#and it was my favorite role and the lines were aesthetic

[mister-mizu]

Everytime i see ur banner the word that pops in my mind is asscrack ☹️

IS IT BC OF MY DISCORD BIO LMFAOOOOOO

The stark difference between my online personality and my discord 😭

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @themetalhiro

Hi, I’m Metal! I’m a freelance artist from good ol’ New Jersey. My favorite things to work with are a lot of bright colors, exaggerated poses, and candid scenarios. I try to farm sensible chuckles whenever I can, so I’m also big into comics. I love making them about my life, and the media I’m into, and one day I’d like to publish my own series!  Thank you to everyone who has gotten me this far!!

Check out Metal's interview below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

I guess so! It’s funny, I don’t remember a single time in my life that I wasn’t drawing as a hobby… somewhere in middle school (a little late, I know.) I put the pieces together that animated movies were made by artists, and that it wasn’t just for fun, they were paid to do it. The moment I discovered people could be paid to make art, I decided I would do that, too. Now I’m here!

How has your style developed over the years?

I think the best way to answer this would be with an example! Over the last few years, I have made more of an effort to draw more intentionally, which sounds silly. Now, I put more thought into my poses and step out of my comfort zone with shape language and composition. I had a phase where I drew everyone with a huge, perfectly circular head and no nose. That definitely did not lend much variety...

Which 3 famous artists (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party?

Ack! I’m so terrible at history! I’d love to give a well-thought-out answer about fine artists of old, but I don't think we’d have much in common… Most artists I admire and who have driven me forward creatively are the people behind comics I’ve read. Andrew Hussie, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Eiichiro Oda... these guys have inspired me greatly and had a heavy influence in developing my art style and sense of humor. I’d love to ask them questions about their processes and upcoming projects. I think it would make for an entertaining night!

Over the years as an artist, what were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

Outside of pure aesthetics like searing bright colors, layered clothing, and loud noises…. the best and most inspiring moments in my life were those surrounded by friends and loved ones! I cherish the hell out of memories of hanging around in fun locations, trying weird food together, and impromptu midnight walks... so I try my best to capture that atmosphere and my own memories in my work when I can, even if I’m imposing fictional characters on top of them. That’s always the core of it.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

I would never permanently refuse a medium, but every time I pick up clay, I’m like a baby using its hands for the first time. Absolutely dreadful. If one day I could make and paint a figurine like the ones I admire in videos, that would be awesome... But for now, I’m not counting on it.

How do you want to evolve as a creator?

I’ve had an absolute blast drawing fanart over the years, and it’s certainly played a massive role in my growth as an artist. But my dream has always been to publish my own stories for y'all to enjoy! I have lots of worlds I want to introduce to you before I’m old and gray. I want to get faster, work harder, and get better at drawing interesting settings so I can get the wheels turning as soon as possible. I also want to stop avoiding the color blue like a coward.

What do you wish you knew when you first started out creating art that you know now?

Pay your taxes quarterly. Tablets will break at the exact moment you need them most, so have a spare. Wear your blue light glasses. You’re going to need to wear a brace on every joint on the right side of your body. It can be lonely sitting at your desk all day. The car on the side of the road that costs $1000 cash….. don’t trust it!!!

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

@cranity—They use absolutely beautiful colors and weighty line work. Everything looks so sharp and clean! I wanna put it all up on my wall!

@vewn—Their ability to crank out quality short films and illustrations packed with detail is incredible. The off-kilter perspective they use really sells disorientation and catches your attention like nothing else.

@nelnal—They have absolutely banger character designs again and again, I can’t believe one person’s mind can come up with so many creative ideas!

@jinx88kc—They have a beautiful and recognizable style, and the way they incorporate animation into their illustrations sometimes is SO cool!

Thanks for stopping by, Metal! For more of Metal’s work, follow their Tumblr, @themetalhiro! If you haven't seen their Meet the Artist piece, be sure to check it out here!

[comicaurora]

hi red!! i'm doing an analysis of sun wukong's (and journey to the west in general's) impact on modern culture for my world mythology final, and for some reason i'm having a hard time finding sources. is there anything you can recommend?

The fact that Journey to the West has contributed an enormous number of tropes to modern media is very clear when the media in question is examined, but I don't know of a specific secondary source that's already done that analysis for you. However, this IS a very good excuse for you to plow through a metric buttload of shonen manga, since the lineage is basically Sun Wukong -> Son Goku -> like a solid third of all shonen action heroes written in the last forty years.

Dragon Ball kicks things off:

Started in 1984 and almost unquestionably the most influential manga ever made. Its first arc features the weird super-strong monkey-kid Son Goku - which is just the japanese pronunciation of the characters of Sun Wukong's name - meeting up with a wacky crew of thinly-veiled expys of the Journey to the West crew, with teen inventor Bulma filling the role of Tripitaka, Oolong the pig-man filling Zhu Bajie's role and Yamcha the desert-based bandit as Sha Wujing.

Hijinks ensue, and while the story drifts pretty far from Journey to the West's original plot, it actually stays pretty solidly referential in weirdly unexpected ways. Several the villains of the week are JttW references, and even the later appearance of three more Saiyans lines up with the surprise reveal of three more Wukong-like mystical apes in the original story.

The connection between Dragon Ball and JttW is very unsubtle and a frequent reference in the chapter covers and supplemental art.

Not every subsequent JttW reference is the result of Dragon Ball popularizing it or anything, since it was already enormously popular, but I think it's pretty hard to extricate Dragon Ball's influence on anime and manga from the original influence of Journey to the West itself.

One way that a distinction can be drawn is in the differences in characterization between Goku and Sun Wukong himself. A lot of the next generation of shonen protagonists were kind of Goku-alikes - pure-hearted dumbasses who only care for the three Fs: Food, Fighting and Friendship.

But the original characterization of Sun Wukong is not really all that similar. He's a trickster, sure, but he's far from a young, friendship-motivated goober. He's profoundly intelligent, pretty much the most well-educated entity on the planet, and routinely brings up that he's centuries older than most of his peers. The Goku-alikes from the later decades of shonen anime are tellingly far-removed from that original characterization. So you get characters based on Goku's cheerful idiocy, but it's just a small subset of the broader influence of Journey to the West on the space of literature.

In general, Journey to the West frequently shows up in very small, bite-sized tropes in other stories. It's less "this is wholly based on Journey to the West" and more "oh, I know where they maybe got this idea/aesthetic/power/weapon/villain of the week from." There are way too many to list, but some of the ones that tend to jump out at me are-

Sneaky characters with monkey motifs:

Tricksy, highly mobile characters who fight with a staff:

Characters afflicted with a magical restraint artifact that allows a much weaker character to stop them from misbehaving:

Specific esoteric weapons, eg. magical fans, rakes, gourds, namedropping The Sword of Seven Stars, etc.

Villains with prominent ox or pig design motifs:

Characters whose primary combat strat is just making Shitloads Of Disposable Copies Of Themselves:

Honestly it just keeps going like this. It's kinda everywhere. Finding the JttW in things is my favorite conspiracy theory rabbit hole because it's 100% harmless and more often than not completely correct.

[kevin-the-bruyne]

Branded Pairing Heteronormativity and the Subtle ways that First and Khaotung Spill Outside Those Outlines

Right off the bat I'm going to absolve myself of all culpability by saying that this is a solicited opinion so all anon hate can go to @kattyangel 🤣. The second thing is that this is an opinion that will talk about very nuanced subjective topics like heteronormative standards and conventional attractiveness in a country I'm not even from so go into it knowing that even subtle shifts in worldview can change the way we perceive these things. My only claim to fame here is that fan service is my hyperfixation and I have watched at least couples compilation videos of all GMM branded pairs but for the vast majority of them have watched shows/vlogs/interviews fairly extensively. So without any further ado let's get into what the connection is between First's height and his pairing's inability to perform heteronormativity well. A branded pair has two main ways of connecting to heteronormativity. One is via the individual's connection to their audience which at this point we know is majority female with some degree of romantic interest in men. Second, is via the dynamics of the couple itself.

