#anyway I LOVE designing tickets its so fun

[princemick]

LEWIS HAMILTON THE CHAMPIONSHIP WORLD TOUR Tickets: sold out!

[rosemaze-reveries]

― enclosed with love

spending valentine's day with you eli, mary, michiko, naib, norton, percy, philippe

i adored this year's vday café designs so i wrote some hcs for them ^^

⚠️ modern AU

♡ Mary

With a delicate and highly sophisticated palate, Mary is always searching for something new to satisfy her. For Valentine's Day, she books a private tour at a high-end champagne house.

Her driver is scheduled to pick you up in the early afternoon. She arranged your date so “late” to give herself ample time to settle on an outfit. Her room is littered with hat boxes and empty hangers and piles of ‘maybes’. Everything must be perfect for you. But, every second without you feeds into her restlessness, and she ends up calling you to fill the time. Hours go by on the phone & she still refuses to hang up until she pulls outside your residence.

When she first greets you from the backseat of her car, her hands are on you immediately. She smoothes out the collar of your jacket and peppers a couple of warm kisses all across your face, somehow never quite landing on your lips. She quickly dabs away all the lipstick stamps she left with her handkerchief and apologizes for being so forward,,, only to end up doing it again.

Mary takes high pride in her outfits and never compromises on looking classy. But somewhere in the back of your head, you think: All white? To a wine tasting? What if she gets red stains on her dress? From anyone else, this comment would insult her ― she doesn't take kindly to the insinuation that she's a klutz. Coming from you, she laughs it off saying she's always looked better in red anyway.

She waits until arriving for your tour to present her gifts. Mary gives VERY generously. There's an entire table prepared for you. Mountains of roses, desserts, tickets to that trip you've always wanted to take, luxury spa packages -- she has everything.

♡ Norton

This Valentine's Day is the first Norton will be spending with someone. He'll act like he's not that invested in it, that he's just indulging you.

He keeps up a haughty smirk when you first meet for your date. You had a love letter delivered to him that morning, and he's 100% taking the opportunity to tease you about it. You wrote some pretty embarrassing things about him. How's the real deal living up to your expectations? Dying to bring some of those thoughts to life already? Unfortunately, you insisted on having a traditional date for Valentine's, so you'll have to keep yourself in check until tonight. ← He knows he makes you crazy & he loves having that effect on you.

He gives you chocolates as a gift. They're clearly homemade, shaped like rocks of various sizes with a little gold-dusted heart hidden among them. But just in case you wouldn't be able to recognize them as rocks, he also provided a little toothpick "pickaxe."

Presenting something homemade is a little embarrassing, even if he hides it with that big grin of his. He gives your present a little too fast before switching back to teasing you again.

♡ Philippe

As a perfectionist, Philippe starts planning for Valentine's Day very early. He experiments with all sorts of gift ideas. You're not sure what's going through his head, but he has a highly specific vision and won't rest until he achieves it. He seems to find it important that he gives you something handmade.

Matching photo lockets? A decoden case (if you're into fun phone cases)? Not meaningful enough. A flower vase modeled after his own hand, to sit on your desk? Too tacky. A wax figure? Maybe, but that's too predictable on its own. Maybe he should learn guitar to serenade you.

His final choice is ambitious, but Philippe always is. He builds a little table out of resin, and preserved inside it are your favorite flowers, with detailed wax figurines of you and him dancing among them. It sits in a corner of his favorite room, where he often does dance with you ♡

On the day itself, Philippe would prefer to stay home. It's one of the rare times he gets to have you to himself free of work constraints.

He's the type that always needs to be doing something with his hands. He'd enjoy making chocolate sculptures together -- it's a cute idea, he thinks, to watch you make something so passionately. Whatever your skill level, he loves anything you make.

In the evening, he'll take over all the cooking. A quiet night with steak and good wine (or your preferred drink) is a little cliche, but you both deserve it. Plus, he loves nothing more than casually chatting with you while he works in the kitchen.

♡ Naib

Naib isn't really into the idea of Valentine's Day. He might not even realize it's coming up unless you tell him about it. You'd have to be explicit that you're looking forward to spending the day with him, and even then, he's totally unprepared.

Gifts have never been his forte. Neither have grand romantic gestures. But he's good at working his pragmatic side into the little things: so rather than push himself to be this lovey-dovey, chocolates-and-roses type of lover for the day, he focuses on being 'present' for you.

He brings you breakfast in bed. He's a mean cook, and knows all your favorites. Everything he makes tastes like home, warm and full of love.

Most couples give each other flowers, he knows that, so he goes shopping for one. You're surprised when he presents you with a bouquet of lemons. In his mind, they're cool and refreshing like you, everyone could find a use for some lemons, and personally he finds the colors to be appealing. It doesn't occur to him that lemon bouquets might be an unusual thing to give.

He relies on you to direct the date. Whatever you say, he'll agree. In public, he never leans in for kisses but wouldn't oppose yours. You can try to stand closer to him & he'll slink an arm around your waist briefly, as if to reassure you that he'll always have a secure hold on you, but he'll pull away again before long.

♡ Percy

In spite of all of his eccentricities, Percy is surprisingly traditional when it comes to romance. He invites you to a nice dinner date & arrives much earlier than you, waiting with a bouquet and chocolates. When he first sees you, he wraps a secure arm around your shoulders to tenderly kiss your forehead.

Getting to see this side of him is the payoff of building such a deep relationship with him. Percy is a difficult person to get through. He's obsessive to a fault and cloisters himself away in his studio for days at a time ― no one else would have been able to breach his heart like you have. He will take proper measures to express your importance to him.

His first real kiss leaves tiny particles of something on your lips, but they're sweet in taste. He laughs at the startled look on your face and reassures you it was just a sugar cube. At first he says he was just fishing for a reaction, but later confesses: he was afraid the lips of an undead man might have an odd taste, so he crunched a sugar cube to sweeten it.

♡ Eli

Eli spends the morning delivering roses to other couples on his bicycle. People tend to get especially flattered when their flowers arrive via owl, so his services are very popular this time of year.

He enjoys the little bouts of happiness he can bring to others, but of course you are the one he wants to spend this day with most. With every bouquet he delivers, his mind wanders to you, imagining your reaction when he finally gets to deliver his gift.

He asks you to meet him at an ice cream parlor when his shift is done, around noon. Before you even see him, Brooke Rose flies over to tuck a thornless rose behind your ear, and you turn to find Eli already waiting at a table.

He gives you a small homemade cake and a letter he won't let you read until he's gone. He's a pretty sappy guy even in person, so you aren't sure how his letter will be much different. But having something to be excited about, even after you have to say goodbye, makes it worth it.

His bike rides have left very familiar with all the best spots around town. After splitting ice cream, he takes you for a ride to all the little places he thinks you'll love. A flower meadow, a bridge with a superstition attached: if you whisper the name of your love while crossing it, you'll be bound for life. Part of you suspects he made that up, but the way he says your name over and over makes your heart skip a beat.

Once the sun goes down, he brings you to a forest. Somehow he manages to time it just right. He gestures for you to stay very quiet, gently takes your hands, and suddenly you're encircled by hundreds of fireflies.

♡ Michiko

Since losing her ex-husband, Valentine's Day has become a bitter thing for Michiko, especially since it's so close to their anniversary. She has treated it as a day of mourning for some years. Of course, she keeps up a smile for you ― it's not in her character to impose her struggles on others.

The morning goes by slowly and comfortably. You wake up to a gentle massage and the smell of fresh baked pastries. She writes you a sweet letter in her neat script, and she adorns her letter with pressed flowers & a mini bouquet of your favorite candy.

