#after we collided icons

[iconsfinder]

[inspirationfandream]

multicrossover AU :

Hardin Scott & Ginny Miller

Justin Foley & Jules Vaughn

Marcus Lopez & Sabrina Spellman

Guzman Nunier & Carla Roson

Vamp!Jungkook & Eleonor (Elle Fanning)

Bloom & Maria AU

[f1version]

LOST COWBOY HAT ★ DR3

pairing: daniel ricciardo x celebrity!reader (she/her)

summary: You find a cowboy hat while you’re at a photoshoot, then the F1 fandom goes crazy on you because it’s supposedly Daniel Ricciardo’s lost hat.

note: it’s race week for the australian gp, so technically it’s danny ric’s week. have this as my holy offering for the dr3 agenda xx

danielricciardo • Melbourne, Australia

Liked by redbullracing, landonorris and 983,303 others

danielricciardo Someone stole my hat, here’s me smiling through the pain, and our last memory together.

view all comments

redbullracing SOS mission find danny’s hat activated

maxverstappen1 translation: he left it at the studio during a photoshoot, and when he came back the next day it wasn’t there

danielricciardo you can just say i lost it. i hate you.

landonorris can i laugh?

danielricciardo NO

yourusername • Melbourne, Australia

Liked by redbullracing, vanityfair and 992,137 others

yourusername just found a hat, feeling good xx

view all comments

redbullracing that’s a good cowboy hat you have there

yourusername hi redbull racing, now that you are here can i get a paddock pass for next weekend?

redbullracing boss (daniel) says yes

theynwardrobe i can already FEEL people asking where are the boots from

vanityfair icon

yourusername ❤️❤️

dr3things wait a damn minute

yourusername • Melbourne, Australia

Liked by danielricciardo, maxverstappen1 and 1,102,003 others

yourusername danielricciardo i am told i have your hat. hope you know how to fight

view all comments

danielricciardo we can fight. maybe at a restaurant, next week, after the race, 7pm. sounds good?

yourusername oh? maybe we could do that, or who knows if there is something available tomorrow? if not, see you on paddock mr ricciardo

redbullracing two worlds collide

yourusername hi redbull can u tell daniel i think he is cool?

redbullracing i do as mother says🫡

char16lec danny ric did not just hit on a philanthropist super model because he left his hat at a photoshoot and she took it

maxdan11 he really did, what a legend

yourusername’s insta story

danielricciardo’s insta story

yourusername’s insta story

yourusername

Liked by danielricciardo, landonorris and 1,862,753 others

yourusername i think he has a crush on me or something…

view all comments

danielricciardo a crush is just the beginning of it

yourusername it’ll be fun to find out all of that

landonorris this man has dedication fr, boy has been crushing on u since 2019

danielricciardo LANDO NO THEY CANT KNOW

yourusername danielricciardo “i’ve liked you for a very long time now, y/n, it’s ridiculous” this u?

danielricciardo all dates. cancelled.

redbullracing welcome to the family!

danielricciardo

Liked by yourusername, redbullracing and 1,862,753 others

danielricciardo it looks better on her, doesn’t it?

view all comments

yourusername you’re cute or whatever

danielricciardo no u

redbullracing we’re pro matchmakers fr

maxverstappen1 ok but what about me

danielricciardo i’ll always love you babe

yourusername disappointed but not surprised

[nickgoesinsane]

applesauce

the spot/jonathan ohnn x spider-man!reader (ft. your baby & miles morales)

cw: sfw, gn!reader, implied amab!reader, implied transmasc!spot, reader doesn’t actually appear, dimension travel, spot being wifey, miles having a breakdown, your daughter’s obsession with applesauce, etc.

word count: 420

After disappearing for two whole years, Miles finds the Spot in a corner store in Brooklyn with a curly haired toddler strapped to his chest, buying applesauce of all things. Miles awkwardly stands there, confused, until the baby notices him and starts giggling and making grabby hands at him. Spot turns to see what’s caught her attention and jumps, startled, when he sees Miles standing there in shocked silence.

“Oh, hi, Miles.” Spot greets awkwardly, pocketing his wallet into a hole. The cashier’s left already— probably to call someone, because it’s not every day you get a former villain and Spider-Man in your store. 

Miles blinks at the casual use of his name and points at the smiling child, “Whose baby is that?” His voice breaks halfway through, but spare him, this guy was once the biggest threat to the multiverse and now he’s buying applesauce with a baby.

One of Spot’s hands comes up to smooth over her curls, and she tips her head back against his chest to give him a dimpled smile. It’s actually super adorable. The dot on Spot’s face squints in what Miles thinks might be a smile. “This is Zoe. Say hi, honey.” 

Zoe coos at Miles, waving her fists excitedly, “Dada!” 

“No, honey, that’s Miles. Dada’s—”

“You stole a baby?!” Miles’ hands come up to massage his temples to fend off an incoming headache. “You can’t just do that! Is that your thing now, stealing babies? What happened with the Collider? It’s been two years, where have you been—”

Zoe finds his distress funny, apparently, because she squeals and giggles as he tries to keep his shit together. “No, no, no. Zoe’s mine.” Spot cuts in before Miles can have an aneurysm, “I don’t do that stuff anymore. I got married, see?” He shows off the wedding band on his finger, “I’m just here for these.” Spot points at the box of applesauce. “They were out of stock where I live and it’s the only brand Zoe likes, so we hopped over to get some.” 

Miles stares at him, and then he stares some more. “Applesauce.” 

Spot nods, obviously not seeing the issue, “Yeah, applesauce.” 

“Ampleshaush.” Zoe confirms, clapping her hands. “Dada, ampleshaush.” 

“No, pumpkin, Dada’s at work.” Spot repeats, and that’s when Miles sees the shirt that Zoe’s wearing. It’s red and blue, with the iconic Spider-Man pattern and logo. 

Miles’ mouth goes dry, “Who did you say that was, again?” 

“Oh, the Spider-Man from Earth-124.”

This could not get any weirder.

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Young Master Shield's Chapter 210

TL;DR - GoD agrees with Cale. Sui and CJS versus the wanderer. The wanderer warns Cale. Cale's shield legend returns and he says the iconic line.

GoD Suspects Wanderers Too The reason why GoD left Cale's message on read was because he immediately began a secret investigation on all wanderers and their locations once he read Cale's message. He and CJS also support Cale's speculation that the Five-Colored Bloods were wanderers.

CJS Goes Flying Again There was a scene where Alberu questioned CJS about the wanderer. CJS had replied that it was an enemy and he was not allies with that wanderer. Alberu left to handle the situation, but not before warning CJS to not be reckless and cause trouble.

To be honest, I was confused with that scene. Was Alberu doubtful of CJS because he was a wanderer too? Or was it just MTL messing up the translation again? 🤔

Moving on, Sui switched to his bird form and flew straight towards the enemy. CJS followed him, and the three forces clashed. However... CJS got blown away again and fell on a building roof, destroying said roof.

Seriously, why does CJS always get blown away? 🤣🤣🤣 Alberu had warned him earlier to not cause trouble, and here he is, causing property destruction... 😂

Wanderer is Like CH? There was a scene where CH felt that the wanderer's power was similar to his. If you recall, CH's power was black (despair something something) with some white (hope) in it. And the enemy's power was said to be similar to it, though in a more perfected form.

Hmm? So the enemy had the same experience as CH? Okay, hear me out, I have a crazy theory. Is the enemy wanderer perhaps another Choi Han from a parallel world? After all, Cale's world was called Nameless 1, so it isn't strange if there's a Nameless 2 and Nameless 3, right?

The Wanderer and Cale We did not get any physical description of the enemy, except that it was hard to distinguish if their voice was male or female, and that they spoke coldly. The enemy called out Cale's name, asking if it was Cale who killed the Huayans patriarch back in Xiaolen because Cale was the last person the patriarch saw.

So it seems like they have an ability to see people's memories? But how did they do that when the Huayans patriarch did not even leave behind a corpse?

