guns clutched in their hands, bags tight around their shoulders. The undead hardly make appearances during the day, as the strong UV rays hurt them (or so the scientists claim). Still, they're on the defense for the first few miles, before they reach a gas station and Hinata abruptly announces his need for a potty break. Oikawa stays put outside for a moment, before ducking into the desolate convenience store and snagging as many small food items as he can. There's a gun shot from somewhere in the building, and Oikawa freezes in place, before hastily shoving the snacks into his pockets, and rushing outside.

When he gets back to where he had last seen Hinata, the younger man is standing at the door of the bathroom, glancing at the floor nonchalantly. "What the hell happened?" Oikawa questions, grasping Hinata in his arms to examine him. His big brown eyes meet Oikawa's in confusion, before something akin to understanding forms, and he snorts.

"Sorry," he says, voice rough but soothing, "there saw a cockroach."

The first emotion to flood Oikawa's systems is an overwhelming sense of fondness for this shrimp. Then he sighs in relief, fingerless gloves brushing Hinata's bangs back, before gently slapping his cheek, fixing Hinata with an unbelieving expression.

-

When they're a few days into their trek, and Hinata has started complaining about how horrible his gym shoes are, they stumble upon a holy grail with air conditioning. In the midst of a town, there' a tall, kind of decaying, building twinkling just at the horizon, and Hinata jumps eight feet when he sees it. "It's a Walmart!" He exclaims, and they rush inside. They almost forget to do a complete scan of the room, until there's a groan from around a shelf, and Oikawa rushes to shoot the brains of one of those monsters through. After that, they're careful again as they wander through the huge store.

It's like the heavens answer to ever single one of Hinata's requests, because they somehow stumble into the shoe section right away, and Hinata manages to find a new pair of shoes he likes, and are in his size. Oikawa doesn't have much luck, settles on a black pair of trainers, and calls it a day. "Don't I look amazing?" Hinata calls from where he's modeling his new shoes. Oikawa agrees, hypes Hinata up as he prances around with his new kicks, before they both dissolve into a fit of giggles.

When they go to leave, Hinata sets a stack of neat quarters on the check out, flashes Oikawa a soft smile, and says, "what? I'm not going to completely steal these."

-

"Holy fuck," Oikawa grunts, pushing the butt end of his gun into a brain-eater's head, hears the sickening crunch, before rushing over to where Hinata is fending off another two. He's shorter than the two monsters that surround him, but faster, and he swings around a bat they'd recently picked up like a toddler just learning the basics of baseball. Oikawa figures it doesn't matter how he swings as long as he lands a hit. Oikawa loads his gun up again, aims at a leg, and shoots. There's a disgusting groan from one of Hinata's attackers, and Oikawa rushes over, kind of does the same lead-up he did for his volleyball spikes, before landing hard on a head.

He mopes the destruction of his new shoes.

His thoughts are cut short when Hinata shouts, and Oikawa quickly returns into fighting mode. The undead figure is slowly beginning to overpower Hinata, but they don't get far before Oikawa presses his gun to the side of its head, pulls the trigger, and watches the writhing body go limp. It's silent then, except for their panting breaths, and Oikawa clamps a hand down of Hinata's shoulder. "You good?" He questions.

Hinata looks down at the blood covering his body, not even his, and says, "just dandy."

-

"Can we take a break?" Hinata asks a few days later when they're walking through the blazing sun again. Oikawa shrugs, as if saying, why not. They're ridiculously ahead of schedule, even through all the necessary "shopping trips" Hinata made them take along the way, and Oikawa knows they'll reach the walled city in a few more days, tops. They've been traveling for a little over a week now, and with each step they take, he can almost smell the sea.

"We can rest all of tomorrow if we want," he says, glancing down the highway they'd been walking on. Upturned cars and smoke blur his vision, and the beating rays of sunlight don't help much either. He raises a hand to shield his eyes from the light, narrows them at a highway sign. "But I reckon we don't," he tacks on, "the longer we travel, the dirtier we'll be during the examinations."

Just as he's about to suggest they continue, there's a wrenching sound from behind him, and whirls around to find Hinata slouched over and dry heaving. He rushes over, taking a water bottle from Hinata's pack to push into his hands. Hinata really can't take it anyway, too busy throwing up absolutely nothing. Oikawa runs a list of all the food they'd eaten that day, recalls the fucking apple tree Hinata had climbed, and swears under his breath "No more grabbing shit off trees," he spits, but his actions contradict his words, and he cards his fingers through Hinata's wild hair.

Hinata doesn't argue back, gives what Oikawa assumes is a nod, before he heaves some more. The only thing that really comes out of his mouth are strands of saliva, and Oikawa hopes he feels better before they reach the walled haven.

-

"It sure is cold," Hinata says the next day, when the sun sets uncharacteristically early, and he's left tugging his shirt closer to his body.

Oikawa hums, squinting into the distance. "Is it?" he murmurs, not really paying attention. They're coming up to another highway sign, this one finally with the name of the city they're traveling to, and Oikawa thanks the heavens. "'M not really cold."

