#anime Boston 2017

[pumpkaboots]

thinking about that time I saw My Neighbor Totoro animation cells in person at a panel (Anime Boston 2017)..... gonna ride that high for the rest of my life ;-; thank you Hirokatsu Kihira!!!!

[starredfishing]

the lore i know for things is never enough to infodump because i don't know enough but also definitely enough to annoy people. did you know anime boston has lore. did you know the pennsylvania renaissance faire has lore. that changes. yearly. and is all scripted.

[angeltannis]

Every time I see guest lists for Comic Con and similar cons I always think of this convo I had with a friend years ago where they said it feels like there’s a huge disconnect between the folks that organize these cons and the average attendee’s interests… thinking about when I went to Denver Comic Con in 2017 (a year anyone in the cosplay/con scene will recall as being absolutely DOMINATED by a certain hero shooter), and the organizers pushed the Overwatch cosplay photoshoot to a side stage we had no hope of all fitting on and sent their photographer on lunch while hyping up the Lord of The Rings photoshoot that had maybe 20-25 people stretched out across the big main stage. That was the same year they had the VAs of Discord and Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy banished to the tiniest little room for a panel and people had to be turned away because the room filled up near instantly. And then, two months later, the same thing at Boston Comic Con, where they shoved D.Va’s VA to the very back of the guest room with the D-lists, then had to do emergency traffic control to avoid a crowd crush while the main guest they had hyped up, Mario’s VA, was sitting at his booth just watching the chaos go down on the other side of the room.

Since then I’ve been keeping my eye on guest lists for multiple cons, local and otherwise, and it feels like all the big ones are still like that. They’ll hype up some old-time actor who was in one episode of Star Trek or Doctor Who, which, yeah, I’m sure there are folks excited for that…but every con I’ve ever gone to has been disproportionately fans of stuff that’s NOT been hyped or promoted by the organizers at all. When we went to Anime Boston this year my friend had to organize their own photoshoot for freaking Dungeon Meshi, which has to be far and away the most popular new anime of this year.

Sorry for ranting but this post brought to you by looking at the guest list for Fan Expo Boston and seeing the Top Billing is the cast of Saved by the Bell and National Lampoon (???), with a grand total of 7 voice actors for the animation category and 7 for all of gaming

[defomin]

here's a list of all my favourite queer love couples I've came across from all types of mediums (update 240422)

The sign (series) Phaya and Tharn

Supernatural (series) Dean and Cas

Unknown (series) Qian and Yuan

Couple of mirrors (manhua) You-Yi and Wei

Only friends (series) Sand and Ray

Cupid's last wish (series) Korn and Win

Portrait of a lady on fire (movie 2019) Heloise and Marianne

Maurice (movie 1987) Maurice and Alec

Giovanni's room (book) Giovanni and David

Young royals (series) Wilhelm and Simon

Moonlight chicken (series) Jim and Wen

A tale of thousand stars (series) Phupha and Tian

Kiseki dear to me (series) ChenYi and AiDi

To sir, with love (series) Jiu and Tian

Song of Achilles (book) Achilles and Patroclus

Good Omens (series) Crowly and Aziraphale

Laws of attraction (series) Charn and Tinn

God's own country (movie 2017) Johnny and Gheorghe

Dead friend forever (series) Phee and Non

Thirty years old (manhua) Wei big bro and Ian

Thirty years old (manhua) QuiYi and YiCheng

Last twilight (series) Mhok and Day

Red white royal blue (book) Alex and Henry

Moonlight chicken (series) Alan and Gaipa

Semantic error (manhwa) Sangwoo and Jaeyoung

Semantic error (series) Sangwoo and Jaeyoung

The eclipse (series) Ayan and Akk

Moonlight (movie 2016) Chiron and Kevin

Yuri on Ice (anine) Victor and Yuri

19 days (manhua) Tian and Guan Shan

Only friends (series) Boston and Nick

Wolf in the house (manhwa) Minsuk and Bexan

Kinnporche (series) Kinn and Porsche

Mehr and Moshtari (poem) Mehr and Moshtari

My beautiful launderette (movie 1985) Johnny and Omar

Red white royal blue (movie 2023) Alex and Henry

Mignon (anime) Mignon and Young-one

Egoist (movie 2022) Kosuke and Ryuta

Manner of death (series) Tan and Bun

Brokeback mountain (movie 2005) Jack and Ennis

Gap (series) Sam and Mon

Kinnporche (series) Vegas and Pete

Dead friend forever (series) Tee and White

Pitbabe (series) Pete and Way

Moonlight chicken (series) Heart and Li-ming

The sign (series) Khem and Thongthai

The plague (book) Tarrou and Rieux (not canon, lol)

Kiseki dear to me (series) ZeRui and ZongYi

Pitbabe (series) Alan and Jeff

Laws of attraction (series) Thee and Thaenthai

Freefall (movie 2013) Kay and Marc

Pitbabe (series) Charlie and Babe

Carol (movie 2015) Carol and Therese

Doukyusei (anime) Kusakabe and Sajo

Couple of mirrors (series) You-Yi and Wei

Good Omens (series) Nina and Maggie

The eclipse (series) Khan and Thua

Call me by your name (movie 2017) Oliver and Elio

19 days (manhua) Jian Yi and Zheng Xi

The falls (trilogy) RJ and Chris

Supernatural (series) Claire and Kaia

Maurice (movie 1987) Maurice and Clive

Kinnporche (series) Time and Tay

Kinnporche (series) Kim and Porchay

Demian (book) Demian and Emil

Only friends (series) Top and Mew

The sign (series) Dao and Nee

Laws of attraction (series) Rose and Maya

Young royals (series) Stella and Fredrika

Only friends (series) April and Cheum

Manner of death (series) Sorn and That

History 4: close to you (series) Li Cheng and Mu Ren

[beardedmrbean]

When two young Brazilian women were reported missing in September 2022, their families and the FBI launched a desperate search across the US to find them. All they knew was that they were living with wellness influencer Kat Torres.