She makes sure to get you a proper gift, too. She follows a rule of getting 1 indulgent and 1 practical thing: a box of luxury chocolates alongside a fine new coat.

Her ideal date would be something intimate and relaxing. Maybe the theatre, in a box reserved for two, or a shaded flower garden where you can enjoy a cup of tea.

[eskewcity]

Eskewcity's Top Ten Games of 2023

Hello!!! I've decided to compile a list of the best games I played this past year. As such, this list is not limited to only 2023 releases (in fact a majority of the games I played are several years old atp). Additionally, I only considered games that I had completed by year's end. This means that fantastic games such as Signalis and The Talos Principle 2 will not be included, though I still highly recommend them.

Finally, I will put my ranking under a read more for the sake of not clogging anyways dash. Hope you all had a good 2023 and maybe can find something that interests you mwah <3

10. Subway Midnight by Bubby Darkstar

Board the train! Run away from a weirdo! Solve some puzzles! Make friends with some ghosts! Try not to become a ghost yourself!

While I am not someone usually willing to gloss over a somewhat lackluster story for the sake of gorgeous visuals, I will give Subway Midnight an exception. Even with a game that largely takes place in a subway car, it was exceptional when it came to its visual design. It has a blend of a cartoonish style for the characters mixed with extremely realistic environments. The gameplay itself was also quite fun, if not tedious in multiple runs and I really enjoyed the variety of characters that players encounter.

9. Broken Reality by Dynamic Media Triad

A humorous adventure set in a 3D parody of the internet. Diverse puzzles, beautiful worlds, friends, experiences, upgrades and more, await those who 'log on'!

Depending on yourself, Broken Reality might either be a headache inducing cacophony of colors or a fun exploration game about the internet and the commercialization of products and each other. For myself, I choose to look at it from the latter perspective. I found the game to put quite humorous and I really enjoyed all the different worlds to explore. Much like Subway Midnight, I would not recommend it much on its story but I think the design and concept certainly carries where that lacks.

8. Hylics by Mason Lindroth

Hylics is a recreational program with light JRPG elements.

At its core, Hylics is a game with a pretty simple concept. Fight your way through the world with the end goal of defeating the big bad, Gibby, King of Moon. However past that, get ready for a confusing and abstract adventure. This accounts for several reasons. For one, the dialogue of Hylics consists of randomly generated sentences that feel almost coherent while maintaining a healthy amount of head scratching. The game was also created through claymation leading to characters and environments whose shapes twists and turn in perplexing patterns. While this may seem to take away from the experience, I found this not to be the case at all. In fact, I would say it enhanced my time playing greatly. I could not stop thinking about Hylics after I played it simply because its weird and purposely lacks focus which makes it all the more memorable.

7. Babbdi by Sirius & Léonard Lemaitre

BABBDI is a short, first person exploration experience with light narrative and platforming elements. Visit the town of BABBDI, a forsaken district in the outer ring of the megalopolis. Meet its inhabitants and discover how to escape.

In Babbdi, your goal is to leave Babbdi. You must search through the city to find a train ticket that can guarantee your escape. However, the ironic part of playing this game was that I did not rush to leave. While being a free-to-play game, it had an incredibly sizable area to explore. The game actively encourages the player to search every inch of city to find its secrets while also reminding the player that their goal is to eventually leave all of this behind. If you have an hour or so to spare and love games focused more on exploration than action, this is definitely one to check out!

6. Who's Lila? by Garage Heathen

A reverse-detective adventure, where you control your character's face

In Who's Lila, you play as a young man named Will who cannot properly control the expressions on his face. As the player, your job is to ensure that he reacts properly to the world around him. The game even starts with a tutorial on how to respond accordingly to a variety of situations. While a seemingly simple concept, this game is not as it may appear. In fact, and without giving much away, Who's Lila requires multiple playthroughs to order to begin to piece together what is truly going on.

5. Hypnospace Outlaw by Tendershoot

Greetings Enforcer, and thank you for enlisting in the Hypnospace Patrol Department! As the world falls into its slumber, Hypnospace becomes a bustling global village. These virtual streets aren't going to police themselves!

Taking place in 1999, Hypnospace Outlaw tasks you as a moderator for a new form of technology which allows users to surf the internet in their sleep. As the player, you're tasked with seeking out policy violations and handing out warnings and even banning users, if necessary. There is so much about this game I can say but I find going in blind is the best. I definitely found some frustrations which some of the puzzles and how obtuse their solutions were but its undeniably one of the most unique games I have ever played.

4. Return of the Obra Dinn by Lucas Pope

Return of the Obra Dinn is a first-person mystery adventure based on exploration and logical deduction.

In Return of the Obra Dinn, is a mystery game where you not only have to determine the fates of one person, but an entire ship's crew. Additionally, you have to determine the names of each individual based on existing records. By going in the past to witness the last moments of each individual, players can be able to slowly work out the mystery of the Obra Dinn. As someone who plays many puzzle games, I found this to be one of the most satisfying I've ever played. I also thought the game just looked gorgeous and was extremely fitting for the vibe it was going with.

3. Papers Please by Lucas Pope

Congratulations. The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint. An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.

As a border patrol officer, your job is determine the legitimacy of the documents that are brought to you by people wishing to enter the country of Arstotzka. This requires things such checking if their paperwork has expired, if they match their passport photo and if they have the necessary seals for entry. However, what if someone comes to the border fearing for their safety if they are denied, without the correct paperwork? Will you let them in, risking punishment for yourself or deny them, ensuring that you will able to provide for your family at home? Papers Please is a game that will continuously make you question your own ethics under a authoritarian regime. I found this game to be incredibly emotional and made me replay several days simply because I decided against my initial judgments. Certainly one of the most impactful games I played this year.

2. Presentable Liberty by Wertpol

You have been imprisoned without being told why. All you can hear day in day out is the faint ticking of a clock in your cell. That is, until the first of 5 fateful days begins.

Sometimes there are short indie games in the world that fundamentally change you and this is one of them for me. With that in mind, there is not much I want to say about Presentable Liberty since I find its best experienced blind. The short of it is you play as a prisoner as they receive letters from those on the outside. The gameplay is minimal since the player is stuck in their cell for the majority of the game but promise you when I say it does not much that action when its biggest strength comes from its writing. While this game had its short lived success on Youtube, I implore everyone out there to play it and see why I choose to rank it this high on the list.

1. Cry of Fear by Team Psykskallar

Cry of Fear is a psychological single-player and co-op horror game set in a deserted town filled with horrific creatures and nightmarish delusions. You play as a young man desperately searching for answers in the cold Scandinavian night, finding his way through the city as he slowly descends into madness.

Honestly, it's insane it took me so long to play this game especially when loving a piece of media that's a psychological horror featuring a depressed character wandering a city is kind of what I'm known for. However, I finally got around to it and I'm so glad I did. While not the most technically savvy game out there, it is incredible what Team Psykskallar managed to pull off while offering players the opportunity to experience the entire thing for free. Several times throughout playing Cry of Fear I couldn't stop thinking how much better it was than many of the games I've paid for. Like I said, its definitely not the most polished horror game out for sure but damn was I charmed. Even after I completed this game, I immediately had to restart so I could play with director's commentary as I was just that damn interested in learning about as much of this game's development as I could. And its because of how invested I got in playing this game but also its background, that I choose to make it my number 1 pick this year.