"Well I fucking am," Hinata huffs, and swings his backup around until he's wearing it on his chest. He unzips t, and ruffles through it as they walk, until he comes up with the hoodie they'd each stashed into their packs. Oikawa snags Hinata's bag from him to help, waits for Hinata to tug the hoodie over his shoulder, before shoving the bag back into his hands. "Better," Hinata sighs, and falls into step with Oikawa again.

They haven't even walked another whole mile yet, when Hinata starts complaining about the cold again, fingers buried deep in his sleeves. He almost looks cute with his big sweater and red nose, and Oikawa's heart skips a beat. They stumble into another one of those highway gas stations, and decide to all it a night. Hinata snuggles into Oikawa's side, teeth chattering loud, until he dozes off, and Oikawa is left on guard.

-

"Hinata, watch it!" He shouts, his voice cracking, when another group of undead beings crawl out of an upturned car. He quickly tugs Hinata behind him, aiming his gun and knocking two out right away. He gets busy with another one, fingers digging into decaying flesh in an effort to push it off of him, and he almost had it, until another one, torn at the waist, comes dragging itself at Oikawa and manages to grasp his ankle. He tumbles down then, fighting with the two, until he finally gets the upper hand again and is shooting at them both.

When he's up and running again, he remembers Hinata, and turns wildly around to look for him. Just as he catches sight of the bright head of hair, he hears the sickening moan of another bastard, and his heart nearly falls when he sees the wretched monster not even a whole foot behind Hinata. "Hinata!" He yells, points his gun, nearly faints at the empty clicks. He sets to loading his gun, eyes alternating between the weapon and Hinata, and he's about to lose his mind at Hinata's slow ass reaction, when the figure walks right past Hinata, sickly pale hands reaching for Oikawa.

Oikawa's brain is in overdrive, and his fingers finally push the load of bullets into the gun. He quickly cocks his arm at the enemy, and with one loud crack, the body is on the floor, and the air is quiet again. When the situational panic finally fades, he glance at Hinata with wide eyes. Hinata seems even more confused than Oikawa, and his own expression is reminiscent of a deer in headlights. "What the hell," Oikawa murmurs, stuffing his gun into its hip slot, before rushing over to Hinata. "What the hell," he's repeating, hands grasping Hinata's shoulders, and looking over him. "Why the hell did that zombie just walk right fucking past you?!"

"I-I don't know," Hinata gasps, eyes wide and a little mad. "I don't know, I don't know," he cries, hands reaching up to card through his hair.

If there's one thing Oikawa's learned from this apocalypse, it's that the whole group can't be panicking at once. In their case, only one of them can be panicking at a time. So he sets his hysteria aside in favor of dealing with Hinata's. "Shh," he soothes, allows his own heart rate to slow again, before pulling Hinata snuggly into his chest. "It's because you didn't move," he explains, probably to both of them, "they don't attack what doesn't move, right?"

-

"Aren't these pretty?" Hinata exclaims when they stumble into what used to be a new square. He's marveling at a patch of fire lilies growing on an abandoned flowerbed. Oikawa saunters over, crouches next to Hinata, until he's eye level with the flowers too. The inside of the petals are a soft orangey color, almost like Shouyou's hair, that fade into a flaming red. He picks one, and Hinata says, "heyyy, flowers have feelings too, y'know."

He ignores him in favor of setting the flower in Hinata's hair, the stem easily gliding into the depths of Hinata's bright trusses. Hinata himself falls silent, eyes wide as they watch Oikawa. "There," Oikawa says when the flower is safely nestled, and flashes Hinata another smile. The inside orange compliments Hinata's hair, and the bright red compliments the flush on Hinata's cheeks. He looks absolutely lovely, then.

-

When they finally reach the walled city, Hinata cries in relief, and Oikawa hides his own alleviation with laughter, tugging Hinata closer for a hug, the shorter man muffling his wet sobs into the crook of Oikawa's neck. Oikawa laughs because he hasn't felt this safe in so long, and they haven't even gotten in yet! He turns to cover Hinata with a complete hug, their bodies pressed tightly together from chest to thigh. "We made it," he sighs into Hinata's sweaty scalp, something that should be gross, but doesn't feel like it because its Hinata, for goodness sake. 

"Thank you," Hinata cries while they wait in a line for the health examinations, and he still hasn't let Oikawa let go of him. "I thought I was gonna die," he admits, one hand loosely wrapped around Oikawa's hip. He sniffles. "I'm weak, and I'm not a fighter, and-and," he stutters, more fat tears trickling down his cheeks. "I woulda died without you," he sobs, burying his face into Oikawa's chest again.

"There, there," Oikawa says, gently patting his head. "It's all good now, Hina-chan," he comforts, pressing the softest of kisses to his forehead. Hinata nods into his chest, and his shaking shoulders slowly come to a stop. "They're going to give us a nice little house, where we'll live together," he says, imagining how good things will be for them now. "We're going to live together forever," he says, and then murmurs, "I love you, y'know?"

Hinata shakes ins his arms again, and Oikawa just barely catches the, "I love you," he mumbles back, before Hinata's dissolving into another quiet cry. All Oikawa does then is run his hands down Hinata's back, brushing Hinata's hair back to press the softest of pecks to his temple. 

