#and for comparison i fucking love greed island

[pawphin]

i finished hxh earlier todau and im a sopping wet pathetic mess

[kosmicdream]

Ode to Togashi

Stream of conscientious incoherent rant about manga/hxh below, read at your own discretion as i AM NOT EDITING IT: 

While I’m still in the mood to talk about art and what i love about manga, i feel like i wanted to share (some) of my thoughts on why HXH continues to be one of my favorite stories. Togashi’s writing method continues to be probably like, the closest one that i aspire to replicate in my own work, partly because i love to see how much it builds and learns from itself, reinvents itself, ect. But i DONT think Hxh is perfect, even if i wouldn’t change anything about it or togashi’s writing style. 

When I first got into HXH, it was actually through the old anime. I watched that all the way thru before reading the manga, and when i was watching the anime it was during a period of time when i hated all shonen. I still kinda hate “the shonen” model, despite loving many shonen series, but something abt HXH pulled me in to give it a try and i was quickly hooked. I of course, already had experience with YYH growing up as a teen but i somehow missed HXH completely until my early 20s. I had already started trying comics by then, but it was EGGSHELLS and i had not started FFAK at that point.

HXH almost lost me at greed island my first round, ngl. I appreciate it now, andi still think the set up for Greed island was amazing but the arc itself.. I was not into it, mostly cause i think the villain for it was kinda lackluster and i didn’t really think the world of greed island had a strong design sense. There was interesting aspects, i enjoyed Bisque as a new character and she helped carry a LOT of the weight of that arc for me, but it was kind of a drag. IDK if it was also partly the adaptation for that arc, but i didn’t enjoy it much more in manga form either. It just went a bit faster. However, the end of that arc and the final fight was surprisingly brutal and enjoyable, which made me optimistic and helped me to continue. And then the chimera ant arc was the first arc i read ONLY manga first and i truly fell in love with it, obsessed even. That arc, as many readers already know, is probably like the closest thing to FFAK’s “Parent” for inspiration. Obviously, FFAK draws from a lot of things (Trigun is probably the 2nd strongest influence on FFAK) but it isn’t quite the same as HXH. As MUCH as i adore hunter x hunter part of me does cringe and laugh that like, in the end, a battle shonen manga still excited me that much but like.. As MUCH as i clearly love battle manga.. I am so over them. You know? Who cares. IMO. No matter how great it looks, i probably am never going to be more impressed (visually) with an action scene than the ones Yukito Kishiro drew. He did it, He won the action manga game to me. I have no idea what’s actually happening in Gunnm most of the time but as far as the visual spectacle of it all, it literally doesn't even make sense how good his action scenes look. (I could talk a lot about Gunnm too, but i’ll save that for another time IG) Like how the fuck does someone draw that good and it just made everything else by comparison just like, not.. Matter too much to me anymore. Which is great, because I can then look at other aspects for a work rather than just being drawn in by the visuals. And stuff. 

Where i’m at now.. I dont want to read another, even if its drawn well and .. the powers are SO powering or whatever. And i love to draw action scenes, they’re really hard and i still have so much more to go to learn about them. At best, I think im okay at them. But even when i work, i just get tired now so i cut them down a lot. Thats partly because i jsut dont have the time to draw fighting scenes. So i kind of feel embarrassed by a lot of them that ive made, i know I was lazy. Lazy in a way I’m not proud of the result, but im proud of the compromises to get the shit done. Which is the most important think in the end, to juggle your own expectations and limitations with the timeframe you have to get somewhere you need to go. I will still read more action/battle manga in the future.. But im in no rush. And im certain, for the most part, they arent going to teach me anything I don’t already know. They might entertain me and i might be like “..huh!” at a few things, but my expectation for them to do more than that is pretty low. I’m delighted when im wrong, but i cannot deny the apathy towards them is super deep. Togashi to me, is one those authors, that makes me really wake up and realize there’s still a lot of unexpected territory out there. 

He writes like an enthusiastic newbie, not a seasoned old timer that he is, who basically helped popularize the “tournament arc” and “dark edgy shonen” stuff with YYH. All his characters in HXH are geniuses, which is kind of a valid critique and can be annoying as hell too… Id say most readers dont really get how the hell nen works, yet somehow the story still functions so well in its character motivations/conflicts that it kinda doesn’t matter too much that.. It doesnt really make sense? We have to relearn what nen is basically every arc. Its not gonna stick. And yet im just so excited every time it updates and i really want to know what he wants to do with his new arc, if he is going to be able to do it. Nen to me is like a fake fantasy science that is tangible and real yet also you’re in a dream and you try to read the letters on a page, and you can read it but if you stare hard at it. The words are just blurs, or it doesn’t really connect. I like that there’s this malleable illusion that it functions in a way, that is concrete, but it isn’t really. But its enough that i can believe that for the characters, who are also not real, it is real for them. 

The fact that i can talk about “”””NeN””” like this to me is essentially why it becomes the perfect shonen to me because it takes itself so seriously, so genuinely, yet it also is nonsense but not in the way where its like.. Irony poisoned, “gotcha” twists? Im sick of all these subverting shonens that arent subverting anything. Or even just the attitude that is what makes a good shonen these days is to subvert, diminish, laugh, ect at shonen while completely stepping inside the same footprints again and again. So much manga just wants to be dragon ball, but dragon ball was good cuz it was just a fun, well drawn action manga that wasn’t trying to BE dragonball. It was just dragon ball. (maybe now its trying to be dragon ball, which is why i dont care about whatever sequel attempt we’re at now, but that’s another story.) Its fun to me that i dont know if Gon is gonna come back in Hxh. like, maybe he will and his powers will be restored ect.. But at the time of writing this, and for YEARS we just.. Have the main pals of the manga separated. Their friendship has changed. There’s a great shift in it. Gon met his dad, who sucks, but that kind of was his main quest. Sure, we have kurapika’s arc, and many other routes to go - but in a weird way HXH is done and it isn’t done at the same time. I’m just like, what are we going to do now. TOGASHI said flat earth real and was like, the other half of it is UNEXPLORED AND SO DARN DANGEROUS and theres SOM BIGGGGG DINOSAURS THERE and it just feels so gleefully like.. You’re on the swingset and some kid just keeps having to up the stakes but in the most kid-like way possible. For serious. But Togashi’s 58. But he’s right too, the dark continent IS so cool.. I just imagine leorio going there and getting so sick and shitting mutant diahrea and dying the SECOND he sets foot there and its awesome. That’s NOT what’s going to happen but im delighted at the opportunity.

This is the point where I’m writing something when i take a pause and wonder how the hell i got here. I have skimmed the above written text. Whatever point i think i was going to make, wasn’t made, but i expressed.. good feelings here. This is how i write. I typed all of that in about 15 minutes with no idea where it was gonna go. Part of the process now would be to go back, organize, edit, ect. To *TRY* to make it a little more comprehensible, as with all writing. Believe it or not i have gotten better at editing my own work. But the true nature of it all is still the same. And its the same in the way that i dont want, no matter how much i improve at my craft, i dont want to lose that enthusiasm i feel when i reach 58. I think that would be such a triumph, id be so lucky to be able to muster that energy. When I think of togashi, i think he has that. He has that real artistic spark that no amount of time/experience has ever diminished and that’s why i think he’s truly my personal favorite mangaka.  (maybe tezuka too)

[arttrampbelle]

The thing is cary hiroyuki tagawa MADE and brought life to that character back in the 1995 movie. And mk11 while it has its own problems narratively. That shang tsung still holds up because of his presence alone.

He's always had that neutral vibe to him. He's not for nor against but to whatever feels right in the moment. He is a survivor and an opportunist.

He is capable just as much of genuinely connections as any of our "heroes" but he never in the narrative gets a chance to be. Because they always want someone to blame instead of adding true grey morals and complexities to the narrative and it's characters and their journeys. Which mortal kombats world HAS ALWAYS BEEN.

And it sucks that most of todays mk media at least offical media. Has been soiled by corporate greed and all about "$profit$" instead of just telling a story with the love and passion it once had. It has to one up itself or be on par comparison to its rival giants like tekken or street fighter. Which in their own right,have their own formulas. Mk used to be niche,and unique. Standing out on it's own. It was wacky,weird,bloody,and fun. Now it's fallen into "pop culture hounds" type of writing. But i feel that is warner bros meddling more so than nrs. But it seems that mr.boon doesn't truly listen to fans and only when it suits him for his and the other game devs and writers plan for the games. So unless it's convenient and people complain enough. Only then maybe they will throw fans a bone. Look how long it took for them to even add mileena in mk11. Look at how long it took for them to listen to the left field "romances" in mk. When nobody's playing mk for romance. We are playing to beat up our besties in a fighting game. Like 1v1 me bro! Type of fun.