(fuck that train level though)

[thealmightyemprex]

Universal Monsters Watch Through thoughts 6

So my watch through of Universal Monster films ends....On a whimper.This was the hardest batch to get thorugh cause the films were kind of meh and I was a little burnt out

26.Abott and Costello Meets the Invisble Man (1951)

So I always heard this was the funniest of the Abott and Costello Monster trilogy ,and while I personally prefer Meet Frankenstein...This was pretty fun .Arthur Franz is decent as an invisble boxer accused for murder,William Frawley has a fun role as a cop ,and the wronged man plot works here.The highlight of the film is the boxing match where the Invisible Man helps Lou pretend to be a boxer.My big complaints are....I dont like Bud here,hes too mean and conniving ,and honestly the comedic premise of Lou getting scared and Bud not beliving him wears thin for me

27.Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)

So this is really the last film of the big ones,the last Universal monster introduced ,and owing less to the gothic feel of most of the other monsters ,we are firmly in the era of 1950's monster movies .Aside from Frankenstein,The Creature or Gill Man is the monster I have the most nostalgia for,for two reasons :First is when I was very young I actually went to Wakulla Springs for a fieldtrip ,where they filmed the underwater scenes from the movie (And got scared by a tourguide who implied the Creature might be real ).Second is when I was 12 I went with my Moms side of the family to Universal Studios Florida ,and spotted in the gift shop a bunch of Universal Monster DVD's ,but my mom said I could only get two ,so I got the FRankenstein set(Cause Frankenstein was already a favorite) and the Creature from the Black Lagoon set (Due to the Wakulla Springs trip which got me curious to see the movie )....Also due to getting those sets we got a few free tickets for Mummy 3 Tomb of the Dragon Emperor so that was fun .Anyway I watched Creature many times as a kid .....But while I have nostalgia for the film and love the Gill Man ....Every time I try to watch this film as an adult....I just feel it lacks something.The plot kind of meanders ,while the actors are great (Especially Julie Adams as the leading lady and Richard Dennings as the villain )I find the characters stiff and the ending is a big anticlimax .Not even mentioning the fact the Creatures theme is kind of annoying with how much it is used ....That said I do think this IS a good movie ,with excellent underwater cinematagorphy,the cast is exccellent as I said,the scene where Adams character and the Creature swim together is like an iconic movie moment,.....And the Creature himself is pretty great ,with an excellent design and being a monster I feel for .Also props to his two performers,Ricou Browning (For underwater scenes) and Ben Chapman (For the on land scenes ).Also one cannot deny the legacy of the film and influence it had,especially on filmmakers like Stephen Spielberg and Guillermo Del Toro

28.Revenge of The Creature(1955)

I mean...Its alright .I like the premise of the Gill Man being put on exhibit in Marineland in Florida (Also as a Floridian I am so delighted how much Florida has to play in the Universal Monsters verse,also being the setting forAbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein ) ,I feel true sympathy for the Gill Man who is being prodded and detained by scientists and its a pretty well made film.....My problem is I am rooting soley for the Gill Man as I dont give a damn about John Agar or any of the human characters .Also dont like the big ping pong eyes of the creature in this film.Though the film is fun to watch to spot a young Clint Eastwood .Not a bad film,decent sequel but not one of my faves

29.Abott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

Tired.Thats the word to describe this film,tired .This was the comedy duos last film for Universal and it just feels routine ....But also over stuffed,with Bud and Lou having to deal with multiple factions of characters and the Mummy is barely in it .There is one funny bit where Bud and Lou keep switching a cursed amulet ,got some laughs and its better then most of the mummy flicks but I didnt have a fun time with it .Not even Michael Ansara could save this

30.Creature Walks Among Us(1956)

And at last we get to the final film in the Universal Monster cycle.....And while not a complete dud ,its pretty boring.Aside from the villain being a jealous husband the human characters might as well be carboard and not a lot happens.IT does have a cool premise though with the Gill Man getting burnt and surgically becoming more humanoid....And it solidifies the Gill Man as one of the most tragic of the monsters and the one with the most complete story.Will say while I dont like the movie .....The ending is great and a fitting capstone to this watch through

Final thoughts:This watch through was fun ,there were some duds (Mostly the Mummy movies ) ,but it soldified my love of these monsters ,actors and characters.Might do one more post about my overall thoughts but till then here is all 30 films ranked

The 30 Universal Monster films rankes

30.The Mummys Tomb

29.Werewolf of London

28.Invisble Agent

27.She Wolf of London

26.Mummys Hand

25.Mummys Curse

24.Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

23.Creature Walks Among Us

22.Son of Dracula

21.House of Dracula

20.Invisible Woman

19.Ghost of Frankenstein

18.House of Frankenstein

17.Revenge of the Creature

16.Mummy

15:Mummys Ghost

14.The Invisible Mans Revenge

13.Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man

12.Dracula's Daughter

11.Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman

10.Creature from the Black Lagoon

9.Dracula

8.Invisible Man Returns

7.Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

6.Invisble Man

5..Son of Frankenstein

4.Phantom of the Opera

3.Wolf Man

2.Frankenstein

1.Bride of Frankenstein

@ariel-seagull-wings @piterelizabethdevries @countesspetofi

@themousefromfantasyland @the-blue-fairie @theancientvaleofsoulmaking

@princesssarisa @amalthea9 @barbossas-wench

[mincedpeaches]

Transformers One post

Okay FIRST off I have to say. Sentinel Prime. He was everything. Blue and gold color scheme, with gorgeous gold WINGS. The most obvious villain in existence, but still kind of charms with his first overly friendly reaction to Megs and OP. The scene were he killed Alpha Trion: SERVING. Arachnid being his fag hag. I'm kind of obsessed.

Anyway. I just got back. Walked into the movie theater at 7pm in business casual since I came from work (after a quick detour to pick up dinner to sneak in). I say I want a ticket for Transformers. The teller goes "just one?" with a just barely perceptible bit of puzzlement. I say yup and proceed to have the entire theater to myself. Because no one is taking their kids to see Transformers One on a school night at 7:15pm. And I came alone. 👍

Of course I had fun. The humor I'd say was like 75/25 for me. I had some chuckles and laughs. For kid humor I thought it was really good.

Once again I kind of struggle to conceptualize what it would be like to be watching it as a fresh face though, and someone NOT well versed in transformers canon and lore. Like of course I (metaphorically) barked and clapped my hands like a seal when I saw Transformers I recognized but had no real lines. But a normal kid isn't really gonna care about that.

Anyway, again. It's late for me and I'm trying to get thoughts down now. What else. Let's try rapid fire all over the place.

Loved Elita's whole career woman thing and REALLY loved her "I'm better than you" bit because A) woman after my own heart and B) we love some unironic "girls rule boys drool" style feminism in this house. and I'm so serious.

I don't want to reduce Arachnid to just Sentinel's fag hag either because she also ruled. Her helicopter design looked siiick. The extra eyes on the front of her face and they way they moved independently was also sick. The way she was always yelling when she was stabbing guys was also kinda funny. (The way they used her eyes "seeing everything" to expose video of Sentinel, SOMEHOW, was actually kinda dumb. But don't worry about it.)

The way the trains and roads appeared in front of the train/driver looked really cool.

The scene where Optimus was dead and was floating into the heart of Cybertron, conversely, looked bad.

