#artist-san you are very talented

[cuntylouis]

I'm getting tired of hearing the sentiment that Louis doesn't care about Armand's trauma or have any sympathy for him. In the museum scene his expressions and body language were almost exactly similar to the scenes where Claudia and Lestat talk about their respective assaults. And in all these scenes he's mostly quiet. So does it mean Louis doesn't care about Claudia's or Lestat's traumas either? Of course not. It's just how he outwardly reacts in situations like this. He tends to shut down and doesn't know how to express his empathy and distress. Dreamstat represents Louis' hidden thoughts, but at the museum he's actually next to Louis listening quietly for the most of the scene. It's only at the end when Armand compares Marius, Magnus and Lestat to each other that dreamstat reacts angrily. And it's not mocking what happened to Armand, it's a manifestation of Louis' discomfort, him fearing that he's being manipulated and being uncomfortable that Lestat is brought up and that his relationship with Lestat is compared to Armand and Lestat's disturbing relationships with their own makers.

What Louis says to Armand in San Francisco is incredibly cruel. He's on drugs and extremely upset and intentionally trying come up with the most hurtful words he can think of, they both are. He very obviously deeply regrets it later. When he wakes up after the sun scene and remembers what he did and what kind of things he said before it he's ashamed and distressed. He's crying (though partially because of pain) and immediately tries to apologize to Armand and reach out for him. He's not angry when Armand leaves him in pain, probably thinking that he deserves it. When Armand later says "after what you put me through here i deserve this" Louis agrees. That's not someone who doesn't care or have empathy.

As often with Louis, i think the things he says to Armand are as much about Louis himself as they're about Armand. He sees himself in Daniel, and his entire speech to Claudia in 2.01 is directed also at himself, and he's projecting his own self-hatred and insecurities onto Armand. Louis fears that he is boring and dull. His husband repeatedly cheated on him and laughed in his face when Louis asked isn't he enough. During his depression years Lestat complained about Louis just reading and not leaving the house and how he was drawing Lestat into his gloom. He felt his sister-daughter was more interested in the theater and the coven than spending time with him. The coven mocked him and his passions and didn't find him that interesting after he stopped being a novelty. He was told that he didn't have much artistic talent. In the 70s his life seems to be repetitive and meaningless.

Louis subconsciously detests the qualities he recognizes in Armand that he recognizes and detests in himself - including being a victim. The interview was interrupted when Daniel criticized Louis for going back to Lestat and for his passivity and suicidal ideation. When he's fighting with Armand that all is on his mind. What he says about Armand's "daddy vampire grooming him into a little bitch" actually brings to my mind such scenes as how he derisively said in the second interview that he had become an unhappy housewife living with Lestat, and how dreamstat called him a "little whore". The shame of having experienced abuse and all the feelings of emasculation and degradation that came with it have never left him. Even in the second interview Louis firmly says to Daniel that he doesn't consider himself abused and that he isn't a victim. I don't think Louis consciously thinks that being abused makes someone a bad or weak person, but on some subconsious level he probably feels like that - at least if it's about himself. Again, in this same episode we see Louis acting like he deserves how Armand treats him after their fight and his suicide attempt

[purpdrawsthings]

"I used to look so happy, always jittering around, curious."

"... I was so naive and gullible back then... "

Gosh dang chat the Puzzles angst is real 😔💥

Ngl, if I'm being honest, if feel meh about the finished result =[

The lines on Puzzles looks a bit too thick, and I'm kinda not satisfied with how I drew kid Puzzles. And the shading on Puzzles wasn't really how I imagined it 😭 Though I am satisfied with the holographic look I did.

Overall, not really one of my favs but still decent anyways 💥

Anywaysssss enough with the honest and negative thoughts, I LOVE THIS AU SO MUCH GUHHHHHHHHHHH

THE IDEA OF A SANS AU IS GENIUS AND I COULDN'T IMAGINE HOW WELL IT EVEN FIT WITH THE CAST AND EVERYTHING!!! I MEAN- I HAVEN'T WENT IN THE UNDERTALE FANDOM BEFORE BUT I DO KNOW SOME OF THE SANS'S! Gosh I am always flabbergasted on how people get such amazing ideas 😔

ESPECIALLY YOU @michealscorneroftheinternet !!!! I FIRST SAW YOU THROUGH YOUR AMAZING SMG3 AND PUZZLES AU!! I LOVE THE STORY SO MUCH, ITS SO WELL PUT TOGETHER AHHHHHH 💥💥💥💥💥💥

I CAN BELIEVE YOU'RE BOTH AN ARTIST AND A PERSON WHO CAN USE GMOD! GOSH DANG THAT'S TALENT.

Meanwhile the only materials I have are just a phone and finger 😭

This fandom has got so many amazing talented ppl, makes me go bonkers how I've known some amazing popular ppl omg 😔😔😔

Okay I think that's enough fangirling 😭

I hope they enjoy this art piece that I managed to finish =']

Yeetus chat =3

NOTE :

OK WHAT I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE UPDATED POSTS FROM MICHEAL AND I THINK THIS IS REALLY NOT ACCURATE FROM THE LORE AHHHHHHHHHHHSWISHOSBDLSNDKDJDKD

I HAVE VERY LOW KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SANS AU AJSHOAHSOSHSOSHS 😭😭😭

Worries too much about inaccuracy

[yowyowyaoi]

*Kakuzu walks into the Akatsuki hideout holding Hidan's hand* Deidara: ... Huh? Itachi: Are ... are you okay, Kakuzu-san? I have never once seen you hold Hidan's hand ... Kakuzu, gruffly: Have no choice. This damn brat went and got himself hit upside the head with a heavy steel pole by an enemy nin. Knocked what little brains he has loose. If I let go, he runs away from me and starts doing odd things. Konan: Odd? Such as? Kakuzu: *sighs and lets go of Hidan's hand* Hidan: *runs to Deidara and lifts him off his feet in a gigantic hug, swinging him around* Hidan: Deidara! My dearest, most precious friend! I love you sooooo much I could just squeeze you to itty bitty pieces! Deidara: *starts crying* H-help ... Hidan: *lets Deidara go and runs to Itachi, also lifting him off his feet* Hidan: Another beloved friend! Just seeing your kind face and hearing your wisdom each day is enough to keep a smile on my face for the entire week! Itachi: ... Hidan: *lets go of Itachi and runs to Konan, bowing low before her and kissing her small hand* Hidan: Beauty such as yours is overlapped only by your tremendous warmth and grace, my dear sweet lady. *Sasori walks into the room* Kakuzu: Thank goodness. Hidan's seemed to have picked up some pretty severe head injuries, and it's drastically effecting his personality. Can you please mix up some sort of tonic to return him to normal, or at the very least sedate him? Sasori: Ah, of course. Bring him into my lab and I'll-- Hidan: *goes to Sasori and stares at him reverently* Hidan: Master Sasori. I admire you most of all. The puppets that you create are absolutely sublime and a perfect embodiment of what true artistic talent is. Sasori: Sasori: ... You know, I don't see any rush to "fix" him, Kakuzu. He seems perfectly fine to me. The others:

@kakuhidaweek

[cyber97luts]

"𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒅"-𝑩.𝑪.𝑪. 𝒙 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

☆*ﾟ in·ter·link

verb past tense: interlinked; past participle: interlinked

·join or connect (two or more things) together.

☆SMAU by CyBer97luts

*all pictures used from Pinterest or official Stray Kids or Ateez social media accounts.

✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*

*⑅୨ background info ୧*

:;JYP and KQ are overall talent management companies; signing idols, models, dancers, etc.

:;Stray Kids is not a group, they are all under JYP and are all friends. However, they've been separated into 3RACHA, Seungmin and I.N are solo artist, whilst Danceracha pursues separate careers.

:;A few Stray Kids and Ateez members are already familiar with each other. San, Chan, and Changbin for example, they enjoy going to the gym together. There are many other friendships but that will become apparent through the story.

:;This is my first SMAU so it is very self indulgent. Personalities of people mentioned in the story and of Y/N are not fully intended to be accurate. Please keep this in mind while reading and remember that this is not a reflection of any real people.

✧*:･ﾟ( ̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅[̲̅ ̲̅]̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅ )*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ( ̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅[̲̅ ̲̅]̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅ )*:･ﾟ✧

ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ° . · . ✧ °  . ੭Masterlist

:; JYPE 2 :;KQE 2

:;we're so back

:;fwb:(

:;jyp baddies

:;gnawing at the iron bars of my enclosure

:;nice outfit

:;convenience store

:;who is this?

:;w wingmen

:;be ready by 5

:;i like you...

:;end of an era

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Still not sold, the house w/the purple garage door. 1977 build in San Luis Obispo, CA. The owner did the tile work inside and has not reduced the price of the 4bd, 3ba home. It's still at $1.95M.

The front door and skylight are decorated with mosaics.

I think that if you buy a house owned by an artist, if the artist is truly talented, you get extra. Note the dancing flamingos in the fireplace and the mosaics around the mirror.

Outside the living room is a terrace and the owner painted murals on both walls.

Next is the open dining room and kitchen. He has a small table, but a much larger one will fit.

The kitchen was redone at some point, b/c this is a mid-century home. In here, the owner did his mosaics on the walls and backsplash. Is that a big flatscreen in lieu of upper cabinets?

He did a mural in the primary bedroom.

The bedroom also has a private terrace with hand painted murals on both walls.

Interesting bath. Modern version of a clawfoot tub in front of the window and a very interesting glass sink.

On the landing there's a handpainted shade on the window.

I wonder if the art on the walls convey (and I wonder if I'd want it).

There's an enclosed porch off the family room.

It has an ocean scene on the wall and is used as a dining space with a mini-fridge. There's a kitchen and laundry in here. A little weird, but okay.

And, it also has a terrace.

Then right off the hall by the bedrooms, there's another kitchenette. Look at the wall done in glass baubles.

This bedroom has mosaics and a mural.

I've never seen sauna with a mattress.

This bedroom has mosaics and art, plus a mural. It also has a door to a terrace.

Mosaic bath.

Purple door to a small patio with a sink & fridge.

Nice scenery and it's actually the garden.

The back of the house goes down and some of the bedrooms are on the lower level. The yard and garden are nice and an average size. The lot measures 7,000 sq ft.

Well, I know it's in California and all, but I don't think I would choose it if I had $1.95M to spend.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/295-Santa-Maria-Ave-San-Luis-Obispo-CA-93405/15426114_zpid/

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @scottlava

Scott Campbell has illustrated numerous children’s books, including SKULLS!, Sleepy the Goodnight Buddy, and Zombie In Love. He was author/illustrator of the much-loved HUG MACHINE. He enjoyed a long career in video games, where he art directed the critically acclaimed game Psychonauts and Brutal Legend for Double Fine Productions. Great Showdowns is his ongoing online series. Scott’s work has appeared in galleries and publications around the world. You can see more of his work at ScottC.com.

Check out our interview with Scott below!

How did you get your start in art, and more specifically, with Great Showdowns?

I went to art school in San Francisco and have been painting, making comics, and designing video games ever since with Double Fine Productions. The Great Showdowns began at the first Crazy 4 Cult exhibition at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles back in 2007, an exhibition of artwork inspired by the cult classics of cinema. The first 10 little paintings were intended to be snack-sized pieces for people to easily collect. They began with perhaps the most iconic of wild west showdowns from A Fistful of Dollars with Clint Eastwood. I pulled some of my favorite moments from films like Ghostbusters, Predator, Exorcist, and Planet of the Apes and placed them all in simple little dust-colored squares as if they were in the dirt streets of a wild west town. They began as good versus evil but grew to all kinds of showdowns between people and objects and often moments of great love between people. I started a tumblr for them a few years later, and I have been posting them ever since. We have published three Great Showdown books and have had 3 solo exhibitions along with worldwide scavenger hunts. There are over a thousand of them up on the site by now, and i do not plan on stopping any time soon.

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

I would like to gather Jim Henson, Walt Disney, and Richard Scarry together for dinner and chats. They have all created my favorite and most joyful worlds. I think we would have some of the most delightful chats.

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

I love collage, but every time I try it, I get frustrated and just quit. Someday I will get into it when my kids are old enough to really mess around with various mediums. I plan to have boxes of textiles and magazines for them to just annihilate.

What does your work set up look like?

Oh, it’s just a table with an old mug for water and an old plate for my watercolors and not much else. I share a studio with a bunch of very inspiring people who make wonderful things, from fabricated creatures to VR experiences and films. I have probably the simplest little area in the space. I do have an old oak flat file that I love to look at.

Advice you would give to an aspiring creator?

The biggest thing I would push upon everyone would be to not fret about one’s visual style. The style will grow and present itself as you experiment with mediums and expose yourself to various cultural delights. Just have fun and try all kinds of things.

What is one interaction you had from a fan of yours that has stuck with you over the years?

I gave a game design presentation many years back on a game I had art directed at the time called Brutal Legend at a game conference in Leeds. The game followed a roadie to the age of metal in the land of metal, with demons and chrome volcanoes and hot rods growing from the ground, and rivers of happy and cheering fans. After the talk, I spoke with someone whose work I had seen in earlier portfolio reviews at the conference. She was very shy but incredibly talented. She came up to me after the talk feeling pretty emotional and inspired to the point of tears and sobbing. It was probably the most extreme reaction I have ever gotten from someone, and it touched me deep down in my guts. That’s why we make things! To bring on the tears!

From video games, to illustrations, and children's books, you've worked on many projects. What was the most challenging, yet rewarding one?

Video games take an enormous amount of work over a long period of time and rely on the skills and talent of many like-minded people. It is sometimes difficult to corral such an effort, but it is incredibly rewarding to see it all come together to create such epic worlds. That said, though, children’s books are very enjoyable in a cozy way. It’s just me right there working on a world and all the pressure is on me. I cannot rely on all the talented people around me to make it look great.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

I love perusing old fashion and film blogs and artists like Bob Jinx and Neil Sanders and collections like Its Colossal.

Thanks for stopping by, Scott! Be sure to check out the Great Showdowns over at @scottlava!

[bullet-prooflove]

ATF!Series Part Two: Fucked - David Hale x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989@hatersaremymotivators@bennykk@kelpies-shed

ATF Series:

Part One: A Rabbit You Don't Want To Chase - Stahl makes an unwelcome return to David's life.

You and David have plans for the summer. You think about them as you recline naked on a chaise lounge in Simone’s art studio, one arm above your head, your face tilted towards the painters.

You’ve been accepted into San Franisco Art Institute’s Accelerator Program over the summer, which means you’ll be spending eight weeks on campus learning from the best the country has to offer. At the end of the course there’s an event where the artists enrolled get to showcase their work to industry professionals. It’s a way of being discovered, of taking your art to the next level.