Anyway, the enemy continued, "You of Thames blood. If you want to protect it, meddle not. Your power is only this much." And the enemy proceeded to send an attack to Cale.

Now, I'm confused again on whom the enemy was referring to when it came to protection. Was it the Thames? Or the audience in the academy's plaza? It seemed to be latter based on the flow of their words, but it could also mean that the enemy would go after the Thames if Cale interferes with what they were doing.

The Shield Will Not Break HE SAID IT! HE SAID IT! Okay, Cale did not really, really, really want to say this iconic line (the amount of sentences in the chapter just describing that he did not want to say that line was 🤣🤣🤣), but he had no choice because people were panicking and he had to reassure everyone.

He was also worried because his younger siblings were present today unlike that time in the plaza terrorist bombing incident. Cale was mentally cursing several times while thinking of how to protect his siblings and everyone.

Of course, when he revealed his silver shield to block the enemy's attack (Raon and Alberu also deployed their own shields to assist Cale), everyone was in awe of the shield's beauty. After he said his iconic line of "The shield will not break," the enemy's attack collided with his shield, and... and... AND... IT'S A CLIFFHANGER! AAAAAAAH!!! 😭😭😭

Ending Remarks There wasn't any funny moments today, except if you consider CJS getting blown away for the nth time. 😂 Now, who is that wanderer? CJS said that the enemy was hundreds of years older than him, and seemed stronger, though he did not recognize the enemy.

Anyway, Cale's speech is as good as cancelled. Or maybe not? If you want to write a transcript of it, it would go like this:

"It's a pleasure to meet everyone." "Damn it." "Silence." "Everyone, please be silent." "Don't panic." "The shield will not break."

Well, Cale, your speech is indeed neat and short like you wanted earlier, right? 🤣🤣🤣

[cambion-companion]

hi!! could we maybe pretty please get a drabble of aemond and female!reader taking a bath together and her taking care of his beautiful hair? just aemond being so in love and letting himself be vulnerable around his lover 🥹 (ive just envisioned him letting out his iconic 'mhm' as he's having his scalp massaged and squealed out loud he's too much for meee) thank you have a nice day!!!

HAHA just a day in the life ya know! ;) Thank you for all the wonderful prompts, my lovely Anons. I hope you like what I have concocted here.

Word Count: 1919

Masterlist here

Aemond x f!reader | soft smut | fluff | comforting him after a long day

Rain pattered on the stone walkway as you strode down the outdoor corridor, the sound of clashing swords evidence your husband still trained in the courtyard below.  You drew your long woolen cloak tighter about your shivering shoulders, descending the steps already sprinkled with large raindrops.  Aemond had been out here sparring with one of the poor beleaguered soldiers, the dark-haired man looking like he was about to fall on his face from exhaustion.

Looking over Aemond’s shoulder at your hurried approach, he left his guard open wide and grunted as the Targaryen prince took full advantage, his sword colliding heavily against the man’s torso.  

Aemond turned to see what had drawn his opponent’s attention, his hair slipping on the leather tunic he wore. “Classic mistake, Adian, allowing a beautiful woman to distract you.”

“She is quite a lovely sight indeed.”  Adian’s brown eyes roved your form, causing your lip to curl with distaste.

Aemond smacked the flat of his blade against Adian’s cheek, not gently, causing the boy to yelp and stumble back. “Furthermore, she is my wife; I will warn you just this once to avert your attentions elsewhere.”

Adian bowed to Aemond, and to you, not making eye contact as he retreated to the weapon’s table.  Aemond discarded his own blunted sword before approaching you, swiftly taking you in his strong arms and placing a possessive kiss to your mouth.  You tasted the sweet rainwater on his lips, pulling away to tug at his hand so that he followed you to the shelter of the Keep.

You led him all the way up to your shared bedroom, the spacious area lit from the warm glow of the large fireplace.  

“I had the fire stoked, and a hot bath drawn for you.  Oh!”  You crossed to the nearby table as Aemond began removing his wet clothes. “I also had some hot mead and venison pie brought up from the kitchens.”

The large clawed wooden bathtub sat in the center of the room, steam emitting tantalizingly from its still water.  

Aemond was fully unclothed now, his sapphire eye glittering from the light of the fire. He wrapped his arms around you, kissing your head before reaching behind you to grab a meat pie.  He had draped his sodden shirt and pants, along with his leather eyepatch, to dry by the fire.  He walked over to dip a finger into the water of the bath, humming in appreciation.  Your eyes trailed along the taut muscles of his back, admiring his backside while biting your lip.

Aemond took the last bite of the venison pastry, licking the crumbs from his fingers. “You are the sole reason I do not catch cold after these endless days of training, my love.”  

He slipped into the bathtub, groaning as the hot water enveloped his cold skin.  You carried a goblet of hot drink to him. “It’s absolutely freezing outside; I don’t know why you insist on sparring so long.”

“It helps take my mind off affairs of court, which you know vex me greatly.” Aemond sipped the mead gratefully, raising a hand to squeeze your wrist with his now-warm fingers.

You unclasped your cloak, laying it to dry next to Aemond’s clothes.  He watched you from the tub with interest.  You returned his gaze, your eyes drinking in how regal he looked reclining against the wood at his back, the ends of his silver hair swirling with the movement of the water, his hand holding the pewter goblet over the side of the bathtub.  The firelight played against his skin, accentuating the lines of his muscles, his sharp jawline, the way his curved mouth smirked as he watched you examine him.

“Take off your clothes.”

The violet of his one eye was overtaken by the dilation of his pupil as he looked you over.  “Join me.”

Under his lustful scrutiny, you began pulling at the laces of your dress, until it fell in a pool at your feet.  Stepping out of the heavy fabric, you undid the buttons of your shift slowly, teasing the man before you.  Aemond raised his goblet to his lips again, not once taking his eye off you.

You raised the thin underdress over your head, pulling off your undergarment and stockings as well until you stood bare before him.  

“Hmm.”  Aemond made an admiring noise in the back of his throat, his eye roving your body.

The cool night air prickled at your skin, causing gooseflesh to erupt along your legs and arms, your nipples pebbling as you made haste to enter the warm water with your husband. The tub was big enough for you to sit across from him, your legs entangling with his own as you sank with a relieved sigh into the hot bath.  Little waves lapped at your collarbone as you scooted a little toward Aemond, taking his long hair in your hands and pulling it over his shoulders so you could begin disentangling it with deft fingers.

You felt his hands roam along your waist, up to your breasts where he palmed and squeezed, rolling your pert nipples in between thumb and forefinger.  “Gods you feel so good, so warm and soft.”  He placed a sweet kiss to your forehead as you continued your work on his thick hair, once satisfied moving to caress his scalp.

Aemond, despite himself, yawned, his eyelids growing heavy from your administrations.  Your hands flitted down to his shoulders where you massaged the tense muscles there with gentle pressure.  

“Come closer, Y/N.”  You felt Aemond’s arms wrap around you, pulling you onto his lap, the water splashing over the lip of the tub from your sudden movements.

Your legs curled around his torso, straddling him you felt his obvious arousal nudging against you.  “Hmm.” Aemond brushed his lips against yours, his hand cupping the nape of your neck. “I want to fuck you, right here in this bath.”

“Aemond…” You voice trailed off as you felt him line himself against your entrance, slowly sinking the tip of his cock into your heated core.  You let out a gasp of pleasure, arching your head back as you sunk your weight onto him, until he was fully inside.  Aemond took full advantage, sucking bruising kisses to your exposed throat, guiding your hips up and down upon his cock.

The waves you were creating spilled over the edge of the tub, the sound of splashing water accompanying your increasing moans.  

“You should know by now,”  Aemond leaned further into you, nuzzling into your chest, “I always get what I want.”

Your hands caught in his hair as he took your nipple into his mouth, swirling his warm tongue around it, paying the same attention to the other side.  You kept rocking against him, feeling your walls tighten as your pleasure mounted.

As Aemond continued to suckle at your breast, you placed sloppy kisses to his forehead, leaning your head against him, your lips parted as you felt your orgasm approaching.  “Aemond I…I’m going to-” He bucked up into you suddenly, the contact causing your vision to go white.  