When it was first revealed in the movie promo content that Optimus was also going to be a miner alongside Megatron, while I wasn't as disappointed as the average tfp simp, I did think it was kinda of a bummer. That being said, it actually fucking RULED how Optimus was a miner. Ever since the introduction of oppressed bots into the tf canon, it was always this post. But in THIS canon Optimus is right there with Megs being oppressed and Optimus is the one that's fighting for social change, while Megatron is towing the line until he learns its all a lie. And once they learn its a lie, Optimus is still advocating for that change, and meanwhile Megatron is just really pissed off and down to get revenge and murder. I remember when I watched Siege and my conclusion was "hey guys, you can just do Autobots Good Deceptions Bad"! Well guess what. they DID that here, to great affect.

That being said..... it did make the megop slightly less tasty. 😔 Autobots Good Deceptions Bad generally requires a goofier, more G1 style favoring of megop. The scene were Megatron drops Optimus into the pit is very befitting of him being evil but if he's already willing to genuinely kill Optimus this early? It does not bode well for the homoeroticism.

Also what this movie loses in not having the Megatron be a liberator is how he gets followers. The Deceptions being the old high council is such a odd thing. Sure they'd want to get rid of Sentinel now, but it's odd to think of them with their whole "the strongest bot rules" thing (or whatever it was, I forget the exact line but you get the gist) but wouldn't they have been working for the other Primes before Sentinel? Who were ostensibly the good guys? Why would they all join up with Megs after getting rid of Sentinel, when Megs goals are seemingly going to shape up to be "just killin everyone". Where would the Council's bloodlust be coming from? Maybe its a political party thing, the Prime Left vs the Council Right lol. Or maybe I missed something. Also side note is funny how Starscream had them all languishing in cowardice when I all I could think the same thoughts I had when a very similar thing happened in IDW's Spotlight Megatron, which was: "come on, it can't all be Starscream's fault. the other guys like Soundwave are competent right. why aren't guys like Soundwave doing shit."

Also may I say. HUGE ups to the timescale in this movie. It's been "50 cycles" since the quint war and if Megs and Optimus were born after it then they're 50 "cycles" old at most. And I missed it but I think Alpha Trion says the war went on for "hundreds and hundreds" of cycles. Four millions year naps? We don't know her!

Bumblebee was the kid appeal guy of course, but it wasn't too grating to me. What I think also helped is alot of the slightly awkward-to-me humor was already in the trailers. So I was prepared for it.

Finally, when Megatron generates his canon. Oooo big sexy.

I enjoyed myself alot! Of course its for kids but that at least wasn't to it's detriment. And it made me want to go look up some toys so. A SUCCESS on the only front Hasbro really cares about, lol.

[supercantaloupe]

Magic Flute Thoughts

i liked nathalie stutzmann's conducting a lot more in this than i did for don giovanni. granted i am much less familiar with zauberflote than i am with don g so i'm not like hyper picky about tempi or whatever yet but anyway i liked her

flute soloist! glockenspiel soloist! FLUTE SOLOIST!!!

i just like lawrence brownlee man idk what to tell you. i think he's neat. i think he's singing something here in the winter and i'll definitely try to get tickets to that if so

i really liked erin morley as pamina! actually i thought all the main cast did a good job no one stuck out to me as being particularly Amazing or Bad. kathryn lewek got a HUGE applause (and standing o) tho and i mean kudos it was her fiftieth performance like damn.

interesting choice to play the queen as physically frail as she did; i think it works and the performance is very good, although the heavy age makeup sticks out a bit on hd cameras lol

the queen's three bitches. i'm free on friday (twirling hair)

also i hope those three kids who played the old men get to borrow their outfits again come october because they have the funniest possible halloween costume opportunity in the world now

VERY funny to me that papageno's costume makes him look like he's drenched in bird shit

okay speaking of costumes. do i 100% Get It with the like suits and colors and everything....not really but i don't think i can say that i Get a lot about this opera tbh. what i did get was the very obvious dark/light symbolism going on with pamina and tamino wearing white and the queen and her cronies wearing all black. and i think zauberflote does benefit from some heavy handed symbolism bc what else is this show about actually without that....then again the fact that sarastro and his priests or whatever are all in dark colors too kind of undermines that a little so 🤷‍♀️

same thing with the whole reason vs superstition thing too like...sure you can claim Truth And Reason as good all you want sarastro but the constant invocation of isis/osiris and Mysterious Rituals kind of undermine what you're going for there lol. i think my point is that i don't feel like i really Get what zauberflote is like...going for, thematically. i mean i get the Themes but not a clear Point. maybe if i was an enlightenment era freemason i'd get it lol but alas i am not

that said......i didn't go into this one expecting a rock solid plot and honestly who does....it's zauberflote....it is very obviously not designed to work or be interpreted on a literal level and i appreciate that it never tries to ground itself in reality. that its plot and characters exist in a completely fantastic realm works and it works with the weird plot and its vague theming.

which itself is of course accomplished through good design and holy SHIT. this is truly the shining strength of this production. the design is INCREDIBLE.

the orchestra isn't totally onstage but they are raised up in the pit to the point where they are fully visible the whole show. i love an onstage orchestra so this made me very happy. and it allowed for actor/orchestra interaction which i also love!! like tamino coming down into the pit to hand the eponymous magic flute to the flute soloist and bring him onstage with him (i was wondering during the overture why the flutes and oboes were swapped places seating wise -- it's so the flutist can easily get onstage! delight!!), or when papageno brings his glockenspiel to the percussion soloist to play (the player being 'missing' at his last solo, making papageno play by himself, and he enters late with a cup of coffee...lmaoo). also stutzmann giving a big ol grin and thumbs up to papageno during his duet with papagena at the end. so sweet

also blocking around the orchestra seating of the audience and up the aisles! so much fun we love immersive theater

the set itself had this big flat platform in the center hoisted at each corner by a cord so it could raise/lower/tilt in any direction. made for some very neat staging with levels and slants and i enjoyed that, especially since the production forgoes any kind of traditional set pieces

papageno's birds were done in such a beautiful way omg...they have an ensemble in black wandering around stage and following him about when he's doing stuff and they each have a 'bird' made of a folded in half piece of paper that they flutter about stylistically (some of the orchestra members have some too that they flutter during his entrance aria). description does not do it justice, this was a beautiful way to stage it...so simple and evocative.

the designer was saying in the interview between acts that this production was meant to combine the high and low tech aspects of theater to connect present performance practice with the opera as it was originally done (hence the visible orchestra) and i looove that philosophy. and it worked here really well i think

THE FOLEY AND PROJECTION ARTISTS. STARS OF THE SHOW. i am not joking

they get to be onstage (albeit off to the sides) the whole show too and i love it. i love that the cameras on the broadcast kept cutting to them periodically to show off their work.

the use of live projection art was really well done -- he managed to make Writing On A Chalkboard captivating!!

and the foley. the FOLEY!!! i've done sound design and a bit of live foley before so i have a soft spot but wooow she did an amazing job and it was SO much fun to see all the props she played with to make the scenes come alive sonically. plus her little interactions with papageno were very funny. give her a tony award

i do think there were a couple of small moments here and there that didn't entirely work for me or a scene or two that dragged out longer than necessary but overall it was a joy to watch. the beautiful and whimsical design of the whole thing totally makes it worthwhile even if the plot itself is a bit lacking.

easily THE coolest production design i've seen the met do yet, and the best lighting and projections from them for sure. when it comes on demand i am forcing anyone i can to watch it with me bc that SET! the LIGHTING! the SOUND! the STAGING! it ticks all my boxes it hits all my buttons it was MADE for ME SPECIFICALLY

[imunbreakabledude]

I understand you on the bowfa lock thing. It really does turn into the 'do whatever you want' ticket in terms of bossing since its just so good everywhere. Like you're pretty much almost there for cox if you wanted to rush that, not saying you do or whatever just that bowfa is such a huge power boost it makes a lot of sense to sit and grind it out.