Like sure some things are ok. But when done sparingly and to where it doesn't feel forced or feel like they are legit reading from an ai generated script.

All I'm saying at the end of the day. Is shang tsung as a character deserves so much as a character. They all do really. However shang tsung was THE first boss of mk. I think he deserves an easy win or a win period.

In fact,he deserves to be left tf alone on his island,to do his magic and alchemy and make fucked up creatures and run his little cult... er i mean loyal servants and followers.

(Like you can not look at old man shang tsung and tell me he doesn't look like he runs a cult on his island? Srsly foxy grandpa got a snek club)

Bottom line. Shang tsung is awesome. But more so mk11 shang tsung. (Again not saying alan lee's shang isn't good,i just feel like the script and poor writing holds him back and his potential as shang. And it sucks. Because he could have been a great young shang,before his betrayal of earthrealm,when he was training under raiden(or whatever earthrealm god and protector you want but i say raiden because not only i hate fire god liu kang and that version of him. But i prefer raiden because the amount of bitterness,regret,hurt,and history those two had was legendary. And to take it away is bullshit. But more so of its potential. Like shang looked up to raiden,trusted him,then something happened to change that. Which is why shao kahn oh so easily coerced shang into switching sides so to speak. But shang did regret it but it was a bed he laid in,and he decided if that's what its gonna be. Bridges burned,then he's gonna cultivate that shit. He was gonna turn crap to gold. Dug himself out of the trenches.)

Also to add.

It's not that shang tsung couldn't be kind,heroic,noble,or have his own sense of honor. He always had that. But the narrative wants him to be in a box.

I felt tagawa-san always wanted shang tsung to go down that direction,at least his attitude in general to these character types. And it would have been amazing to see him take shang tsung and basically show the hypocrisy of the gods and the whole situation of mortal kombat in general. Thus coming a 180 and turning the whole thing upon its head. And thus becoming the ultimate master of mortal kombat. A god of mortal kombat if you will.

And it would have tied up oh so neatly.

Plus it was about time the liu kang truly retired. Either in death,legitimately stepping down,or actually just retiring the character and making kung lao the champion and new chosen one. Because that's what they were doing till someone had a hate boner for lao for some unholy reason.

It would only make sense for kung lao to take the mantle because of the characters history together,the friendship and brothership lao n liu had. The fact kung lao is the great kung laos descendant. Aka directly related to the og champion (after maybe shang tsung,but i hc great pappy lao won that title by beating shang. And he's a tad salty bout that. But not that much.) So it only makes sense narratively for him to give it to kung lao. Not a young copycat liu kang coded raiden who legitimately is not raiden it's just liu kang's personality slapped onto raiden. And not the kombat kids because they haven't earned it nor had story development beyond a point.

Like there is so much more mk could do. So so much more. But they wanna keep a status quo,instead of biting the bullet,growing some confidence,and actually taking a real risk instead of half assing it and rushing things like they always do.

Anyways i am so sorry for this being so long. I am passionate about character development,story archs,character archetypes and analysis,and world building.

But more so shang tsung if y'all couldn't tell. >:3

I also wanna say thank you to any who have liked and reblogged this. I appreciate it. If i had the ability or the skillset. I would totally make a podcast,video series,or just love to talk with fellow fans and discuss world building and storytelling. And maybe practice my voice acting too. 👉🏻👈🏻 i shy tho on that. Because i can do a good mimick of mk11 shang tsung and I'm scared that i might freak people out. Or it may not be up to par at worst.

Ah i wanna give so much back to mk fans because we,y'all,deserve it. Because we've been getting crumbs and light meals of kontent for yeeeeeears! And all fans make the good stuff! Offical media dont do jack anymore. I still stand by mk11 was better because the characters looked believable. It was kooky but not so much. The story was mod but it made up for that in aftermath and the fact the amount of stuff you can do and still do even after you get almost everything is great. The accessibility,the customization,etc. Incredible. The krypt i heard was gonna expand more but they didn't have time nor funds. Which is a shame because that was so much fun. Plus shang tsung yelling at you. Lol. Exploring his island is fun. (Tho personally i hate they always make it decrepit. Shang wouldn't wanna live in squander,not by choice. He lives lavish and deliciously. Not to say it can't have dangerous parts or even errie and uncanny features. It is magic. And his full reign dominion and domicile. But im saying gloomy isn't shang tsungs style. Gothic with and asian flair and like an old chinese sorcerer would have. Classy,luxurious and believable but also Otherworldly and ominous.)

For tldr: shang tsung deserves better and i hope y'all thanked cary hiroyuki tagawa for his character and performance as the character over the years!

Shang tsung isn't evil but a product of corruption and the environment that surrounds him. He's not evil in the sense of black n white thinking of morality. Especially from a western,psuedo Christian American perspective that so many people wanna shoehorn him into. (No shade here but im calling it like i see it nrs)

How is he evil when everyone in mortal kombat kills?

Also shao kahn quan chi and shinnok has arguably done worse

And even more so he's worked more with them,and under them(shao Kahn namely) and had no choice but to follow orders. Namely some things sure were aligned in benefit. But truly can you really argue that it was all his doing? No to say so is ignorant and undermining the other villains and antagonists of the series and their own contributions to the story narrative in opposition of protags and other characters.

The most evil is those who hide behind self righteousness and say they are for peace when they are being manipulated by promises of a better realm or timeline(cough fire god liu kang. COUGH)

Like nah guys mk12/mk1 don't make sense even for the narrative they are trying to pull. Shang is wonderful but yall missed the point even tho the storymode sucks and everything about it makes me nauseous, shang tsung shines thru because of what he represents. The story,It falls through the crack simply because of the fact

In mortal kombats chaotic and cruel world. You kill or be killed. You do what it takes to survive. Or be food for the gods. As you are nothing but entertainment for them.

Everyone kills in mortal kombat. So shang tsung killing means fucking nothing and is a moot point. He does it,everyone does it,how is he truly any different than anyone at that point. Thru mortal kombat,a supposedly Divine system,he's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing. And what his character is designed to do. Period. So killing,moot point and argument.

Im not talking about. MK12/MK1 specifically. Tho that grinds my gears for many other reasons. Im talking shang tsung,overall as a whole as a character thru the 30+yrs the games and mk has been around. These are common arguments for that shang is "tHe EVil OnE" when there's no such thing in mks world. Truly. It's posturing and posing flowery words at that point. Period.

Stealing souls? He has to,to survive. He is cursed by the very gods and mentors that once swore to protect him. But did nothing.

Climbing for power? He does so because he wishes not to rule over. But so he doesn't have to worry about going to bed hungry,to suffer. He wants stability,comfort,and most of all security. A thing that long ago was robbed of him.

See you can't say shit about my man without having many reasons why he's not.

Could he be evil,nasty,and dowright fucking cruel? Oh you bet your ass he could. But does he enjoy it? Not really. He takes no pleasure unless it's out of necessity or you're considered an enemy.

He is no different than a hungry hunter. Trying to find his next meal or the next place of dwelling. Until he finds his true place of being and achieves a stable life.

Like ffs people it's right fucking there fine print and that still,STILL GOES OVER YOUR HEADS!

Like y'all who don't understand nuanced villains WANT him to be stereotypical,y'all want him to be easy to pinpoint. Because that means you dont get to critique your beloved "Heroic" characters. And use your brains,and critically think that maybe,just fucking maybe. Your nice dudes were wrong for once.

In mortal kombats world (if you can call it that because the world building sucks)

It's kill or be killed. Morality be damned. Shang tsung found that out long ago. Hiding behind morals in a world that could care less than about you. Gods that only see you as food,throw away entertainment,etc.

He may have respect for someone who despite all that crap,has some moral backbone. But isn't blind to the truth,it's survival. Dont be a pushover boot licking lapdog. As long as you don't hide behind your self righteousness and "goody goody" attitude. He'll respect that you have a noble heart. In fact,that may make him actually enjoy your company. But dont be a condescending jackass about your morals. And he'll be fine.

Shang tsung is just playing the game that the world is built upon. The rules,the gods,the empires,have made. And plays them well into his advantage.

And y'all pissed he plays it better than you. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

That my dears is a truly well done villain,antagonist,and just a beautifully complex character.

That's how you do or are supposed to do shang tsung. Period.