Torres has now been sentenced to eight years in prison for the human trafficking and slavery of one of those women. The BBC World Service has also been told that charges have been filed against her in relation to a second woman.

How did the former model who partied with Leonardo DiCaprio and graced the cover of international magazines come to groom her followers and lure them into sexual exploitation?

“She kind of resembled hope for me,” says Ana, describing her reaction on stumbling across Torres’ Instagram page in 2017.

Ana was not one of the missing women targeted in the FBI search - but she too was a victim of Torres’ coercion and would be key to their rescue.

She says she was attracted to Torres’ trajectory from impoverished Brazilian favela to international catwalks, partying with Hollywood A-listers along the way.

“She seemed like she had overcome violence in her childhood, abuse, all these traumatic experiences,” Ana told BBC Eye Investigations and BBC News Brasil.

Ana was in a vulnerable situation herself. She says she had suffered a violent childhood, moved alone to the US from southern Brazil, and was previously in an abusive relationship.

Torres had recently published her autobiography called A Voz [The Voice], in which she claimed she could make predictions as a result of her spiritual powers, and had been interviewed on reputable Brazilian media shows.

“She was on the cover of magazines. She was seen with famous people such as Leonardo DiCaprio. Everything I saw seemed credible,” she says.

Ana says she was particularly taken with Torres’ approach to spirituality.

What Ana didn’t know was that the inspirational story Torres told was based on half-truths and lies.

Torres’ ex-flatmate in New York, Luzer Twersky, told us that her Hollywood friends had introduced her to the hallucinogenic drug ayahuasca, and she was never the same again.

”That’s when she kind of… started going off the deep end,” he says.

He said he also believed that she was working as a sugar baby - paid for romantic involvement with wealthy and powerful men who were also paying for the flat they shared together.

Torres’ wellness website and subscription service promised customers: “Love, money and self-esteem that you always dreamed of.” Self-help videos offered advice on relationships, wellness, business success and spirituality - including hypnosis, meditation and exercise programmes.

For an extra $150 (£120) clients could unlock exclusive one-to-one video consultations with Torres during which she would claim to solve any of their problems.

Amanda, another former client who lives in the Brazilian capital, says Kat made her feel special.

“All my doubts, my questions, my decisions: I always took them to her first, so that we could make decisions together,” she says.

But it appears that advice had a dark side. Ana, Amanda, and other former followers say they found themselves becoming increasingly psychologically isolated from friends and family and willing to do anything Torres suggested.

When Torres asked Ana in 2019 to move to New York to work as her live-in assistant, she agreed. She had been studying nutrition at university in Boston, but arranged to study online instead, and says she accepted the offer to look after Torres’ animals - and do her cooking, laundry and cleaning - for about $2000 (£1,564) a month.

When she arrived at Torres’ apartment, though, she quickly realised it did not match the curated perfection projected on the influencer’s Instagram.

“It was shocking because the house was really messy, really dirty, didn’t smell good,” she says.

Ana says Torres seemed unable to do even basic things without her, like taking a shower, because she couldn’t bear to be alone. She describes having to constantly be available for Torres, only being allowed to sleep for a few hours at a time, on a sofa covered in cat urine.

She says some days she would hide in the apartment building’s gym, grabbing a few hours’ sleep rather than working out.

“Now, I see that she was using me as a slave… she had satisfaction in it,” Ana says.

Ana says she was never paid.

“I felt like, ‘I’m stuck here, I don’t have a way out,’” she says. “I was probably one of her first victims of human trafficking.”

She had given up her university accommodation back in Boston, so she had nowhere to return to, and no income to pay for alternative housing.

Ana says when she tried to confront Torres, she became aggressive, triggering Ana’s painful history with domestic violence.

Eventually, after three months, Ana found a way to escape by moving in with a new boyfriend.

But that wasn’t the end of Ana’s role in Torres’ life. When the families of two other young Brazilian women reported them missing in September 2022, Ana knew she had to act.

By this point, Torres’ life had grown in scale. She was now married to a man called Zach, a 21-year-old she had met in California, and they were renting a five-bedroom house in the suburbs of Austin, Texas.

Repeating the pattern she had begun with Ana, Torres had targeted her most dedicated followers, trying to recruit them to come and work for her. In return, she had promised to help them achieve their dreams, capitalising on the intimate personal details they had shared with her during life-coaching sessions.

Desirrê Freitas, a Brazilian woman living in Germany, and Brazilian Letícia Maia - the two women whose disappearance would go on to spark the FBI-led search - moved to live with Torres. Another Brazilian woman, who we are calling Sol, was also recruited.

Posting on her social media channels, Torres introduced her “witch clan” to her followers.

The BBC has discovered at least four more women were almost persuaded to join Torres in the house but had pulled out.

Some of the women were too scared to appear in the BBC’s film - afraid of receiving online abuse and still traumatised by their experiences - but we have been able to verify their accounts using court documents, text messages, bank statements, and Desirrê’s memoir about her experiences - @Searching Desirrê, published by DISRUPTalks.

Desirrê says that in her case, Torres had bought her a plane ticket from Germany, having told her she was suicidal and needed Desirrê’s support.

Torres is also accused of persuading Letícia, who was 14 when she started life-coaching sessions with her, to move to the US for an au pair programme and then drop out to live and work with her.

As for Sol, she says she agreed to move in with Torres after becoming homeless and was hired to carry out tarot readings and yoga classes.

But it was not long before the women discovered their reality was very different to the fairytale they had been promised.

Within weeks, Desirrê says Torres pressured her into working at a local strip club, saying if she did not comply Desirrê would have to repay all the money she had spent on her: flights, accommodation, furniture for her room, and even the “witchcraft” Torres had performed. Desirrê says not only she did not have this money, she also believed at the time in the spiritual powers Torres claimed to have, so when Torres threatened to curse her for not following orders she was terrified.