David’s going to drive you up there next month. The two of you are going to spend a couple of days sightseeing before the program starts. He’s booked off a few weekends throughout the duration, made reservations at a hotel so you can spend a little time together in the city before you come home.

San Franisco is a dream that you never envisioned for yourself. When your professor had given you the application you didn’t think she was serious. It was a competitive program, it was unlikely you’d get a place even if you did apply so what was the point? It was David that changed your mind.

“You’re so talented.” He had murmured, his lips ghosting across the line of your jaw as you straddled his lap, his fingers untying the knot on your silk robe. “I have every faith in you.”

You’ve never had a man say those words before, they’d been more of an aphrodisiac than you cared to admit.

When the letter had arrived announcing your placement, he had brought home a bottle of champagne and spent the entire night licking the bubbles from your body. You try to distract yourself from that thought because the last thing you want is to get wet in the middle of a session.

When you tune back into your surroundings you find yourself meeting the eyes of the woman across from you. She’s new to the class and the way she looks at you, it’s predatory.

It’s after session that she approaches you. You’re standing in your cotton kimono, sipping from a teacup while she leans against the counter alongside of you. You freeze when she reaches out, her fingertips tucking a loose strand of hair back behind your ear.

“You are very fuckable aren’t you?”

“Sorry honey, you aren’t my type.” You tell her as you pull away, she dogs your steps until you disappear behind the mango wood room divider so that you can dress.

“I know.” She says from the opposite side as you step into your panties and draw them up your thighs. “You have a thing for cop uniforms and leather kuttes.”

You pause for a second before pulling on your sports bra.

“Special Agent Stahl.” You presume.

“Ah David told you about me.” She says, sounding pleased as you tug your jeans up to your hips.

“Only that you like to be called Mommy when you’re sucking dick.” You respond and there’s silence for a moment before she pops her head around the screen.

“You know he was fucking me an hour ago.” She tells you, watching with appreciation as you raise your arms to pull on your shirt. “I’ve still got his come dripping out of me.”

You give her a bored look because you know there isn’t a chance in hell that David stuck his cock back in that beartrap.

“Careful.” You say as you lace up your ankle boots. “Your desperation is showing.”

“I get why he likes you, you know?” She says, leaning back against the desk Simone uses for her admin. “I bet you’re just a firecracker in the bedroom.”

“Is there a reason you’re here or are you just trying to figure out ways to piss off David?” You ask her as you sling your slouch bag over your shoulder.

She shrugs her shoulders.

“It’s an added bonus.” She tells you before crossing her arms over her chest. “I want to talk about someone else we have in common. Jax Teller.”

“Old news.” You say as you search through the contents of your bag for your phone. “If you’re looking information you’re in the wrong place. We fucked for a month almost a year ago.”

“Do you know if he was carrying  a gun during that time?” She asks you, picking up a fidget spinner Simone leaves on her desk for Juice to play with.

You see the path that this is taking. Jax is on parole for a weapons charge. If Stahl finds a witness that says he has a gun, they can get a warrant to search the clubhouse. Jax goes back to prison, the Sons do an investigation of their own. You’ll be the first place they look and what comes after that…

You don’t want David caught up in that crossfire.

“No.” You tell her and she sighs, setting the fidget spinner back in its rightful place before meeting your gaze.

“Fine.” She says reaching into her purse and removing a set of handcuffs. “I’m arresting you on conspiracy to commit vandalism.”

You couldn’t have been more surprised if she’d drew back her fist and punched you in the face. She snaps the bracelet on your wrist before turning you around to face the wall.

“A year ago you spraypainted a five foot dick on Jax Teller’s house, causing a crime spree that went on for weeks and cost the town thousands in property damage, anything over $400 dollars makes it federal. The charge comes with up to a year in jail, fines and restitution.” She tells you as she cinches the cuffs so tightly that they bite into your skin, already your fingertips are starting to tingle. “If that doesn’t stick I’m going to call your art school and that shitty little summer program in San Franisco and tell them your affiliated with a known, violent gang so that future you’ve been looking forward to you can kiss that goodbye.”

In that moment your entire world collapses. Everything you’ve worked so hard for, it’s gone in an instant.

“Tell me is Jax Teller really worth all this?” She asks you, her breath ghosting in your ear. There’s a purr in her voice as she presses up against you, she gets off on having all the power, you remember David telling you that when he described how fucked up their whole thing was.

For you this isn’t about Jax, it’s about him. It’s about what happens when the Sons come for you because David, he will fight to his last breath to protect you and you can’t stand the thought of that.

“Fuck you.” You snap and you can practically feel Stahl’s smile against your skin.

“I think you’re the one that’s about to get fucked.”

Love David? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[emblemxeno]

Tbh I don’t quite understand the sentiment that Engage doesn’t have good or any worldbuilding at all, like tf is up with that. First instinct would be “them 3H fans again!!!” but other long time FE fans also consider it lackluster and idk I don’t agree. 

Each of the four nations all have surface level distinctions, but in-depth internal layers, such as...

Firene values peace, gratitude, and its harvests, tea, and medicine. It’s the kingdom that would usually be taken advantage of, but the reason it maintains its peace is through aggressive policy done by its leaders, currently by Eve and very notably followed up by Celine. Medicine and health is taken seriously cuz the last king died from an illness, the same illness which the current and well loved prince is suffering from. The Firene retainers are all nobles sans Louis, who is noted to have gotten his role because of his domestic skill in tandem with his martial prowess; this implies a sort of status quo, one that’s maintained to keep things peaceful, though not overly enforced to the point of oppression. 

Brodia is wealthy and martially strong, yet prideful. The nobility is noted to take advantage of the constant wars on Elusia, as it fuels economy, which in turn fuels more wars. The wars against Elusia themselves are partly an extension of Brodia’s pride: aggressive expansion done in the name of “keeping a wicked nation in check” and to further Brodian way of life. Because strength is valued, the Brodian retainers are all common folk who proved themselves, sans Citrinne, who develops a complex about her strength because of it. Mining is the primary income source after warfare, something that Diamant wants to shift towards to the dismay of war benefitting nobles.

Elusia is the kingdom of knowledge, and as such, is the only nation noted to have a major place of education. The arts and the leisure seems to be highly valued here, due to an author, an artist, and a native to a hot spring centered village being recruited. Retainers, like in Brodia, are decided by strength or capability; after all, you don’t often have a Crown Princess’s servants be a former assassin and a former prince without skill and knowledge being paramount in the decision making. Hyacinth has too much love to go around, and so has a wife as well as many mistresses, and many children as a result. Knowledge begets avenues of possibility, which means one can use said knowledge to selfishly get ahead (such as the Elusian court where backstabbing and fake platitudes to appeal to the King and Queen were common place) or to benefit the world around you (Hortensia using her intellect and talent to help war victims, and Ivy utilizing Elusia’s creativity and innovative practices to better the public’s wellbeing). Seeking knowledge, however, can entrench one in dark practices, which is why the worship of the Fell Dragon went from notable to beligerent and dangerous.

Solm values freedom, and is notable for being a strict matriarchy. Only women take the throne, Merrin’s village is only ran by women, and Panette and Pandreo’s family church was headed by their mother. While open minded and easy going on the surface, Solm having its own elite vigilante group and having spies throughout the continent means that the queendom takes measures to ensure freedom very seriously; these actions are similar to Firene, which is brought up in Celine and Fogado’s support, and the two themselves are indicative of each of their nations cultures. Unlike the other nations, there’s no strict basis for who becomes a retainer, since you have a chef, a priest, and two runaways. The people of Solm live their lives how they want, and its culture is more open to entertainment and large gatherings than other nations.