*slams hand down on table and leaves*

🔥💯🔥

[kaelma]

So I finished Greedfall a while ago. It has reached the point where I keep thinking about it, and so I'm going to post my thoughts in an attempt to exorcise my frustrations. Spoilers ahead.

Because I Loved playing that game. I was all in on every little sidequest and political plot and Everything. You have the option to teach the Spanish Inquisition stand-ins to Not be close-minded dicks, you can drag the science-without-ethics faction through the fucking mud, you can prevent the slaughter and colonization of a native population on a Magic Island, and you do this all with a cast of characters who are spectacular! I loved all the companions and felt their personal quests really meant something. (Though I've been spoiled by Outer Worlds because dear god can you imagine companion idle chatter with the Greedfall crew? Passive-aggressive catfights for Petrus and Aphra? Vasco complimenting Kurt on how, ah, able-bodied a soldier he is? Good with his hands, you know.) I was playing this game so regularly every night that my husband bought me a t-shirt. I Loved playing this game.

And then I got to the end.

Making the malichor a physical manifestation of all-consuming greed is fine and dandy. Not exactly subtle, but cool. But it's actually a disease; the immoral Bridge Alliance doctor actually infects Constantin with it. That means there should logically be a cure. Not all diseases have cures yet, yes, I realize this, but the potential is still there. What's more, if Dunncas becomes king then the natives travel to the mainland and start curing people.

So why the fuck was I not given this option for Constantin??

He is immediately a sympathetic character. He's smart and knows everyone thinks he's an idiot. He is repeatedly sympathetic to Siora and the other natives' plight. Constantin gives zero indication of being possessed by greed, especially in comparison to Theleme and the Bridge Alliance! And the game developers want me to be satisfied with "welp, guess he went crazy?"

Are you kidding? DeSardet doesn't even try to reason with him! There's no chance to show him the damage he's doing, not even after his creatures disobey orders not to hurt her!

Even if the game ending remained exactly the same, not even being given a false chance of reasoning with him is irritating and shoddy writing. The world is gorgeously crafted, but honestly I could have done with half as many "prepare for the big fight" quests if it meant some actual plot resolution.

[the-scooby-gang]

Finally watched the Scoob!movie

Here we are in the future! As you guys know I was REALLY EXCITED to see the new movie. Well, here we are, so I will share my thoughts.

This one is a long one, so buck up!

Let’s break the movie down and see its high and low points, shall we? 

One thing that I noticed right out of bat is that the movie is following the typical Hanna-Barbera crossover logic: “Hey audience, you already know these characters and their dynamics, so we will not really focus on them (unless is a plot point on the narrative) and focus more on the adventure”

Which worked for me. But I also know that I’m a 20 years old woman that was a child when Wacky Races, Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines, Scooby-Doo and Captain Caveman was on every day at morning before I went to school.

What I mean is, I already know these characters, so watching the movie was just like watching the crossover episodes. It was fun, not because of the plot, but because the characters that I grew loving were sharing a screen.

But now I think of a new audience that may have NO IDEA who these other characters are and are kinda mislead by the title of the movie because, and lets be honest here, the movie should have being called something like:

Scooby gang and the Falcon Team!

or more precisely

Scooby, Shaggy and the Falcon Team!

That’s the first low point: The opening minutes leads you to believe that, even if Shaggy and Scooby have most of the screen time, after all the plot of the movie is clearly about their bond as best friends, you expect that the whole Scooby Gang are going to have equal screen time. But that is not the case.

They have nice moments of course! One of the first high points is that the gang is really wholesome when they are together! They are good friends that care about each other! What breaks them apart is not some forced antagonism between them, but an outside force (MOTHERFUCKING SIMON COWELL) and, by the way things went, if the plot had not kicked in on the bowling alley, the gang would unite again, hug, call Simon Cowell an idiot, reassure Shaggy and Scooby that they are valid and find a new person to sponsor the expansion of Mystery INC. 

In fact, now that I think about it, the plot could have gone WAAAAAAY different, but that is a talk for another post.

High point one and a half: The movie was funny and cute. Self aware jokes, Muttley and Dick antics, Dick’s disguises, the F-Bomb, Shaggy is a Potterhead, Scooby was animated with “This dog deserves hugs” mentality and I approve.

High point number two: Dick Dastardly. His entire personality, his disguises , his motivation. God his motivation. I too would open the gates of hell to get my dog back (and also some treasure, this is Dastardly we are talking about)

In fact his interactions with Muttley are high point number three. THEY ARE SUCK ASSHOLES BUT THEY CLEARLY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH I LOVE THAT!

But that also opens the gates for Low point number two: Where Dick arc is finished in a satisfactory way (being an asshole that cares for one (1) asshole dog) , Brian’s a.k.a Blue Falcon doesn’t.

You see, in the movie Shaggy clearly sees that Brian acts the way he does because he is NOT Blue Falcon. He is his son. He has the weight of a legacy on his shoulders and he is not coping well with that. This is highlighted by how Dynomutt sees him and his childish ways. (in fact, Dynomutt just being done with Brian shit 95% of the movie is high point number four) And you think “They are going to make a scene were he and Dynomutt are more open with each other. Where Brian says how scared he is and how the pressure of the legacy is maybe too much for him and that he is no hero, and them Dynomutt is going to reassure him that, No. You are a hero. I’m sorry for expecting you to be like your father, instead of doing to you what did for him: guiding you” and we got that! .....Really rushed in the middle of the final action scene with no emotional punch at all as a side effect from the “we expect you to know who these people are” crossover logic. Because I never watched Dynomutt and the Blue Falcon

I don’t how their dynamic was supposed to go. Even more by being the original Dynomutt with a new Falcon. I have no bases of how things used to be to feel anything. Especially because I don't know how the OG blue falcon acted in comparison to his son to see were he was falling short. I don't know how Dynomutt acted with the OG Falcon to see were he was setting the bar for Brian. Without that information, even if Dynomutt being done is entertaining  and fun, it leaves the emotional impacts hollow.

Low point number three is also to blame here: the movie fells INCREDIBLY RUSHED. And I think I know the reason. Hanna-Barbera is no stranger to crossovers, but they never did more them one property + another before, three properties at most. It was always Scooby Doo and The Wacky Race or Scooby Doo and Captain Caveman or Scooby Doo and The Blue Falcon but never Scooby Doo and All of them together. 

Even in the episode of Mystery incorporated “Mystery Solvers Club State Finals” were ALL THE HANNA-BARBERA MYSTERY SOLVER TEAMS WERE TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF , they made the mystery about the disappearing of all the mystery solvers except the mascots, which left the cast of characters of the episode more manageable them having all the gangs fighting for screen time, and even them some of the mascots have more dialog and character beats them others.

With so many characters, they had to pic which ones got a full arc or important plot beats, which left all the other character lacking as a side effect.

That brings us to low point number four: THE MYSTERY IS WEAK. It’s weak even for Scooby Doo levels and that is saying something. I saw episodes of Be Cool (that is a really good incarnation character design aside, you should check it out) that had a more well rounded mystery them this. The focus of the movie was divided in so many places that the mystery had no room to breath (Dick, Shaggy and Scooby, Shaggy and Scooby and the Falcon team, Dee Dee and Dynomutt backs aching by having to carry the plot forward, Shaggy and Brian have a heart to heart moments, Captain Caveman fight scene, and finally the mystery gang and the, you know, mystery)

The mystery is about “why the fuck Dick wants Scoob so bad” and the answer is “Because Scooby is descended from Peritas, Alexanders the Great Dog, and he needs him to open the gate to the underworld that Alex and Perry created to protect their treasure, plus save Mutley that is stuck there”

That could have being such a strong mystery!!! They would think that he only has greed in mind by opening the gates, not giving a flying fuck about the giant Cerberus that is going to eat Athens while he fills his pockets, only to discover that, yes there was greed in his actions but there was also a man looking for his best friend stuck on the other side, with would have made such a strong emotional parallel to Shaggy and Scooby final challenge. Missed opportunity. 

Back to the high points to balance thing out, the high point number five: Fred is a himbo that loves his friends and his van. The moment were they hear that Shaggy and Scooby are in danger and he immediately turns the van around nearly launching Velma and Daphne though the window was really good, plus the “Leave Shaggy Alone” and the fact that when the Fake!Fred appears (Dastardly in one of his ultra-realistic disguises) in the island and Shaggy calls his name and they hug in the most wholesome way, the fact that Shaggy doest think that the wholesomeness is out of character implies that the Real Freddie is just as sweet.