Reluctantly, Desirrê agreed to work as a stripper.

A manager from the strip club, James, told the BBC she would work extremely long hours, seven days a week.

Desirrê and Sol say the women in the Austin mansion were subjected to strict house rules. They describe being forbidden from speaking to each other, needing Torres’ permission to leave their rooms - even to use the bathroom - and being required to immediately hand over all earnings.

“It was very difficult to, you know, get out of the situation because she holds your money,” Sol told the BBC.

“It was terrifying. I thought something could happen to me because she had all my information, my passport, my driving licence.”

But Sol says she realised she needed to somehow escape after overhearing a phone call in which Torres was telling another client she must work as a prostitute in Brazil as a “punishment”.

Sol was able to leave with the help of an ex-boyfriend.

Meanwhile, the guns Torres’ husband kept began to regularly feature on her Instagram stories, and became a source of fear for the remaining women.

Around this time, Desirrê says Torres tried to persuade her to swap the strip club for work as a prostitute. She says she refused and the following day Torres took her on a surprise day out to a gun range.

Scared, Desirrê says she eventually gave in to Torres’ demand.

“Many questions haunted me: ‘Could I stop whenever I wanted?’” Desirrê writes in her book.

“And if the condom broke, would I get a disease? Could [the client] be an undercover cop and arrest me? What if he killed me?”

If the women didn’t meet the earning quotas that Torres set, which had risen from $1,000 (£782) to $3,000 (£2,345) a day, they were not allowed to return to the house that night, they say.

“I ended up sleeping on the street several times because I couldn't reach that,” Desirrê adds.

Bank statements, seen by the BBC, show Desirrê transferring more than $21,000 (£16,417) into Torres’ account in June and July 2022 alone. She says that she was forced to hand over a substantially higher figure in cash.

Prostitution is illegal in Texas and Desirrê says Torres would threaten to report her to the police if she ever talked about wanting to stop.

In September, friends and family of Desirrê and Letícia back in Brazil launched social media campaigns to find them, having become increasingly concerned following months without contact.

By this time, they were barely recognisable. Their brunette hair had been dyed platinum blonde to eerily match Torres’. Desirrê says by this point all her phone contacts had been blocked and she obeyed the influencer's orders without question.

As the Instagram page @searchingDesirrê gained momentum, the story dominated news outlets in Brazil. Desirrê’s friends even worried she might have been murdered, and Letícia’s family put out desperate pleas for their safe return home.

Ana, having lived with Torres in 2019, said alarm bells rang as soon as she saw the news stories. She says she immediately guessed that “[Torres] was keeping other girls”.

More information and support about human trafficking and modern slavery is available via BBC Action Line.

Along with other former clients, Ana began to contact as many law enforcement agencies as possible, including the FBI, in an attempt to get the influencer arrested. Five months earlier, both she and Sol had reported Torres to the US police - but say they weren’t taken seriously.

In a video she recorded at the time for evidence, since shared with the BBC, a distressed Ana can be heard saying, “this person is very dangerous and she has already threatened to kill me”.

Then the missing women’s profiles on escort and prostitution websites were discovered. Suspicions of sexual exploitation, shared on social media, appeared to be confirmed.

Panicked by the media attention, Torres and the women travelled more than 2,000 miles (3,219 km) from Texas to Maine. In chilling Instagram videos, Desirrê and Letícia denied being held captive and demanded people stop searching for them.

But a recording, obtained by BBC News, gives an insight into what was really happening at this time. By now the US authorities were aware of the concerns about the women’s safety. Homeland security had tipped off a police officer who managed to FaceTime Torres to check on the women. But just before this starts, Torres can be heard saying on the video:

“He will start asking questions. Guys, they are full of tricks. He’s a detective, be very careful. For God’s sake, I’ll kick you out if you say anything. I’ll scream.”

In November 2022, the police finally convinced Torres and the two other women to attend a welfare check in person at Franklin County Sheriff's Office in Maine.

The detective who questioned Torres, Desirrê and Letícia - Detective David Davol - told the BBC he and his colleagues had been immediately concerned, noticing a number of red flags, including a distrust of law enforcement, isolation and their reluctance to speak without Torres’ permission.

“Human traffickers aren't always like in the movies, where you have… a gang that kidnapped people. It's far more common that it's someone you trust.”

By December 2022, the two women had been safely returned to Brazil.

Det Davol says, in his experience, human trafficking is on the rise. His observation is backed up by the UN, which says it is one of the fastest growing crimes, generating an estimated $150bn (£117bn) in profits a year worldwide.

He believes social media gives it a platform on which to thrive, making it much easier for traffickers to find and groom victims.

In April this year, our team was granted a rare court order to interview Torres in a Brazilian prison - the first media interview with her since her arrest. At that point, she was still waiting for the verdict of a trial against her relating to her treatment of Desirrê.

Smiling, Torres approached us with a calm and collected demeanour.

She was adamant that she was completely innocent, denying that any women had ever lived with her or that she had ever coerced anyone to take part in sex work.

“When I was seeing the people testifying, they were saying so many lies. So many lies that at one point, I couldn't stop laughing,” she told us.

“People are saying I am a fake guru, but at the same time, they are also saying that… ‘She is a danger to society because she can change people’s mind with her words.’”

When we confronted her with the evidence that we ourselves had seen, she became more hostile, accusing us of lying too.

“You choose to believe whatever you choose to believe. I can tell you I'm Jesus. And you can see Jesus, or you can see the devil, that’s it. It's your choice. It's your mind.”

As she got up to return to her cell, she issued a parting threat, claiming we would soon find out if she had powers or not. She pointed at me, and said: “I didn’t like her.”