Crying out his name, your pussy clenched around him, the intensity of your climax eliciting a groan of ecstasy from your husband as he followed you over the edge, spilling his seed deep within you.  Aemond pumped his cock into you a few more times, wanting to savor the heat of your wetness a little longer as the both of you rode out the high of your love making.

He raised his head, kissing your lips gently, carding his fingers through your hair. “I will put a child in you, my wife.  The idea of your belly growing round, carrying our little dragon…” He trailed off, unable to find the right words, instead conveying his emotion in the way his lips suddenly moved against yours, his tongue dipping into your mouth to taste you.

You remained tangled together like this until the water had cooled significantly.  Using clean water in the buckets beside the tub, you washed each other off, lathering goatmilk soap that smelt of lavender against your pruned skin and disheveled hair.

The logs in the fireplace popped and sparked, as the two of you, now clothed in woolen nightclothes, lay facing each other on the soft mattress.  You had pulled a heavy comforter over the top of you both, laying on your back as Aemond propped himself up on an elbow to look into your face.  Words were of little use in moments such as these, the tender loving looks speaking more than you could convey aloud.

You rubbed your hand absentmindedly low on your abdomen, the words he’d spoken earlier echoing in your mind.  Aemond, noticing your movements, leaned to press a kiss to your forehead.  His eye had taken on a distant look, as though his mind was far afield in contemplation.  

“In my own desires to become a father, I’ve been thinking about my own of late.”  Aemond broke the comfortable silence, his voice low and soft. “I do not wish to be the kind of father he is to me.”

Your hand stilled upon your belly as your eyes flicked up to meet his own. “What kind of father will you be?”

His hand came to rest upon your body, stroking long fingers upon where your womb lay. “Not like Viserys.  He has never paid me, or my siblings, any attention save to berate or threaten us.  I will not make my child to feel like they are a burden, or unwanted.  Because I do…I do want a child, son or daughter it matters not.”

“No words I can say will right the way you’ve been treated by your kin, Aemond.”  You raised your other hand to trace along his jawline. “My heart aches for your pain, my love.  You deserve so much more than what you’ve been given.”

Aemond turned his face into your light touch, kissing the tips of your fingers. “He has affection for Rhaenyra only, the daughter he named heir instead of his firstborn son.  Even though Aegon has no place wearing the crown of his namesake.”

“It should be you.”  

Aemond sucked in a sharp breath at your words, his hand gripping yours. “I will not lie; it has been on my mind. Tis I, after all, the only son who performs the duties expected of the firstborn.”

“You are learned in the history of your family, you care, Aemond.  That is what sets you apart.”

“And yet I do not exist in the eyes of my own father, I never have.  My half-sister receives all his protection, wisdom and praise.  Even when she sires illegitimate children and puts them forth as heirs to the Targaryen throne…”  Aemond stopped himself from continuing, trying to reign in his heating temper.

You soothed him with a kiss to his neck. “You love your family; you take pride in who you are.  It is natural for you to feel this way…but perhaps with our own small family you can find some measure of comfort, my dragon.”

Aemond kissed you then, molding his lips to yours in a loving embrace, taking his time to drink you in, his breath mingling with yours as you sighed into him.  

He leaned back, pulling you into his arms, running his fingers through your drying hair as you rested your head upon his chest.  The crackling of the flaming logs, the beating of his heart, the rise and fall of his chest, all combined together in their own intimate lullaby.  Your eyes grew heavy, feeling his touch still upon your hair as you lost yourself to a dreamless sleep.

[ladcedes]

c’est la vie

charles leclerc x vlogger!reader ; insta/socmed au

summary some fans start picking up clues on charles leclerc's relationship with a popular vlogger after a big move

note this is my first f1 fic on here and im kinda nervous tbh… i made this sick and needing to kill time so make of that what you will.

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, yourbestie, and 230.439 others

yourusername goodbye to the tons of memories made here 🥲 gonna miss this apartment sm... but chapters are meant to be opened and closed, so cheers to the next one!

View 217 comments

yourbestie u’re bein cheeky as hell posting a man in that last slide

ivyrep the vlogs here will be missed 🥲

liliacxs THE ICONIC KITCHEN NOOO 🥹🥹🥹

dearest16 do i spot a charles like on my fav vlogger’s instagram post

⤷ c4ncerising worlds collide 🤯

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, pierregasly, yourbestie, and 462.067 others

yourusername loving life in monaco 💋 moving in vlog is up now!

View 483 comments

ivyrep be honest which is better... monaco or paris

⤷ yourusername paris will always have a place in my heart but monaco has the best views icl

⤷ yourbestie do u mean views or VIEWS

nightsfilm is that A MAN'S HAND in the last slide?!?!?

charles_leclerc

liked by yourusername, pierregasly, arthur_leclerc, and 1.083.762 others

charles_leclerc Enjoying life during the winter break!

View 6.043 comments

pierregasly life is not the only thing you're enjoying is it?

⤷ britcedes PIERRE????

lvrarri CHARLES WHOSE HAND ARE YOU HOLDING???

yourusername 24h • 18h • 2h

charles_leclerc

liked by yourusername, pierregasly, and 1.223.584 others

charles_leclerc c'est la vie ❤️ tl: that’s life

View 1.360 comments

pierregasly who could this mysterious woman be 🤔

liked by yourusername

sainzism CHARLES NOT SINGLE ERA??!?!?!

britcedes HE HAS A NEW GF??? OMFGDJSGEUSHHS

⤷ l3clercs WHO TF STOLE MY HUSBAND

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, yourbestie, and 860.036 others

yourusername j'aime la vie ❤️ tl: i love life

View 713 comments

yourbestie who is this guy the suspense is killing me!!!

liked by charles_leclerc

nightsfilm icb she's taken now my chances r ruined

⤷ menthol1llness you had chances?

yourusername & charles_leclerc

liked by yourbestie, pierregasly, carlossainz55, and 1.628.683 others

yourusername nos vies ensemble ❤️ we've actually been dating for 2 years now and got engaged several months ago. after the engagement, we decided to finally take the wraps off our relationship but we wanted to do it in a fun little way 😄 we'll be answering any questions you have on my youtube channel so feel free to leave some in the comments!

View 1.393 comments

charles_leclerc the reveal could've been faster if you didn't spend two months designing and redesigning our new home...

⤷ yourusername considering it's ours for presumably the rest of our lives, i don't think it was too much, mon amour

pierregasly congratulations on finally revealing it after literally forever!

yourbestie FINALLY we've all been waiting for this announcement

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#10: The Grand Introduction (S3E06)

✨Top 10! ✨From here on out, we’re in truly iconic territory when it comes to the Richonne scenes on this list. And, of course, this absolutely unforgettable s3 moment right here is as iconic as they come. 🤩 I adore that this is where it all began. Where Richonne really was born. This is one of the most significant Richonne moments because it's the very first one. And what a special first one it was. It's only fitting for Rick and Michonne's epic love story to begin with such an epic introduction...

I'll always appreciate that this is one of the most heightened and important meetings of two characters in the whole TWD series. And it’s fitting because it establishes right from the jump that Rick and Michonne would become very very important to each other.

It’s so sweet that in such a precious familial moment between Rick, Carl, and Judith that’s the exact moment when the matriarch of the Grimes family arrives.

And I always love how, despite several people around, it’s Rick who spots Michonne from super far away and walks over on his own.

It feels like the universe’s own, "It’s for you" moment. 😌

As Michonne walks up to the fence, resiliently finding the prison and making it there despite being injured, I love that it’s Rick who walks toward her as though summoned by Cupid himself, cuz it shows those magnets started kicking in immediately.

And then I adore that there’s almost this unspoken passionate energy behind this scene as Rick and Michonne lock eyes for the first time and stare at each other from across the fence.