The zilly method is pretty annoying but you eventually get into a rhythm with it, it was just another option in case you wanted to really preserve staminas but if using stams makes the grind more bearable go for it yknow. I think they only get used in cox if you're running or soloing and zilly so might as well use them

Good luck on getting to elite cas though, I assume its for the extra superiors along with trying out a bunch of bosses? If you need help with raid cas i dont mind logging on and helping, some of them are really annoying solo and i only got them done because someone picked me up to go raiding. Muspah could be nice to mix into the general bossing, venator bow really is nice for afk slayer and just has really nice drops, think it even drops cannonballs. Side note i love the design of muspah, especially from a lore perspective.

Rs3 really has been fun, it has its issues certainly but ive been enjoying my time with it. We're even getting the finale to the desert quests and a few new desert bosses soonish, im super excited for them. I'm not sure why gim has taken so long to come out, if i had to guess a lot of gear and potions are untradeable so they had to make exceptions for gim and make sure no weird bugs happen while also working on new content updates. I'm not like trying to like sell you on playing rs3 but if you get bored for a bit when it comes out and want to mess around i'd give you a bond

Anyways hope your day goes well and your grinds are merciful

Thanks! also to clarify I do appreciate you sending that no-stam Zilyana guide, I saved it for whenever I decide to go after that boss in earnest, I'm sure I'll appreciate saving stams because who wants to have to do rooftops more than they have to? lol

Muspah is also on my list to do, even though the upgrades it drops are not super game changing. like the ancient sceptre is Good to Have i guess but mainly i would love the chance to get venator bow just because IT LOOKS REALLY COOL. lately every time i see someone walking around with one i'm jealous because damn is that a good looking weapon.

but yeah I want elite CAs for the superior boost (any way to make imbued heart a tiny bit more obtainable is good) but also just as a nice goal to go for. I will keep you in mind if/when I need help with team or raid achievements, honestly I want to figure it out on my own a little bit first so I feel more comfortable. CoX remains one of the few pieces of PvM that I haven't done AT ALL at this point (not even an easy version or on leagues). I've watched plenty of guides but sometime soon i just need to throw myself at it and learn it at least to a point where i feel comfortable joining teams and not feeling like I'm dragging others down lol

that makes sense with reasoning for rs3 GIM, i'm sure you're right. I really appreciate the offer of a bond but at this point I think my hands are full enough with OSRS haha but if I ever do decide to log onto rs3 I'll let you know :)

[droughtofapathy]

"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby

The Heart of Rock and Roll

April 21, 2024 | Broadway | James Earl Jones Theatre | Matinee | Musical | Original | 2H 20M

After regaining faith in theatre at Stereophonic, The Heart of Rock and Roll was like going into cardiac arrest. Bring out the defibrillator, because the heart ain't beating for this Huey Lewis and the News jukebox. This is a show with a cookie-cutter Broadway-style plot where nothing makes sense, everyone's singing and dancing, the plotholes are deeper than the Mariana Trench, and every problem that happens gets wrapped up in a neat little bow in the span of three minutes.

The book is vapid even through its earnestness. There's a reason they had to set this show in the 80s, because contemporary life and the old-fashioned rock and roll this show wants to revive are not compatible. The story is your typical boy-meets-girl, boy-makes-spectacularly-bad-choices, boy-gets-girl-anyway, happily ever after, the end. The songs are there. It's a jukebox, so they fit, but they don't. The choreography keeps it high energy, the staging and scenic design is classic Broadway. And it's just not good. They pack over thirty songs into this thing, and that's about thirty too many.

Word-of-mouth is generally positive, in the sense that there's a universal agreement that it's not good, but hey, it's fun. Great. Because that's famously what I love in musical theatre. Not good, but fun.

I hate fun.

A show like this was never going to be something I'd endorse. Right now, this show is the worst-performing on Broadway in terms of grosses and average ticket pricing. It's limping to opening night (officially tonight when reviews go out), and probably won't make it much longer. The question of "why" looms large in every way. Why this show? Why this story? Why now? Why here? Why care?

Why go?

Verdict: A Long Slog to Curtains

A Note on Ratings

[uselessdancedata]

Ok but like queen, tell us about the hate for the abt nutcracker I love hearing about that sorta stuff 🙏

(just to be clear i'm talking about the more recent ratmansky version, not the version they used to do before the 2010s)

so if you've ever seen the waltz of the flowers...it is the ugliest waltz of the flowers i have ever seen. it is SO fugly with the colour clashes because for some reason they saw fit to put BEES in the middle of these bright ass pink flowers. so bright yellow, neon pink, and solid black all in the same scene. dancing over each other. it looks disgusting. I don't even have any remarks on the choreography because I don't remember it other than the fact that the bees just kind of dance around the flowers and don't really interact with them, almost like two dances happening onstage at the same time. the overall look is just so disjointed and hideous that i don't even remember the dance itself. I can't get over the colour clash. it's the worst possible selection of yellows, pinks, and blacks to go together. disgusting

and this is the nutcracker !! one of the pieces that has been interpreted so many times in so many beautiful ways !!

you have the classic vainonen version (mariinsky), which is so classical and what people generally think of when they think of the nutcracker

another very sweet classical version is the royal ballet's version - you really get to follow clara in this one, i think she's the most involved clara character

you have the grigorovich version (bolshoi), which is known for spawning the most difficult possible version of the nutcracker variation - but is also just genuinely a gorgeous set with religious undertones, like watercolor church art vibes. people have literally been stampeded trying to get tickets for this version of the nutcracker. i'm not joking. there's a resale market specifically for this version of the nutcracker. it's like getting taylor swift tickets apparently.

then you have the balanchine version which is just SO fun and whimsical and childlike. i think this is the most kid-friendly version. the sets are just gorgeous. the waltz of the flowers in this really stands out to me - in this version there's one soloist (dewdrop) and the petals dance around her and it is so light and fluffy

and even within the same versions of the nutcracker, you have different set designs. pacific northwest has such a unique, vibrant take on the waltz of the flowers scene - it's no longer pink but bright orange and it looks so fun!

and this one might be a bit niche but i love this version of the nutcracker (chemiakin's, performed at the mariinsky). it's dark and whimsical, like a gory version of the nutcracker. intended to be like a slightly gruesome hoffmanesque fairytale. AND IT WORKS. the set is so intriguing and the choreography is new but still very musical and pays its respects to the original tale

so anyway my point is. there are so many beautiful versions of the nutcracker which stand out for their own unique reasons. each version has their "something" to make them loveable, distinct, and help them find a place in people's hearts.

what does abt have?

fucking bees.

they don't even look good man this looks horrible

[moveslikeanape]

oh no worries at all! i post a lot and nobody can catch every single post on their dash anyway haha. i'm sorry you were having internet issues, i hope things are working better now.

aww, that's adorable how oliver basically named himself. reminds me that my dad used to have a cat named iam (pronounced the same way as "i'm"), who was named that because when he first got him he asked the cat what his name was, and his meow sounded to my dad like he was saying "iam".

oh yeah, i guess it's true that playing the events and leveling up your cards definitely can get time-consuming, and you need to level them up a lot to win the battles! there are people who post videos of the story on youtube as well as wiki pages that have transcriptions of the text, so that would be another option if you were really interested in the story but couldn't keep up with the game. were there any particular character designs you liked best? i love riddle's, of course, but i also really like idia's design.