The BBC can reveal that earlier this month Torres was sentenced by a Brazilian judge to eight years in prison for subjecting Desirrê to human trafficking and slavery. He concluded that she had lured the young woman to the US for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

More than 20 women have reported being scammed or exploited by Torres - many of whom the BBC has spoken to and are still undergoing psychiatric therapy to recover from what they say they experienced as a result of her treatment of them.

Torres’ lawyer told the BBC she has appealed her conviction and maintains her innocence.

An investigation into the allegations from other women is ongoing in Brazil.

Ana believes yet further victims may come forward, once they read about Torres’ crimes. This is the first time Ana has spoken publicly.

She says she wants people to recognise that Torres’ actions amount to a serious crime and not some “Instagram drama”.

In the closing pages of her book Desirrê also reflects on her experiences.

“I’m not fully recovered yet, I’ve had a challenging year. I was sexually exploited, enslaved and imprisoned.

“I hope my story serves as a warning.”

[soyouareandrewdobson]

Level 1: Let's-a-go easy with some illuminated Mario!

What I want to explore at least partly over the course of Nintendo-vember is the fact, that Dobson was biased with a capital b when it came to videogames and Nintendo. To be more specific, Dobson not only hated people who played anything but Nintendo, acting like PS3 users are the scum of the earth (which we can see examples of a lot near the end of the month), but he was also very opinionated what counts as “the true and honest” depictions of his favorite Nintendo characters.

Again, something more explored down the line soon, but to give at least one example for how even the slightest “deviation” from Dobson’s own interpretation can result in him getting pissed, only for things to backfire on him in some sense (partly a cosmic one) let me turn back time a bit to the November of 2017.

Almost 6 years ago, it was announced that Illumination, the studio behind the Despicable Me movies and some really shitty Dr. Seuss based works, would head the animation work on Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros movie. And people were pissed.

Many of them believing that the studio would ruin their favorite videogame character and produce something that was of great disservice to him. And that was something people claimed, before even the voice cast was announced and everyone had a mental breakdown over Chris Pratt voicing Mario.

For your sanity though, don't click on the vidoe of that fat slob from Boston who is more of a disservice to animation than Live Action Disney is currently

Now to be fair, I am myself aware of the quality of Illumination up until the Mario movie came out. The Despicable Me and Minions movies, plus Secret Life of Pets, having been the most successful endeavors of the company, while also creating some rather annoying, though in my opinion funny cartoon slapstick characters. But honestly, I never thought that Illumination doing the Mario movie, could possibly be the worst thing to ever happen. At the very least, even if the company had fucked up royally with Dr. Seuss related content, they actually have some understanding of cartoon slapstick in their work and can in my opinion create some very colorful movies. And let us be real here, Super Mario has never been the most “adult” or deep franchise on the planet. So as long as Nintendo would keep them on the leash (which they did in the end) I doubted the movie would be utter shit. I at least did not expect it to be the Teen Titans Go of Nintendo, dumb like Boss Baby or unfocused and insulting like Wonder Park.

And lo and behold, the movie came out and minor things aside (like using Take on me as a pop song in the background at one moment) it captured the essence of Mario, was very colorful and a smash hit. To the point it was up until Barbie came along still the most successful movie of 2023 and is the third highest crossing animated movie of all time. With the place actually being the second, if the Lion King remake from 2019 wouldn’t be technically considered animated. Heck, you could actually call it the most succesful animated movie of all time currently, if you also decide to look at the list in such a way, that "sequels"/continuations ofalready established IPs don't count.

What I am trying to say is, in hindsight, many people should have just simply tried to be calm and see where things were heading.Give Illumination the benefit of the doubt. Particularly if they decided to first think about what was likely going to happen and analyze the pro and cons of Illumination doing the movie.

But fuck using your brain when your name is Andrew Dobson.

Dobson took genuine offense to the idea of Illumination doing the movie and as such made a “mock art” of what Mario would likely look in their art style.

There was just a tinsy winsy problem with it. The artwork in itself….

Turned out to be better looking, than most things Dobson did at the time.

No, seriously. Considering the lack of a decent art output at the time aside of shitting on nerds via SYAC strips, this, for what is obviously meant to take the piss out on Illumination’s art style reserved for the Minions, actually looks rather decent. Sure, Mario looks like a tic tac, but for a “quick” sketch, it looks nice. Mario looks -unlike Dobbear in 95% of the strips- actually happy by the way he smiles as well as very cartoonish. And considering that the blood and soul of Mario is kinda in the cartoonish nature of the game series -as evident by how ridiculously Mario Wonder is currently- Dobson in my opinion captured here the soul of Mario better than he did in other pics he did way back in the earlier 2000s.

Though to be fair, these pics look decent enough and at least Dobson was experimenting with different styles back then. Perhaps his cartoonish style would have worked best with Nintendo, if he refined it just right.

Which you know, kinda defeats the “purpose” of the picture if you ask me. I mean, it is obvious Dobson just did it to vent and piss on the fact that a company he considered “inferior” to other animation studios, would bring his favorite videogame character on the big screen for the first time since that Bob Hoskins movie. But if he wanted to mock the idea, he failed. Simply because in his sketch he doesn’t really “highlight” why Illumination being behind Mario would be bad. Not helped by the fact Dobson lacked giving more context why in his opinion that was a bad idea. And the few posts he did, painted him just as hating Charles Martinet and believing Charles would be the main voice of the characters in the movie

An as stated earlier, in hindsight, any “criticism” or fear Dobson might have had, proved in my opinion invalid in the end. The movie was not only a success, but it also paid tribute to his “precious” Mario is from Brooklyn background.

Frankly, the only thing I can see in the pic I would criticize is that Dobson a) gave Mario four fingers despite the fact he should know by now he has five (though that may be a cartoony jab at the Minions. Though even that jab is half assed, cause if he wanted to emulate their design, he should have given Mario three instead of four digits) and b) Mario being likely completely bald under that cap. The later just doesn’t fit entirely. Which, considering the Minions are mostly bald, may have been the intention by Dobson, to create an uncanny effect. Unfortunately, the rest of the artwork balances it out mostly, so on average the sketch ends up being visually more pleasing than anything.