But it's so much more than a meet cute. It's utterly grand. This is the moment that kicked off the love story to top all love stories so of course it’s uniquely special. #historic

Having watched separate stories from Rick dealing with hardship at the prison and Michonne dealing with issues at Woodbury,  I love that this is the moment their stories finally join.

They finally get a major win because they found each other. Rick and Michonne's lives collide here and then only become more and more one.

I love that Michonne is here holding formula for Judith, the baby who will become her daughter. I've written before that I feel like part of what might have helped spur her to go to the prison is knowing there was a baby in there that needed that formula.

And it's great how from the literal moment she arrives Michonne is already being majorly helpful to Rick. She's brought his baby the sustenance she needs to live and then later has intel about Glenn and Maggie's whereabouts.

And I like that she stays fearlessly standing in between the walkers as they make eye contact through the fence. It lets Rick know this woman is special and brave. I've always felt the visual is a beautiful illustration of the living being found among the dead & love being found among loss. 

Rick had been having an episode of understandably losing it prior and was finally able to emerge from the darkness for a moment and hold Judith. And it's just precious to think that Rick first holds his daughter on the same day and in the same moment that he meets his wife and Judith’s mom.

It's poetic also when you know that Michonne and Judith are the two ladies he will later go on to declare as his ultimate choice, even after years apart from them. Warms my heart to no end. 😭

The way he walks over, the way Rick and Michonne seem to be taking each other in like “this is different.” You can’t tell me after these stare-downs that these two weren’t going to love each other eventually.

The innate draw and attraction were instant, and I love that we got to witness this love story from the literal first moment Rick and Michonne so passionately laid eyes on each other. 

This is the final beat of the episode cuz the end beat of an episode typically emphasizes something important that launches the story forward. And this introduction between Rick and Michonne would do just that, not only for the following episode but for the rest of the series. It changed the whole game. 💯

This scene is a powerful meeting between two tethered strangers destined to be tethered soulmates. And it's an extremely meaningful meeting as well because, from this point on, Rick and Michonne's journey to falling in love and building a whole life together would begin. Just life-changing in every way.

And I’ll add 3.07 to this too, because that’s when we get more of their interaction after their deep stares. I love that Michonne's future son and bestie Carl is the first one to ask about helping her and that he and Rick save her. It's like the first unofficial Grimes Family 2.0 moment. 🥰

Michonne even gets to demonstrate her resilient ability as she fights off those walkers before the pain from her gun wound takes over. And I bet Rick had to somewhat recognize the fight in her as the same fight in him. 

Then, after a quite thorough inspection to see if she's been bit, Rick easily carries Michonne over his shoulder to bring her into the prison, which...

It's giving a little romantic to me idk. 😋 And it just hit me that Rick picks up his daughter and his wife for the first time that day.

Inside the prison, they get her water and all that, and Rick introduces himself and asks her for her name, but Michonne won’t tell him. Understandably, cuz Sis had been through it at Woodbury with their crazy leader.

And y’all, I love this whole exchange, especially in retrospect, because it shows there was a fire between Rick and Michonne from the word go. 🔥

Rick and Michonne's whole first time in front of each other feels electric and passionate. Like even just from their movement alone in this scene, there's something magnetic.

I love that we’re witnessing two fierce fighters who have truly met their match. We're also witnessing the first of many times Rick and Michonne get publicly wrapped up in their Richonne bubble. 😌

It's interesting that the first thing Michonne ever says to Rick is, "I didn’t ask for your help." Because you'd think the first line was gonna be...

But fr, it ends up being pretty ironic that that's the first thing Michonne says to Rick because they both will help each other so much that it completely changes their lives for the better. And Rick tells her, "Can’t let you leave," which will also remain true forever. 😋 Cuz Michonne's never leaving that man's heart.

(Side note: Also, I realized there's significance in Rick saying "can't let you leave" because it's another thing that lets Michonne know Rick is different and better than the Governor. Where the Governor tried to act like people could come and go from Woodbury when they really couldn't, Rick is just honest and straightforward with it by saying they can't let her leave until they assess the situation, which is almost more reassuring for her to see him being upfront about it.)

So while I'm not in the camp of thinking they were in love at first sight, I do think Rick and Michonne were intrinsically drawn to each other at first sight and there was something special between them right there at that fence that would soon bloom into love. And if the current Rick were asked about this initial meeting with Michonne, I low-key feel he'd be like...

With their iconic grand introduction, Rick and Michonne truly changed each other's lives and ours. (oh and also the entrancement started from the jump too.⬇)

And while Rick and Michonne aren’t overly trusting of one another yet, I appreciate Rick’s willingness to help her out, offering to tend to her wound and all that.

As a screenwriter, I have this belief that when a story is right it almost wants to tell itself, as it organically flows in a certain direction. And then that's when as a writer you follow the story's lead and help sculpt that natural direction. So while the TWD writers didn't know for certain that Rick and Michonne would be a romantic pair in their first two episodes together...the story knew.

The way their introduction plays out in this personal yet grand sweeping way, with the two locking eyes and looking at each other not just with desperation or skepticism but with this underlying passionate intrigue as though the person they're looking at is both fascinating and familiar - Richonne's romance really was written in the stars right here, even before it was more intentionally planted in Clear.

It's a love story that was longing to be told. And I'll forever celebrate that Scott, Andy, and Danai listened to what the story was so clearly saying, and then sculpted the best love story I've ever seen.

Their whole meeting is just an introduction to remember and everything about Richonne's first moments together shouts...

Watching it back is even sweeter when you have the knowledge that on the other side of that fence, Rick and Michonne are looking at their soulmate, the person they will raise children with, have a child together, the person they will fall head over heels in love with.

Their lives joined forever on this day, and these two wouldn’t be the same without each other, so thank goodness for this unforgettable moment bringing Rick and Michonne iconically together. 😌🙌🏾

[iconsfinder]

[whoreviewswho]

Your Evil is My Good - Pyramids of Mars, 1975

There are some things, though not many, that the Doctor Who fandom seems to universally agree on. Everybody seems to agree that the Weeping Angels are a great, iconic monster. Everybody seems onboard with the notion that The Caves of Androzani is one of the best stories of all time. Everybody seems to agree that the Hinchcliffe era is one of the most consistently good runs in the whole show. You can probably see where I am going with this. Pyramids of Mars has been forever lauded as one of the all-time great Doctor Who stories, a shining example of a show that appealed to all ages at the peak of its powers. 

Like all consensus opinions, there is obviously a clear logic to this. Pyramids of Mars is incredibly memorable and influential. It was, after all, the third serial to be released on the VHS line and it topped the DWM poll for most anticipated DVD release in 2003. Even if it were not so formative and prominent in fan's minds (the amount of times it has selected for re-release and repeat is remarkable) it would still be one of the most influential and groundbreaking stories of its time. It is hard to challenge the claim that Pyramids of Mars is the single most important story of the Hinchcliffe era. Not the best (there are at least four prior to this that could more readily stake that claim) but, in an aesthetic sense, the pilot episode for the Hinchcliffe era or, at least, the one where everything finally falls into place.

Prior to Pyramids of Mars, Doctor Who had functioned primarily based on the approach pioneered by Verity Lambert and David Whittaker back in the early 1960s. Their vision of Doctor Who was as a programme defined by juxtaposing aesthetics and the storytelling had developed to facilitate that by colliding genres and styles of storytelling. What debuts in Pyramids of Mars is, in hindsight, the inevitable next step which is positioning the established aesthetics and logic of Doctor Who alongside specific pulp genre stories. The difference is the distinction between the Doctor walking amongst a space opera or a western and disrupting their logics and aesthetics and the Doctor walking around within 1971’s Blood of the Mummy’s Tomb and being beholden to its logic and aesthetic. 