-

-

-

There's a red light going off somewhere at an examination table to his left, and Oikawa mentally laments the failure of fellow civilian who couldn't pass the examination test. He wonders what type of symptoms that person was showing, and a sense of pity settles in his chest. 

The flashing comes to a stop, only to start up full force again, this time even louder, and there's security guards in hazmat suits rushing towards Oikawa's left again. Oikawa can't help it, turns his head a little to peak, but al he sees is the bright yellow of the suits surrounding a screaming figure. Poor soul. He turns back to the medic checking him. Another second ticks by, and suddenly, he realizes he recognizes those screams. His head whips around to do a double take, standing on his toes in an effort to see who's being removed, desperate to prove his brain and ears wrong. 

He's about to let it go, push it off as some paranoia, when there's a tuft of orange peeking through all the rubber yellow, wild brown eyes looking around frantically. Oikawa's heart drops, and he's surging forward, hands slamming down on the plastic walls of his medical area, banging on the surface until his medic, and a few others are reaching forward to detain Oikawa. "Where are they taking him?" He shouts, watching as the men in sits wrestle Hinata out of Hinata's medical room, past the waiting lines they'd spent hours in, and out of Oikawa's sight. "Why are they taking him?" He cries, craning his neck in a last attempt to see his Hinata. 

"That patient has been found with traces of the apocalyptic virus in his DNA," someone says, and Oikawa's heart is hammering in his chest, pounding in his ears. 

"No," Oikawa breathes, flashes of Hinata flickering through his mind;  his blindingly bright smile, his bell-like laughter, his brown eyes wide with fear, his clothes drenched in blood, neither of them knowing whose it was, marking it off as a zombie's. "No," Oikawa repeats, and the memory of the undead completely ignoring Hinata comes to mind. "No!" He screams, and tears leak down his eyes. 

He and all the healthy civilians are herded into an area afterwards, and it takes two security men to grab Oikawa. He doesn't put up much of a fight anymore, letting them drag him over to a large door outside of the walls. They pass even more examination lines, more security men, a line of kneeling people all the way at he far edge of this make-shift camp. Infected civilians. His head travels down the line, catches sight of a bright head of hair with a flower peeking through it at the very beginning of the line, and his heart aches in his chest. 

His precious companion is being sent back into that wretched world, he realizes, and whimpers. The security men drag him on, and he trips, feet scudding against the dry land. He glances up again, and notices the two men in dress suits at each end of the infected line, and almost misses the glint of a silver gun. His eyes widen, and he watches as the men load their guns. What are they doing, he panics.

He's shoved into a new area, and the guards let go of him. He quickly whirls around, eyes frantically searching the area again, until they finally land on the suited man by Hinata. "Hinata!" He shouts, surges forward only to be pushed back into his area. The man loads his gun, and a set of doors begin to close before Hinata, just as the first gun shot rings through the air. 

[hades-pa]

do prime numbers haha

All right motherfucker strap in

2. Age 

19

3. City that you live in

Fairfax, VA

5. What do most people know you for?

I’m honestly not sure these days, hopefully for being someone who doesn’t take shit from anyone but that’s not necessarily the case

7. What are your passions? 

Writing, doing what’s right in the world

11. What was the last thing you learned?

The full origin story of Wonder Woman and how she’s based off two women of a poly relationship and there’s a lot more to it 

13. Turn ons 

Respect. Justice. Ear kisses. A good slap on the ass.

17. What is the best birthday gift you have ever received?

Last year I had no one around for my birthday and my best friend swooped in and took me laser tagging and then going home to drink and watch movies, and honestly that meant a lot more to me than I think he knew.

19. Do you sleep during class?

I’ll doze for 8 minutes and start awake and then be fine for the rest of class

23. Text or call?

Mostly text unless I’m driving

29. When was the last time you read for fun?

About an hour ago

31. What is the best gift you could receive right now?

Someone to clean my apartment and move me into a new, cheaper apartment, with a fully stocked fridge and liquor cabinet

37. Why do bad things happen to good people?

Either karma for a bad thing they did or someone did such a bad thing that some of it spilled over and splashed other people. Just an uncaring universe made of stardust and entropy trying to keep the balance, and sometimes normal lives get in the way.

41. What do you invest the most time in?

Sleeping

43. What’s the difference between loving and liking someone?

I don’t want to say it’s how much you would do for that person but a combination of that and that blossoming feeling of warmth in your chest and then also calling it a stepping stone of friendship levels with mutual, unconditional love being at the top.. i dunno I’m just spitballing

47. Do you believe world peace will ever exist?

Yeah

53. How many countries have you visited?

Over a hundred

59. What is your favorite quote?

“Do no harm, take no shit” always comes to mind though I’m sure there are better out there

61. What is your greatest accomplishment? 

Not killing myself yet

67. Do you have a job?

Not really

71. Is tumblr your favorite website? If not, then what is your favorite website?

That site where you click a button and it donates to an animal shelter

73. Does money equal happiness? 

no, but it’s certainly very handy dandy to get to a secure place with enough material goods or whatever and having the means to get an education or to travel which I believe do add up to happiness. So no, but it fucking helps.

79. What is your favorite animal? 

Fox. Or the Peacock Mantis Shrimp. Maybe Tardigrade.