For example, the ideal pairing is someone who's individual unit BOTH seem like they are interested in women but when put together can also believably fall into a 'top' and 'bottom' role. The categories of 'top' and 'bottom' here follow from the yaoi 'seme' and 'uke' narrative traditions but its less about who penetrates or is being penetrated and more along the lines of who's 'the wife and who's the husband' which is just a confusing mix of relative closeness to femininity, perceived dominance and certain physical features like height/resting bitch face and skin color.

The vast majority of branded pairs fall under this paradigm at GMM: GeminiFourth, TayNew, BrightWin, JoongDunk, PondPhuwin, ForceBook and the recently officially divorced Ohmnanon.

If the individuals have a strong connection to heteronormativity themselves, but fail to perform it with each other then they tend to fail like PerthChimon. So what happens when individuals within the unit aren't that straight to begin with? If at least one can perform traditional masculinity then they're in the clear! Famously, OffGun are husband and wife like no other and I hope they and Off's voodoo dolls of him and Gun prosper for the length of their lives. This format of pairings is not that common in GMM but litter the industry quite a bit, Zeenunew and MaxNat are pairings I'm quite familiar with that follow this.

What happens when both have low affinity towards traditional masculinity (especially in the way they interact with fans) or they're a little too queer in their dynamic for heteronormativity? Well that leaves you with *my* favorite pairings: EarthMix and FirstKhaotung But they're challenged in slightly different ways. EarthMix's primary dilemma comes from the fact that they're very likely actually dating and gay couples sometimes just won't have a heteronormative dynamic. Mix has always rebelled against being 'bottom' and he's usually the one refusing to play this game. Earth on the other hand just with his natural old man tendencies still fits into the top/husband role well while Mix can be pigeonholed into bratty wife/bottom when push comes to shove. But oh my poor sweet First, born with the personality of a man who's at least 5 inches shorter than him and obsessed with his idiot best friend who hated being the good little wife during his PoddKhao era so much that he really came into Firstkhao with his arms swinging like 'never again'. First and Khaotung have their personalities and aesthetics switched. Khaotung is both the more effeminate of the two and also the more dominant. If you've been following their dynamic since The Eclipse then you will know immediately what I'm talking about. So much of The Eclipse fan service felt like they were playing out top and bottom in reverse and then just remembering that First is indeed Too Tall for this to ever work lmao. I'm struggling to think of a single pair other than PerthSaint where the top was shorter let alone a full 4 inches. I mean fans nearly staged a coup at an event to have them renamed Khaofirst and I feel like they had come so close to convincing First too 😂 They've changed a lot now and Khaotung has cooled it, maybe to be more helpful to First but primarily because I think he's discovered that being the bottom in this dynamic comes with added benefits of being a sugar baby princess who gets waited on hand and foot. But First is also a sugar baby princess which is why he says things like 'I'm trying to be cool' or doing something macho and then immediately undercutting himself with a nervous little 'Was that cool?' or whining at fans to stop flirting with Khaotung instead of having a possessive lover dialogue like Phuwin's little 'you can flirt with him but he needs my permission to flirt with you'. First is performing machismo slightly worse than the 'bottom' of a different pair like what can I say askdjkfhdjh

Firstkhao are doing husband and wife well on stage nowadays but I think in less practiced formats they will revert to their original dynamic and First's 'top' persona breaks often. They hit a besotted wifeman equilibrium for First sometime during only friends and that kind of works for them both and I think they're trying to stay there for the most part. But that's what people who like First and Khaotung like. A vast majority of lesbians fall under the category of besotted wifeman so I mean it's really working out for me. It's just that sometimes it's a little painful seeing First try so hard to be more like Kant in RL and I'm just like babygirl please you're fine your friend over there looks like he likes getting fucked in the ass no matter what you do but alas 😔 Meanwhile every time Khaotung acts like a naive little helpless baby it feels like he's taken another step towards nirvana.

[markrosewater]

Hi Mark! In the planeswalker's guide, there is a really cool description for the "Glitch Ghosts" that explains why they appear they way they do and it makes no mention of tech at all. In my opinion, that snippet of world-building is in-line with some of my favorites of other planes you've made. It gives a reason why the ghosts have the same aesthetic as modern horror tropes, but recontextualizes it as a form of magical phenomena. It's really really stellar. I love it. Please give a high five to whoever came up with that.

But, when I see that Duskmourn also contains random TVs and computer screens, it cheapens that explanation. Why come up with a magical explanation for the Glitch Ghosts at all, if you were then just going to include the other technology anyway? Why not just have the description of the Glitch Ghosts be something derivative like "these are ghosts made by corrupted/possessed tech"? It's way more boring, but now that's all I'm going to be able to associate with them.

I guess my complaint is that by including more mundane objects and technology in Duskmourn, it makes the actual magic and worldbuilding of the plane feel less magical to me.

Magic started square in the heart of high fantasy. Over the last thirty plus years, we've tested where we can extend the feeling of the game, and the feeling of worlds where magic plays a role. I don't think magic has to be tied to the past and there are a lot of cool properties that combine modern day elements with magic.

Any time we try something new, perhaps this is the change that's a bit too far (we do know we're pushing boundaries here), but what we've learned this many years in is that Magic is at its best when it embraces all different kinds of aesthetics. When it shows people that magic can encompass a whole slew of different types of worlds.

Yes, Duskmourn is different, but different is kind of where Magic excels.

[corzydoie]

Read Between The Lines

Author's Note: So THIS is why it's taken me so long to finally post (this and school cause MIDTERMS). This plus some (A LOT) more was originally supposed to be Part 2 of Sketches of Goodbye and was going to be published under a different title. HOWEVER, it was taking me too long to get to the meat of what I wanted Part 2 to be about so I just decided to post a chunk of it as Part 1.5. If you haven't read Sketches of Goodbye, you shouldn't read this yet cause it will make ZERO sense. NOT PROOFREAD!!

Summary: You finally got a much-needed break from your work, and decided to plan a getaway trip with friends you haven't seen in forever!

Word Count: 1.8k

Content Warning(s): Cursing, Mentions of Killing Attempt, Choking

It’s been over a year since you left Lando in Monaco to pursue your dreams in Japan. Although you texted each other congratulations on achievements and special occasions, calls and visits were cards that were never played. 

Lando would be lying if he said he didn’t stalk your personal and professional social media accounts. There were multiple times one of the other drivers caught him watching your story or commenting pleasantries on your latest post. Some thought he was delusional and others knew how hard it was for him to let you go considering the length of your relationship.

December 14th, exactly a week after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, you had just finished preparing for the company’s Valentine’s Day collection. You took photos of your discarded designs and messy workspace before leaving for your holiday break.

Lando’s phone dinged, signaling he received a notification. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he read his screen. His colleagues paid him no mind and continued to eat the postseason dinner they gathered for.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Lando exclaimed as he jolted out of his seat. All of the drivers glared at Lando due to his sudden outburst.

“Mate what is so catastrophic you almost upend the whole table?” George questioned his friend. Lando frantically showed his dinner mates his phone screen, most struggling to see the image clearly, which led them to check their phones to see what the McLaren driver was upset over. They opened Instagram and were met with your most recent post. At first, they couldn’t understand how a simple wintertime photo dump would upset Lando.

Until they saw the third photo.

yns.sketchbook

Liked by carmenmmundt, lilymhe and 62485 others

yns.sketchbook fun in the snow 🌨️

lilymhe so cute can’t wait to see you again

yns.sketchbook omg I miss you too I’ll come visit soon

carmenmmundt we should all hangout when you come yn!!

yns.sketchbook say less already booking my flight

username her instagram is so aesthetic 

username literally my role model

username ok but who is that

username idk but maybe we shouldn’t ask??

username yeah shes literally hiding their face on purpose

username IS THAT A MAN???? THAT’S A MAN’S HAND???

username the internets favorite designer

username honestly at this point she should be the model

username deadass shes so gorg

username her face isnt even in this post hello??

username somebodys new here...

username does she have a new boyfriend??

username OMG I HOPE NOT I WAS ROOTING FOR HER AND LANDO TO GET BACK TOGETHER

username they broke up for a reason maybe it should stay that way

“There’s no way you’re upset 'cause she moved on,” Lewis laughed.