High point number six: Daphne gains first an Allie and then an entire robot army for her friends though the power of compassion. This is a nice take on Daphne. They say that Fred is the Brawn, Velma is the Brain and Daphne is the People person, which I take is the fact that she can make fast friends and easy contacts to solve the mysteries + think about why someone would do something, like, Velma sees the logic behind the mystery while Daphne sees the emotion that lead to the mystery in the first place.

Which, unfortunately leads to low point number five: even if I can make all that character analyses from one phrase and this specific moment and its outcome, thanks to Low point number three and four a.e. Lack of character focus and lack of mystery I can't truly see if I’m right or not about Velma's logic and Daphne’s emotional knowledge... BECAUSE I CAN BARELY REMEMBER VELMA AT ALL. Velma is the one that suffered the most by the lack of mystery because there is where she thrives. The moments were Velma piece the clues together is so overshadowed by everything that is going down that you barely notices it. Same thing for Dee Dee. She and Dynomutt are, thanks to the way the plot was build, the only ones that are actually making moves to compel the plot forward, but outside of being the one flying the ship and trying to find were the skulls macguffings are, I can barely remember her besides  a moment were she and Dyno are baffled about Brian thinking that Anonymous was an actual name.

Dee Dee is from Captain Caveman, she was the brains of the group, which we kinda see, but she is apparently in a point in time where she and Cavey don't even know each other. I think if they had removed the Caveman fight scene and instead added dialog of her talking about how she and her friends discovered a caveman on ice and they are planing on defrosting him, you know, THE PLOT OF THE ORIGINAL CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS would have being better.  Or maybe just say that she is just here because she promised the OG Blue Falcon that she would help train his son to replace him and when her work is done she is going back to her team. You know, actually stabilising a more connected world without inflating your cast and making things difficult for yourself and the script writers.

Low point number five and a half : Captain Caveman is completely superfluous. He was a funny beat, but outside of that, the time that they expended getting to his island, finding him, fighting him and losing the skull macguffing anyway  could have being expended on character moments either between the falcon team, or better yet, the Mystery gang. Or put more time on the mystery itself.

Now to high point number seven and the most important of them all, after all it is the plot were the entire movie is set upon: When Shaggy is speaking with Brian about how the pressure of his father shadow over him is beyond overwhelming, Shaggy is so insightful in that scene that it heavily implies that he feels in part in a similar way in the gang and that is one of the reasons he felt offended when Simon Cowell, and later on Dick Dastardly, say that he is virtually insignificant  to the group and them gets jealous of Scoob when he starts to spend more time with the Falcon Team. 

Is one thing to be the scary cat with your best friend, is another thing entirely to be the scary cat alone. AND I LOVE THAT

Shaggy and Scooby bond has being highlighted from the opening scene (high point number eight) and Shaggy’s felling of loneliness. That before Scooby came into his life, he had no one. And even after the gang was united, Scooby remains his first and best friend. The slight idea of losing his friend to something that he can never compare (What is a Shaggy in face of a Blue Falcon Team membership) makes him lash out. We joke about Scooby being Shaggy service dog, but for all effects, Scooby is his emotional support, his light on the end of the tunnel that was his loneliness. The gang are his friends, but they are really different from him. Meanwhile he and Scoob are almost always in the same wave lane. And them suddenly Scoob appears to be changing. Moving away. 

The entire movie is Shaggy dealing with the idea of losing Scooby. Of losing his first friend and scared cat companion. What he ultimately learns is that the power of his friendship with Scoob is way too strong to let simple thing as “going away” or “changing” diminished what they created through the years. That’s why he says he has changed in the final. That he has grow. Because he has come to realise that even if Scoob changes and becomes more brave or something, he has nothing to fear. Because being friends is to know that, even miles apart, dimensions apart, your friendship lives on.

By acknowledging that Scoob can change, or even leave but never truly abandon him, Shaggy himself grows.

That’s why he chooses to be the one stuck on the other side.

Because he knows that he is not alone, not really.

So the final count is:  HIGH points = 7,5 LOW points = 5,5

I liked the film. I was giggling like an idiot the entire time. My inner child was happy, even if my adult brain was not as pleased in many moments after further thought. However both my child heart and my adult brain agree that the movie is far from perfect. Many interesting ideas but poor execution of many of them.  With is fine. We all know that the Scooby movies have already peaked *cough* Legend of the Phantosaur *cough*

This was a long ass review of the Scoob! Movie.

[icharchivist]

what you think of leorio character many people said he annoying but in the manga he was show to be great ally who was strong, reliable and caring individual compare to the remake they made his character less likeable

thebae!!

Jfc Ilove him. I love him a lot, he’s such a great character. But ye, 2011 did himdirty. I personally loved him when i watched the 2011 anime, but when I readthe manga I realized how much the anime seriously shitted on him. He’s evenmore likeable in the Manga and he deserved far better.

Igenerally need more precise question to start rambling, but i’ll try from thispoint. But this will be a little more confusing that general (and i got tired toward the end so i stopped) but here.

  And i’ll put it under cut because it’s Leorio and i’ll ramble.

Thething is that, Leorio has a position in the manga that is mostly the one of thecaretaker - a trope that is much more often attributed to women in Shounen.He’s the doctor guy, he’s the one who doesn’t show off his powers all thatmuch, who’s a little late in comparison to the others, who usually have a brutestrength with his medical knowledge. But he’s also often therefore the one toemotionally react to the plot and what happens around him.

And people hates thiskind of archetype. People call this kind of character useless when they areextremely important and inspirational. 

 Leoriois the everyman. Out of the four main characters, he’s the one the audience canrelate to. How many jokes are there out there of Leorio attempting a deadlyexam with just a knife just to pay his school bills? An icon.

Butlike…. That’s why it’s important? 

Thereforehe’s the one who’s actions are the most grounded in reality, in real life’shardship. The other main three stories are really specific to its genre, butLeorio’s? Anyone could have Leorio’s backstory. 

Whathe makes out of it is inspirational and gives a lot of heart to his actionstoward his friends. He is a support, he is helping. He’s doing everything hecan by his own means.

Andwhen he’s trying to catch up with the other ones who are ways too unreal? Hegives his everything, he faces the problem right in the eyes and refuse to runaway.

 Morethan being useless, the worst thing I think i’ve ever read about Leorio isthat “he’s a coward”. In which fucking universe?

Leoriois always ready to fight. He was ready to attack that old lady for askingsomething as absurd and careless as saying you would have to give up on yourdaughter or your son. He’s admirable because he fights for what is right, forwhat is supposed to be. If Gon won just because he didn’t know what to answer,and that Kurapika found the answer, Leorio won because he would refuse it toeven happen in a possible scenario. And even if it’s a grandma, we’re talkingabout an examinator of the Hunter Exam. It could have ruined Leorio’s life, butthere was no way he could let it fly. 

Whenthey met the Kiriko, he stayed behind to help one of them in the house, andreassured him. Where is that a coward to you? He acted like a doctor, he tookcare of him more quickly than anyone, and especially he showed care, and didn’tonce think his friends couldn’t handle it. He has an undying loyauty to thepeople he likes.

He fucking went back to fight Hisokaafter Hisoka murdered a lot of people. Because he couldn’t run while saidinjustice was happening right in front of his eyes. He could have died, but hedidn’t want to just run away for his own safety. Reckless? Yes. Coward?no.

Notto mention on Zevil’s Island, how he wanted to get against Ponzu alone, becausehe didn’t want to hurt anyone else, and he actually asked the other ones to leavehim if any problem came to happen. Because Leorio values others better thanhimself.

Meanwhilepeople forget that the only reason he went to York New was to see his friendsagain. Kurapika was there for the Troupe, Killua and Gon for the game, Leorio? Onlyfor them. And especially, he went unaware Killua and Gon were looking for a game,but aware that if they reunite, they will be running after Serial Killers. He knewthat. And he helped them as much as he could in that situation,t o the point ofhunting down the Troupe while actually Nenless, and fucking challenging themwhen he plays bait in order to save Gon and Killua. He also manages to calmdown Kurapika when Kurapika almost snaps at Chrollo.

Leorio’scourage and bravery had been the heart of his character. He has an undyingloyauty for his friends, and is fighting for what he thinks is right. How isthat a bad thing? How is that a coward?

 When it comes about himbeing “useful/useless” first, I completely hate this term in general.People aren’t things to use. Their worth isn’t found in whenever or not they make themselves useful. Their worth is in their actions and what they decide to do.