83. Does age necessarily equal maturity? 

oh jesus fuck no, of course it doesn’t

89. How many digits of pi can you recite? 

like 6? 3.1415926 ok so like 7 but whatever

97. Is it harder to love or to hate somebody?

Hate. Hate is an active thing that you have to put energy into, love is just kind of there. 

wOWZA

[revengebodyjourney]

Day 4 (12/30/17)

Well be being you would think after my wreck yesterday that i would be allowed to relax and get to sleep in....in this house fat chance...i could probably die and i would be brought back to do something that there was no need for. 

After being abruptly being summoned form my bed to help with a valve on the toilet. I prepared myself breakfast...I still have not gotten the items i need to make something different so i went with my usual easy and quick to make. That right...4 slice of bacon and two large eggs prepared scrambled style. Instead of coffee i had a nice refreshing glass of low fat milk. 

The day went on i of course tried to return to my vast comfort area of sleep  (bed) but was not allowed too. Errands had to be run and preparations for the impeding drop in temperature (yeah btw weatherman where is the snow i was suppose to see like yesterday?) Only person in the world that can be wrong 99% of the time and still keep their job...weatherpeople. 

Upon returning to the house I got a surprise my books i had ordered recently had come in which meant i finally had something to read lol.

The picture is actually of lunch...my grandmother was not in the mood to cook nor did she feel like cleaning up the kitchen when we offered to cook and even when we said we would clean she said she had not spent all morning cleaning the whole house just to have it messed up again. Before any of y'all think the house was a wreck this is the lady that mops the floors 5 times a day with pure rubbing alcohol and then steam mops them with her shark...she also vacuums the tile floor. If you are now catching my drift to the pointless-ness of her ferocious approach to keeping the house cleaner and looking like a home no one lives in. I really think to her a house should no signs that a person is ever there. *rolls eyes*

Anyway for lunch we went to Asian City hibachi grill. I of course start thinking, “well sh!t, what am i going to eat at this place.” Of course being low carb i had to stay away from rice and soy sauce...i know should have just shot myself on the way in and saved myself the torture of wanting it. Well handy dandy google came in the clutch. Plus a big shout out to the chef from being so nice and handling all my requests with a smile and telling me it would be no trouble. He was even nicer and double checked if butter was okay to use when preparing my food. I ordered steak medium well and shrimp without the soy sauce. I of coursed asked for no rice and then got loaded down with the hibachi veggies (no soy sauce once again). I did get some of the mustard peanut sauce and ginger sauce on the side just to dip my meat in. 

While running some more errands to prepare for more items falling apart in the house since it is a little over 20 years old and everything seems to want to go out or leak...i realized i wanted some coffee. So i went to Starbucks and got myself a grande Christmas blend with a splash of coconut milk and a pump of sugar free mocha syrup...the person taking my order even reminded  me about wanting cinnamon ( i may have been going to Starbucks to much to have people reminding me of what i usually order). Anyways I was like oh thats perfect thank you ma'am....and then i kinda of stopped. Quick question: have you ever met a person and you are not exactly sure if they are (wish for you pro-gender choice people, however i do hate to inform you there are only two genders and your DNA no matter how much you change the outside is going to show you the gender you really are.) This was one of those moments i had said ma'am and was not really sure if i should have. The person was oh thank you and nice so i guess i had said the right thing or being the customer service job have become use to ppl saying ma'am or sir by accident. However I must say this person had lovely handwriting...i wish i could write as neat and elegant as this person had when they wrote my order on the lid. 

Of course once home i wanted to relax since i had been going and going just like that bunny on the commercials....but oooohhhh no the Christmas tree, which was in a corner out of the way and being left alone by all the animals in the house, had to come down. I did not put that damn thing up, fighting getting all the lights to come on, have the angel perfectly looking down but not too much, decorate the ribbons on it to perfectly match the angel, make sure the branches were fluffy and full, place each ornament in just the right spot so the tree did not look crowded and do this a couple of times due to my OCD...to have it not stay up for even three weeks because someone in the house felt that the tree had hijacked the house and made it messy. Not to mention i had to listen to all the critiques about how i decorated it and did it when the same person critiquing wanted nothing to do with it....ill be damned I'm dealing with that. So i continued to relax and kept getting asked when i was gonna take down the tree...my first response was if you want it down so bad you do it but of course i can't be rude or disrespectful (although everyone else can) 

After some time i realized i was hungry and it was close to dinner time...once again i came to the realization there was not much in the house that i could make quickly and stay with in the bounds of my diet I'm trying to keep. So i improvised. I found “ready to cook” Tyson chicken strips and threw those in a pan then chopped up two strips of bacon and tossed those in as well and let it all simmer together. Now i like my food to taste good...if I'm gonna eat it , it has to have flavor. So i sprinkle in a little cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. I think throw in some minced garlic (the world market kind). let that simmer all together a bit and i realize i need some kinda veggies...well i love baby spinach so i grab a handful and toss it in letting it all cook and welt down together. Honestly or just throwing it together it was pretty delicious...the pepper seasoning really helped to make it good. All was accompanied by a large cool glass of water. 