“Lando it’s been over a year, she was bound to find someone else.” Max tried rationalizing the situation to his friend, but Lando’s thoughts clouded his judgment. He felt betrayed. In his head, you were meant for each other. He was willing to wait forever to be with you again. He only wanted you.

“You’re getting mad because she posted someone that might not even be a man. But do you think she would be upset over the fact you slept with girls left and right after she left?” Pierre’s question prompted an uproar of oohs, laughs, and dropped jaws around the table.

“But that’s different.” Lando attempted a defense as he slumped back into his chair.

“HOW?” everyone screamed at him.

“CAUSE THEY MEANT NOTHING TO ME. Those were just hookups, she has a BOYFRIEND!” Lando explained.

“Y’know,” Franco interjected, “if I broke up with a girl that beautiful, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself either.” The group went silent as they looked quizzically at the Argentine who continued eating his dish.

Lando got up and started walking away from the group of drivers. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“I wonder if she knows he stalks her,” Pierre hollered after him.

“Oh, she knows.” Yuki’s statement causes Lando to freeze, slowly turning his body back towards everybody. She knew? Yuki knew she knew? How did he know? How did she know? Sensing the unwavering glares from his taller counterparts and what they wanted from him, Yuki answered their unspoken question. “I told her.” Yuki’s face remained unbothered until Lando came hurling at him, placing his hands around his neck as he vehemently shook the poor little guy, purely out of frustration. The other 18 drivers immediately got out of their seats, some yelling at Lando to get off Yuki, a few trying to pry Lando off manually, and others leaving the room to get help, even though the overlapped yelling was warning enough to anybody else in the building.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU TOLD HER?”

“WHAT THE FUCK BRO?”

“YOU TALK TO HER? DID YOU KNOW SHE GOT A BOYFRIEND?”

“LANDO GET OFF YUKI.”

“YOU’RE FUCKING INSANE.”

“YOU’RE GONNA KILL HIM LANDO.”

“WHY DOES SHE TALK TO YOU AND NOT ME?”

“HOW WOULD I KNOW?”

“LANDO THIS IS IRRATIONAL.” Eventually, Max could yank Lando’s hands off Yuki, sending the Japanese man into a coughing fit.

“You need to leave. Right now,” Max commanded his friend. And without putting up (another) fight, Lando walked out of the restaurant. Everybody slowly turned their attention to George, the dinner planner and GPDA director, wondering if this would be an incident he had to report.

“He’s lucky it’s the off season,” he sighed, easing any remaining tension at the table.

It was the middle of the night in Tokyo, and a storm was knocking against the glass of your windows. As much as you attempted to sleep, the constant pattering of harsh winds and repetitive dings from your phone overwhelmed your tired senses. Three blankets, hot chocolate, and another person to keep you warm were not enough to lull you into a fanciful dreamscape. You had barely arrived at your front doorstep when the interesting comments on your post began rolling in. It was always the same, so you became unfazed by their existence. You remembered commenting jokingly with your old friends Carmen and Lily. You truly did miss them, it just never seemed there was time for you guys to see each other due to vastly different careers. You were reminiscing about the winter trips the three of you would take to New York, with your boyfriends tagging along. As a wonderful plan began forming in your mind, you reached over to grab your phone off the bedside table, sending a quick text before finally falling asleep.

The next couple of weeks were spent preparing for your New York trip. It was a spur-of-the-moment plan, but Carmen and Lily were on board immediately since the last time you saw each other was during the Suzuka race week. It would almost be like old times, except you would be bringing someone else as your plus one. But you knew that Alex and George knew how to be cordial, even if it was their friend getting the short end of the stick.

Your phone rang as you were packing the last of your bags. You glanced to see the name YUKI POOKIE <3 plastered across the screen, deciding to answer immediately. It mostly contained catching up on your journeys and laughing about Lando’s murder attempt on his small companion, with a small reminder that he was supposed to pick you up in a couple of hours and drop you off at the airport.

You swiftly found your luggage at the claim and pulled your phone out of your jacket to call Lily. She arrived in New York with Alex a week before you, so now you just waited for Carmen and George, who would arrive in a couple of days. You stood waiting at the pickup zone for your friend as your phone kept ringing, signaling she hadn’t answered yet. As you were about to give up trying to reach your friend, you heard her voice from the other side.

“Hey y/n, sorry I took so long to answer I was in the bathroom. Alex is gonna pick you up, I have a few errands I need to run before the end of the day. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh, no worries, that’s fine. Do you know what car he’s driving so I know what to look for.”

“It should be a black Land Rover, the windshield isn’t tinted though so you should be able to spot him when he drives up.”

“Thanks so much, Lily, I owe you guys one!” You waited a few minutes before you saw Lily’s boyfriend, Alex, slow down and pull up in front of you. He rolled down the passenger side window, asking “Uber for y/n y/l/n plus one?” You were a little scared about George and Alex meeting your new boyfriend through this trip since it was usually Lando at your side, but Alex seemed cordial at the first impression. He got out of the driver's seat and helped the both of you load your luggage into the trunk, sticking his hand out towards your boyfriend for a handshake.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Alex.” Even though you were already on your way to the passenger side door, you slowed your pace to hear their curt interaction.

“Eiji, likewise!” ‘Likewise? Why are they being so formal?’ you thought as you took your seat. The two men walked along opposite sides of the car, one in the backseat and the other in the driver’s seat. Alex checked all the mirrors to make sure they were to his liking before he pulled away from the airport and drove to your destination.

When you arrived in front of your hotel, you made sure to thank Alex and asked him to say hi to Lily for you. The check-in process was smooth and you found your room with ease. As soon as you opened the door, you dragged yourself to the bed and plopped down with a thud and a groan.

“I don’t know why you were so nervous for me to meet them, Alex seems like a nice guy,” your boyfriend said as he closed the door you left wide open.

“He is a nice guy, I was just scared that it was gonna be awkward.” You could hear his footsteps faintly approaching you which were followed by the bed sinking next to you, indicating you joined you on the comfortable queen. You could hear him talking, but the jetlag hit you in a single strong wave, and his voice started to fade as you could finally get a reasonable amount of sleep for the first time in months. Eiji noticed you weren’t replying to any of his points of conversation and looked over to see you asleep, remembering the stressful weeks and sleepless nights leading up to this trip. He knew this was your only break before summer and decided to take a nap right beside you.

Written By: CorzyDoie <3

[average-book-enjoyer]

WHY was I born a woman??

A List of Musical Theater Roles That Me and My Girl Best Friend Would be Perfect For. it also would be cool if they were just genderbent as lesbians but whatever

A comprehensive list under the cut 👍

#1

Erik and Christine!

Phantom is one of my favorite shows of all time. I don’t condone the kidnapping and such, but the aesthetic is unparalleled. My friend is a soprano 1 who eats every single time she sings Christine’s parts. The Phantom sings pretty solidly in my range. Also my bestie’s kind of into Erik’s weird toxic thing with Christine. Idk what that has to do with this but it feels relevant.

#2

Seymour and Audrey!

Little Shop is SUCH a good show. Suddenly Seymour is her go-to audition song, and one of our favorites to sing together. I feel like I could serve little pathetic loserman enough to pull this off.

#3

Gatsby and Daisy!

Ok I’m so sorry about this but like. Pining after an unavailable woman for five years? I WAS MADE FOR THIS. I’d need to learn the harmonies but that’s ok. My friend’s belt is so solid that she would body every single song in this show. Also I just love tragedy or whatever…

#4

Mendel and Trina!

The token normal healthy couple. I know almost every single line of every harmony in Falsettos (<-i say, normally) and being onstage acting insanely down bad for a friend? I’ve found I’m very good at! She says she’d have fun with Trina’s issues and such. We would eat this up.

#5

JD and Veronica!

No listen please hear me out. I learned the harmonies to Seventeen specifically so we could sing it together. Our friends will tell us to stfu because we just want to sing it whenever. Although my friend is a soprano, her range is kinda crazy and she has a lot of fun singing in the alto/mezzo range. I personally would have fun playing a murderous freak.

#6

Jack and Katherine!