In the 1990s, Steven Moffat infamously derided the Hinchcliffe era for comprising too largely of derivative pastiches and, while I ultimately agree with him, he is made to look a bit of a fool because of how much the approach does actually work. I like Pyramids of Mars. Of course I do. I'm a Doctor Who fan. This story is a blast to watch and it is the first in a really strong run of pulpy, gothic horror-pastiches that define the Hinchcliffe era in everybody's minds (I stress this is not the beginning of a run in terms of quality, just the start of an aesthetic period that also happens to be very good). This is a messy story but it is a very promising first showing. Pyramids of Mars proves that this model of Doctor Who can work and it lays the groundwork for better stories later down the track. after it to take this aesthetic and run into incredibly interesting places. So, as you have obviously concluded by now, this is not even close to my favourite of the Hinchcliffe era, let alone of all time. 

Yes, the production of Pyramids of Mars is spectacular. Probably the single strongest aspect of the Hinchcliffe era is just how good the show was at working within its limitations. None of the stories under his watch look especially naff and Pyramids of Mars is especially luscious. The serial is dripping in tone and atmosphere and I could not begrudge anybody frequenting it for just the mood it puts you in. The sets for the house are great and effortlessly evoke that classic, hammer horror tone of an old, creepy house with creepy old dudes doing creepy *cult* (we can replace that word with *casually stereotypically racist*) stuff. The visual effects are also excellent with particular kudos to that chilling bit where Marcus gets shot. I could watch that one sequence forever. 

This is not a script with a wealth of great material for the actors but there is no question that they are all exceptional. Paddy Russell even claimed as much herself, insisting upon finding strong actors to bolster material that she thought was lacking. Michael Sheard brings a lot to Laurence Scarman, the best part in the whole story from an acting perspective, but it is hard to look past Garbriel Woolf as Sutekh for the best guest performance in the serial. What a captivating voice and commanding presence. Tom Baker's performance is often praised for the seriousness and dread he brings to proceedings. He even has some particularly dark and alien moments such as his total detachment from the various deaths around him. In my opinion, however, I find his performance to be distant and disinterested, likely thanks to his frosty relationship with Russell. Luckily, it does serve this material well and offer an alienness to the role but he seems incredibly bored and pissed off every time he is onscreen.

As with this whole season though, Elisabeth Sladen is at the height of her powers and effortlessly wrings buckets of charm out of scripts that, again, serve her terribly. Following season eleven, it feels like nobody working on the show has any interest or even a take on the Sarah Jane that we were introduced to. Everybody who has ever seen this serial praises the scene where the Doctor leaves the events of the story for 1980 at Sarah's request and rightly so because it is a phenomenal sequence and possibly the most effective way to demonstrate how awesomely powerful the villain is in the whole show’s history. It's so good, of course, that Russell T. Davies had the good sense to nick it wholesale for The Devil's Chord. Everything aesthetically about Pyramids of Mars works. This is a great story to just watch and let wash over you. 

However, I think that this script is deeply flawed and definitely needed another pass before it could attain true GOAT status in my books. Perhaps that will seem unfair to those who will cry out in defence with the reminder that  this story was another late rewrite from Robert Holmes when the original scripts, from one time writer Lewis Griefer, were deemed unworkable. It is somewhat miraculous that this story even got made at all. It’s difficult to say now how much of the finished serial can truly be credited to whom. Greifer, was approached by Holmes, a former colleague, while headhunting new talent. Knowing he had a keen interest in Egyptian mythology, Holmes allegedly pitched the combination of science-fiction and a mummy horror film to him. Greifer’s scripts would have been radically different including the proposed final appearance of UNIT and the Brigadier, a scheme to solve world hunger with plantations on the moon year culminated in the Doctor uniting with Horus and Iris to take on the crocodile looking Seth and stop his plan to replace the grain and destroy the moon. It is from here that the development of the serial becomes very collaborative. Holmes met with Greifer and suggested a number of scaled-back alterations that were more in-line with what Doctor Who was suited to in 1976 as well as taking on suggestions from outgoing producer Barry Letts. 

Greifer revised his scripts further to what would be the basic plot of the television version, moving the detecting to Earth with an imprisoned Seth and his rocket-based plans, with the added addition of a fortune hunter seeking the world-saving rice in an ancient Egyptian tomb. Holmes remained unhappy with the scripts and, to make matters worse, Greifer fell ill after delivering a full script for the first episode only. Following his recovery, Greifer then promptly left the UK to take on a job her previously committed to leaving Holmes to do a page one rewrite with the consultation of director Paddy Russell based on what had already been put in motion. With all of this fraught pre-production in mind, I still think this story is an undercooked mess. The first episode is fantastic and I really love the third but there is so much padding in episodes two and four that really drag the whole thing down for me. The entire second episode is just spent cutting between Sutekh killing people and the Doctor setting up a plan to stop him that fails immediately: The foundations of this serial are really strong and it has some great dialogue, characters and moments but the whole thing fails to hold together for me especially in regards to pacing and the real lack of any interesting subtext to sink your teeth into. There is not much to love here that is not aesthetic.

But let's try and dig a little deeper anyway. Broadly speaking, mortality seems to be the theme that connects the various elements of the story. We are first introduced to the Doctor in what is probably my single favourite shot of him in the whole seven years he was in the show. We meet him alone, in silence and brooding in the TARDIS control room. Sarah enters in what will be a coincidentally appropriate Edwardian dress, our first indicator that this story is really all about aesthetics and flavour more than anything else, and we discover that the Doctor is in somewhat of a mid-life crisis, grappling with the uncomfortable realisation that his life is marching on and that he has no real purpose. This is a really well written and performed scene, one of the best the Doctor and Sarah ever had, and probably my favourite of the serial. While the original show on the whole is not know for deftness of characterisation and development, Pyramids of Mars proposes a potentially interesting starting place for the Doctor’s character which is simply to put him in a somewhat depressed mood and unhappy with the prospect of spending his remaining days at U.N.I.T.‘s beck and call. This a Doctor who has lost his sense of purpose and ambition. It is a great idea that could reveal a lot about the Doctor and challenge his character, as we later saw under Moffat's creative direction, but it never goes anywhere here. Pyramids of Mars is a serial about a villain who does have a defined purpose and ambition – to bring death to all of reality. Yet the person best poised to stop him is in a crisis himself about the prospect of that very thing arriving for him. The character-driven story of a wandering hero in a mid-life crisis versus the Lord of Death should simply write itself.

But it doesn't. The Doctor does not walk away from the end of this adventure with a renewed sense of self or really any semblance of change in the morose feelings he expresses in episode one. It would have been perfectly forgivable if his mid-life crisis was something that the production team set-up here and went on to develop over the season but that never happens either. The Doctor is more than happy to assist U.N.I.T. in the very next serial and yet once more before the season wraps up. The elements are all here to ie the themes and character beats together but it never really happens. For example, I would love to confidently read something deeper into the final visual of the house burning down. It is, after all, the Doctor’s defeat of Sutekh that starts the fire and we know from episode one that, later down the track, the manor is going to be rebuilt and repurposed as the U.N.I.T. headquarters.

The thematic implications of this are really nice. Sutekh wants to end everything, leaving "nothing but dust and darkness", but we all know that the manor's destruction is an ultimately necessary consequence to allow for something good to rise up from its ashes. Life always prevails and begins anew. This is a simple enough thematic beat that could have been teased out and made a lot stronger and it could even have been a clear indicator of some character resolution. With the Doctor inadvertently facilitating the conception of U.N.I.T., this whole image could represent his coming to terms with his place in the universe after combatting Sutekh and passionately redefining himself and coming to terms with a now mythic role as a defender of all life in the universe, a champion of change and renewal. It is something almost there in the script but not quite.

The use of Egyptian iconography in this story is very clever. We know that death was an incredibly important aspect of their culture. People's corpses were mummified to preserve them for the afterlife since death was very much believed not to be the end. There is some cool world-building in this story and I really like the idea that Egyptian culture is all founded upon the wars of the Osirans (Osiris being the Egyptian god of the dead and of fertility). Sutekh is directly mentioned as being the inspiration for Set, realised as well as one could expect in his final beastly form, and the whole premise of the story is hinging upon his previous eternal imprisonment at the hands of brother Horus. I love that the bringer of death is punished by having an eternally unlived life. I think that this context is intended to be paralleled with Marcus and Lawrence. The pair are brothers and, for most of the story, the former literally is Sutekh.