Leorioalways decided to do the right thing.

Themost important point of Leorio’s storyline is that, at his heart, it’s a storyof a past-trauma which recovery had been healthy. When you compare to the otherthree who all live very badly their current and past trauma, Leorio is the onewho got traumatized and got something good out of it. He forced himself in apath in which he could help other people again. He recovered as much as hecould, and he dedicated himself to others. He’s doing what is right, what isjust.

Ina story that has such heavy stories of Trauma, someone like him is important inthe group. He’s a representation of how things can get better, how things willget better. He encourages them in a good direction when he can. He’s a caringand wonderful character.

 Butfans, they don’t care about it. They want to see blood, they want to seesomeone be punched. It’s no surprise a lot of people saying they dislike Leoriosay the only thing they like him for is for punching Ging. It’s because thosepeople don’t value anything else than Leorio’s strength and ability to kickass. Which to me is fucked up because it’s not the most important part ofLeorio’s character.

It’sno wonder the most focus we had on Leorio is the Election arc – an arcultimately based on more profound actions to help on the long term.  Leorio’s spotlights is on his words, on howhe wants to help the people he loves, and how he feels like he doesn’t belongthere.

Leoriodidn’t get to first place just because it was funny he punched Ging. In a worldof secrecy and selfishness like the one of the hunters, Leorio distinguishedhimself by not only not caring about showing his powers, but by also beingextremely opened about what he wants. What he calls being selfish, which isjust to take as much care as possible for his friends. It’s because of thatthat the Hunter World ends up believing and cheering for him. Because he’s notjust brawn and no brain – he’s a man who’s driven by his heart, and will alwaysdo the right thing when he has to do it. Someone who will fight for it, even ifhe has to antagonize himself (or so he wishes), in order to help others.

 It’swhy everyone ended up cheering for him, that’s why having him in the Zodiac wasa clever political move from Cheadle. Because Leorio is actively being arepresentative of how much you can care about someone.

 Onlyjudging him on his strength and his powers is doing a major disservice to hischaracter who is much, much more than that.

 Somethingalso a few people seems to forget: at the end of the Heaven Arena Arc, Wingtells Killua and Gon that Leorio won’t be approached by a potential Nen teacheruntil he passed his med school exam, which he passed after the York New arcwhen he left. However, when Killua and Gon meet with Leorio again, Leorio tellsthem he mastered Ten. And he actually thinks he mastered all Nen, which makesme think no one actually told him about his training. Meaning he did that alone.

Inthe year between the York New Arc and the Election Arc, Leorio passed hisexams, and learned Nen, in a very complex way. Remember how in the Greed IslandArc, there was a guy who could also use an Emitter technique on his punch topunch someone?  Except that to do that,he had to be in a limited space that he would have determined with his Nen,otherwise he wouldn’t be able to actually project his punch.

Leoriocan do that whenever he wants. Wherever he wants. Ging explains that histechnique is actually really complex and based on the vibration of the groundand of human being. It takes a lot of science understanding to come to thatwithout setting conditions. Not to mention, his technique was originallysettled in order to find out tumors into people’s body and heal them withouthaving to open the body, therefore reducing the cost of an operation.

Howis that not Badass?? Leorio took a concept we saw in the show assomething limited, that couldn’t be done freely, and showed that he couldand he would and he would do that to punish mean people and save people.  How is that not amazing?

 Thebest in all of that, is that Leorio had always been strong. Stronger thanKurapika and Gon in fact. And there it comes into what the anime deleted andsadly people aren’t aware of. But Leorio is stronger than Gon and Kurapika – interm of strength, he can lift 4 tons, he’s muscular af. He could break the armof a mafia guy during the arm wrestling contests. Leorio is extremely strong,which is already incredible.

He’sjust in an universe where people use other way to be strong. A way he ended upcatching up on.

Andit’s not to mention that he’s extremely streetwise. The guy knows a lot aboutthe underground, about how to get what he wants. The guy is completely rulingthe auctions, and Killua even look up to him for that. Leorio is very good atgetting what he wants, and he always find clever ways to achieve it.

Theanime deleted all of that though. And that’s really pissing me off. Leorioactively works in order to help the kids to get the money to Greed Island – he’sthe one who establish them with a link to the mafia, he’s the one who iswatching over the auction, he’s the one who gets the information to find theTroupe. When Kurapika loses it, he’s the one to fix the situation, he’s the onewho plays bait with the Troupe, he’s the one who stop Kurapika from beingreckless, he’s the one who helps Kurapika feel better after he collapsed fordays. Remove Leorio from the York New arc and everything would have gone wrong.

 Itjust baffles me that people can’t accept just genuinely kind and caringcharacters if they don’t kickass the way they want them to do it. Not everycharacters need to be a war-machine. And honestly, in a story that put so muchefforts into showing that the violence in which Gon, Kurapika and Killua engagethemselves into, is actually extremely hurtful and has consequences, I don’tsee how one can be mad at Leorio for not being like that either?

 Leoriois an extremely interesting character. He holds a lot of himself inside, hefears sometimes of not being enough, but he tries. He always tries andhe always try to manage as much as possible.

Ijust don’t get what is there not to like? He can be harsh at first, but like.He’s still a teen? He evolved a lot in between the first hunter exam and theelection arc – he became more mature, more grounded. He’s achieving his goal,which is hella neat?

He’slikeable and fun. He learns a lot during the course of the manga.

 I’mgetting a little tired and I’m going to repeat myself if I keep going, but I exploredmore of my thoughts there, there, there and there.

 Iramble a lot about him in general and I just really love him and wish peoplewould see that you don’t have to actively kickass to be a good character.

…..expecially when you’re already as kickass as Leorio Paradinight.

 Take care nonny!

[bicth-and-in-that-order]

This is pretty long

Part 1: The Steven Universe side

In execution, Steven is definitely boring, nice boys who are kinda quirky can only take you so far from a narrative stand point. By definition, he’s a catalyst hero, what that means is while a character acts heroically they don’t change themselves, they help change others and while that’s a good role for a mentor figure that’s not for your main character. From episode 1 to 101, all the biggest, most important choices he’s made have always been to help others (more often than not going against the gem’s wishes) or in the name of what he believes what’s right on his own beliefs, and that most likely is in helping a gem. Steven sparks a change in characters such as Lapis, Peridot, Connie, Pearl, Amethyst, Lars, etc…And yet he never changes for himself. Well scratch that, he changes from showing realistic human emotion in s1 then says “nah” to that after s1.

Part 2: The Hunter x Hunter side

I’d like to introduce another character very similar to Steven who is a catalyst hero, but also a very willing hero (willing hero is someone excited and active for adventure). And that character is the main character from the manga/anime “Hunter x Hunter” Throughout the story, Gon is consistently characterized as a happy go lucky kid who loves making friends, going on adventures, doing risky things for the sake of his own goal, and never misses a chance to help people. A typical shounen hero no doubt. Along the way, he makes friends with Kurapika, Leorio and Killua (there are others but I won’t spoil) who all change in some way, shape, or form because of him. Sometimes that change is for the better others for the worse. The change is especially evident with Killua, which speaking of, keep him in mind because I’m going to talk about him in a second.

Anyways, back to Gon, one of the traits I like the most in him, is his relative pacifism and his ability to forgive easily. Characters will break his fucking arm or beat him until he’s bloody and he forgives them anyways. The main villain of the greed island arc killed a lot of people and when he was given a chance to kill him, he didn’t do it and let him live. Things like that which built his character up to be a nice kid on the moral high ground certainly made a huge impact on Killua, but I think one of them most smartest and surprising things the creator, Yoshishiro Togashi, did for Gon was for him to deconstruct his own personality and make him an anti-hero in the Chimera ant arc.

Part 2.5: Me fangirling over the chimera ant arc and HxH in general (mild spoilers, but nothing big)

I’ll try not to spoil much, but the Chimera ant arc is absolutely a gorgeous arc and although a slog to get through sometimes, when the pacing is on track, it’s some of the most emotional, thought provoking stuff I’ve seen in a long time. It’s basically a big zombie movie, but the zombies have emotions and memories from when they were humans (like nobodies) and that’s where the conflict comes from. It’s about the worst of humanity and the sacrifices we as people make for ourselves, to others, and as a society. Do the lives of one very important person outweigh the lives of a group of regulars? How far will we go to harm others and is it justified? That’s the Chimera ant arc.