I can do a New York accent already! I learned Jack’s harmonies for Something To Believe In and half of the score on trumpet. My Newsies phase was FOUL. My friend would absolutely eat Katharine’s disdain for Jack at the beginning and also she can tap dance!! Anyway my point is PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE CAN WE BE THESE TWO PLEASE

#7

Jim and Jenna!

Ok I can’t really defend myself on this one… I know the harmonies already if that helps? I just love Sara Bareilles and I love Waitress (i am on my knees begging) Can I be that gynecologist pleeeeeease pretty please? My friend would SERVE Jenna pwease pretty please (i crumble into dust)

#8

Emmett and Elle!

My friend is blonde. My friend could do this show so well. Emmett and I? Both supreme woman respecters. I think the dynamic of Emmett being insanely in love with Elle and her just not noticing we would do INCREDIBLY well. Once again. I know the man’s harmonies. I just want to be him so bad 😭

Thank you for reading if you got this far. Be on your way xoxo

[i-can-read-to-him]

The Wesper Fic Club's Author Spotlight is a post series that aims to feature two to three fic authors a month, randomly selected from a pool of names put forth on our server. The authors are then asked to answer three interview questions, select up to five of their fics for us to feature, and finally, recommend three fics by others in the fandom.

(Note: Our spotlighted fics are not limited to Wesper, though they tend to be a central pairing in most of our authors' featured works.)

This week, we are putting a spotlight on Daydreams' writing!

Socials: @sixofcrowdaydreams (Tumblr) | Pen_n_Notebook (AO3)

❀

Part One: Author Interview

Q: What’s something you haven’t written yet, but want to write in the future?

A: Lol. My Wesper Big Bang story!  So I have a handful of fic ideas saved in a google doc folder, but one particular AU fic that tickles my interest is a Firefly AU. I’d love to write about the Crows in Space! Crows in the Wild West with a Cowboy aesthetic, sign me up!! Please say that someone sees the potential of this vision too. Thief and Information broker Kaz who captains a smuggling ship outside the reach of the government in the lawlessness of the border planets at the edge of space. First mate Inej who prefers a knife over a gun as she searches each planet to reunite with her family. Gun for hire Jesper outrunning his debts. And their three new passengers: companion turned spy Nina, former Alliance and current convict Matthias, and runaway Wylan with a talent for mechanical repair. Everyone on the ship has a reason for running. When their ship catches the attention of the Alliance, it’s anyone’s guess who the government is really chasing. It’s going to take all six of their skill sets to outmaneuver the most powerful organization in the universe.  There’s half a plot in my head already.

Q: What is one of your favorite scenes from the source material (book or show)?)

A: My favorite scene from the book is Jesper and Wylan’s trip to Saint Hilde. Everything about it it wonderful, from their hilarious, flirty wagon ride, to Wylan’s discovering his mother is alive and playing music for her, MVP Jesper keeping their disguises up and helping Wylan hold himself together long enough to meet Marya and get out, Jesper snatching a portrait of Wylan, and most of all, Wylan’s emotional breakdown on the dusty road as they leave. And Wylan’s backstory, his arrival in the Barrel and meeting Jesper at the tannery… that chapter owns my heart. It highlights Wylan and Jesper and is extremely angsty and emotional. Just everything I could want.  As for the show, my favorite is the Wesper deleted scene. Soft, domestic Wesper half undressed. Jesper soothing Wylan’s sad memories by giving him a place to belong and making him feel wanted. Complete devotion without any hesitation. Speed running a relationship just because it’s what they want so they’re going to pursue it. *sobs* They’re so beautiful.

Q: Tell us about something in your fics that you’re proud of and wish would get more notice. [Admin Note: Major spoilers below for Daydreams' Cinderella AU, To Live in Color!]

A: I am very proud of the foreshadowing and set up of plot points in To Live in Color. Multiple times the groundwork was laid several chapters in advance. And maybe this is just what writing is supposed to do, but I’m still quite proud of it. For example, In chapter 2 Wylan thinks about how absurd it would be to meet and fall in love with the prince. This was to prepare the reader by telling them there will be no prince in this Cinderella AU because that’s not Jesper’s role in this story. When the letters from Wylan’s mother were introduced in chapter 3, there is a line that says that Wylan will never know what the letters say. This isn’t because he can’t read them, it’s because the letters would be destroyed before he could ever find out. The vinegar Wylan uses to escape Prior and Miggson in chapter 7 was first introduced in chapter 3 to clean up after Alys’ morning sickness. Wylan also mentions getting it out after dinner in chapter 6 because Alys looks sick again. (She’s not, she’s just sad about Marlies leaving). Wylan never had the chance to put it away because he was beaten later that night. Therefore, it was laying out in his sight right before he uses it to escape in Chapter 7. There’s a few smaller moments too, but I’m very proud of building all of these events so that they didn’t feel rushed or unexpected.

❀

Part Two: Selected Works

To Live in Color

Explicit | 52K | Wesper Angst, Romance, Drama, Smut, Happy Ending

CW for abuse.

Wesper Cinderella AU Unable to become the merchant heir his father wants, Wylan grew up as a servant in his own house. Everything changes when Wylan sneaks into the masquerade ball and meets a handsome sharpshooter and the criminal crew he runs with carrying out a heist at the palace.

Reading WIP (Tumblr)

General | 550 | General Angst, Medical Trauma, Wylan’s Childhood

CW for nausea and (non-graphic) vomiting.

A snippet from a WIP about Wylan’s relationship with reading over the years.  Wylan should feel grateful, he supposes, that the physician’s latest attempt to cure his deficiency also dulls his appetite.

❀

Part Three: Author's Recs

Daydreams says: Because I only have one fic and a short snippet, I’ll share a longer recommendation list.

Of Bronze and Blaze by amagicbeyond

Mature | 166K | Wesper Drama, Romance, Book/Show Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending

CW for smut and addiction.

The Wesper-centric Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows spin off of the Ice Court Heist we deserve. Action. Adventure. Perfect melding of canons with some new twists. Tender Wesper and a whole lot of plot!

Deal with the Devil by LoneswaggingRanger

Mature | 8K | Wesper Hurt/Comfort, Past Trauma, Past Sexual Abuse, Whump

CW for implied/referenced rape/non-con, implied/referenced dubious consent, past sexual abuse, and past trauma.

Wylan assumes the Bastard of the Barrel wants more from him than just his skill with a chemistry set. After all, that’s what everyone else in the Barrel wants from him.  Wylan has a complicated relationship with sex. He still wants Jesper but… it’s complicated. An amazing gritty depiction referencing what Wylan’s survival in the Barrel entailed before meeting Kaz and how deeply it affects his new relationship with Jesper. 

And Sonatas in my Head by osco_blue_fairy

Explicit | 40K | Wesper Angst, Character Study, Canon Compliant, Eventual Romance

CW for smut.

Moments and missing scenes of Shadow and Bone told through Wylan’s perspective. My absolute favorite interpretation of the time between Wylan crawling out of the canal and meeting Kaz. And Wylan and Jesper’s steamy stroopwafel date. Excellent character and relationship study. 20/10 go read it now. 

you talk of the pain (like it's all alright) by The_Lady_King 

Teen | 5K | Wesper Angst, Character Study, Abuse, Ableism, 5+1 Fic

CW for child abuse and bad parent Jan Van Eck.

Author Summary: 5 times Wylan doesn’t feel safe, and 1 time he does.  Such a realistic portrayal of abuse and the fear it creates. Wylan slowly realizes his father’s behavior was never his fault, and it’s equally heart warming as it is heart wrenching.

Show Me Yours by poorlittlegreenie

Mature | 19K | Wesper Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Character Study, Relationship Study

CW for child abuse, addiction, and mild sexual content.

Jesper and Wylan both entered the Barrel with their own secrets and shames. Slowly, they can work through what those mean for themselves and each other while being in a relationship. A fabulous character study not only individually, but together as a couple and how their own anxieties and concerns for the other affect their relationship as they get to know each other better. Excellent characterization, world building, and a deeply satisfying ending. 

❀

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[wannabe-cartoonist-blog]

Kaijo (+ Haizaki's) animal forms in my knb shapeshifter au!