I was trying to be very reserved today in my eating due to the fact i would not be able to make it to the gym with everything needing to be done and the weather was rather nasty (i was not feeling that). I keep track of all this in my “Lose it” app on my phone and really watching my nutrients especially the carb percentage. Also I know I'm went out of my guidelines yesterday with chick-fil-a and the fact tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and i know I'm gonna be cheating with food right and left so i had to watch myself today. Im even considering going in tomorrow and doing a two hour long workout just to not feel to guilty later.  

Great news...i did amazing on my percentages...44% protein, 44% fat, and only 11% carbs...which if i am not mistaken is my lowest carb count yet!!!!!!!!

Well that is it for today...probably will not have a post tomorrow due to the fact of new year’s eve...or i might do two or three mini posts to keep the update going depends on how my day plays out. Well I'm out y'all...Mr. Sandman calling my name..TTFN.

[aion-rsa]

Netflix’s Project Power, and the Creatures That Inspired Each Ability

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Spoilers for Project Power to follow

Not for nothing are we called Den Of Geek. So when we were given the chance to chat with Project Power directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost and discovered that for the film they basically became massive science and nature nerds in creating some of the effects, this was very much ‘our bag’. 

Project Power imagines a world where a street drug, just known as ‘Power’ imbues the user with almost super-heroic abilities but for just five minutes. The trouble is, exactly what powers you are going to get can’t be predicted. Some get strength and speed, others get instant death. 

Each person in Project Power is effected differently and Joost and Schulman explain that they used examples from the natural world to add to the realism of the piece.

“That was something that we developed with the writer Mattson Tomlin and with our VFX supervisor Ivan Moran,” says Joost. “It was really just a product of us wanting to understand how power works and what it did to the human body and where these powers came from. We really didn’t want it to be magic or an alien, something from outer space. We wanted it to be something that was at least kind of relatively grounded in reality. The more we researched these animal powers, we were like, “Oh my God, these things all exist in nature already. Why not just let ourselves be inspired by that?”

There are examples explained in the movie which sound incredibly cool – a man who runs as fast as a big cat, another who shoots sharp bones from under his skin like the real life so called ‘Wolverine Frog’. But it’s not all sunshine and roses.

“It all started from a desire to take superpowers and ask ourselves what would actually happen to your body if you had that ability? What would be the side effects?” Schulman explains. “In the world of Project Power, superpowers come with super side effects. If there are side effects, then that had us thinking of them as science-based superpowers. Then we asked ourselves, where could you actually get a superpower? Well, maybe it’s lying dormant in your DNA. If it’s in the animal kingdom, it could potentially be in a human strain, and maybe the pill just reawakens those abilities.”

It’s a smart starting point for a film that really leans into the idea, allowing for some amazingly fun set pieces. Joost and Schulman break down some of our favorite Power moments, characters and creature-based set pieces from the film.

(L-R) Henry Joost, Jamie Foxx and Ariel Schulman on set of Project Power

The invisible man

Early on in the movie we see a man carry out a bank robbery who appears almost invisible – he’s blending in with his backgrounds perfectly as he moves through the streets – chameleon-like, you might say, though the inspiration for his power was actually a fish. 

“If you take, for example, the invisible guy who’s actually camouflage guy, we all know that in real life invisibility is not really a thing. But there are animals that have such sophisticated camouflage that they appear to be invisible, like the cuttle fish and different cephalopods and lizards,” Joost explains. “We really dove into, how does that animal produce that effect, and that’s what we were trying to replicate with the visual effects.”

“I don’t know if you can notice, but the patterns on his skin are meant to mimic the surface of ink pods that are on a squid’s exterior and those pods, which can produce any mixture of color, are reflections of its surroundings,” Schulman adds. “Whether the audience picks up on that or not, for us, it was the only way we could dig into a scene and figure out what was happening, if we could understand how it was working.”

The big bang

“Well, it’s a bit of a spoiler, but the inspiration for the final power of the film, I won’t even say whose it is, is the chemical reaction that occurs when you put two grapes in a microwave…” says Schulman. Yes that’s right, two grapes. We also won’t spoil exactly what happens, to whom and why, but it’s an explosive finale inspired not just by grapes but also an unusual creature.

“It’s an effect that occurs in the animal kingdom with this animal called the pistol shrimp, which basically moves so fast that it creates a bubble of air that becomes plasma,” he explains. “This is a tiny, little animal, but we were like, ‘What would it look like if you created that on a macroscale of a person?’”

The python

In one memorable action sequence Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s cop, Frank fights with a guy whose limbs seem to defy nature, bending in ways the human body usually doesn’t. The crazy thing about this scene is that much of it was done for real.

“That guy’s name is Xavier and he’s a dancer from New York City that we made a dance film with a few years ago,” says Schulman. “When it came time to figure out what power Joseph should fight and who was going to do it, we thought of Xavier because he naturally has this extraordinary ability to dislocate several joints in his arms.”

“We thought, Oh, that’s cool. Maybe we could turn that into a rubbery python power, where you can use that ability to strangle your foe like a snake does. Since he already did it, that checked another one of our boxes, which was trying to do as many of the action scenes practically as possible and then adding flourishes of CGI to that,” he explains.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT as FRANK in PROJECT POWER Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2020

The bulletproof cop

Gordon-Levitt’s power is one that’s particularly handy for a law man. When he takes the pill his skin thickens until it so strong it becomes impenetrable to bullets.