Or, in another sense, it might be helpful to take the Doctor’s advice and consider Marcus as already dead. That plays nicely into the broader subtext we are reaching for here of exploring different relationships with death. Lawrence is in denial of his brother’s death since he sees him walking, talking and breathing. The Doctor thinks otherwise, confidently claiming Marcus to be dead already and no longer Lawrence’s brother now that his mind has been overtaken. We should note the Doctor and Sarah’s later scene too where she expresses a lot of sorrow over Lawrence’s death while the Doctor more or less just shrugs, if anything he comes off mildly annoyed, and refuses to deviate from the bigger priority of stopping Sutekh. It is a very memorable and somewhat disturbing scene, the likes of which the modern characterisation of the character never lends itself to. Even the Twelfth Doctor at his most callous was condemned by everybody around him and served his greater character growth. In the case of this moment, it is Sarah who is framed to be in the wrong for imparting human values upon the Doctor which is a potentially interesting notion but not a thread Holmes ever seems interested on pulling on again.

But I’ve digressed. There is potentially something very cool in the parallel between the four brothers but, again, the story is in dire need of another draft to really pull it to the fore. Lawrence is ultimately killed by his brother in quite a genuinely tragic moment since he is such a well performed and written character but the actual implications and significance of the scene beyond just the sheer shock value are ultimately lost on me. Marcus ends up never even knowing he did this, presumably, since he is killed the second he is freed from Sutekh. If Lawrence could be read as a parallel with Horus, or perhaps more closely of Osiris if we are considered the actual Osiris myth, what is this actually supposed to communicate? To depict for us that Sutekh would kill his own brother given the chance, as we know he did? That there is no humanity to appeal to with this villain? I am not sure of the intention but the scene, like this whole story, is almost fantastic.

And then there is the final episode. Every critic of this story before me has already torn this episode to pieces but I will just take it on briefly and note that the whole story just kind of falls apart at this point. The opening scenes with the Doctor and Sutekh are awesome but as soon as we actually get to the titular location, Holmes starts playing for time really hard. The first three episodes are already padded out to the max with extended woodland chases, an awkwardly large number of scenes where the Doctor and Sarah are simply walking to the poacher's shed and the entire character of the poacher himself in episode two who interacts with none of the main cast (save Marcus) and is just killed anyway. None of this blatant stretching of the script bends to breaking point thanks to how strong the production is at capturing the horror tone and aesthetic but the fourth episode is not so lucky. What we have here, for most of the episode, is an extended sequence of the Doctor and Sarah attempting an Egyptian themed escape room. This could have been compelling and some of the puzzles are kind of cool but the presentation is actually quite awful and the whole logic of this situation kind of escapes me. I suppose that Horus set these up to stop Sutekh’s followers from getting into the pyramid but does he just have the same voice as Sutekh? Is that what is going on?

It also does not help the story that this section is all shot on CSO and, aside from some great model work, looks incredibly cheap and bad. The serial takes a really shoddy nosedive but the biggest insult of this whole affair is simply that the whole episode is a colossal waste of time. The Doctor and Sarah accomplish nothing in going to the pyramid and just turn around to go back to the house to save the day with a totally different plan by the end anyway. Neither the characters nor the audience gain anything at all from the whole sequence. 

Thus, this is the great conflict I have with Pyramids of Mars because I love watching it. I love the flavour of the story and the clear effort that everybody put in to make it the memorable, entertaining experience. For the most part, I am really sucked in by it. But it is not a masterpiece. In the end, there really isn't very much to say about it at all. This is a serial that feels like watching the tracks being laid when the train's already moving. It makes for a fun journey but the final destination is really shaky. Pyramids of Mars is exceptional in theory just leaves that little bit to be desired. 

It is still a cracking story though. After all, this is mid-70s Who we’re talking about.

[tumblydovereviews]

Could a LazyTown Revival Work?

Earlier this week, it was announced that Magnus Scheving, the creator of the hit preschool live-action series LazyTown, had bought back the rights to the series from WBD, with impending plans to bring the series back to a new generation as a reboot under his wings.

This would not be the first time LazyTown has, or attempted to be, revived. The original series only lasted two seasons before being commissioned by Sprout for two more after the series' massive success in the USA. After the end of the show's run, a movie was pitched, but ultimately ended up being scraped for unknown reasons.

In concept, this seems like a great thing. LazyTown was initially created as a combative show against rising cases of childhood obesity worldwide, and the Icelandic obesity rate actually dropped as after the release of the show. LazyTown encourages kids to be healthy- to get outside, eat nutritiously, and take care of themselves and others. With the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting today's children, bringing this show back to a new audience would be great.

And, LazyTown wouldn't be completely unknown to the public, either. According to a Collider article, LazyTown's following hasn't died down in the slightest, with the show amassing over 5.5 billion views on Youtube alone. It is clear that Sportacus, Stephanie, and Robbie Rotten are long from being forgotten totally.

However, not everything about a reboot would be too exciting.

For instance, there would be no Robbie Rotten. Stefan Karl Stefansson, Robbie's actor, passed in August of 2018 after a battle with bile duct cancer. While Robbie's actor could easily be replaced or his character in general be swapped out for a new gimmick, nothing would be completely able to mimic the personality of the iconic villain.

Also, if the show did come back, there's a high chance that it wouldn't be in the same form that we all know and love. Shows such as Caillou and Barney have also made their triumphant returns, albeit in the same CGI models, straying far away from their original forms, 2D and live-action respectively. Animation, specifically 3D, is more efficient to produce them mixed media or live action, and with more children flocking to brightly-colored, YouTube based animation, making LazyTown an animated series would not only result in flexibility in choosing actors for the characters, but also boost ratings more likely than not.

This isn't to say that live-action reboots, such as Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, and the upcoming Yo Gabba Gabbaland can't be successful- it's just not necessarily in the norm.

Now that Magnus has the rights to the show back, the question also arises on which channel this reboot, if produced, would air on. LazyTown did air on Nick Jr. at one point, and also made appearances on the now-defunct Sprout. Chances are since they willingly gave up the rights to this show, WBD channels probably will not be airing it, assuming it goes mainstream and doesn't become a Youtube-exclusive.

If done correctly, I think this reboot could be very successful! After all, it has happened once, so why not again. But, it goes without saying that it certainly wouldn't be the same for what we are used to from the franchise.

[twisted-lusty]

WELCOME BACK I MISSED YOU THE GASP I LET OUT WHEN I DAW YOUR NAME AHHHHHHH

for the request, if you want; breeding kink with Lilia 👀

Oh my, seems like we started well this lustful restart. It's a pleasure to fill your wishes, dearest sinner.

TW: NSFW content (MDI)

Female reader

How many times had Lilia already made you feel this feeling of ecstasy and pure lust? How many times had you been used and filled by this fae during this sinful night? Well, those answers were impossible to answer, after all, all your focus only could go in being absolutely destroyed by him.

The many years of experience proved to be worth it, after all, he knew exactly which areas to run his fingers over to make you melt. His movements inside your body were hypnotizing, bringing you to cry out for more each time his hips collided against yours and more his fingers deepened on your tights.

With a sly smile, he gently bites your fragile neck, once again, reaching his so wished orgasm. Your insides were a mess, you were all painted white and you could feel the warm liquid running down your legs.

But you knew well it wasn’t the end… soon, his movements started again, harsh as ever, exploring your insides and bringing you to the edge of pleasure. It was a painfully good feeling.

“Ah, you look so cute… I can’t wait for you to have my children, dear….” Lilia whispered in a seductive voice, kissing your neck and letting out of his lips his iconic laugh. Spreading your legs once again, he looked at that view proudly… You were so adorable under his command, being spoiled by him and his cock.

And this night kept going… Vanrougue would be sure to impregnate you, to make you be the one to have his biological children. Don’t you even worry, dearest… he’ll be a good father. All he wants is you to accept taking part in this carnal act and happily share those lustful memories together. So please, allow him to corrupt your mind and body tonight.