And this is just what I whipped together from memory. I’ve no doubt that there’s tons of other minute details that, when pieced together, form more descriptions of the nations as a whole. This, to me, is on part with how the GBA games and Echoes built their worlds. Very solid in depth readings, with surface level broad strokes to entice the player in should they choose to put more hours into learning the ins and outs. And that isn’t even getting into the artistic directions of each nation and the characters (like outfits, seasonal representations, food/ingredients, etc.). Hell, the entirety of Elyos is shaped like a ring for crying out loud! It’s screaming “yeah the rings are this central to this world, enjoy your stay.”

I like that. Engage knows what it is and what it wants to present. No more, no less.

[ozzgin]

[Baki Masterlist]

Yandere! Kaiou Retsu x Artist! Reader

You open the door to the Shinshinkai Dojo and greet some of the men in the hall with a nod.

"You're here earlier than usual." One of them comments as you pass by.

"Yeah, the last lecture was cancelled and I had no other plans", you respond with a smile.

"You know it's getting serious when your free time is turned into training time. That's how it was for me!" the man lets out a hearty laugh.

"No way, I'm not made for this." You wave your hand in dismissal. "I'm just going with the flow and seeing where that takes me."

You go on your way, ruminating over the brief exchange. It's been a few months since you began taking karate lessons at the Dojo. You still remember Katsumi's perplexed expression as you stood before him, handing over the sign up papers.

"A-are you sure? The sparring can get quite rough and you're... well... uh..."

"You advertise it as perfect for self defense. Who needs it more, the buff pal over there or this short college student that can't even sketch in the park without being harassed by perverts?"

You slap the papers on the table with a loud thud. The man blushes slightly, realizing the irony.

"I apologize. You're entirely right." He scans over the form. "Evening classes. That's when I teach, actually! Looking forward to seeing you, then."

After the first few weeks of mostly standard workout in order to build stamina, you started learning the basics. Katsumi was greatly surprised and equally impressed by your unexpected skill. Turns out you weren't half bad at this! And so he suggested you show up more often, because he wanted to see how your newly discovered talent would develop in time.

As thankful as you are for his support, you find the whole ordeal rather funny. You don't have any intention of becoming some professional fighter. You're an artist and plan to remain one for the indefinite future. The little karate hobby serves as your dose of healthy activity and as the occasional inspiration, since you particularly enjoy recreating the human body and its intricacies on paper or in clay.

"Oh, (Y/N)!" Katsumi spots you and gestures for you to come over. Your nostalgic daydreaming has been interrupted. "Remember when I said that it helps to expand your knowledge? I have just the person for that." He places a hand on your back and guides you further into one of the main rooms.

"Here she is, Retsu-san. You might not believe it at first, neither did I, but I guarantee you she has a lot of potential."

You bow slightly to the stranger in front of you and he silently returns the gesture. He seems mildly awkward about the encounter.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I follow. What is this about?" you ask, somewhat confused. The deep stare of the long haired man intimidates you, so you avoid it by throwing quick glances at Katsumi instead.

"Would you be interested in learning Chinese Kenpo? This is Kaiou Retsu. He'll be joining us at the Dojo for a while. I thought you could use some variety."

"Shouldn't you be asking him if he's willing to teach rookies like me?" you wonder if this poor man had his services offered against his will.

"It is my great pleasure to spread the knowledge of this ancient art. I only ask that you treat it with respect and don't take it lightly." Retsu straightens his back and looks ahead, in no particular direction.

Ah, how embarrassing. He can't even look at her properly. He wishes he could drag Katsumi out in the hallway and whack some common sense into him. The least he could've done was to let him know who to expect.

Obviously he's seen women before. He's been out of the temple for a long time now. So why is he acting so strange all of a sudden? Katsumi was very secretive about his new favorite student and refused to give him any details besides "you won't regret it". He anticipated anything but this. He's especially baffled at his own reaction meeting (Y/N).

All he can do now is to pray that he isn't so obvious in just how flustered this woman has gotten him. He wonders if Katsumi went through the same nervousness when he first met you. He secretly peeks at the young man and notices how relaxed he seems to be next to you. Yeah, perhaps he just needs a little time. Then he can treat you with the same confidence, too.

***

"What matters the most here is actually the placement of the foot. If it's slightly tilted the wrong way, you lose all support and everything else falls apart. A good kick needs an equally good grounding."

Retsu is in his comfort zone. For a mere moment, he can forget his audience and focus on his technique. This is what he does best. Still concentrated, he unbuttons his shirt and throws it aside, as this is how he usually fights.

"Find the weak point depending on your opponent's stance, and quickly make your move before they've got it figured out."

He demonstrates the attack, followed by a few skillful jumps as he returns to his initial spot. He checks to see if you've been following his instructions, a prideful smile plastered on his face. Your eyes are wide, mouth slightly open in shameless marvel. His smile immediately vanishes and is replaced by an embarrassed frown. Why are you looking at him like that? It's one of the most basic moves he can think of.

You suddenly clap your hands together and lower your head in a begging posture. The way his body bends and folds in such a fluid, continuous way, the way his muscles contract rhythmically in a calculated vigor... This man is not only a master of martial arts, but your newly found muse.

"Please excuse my rudeness, but I really can't think of a better way to put it. Might I be allowed to sketch you during your training? I really wish I could capture your artistry."

You shyly glance up, worried you may have angered the Chinese man. He's covering his face with one hand and you tense up, unsure of how to proceed. Should you apologize? Then you manage to discern the deep blush that's taken over his face.

He must calm down at once. He's inhaling deeply, attempting to regulate his breathing. He can feel the vibration of his heart slamming into his chest at great speed. Truly, how happy your words made him. And this brings him to the abrupt realization that he will never be like Katsumi around you.

It's been a little under a month since he's met you, and the slightest interaction coming from you makes his whole composure collapse into shambles. All the feelings and thoughts are now avalanching over, burying him and making him unable to let a single word out. It could very well be that he's in love with you, but it's a frightful, rabid adoration that trickles out of his grasp, as if it could escape from his control at any moment. It's a terrifying discovery for someone that so values their discipline.

"If it's too troublesome, you can forget about it. I got too excited. To be honest, I've been using you as a reference for some time now, but it felt wrong not to tell you about it."

You crouch down to your backpack and hesitantly pull out a notebook with pages sticking out. You peel open the covers and spread some of the papers onto the ground, for a better view.

Retsu squats down with you and gazes over the detailed pencil works, partly distracted. He'd appreciate your anatomical accuracy if it wasn't for his presently feverish state. He places your hands between his and analyzes them. What a difference. Dainty, fragile and yet powerful enough to win Katsumi's respect. Nonetheless of insignificant size compared to his large, calloused and weathered palms. To think that you've been watching him the same way he's been watching you all this time. Perhaps for somewhat different reasons. How would you react if you knew? What would you think of someone like him?

"Umm..." you swallow dryly as you attempt to break the silence. You can almost hear a faint ringing in your ears.

What if you were to reject his confession? It wouldn't be the first time he's faced defeat. Retsu is however unsure if he'd be willing to accept it this time. He looks at you with newly found resolve. No matter what, he'll do what it takes to become a man worthy of your love. If only he could remain your inspiration forever.

[doktorventure]

Kakuhida Fic Recs!

Kay so I’ve read through pretty much everything on ao3 at this point, here are some of my faves in no particular order! This list is a work in progress. I hope you guys enjoy these as much as I have.