Another school that doesn't really have a theme in this au other than like, what I think aesthetically fits them? The theme sorta became majority dogs (Kagami's worst nightmare lol) but I think it fits because Kaijo is a loyal bunch. They're also a pretty mismatched bunch, so I think very different animal forms fits them! Kasamatsu ironically ended up being the largest. Who knew boars were so big!? Kise and Kasamatsu are the only named members of Kaijo with animal forms in my fanfic (so far), but I always imagined they weren't the only ones. I'm glad I finally brainstormed, and I'm pretty happy with where I landed. My favorite ideas are yet to come tho, so stay tuned...

Selection explanation below cut, plus some animal facts!!

Touou's | more art from the au | read the series (kagakuro main pairing)

Kise: culpeo fox. resisting making him another big cat was tough (i mean, the obvious copy cat joke is right there) but there were already a lot of big cat's in the au/canon, and Kise has always had dog-energy to me, in the nicest way possible lol. but he's also cunning and graceful, so after some thought, I landed on a fox. however I never landed on what breed of fox specifically until like, 2 days ago lol. however, a culpeo is actually more closely related to wolves/dogs than foxes! so he's actually on-theme haha

Kasamatsu: japanese wild boar. one of the firsts I selected. i just tried to think of smaller animals filled with fury and then Japan's demon boars came to mind. they're quite aggressive and such, and once I pictured boar!kasamatsu charging at Kise and Kise fleeing for his life, I couldn't think of anything else.

Haizaki: striped hyena. originally, I had him as a corsac fox, because I wanted him as a mirror to kise. but after some comments on the fanfic from some lovely readers, I came to the decision that hyena actually fit him much better, so i actually went back and rewrote all his parts (unlike for hanamiya). a scavenger, a bit mangy-looking, snarly, laughing...yeah, it fit. Striped hyenas however actually don't "laugh", unlike their spotted cousins. they more so grunt and yowl.

Moriyama: greater lophorina (superb bird-of-paradise). i wanted a flirty animal, since he's always concerned with girls. then this wondrous creature popped into my head and though he is very much the odd-one-out, it was hilarious and I couldn't get it out of my head. I also think for whatever reason it would be nice to have an avian shifter on each team, and this has him fill that role. please watch videos of the bird-of-paradise's courting dance, it is indeed superb.

Hayakawa: red merle boarder collie. i knew I wanted some sort of yappy, energetic creature, so naturally, a dog came to mind. I googled energetic breeds with big personalities and landed on boarder collies, then found the sub-breed red merles, which I think aesthetically match him more than the standard boarder collies. he sorta gives smaller dog energy, like a boxer or bulldog, but those weren't energetic/yappy enough in my mind haha.

Kobori: chesapeake bay retriever. a very last minute addition, he was originally a non-shifter in my head. but after some thought, I realized I wanted another dog. I originally planned on someone on kaijo being a black lab or something along those lines (originally imaging it for moriyama before changing my mind) so i figured fuck it, why not just make kobori one? but then looking at pictures of kobori i realized he doesn't have black hair?? oops. so then I researched other breeds of water-faring dogs with brown fur and landed on CB retriever. I wanted a "water-faring" dog because all of Kaijo's players' names are in fact references to rivers. however, kobori ended up being the only member with an animal form with some connection to water.

[mylittleredgirl]

favorite and least favorite parts of each trek, with absolutely no thought put into it before making this list:

🚀 classic trek favorite: the ~aesthetic~. fuckin LOVE big chunky plastic buttons and beepy things, the mini-skirts, the sparkly metallic fabric, the whole deal. least favorite: janice rand leaves forever :( :( every single appearance she had was BONKERS how am i supposed to experience that and then ever hope to fill that void 🪐 tng favorite: soooooo soothing to know that our guys will always be both kind and correct and at the end of the episode i will learn something about how to be a better person. also romulans are there. least favorite: shit fuck i shouldn't have started this post because i'm already drawing a blank. ok ok i hate that the ship's counselor role got nerfed into a "therapist on the bridge" when it's actually so so important!! that needed to be explored so explicitly that dudebros on the internet have to shut up about it forever ⚾️ deep space nine favorite: THE CHARACTERS MY FRIENDS. the cast of dozens where every single character right down to the randos on the promenade are great. headed up by benjamin lafayette sisko and kira nerys, truly characters of all time least favorite: dukat's insanity/pah-wraith arc. like i do get why this narrative parallel makes sense against sisko as the prophets' emissary but also, it's bad. 🥔 voyager (that's a leola root by the way) favorite: i LOVE the early seasons where everyone is so adorable and spunky and they're just tooling around the delta quadrant being terrible at making friends. also tuvok is there. least favorite: kes leaves forever :( :( i hear you out there saying "fury" but come here. look at me. look at me. kes leaves forever. 🛰 enterprise favorite: controversial actually but i love t'pol's arc. i DID NOT love it as it was airing because watching poor jolene blalock having to act her way through ever more demeaning episodes is painful and terrible, but t'pol is magnificent actually? the fish out of water vulcan finding herself in foreign waters?? self-destruction on the way to rediscovering her own personal relationship to logic??? imagine if we'd got three more seasons of her with manny coto in charge it would've been glorious. least favorite: can we PLEASE do something with hoshi and travis i am BEGGING. also physically painful what american jingoism did to captain archer but i might have emotionally coped with it better if travis got lines. 🍄 discovery favorite: michael burnham is the light of my life she makes me cry out emotions that have been buried since i was in utero i don't even know. also the changing opening sequence my beloved least favorite: need one of those serial killer string boards to figure out what's going on sometimes??? can't say that too loudly tho because the discovery haters can smell blood in the water 💃 short treks favorite: THE CONCEPT I LOVE THIS least favorite: more??????? :( 🥷 star trek picard favorite: seven of nine in comfy sweaters kissing a girl filled holes in my life i didn't know were there!!!?!?!?? least favorite: don't like when picard is a jerk :( don't like when no soji and elnor :( :( :( 🤪 lower decks favorite: every second is a relentless outpouring of love for star trek, it's like a sleepover where all your friends are sitting around talking about how much they love tng except your friends are 900% funnier. least favorite: i have a hard time with cartoon violence sometimes so i get TENSE and also badgey haunts my nightmares for real for real 👨‍🍳 strange new worlds - actually i have only seen the first episode despite posting about it as if i have seen all of it haha my bad SO favorite: new star trek to watch!!!!! least favorite: now everyone knows i haven't watched it yet and i am losing trekkie credibility babes 😬 👩‍👧‍👦 prodigy favorite: rok-tak my DAUGHTER least favorite: that feeling of being in a warner brothers cartoon and there's an anvil above all our heads with J/C DISCOURSE painted on it just waiting for the show to make a wrong move

i swear i must have forgotten at least one series there is so much star trek now??? anyway feel free to make your own post about this, i am curious!! if you absolutely MUST i suppose it's ok to think about your answers for more than 30 seconds.

[amemenojaku]

What about Reimu for the character ask meme....

I just did Marisa now I have to do the most important woman in the world

General opinion/How much I care about them: GIRL OF ALL TIME. My blog is a Reimu love zone ONLY and no slander will ever be tolerated. Her impact on nerd culture and on the internet as a whole is unparalleled... (ok Miku is up there too but they're sharing the throne) She embodies the series so well and I love her so much for that. It's so good how each new installment offers a different perspective on her personality... it makes me a bit emotional to think that we've never seen who Reimu "really" is. I'm particularly interested in her role both in the current setting and as the latest in a long line of shrine maidens, and how she feels about it all. Of course I also love her silly moments and her carefree side and her desire to just live :) She makes me feel happy and then when I think about her more deeply she makes me feel like there's still an endless amount of things left to do with her character and of fanworks to create which is the best part of Touhou to me!!

A ship I love: Reimari is my favorite for the reasons I wrote in the Marisa post, but in general she's the character I most easily enjoy pairings of. She bounces off others really well and there's a bit of everything for everyone, whatever the genre you prefer I think there's a good Reimu pairing for it! Some other characters I love seeing her with are Yukari (can't go wrong with a classic, the aesthetic is immaculate and it's good food for thought), Seija (this one is uhhh. a lot. don't really have the space to detail it here), Alice (either pure angst or pure fluff like there's no inbetween lol), Akyuu (they are THE SAME and IT HURTS!!!)...