[tobiasdrake]

I have a question for you about dragon ball lore, which is when exactly does the franchise go full BDZ™? I think you can infer what I mean, but the stereotyped faster-than-yoi-can-see, flight, energy blasts kind of dragon ball that most of use found on toonami. Because the beginning of DB is a cute lil adventure story, but at a certain point in the franchise we have to just accept, "ok, people can fly and shoot lasers out of their hands."

Do you think there's a discreet moment to point to? Or at least, do you know when generic ki blasts became a thing, instead of signature attacks like Kamehameha/dodon ray?

I don't know if there's an exact moment to point to, but I would say - appropriately enough - that the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai to Raditz is probably whereabouts that happened.

The 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai is the arc where Goku and Krillin learned Bukujutsu in addition to Tenshinhan and Piccolo already having it. Then the Saiyans arrive and they're already familiar with it, and from then on everyone can fly.

The 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai also sees more usage of generic ki blasts. Piccolo's really the harbinger of non-specific ki attacks. Piccolo-Daimao uses several ki attacks that aren't named techniques throughout his arc, and after his reincarnation he brings yet more of them to the tournament.

Then Raditz arrives who is not a martial artist and just brutely shoots ki, and then we go into the whole Planet Trade arc featuring guys who just brutely shoot ki.

It is, however, worth noting that the anime is very different in this regard. We see a lot more generic ki spamming in the anime during the padded-out action sequences. There's some things that are considered iconic Dragon Ball fight stuff, such as everyone watching in awe while faster-than-sight fighters clash in the sky leaving little booms wherever they collide, that the anime created just to fill time with inconsequential but cool-looking action between panels.

One thing in particular that really struck me when watching the Z anime recently was tunneling. During the filler action sequences, characters do a surprising amount of burrowing underground so they can launch sneak attacks from below. Everybody in the anime is Bugs Bunny. XD

But for when exactly everyone took to the air and starting firing ki blasts at each other that weren't just Big Moment super attacks? 23rd TB through Saiyan arc is definitely the place.

[sam-keeper]

Blaseball is dead.

here's an article I wrote about one wild incident of emergent narrative weirdness, an at-bat where a little frog refused to stop swinging at pitches and locked up the entire engine for a while.

oh and also the Herman Melville story Bartleby the Scrivener. it's about that too.

as Blaseball wraps up, and in the face of a few pretty disappointing years of collapsing fan-driven projects like it, I'm feeling a lot of the ambivalence that comes late in the piece:

Characters like Bartleby and Chorby appeal to me because they represent a disruption, a suggestion that things can be different than they are if we simply... well, not "stop playing by the rules", exactly. After all, nothing here was against the rules, it emerged from the rules themselves, and the force of Chorby's and PolkaDot's natures colliding together. No, this was malicious compliance, carrying out orders to the letter of the law, behaving like a silly little automaton, doing exactly what the boss says even when doing so would obviously result in disaster. This kind of thing doesn't necessarily work out for the maliciously compliant. Sorry for the spoilers for a century-and-a-half-old story but Bartleby ultimately dies in poverty. The Magic did not win the game in which Chorby carried out her heroic string of foul balls.

I guess it's hard for me not to look at the postmodernists like Slavoj Zizek for whom Bartleby is an iconic figure, and look at the kind of "leaderless" and "demandless" movements driven by ambient refusal that they championed, and not feel like just refusal and random malicious compliance don't make for a particularly sustainable movement. by the same token, The Game Band seems to have really tried to operate their company differently, to opt out of some of the business practices that we all kind of hate the game industry for employing. a live service game that doesn't include a form of gambling with real money? a franchise that encourages fans to produce their own merch? wow! then later: ah, well, nevertheless.

it makes me think of a bit in Graber's Utopia of Rules where he describes the difficulties of an anarchist house collectively owning a car, and how they come not from anything as obvious as scheduling, but from figuring out how to define that collective ownership within a legal state framework that assumes one person's name will be on the insurance. it seems difficult to build a new world parasitically inside of, and from the matter, of the old.

RIV Blaseball.

[black-arcana]

WITHIN TEMPTATION To Release 'Worlds Collide Tour: Live In Amsterdam' Live Album And DVD/Blu-Ray

Ahead of WITHIN TEMPTATION's upcoming tour, fans can prepare for the spectacle by reliving the adrenaline-pumping excitement of 2022's "Worlds Collide" run from the comfort of their homes, as the band's remarkable show at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam on November 29, 2022, will be available on vinyl, CD, Blu-ray/DVD and in a special 64-page hardcover artbook on June 21, 2024.

During the "Worlds Collide" tour, WITHIN TEMPTATION played two sold-out shows in their home country at Ziggo Dome. They were their first-ever headlining shows in Ziggo Dome and a total of 30,000 fans were there to witness the occasion. These shows were captured for posterity and now everyone around the world has the chance to immerse themselves in one of the most iconic performances the band has ever done in their home country.

Few collaborations in WITHIN TEMPTATION's career have ignited as much anticipation as their co-headlining tour with EVANESCENCE did, especially having being postponed four times due to COVID.

As soon as the world reopened in 2022, the "Worlds Collide" tour finally took place. Over the course of over four weeks, the tour traversed 17 cities across Europe, delivering a total of 19 performances.

For this tour, WITHIN TEMPTATION and EVANESCENCE saw an amazing amount of over 200,000 tickets sold, 7703 kilometers traveled, eight tour buses serving as mobile homes for the artists and crew, twelve trailers loaded with the gear to fuel the spectacle, and a dedicated team of over 80 experienced individuals whose tireless efforts ensured that every aspect of the tour ran seamlessly.

Experience the audio and visual spectacle that was brought to life in Ziggo Dome on November 29, 2022 now. Preorder your copy in the official WITHIN TEMPTATION music store.

Last month, WITHIN TEMPTATION released the official music video for their newest single, "A Fool's Parade", featuring Ukrainian producer and vocalist Alex Yarmak. All royalties from the new single will be donated to Music Saves UA for the duration of the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to a press release from WITHIN TEMPTATION's publicist, "A Fool's Parade" "showcases the band's commitment to raising awareness of Ukraine's ongoing battle against Russia's invasion. The song itself serves as a condemnation of Russia's deceitful actions and sheds light on the harsh realities faced by Ukraine. WITHIN TEMPTATION remains steadfast in their support for Ukraine, with involvement in initiatives such as the Ukraine Aid OPS foundation, advocating for more much-needed solidarity."

Recorded amidst the streets of Kyiv with renowned Ukrainian video director Indy Hait, the music video for "A Fool's Parade" captures WITHIN TEMPTATION frontwoman Sharon Den Adel at important Ukrainian landmarks.

Released last October, WITHIN TEMPTATION's latest album, "Bleed Out", signifies a bold leap forward for the band. From contemporary, hard-hitting, and djenty riffs to soaring melodies displaying their symphonic roots, WITHIN TEMPTATION has created a sonic journey that fuses diverse musical styles and thought-provoking themes. This is an album that is as epic as it is unflinchingly outspoken, and now more than ever, this is a band who isn't afraid to make a stand on issues the members care about.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, WITHIN TEMPTATION have shifted their focus from writing about personal emotions and societal subjects to tackling global injustices and reflecting the tumultuous state of the world in a way that other artists seem unable or unwilling to do.

While songs such as "Wireless" and "We Go To War" examine the authoritarian aggression on display in Ukraine and other warzones, the title track itself addresses the plight of women fighting for their rights in Iran after the murder of Mahsa Amini.

The album also grapples with the complex issues around a woman's right to choose in single "Don't Pray For Me" and throughout, this impassioned and political focus is reflected in the intensity and heaviness of the music. Embracing a new era of musical exploration and lyrical depth, WITHIN TEMPTATION have pushed boundaries and showcased their artistic evolution, delivering a fist-in-the-air proclamation of both their moral convictions and their fearless approach to music.