Resist(ance) by Hoppsindel

“I’m at a point now,-” Kakuzu continued, “-where I have to make a choice. And I think that whichever way I choose will end up badly for me.”

Tore took a deep breath and gazed out over the yard and the fields beyond. He was silent for a few moments, as if gathering his thoughts and trying to find the right words to say. Then he turned to look at his friend with a very serious expression on his old, wrinkled face.

“Think of your future, Kakuzu. And think carefully. Is this man you barely know, worth risking it all for?”

Shinobi Academy of Music by lilac_bramble

In the Shinobi Academy of Music, the faculty is divided and loyalties are tested as the head of the Keyboard School launches his own agency and record label, New Dawn Artists, creaming off all the most talented students before they even graduate. Caught up in the crossfire are Kakuzu, a Syrian pianist whose studies in his own country were cut short, first by imprisonment and then by war, and Hidan, a young tenor who has already managed to alienate nearly all the teaching staff, and the sole student in the entire Vocal School to be taken on by the prestigious but elusive vocal coach ‘Jashin’.

Follow Your Arrow by Weirdowithagun

Doctor Kakuzu Hoku had followed one straight and narrow path his entire life in the pursuit of his one and only love; Money. Dubbed the 'asshole of the century' he constantly finds himself having to get new secretaries via his old friend Kisame Hoshigaki, the friendly and easy-going human resources worker. Unfortunately for Kakuzu, Kisame makes a bit of an error sending him his latest employee while trying to help out one of his friends, a man by the name of Itachi Uchiha, who's new roommate has been having a hard time finding work due to his less than spectacular legal history.

Hidan San is 'desperately afraid of his own desires', and throughout his unfortunate life has never managed to find a place he could really call home, or people he could really call friends, until he accepts a job in a last-ditch effort to appease his roommate that ends up sticking him with the man he's come to know as Dr. Satan. After a string of self-realizations and mini-panic attacks, they find themselves suddenly on a completely new path that greets them both with surprise after surprise.

Nothing Lasts Forever by Fuladaris

Kakuzu takes the diagnosis better than Hidan does. In fact, while Hidan demands to know why there isn’t a cure, threatens and cajoles and curses and clutches his rosary, Kakuzu - says nothing at all.

In Limbs and Joints by orphan_account

Being in solitary confinement saves Hidan and Kakuzu from the most severe impacts of the sudden zombie hordes wreaking havoc all over the continent. With no one else but each other to rely on, they tread into this new world where they are newly free yet not without challenges.

Half Agony, Half Hope by Devilfangs

After a particularly bad fight, Kakuzu is left heavily injured. As Hidan treats him, he comes to terms with the changing nature of their relationship and what that means for the both of them.

Is This Life or Art? by lilac_bramble

AU Kakuzu/Hidan set against the tempestuous backdrop of the London art scene. Kakuzu is an investment banker with an extensive art collection and a difficult past; Hidan is a notorious life model unwillingly moving into the world of fashion.

They take to each other inexplicably and immediately, but can they keep it together as their friends' relationships deteriorate around them and Hidan just can't seem to stay out of trouble?

Dress Our Pleasure Up As Greed by 83dumplings

Hidan was an arrogant prick and a bloodthirsty zealot. He aroused his most base instincts – to hurt and let his temper loose on his body. So then, why was he treating him with such ardour and generosity?

Contains: a stay at an expensive ryokan, overall homoerotic delirium, accidental philosophical questions, also some Daoism out of nowhere.

AND as an honorable mention we have my fave Naruto fic…

The Moss by m_jeevas

On a night submersed in rain, Sasori picks up young “trimmigant” Deidara half a mile from the Garberville bus station out of sporadic pity. An isolationist and a scorpion amongst frogs that prefers to keep to the woods, Sasori is thrust into taking on this new apprentice in tandem with “The Suna Three”, his niece and nephews hiding out from their relatives for the season. Within the forests of the Emerald Triangle in Northern California, we explore a tale of mental illness, family, and the cutthroat world of marijuana’s black market.

This one is majorly gaalee and sasodei BUT kakuhida make their appearances. Seriously, it’s so good. Very lengthy and still ongoing but definitely worth a read.

[cantcompetewhereudontcompare]

Louis' boxscores are out and wow, was I spot on!

In my last post I claimed that he hadn't actually grown his audience from his last tour, as his fans claimed, and that he repeated the same numbers instead.

This is what I said about Argentina:

Louis in Argentina had sold 25,957 tickets in 2023 "while Harry was touring. (Harry sold 123,942 tickets in the same country)." If he even repeated his 25,000 crowd I'd be shocked. But he definitely didn't grow this audience. It was as small as before, at best.

This was his box score for Argentina:

Estadio Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires: 20,318 (72.76%) - $1,490,300

Bahahahha. This is what I said about Brazil:

Harry had three shows in Allianz Parque which had a combined attendance of 137,009. Each show roughly 45/46K. That is a third of that stadium. And Louis did not sell out, there were tickets available in all sections right up until the moment the show started. Louis had one show. You can see the empty seats in multiple videos on Twitter. Meaning, Louis' attendance was at best 15K. That is, once again, the same exact audience he had for his previous tour.

This was his box score for Brazil:

Allianz Parque, São Paulo: 16,406 (77.81%) - $1,299,866

This is what I said about Mexico:

The 70,000 number came from a fan and people just ran with it, particularly multiple Spanish speaking blogs who aren't very reputable. The actual attendance was 32,000. I know there's a source for this but I didn't save it, it was an official Mexican news outlet who spoke with the organizers.

This was his box score for Mexico:

Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City: 31,562 (97.06%) - $2,788,570

Genuinely shocked at my own ability to guesstimate audiences at a glance, but ANYWAY.

His fans are obviously claiming these numbers are fake, or they're just "platinum tickets" ????

Touring Data posts box scores they obtain from Pollstar, which audits concerts and gets information straight from the source. Either the artist's team or the venue. The numbers are 100% official. This is what he sold.

If they hadn't been hellbent on surpassing or matching Harry, and centering this man's life and career around his former (much more famous, much more talented) bandmate, then they'd realize that the fact that he has those audiences is a miracle that should be celebrated.

A person who cannot sing, play instruments, or compose music, refuses to dress up or make any sort of effort, doesn't learn his own lyrics, and has the charisma of a cardboard box, selling 32,000 tickets for a show is ridiculous enough.

Here's the complete list:

Mexico City (Mexico): 31,562 (97.06%) - $2,788,570

Buenos Aires (Argentina): 20,318 (72.76%) - $1,490,300

São Paulo (Brazil): 16,406 (77.81%) - $1,299,866

Guadalajara (Mexico): 12,975 (99.46%) - $1,143,498

Santiago (Chile): 12,979 (50.08%) - $829,243

Querétaro (Mexico): 4,938 (100%) - $480,594

Bogotá (Colombia): 5,576 (69.53%) - $463,305

Curitiba (Brazil): 5,379 (64.07%) - $452,919

Lima (Peru): 5,784 (90.54%) - $425,584

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): 6,101 (80.30%) - $387,853

Montevideo (Uruguay): 2,882 (73.60%) - $343,658

San José (Costa Rica): 3,314 (48.67%) - $290,948

Panama City (Panama): 1,718 (68.80%) - $174,277

Asunción (Paraguay): 3,025 (65.12%) - $167,174

San Juan (Puerto Rico): 2,046 (38.19%) - $161,370

The percentages are off, of course, because that's the percentage of tickets sold THAT HE PUT OUT ON SALE. Not actual capacity. In actuality, those places are much, much bigger, he just reduced capacity by a bunch and put only parts of the venues on sale, and even then he could only fully sell out ONE show.