“It was inspired by two animals. It was inspired by the armadillo, which has the famously armored skin. Then it was also inspired by this microscopic creature called the tardigrade,” says Joost. 

“It’s the most hardy organism on Earth. They find them underwater, deep sea, and in volcanoes. I think maybe they can even survive in space for certain amount of time. They’re also called water bears. They’re really cute. You can look them up. They’re invisible to the naked eye, but we gave Joe some homework on the tardigrade and armadillo to check out before.”

These tiny creatures even became part of the director’s aesthetic choices for Gordon-Levitts tranformation scenes.

“The patterns you see forming on his skin are very similar to the pattern of the tardigrade’s exterior,” Shulman explains.

Nature’s own hulk

“If you’re going to explore science-based versions of superpowers, you’ve got to figure out how to do a scientific version of the Hulk,” laughs Schulman. He’s referring to the painful-looking power bestowed on ‘Project Power’ boss ‘Biggie’ played by Rodrigo Santoro.  

“That one was actually really tough. I don’t know that we have a specific animal version, although it’s a hyper-speed version of the growth any animal goes through and the growing pains that any animal endures,” says Schulman.

“It was inspired by conditions like gigantism and Marfan syndrome and stuff like that where the body is growing uncontrollably,” Joost explains.  

“Mike Marino who did the special effects makeup, really had fun with that. I think he’s got six nipples, three eyeballs and nostrils…” [The Hulk, not Mike Marino, we assume]

“The Hulk is awesome, but the Hulk grows so uniformly that he looks like Mr. Universe. We thought it would be interesting if a huge man grew uncontrollably and at random, and that it hurt a lot,” adds Schulman. “That was something Rodrigo, the actor, thought he could really work with, which is the pain of growing that big and what it does to your clothes. That hurts the most when you’re a dandy.”

“That’s right. Sharen Davis, who is the costume designer, put him in a suit,” Joost explains. “If you look really closely, it’s got this cross-hatched material that expands. It’s designed to get bigger, but he gets so much bigger than his clothes, he still rips through them. If you look closely, you can see that he was anticipating that maybe he would grow big that night.”

Running hot and cold

Two major set pieces in Project Power involve extremes of the same power – that of thermoregulation and what happens if it goes wrong. It’s showcased with the character of Newt (Machine Gun Kelly) and later with a character known as ‘frozen girl’. He explodes, she freezes to death in spectacular style.

“They’re actually opposite sides of the same spectrum, the power of thermoregulation, which almost every animal in the animal kingdom has. It’s the ability to maintain your body temperature in extreme scenarios,” Schulman explains. “Some animals can do it better than others. A polar bear can keep itself regulated in freezing cold. But if you’ve taken too much power or you have a bad reaction, it’ll go bonkers.”

“The idea was what would happen if your thermoregulations went completely out of control,” says Joost. “This is stuff I don’t expect anybody to pick up on, but, with Newt, if you look really closely at some of those shots of him right before he catches on fire, you’ll see that there’s superheated steam shooting out of his pores.”

The Newt sequence occurs at the start of the movie and it was a key introduction to the world of Project Power.

“In our initial pitch to Netflix, we said, ‘With the first power in the movie, the fire guy, we’re going to set the bar for realism right away. The idea is that we’d like to come as close to setting the actor on fire as possible. CGI fire isn’t what we’re looking for here.’” Schulman explains.

“The ultimate solution was a full-burn bodysuit, integrated with LED lights to cast interactive light. After every performance by Machine Gun Kelly, a stuntman would step in, having watched the monitor, and would imitate his exact movements in bursts of 10 seconds, completely on fire.

“It was extraordinarily time consuming and lasted about a week for that two- or three-minute sequence. Ultimately, we had real fire in a real location. A lot of the people we’d worked with said they hadn’t seen that or done that in 20, 30 years.”

Schulman says this death, and that of the girl freezing to death – which he describes as a really intricate process – were the ones he was most proud of.

“Those were huge learning experiences for us,” he says. “I think, Henry, we, more or less, achieved what we’d initially imagined in our heads, which doesn’t always happen.”

Joost concurs: “Yeah, I’m happy where it ended up.”

Project Power is available to stream now on Netflix.

The post Netflix’s Project Power, and the Creatures That Inspired Each Ability appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3l0NkI6

[mountlandme]

Tagged by @trans-aziraphale !!Rules: answer the questions, then add one of your own! Tag 5 people to do it too!

1. Who’s your idol(s)? I don’t really have real life idols, there are people I look up to but I try not to idolise people as that always ends in tears.

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? The amazon rainforest! (probably a section in Peru).

3. What decorates the walls of your room? Next to my bed I have postcards from all of the places I have visited, at the foot of my bed I have a navy and gold abstract painting done by a friend who gave it to me when she moved home to Norway, in the rest of the flat I have a few fan art prints and a screen print about to go up.

4. Favorite color combination? Black, Green and Gold (for clothing on me). In art I love purples and pinks.

5. What’s on the top of your bucket list? I don’t do bucket lists as planning things around my death was something very unhealthy i did as a teen. But things I want to do sometime soon are: Learn British Sign Language, go dog sledding, see the northern lights, and ride a shire horse along a beach.