yeah, unfortunately my first reaction to moana 2's announcement was confusion because i saw it on twitter, thought "uhh, that's weird, what about the show that's supposed to come out this year? they usually announce movies so much further in advance too", and actually wondered if it was a fake tweet for a second... i was excited about the show but i agree that this has the same vibes as those old direct-to-video sequels, which were very hit or miss. also agree about toy story 4 lol, i basically just remember that they went to a carnival and that's only because woody's dreamlight valley house is a carousel. and i remember the ending, but that's because i wasn't a fan of the ending. in my opion toy story 1-3 were a perfect trilogy.

raya is one of those movies that i feel very mixed on, honestly. i really like raya's personality and character arc, but i always thought the movie had a lot of writing flaws that made the story and its message feel rushed and confusing. i think a big reason why some people like it is because raya and namaari are... very shippable lol, so much that i believe raya's voice actress once said she'd like for them to get together in a sequel. but i agree about the animation being gorgeous!

exactly LOL, and i'm glad for those who did genuinely enjoy wish, but i think even they should be able to admit that it's a flawed movie and that others aren't "anti-disney morons" for criticizing it. a lot of the criticism is coming from people like me who love disney movies and expected better from them, and that's why people are so passionate about creating fanfiction and art based on the ideas shown in the concept art as well. somehow the concept art did a better job of reminding people of the classic disney movies we all love than the actual film did.

i think what i like about the trolls movies is that even though they are a bit cheesy and childish, they just feel very self-aware and fun. they also have some really nice stylized animation where they try to make everything look like it's made from felt/fabric/craft materials in general.

i would absolutely love if disney filmed their musicals and put them on disney+! in general, i've always thought that more broadway musicals should do that for people who can't travel or afford the tickets. also, with princess and the frog i feel like sometimes people forget that a live action remake would have us watching a bunch of CGI animals almost the whole time... i mean, tiana and naveen are frogs for 90% of it and then there's ray and louis too. i'd much rather see how disney could bring it, and the emperor's new groove as well, to the stage.

it's too bad your book didn't seem to mention why they changed terk! do you happen to know if they gave a reason for removing tantor? i imagine it was because they thought having an elephant character was too difficult to pull off, but i agree with you that it would've been really cool to see how they did it.

Internet seems to be all better now, thank you!

Awwww, that's such an adorable story! I love fun cat names like that, especially when they're so unique that no one else could possibly some up with it. Also love cats that have such distinctive meows/sounds.

Ooo, I'll have to look into those videos and wiki pages, thanks for the heads up! As for the designs, I think my favourite is a toss up between Leona and Kalim, although leaning a bit more towards Kalim. I definitely would have an easier feeling about Moana 2 if it weren't coming so fast. I could see how they could maybe do a decent job and make whatever the series would be a decent movie if they dedicated the time to it, but the time between the announcement of the series to it becoming a movie is just way too short, no way this is getting the proper treatment it needs.

Totally agree about the rushed feeling of Raya. The story should be the number 1 focus. You can add fun stuff (jokes, cute characters, etc...) once they story is tied down and if there's room for it, but if you rush the story to fit anything else in, you've just ruined the movie. No matter how visually stunning, it's not going to connect with the audience if the story is struggling.

That's so neat about Trolls, I love animation styles that go for a certain look, and making it look like the world is made of crafting materials is genius! I'm going to have to watch them someday!

Completely agree with you about PATF and ENG... one of the many things that annoyed me with the Lion King remake was calling it live action... it was made to look realistic, but it was still all animated! They really need to stay away from live actioning any mostly animal cast movies. making the animals so photo realistic takes away so much of the heart, its so hard to emotionally connect with the characters story when their facial expression permanently bland/bored.

I didn't see anything about Tantor in it, but then again I only just quickly browsed through it. Someday I'll find time to read it, lol. I'm assuming it was to avoid making an elephant. Would have been neat to see if they had, or maybe they could have made him a different non-gorilla animal (kind of like how the baboons became a giant spider). I'm thinking their focus was too much on the main "wow factor" of the show... the vine swinging/gymnastic elements.

[berryunho]

HELLO BESTIE i was gonna ask how korea’s treating u but.. others were first.. heh ANYWAY i hate seaweed too lmao my mother likes those seaweed chips and i’m like.. wow.. u monster HEKAHSJF anyway !!! i hope u get those festival tickets aaaaa i’d been eyeing that as if i’m rich enough to go to sk for a day or two LMAO (this is also me looking at the london and copenhagen show… hm…)

anywayyyyyyyyya i came to tell u i have become the person i said i wouldn’t ever become 🥹 the san pc collection starts now (i have a lot of wooyos too whew) i just bought two and i have another one pending GRJSHSJD i also almost got my hands on a hug san but </3 that wasn’t meant to be

ANYWAY i hope u have THE most fun in korea, don’t buy all the cute photocard holders and stationery etc etc (who am i kidding.. do it) and and and if (read: when) u get tickets to the festival !!! many ! many pics pls !! !!!! ! 🤍 love u mwah mwah -san anon

tumblr just called u my tumblr crush lmao accurate <3 i like u more than san but sssst -san anon

HIIIIIII omg yeah korea is baller . i went to an artbox today and almost wept . also went to coex mall >>$(@#@)(# cannot believe thats like. A Real Place. KLJFKJADSLKFJ but YES??? THANK YOU??? ITS SO NASTYAKDJFLSFJ but oh em gee .... thank you .... my school has an entire fieldtrip planned on friday for the foreign students but im gonna feign illness bc i have to be at my computer at 2pm AKJDFLKSJDFL ANYWAYS BESTIE . GO . FOR REAL . LIKE IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT . GO .

BUT PLEASELKJA;KSFJ i remember when i succumbed to photocards .... twas a dreary day ... BUT ITS SO FUN TBH SO YAY! im sure you will secure him one day ... i sent my parents to target in my stead but alas the album will remain sealed until july ... LKAJFLKAS

THANK YOU !!! im living it up honestly like . this place is insane . i actually want to Do Things . the sun is shining . people are nice . the food is good . i can buy pc holders irl . INSANE bestie you dont even know how hard i had to restrain myself at artbox today like there were SO MANY pc holders and collectbooks i was standing there in SHOCK KJLSKJFLKASDF but i only bought one of each . but i will return ... BUT YES OF COURSE SO MANY PICTURES IF I GET TO GO LAKDJFLAKSDF

and HELP ???? im honored to be your tumblr designated tumblr crush ... MWAH ILY I HOPE YOU'RE GOOOOODDDD !!!

[gorgnn]

Also like. Zevran huh?

[yandere-daze]

🔆

This will probably come as no surprise, but i love world-building, so let's talk a bit about the world of self aware enstars some more, yeah?

I've mentioned previously that in my au once you're brought into the game, the system will basically do backflips to keep things in check. Whether you isekai in as a new unit, a producer, or something else entirely, the game will try its damnedest to make things fit. There's no record of you before your arrival, and people didn't know you were coming until you arrived, and yet, no one questions it. The system doesn't let them.

Although, if they're determined enough, they might just be able to figure something out...

I believe that in a previous post somewhere you mentioned that only characters who are close to Anzu become self-aware. So, where does that leave the rest? They're all NPC's, sure, but what does that mean? Are they just faceless people in a crowd? Designed only to boost the popularity of the units? Maybe.