Let's look at actual venue capacity of his biggest shows, not going by Wikipedia numbers, because often those numbers are maximum-maximum and to actually achieve that you have to not have a stage or a catwalk or a sound box. I'm going to compare to other concerts in the same venue, where possible!

Mexico City, Mexico - Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez

This one is actually quite hard to find info of. It's a venue used mainly for festivals, such as Arre, Electric Daisy, Vive Latino, etc. I cannot find single concerts here. And it makes sense because Louis' wasn't a single concert, but that vanity project of his that is his "Away From Home" festival. Where it's him as the main act and two or three more random white boy bands, who are often far better than him.

Anyway, attendance to this ground goes from 70,000 to 110,000, so the idea that his 31,562 sold out 97% of tickets is absurd. It's more along the lines of 30% of capacity.

Buenos Aires, Argentina - Estadio Vélez Sarsfield

This one is easy, as I've said before, One Direction performed there in 2014. I presume he chose it as some sort of ego trip?

One Direction sold out two shows at 80,622 making attendance for each 40,311.

To be fair, let's look up other shows! Karol G did two shows in 2024, her attendance for both was 82,818, meaning 41,409 for each.

Bad Bunny did two shows in 2022, his attendance for both was 85,345, meaning 42,672 for each.

So how on earth would 20,318, what Louis sold, represent almost 73%? If we take capacity of this stadium to be 41,000 then he sold less than 50% of the total amount of tickets....

São Paulo, Brazil - Allianz parque

Harry did three shows in this stadium, totalling 137,009 tickets sold, meaning 45,669 per show.

BTS had two shows in this stadium in 2019, totalling 84,728 tickets sold, meaning 42,364 per show.

Ed Sheeran had two shows in this stadium in 2019, totalling 81,156 tickets sold, meaning 40,578 per show.

Paul McCartney had two shows in this stadium in 2019, totalling 90,384 tickets sold, meaning 45,192.

Let's average it and we get about 43,500 for capacity. So how much of that did Louis' 16,406 represent? Was it almost 78%?

No, more along the lines of 37.7%.

I'm entirely too lazy to look up the others, and most of them are rather small and the arenas are quite obscure, so less acts have performed there (honestly, I think it'd be almost impossible to find concrete info for the venues in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico), but I really wanna know what possessed this man to book these venues??

He sold the same amount or more tickets for his first tour, in much smaller venues. It makes no sense at all. Booking those stadiums/big venues is more expensive, security for those venues is more expensive, staging is more expensive, you need more man power to put the stage together and apart, you actually have to either have multiple versions of your stage to fit the different types of venues, or have a too big stage at a small venue or a too small stage at a big venue, the ambiance of the show is worse, the sound of the show is worse.

So WHY? Is it the ego trip to claim he performed there? He can't possibly be that ridiculous. He's almost 33 years old. He's losing money. For a lot of these shows, I'm willing to bet he actually, not figuratively, had a loss in terms of the cost of putting the show together vs the gross of the show itself.

His first tour in Latin America vs his second tour:

Chile:

2023 | 24,063

2024 | 12,979

Paraguay:

2023 | 5,178

2024 | 3,025

Argentina:

2023 | 25,967

2024 | 20,318

Uruguay:

2023 | 6,627

2024 | 2,882 (oof, and this was in the same venue)

Brazil:

Rio 2023 | 12,206

Rio 2024 | 6,101

Sao Paulo 2023 | 15,426

Sao Paulo 2024 | 16,406

Peru:

2023 | 13,950

2024 | 5,784

Colombia:

2023 | 10,825

2024 | 5,576

Costa Rica:

2023 | 7,302

2024 | 3,314

Puerto Rico:

2023 | 3,595

2024 | 2,046

Mexico:

Monterrey 2023 | 6,674

Queretaro 2024 | 4,938

Guadalajara 2023 | 8,004

Guadalajara 2024 | 12,975

Mexico City 2023 | 23,894

Mexico City 2024 | 31,562

I put together Monterrey and Queretaro cause they're both in Mexico and he didn't repeat cities there. He had two extra cities, one in Brazil (Curitiba 5,379 attendance) and one in Panama (1,718 attendance) comparing from his last tour.

Total amount of tickets sold in Latin America in 2023: 163,714

Total amount of tickets sold in Latin America in 2024: 135,003

This is even though the venues were bigger and he visited more cities. But I thought he was doubling, tripling his audiences? LMAO.

His gross was sliiiightly more than in 2023:

2023: 9,240,254

2024: 10,473,240

But any positive difference he may have made was most likely offset by the cost of renting those venues and putting the shows together. Plus, not to mention it has been quite the year of inflation globally.

His own fans need to stop setting him up!

This is the source for the data

I'll be back soon, god willing, to make a comprehensive post about Louis being a high school homophobic bully and his large documented history of homophobia.

[desertdollranch]

My miniature doll room

Hello and welcome to the doll room!

This was a special project made for me by my mom. She's a Barbie collector and loves crafting little room boxes for them with tiny realistic accessories. When she asked if I wanted a room box, I was tempted to say no because I'm not into Barbies or dolls their size, but then I saw, fully formed in my imagination, a miniature doll room. And she delivered. Pretty much everything you see in the above photo was made by her: the crib, the chair, the curtain, and even the potted plants!

I expected nothing less than this. I come from several generations of doll collectors, enthusiasts, and artists. My mom was already a talented miniature maker by the time I was born, having taken classes in making them for several years. Her classmates even made her this mini nursery to celebrate my birth! She also made this lovely Victorian dollhouse. She's the real deal when it comes to all things mini.

The Barbie here in the comfy chair represents me, and the comfy clothes I wear at home. She's holding her newest doll, a Zuru My Mini Baby. I'm glad that at least she has a silicone reborn baby doll, because I certainly will never be able to afford a life-sized one for myself. So I live vicariously through her in that way.

Sometimes Briana comes by for a visit! She's very careful when playing with the dolls, since some are vintage and fragile.

On the left is the chair my mom made. On the right are the mini American Girl posters. The reborn baby is in her stroller.

Most of her dolls stand on their shelves. My mom acquired most of these. I contributed the dolls on the bottom shelf, above the compartments. The one on the left is mini Isabelle Palmer (an American Girl crossover with McDonald's happy meal toys).

The next shelf above them is the American Girl doll shelf. These all came from Mega Bloks Construct sets. In the middle is Kit with her scooter and her dog Grace riding inside. Above that shelf are the tiny dolls. I bought the little porcelain doll on the left at last year's local doll show. And the top shelf is Disney and fantasy characters. I don't actually have any Disney dolls, but these look cute in the mini room, and I'm definitely not going for total accuracy here. That would be impossible.

Here's the bay window. My mom made the flowers and the green plant in the middle. She showed me how she made the colorful flowers and it's so easy, but my mind is still blown at how amazing they turned out.

The window is clear plastic. I added the scene out the window. It's from a calendar, and is a view of the San Francisco volcanic field in northern Arizona. It's a somewhat close resemblance to what I see when I look out my house's windows.

On the other side is the crib with the baby dolls. The three blonde babies are Barbie babies. I have no idea what the baby on the left is.

On this end of the crib are vintage Tiny Blessings dolls.

And the animal shelf is above the crib.