[superman86to99]

Worlds Collide: The Milestone Side, Month 1 (July 1994)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: We now have a newsletter! It's the exact same thing as this blog, but in email form. You can subscribe for free at: https://buttondown.email/superman86to99 (make sure to check your spam folder for the confirmation email) More details in an upcoming post!

"Worlds Collide" was pretty unusual for a Superman-related crossover event: it only included one of the four main Superman titles (plus two spin-offs), it happened right in the middle of another Super-storyline ("The Fall of Metropolis"), and it came out right before another crossover event involving alternate worl-- sorry, "timelines" (Zero Hour) but had absolutely no connection to it.

The basic idea is that Superman, Superboy, and Steel meet the characters of Milestone Comics' Dakotaverse thanks to a mailman who switches universes whenever he goes to sleep. However, at least in this first month, the Milestone side seems way more into the crossover than the DC one -- their issues are completely devoted to the event, while the Super Titles have a ton of other plotlines going on. (Then again, they always had a ton of other plotlines going on in this era.) In an effort to help our readers understand what the hell's going in the Superman issues when we cover them, here's what happened in the Milestone ones:

Static #13

This issue isn't technically part of the crossover (it's from the month before it started) but it does show the other side of the scene from Man of Steel #35 when Fred Bentson, the aforementioned superpowered mailman, unwittingly switches universes in the nude and runs into the Dakotaverse's most famous inhabitant, Static.

Fred tries to steal Static's flying disk (or "Static Saucer," as they called it in the Static Shock cartoon) to take it back to Metropolis as proof that he isn't just dreaming the Dakotaverse. He doesn't succeed and runs off, leaving Static like "eh, probably just some nut and not something that will end up putting the existence of multiple universes in jeopardy..."

Hardware #17

This issue reveals Fred's other superpower: picking the worst possible sleep clinic in every reality. We already saw him going into a super shady Metropolis-based one in Man of Steel, and this issue shows that he also went into one owned by Edwin Alva, Milestone Comics' foremost unscrupulous businessman (and the boss of this comic's titular character). Alva wants to exploit Fred's reality-hopping powers, so he orders Hardware to go into the DC Universe with him in order to find out how they work.

Hardware obeys and finds himself teleported into the middle of Metropolis, which is in such poor shape after the events of Action #700 that he initially mistakes it for Detroit.

After saving a woman from some bizarre would-be rapists (that you'd never see in a Superman comic), Hardware suddenly sees Superman's Pal, Steel, looking at him from the other side of a mirror. Both are big black dudes who used their super-smarts to build themselves badass robotic armors, so I can't blame the universe(s) for getting them mixed up. Steel breaks the mirror from the other side with his hammer, causing Hardware to fall into a nightmare where people from his life call him a sellout and a terrible person.

Hardware wakes up back in the city of Dakota, and it turns out the only thing he managed to bring from the other universe is an issue of the Daily Planet... which is still enough to convince Alva that he can use Fred to conquer two worlds.

Icon #11

Superboy #6 (which we'll cover in the usual Super Titles Round-Up post) ends with Fred accidentally taking Superboy into Dakota. Icon himself, who is pretty much the Dakotaverse's Superman, barely appears in this issue, but that's fine with Superboy because he gets to meet, and be a perv towards, his sidekick Rocket.

This is the issue where Fred realizes he can create beings with the power of his imagination, which is bad news for everyone around him because he's an anxious little fella. Fred starts bringing his biggest fears to life: first, an army of IRS auditors who look like Superman's enemy the Parasite (who attacked him in Superboy #6)...

...and then, a building-sized version of his Fifth Grade bully. The young heroes put aside their differences to defeat the big bully in the most appropriate way they can think of: Superboy uses his tactile telekinesis to drop his pants, and then Rocket pushes him down while he's distracted.

Superboy, Rocket, and Icon (who finally decides to show up for his own comic) take Fred back to Alva's sleep clinic for further study. At Alva's, Superboy tries to hit on Rocket again, but she freaks him out by simply being a pregnant teenage superheroine, something that can't exist in the DCU.

Oh yeah, and this leads to an important event in Superboy's life that I'm surprised didn't happen in his own comic: the moment he realizes he has no bully button.

Anyway, Alva gets Fred to teleport himself and Superboy back to Metropolis by asking him to imagine himself "as a bridge between worlds." This works a little too well, since not only does Fred jump universes again, but he also creates a literal bridge between them...

Blood Syndicate #16

The bridge scene is repeated from different perspectives in Steel #6 and in this series, which follows a bunch of gang members who get superpowers after the police throw radioactive tear gas at them. As a result of that incident, known as the "Big Bang," half of the bridge connecting Dakota with the gang-ridden Paris Island was blown off -- which is pretty convenient for this crossover, because Metropolis also has a half-blown-off bridge, courtesy of a fight between Superboy and Spider-Man But Evil during "Reign of the Supermen."

Now Fred has merged both half-bridges into one interdimensional bridge connecting both universes, which is very confusing to the Blood Syndicate gang (for once, when I call a group of superheroes a "gang" I mean that literally). It gets even more confusing once they cross the bridge, thinking the bombed-out Metropolis is Dakota, and hear people talking about Superman. You know, from TV! Wait, does this mean the Blood Syndicate watches Lois & Clark?

Then they run into Superman and assume he must be some insane "Bang Baby" doing cosplay, while he assumes they must be working for Luthor. It doesn't help that they're quite rude towards him and drop swear words no one in the DCU has probably heard before. The issue ends with the whole gang about to attack Superman while one of them, a talking dog called Dogg, says "Yo, Superman, where's Krypto?" (SPOILERS: In Superboy #6, with Bibbo.)

Worlds Collide #1

This one-shot brings all the characters together as we transition from the "meet and fight" to the "team up to face the greater threat" part of the story. Fred finds himself back in Dakota and runs into a bunch of high school kids who are working on their own comic book. When Fred looks at one of the pages of the comic without meaning to, he summons its equally destructive hero and villain into existence.

One of those comic nerds happens to be Static in his secret identity, so he gets to work on stopping the runaway characters and soon bumps heads with Superboy as he's trying to do the same thing.

At this point, Fred starts enjoying his powers a little too much and adds his own childhood comic book creations to the mix, all of whom look like him but with way more muscles. Things get really chaotic, and this is when we learn that Static actually reads Superboy's comic -- though I'm confused by his mention of the "no belly button" thing. Does this mean Static read Icon #11 up there? My head hurts.

Rocket also drops by to help, and there's a bit about Superboy panicking when he realizes that she, a jacket-wearing teenager with "kinetic energy" powers who works with an iconic superhero, is his Dakotaverse counterpart. This reminded me of Magdalene Visaggio and Darick Robertson's Superboy pitch in which Conner Kent transitions into Connie Kent and becomes a superheroine called Skyrocket -- if DC hadn't rejected the idea, they could have used this scene as foreshadowing. (I asked Visaggio on BlueSky if she knew about the Superboy/Rocket thing when she picked the name Skyrocket and she said "Nope!")

At one point, Fred merges with all of his creations and becomes a super-jacked gunslinger with wheels for feet. When Superboy makes the mistake of criticizing his fashion sense, we learn the ultimate source of Fred's trauma: Adam West's Batman.

Meanwhile, Fred's body is also at the sleep clinic in Metropolis and somehow at Alva's lab at the same time, and both places are trying to pull him to their side in order to exploit his powers. The process tears Fred apart, both physically and psychologically -- leaving in his place a giant, all-powerful, scary-looking being calling himself RIFT. He even does the "Fred Bentson is no more!" thing, so you know shit's getting real.

As for Superman, he's losing his patience with the Blood Syndicate, especially after they dare to mess with the hair.

After some more fighting, Superman finally convinces them that this isn't Dakota, it really is Metropolis from the comics. They're like "ah, okay, not our problem then" and head back to Paris Island... just as Rift grows so large that he's able to pick up the entire island and throw it in the ocean, creating a massive tsunami wave that seems to be about to wipe out what's left of Metropolis.

NEXT IN "WORLDS COLLIDE": Shit gets even more real! (But not real enough to impact the other Superman titles.)