Honestly though, the picture’s existence does highlight one thing more than anything: That Dobson would rather create something out of spite and hatred, rather than a genuine sense of enjoyment. That and if Ilumination being announced as a company to animate the movie, I wonder how he reacted in light of the casting or other Mario related news. Like can you imagine how livid he must have been when Mario+Rabbids by Ubisoft was announced and became popular?

[livewireatalanta]

task 001. muse dossier NADIA ATALANTA; "LIVE WIRE"

Dragged by the wind / Taken by the stars / Carried with the madness and scars. -"Dark Matter", Les Friction **art credit: Vietnamese Holy Beasts by Xuân Lam

BASICS.

𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄. Huỳnn Loan Phượng The name on Nadia's birth certificate is her family name, Huỳnn, her middle name, Loan and her given name, Phượng. The luan is a deified bird across East Asian mythology, often representing an omen of peace to come and virtue. The phượng hoàng (pictured in the banner art of this post) is commonly referred to as the "Chinese phoenix," a composite creature made up several birds (which often change) and other animals. Its body represents celestial bodies and the 5 fundamental colors of its feathers represent the 5 virtues of Confucius. While it does not bear many similarities to the Western phoenix, there is an association with fire, as it is said to have been born of the sun and is commonly depicted with a fireball. It is a positive symbol, often an omen of peace, prosperity, and happiness, but also represents loyalty and honesty.

Nadia Atalanta Growing up in middle America in the late eighties/nineties meant that Nadia was encouraged to pick an "American" name that was "easier" for American teachers and friends to pronounce. Nadia was chosen from a list of names her first grade teacher had (a little dated, as she believes "Nadia" was there due to the popularity of Nadia Comăneci in the seventies). Atalanta was the call sign given to Nadia when she joined MTF Delta-5. In Greek mythology, Atalanta is associated with Jason and the Argonauts and was a disciple of Artemis. Prior to those adventures, she refused to marry unless her suitor could best her in a footrace.

𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒. None. Some of the more childish members of MTF Xi-13 took to calling her "Nads." She provides her current surname, "Atalanta," when asked her preference. (She will be rolling her eyes at all of their new call signs and will probably be huffy about responding to "Live Wire.") If you call her Nadia, well...you had better be Dying Breed.

𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌. Levy Tran

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒. A long-healed scar around the left side of her chin not quite reaching her bottom lip; a deep scar that looks like gouged claw marks at the center of her abdomen and trailing off toward her left hip; an uneven circle of puncture scars around her right shoulder that sure does look like something bit her...but what has a mouth that large? She's usually seen with her shoulder-length hair done in twin French braids, tight, down the back of her head. When not in tactical or field gear, she's likely to be wearing a sweatshirt or flannel that doesn't seem to fit right, too large and for a more masculine frame (these items belonged to her brother).

𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐒 / 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒. She has two piercings in both ear lobes but rarely wears anything in them. No tattoos, despite Levy Tran's extensive artwork. Nadia is still living by the regulations of MTF Delta-6 and undercover best practices.

𝐀𝐆𝐄 / 𝐃.𝐎.𝐁. 38 / January 25, 1985

𝐙𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂. Aquarius Sun, Scorpio Moon, Taurus Rising. All Nadia knows is that she’s an Aquarius and that makes her an air sign. Anything beyond that is out of her range.

𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍. A suburb of Rockford, Illinois. She usually just says "Chicago," because it's easier.

𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘. Mother, deceased 2011 Father, resides in Boston Brother, deceased 2017 Nadia's father left when she was a child and she has had no contact with him since. Her mother died of complications from lung cancer in 2011. Her brother, Mark, was her twin. They were recruited into the Foundation together and shared an apartment (when Nadia was home). He was a researcher primarily focused on habitation of anamolies in containtment. His death was the result of a fatal containment breach and the official ruling is that Mark's lack of adherence to protocol caused said breach. As you may imagine, Nadia does not believe this and has tried to discover anything she can about the incident.

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 / 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐒. Cis woman; she/her/hers 

𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘. Bisexual

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒. Single. Never married. Dare you to ask a second follow up.

𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒. Level-headed, just, resourceful

𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐒. Stubborn, defensive, sarcastic

𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐒. Unnerving eye contact, going barefoot in private quarters, wearing her brother's clothes, a weakness for high-end body and hair care products, usually has a packet of some kind of candy on her person and will be pulling it out to snack on noisily during boring meetings, prefers Dr Pepper to coffee but makes an exception for Barb's vanilla caramel lattes, seems like a smoker but really only does it socially or when peer pressured in the field or when trying to annoy Dying Breed by stealing his cigarette, generally eats like a teenaged boy (in taste and quantity), as of late has been relying on misuse of prescription medication to sleep more

𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐒. Watching documentaries, doing puzzles (of all kinds), strength and combat training, running outdoors, reading historical books (nonfiction and fiction alike), visiting fine art or natural history museums

𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐒 (𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄). none.

THE FOUNDATION.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐅𝐅 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄. Ranked Corporal as MTF Operative with MTF Chi-00

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍(𝐒).  Operative with Decommissioning Department (2023 - 2024) MTF Operative (Corporal); MTF Xi-13: Sequere Nos (2019 - 2023) MTF Operative (Sergeant); MTF Delta-5: Front Runners (2008 - 2019)

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓: Decommissioning Department Nadia has only been with the Decomissioning Department for a few months. Prior to this post, she was on 8 months of medical leave due to injuries sustained during the incident with SCP-192001-01 while with MTF XI-13.

𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐒 / 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒: Fluent/conversational in several languages (English, Vietnamese, Latin, Spanish, Greek; Cantonese, French, German, Italian), hand-to-hand combat, knife/blade combat, basic firearms, basic SERE skills, undercover work

EXTRAS.