6. Height? 5′7

7. Favorite animal? Dogs! Specifically Shetland Sheepdogs. 

8. What’s the last song you listened to? Lord Huron - Meet me in the woods

9. how many/what kind of pets do you have? I have a Hamster called Bear, a fish tank with two Guppies, 4 apple snails, and a large amount of shrimp.

10. last movie you saw in theatres? Spiderman: Into the spider-verse

11. comfort food or favorite food? Pasta with garlic and herb scheese, pesto, onions, and mushroom - quick and easy when needing comfort food quickly.

12. why did the chicken cross the road? Ask the chicken not me

13. do you wear socks in bed? Only if it’s really cold, like when i’m camping.

14. what’s your favorite piece of clothing you have? My jeans.

15. what piece of media (book, movie, song, poem) do you wish you had written? Good omens or Harry Potter because I know not to be a pain in the ass online and would shut my mouth (or have better takes), also id be minted.

16. what movie could you watch over and over and never get tired of? The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. 

17.How would you describe your ideal aesthetic if you had no restrictions whatsoever?  I would have several: queer villain, pastel punk prince, sparkly/shiny dandy gentleman, hobbit, and forest urchin. 

Adding: 

Which moment (no matter how small) changed the course of your life?

Tagging: @uniquepersonality @lonicera-caprifolium @asparklethatisblue @ferntree @dykeiel

[ldnonpoint-blog]

Why I voted Corbyn (and why I won’t again)

Communist traitor, messianic saviour. Whatever the term you wish to use, you can't help respect the traction him and the momentum movement have gained in such a short period of time. Jeremy Corbyn has gone completely against the status quo, and by bypassing tradition press and summoning the untapped power of social media, has propelled himself and his politics into viable contention for government. Leaving all competition, no matter how seemingly powerful, found wanting and looking like clueless sub-sentient marmots in comparison. They're scared shitless at the prospect of a Corbyn government, more so than brexit even. Regardless of all the lame smears though, all this did was embolden my belief that he was the one, the answer to all of society's ills, and was the man to lead us all out of this neo-liberal quagmire that's engulfed our beloved green and pleasant land. Hope and glory awaited! At least that's what I thought, but not now. Not anymore. 

A couple of years back, around the time of Jeremy's metoric rise, I wasn't in a very good place. Which is strange, as I'd just finished the knowledge and had a whole new career and chapter to embark upon in life. Without going into detail though, the trade had been besieged by a level of corruption that I'd never personally experienced before. I know, I know. The black cab trade needed a bit of a competition. We're not against that. What we're against though are our politicians being bought off and our regulator coerced, allowing the compeition to dodge tax, avoid regulations and avoid paying a minimum wage whilst using investment funded subsidises to destroy through predatory pricing a 364 year old trade that's built it's reputation on merit and expertise alone. 

I'm happy to report though, they failed. In spite of all that they have thrown at us, we're still here, and the start to this year has been the best the trade has seen in decades. This is still a banging job and you get out what you put in. If you want any proof that hard work and merit eventually pays off in this society, regardless of race, colour or creed, being a black cabbie is a perfect example of that, even in the face of unfettered corruption. And driverless cars? I shit 'em. Minicabs outnumber us 8 to 1 already with subsided fares to the tune of 59%, yet people still use us in droves. I'll start worrying when instant teleportation is invented, until then, no one can do the job better than us, and these techno-dude-bros in silicon valley are simply reinventing the wheel. Anyways, I digress...

When all that corruption was happening though, I was left bitter at a system I felt had pulled a fast one on me. It caused me to hate the city I know in such detail that I can summon a map in my head instantly, and even the mere mention of a street name causes my brain to instantly recall the entire area in precise detail. London is apart of me, it resides within, whether I like it or not. So watching all this corruption conspire right in front of my eyes, it enthused me politically like I never have been before. I became a right little social justice warrior, must to the detriment of my facebook friends. To me, Jeremy really was the answer. He was the man to put the banks in line and put the evil corporations back in their place, which are sentiments I largely still agree with. So what gives Paul? Why the change in heart? It's not him that troubles me. It's his legion of cultural nihilists and professional victims that he's on the verge of ushering in, that gives me cause for concern.

Yes, the radical left. The purveyors of all that's righteous, and boy, if you're ever to question that, you'd better watch out. They destroy careers like a black cabbie can destroy a sausage roll in the morning, and it's all justified through this unfettered push for "equality". It's the holy grail, the pot at the end of the rainbow, and is about as obtainable as those two examples are real. 