But what if they weren't? What if, the further away you are from the player, the less the system can affect you? The people closest to Anzu become self-aware, but only because of how often she's possessed by you. The people distanced from her, or the ones who never interact with you, remain normal. They're just average civilians. Nothing changes. Once you enter the world of enstars, you stop being the player, instead, you're just another face in the crowd. At least, you should be...right?

Things are still a bit off. There are glitches, sometimes. You're a bit luckier than you ought to be, but it isn't wholly unnatural. You aren't picking up a winning lottery ticket off the side of the road or anything, but things still tend to go your way more often than not. People you want to avoid get lost in the crowd trying to follow you. Things you need to buy tend to go on sale. Little things. They're not a problem. It's the people that concern you.

They're normal with you, most of the time, anyway. But there are moments when they slip. Say things that don't quite fit in with your conversation, but end up being useful later on. Strangers have a habit of foreshadowing things, or giving you unprompted exposition. The facade cracks, and you're once again reminded that nothing here is real. That it's all just a string of code that's gotten out of hand.

You miss being able to hold meaningful conversations with real people. You try to ignore it, to pretend that it's normal. People just talk like that, sometimes. It's a coincidence.

But then you realize things only glitch when you're around. If you're part of the new unit, the N/A twins, on the rare occasion they're not with you, will never have a problem with these glitches. The other characters don't seem to be affected by it, either. It's only when you come into earshot that the world begins to distort.

You are the glitch.

🔆

World-building is fun so I like seeing you in my inbox ^^ And all of this was really interesting to read about as well! You always have such cool and creative ideas!

gn reader

tw yandere

Yes, the characters around Anzu become self-aware and so that would mean that other faceless NPCs aren´t and should be ordinary regular people. Maybe the player figures something like that out so they try to hang out with and talk to "regular" people as opposed to all the idols at ES. I mean it´s got to be exhausting to always have these people after you

But as you said, even those ordinary people aren´t quite normal either. They may not be self-aware but the game is still using it´s influence to bend the world and it´s people to assist you. Most things just seem to go your way and even these regualr people say some strange things from time to time that unsettle you. The conversations you have with them feel wrong... fabricated even. They don´t feel natural at all and it saddens you because you thought that maybe you could at least pretend like things were normal while you were staying away from ES. But this entire world is fake, it´s all just a game that is changing itself to best fit you, it´s really uncomfortable.

And then of course there comes the realization that you are the glitch, that you are the reason why the world always keeps acting so strangely. It´s all fine when you´re gone but as soon as you go to some place, everything shifts around to make way for you and to put you in a spotlight even if you weren´t even supposed to be a part of this world originially. And yet the game still tries it´s very hardest to make everything as enjoyable as possible for you.

Though I kind of doubt that you´ll be having a lot of fun once you realize just how strange this world you find yourself in is.

[xinnabon]

WRITE ME LETTERS.

# long distance relationship yelan x fem!reader [MODERN AU]

taking in requests! thanks!

.CW content is all safe!

.SUM you as someone who manages her own business, you tend to have trouble selling your products for the store, but with your girlfriend yelan, maybe things will go smoothly as it goes.

a/n: I REVIVE FROM MY VERY SHORT HIATUS BECAUSE I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE-- HELLO. I'M HERE TO MAKE CHAOS AND I SAY I AM BOOMING WITH LESBIAN ENERGY. requested by a friend again but it was months ago. TRUMPEEEETTT!!!!!!!! ROLL CALL OUR SWEET LESBIANS!!!!!!!!!!!!! YA THERE??!? also i really don't mind what gender is reading this right now. go crazy on my blog account then.

(play song nyaww. i think its sweet.)

work. sales weren't as good as you thought it would be. first, your business was sky rocket for a few weeks but then some other type of business pulled up. you needed to refresh your mind... create new ideas, but what's more?

7 missed calls...? god, from yelan too. you didn't really want to handle anything but you were sure that you needed to rant things out. if you didn't, maybe you'd break down to the point you don't know what to do. business and paying up for house and electricity bills was only to think about. if only, you can be selfish for one day. no. you can keep it in anyway. at least for a bit longer.

you turned off your phone and let the mattress consume you. you just wanted to be alone for once. who cares what others think, right? but either way, you just needed time to process all over on what's happening, what's next, what will you do. why does life have to be so hard to take over. even you think the saying that goes, "balance your life. have some fun and work at the same time" is absolute bullshit.

you can already imagine yelan worried for you. huh. must be normal to worry if people that is rather "valuable" to you like that. no. just let the world aside and pass time.

you liked yelan's company. you two met a while back in highschool but pretty much it was long-distance. just like now. you were assigned to be pen pals with someone from some other country besides your own. sure was sorta needed for research but of course you two were supposed to be the same age. oh how you wanted to go back. probably you don't know what to choose. either live your highschool life with endless studying and a bunch of missed assessments that are past due or stick with a business that was a success at first but eventually got taken by someone else's spotlight. it's frustrating just thinking about it. past, present, or even the future life you hopefully look forward for might take even a worse form.

so sweet... loving... ah. where did that go.

light faint. eyes ever shut tight. let go. just let go.

mm. 2 days. you haven't been showing up on work just because to rattle out some ideas. pretty sure the others can understand. throwing a piece of paper that is crumpled every time you change your mind about this over and over again. you could've just thought about this thoroughly but maybe you just had way too much high-expectations. you already have your own next-door some random store seller competing with you. geez.

you've been ignoring interactions and catching attention to yourself for a while. give in? no. not yet. you lay back and fluttered your eyes lightly shut as you carry on away to think it over from there. maybe you need to attract your clients more with designs? better up the products? make the prices fair? well. the idea itself is great but the context inside each and every one of them just couldn't rattle out of yourself. you just want things to be finally settled.

door is ringing. door is ringing? you get up from the lousy position you were in and head straight to the front door. you just finished ordering some food at least... 5 minutes ago. what kind of fucking food delivery service is that--

"yelan?"

fuck. why is she here. did she really have to buy a ticket all the way here? you look like a mess so far with her all carrying a suitcase and... a plush? right. she did said a while back that she'll ship it in to your house but sure is giving it to you in person.

"i know you're having some time. relax. think about it first then we'll talk. i, uh... didn't really tell you i'd be coming over but i'm sure you needed the company."

you slightly nod and let her inside. help her unpack, ate the food you ordered after 20 minutes of waiting, but really, the atmosphere wasn't... quite the best just like her last visits. showing her to your room to sleep comfortably and lay with her. looking at her with the A/C up and running. eyebags were already on your eyes. she doesn't want to assume what happened but really, whatever happened is what happened but it really matters when its to you. of course it is.

"i'm. not up for conversation right now. it's just... the business that i'm working on isn't doing the slightest bit of good."

yelan fiddles with your fingers. maybe she already had it figured out. she'd like it if you tell about it herself but what's the point in pressuring you? her hand running through your hair and signs you on over to go against her. you were cold. your hands were gripping tightly as you shake.

so far... she isn't asking so much what happened. you're sure she's worried but either way, you have someone to understand you need time to build up to entrust something like this matter to her. even to make you realize yourself that you aren't alone on this. breathe. and let go all of the disgraceful thoughts. nothing to disturb you two. you two alone. its you and yelan in your own world. leave it aside.

i will not ask you where you came from.

i will not ask you, neither should you.

honey just put your sweet lips on my lips.

we should just kiss like real people do.