A non-romantic relationship that I love: Her friendship with Shinmyoumaru is really important to me but since I already talked about it at length I'll say Aunn! It's super cute and I love to imagine doggie Aunn snuggling up to baby Reimu when she sleeps, even though Reimu isn't aware she exists... Another excellent addition to the Reimu solar system. This girl desperately needed another pet

The NOTP: Oookay the fandom's gonna burn me at the stake for this but I don't like reisana very much anymore. It's cute and I used to enjoy it quite a lot but stuff happened and now it's just there I guess. shrugs

My biggest headcanon about them: There's so many... I think there were mementos or diaries of the past shrine maidens kept somewhere in the shrine and Reimu found them. She's hidden them somewhere else so they wouldn't be taken away or damaged by anyone.

An idea for a fanwork I would like to make/see about them: I want to make a collaborative Reimu zine with other artists/writers SO badly... I definitely think it's possible to do it on tumblr but I've already ran a bunch of events for the community and it requires energy that I don't have anymore. Maybe one day!

Something that makes me think of them: Japanese indie band chouchou!! Here's a few songs I associate with Reimu specifically: dawn and sign 0

[error501blog]

Possession is Overrated

There. I said it. I can guarantee that I’m now in a hit list. It’s not my least favorite season, but of the few seasons I’ve seen I ranked right above Legacy of the Green Ninja and below Rise of the Snakes. (It’s 4th place)

First I’d like to list some positives:

Loved the music and the ghostbusters remix.

Ronin was a gem. Not many main characters at this point in time had his hat or hair color. His introduction was a little clunky. However I did enjoy watching him bargain with Kai. The introduction did tell us what was necessary to know about him, his allegiance to money. As we see more of him we see him change sides. I loved his relationship with Nya. Their dynamic was so fun. I like the idea of Ronin helping out with Nyas growth. Whenever he showed up you never quite knew what his intentions were. I would describe as this wild card. I like the idea of him being either an ally or friend depending on the season or-in Possession’s case-the episode.

Cole being a ghost genuinely shocked me and my sibling. Crying was involved. I liked how he was worried about being useless to the team. While it did come out of nowhere, I enjoyed/hated the scenes when he was being hugged and he’d get phased through. My little sister was in tears. He couldn’t eat cake. The tragedy. I don’t have much to say, but it was nice to have a ghost Cole.

Kai’s role in this season is good placement. The previous we see Kai struggle with wanting to be the green ninja. The season goes back full circle to his line in season 1 “All of my training to become the best ninja wasn't in preparation to become the Green Ninja. It was… to protect him.” That’s why Kai didn’t have any internal conflict, he didn’t need it. This season was just a nice culmination for his arc of the previous seasons.

I don’t have much to say about Jay and Zane. The season didn’t do much with them. Zane’s voice gag I found hilarious and Jay just has some great lines and scenes. Like when he was skiing or touched the scary picture. It was also great when Cyrus Borg showed up and just gave Kai a headband.

I’m not a Lloyd stan, so I was glad he took a backseat.

Most of the episodes were really fun or had a nice tone. The first one had a great tone. Lloyd’s scream, the color scheme, how powerful Morro is, just everything is a bit unnerving. The ghost aesthetic was very welcomed.

The villains felt strong and intimidating (except Ghoultar) Morro was so clearly much better than any of them. He’s been one step ahead the whole time. All of his friends had unique powers. Soul Archer and Bansha were long range fighters, a contrast to Morro. (Sorta) The villains were meh, but they did their job.

The Haunted House episode, the one where they climb the mountain, when they visit Stiix, the tomb episode. I just had so much fun watching the Ninja in interesting situations. When they were in the Temple of Airjitzu being a highlight. I laughed at the antics of the ninja. How scared they were, it was pure gold. We need a Ninjago compilation every time they say sharpen. The best thing about the episode was how it created tension by putting our characters on a clock. This season did a lot of that and it gave the season a sense of progression. At least to me.

Overall this was a good season. However I must give some nitpicks.

In the long run I’m glad Nya became the water ninja. It makes getting her into the story easier. I’m glad she’s upgraded from a side character to a main. The not being samurai x turmoil is a Hands of Time critique, not a Possession one. Here’s the problem, Nya doesn’t have many flaws. The show says she cares too much, so that’s why she doesn’t try things that are hard for her. Nya caring too much is fine, but Nya has no issue doing hard things. So she quits. Here’s the thing, Nya’s stubborn. (She’s related to Kai) Nya wouldn’t quit easily. The solution to this problem not caring. WTF! What would’ve been better is maybe her over idealizing ninja training, and it’s not what she thought it was. But that seems wrong too because Nya has grown to accept the fact she won’t be a ninja. Maybe something external? Nya has trouble fighting like a ninja and keeps fighting like a samurai? Maybe she needs to accept her more feminine qualities? But Wu should not be the person to teach her that. Idk. Nya suffers due to her lack of character flaws.

I like the idea of a Sky Kingdom with floating temples filled monks and scholars. The aesthetic of Cloud kingdom is nice. I don’t like how it is aesthetically next to the ghost one. That’s just a nitpick. Everyone has complained about how they don’t like the fact that some scrolls and a few monks can control what happens. I don’t want to do that. I would like to say an alternative. Maybe they’re scholars who chronicle the past. They want to document everything. So some evil guy made the Sword of Sanctuary to document shit before it happens. Somehow the monks steal the sword and now it’s hidden in their tallest building or something. Critique number two is why would Fenwick side with Morro?

Does anyone remember Nimbus? What the hell is that? There was many screams by the TV room when ever he was shown. His room also clashed aesthetically with Cloud Kingdom. I don’t know, just everything Nimbus related bugs me.

Why does the Preeminent look that way? It genuinely makes my skin crawl.

I didn’t enjoy the finale too much. Nya’s scene felt hollow. I like how Stiix just got swallowed. That scene with Garmadon happened. (Why isn’t he a ghost???? Dragoni DNA????) He’s already had a death scene before and I preferred the first one but it was fine. Whenever the Ninja get mechs or cars I’m not that excited. It makes action scenes feel less interesting. I liked the idea of Lloyd and Morro fighting with the sword and falling through realms. But it became a weird tackle fight. Not that interesting to me, especially since neither were using their powers much or giving interesting hand to hand combat. I wasn’t shocked by anything that happened in the finale, it just had things happening. Not anything emotional.

This is transcribed from my review of Possesion. I would like to preface this with there’s no hate to Morro fans. I’m one of like 3 people in the fandom who’re not blown away by Morro. (Pun unintended) As a concept he is cool. a failed student of Master Wu coming back to antagonize the Ninja

Morro doesn’t talk to anyone. He doesn’t have meaningful conversations with the characters. Except that last scene with Wu. We never have a conversation between him and Lloyd that’s meaningful. Think about it? We never have much interaction beyond Morro going “I’m a bad guy and I’m gonna hurt you and your friends” The biggest missed opportunity is between him and Kai. The show never explored what the two share and differ. I’ve seen people say that Morro is what Kai would’ve become if he never accepted the fact he wasn’t the green ninja. The only interaction is banter. We don’t ever acknowledge their similarities. Why doesn’t Kai say anything about their similarities. I would’ve been happier if we were given a line or something. Morro has all of this personal baggage and potential that we don’t explore. There’s also a few questions I have for Morro. Why are you working for the Preeminent? What do you want? To be the Green Ninja? Why would you want to be the green ninja? Morro doesn’t get the destiny or the powers. Why do you wish destruction on Stiix? What did the Preeminent promise you? Lastly, WHY ARE YOU IN THE CURSED REALM?

I think Morro bugs me because I see him in so much fan content. There’s so many fics where he’s the main focus. it just annoys me. I mean no shame to Morro fans though, but I’m just tired from seeing the same character. (I do love movie aus of him)

So that’s why I possession is not my favorite. I’d be happy to argue with anyone. Just don’t hurt me. I want to have a discussion about the season, not one post made because I have issues.