One of the big points in this arc is the switch in the character dynamic and characterization of Gon and Killua. Gon is the dumb nice kid who listens to Killua, the much smarter, but much more aggressive, blood thirsty kid (yeah he comes from a family of assassins), during the third arc of the arc, it’s turned on its head and Gon is now calling the shots. This only happened because someone near and dear to him, named Kite was killed by one of the Chimera ants, when that happens, an important flaw of him is revealed. Gon is selfish and has a one track mind, he’s more than willing to put his needs first if he deems it as beneficial to him. Gon killed the person who killed Kite, Gon was willing to kill people that got in the way of killing the person who killed Kite, and was find if he died in the pursuit of killing the killer. That’s how much Kite meant to Gon and when Killua sees how much Gon has changed, it generally scares and worries him. Regardless of how destructive he was to himself and others, he still thought what he was doing was right and in the name of justice because he was killing bad people and didn’t care that he was becoming a killer as long as it meant that bad person was gone and they wouldn’t hurt any more people. (Much like Death Note) This is a very similar situation to Kurapika who at any other time was calm, but would not hesitate to kill the phantom troupe who killed his entire family. He thought what he was doing was justice and he was right, if he didn’t kill them, they would and do just kill more people.

Both of them put their own beliefs on the back burner for doing what was necessary even if it wasn’t the “right” thing. While Kurapika was more righteous, and Gon more selfish, in pursing their goals to the point of obsession they pushed away their friends and stepped off the moral high ground for the betterment of society, themselves, and their loved ones.

Part 3: How this all ties together

Steven and Gon are very similar characters who opt for the moral high ground and don’t really want to hurt others unless necessary. However Gon, threw away being a “good person” because someone close to him died. I believe such a drastic change happened because for all his life, he’s been good and has been good to other people. Something awful happened to him and at that moment, he broke and was unforgiving to the world when he was previously so forgiving. He’s also like 12 or something.

Compare this to Steven, who has also had awful things happen to him. Like Homeworld stealing his dad, but do you know what happened after he got his dad back? He ran away, didn’t think twice about those humans trapped in that utopia and the next episode did nothing. He’s not actively against Homeworld, he’s not trying to make himself get stronger so he can do something to stop his dad getting stolen again in the future. When Kite died, Gon trained to get stronger to make sure nothing like that would happen again. Homeworld stole his dad, could’ve done a lot worse to him and Steven did NOTHING. All the gems who actively try to kill him and his loved ones, Connie almost drowned and Greg got his leg broke because of Lapis, Jasper imprisoned him and everyone as well as damaged his home, his friends Peridot tried to kill him and talked shit about his mom, etc… they just keep hurting him and he does NOTHING. He harbors no hatred towards them, no animosity, there’s no want for him to get stronger or learn more about gem history and his own powers to protect his friends. Gon was like this too, but he dropped that act because Kite died, now Lars died for Steven (though he brought him back) and instead of feeling an ounce of rage or anger or anything he drinks a glass of tap water??? Are you serious? We’re at this point where Steven is disgusted at thought of his mom killing PD, knowing they were in a war, knowing friends of hers died repeatedly, knowing she was a leader, knowing she was in an oppressive society, and yet because she supposedly did a bad thing and didn’t talk it out she’s the worst thing ever and Steven is ashamed. Huh?

Part 4: V for Verdict

I’m not saying Steven should be exactly like Gon and murder people, I just use him as comparison because they’re very close in age and have near identical personalities and hero archetypes. I’m saying for him to be realistic and not act like he’s dead inside. Let Steven get upset like he used to in s1, let there be emotional turmoil of all the shit homeworld has done to them. All the turmoil we’ve gotten from Steven is him feeling bad about himself or his mom. That’s it. Oh and that 1 time Steven got mad at Peridot for 2 seconds but not after she said that shit about Rose, Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, and pushed Greg off the roof, but because she betrayed Steven. Though, I have high hopes that changes as the stakes get higher and Steven finally starts to actually, kinda sorta dislike homeworld.

[mothkraft]

Misunderstandings (this title according to the .doc name)

(You know this is old because I reference the now ex PM Davey boy mc ‘i’m gonna hold a referendum because an internal party squabble’....yeah...this is freakin old fic)  

 Francis just turned his head to see the Englishman’s form still resting and sleep induced. The light seeped through the thin curtains enough to make the other’s body seem to glow.

 He loved brief moments like this, Arthur still dozing, tired from last nights activities (doing how many cubic yards of paperwork provided by that lovely, hateful, annoying moron of a political leader, whose name happen to rhyme with Cavid Dameron, and then his drowsiness leading to an uneventful collapse onto the bed in which the Briton fell asleep rather too quickly for Francis’ liking, wishing to relax the other…though that was admittedly a loss) left him totally vulnerable, though not in that manner. It just left said man looking so…peaceful and docile, looking like someone who had utter peace of mind when they slept…though that was unlikely no matter how much he thought about.

 There was something about Arthur’s body that meant it retained such archaic marks over his body. Maybe it was the sheer diversity of his nation, which meant it was for his remembrance, to show all of the variety.

 England, the land itself rather than the man sleeping beside him, had always had a certain attraction to it. The temperate weather, which didn’t always rain, but was enough for the soil to remain healthy, and for flora to grow. The once spacious landscape (though now mostly taken by intruding towns and soon-to-be-built major roads and such) with (once) lush terrain. The fact that it seemed great for agriculture, and that it was stable location for defending one’s self. Perhaps that is why so many sought it as their own, he played his own part of course, old Bill wanting the crown. The constant Viking invasions from Scandinavia, like Cnut. Or even older civilisations like Rome conquering the land…

 Perhaps all of that made Arthur himself more appealing, just an air of that attraction from his younger days that remained with him. That or the fact that Francis had always been fond of the Briton, the one who ran scared of him at first, fearing similar treatment that he received from his brothers from Francis. The one who grew by his side, slowly, steadily, before fighting to become his own small island. The one who grew to have naval supremacy, thwarting his foes with a cruel demeanour…(though he was glad the man lying next to him was far gentler than the ruthless pirate he had once faced).

Just looking at the alabaster skin, with the few freckles here and there, and seeing the slender outline of the Brit was nice, though he had thought that for a long time anyway. Arthur’s skin was rather pale in comparison to the mainland European nations

It had become this way after the Black Death swept over the island without mercy. True, most of Europe was affected but he never regained the colour of vitality after that; but if anything it just added entirely to the country. That pale complexion mixed with the young yet so ancient body.

 He still had old scars from previous battles, even ones from centuries ago. Yes all nations healed faster, but where wounds heal, scars remain.

 Francis moved Arthur closer, wanting more contact with the other, said man staying silent and patient.

 He ghosted a hand over old scars as he gently examining them like they were old fossils, in a sense they were, after all they were reminders of history long passed.

 A hand paused over the other’s chest, visibly seeing the large patch of healed yet marred skin. The centre-left had been entirely ravished ever since the Great Fire of London, though geographically a Capital city may be located anywhere, it always represents the heart of the nation. The skin still looked like recent burn, but had paled over the years. Within that large burn were more scars, tatters and rips from the (considerably recent in comparison) London Blitz. It tore Arthur apart. Though it wasn’t just London that had suffered, scars still remained all over the pale skin. Arthur always wasn’t present during the Blitz, but presence is irrelevant when you are bound to your homeland. He remembered the vicious sight, of Arthur cringing over, struggling to breathe, body twisting, writhing in pain…vast quantities of blood weeping out of wounds ripping across his chest…they weren’t fond ones, but were unforgettable.

 The Frenchman’s fingers travelled upwards towards Arthur’s neck. An ever so faint line ran across, all around it.

 It took a few moments of thinking back through old memories connect this one to the other’s heritage. He guessed, that with the death of the monarchy, and Cromwell’s rule for though brief years, the beheading of his King had too left the same scar on him. It was now almost invisible, unimportant, but everything mark is part of their history.

 Francis too had scars, notably one down his left side where the battle raged on the Western Front during the Great War. The Battles of the Somme took much from him. He had a similar line across his neck, rather he did…the French Revolution did end with many heads being disposed of…after all it required a whole new invention to chop them off more efficiently. Some he had received from the Englishman himself, some that Arthur had, were from him too. He was glad now there was peace between their two countries…it made their relationship more stable, suitable as well…Nations after all can love of their own will, whether the politics may not be so great…but leaders tend to disapprove with fraternising with the enemy, or in their case flirting and even fucking the enemy.