[taki118]

SuyaLight Master Post 2

I really like these two there’s not a lot of content for the fandom as a whole soooo her’s my submission as I get every moment of these two royals who literally share a braincell (and I love them for it) First up this is just on the manga if you are anime only its going to have stuff you havent seen yes even with what the anime covers (so read it) and there will be spoilers so beware. If you prefer Demon Monk/Cleric/Leo (which I don’t really get) I am sorry this isnt for you. Lets go! Part 1 is here

Suya shows up at meeting to talk about her nightmare after trying to get rid of her Twilight relents.

Suya needs a bathroom knowing Twilight has similar needs in that area to her she follows him to his.

Too prideful or embarrassed to just say she needs to pee she says something way worse and confusing. So she uses violence to get her way.

After doing what she needs she falls asleep leaving Twilight in pain.

I just find it funny he finds her fiendish

Suya doesn’t like it though, and to stop her kicks he’s willing to make some changes.

Which leads to the weapons downfall cause he’s such a pushover.

Suya used magic to make herself big and well Twilight is the most observant to catch on.

She decides to carry them and its kinda cute.

Again Twilight tries to see the best in Suya believing she was just as lonely as him growing up (which is later proven true) so he lets her join a schools trip to the demon castle to join in fun she missed out on.

But the chapter makes his belief had to justify. 

Though He was wrong in the end she just wanted to play and have nap time, she wasnt as malicious as the other demons feared. Still its a misunderstanding between the two.

They get the princess to act like a proper hostage and its too much for Twilights conscious to bear.

Twilight recognizes that they probably caused more problems for themselves in the long run meanwhile Suya starts a real arc for her, countering the notions she’d be taught about Demons with her experiences and wondering just why they hate each other?

So Suya is trying to escape and no one can stop her so Twilight lays a trap.

No one thinks it’d work but obviously he gets her just a little better than most.

After getting her to tell them the reason for her escape (being she wants to buy something) they try to dissuade her before she says this.

It catches them off guard especially Twilight who’s weak to compliments. 

After following Suya around the human town all day and dealing with her nonsense they win tickets to a fireworks show where Twilight lays some lore on us. 

He reveals a bit why he does what he does and I do think Suya is taking it all to heart. 

They think she wants to leave but instead she shows what she would prefer, offering them alternate designs to the less than demon friendly ones on display. This also shows what her long term goals likely are, to bridge the gap between humans and demons. 

But its undercut by Suya falling asleep on the way back and Twilight having to carry her with her new vibrating pillow in high.

Suya shows up unexpectedly in his room. 

Suya’s logic is unflappable. 

Twilight is so scared though its adorable.

Suya wants to know what will happen at a slumber party and Twilight does his best to explain to the best of his knowledge. He’s so cute in this chapter.

(part of me thinks Suya might be Asexual or Aromantic but thats another post) 

Anyway after nearly bombing the room cause she doesnt want to think of the hero Suya has Twilight look more into the party but mostly ignores him.

Suya proves that she does actually pay attention and wants to know more about Twilight.

He tries to dodge and it leads to his downfall.

Suya asks an interesting question that leads to pain for Twilight.

At the actual party Suya recalls Twilights explanation.

It’s Halloween and Suya is shown to be pretty face blind though she mostly recognizes them.

Twilight is pretty numb to Suya’s nonsense, but this prompts them to start their own tournament. 

It blows up in his face when Suya joins.

However Twilight has learnt how to deal with Suya pretty well. 

He offers her a special item for the hero knowing she’d immediately fall asleep. Thus avoiding being stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

 This still takes place during the anime though there’s segments it didnt adapt.

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

dragon ball super superhero spoilers woo

I don’t remember if I mentioned that I’d bought a ticket to go see this or that a whole 2 days before it screened I managed to accidentally recruit a friend to come watch it with me, but hey I just got home from the cinema after watching Dragon Ball Super: Superhero! Dubbed! And it was pretty solid!

Definitely think choosing to strongly focus on Piccolo and Gohan was a great choice, it’s nice seeing other characters take a strong spotlight position again instead of just Goku and Vegeta as the stars of everything modern Dragon Ball is up to. Helps that I think Gohan and Piccolo each work very endearingly as lead characters. Piccolo doesn’t really have much of a character journey here, he’s mostly just there as a vehicle to experience the story, but he’s definitely a fun one for that and like hey he gets a new form, sure. Gohan does have some development here, and it’s well executed at that - although it is literally just him having to remember the importance of training so he can defend the earth - which is an arc he’s largely had before and which I’m expecting once again won’t really matter in future super content. They can once again just have him lose access to that new form he got (kinda don’t like its design btw, and it was disappointing that it only really saw a few minutes of usage anyway, also disappointing was that it was treated as a rage form and like, come on dude) through not training then just repeat that arc. But that’s cynical of me and not relevent to this movie, so for now I’m happy to say I like how Gohan was done here.

Side characters don’t really bear as much mention here. Goku and Vegeta are largely just training, Vegeta beats Goku in said training because sure, got it. Krillin is largely a laughing stock which is like, whatever. Pan is really cute and really fun and I enjoyed her screentime a lot. Surprisingly enough they make Goten and Trunks fail the fusion dance but then have Fat Gotenks still help out quite a lot in the fight, I actually really enjoyed that. They made Beerus develop a crush on Cheelai which, hey it’s a new Beerus joke I’ll take it. I don’t think I have anything else to comment on here.

Probs the stars in terms of having well-executed character arcs here were actually the villains, specifically the Androids Gamma 1 and 2. Their characterisation and arcs are truest to the Superhero title in the movie’s name, basically just dudes programmed to act like costume superheroes, but they’re doing evil shit right now because they’re misinformed, and then they manage to assess the situation, reevaluate what they’re doing, and then actually play heroes and shit. This also all happens during the fight by the way, which I really like - Dragon Ball movies can be prone to X minutes of plot before Y minutes of huge fight, but this one was way more of an actual mixture of both, which we like a lot.

Certainly have mixed feelings on the eventual main antagonist though. Cell Max. He’s not Cell - in terms of character he’s really just a giant screaming kaiju - but he’s designed to look like Cell. Thing is they give pretty much the best possible justification for this to be the case imaginable, he’s literally designed off of Cell because the Red Ribbon Army dudes saw how strong Cell was and still have Gero’s notes after all, and was then built by Gero’s grandson Dr Hedo since hey he’d be able to do what his granddad did easy. In-universe it’s really believable that he’d be a thing that existed. Where it gets easier for me to be negative is, he’s designed like Cell for nostalgia lol. Super loves redoing what it knows we liked before, so we get a villain that looks like Cell and is called Cell, because Gohan’s biggest moment was against Cell so now Gohan can fight Cell but again. The justification works and feels natural but it’s hard not to be upset by that meta of Super just kinda doing old stuff again. Also lowkey kinda wish he got like, a smaller form at the end, just because giant characters don’t make for as fun fight choreography.

Visuals of this movie were definitely a curious one. Early reactions obviously leaned negative because Dragon Ball found its best 2D anime style yet in Broly and then immediately for the next movie jumped to full 3D. And I don’t think the early trailers looked great. Come the final product though and honestly this looks super great lol, the fight in the rain especially. I can’t pretend I didn’t prefer how the 2D sequences in this very same movie looked - but the 3D fight animation was still very good and still felt very Dragon Ball in terms of choreography and spectacle and such. Flashy lights were very flashy.

Suppose all around like, yeah good time. It’s weird, in many ways it does feel like an improvement over, say, Battle of Gods and Broly - plot progressing during the fights instead of stopping just to have those fights, as well as obviously strong utilisation of the sidecast instead of just Goku and Vegeta exclusively - definitely on paper makes for a really good time. But at the same time I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as those movies. Weird. Oh well. 7/10, sure.