[jules-has-notes]

Bad Guy (Maleficent) — PattyCake Productions music video

When Disney announced a sequel to their live-action Maleficent film, the PattyCake guys jumped at the chance to revisit their own incarnation of the wicked sorceress. They found a perfect song to represent her, courtesy of another strange, deliciously vengeful, frequently maligned fae-like creature: Billie Eilish. After all, if a lot of people insist on portraying you as evil or nasty, why not lean into it?

Details:

title: Maleficent – Bad Guy

performers: Leah Lowman (Maleficent), Andrea Stack Dunn (Queen Ingrith), Bebe Caliberr Mercy (Aurora), Paul Kaleka (King Stefan), & Hannah Juliano (featured vocals)

original songs / performers: "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish; "Finale" from Swan Lake (1877)

written by: "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish & Finneas O'Connell; Swan Lake score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

arranged by: Layne Stein & Tony Wakim

release date: 18 October 2019

My favorite bits:

that ominous introductory narration

the dolorous piano creeping in under the lyrics

Queen Ingrith's heart-wrenching scream, muffled to indicate that she's holding it inside

the subtle layering of a lower, slightly distorted vocal line that gives Maleficent even more gravitas and otherworldly presence

those strategic lyric substitutions to better fit the fairy tale setting

King Stefan defiantly drawing his sword as she sings ♫ "punish your dad" ♫

the side lighting on the spinning wheel that makes it look like a circle of daggers

Maleficent's fantastic smirk as she purrs ♫ "I'm the bad guy" ♫

replacing Billie's "Duh." with a throaty chuckle

the frantic strings entering under ♫ "Secrets up both my sleeves" ♫

Aurora bowing her head in time to ♫ "I don't sleep" ♫

the iconic riff from the original song played on what sounds like muted glass bells

that final wicked laughter 😈

Trivia:

This video was released on the same day as Disney's live-action sequel film, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

Leah first wore Maleficent's horns in "Michaeleficent", and has reprised the role occasionally ever since.

King Stefan and Aurora are also played by the same actors from "Michaeleficent".

Andrea has played the regal Lady Tremaine in "Cinderswift" (opposite Leah's Cinderella) and the Villains Lair series, so she was a natural fit for Queen Ingrith.

Interestingly, the PattyCake guys chose to include a musical motif from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet score, rather than his Sleeping Beauty, which would have been more in keeping with the source material. But I can't deny that the former blends incredibly well with the more modern pop tune.

The aesthetic is reminiscent of VoicePlay's version of "Once Upon a Dream", which Layne had directed as their Halloween video in 2014, when Tony was still a member of the group. The guys also confirmed that the visuals were partly inspired by the opening title sequence for the American Horror Story TV series.

Layne also recorded two excerpts from the original song with VoicePlay during the last few months of the year. It was included in both their "Billie Eilish in 3 Minutes" medley two weeks earlier, and their "Aca Top 10 – Hits of 2019" countdown on New Year's Eve.

[power-chords]

Heat rewatch #324 (shockingly I have not actually seen it this many times) and going OHHH yes well of course this film is about Fathers and Daughters in such an anxiogenic, spectral way that I barely wanted to acknowledge it at first, and it was only when the novel came out that this element became unignorable and targeted at me personally. (JESSICA Matzoukas, oh my god.) I was thinking about how the photographs on the wall in the Gustafson home were taken by Jessie Mann; that the initials on the stolen truck are of his four daughters (RAJA). He casually points this out in the director's commentary and you're like Oh, OK!!! This is so baked into the structure of the film that even Mann, who is diligently tightlipped about his own neuroses, is like, "Just FYI I am going to ensure this whole thing is haunted from the ground up :)"

The concept I find myself circling around in trying to make sense of it is Derrida's reading of Kierkegaard and the Akedah. Or like a hybrid of that + the Oresteia. One of the many fascinating things about Lt. Hanna as a character is his CONSTANT, frankly obsessive awareness of the precarities specific to teenage girlhood. Obviously part of this inevitably stems from his line of work. But the way he compartmentalizes it with respect to his own personal role as a stepfather...... it's almost as if he fears contamination, even if only subconsciously. Men are dangerous to girls; by extension, he is dangerous to girls, particularly since he has this Will Graham-esque empathic approach to criminal investigation. (My own conjecture: I think those creepy blink-and-you'll-miss-them doll parts that are hanging above the dining room table in the Gustafson house are Mann riffing on the aesthetic dread of Hans Bellmer.) By severing himself from the domestic sphere in this crucial emotional way, he is, like most Mann protagonists, Doing Risk Management. In this case it's more of a psychological, symbolic exercise than the practical kind McCauley concerns himself with, where the consequences of interpersonal attachment are more direct, tangible, and perilous. But the irony of course is that this "protective" disengagement is a significant catalyst for Lauren's suicide attempt, and it's his attention she is soliciting, his facsimile of the home (hotel room) that she invades. "She chose you."

Curiously, Hanna occupies "Fatherhood" almost exclusively in this abstracted, civic dimension and even his subjective experience of obligation (I.E., of guilt!) stems more from duty than blood instinct. (Peripherally related but significant is that Hanna apparently first tried to BECOME A LAWYER before realizing he was too fucked up from Vietnam to do anything except relive the brutal destructive thrill of Senseless Carnage Over and Over Again, Forever. So he became a cop. LOL.) One of Mann's favorite literary tropes that he transposes onto his cinematic storytelling is reproductive failure and everything that this metaphorically represents. Vincent Hanna cannot become a biological father and the novel frames this as a curse he mistakenly displaces on some mysterious anomaly that is nevertheless conveniently localized within the woman. (It is the wife who miscarries and at no point does he ever wonder about matters of, say, virility. LOL again.) He is desperate to prevent the destruction and dissolution of other families because he cannot abide the damage wrought upon Women and Girls — note the phrasing when he threatens McCauley at the diner, "if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're going to turn into a widow" — but the Derridean trade-off is that he sacrifices his own. By pursuing the responsibility to one he necessarily denies that which he owes to the others; to heed the call to justice by a grieving mother and her dead daughter — both strangers to him — he defaults on the debts incurred by the marriage contract. MICHAEL, why would you do this to me.

[just-4pple-pi3]

UN Village and City Lights by Baekhyun

MV and album discussion

UN Village by Baekhyun

The title song and mv is well comprised because it shows Baekhyun's vocal color and his power in exo (light). To me, it felt like Baekhyun has been hiding from too much light, aka from showing too much of his power (you will know what I mean if you look up for exo's theory and Baekhyun's role in that concept in Tumblr: @adoringdo). The R&B song itself however talks about spending a special time with the beloved in Hannamdong UN Village hill. He wishes that the beloved speaks their true love to him and enjoys the particular lovely moment with each other. The composition of the background score features unique heavy sounds arranged in a way that it becomes subtly emphasized. The sound makes us get into the song, makes us question that let me see how this song continues to sound like, and then comes Baekhyun's first line "Navigation 독서당어린이공원으로 누르고 엑셀을 밟아" (Navigation to Deokseodang Children's Park press start and step on the gas). The line is something one would not expect to be uttered in an R&B song in the very first line. Nevertheless, Baekhyun's accentuation made the line sound so subtle and natural that it felt easy-going. I personally found verse 2 (1:34) to be compelling because Baekhyun's voice sounds like it is heard from a radio (if you know how to explain this more accurately please let me know).

Moreover, the flow is different there than the rest of the song, it gives a lo-fi feeling. The background sound also sounds different than the rest in this part. The scenes from (1:34) to (1:56) went perfectly with verse 2. The high notes and long notes in this song seem to function with the tone of emphasis upon the lover's wish and longing for love.

The overall aesthetic the mv seems to be going for is the same, subtle but special. It emphasizes the flowing whispering love the singer sings about. The mv also has a light seductive side to it, which could be seen through the noir vibes (walking through darkness, black and white, serious looks, buildings, roads), play on different colored lightings (blue, red, white, yellow, green), close up shots of Baekhyun. The flow of different scenes were really good. I just found some of the black and white shots to be unnecessary(again, if I could know the Director's reasoning behind it that would've been cool). For example (0:31), (2:58, 2:53), (2:20)- because I would have liked to see scenes with actual city lights.