[very-grownup]

So a couple years ago, I fell into watching Chinese dramas and because my posts about the most recent one garnered some curiosity, here are the dramas what I have watched.

Hikaru no Go

DID YOU KNOW. DID YOU KNOW. THAT IN 2020 THERE WAS A CHINESE DRAMA ADAPTATION OF HIKARU NO GO AND IT IS AMAZING AND MADE ME CRY ALL OVER AGAIN? It is faithful in spirit while making understandable alterations both for the setting and to avoid managing child actors for the entirety of the series (there are about six episodes with Hikaru/Shi Guang as an elementary school student before a time jump to high school).

If you are unfamiliar with Hikaru no Go I recommend becoming familiar with Hikaru no Go, my first and still one of the best sports manga. It's what Takeshi Obata was the artist on before Death Note and my hot take is that Obata post-Hikaru no Go is mid at best.

Hikaru no Go is a sports series about the most normal boy finding an antique go board that houses the soul of an ancient go master who died too young and with go regrets, so he bullies/guilts the boy into helping him play go so he can see or play a divine go move. In the process he acquires a rival/stalker in the form of the genius son of a go master. It's amazing and the drama absolutely does it justice.

The heart of the series is the relationship between Hikaru/Shi Huang and Fujiwara no Sai/Chu Ying.

It's just a fucking good series.

The Untamed

According to one description on imdb, this is about two friends solving a series of murders. This is technically true, although it neglects to mention a few details.

Sixteen years after doing a whole lot of demonic blood magic shit and dying because of it, hated by society, Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan) is brought back from the dead by more super demonic blood magic and is recognized by his noble and esteemed peer/friend Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo) and trying to deal with why Wei Wuxian has been brought back from the dead leads to their investigating a series of murders that result in their becoming entangled in wider political schemes stretching back twenty years.

It's got weird pacing, prolonged flashbacks to explain a lot of the relationship dynamics, and basically an entirely self-contained sub-story that brings the main plot to a grinding halt. There are creatures and CGI effects of interesting quality. There are amazing wigs. There are piles of corpses. There's physical torture and emotional torture and some doomed love stuff and sword fights and musical instrument fights and a donkey and chicken theft and brotherhood and what you're willing to sacrifice for your goals and what goals you're willing to sacrifice for and it is based on a novel that ends in the protagonists raw dogging on the side of the road.

That part's not in the show.

Douluo Continent

Ignorant country boy Tang San (Xiao Zhan) finds himself involved in the world of martial arts and magic after discovering a hidden talent and ends up in the group of fellow martial artists who are all weird or unorthodox or hiding crucial bits of their backstory like girl who is actually a rabbit and immediately decides Tang San is her best friend/husband (Wu Xianyi), guy who needs to become powerful enough to kill his older brother (Gao Taiyu), girl who rejected an engagement to the would-be brother killer and wants to fight him (Liu Mei Tong), guy who wants to ditch martial arts to become a great actor (Liu Run Nan), and girl who is too rich to be here (Ding Xiaoying). They learn together, they grow together, they fight monsters and embark on a tournament arc, and there's an overarching mystery about Tang San and his weak but simultaneously super powerful spirit summoning.

Even though the best technique is clearly the one where the boy in question can summon a sausage that you eat and heals you.

It's very much of a specific genre that can be pretty samey, but Douluo Continent has a charming cast that makes up for its predictable plot beats.

It does end on a cliffhanger that is possibly resolved in the sequel series where ... all the main characters were recast with, I'm guessing, slightly less pricey actors. Such is the way of things.

Word of Honour

Do you like knowing what's going on? Then get the fuck out of here, Word of Honour is not for you. Real ones want to be immediately submerged into chaos and confusion and secret identities. You want Mr Bones' Wild Ride in plot form. Why has former superassassin Zhou Zishu (Zhang Zhe Han) abandoned the sect of assassins he created to live in wandering drunk anonymity as he slowly dies? Why is Wen Kexing (Gong Jun) stalking him aside from poorly censored horny desires? Is Wen Kexing actually a ghost? Can any of the impressionable youths attaching themselves to Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing be stopped from their very poor choices in role models? What is up with this legendary hidden armoury and why do Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing seem unable to escape the conspiracy around it? HOW HARD IS IT TO GET WOLONG'S FAMOUS NUTS?

Not recommended for people who constantly want to know what's happening or why X is doing Y, but great if you want to watch with someone and then after an episode, walk your dogs and try to figure out what's going on and what's going to happen (you will be wrong).

Advance Bravely

What if the most ridiculously unrealistic and unhinged slashfic by a teenage girl who doesn't fully understand anything was adapted into a drama series where censorship means everything must be painted with a special "no homo" brush? You get Advance Bravely which is the most incoherently homoerotic thing I've ever watched. No one thinks you should watch Advance Bravely and you watch Advance Bravely and you agree but sometimes you just have to watch a beautiful trainwreck where the protagonist explains his lack of a girlfriend with erectile dysfunction and the series climax involves his being, essentially, trapped in a well.

Love Between Fairy and Devil

DO YOU WANT TO GO FULL SHOUJO MANGA FANTASY?

Innocent fairy Orchid (Yu Shuxin) just wants to strengthen her immortal spirit and pass the exam that would let her serve in the palace of the fairy capital so she can catch glimpses of the War God Chang Heng (Zhang Ling He) who she is hopelessly in love with. Instead, an attempt to help her crush causes her to bumble her way into the high security spiritual prison that has held Dongfang Qingcang, the Moon Supreme (Dylan Wang), for 30,000 years.

DO YOU LIKE BIG NUMBERS BECAUSE YOU WILL GET TO SEE SOME BIG NUMBERS IN TERMS OF TIME SPAN AND AGES.

Because of some plot magic, Orchid and the Moon Supreme swap bodies and loophole out of prison, much to her distress. Their fates are tied together and Orchid becomes more familiar with the wider world and the politics between the realms and how much the fairy realm's supreme ruler fucking suuuuuuuuuuuucks while Moon Supreme finds himself having feelings again after they were tortured out of him in a mystical coffin prison as a child.

Moon Supreme's closest friend is a dragon. Orchid's closest friend is an opportunistic snakeoil saleswoman. There's a pissy younger brother and a bitchy but honourable love rival. There are secret origins and reincarnation and hidden identities and the way it alternates broad comedy and melodrama and sweet romance may give you whiplash.

I just love a bodyswap, you guys.

Sailor Moon vibes but Mamoru is actually interesting and becomes likeable.

Guardian

Okay so the best thing about Guardian is not only that it's a censored adaptation of a novel with a same-sex romance, but that /the entire premise/ is altered for television purposes.

The novel is steeped in Chinese folk religion and the Underworld is real and mythical creatures secretly walk among us.

In the show?

ALIENS, BABY.

Ghosts? THOSE AREN'T REAL BECAUSE HUMANS DON'T HAVE SOULS, THEY'RE JUST ENERGY BEINGS.

It's so ridiculous it's endearing.

Anyway, it's about bros solving mysteries with a Monster of the Week vibe until it becomes about possibly the end of the world and alien domination and evil twins.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

IT'S TIME TO SOLVE CRIMES. IN ANCIENT CHINA.

Quack doctor Li Lianhua (Cheng Yi) is just trying to live a quiet life with his dog and his horse-drawn house. Fang Duobing (Joseph Zeng) just wants to gain admittance into the martial art cop organization that's carrying on the legacy of his dead teacher, Li Xiangyi, who was maybe never actually his teacher and also wasn't killed ten years previously by Di Fei Sheng (Xiao Shunyao), the head of an evil martial arts sect who is also not dead. Not nearly as many people as people think are dead! Identities are cleverly hidden behind pseudonyms and various levels of mask!