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘. Nadia was recruited into The Foundation directly out of upper-education, concurrent with her brother, Mark, in the greater Chicago metro area. Both Nadia and Mark excelled quickly, she in field work and infiltration and he in research and containment. Mark would eventually become respected within the Experimental Containment Research group and Nadia would be assigned to Mobile Task Force: Delta-5: “Front Runners.”

The majority of her career was spent with Delta-5. There, she proved intelligent, adept, and obedient. She expressed a deep satisfaction for the work within MTF Delta-5 and it has been reported from multiple supervisors throughout this time that Nadia was one of the brightest operatives they had seen in an age. The general consensus was that she would achieve MTF Commander at an exceptionally young age.

In 2017, Mark  entered into a routine encounter with an anomaly that would prove fatal. Officially, the Foundation maintains that failure to adhere to protocol led to Mark’s death. Nadia vehemently disagrees, as Mark was always meticulous. Directly following his death, inquiries were made and the initial decision was upheld. Nadia has refused to accept the Foundation’s explanation. Most information and files related to his death and the incident have been expunged and data-locked.

Following 3 months of leave, Nadia returned to active duty. Her discipline had collapsed and her behavior became erratic and dangerous. There were numerous disciplinary warnings and write-ups, culminating in the incident with a member of  GoI-004: “Church of the Broken God,” where Nadia deliberately sabotaged her cover to enter into an unprovoked physical altercation. She was reassigned to Mobile Task Force Xi-13: “Sequere Nos” as a consequence. There was a successful, largely uneventful year with MTF Xi-13 – and then the encounter with SCP-19-2001-1.

Nadia’s assignment has been in flux for the past year since the encounter with SCP-192001-01. Directly following the incident, she was remanded to 6 months of medical leave. An additional 3 months of mental health leave was recommended, but Nadia declined. Since returning from leave, she has been working in the Department of Decommissions.

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒. Paragon, Fallen Nadia used to be an exemplar within the Mobile Task Forces, particularly MTF Delta-5. She rose through ranks fast and easy, enjoying her work and eager to gain her own command. That's all in shambles, now, but it if your character has been through MTFs, they may have heard about Atalanta, or any of her triumphs from the earlier days. If not, there's still the chance that your character worked with MTF Xi-13 and could have encountered the current shade of Nadia. Personal Project Nadia is still desperate to find out exactly what happened to her brother. I can definitely see her picking the brains of anyone who might have information, whether about that specific incident or just containment and breaches in general. Hand-to-Hand When she's not avoiding everyone in her room, Nadia will likely be training in the gym facilities. While she prefers to train solo, she also loves to spar and practice combat. If your character is a fighter, or would like to be, they could potentially cross on the mat. Wilderness Scouts Nadia has not joined the Walking Club (Seriously?), but she is often wandering through the wooded area around the base. While she is absolutely looking for solitude on these treks (with the rare exception being made for Dying Breed), your character could encounter her and, if they're quiet, they may just be allowed to walk with her.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 / 𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐒. Action Girl, Aloof Dark-Haired Girl, Angsty Surviving Twin, Braids of Action, Chosen Zero, Deadpan Snarking, Final Girl, Haunted Hero, Ice Queen/Defrosting the Ice Queen, The Paragon Always Rebels, Seeker, Showing Up Chauvinists, Tsundere, Twin Telepathy

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒. Alanna of Trebond (Song of the Lioness Quartet), Veronica Mars (eponymous), Jessica Jones (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn 99), Megara (Hercules, 1997), Jyn Erso (Rogue One), Dana Scully (The X-Files), Rogue (The X-Men)

𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒.

[april-is]

April 7, 2023: Insha’Allah, Danusha Laméris

Insha’Allah Danusha Laméris I don’t know when it slipped into my speech that soft word meaning, “if God wills it.” Insha’Allah I will see you next summer. The baby will come in spring, insha’Allah. Insha’Allah this year we will have enough rain.

So many plans I’ve laid have unraveled easily as braids beneath my mother’s quick fingers.

Every language must have a word for this. A word our grandmothers uttered under their breath as they pinned the whites, soaked in lemon, hung them to dry in the sun, or peeled potatoes, dropping the discarded skins into a bowl.

Our sons will return next month, insha’Allah. Insha’Allah this war will end, soon. Insha’Allah the rice will be enough to last through winter.

How lightly we learn to hold hope, as if it were an animal that could turn around and bite your hand. And still we carry it the way a mother would, carefully, from one day to the next.

--

More like this: Kul, Fatimah Asghar

Today in: 

2022: To the Woman Crying Uncontrollably in the Next Stall, Kim Addonizio 2021: You Mean You Don’t Weep at the Nail Salon?, Elizabeth Acevedo 2020: Let Me Begin Again, Philip Levine 2019: Hammond B3 Organ Cistern, Gabrielle Calvocoressi 2018: Siren Song, Margaret Atwood 2017: A Sunset, Ari Banias 2016: Coming, Philip Larkin 2015: The Taxi, Amy Lowell 2014: Winter Sunrise Outside a Café Near Butte, Montana, Joe Hutchison 2013: The Last Night in Mithymna, Linda Gregg 2012: America [Try saying wren], Joseph Lease 2011: Boston, Aaron Smith 2010: How Simile Works, Albert Goldbarth 2009: Crossing Over, William Meredith 2008: The World Wakes Up, Andrew Michael Roberts 2007: Hour, Christian Hawkey 2006: For the Anniversary of My Death, W.S. Merwin 2005: The Last Poem About the Snow Queen, Sandra M. Gilbert