I assume the director added these scenes either to not make the mv too much noir or to match the lyrics, or to make the mv more nostalgic and melancholic (could be anything idk). Also, please let me know what you understand from the last scene where Baekhyun is lying on a table and a woman passes by, I have no idea.

My most favorite shots have been

1. Blue hues with blueish Baekhyun (1:46) (1:50) (2:35)

2. The projection on the surface of the building (3:42). The cut to the projection from actual video (2:44-2:50)

3. 0:49 going through that corridor (black and white with play on lighting)

4. The play of red and white lighting, Baekhyun's cool fit (2:22- 2:27) (2:38) (3:07- says turn the light off (lighteul kkeo) and the white light turns off)

5. Every black and white scenes shot in/with that building, especially on (0:56) (1:00) (3:16)

The other songs in the album:

Diamond: The layering with Baekhyun's voice sounds really catchy in the chorus. The song goes well after UN village as it has almost the same theme. It sings about wishing to be more close and intimate together, desiring to explore more of the beloved. To his eyes, the beloved shines like a diamond when they stand next to the lover.

Betcha: The girl does not care or pay enough attention yet. However, the lover is determined to win her over. The guy is confident enough about that. The song has a playful and confident tone into it. Betcha also has a playful dance with it which you'll find in SMP Floor, Baekhyun and Haechan also did challenges with it.

Ice Queen: The transition from Betcha to Ice Queen is smooth, as if Ice Queen is the next part of Betcha. The lyrics here are more descriptive than Betcha. The lover invites the ice queen girl to feel his warm heart with her cold hands. The lover has the warmth and passion of love reminiscent of fire, which is the opposite of the ice queen. The lover wishes to evaporate and get lost into the reaction of their love. Other EXO-L's said that the beginning of Baekhyun's Ice Queen has the same sample as JB's Sunrise, so that's something to note. I love the ending, where he shouts "On my way!"

Stay Up: Well, ahem this one's gonna be a bit racy. It delves into doing amorous activities together. Almost towards the end of City Lights, the lovers are about to take off into next level. This city night resembles the beloved since the beloved is lonely and puzzled, and extravagant, the same as the city streets. Beenzino's parts were natural and embedded with the song well. The sing was produced by well-known producer Cha Cha Malone. Many aeries were shocked to have matured lyrics sung by Baekhyun, which I can relate because he has such a cute face which deludes us into thinking that he is not 27 already by then XD. The lover wishes to go for the third base as the lyrics says "Baby we can stay up, Throw you at me, to the deepest point fall in love...Get in there, reachable lips...I'll fill your empty heart full of me. No sleep tonight. We makin' love. Until the sun shines down on us...Baby lay back. Close your eyes. I'd like to get drunk on you sweet. I'll go easy on you. We can go on and on tonight."(say what?!) Baekhyun makes smut sound like poem, he has such an affectionate yet seductive voice. [*slaps myself for simping over his voice] The ending was nice with "On and on..." but I feel this line should've been longer, the gentle vocal in this part was impeccable. Actually, the lyrics were not overtly explicit, it describes the intimation gently without making it obvious, which is why I commend it.

Psycho: EXO always have had two sides to their love. In one love, the lover becomes a monster or Jekyll, in another, the lover falls into a deep obsession. In this album, the love that started as being playful where the girl did not pay attention at first (in betcha), ended up being psychotic. I would recommend y'all check out Bebe's cover of this song in Street Woman Fighter 2, it's too good, and I'm glad she covered it, she accurately choreographed according to the lyrics and feelings if this song. Baekhyun said on his City Lights showcase that Psycho is about a toxic relationship. While reading the comments, I came across some theories by aeries, which I appreciate. Some linked it to DID, some compared the light exol- healthy relationship and dark exol(or not)- toxic. There is a push and pull going on in the lyrics. On one hand, the lover wishes for the beloved to stay because he needs her, on the other he hopes she goes away because of his dual personality.

The name of the album City Lights is apt. The loneliness, dark and light theme, a romantic night in the city are all featured in the songs using different metaphors and meanings. However, I loved the album cover so much where Baekhyun is on top of a car in an evening over the road where the city lights are shining. So, I would've loved it more if the concept teaser, teaser photos and/or the mv featured more of that image.

Now that it's 2024, we know that we saw some nice mv's that features such nighttime imagery. For example, Baekhyun's Bambi and Minho's Heartbreak.

City lights imagery in Baekhyun's Bambi:

City Lights imagery in Minho's Heartbreak MV:

Give a listen to Baekhyun's City Light, Bambi, and Shinee Minho's Heartbreak!

~Just Apple Pie

[royal-wren]

It's not really a Saturday if I'm not hit with thoughts going a thousand miles in a minute.

I'm thinking about Hermes' intricate and deep connection to life and death, the god that stands between both states and exists in both of them simultaneously. He's my personal god of death and god of the dead to fall more in line with the seats he used to occupy and were effectively given to another and yet he still maintained the most important role/domain in relation to it. The attempt to strip it away never really worked out in the end with him, he's still the one doing all the work at the end of the day.

The god who turns invisible, the one with the sickle (and scythe), growth and loss, the god of the earth -- the wealth and bareness of the land, god of silence beyond silence, and god of noise beyond your imagination or capacity to understand. God of gold, god with the golden and silver tongue, god decked out in gold, god with a heart of precious metals. God among the graves, of the graves, he who mourns and feels great pain for the living and dead that lost a life they greatly valued even though he cannot be hurt or be wounded. Guide in life and death, around all corners and seconds regardless of time or space. The god of caves and mountains, the lowest and highest parts of the world and natural earth we can reach. He of memory, who never forgets and cannot be touched or impacted by the river Lethe, reincarnation eternal. God of the conscious and unconscious, God of light, and the night, the god who bears torches in darkness. The god with eyes everywhere, ever watchful and all-seeing, a god I connect most to eyes and any visuals and concepts/aesthetics to eyes where Athene comes second and Hekate third.

When am I not thinking about him as the lord of the dead and death itself though? Well, it's just especially bad and more at the forefront of my mind right now and I need to write it somewhere. Honestly I never really felt a need to really have Hades or Thanatos come to mind or enter my thoughts in either way, and it was always a feeling and connection I had with him for years now. I felt it so deep in my bones and it always felt right, and reading about it in multiple places with him being the og Pelasgian or Minoan, or at least a very local pre-Hellenic (depending on preference or consensus for whether they are one and the same or not) deity for both, in a similar manner to Enodia being the og Thessilian goddess of paths and crossroads and so on was insanely validating. It was like completing a puzzle, the one last piece I needed to get the full picture.

I will die on this hill no matter what anyone else might try to say, call me crazy or a heretic. I don't care, I live by my own gnosis and sensibilities (or lack their of) and this is one of them.

Oh beloved son of Diwia Agêtôr, older than the soil One with and without guile God with the golden sickle Breather of life and bestower of death Ruler of the Dipsioi, those you join as Deilakrion You know their weight of memories and forgetfulness, of their hunger and thirst as they feast upon the earth Marineus, another name I also call you While you dance among the trees As you find joy lying on the grass Creating gifts without harm from sheep to man A reveler in animals and people alike Dear Araios, with horns divine God of rams and sheep Potnios Theron, relishing in his favorite company Among the infinite animals who flock to him

Trisheros, the hero that sees three ways The one connected to the respect and honoring of the dead Deity holding the many mysteries between truth and lies Akakêsios, without pain, will always take every hand God that sees and feels human emotion, Agônios He will dry every tear and give all calm and serenity

Kharidôtês, God of touch, the nerves, feeling, and pleasure The one all delight in and yearn for The one sung highly by the Kharites and Aphrodite alike Hearts cry merrily with you, never a bitter soul around you

Most ancient god with an appearance and heart of youth As this body struggles, as my knees go weak and my energy drains As love stirs again in me no matter the time of the absence of feeling Set me right while I rest in the palm of your hand With the utmost love, you cup my cheek With a kiss, with a ghosting stroke, I gain vitality

Tbh, writing that was a hell of a lot of fun to mostly just use a lot of his older epithets and names I connect to him that just go with the whole topic of this post.