  He looked again thinking to himself. He amused himself at his thoughts. It seemed that many thought that England was actually…feminine, and that amused him. Perhaps ever so slightly androgynous, maybe, but Arthur was too rich in culture, pride, strength, to be considered feminine. Who cared if he had seen the other sewing in a meeting out of boredom, apparently Russia knitted anyway...Arthur too had his habits of tending his garden like it was the most beloved thing on Earth (sometimes Francis would feel envious of those few flowers that preoccupied Arthur’s time instead of Francis having the attention…but only slightly).

 What he could say though, is that over the years England had become emasculated. It was a simple fact. In his years of imperial power and might, he showed such tender care to most of his colonies, though most of that love turned sour unfortunately, through the ex-empires own greed and lack control at times.

Indeed…but never feminine. He doubted that the Brit’s wiry muscles, and frame would be placed in a ‘feminine’ category. Though, that told a completely different tale of its own.

Arthur wasn’t tall like Sweden, or small like Japan, but an average height. He wasn’t particularly well built, sculpted like some protein snorting bodybuilder, but still showed clear evidence of slender muscles.

He had never been the best soldier either, well at least, not in hand-to-hand melee combat. Yes, he could wield a blade and put it to good use, but his true power had been his skills as a marksman. Such as the Battle of Agincourt, in which (much to his own embarrassment) his heavily armoured troops had been defeated by simple English archers and horsemen.

 Tales like Robin Hood, may never have been true, but have links to the truth. That follows with many tales in history though, not all fiction is entirely make-belief, but have been tweaked accordingly, as to seem false, impossible even.

 He trailed his hand further up to meet his lover’s face, gently stroking at the cheek, before moving his body forwards and pressing a light kiss onto the other’s nose.

 Arthur fidgeted at the new contact, turning in his sleep to face away. Francis chuckled before pulling the Englishman right into his own body, hugging him gently but still with a firm embrace, nuzzling the snoozing man’s neck, probably tickling him with his stubbly chin as Arthur reacted with some odd twitches, an almost ticklish reaction.

After a few minutes of just resting gently like this Francis decided it best for him to wake Arthur, knowing he was sometimes not a morning person and would be grouchy if Francis let him sleep in – he often frowned at this as sometimes Arthur clearly needed the sleep, but decided it’d be wiser just to comply with the thorny man’s request.

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and i never finished this so idk where this headed? was I gonna write banging, was i gonna write angst or fluff???? i’ll never freakin know

[sheenaplott078-blog]

Callous United States Incendiary Bombing From Japan In 1945

. In Exchange argot this is actually commonly described as the "risk superior," also called the "equity danger costs." Considering that purchasing a stock involves better threat, you ought to rationally anticipate to get a higher price of yield when purchasing this. In other words, it is actually only sensible to expect a higher cost from gain that recompenses you for the danger you are actually having.|When our company initially laid out to map the area of feminist political economic condition, in late 2007, the US as well as Europe were being actually shaken by economic crisis. For Israel's worst-case, end ofthe world instance, see Seymour M. Hersh, The Samson Choice: Israel's Nuclear Toolbox and American Foreign Policy ( The Big Apple: Random Home, 1991). Americans, having said that, perform street food very in a different way in comparison to Vietnamese folks.|One more highrise luxury condo tower is quickly to begin in Inner city, at 1919 Market Street, on the edge from 20th & Market Streets This brand new tower performs the internet site from a noticeable grass right in the middle of Inner city's most extensive as well as highest workplace corridor. If I do get a permanent provide, I have actually presently mapped out my post-college planning: invest pair of years at Lehman, most likely to company university, start a technician business, become a billionaire, get a residence in the Hamptons, possess an eruptive divorce, perish aged and also alone yet neighbored through a hill from gold bars.|2017 was our 5th complete year from function from our One and only Goal. Given that covertly, deep down, because outrageous section from my soul that chuckled when aged people fell down or acknowledged there was actually such as an ugly baby, Stock market - that unforgiving bastion of corporate greed as well as excess and also vulgarity - appeared fucking awesome.|Our team much better acquire this off the beaten track right away; I make sure a few of you may be asking yourself, Is Cold Port really a portion of the Island from Dogs?" It is actually an authentic concern - the place has actually always been segregated coming from the rest of the Island, and also it carries out have an other feel to it in some aspects, enhanced due to the number of aged and occasionally large homes that has and also the unique absence from post-war council property. Furthermore, in the course of today's phone call we will review non-GAAP economic measures as specified by SEC Control G. Reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial solutions to the comparable GAAP monetary procedures are actually included in our revenues release, our additional info as well as our historical SEC filings.|, if you register online to The New York Times you acquire breakthrough duplicates from components that are going to appear in the Sunday version of the imprinted paper. 123 The Arab-Israeli Battle of 1967, additionally called the Six-Day Battle and also the June Battle, is among the best mythologized occasions in latest Middle Eastern past and also during the time possessed massive relevance for the potential sharp, political, army, as well as cultural relations from Arabs and also Israelis. To understand how the country has actually concerned this successfully pass-- to a standstill where the mixture christian + white is actually possessing firmly retrogressive and potentially deadly (if Trump is actually selected) effects for United States democracy-- Jones asserts that you must take note of 2 interlinked items from information: to begin with, the White Christian Approach is actually an outgrowth of the Southern Method which took white evangelical Southern voters to the Republican gathering in droves; and 2nd, the election from Barack Obama has actually discharged major reaction that is actually being steered by White Christian Technique even more in comparison to numerous political commentators understand-- as well as through White Religious nostalgia for a perfect opportunity (the 1950s) through which white colored Christians (especially direct white Christian men) were actually culturally leading, and also females, Black Americans, and gay people recognized their areas and always kept to all of them.|2017 was our 5th complete year of function from our Loved one Goal. That time is actually right now as 10,000 people per day are actually switching 65 and entering our aim at demographic. Millions of laborers have enjoyed their earnings drop as cash circulates to Wall Street and their work change abroad. This will be attained at the risk that portion cost rises in Fifth Road Asset Monitoring would certainly make the leaked offer from $350 million not interesting FSAM holders.|Our team a lot better obtain this out of the way quickly; I make sure several of you may be inquiring yourself, Is Cold weather Port really a portion of the Isle from Dogs?" This is actually a legitimate inquiry - the region has actually constantly been actually isolated off the rest of the Isle, and also that carries out possess a various feeling to this in some aspects, heightened by the amount of outdated as well as at times big homes it has and also the specific absence from post-war council property. Although it is actually still uncertain whether Obama is going to have the capacity to gain the disaffected young voters who needed to Facebook and Twitter to discuss their enthusiasm regarding Occupy Commercial final loss, the argument that there's no significant distinction between both primary celebrations seems to be significantly weak, specifically now that the Republicans have actually nominated a billionaire investor who has actually picked as his managing companion a congressional innovator accused of seeking to take down almost all of the primary unsparing legislative achievements given that FDR's New Offer of the 1930s. Offered the many relocating components in Owens & Minor's company (e.g., enhanced industry competition, running out sizable agreement loss, 2 large acquisitions, etc.) Wall Street has actually relocated to the subsidiaries. Exchange is quick to reject formerly embraced highflyers and Toyota's slips a few years back was actually an available invitation to relegate its own share to sharp market value standing. Powerful annual report, reduced payment proportion (72%) as well as proceeded consistent growth because of its own durable lessee base from 4,100 providers that are actually far more e-Commerce proof in comparison to Exchange recognizes. Straight across the street coming from that a person dim brownish residential property, that looked like things matured around that. Your home is gone yet the lot is still empty. As reported in last night's profits release, for the 3rd quarter, the firm created readjusted normalized EBITDA of $349 thousand on $709 thousand in modified normalized revenue, causing a third fourth adjusted normalized EBITDA poznajfitzycie-2016.info frame of 49%. But after the preliminary post-earnings hit, the supply cost stabilized around $39 to $40. . I have actually possessed my issues with Key Street Capital's assessment for a while, and I still feel that the reward-to-risk ratio in the high-yield industry, generally, is actually pretty uninviting. There are a ton of folks which perform this - they're like, "oh I am actually certainly not component of that" - BUT you head to the retail store and purchase things that's created through heinous enterprises, you're using Nikes, - through claiming that you are actually certainly not portion of this you in fact are actually merely being complicit anyway. Because early October of in 2013, I contend the very least normally had the capacity to state in these every week comments that "market activity is favorable on the basis of cost fads and also various other market internals." Now, it likewise happens that when the market reaches misestimated, overbought and also overbullish health conditions, sells have traditionally delayed Treasury bills, on average, also when those internals have actually been positive (a fact which kept us hedged). Providers got the message, and also today concentrate non-stop on quarterly payouts for shareholders - consequently the key phrase quarterly capitalism." Due to enlarging supply alternatives as well as pension plans for Chief executive officers, managers have much more absolute interest in boosting sell rates and also payouts. Great Jones is actually unfamiliar as well as often confounding however, just like the remainder from Nyc Metropolitan Area, this is actually exceptionally charming. On the other hand, along with a reveal rate at over $361 every allotment, Amazon.com is trading at around 19 opportunities publication value, fairly wealthy. Streets are a very intriguing and intricate aspect of a metropolitan area, particularly in New york, a busy metropolitan facility in which almost any area can show to become a lot more in comparison to exactly what originally meets the eye.