Nothing in life is equal. Nature, people, genders and even cultures, all operate on parallels that you just can't feasibly measure. Even people in subgroups aren't equal. You think Lenny Henry can hold a candle to Richard Pryor? Get the fuck out of here! And me? I'm a scrawny 5'9 shrimp who's got a head like a domestically abused potato, my modelling career ain't going anywhere. Yet this is exactly what the radical left want. For no one to be judged, for no one to be offended and for no one to be punished, no matter what bad decisions you choose or if you’ve even got any talent for the job you would like to do. They think that by just guilt tripping people into conforming, redefining laws on free speech and sacrificing proven logic for politics driven by feelings and emotion, everything will be fine, fan-tabby-dosey, and a tax-payer funded bliss of round-the-clock-reach-arounds awaits for one and all. Well, I'm sorry to say, human's have already tried that, and the results have been dire. (citation; Russia, China, Venezuela, Cambodia, North Korea, Cuba, and any other country that has a death count in the tens of millions and has predicated it's whole meaning around equality) 

Communism has failed. Socialism has failed. But by just re-framing the parameters and changing tactics, the radical left still think that such a society is feasible. It isn't. It's a cancer that's predicated on oppressor vs the oppressed, the weak vs the strong, the noble victim vs unfettered power. It's identity politics and politics of envy, and the element that hooks them the most, like opiates do, is that does away with the need to take any personal responsibility for your actions what-so-ever. No matter how much of a fuck up you are, there's always someone to blame. Whether it be the patriarchy, racism, class, homophobia, or gender. It's a system that rewards weakness. Here's a radical idea, maybe, just maybe, your race, gender, class or appearance has nothing to do with people discriminating against you, that maybe, well... I don't quite know how to put this, but you're just a bit of a cunt? Has that ever occurred to anyone? But no one can ever bare to think of themselves in those terms, so the patriarchy it is! 

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. Jeremy Corbyn recently came out and announced that if he was in charge, he'd give every single homeless person in this country a house to live in. On the surface that seems noble enough, but all I can think is why? I know not all are to blame for being homeless, and mental illness is a major factor in causation, but what about the people that regardless of the warning signs and signals, still ventured down the path of criminality and drug abuse which lead them to living on the streets? As far as I'm concerned, that's on them, and maybe their whole point in life is to remind others how far the human condition can truly fall. I'm a dreamer, that I am. but I'm not the only one... 

That's not to say that capitalism is perfect. It isn't. The biggest difference is though that unlike communism, it rewards hard work, personal endeavour, responsibility and achievement, which is the sole reason and drive behind our civilisation reaching the heights it has. Everyone see that Space X falcon heavy test flight the other week right? Amazing right? That's pure capitalism in motion baby. Look around you, at all the other countries and civilisations. Most are run by absolute thugs, that lock up journalists, kill dissenters without trial and are corrupt to the very core. Yet all people in western countries do, is piss and moan because you're next door neighbour is doing better than you. It's a form of mental illness, and is a consequence of well-to-do middle class white people with nothing better to do than to play "make believe oppression". Want to talk about oppression? Speak to a descendent of a peasant farmer in Russia during Stalin's reforms. Oh wait, you can't. Because they're all fucking dead. 

Here's another prime example of the self-loathing, cultural nihilism  that's sweeping through Labour at the moment, summed up in one picture.

For those that are unaware, she's (that's a different kettle of fish altogether, one which I ain’t willing to go anywhere near right now) the model that got sacked from L'Oreal for writing in a lengthy facebook rant that "the white race is the most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth" and that our "entire existence is drenched in racism". Yeah. She's just been appointed as an adviser on equality for the Labour party. How politicians can be so politically blind-sided as to think promoting a deeply entrenched, bitterly enraged bigot (which is exactly what she is) is fine and dandy, is utterly beyond me. The rotherham scandal is another example of the lefts blind spot being exposed, hundreds of girls could have been spared from being groomed and gang-raped. Yet they weren’t, all because the police force and the labour politicians there didn't have the guts to stand up for them. That’s white guilt for you. 

But that's exactly it. They (the guilt ridden white folk) hate our culture, and have been coerced into thinking it's responsible for everything that's wrong in the world. They want to see it diluted to the point of irrelevance, and there's a number of angles that it's being attacked from. All based around the notion that white & male = evil and everything else = lovely ^_^

Don't be confused. If you're white and working class, labour simply doesn't give a fuck about you, and that's just the truth. If you're from an ethnic minority though, they're just using you as a political football to beat the opposition with. It's driven by power, pure and simply. They've patronised you into believing you're victims and that no matter what you do or how hard you work, society will always push you back down. It's a falacy, all to serve their blinded sided ends. Racism exists still from all sides, but pure graft and tenacity will overcome that always. 

So I'll repeat, there's nothing wrong with capitalism. It's just been momentarily coerced by cunts, but even still, life really isn't that difficult. Here's what you do. You wake up, take a shit, find something you can bare doing for a living, and just get really fucking good at it. Simple! There are people that work in McDonalds now that earn more than I ever will. Why? Because they're hard working, and are willing to do what needs to be done to carve out a half decent life for themselves. These opportunities are available to everyone. They wouldn't be if the Marxists had their way. 

I'll end this morose rant by evoking one last point. Next time you see the radical left protesting, just take a look around at what types of people you see. They ain't smartly dressed, they care little for there appearance. They're made up of misfits and overgrown kids without an ounce of work ethic what-so-ever. The politically correct ringleaders are the worst, defining their entire living and career on being professionally outraged (see Owen Jones as a prime example, a man that has never had a single job in his life, other than writing books on how hard life is for people that work). 

So don't buy into the bullshit people. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of history knows where this path leads. Don't let them patronise you. Don't let them fuel the fires of division. They want equality, but only on their terms, and believe me, the end results won't be pretty.