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

The Magic Within

by NightwingAngeloftheMorning04 Mandrake the Magician and Amy O' Connor are enlisted by Zatanna Zatarra to get some help with a threat with a connection to seizures and supernatural forces happening worldwide, even to those close to them. Words: 2802, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English Fandoms: Justice League - All Media Types, Justice League Dark (Comics), Justice League Dark (2017), Defenders of the Earth (Cartoon), Highlander: The Series, Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Animated Series Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/M, Gen Characters: Duncan MacLeod, Richie Ryan, Original Highlander Immortal Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Zatanna Zatara, John Constantine, Boston Brand, Swamp Thing (DCU), Joe Dawson, Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Jason Blood, Jason Todd, Etrigan (DCU), Methos (Highlander), Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Duke Thomas, Kate Kane (DCU) Relationships: Duncan MacLeod & Richie Ryan, Richie Ryan/Original Character, Original Character & Mandrake the Magician, Lothar (Defenders of the Earth) & Mandrake the Magician, Lothar (Defenders of the Earth) & Mandrake the Magician & Original Character, Rick Gordon/Jedda Walker, Mandrake the Magician & Zatanna Zatara, John Constantine & Bruce Wayne, John Constantine/Zatanna Zatara Additional Tags: Justice League Dark (2017) mash up via https://ift.tt/ka4BP8X

[destinyc1020]

I truly think the fandom has been extremely spoiled with the consistent sightings and TZ weekends this year from NY, Boston, Italy, Paris, Budapest, Jordan that they are forgetting that them disappearing and not being spotted is actual the norm. The 2.0 is actually the anomaly. They haven’t been around long enough, TZ not being spotted like that is actually normal for them if you’ve been here since 2016. They’re not party animals who go out like that or go to industry events like crazy.

Exactly. 💯 And plus, it's the holiday season! People are slowing down and work is coming to an end. Let them have a break and disappear for a while.... Believe me, next year is gonna be even BUSIER for them promotion-wise imo lol.

Let them enjoy their downtime. Like you said, this is nothing new if you've been following Tomdaya since 2017. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[klanced]

Omg I live in Boston… Boston Voltron meet. 💕

Does anyone else remember the Voltron Panel Meetup that happened at Anime Boston in 2017… that was such a genuinely fun day ☺️

[agentnico]

Strays (2023) Review

Made by the director of the movie that saved cinema during COVID - Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Now if that's not a selling point for Strays I don't know what else is.

Plot: Abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug, a naive but lovable dog named Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier and his gang of strays. Determined to seek revenge, Reggie and his new canine pals embark on an epic adventure to get him home and make Doug pay for his dirty deed.

It is surprising that until now there has not been a crude raunchy comedy about a man's best friend. Dogs, as adorable as they are, can also be the most filthy and disgusting creatures, with their entire thought process being dedicated to humping, bodily fluids, butt-sniffing, and food. And by food meaning they would eat literally anything, no matter how vile the edible thing may be. So yes it was only a matter of time. The trailers have looked fun and boast a solid comedic voice cast, so I thought it would be no harm to give this one a go.

Strays is very much a one-joke comedy. The main aspect that will define if you will find this movie entertaining or not is if you think dogs swearing every second is funny. That primarily is the main gag, and even though I was never bored and the film managed to keep me entertained throughout, it definitely isn't a particularly memorable comedy. There are laugh-out-loud moments though, from the hallucinogenic mushroom sequence teased by the trailers to the endless references to 2017's dog movie A Dog's Purpose with a cameo by Josh Gad as a narrating dog and Dennis Quaid appearing randomly for absolutely no reason whatsoever besides stating the fact that he is Dennis Quaid; to the climactic biting of Reggie's abusive owner's dick that is very over-the-top, gruesome yet oddly satisfying. Those moments are definitely chuckle-worthy, though I am definitely of the opinion that this is a one-time watch and the second time around this movie will lack that punch, or dare I say, bark.

The voice cast is entertaining. Will Ferrell manages to infuse Reggie with the likable innocent naivety we have seen Ferrell do before with Buddy the Elf, and Jamie Foxx trash-talking everything is, well, Jamie Foxx being himself basically. Randall Park and Isla Fisher provide amicable supporting voice turns, and Will Forte as Reggie's owner managed to realistically and despicably portray an absolute arse and a loser, and one that you wanted to see get his dick bitten off. The animation is fairly solid too. The blend of real-life animal 'performances' with the CGI mouth movements are synced for the most part well, though it was a tad uncanny. Or should I say, unK-9?? Nope? I'll get my coat.

The most surprising aspect of Strays was actually the fact it has a big heart, and the emotional outline throughout the narrative tackles themes of abuse and toxic relationships and the importance of companion animal care. Dog lovers will surely enjoy this, and overall Strays is a childish piece of silliness that is a suitable end-caper for what has been a fairly mediocre summer at the movies.

Overall score: 5/10

[ptvflower]

Less than 20 days now until I see Mayday Parade and All Time Low with my boyfriend and I’m so excited. This will be my first concert since I saw Puffy AmiYumi at Anime Boston 2017 and my first emo concert (and also my second concert ever since the Puffy AmiYumi concert was the only concert I’ve ever been to haha) and it just. Feels great. I grew up without the money to ever go to concerts (not to mention I spent 80% of my teen years in inpatient) and now I live with my boyfriend and can go to concerts and have fun. Your 20s really are better than your teens.

[dynamoe]

Oh! Since I didn't include a question last time... Are you into Pokemon at all? If so, what pokemon do you think Billy and Pete would have on their teams? This is vital information to have on any and all fictional characters, in my opinion.

I worked for a web humor site in the early Millennium in a big open warehouse space in DUMBO Brooklyn. Our boss had a Boston Terrier puppy named Punchie who fell in love with a giant stuffed pikachu that was larger than he was and he showed that love by humping it constantly.

The other boss thought this was hilarious and filmed a music video of Punchie humping in all the corners of the loft. The vet told the boss his dog was going to put his back out if he didn't stop so the pikachu was hidden from him. Punchie spent days mournfully looking towards the room where Pikachu was taken.

I'm stalling... I wish I could answer privately and not have to expose how fucking old I am... I know JACK SHIT about stuff the Zoomers grew up with.