Nevertheless, the Main Street TWENTY Watchlist (special to participants of Main Street Value Financier Industry) places Wal-Mart's overall market risk account as below par. Thus several other youths who wind up on Exchange, Shenai really did not go to university expecting to enter financial. Usual sexual issues between significants other feature sex-related frequency, fantasies and also exactly what you need or really want to have meeting sex, baseding upon Elizabeth Bernstein, which discusses connections fort "The Stock market Journal." Inquire your spouse about her tastes pro tempore of day you make love, how she would like to be actually handled, whether she chooses arranged or even spontaneous sexual activity and also what you can possibly do to help her prepare.

[adolfo5091038-blog]

J Road Could No More Case To Become Pro Israel

. In Exchange parlance this is frequently pertained to as the "threat premium," likewise called the "equity risk premium." Considering that acquiring a stock entails more significant risk, you ought to realistically expect to make a greater fee from yield when buying that. To puts it simply, this is actually just logical to count on a higher rate from return that compensates you for the danger you are actually having.|When we first set out to map the area of feminist political economic climate, in late 2007, the US and Europe were actually being trembled by depression. For Israel's worst-case, end ofthe world case, see Seymour M. Hersh, The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal as well as American Diplomacy ( New York: Random Home, 1991). Americans, nonetheless, perform road food items very in different ways compared to Vietnamese people.|Yet another highrise high-end apartment tower is actually very soon to break ground in Center City, at 1919 Market Street, on the edge of 20th & Market Streets This brand-new tower gones on the website from an obvious yard right during Center City's largest and also tallest workplace passage. If I perform receive a full time deal, I have actually already arranged my post-college strategy: invest pair of years at Lehman, most likely to organisation school, begin a technician provider, end up being a billionaire, get a property in the Hamptons, have an eruptive breakup, die old as well as alone yet bordered through a mountain from gold pubs.|2017 was our fifth full year from procedure from our True love Objective. Considering that secretly, at heart, during that scandalous corner from my heart that giggled when aged people dropped or acknowledged there was such a thing as an ugly baby, Exchange - that merciless bastion from corporate greed and also excess and also indecency - sounded fucking outstanding.|Our experts much better obtain this off the beaten track quickly; I make sure some of you may be inquiring yourself, Is actually Cold Port really a component of the Island of Dogs?" It is actually a legitimate concern - the region has actually constantly been actually separated coming from the remainder of the Isle, as well as this performs have a various sense to this in some aspects, increased by the amount of aged as well as at times big properties this includes as well as the distinct absence of post-war council housing. Furthermore, throughout today's telephone call our company will certainly talk about non-GAAP monetary procedures as described through SEC Control G. Reconciliation of these non-GAAP economic actions to the similar GAAP financial procedures are actually featured in our revenues release, our supplementary details and our historic SEC filings.|. To comprehend exactly how the country has pertained to this successfully pass-- to a standstill where the combo white colored + Christian is having definitely backward and also potentially deadly (if Trump is actually selected) consequences for American democracy-- Jones says that you must focus on 2 woven items from information: initially, the White Christian Method is actually a prominence from the Southern Tactic which carried white evangelical Southern citizens to the Republican gathering in wents; and 2nd, the political election of Barack Obama has let loose major backlash that is being steered by White Religious Tactic far more in comparison to many political analysts recognize-- and by White Christian nostalgia for a suitable opportunity (the 1950s) through which white Religious (especially direct white colored Christian males) were actually culturally leading, and also girls, African Americans, and gay people understood their locations and also kept to all of them.|2017 was our fifth total year from procedure of our Beloved Goal. Then is actually now as 10,000 individuals every day are turning 65 as well as entering our target group. Countless employees have actually seen their incomes decrease as amount of money streams to Exchange and also their tasks change abroad. This would be attained at the threat that portion cost rises in Fifth Street Possession Management will create the dripped offer of $350 million no more enticing FSAM holders.|We a lot better acquire this out of the way immediately; I am sure several of you may be inquiring your own self, Is Cold Harbour really a portion of the Island from Dogs?" That is actually a legitimate question - the area has actually constantly been actually isolated off the remainder of the Isle, as well as this performs have a various sense to that in some aspects, heightened due to the amount of old and also sometimes huge houses that has and the distinctive lack from post-war authorities real estate. Although that is actually still vague whether Obama will certainly have the capacity to get the disaffected younger voters who needed to Twitter and facebook to share their enjoyment regarding Occupy Wall Street last fall, the argument that there is actually no considerable distinction in between the two major parties appears considerably weak, especially once the Republicans have actually recommended a billionaire investor that has decided on as his operating companion a congressional innovator accused of finding to take down almost all of the significant unstinging legal accomplishments since FDR's New Deal from the 1930s. Entrepreneurs are interested in being investor companions in a wonderful organisation. There's a real hatred of gold that sort of contaminates the phrasing use in the Exchange Journal and The New York Times. In the meantime, chauffeurs on Sunday early morning may anticipate the specific toll street accessibility lead to begin regarding 1,000 feets earlier and no longer have the weave street. I believe electric automobiles will definitely have a substantial effect on the automobile market, however Tesla investors are actually very likely to find huge losses in their portfolios off current costs prior to this occurs. The University ultimately transformed the edifice in to offices-and even they ponder some times why they bought the structure years back. As reported in last night's revenues release, for the 3rd one-fourth, the business produced readjusted stabilized EBITDA of $349 thousand on $709 million in fine-tuned normalized profits, leading to a third quarter adjusted normalized EBITDA scope from 49%. At some point the few. remaining holdouts started to reconsider a part from pavement in front of Trinity Religion, at the junction from Stock market and Broadway, where they remain. Nevertheless, attempting to predict specific future costs or amount decreases and gains is actually a Stock market game of chance that we respectfully opt to stay away from on Key Road. Mind you, the quarter on its own is actually 12 weeks opportunities 7 is actually 84, a married couple times shut for the holidays, but primarily 17 out of those 84. 71 fewer things supplied in those MVMs, yet again, higher general sales compared with in 2013 in the MVMs. A mundane goes through blinding snow throughout the Brooklyn Bridge in the course of Hurricane Grayson in New York City on January 4, 2018. But she had heard about our focus on the roads and someday I acquired an e-mail coming from her about it. I assume she had some clothes for our team, possibly. Yet without a social change as well as reforms that control the monetary market's overpriced revenues as well as earnings, an out of proportion number of the most ideal as well as the brightest will definitely continue to visit Exchange. Exchange's property foreclosure situation, which began in late 2007 and also pushed greater than 10 million individuals coming from their homes, has developed a paradoxical trouble. For example, creative individuals like musicians perhaps do not need to think about target dates as considerably, as well as this is actually tough to rush artistic inspiration, it is actually certainly not a automated or even technical process. Yes, there have been a lot of re-mentioning from areas yet that's ok. I observed there is actually brand new blog regarding spots that have actually held up against the sands of times as well as are NOT extinct. Essentially for the final five years, the way we have actually run the firm is essentially to return our cost-free capital to our capitalists. New rule, folks: When it is actually too cold for Instagramming your road type, post views from your appeal and also fashion trend success.

Just what is actually rising in its own spot is actually a general level of 400+ bricky flats, the typical mix from full-price as well as scarcely budget-friendly, under the twee title Function 17 The label is a nod to the presence from numerous soundless dream factory which sprang up on Lumber Street in between 1914 and 1932, as soon as a center for the largest celebrities of the day, now signified by a single blue cavity enducing plaque from the advertising budget. M&T Financial institution's (NYSE: MTB) Wilmington Rely on device consents to a $60M settlement deal to end U.S. unlawful costs that this hid its own deteriorating ailment from regulators and also financiers throughout 2009-2010, avoiding an ordeal that was perfekcyjnaipiekna.pl actually readied to start today.