Um… Jiggypuff is a pokémon I know! It's pink and it sings. So, to answer this question they only have Jigglypuff. Or ten Jigglypuffs, if that's allowed. Twenty Jigglypuffs! A whole team of them to pull their sleigh on Christmas! MY POKÉYMANS! LET ME SHOW THEM!

Fuck, did that work?

← 2022 Billy & White index

Luckily, Pete, Billy and their P'mons has been covered by other (presumably younger) artists...

here's @jaboncito with Billy & White's team (12/2021)

...of minstrel show Meowth (not cool, man), micro-face Evie, floating magnet eyeball and low polygon duck-tank!

@ghostpathos describes a full roster for both (3/2017)...

Billy's side has Star-you, Psyduck and other things that weren't in the cartoon. White has what looks like anorexic pikachu in drag, a plastic drinky bird, thing with an X-on-its-face... and the rest.

*(No Billy or Pete but @butterflies-and-handgrenades drew pokémon for the boys and the Monarch)

The Pokémon question and "What if Billy and White were dogs/cats/ponies?" and "Look! I made Pete & Billy avatars in Animal Crossing, etc." were the three kinds of posts I used to see all the time when I first decided to search if any Pete & Billy fan art existed

[vincent-duboisfournier]

Thomas Dworzak ©Thomas Dworzak

Born in Germany in 1972, Thomas Dworzak has documented many of the most important news stories since the 1990s. At the age of 16, he started traveling to photograph conflicts in Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, and the disintegrating Yugoslavia. After he left his native Germany, he combined his attempt to become a photographer with an effort to study languages: Spanish in Ávila, Czech in Prague, and Russian in Moscow. During the 1990s, Dworzak lived in Georgia, exploring the people, culture, and conflicts in the Caucasus, which resulted in the book Kavkaz in 2010.

A months-long assignment for the New Yorker in Afghanistan, where Dworzak discovered studio portraits of the Taliban, became his first book, Taliban (2003). Images taken during his many assignments in Iraq, most of which were shot for Time magazine, were used to create his next book, M*A*S*H IRAQ (2007). Since then, Dworzak has gone on to photograph the revolutions in the former Soviet republics of Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine, and to cover stories in dozens of countries. In a recent project, Feldpost (2013–18), he photographed the “memory” of the First World War in more than 80 countries, producing 1568 “postcards” (one for every day of the war). It was completed on November 11, 2018, exactly 100 years after the end of the conflict.

Dworzak is also a keen curator, with a particular interest in digital culture. His work mining Instagram memes under various hashtags, ranging from animals dressed as the Pope to the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, has resulted in twenty sketchbooks compiled of his findings.

When covering the 2015 refugee crisis, Dworzak conceived Europe – a photographic guide for refugees, which was produced and distributed free of charge to migrants. His current long-term project, War Games, was interrupted at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, whereupon he explored and photographed almost exclusively the new virtual “Zoom” world. In 2021, his 2003–18 documentation of Georgian troops in the “war on terror” was published as a feature-film screenplay/photobook, Khidi – The Bridge. Dworzak became a Magnum Photos nominee in 2000 and a full member in 2004.

He was president of Magnum from 2017 to 2020

[greensparty]

Movie Review: Here

Director Robert Zemeckis tends to get a bad wrap in recent years, but people forget how original and exciting his early films were like I Wanna Hold Your Hand (I was honored to have my short The Beatles Boston screen with it at Mendon Twin Drive-In in 2017), Used Cars, and his magnum opus, Back to the Future, a perfect movie from beginning to end. Zemeckis is truly regarded as a technical innovator for his visual effects in the BTTF movies, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and Forrest Gump, which he won an Oscar for. But in the last few years with his emphasis on animated (Beuwulf), remakes (Pinocchio) and noble letdowns (Welcome to Marwen), he hasn't had that same magic of his earlier films. But again, credit where credit is due, Zemeckis is a tremendous influence on me with the BTTF movies and therefore I might not like everything he does, but I'm always curious what he's doing next. Thirty years since Forest Gump, Zemeckis has reunited with screenwriter Eric Roth and cast members Tom Hanks (a Zemeckis regular in Cast Away, Polar Express, and Pinocchio), and Robin Wright (Beuwulf and A Christmas Carol) for Here, which opened this weekend.

movie poster

The entire movie shows one area from one angle over the course of centuries. There is intercutting between dinosaurs, Native Americans, an early aviation enthusiast, the inventor of the La-Z-Boy recliner, and more, but the primary inhabitants are a post-World War II couple Al (Paul Bettany) and Rose (Kelly Reilly) about to start a family. Among there kids is Richard, who is eventually played by Hanks. He brings his high school sweetheart Margaret (Wright) to meet his family and eventually they have their own family in the house. It intercuts between the family and the inhabitants of the space before and after.

Hanks and Wright in Here

There are some genuine moments here and I can say I liked, well, pieces of this. But the entire movie hinges on the foundation of the gimmick. Some movies based on a gimmick can work (i.e. found footage movies...the good ones anyways), but in this case the gimmick of showing one space (mostly the living room) over a period of time from one angle is just Zemeckis trying to do a ton of "Hey Look at Me! Look what I can do!" directing. Trying to show the space and highlight one area and intercut that with another time period in the same space (i.e. two different pandemics or Ben Franklin and then intercut to a costume party in the 70s where someone is dressed like him). At this point in Zemeckis's career he doesn't need to do "Hey Look at me and what I can do!" directing. He has proven it already! I felt like there could've been a more interesting film about this family without the gimmick and the technical wizardry. I get that it was trying to show all of these life moments through this space - birth, death and everything in between. But there was also (semi-spoiler) too many deaths (I think there were fewer deaths in some horror films). There was a better movie in this that was actually held back by the gimmick. Hanks is always reliable and the emotional heart of the film was Bettany. But in the end, Here wasn't here nor there unfortunately.

For info on Here

2.5 out of 5 stars