Crimes are solved and Li Lianhua is very tired about the whole thing. It's an unwilling buddy cop sort of thing until it becomes about youthful hubris and the sins of the past and also one woman's determination to conquer the world and give it to the man she loves, even if he doesn't want the world and also doesn't love her. We love a woman who takes what she wants and if necessary cuts a man's tendons and imprisons him in a torture pool so his blood can't clot until he agrees to be her wife, don't we, folks?

Folks?

Story of Kunning Palace

The scheming empress Jiang Xue Ning (Bai Lu) dies and wakes up, eighteen-years-old, at the point in her life where she's on the verge of making the start of the decisions that lead her to the Very Bad End. She is going to make different decisions this time and prevent the things she regrets and avoid becoming the empress at all costs.

What you need to know about Story of Kunning Palace is that Bai Lu could have chemistry with a rock and she inadvertently collects a bisexual harem. Her end game love interest is Xie Wei (Zhang Ling He), the man who killed her, an advisor to the emperor, music teacher, double or triple agent, and sufferer of vampire snow madness and a fear of cats, whether adorably fluffy or badly CGI'd. But she's in love with noble civil servant Zhang Zhe (Wang Xing Yue), a pure and hardworking man who she seduced into betraying his principles, leading to his imprisonment and probable death. However, her childhood friend Yan Lin (Zhou Jun Wei) is in love with her and previously she rejected him VERY HARSHLY after his family fell into disfavour due to political machinations and Jiang Xue Ning had cemented the likelihood of her marriage to the next emperor. Also there's Princess Le Yang (Liu Xie Ning), who Jiang Xue Ning made an enemy of after the Princess fell in love with her when Jiang Xue Ning was crossdressing and did not take the reveal of her true gender well. Xue Shu (Elisa Ye) is an unfavoured daughter of a scheming lord who was the only truly loyal person Jiang Xue Ning knew as empress. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH JIANG XUE NING and you look at Bai Lu and go 'yes, that makes sense'.

It's mostly about the politics and scheming and Jiang Xue Ning trying to find a way to have a stable, satisfying life without betraying everyone she knows and standing on a pile of corpses, but the love shape Jiang Xue Ning isn't fully aware she's in is comparable in complexity to the plots between ministers and lords and dowager empresses and cousins and rebels.

The choices the characters make are maybe not always the best choices, but DAMN are they a good time.

Story of Kunning Palace is also one of the only times I have begged a character in a show to take a particular action and then she DID IT and fuck it was satisfying.

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

IT'S TIME TO SOLVE CRIMES. IN ANCIENT CHINA. AGAIN. BUT WITHOUT MARTIAL ARTS.

Tang Fan (Darren Chen) is a low-ranking government official and detective genius who loves food and hates routine work, but loves a fucked up crime. Since he spends most of his money on delicious food, he writes trashy porn under a variety of pseudonyms to pay his rent. Sui Zhou (Fu Meng Bo) is an imperial guard and ex-soldier with PTSD who has no time for nonsense but loves the passionate pursuit of justice and food. He's also From Money and has a very empty house that Tang Fan whines his way into after they solve a case together. Everyone is manipulated by dangerously powerful eunuch Wang Zhi (Liu Yao Yuan) who is the enemy of basically everyone, except for Tang Fan, who has the political and social awareness of a rock.

An amiably pathetic man solves a variety of mysteries, from murder to complex imperial assassination plots and also this really complicated one involving diluting the purity of silver currency, and also the executive producer is Jackie Chan.

It's missing the romance subplot that I understand is in the source novel and also apparently there's an overarching plot involving a cult?! which we don't get here, but there's lots of bombs which are almost as good as a cult, maybe? (They're not.)

Divine Destiny

This is the one we're currently watching and the ride that this show is. How many plots can be crammed into one show? How many ridiculous but true things can I say about this show?

Ji Ruochen (Ma Tianyu) is an orphan who dreams of martial arts adventures. Raised by a couple who run a Crime Inn, one day a customer robbery goes very wrong when the customer turns out to be the latest incarnation of Yin Feng, the Banished God (Marius Wang). Ji Ruochen accidentally kills the Banished God and his foster parents promptly take the body into the desert and dump it down a cliff, but not before taking a necklace made from a piece of Gu Qing, the Blue Stone Goddess (Xuan Lu), which is supposed to let her recognize the Banished God in their final incarnation. Accidentally stealing the Banished God's identity, Ji Ruochen finds himself a hotly desired commodity by the cultivation sects who are all eager to have the Banished God as a disciple for prophecy reasons. He goes with Zhang Yinyin (Angelababy), a feisty, argumentative girl who has had to work extra hard because her spirit was contaminated by a demonic root planted by the evil nine-tailed fox who is poorly imprisoned in a cave anyone can access.

MEANWHILE some dudes with amazing moustaches and a penchant for laughing in delight at their own evil have found the body of the Banished God and done some questionable mystical shit to put him in a new body and nurture a grudge against Ji Ruochen for stealing his identity.

THEN Gu Qing meets Ji Ruochen and like everyone else assumes he's the Banished God and she falls in love with him (Gu Qing having been a literal rock spirit who cultivated to immortality under the guidance of the Banished God, who followed her into the mortal realm and a cycle of 100 incarnations after Gu Qing accidentally Did A Crime) but then falls in love with HIM.

ALSO Zhang Yinyin is always at risk of succumbing to the temptation of using the demonic fox power that is within her even though that will literally turn her into a demon but maybe it's worth it if a woman who is actually a goddess who is actually a rock is making eyes at the junior you brought into the sect and are in love with and you want to be more powerful than her?

ALSO what's the mysterious power that let Ji Ruochen kill the Banished God in the first place?

IS the woman seeking revenge for the death of the Banished God's mortal incarnation his sister or his cousin or his "cousin"?

WHY is the only love language of immortals stalking?

There's a homunculus and a baby snake demon who is the most precious angel in the world and so many evil dudes delighted in how evil they are and TWO GOOD AND ALIVE PARENTS and a pair of comical monks who have a special attack with a name they have to shout out every time they use it.

Oh and the imprisoned fox demon may have an ex who just hangs out on a rock in something called the Endless Ocean wearing a mask and playing go against the homunculus he made.

And there's an ancient master who lives in an ice mountain and eats memories of love.

Also some people might be secret demons.

There's some weddings.

There's a tiny woman with an ice sword who brutally murders so many dudes.

Do you like CGI birds?

Do you like giant mechanical CGI birds that are for riding purposes?

There's a desert hermit who has a son who is a giant tortoise.

So many things are going on and terrible decisions are constantly being made and it's over a week before I can watch another episode and it's driving me mad. WHAT WILL BE THE FALLOUT OF THE MOST RECENT BAD DECISIONS?

[bella-atz]

welcome!

✩ timeline: after pirate king era

✩ summary: bella and ateez meet for the very first time.

A petite and delicate seventeen-year-old trainee dressed in cozy clothing strides her legs to a place she calls her “Second Home.”

Every day, Bella would spend most of her afternoons and nights in the KQ Entertainment building. Plus, she does her schoolwork and studies in the practice room to manage time and her rest. At some point in life, Bella’s family was concerned about her choosing this pathway. Despite admitting the challenges to her loved ones and the hardships of becoming an idol, Bella kept going. She doesn’t know how long it’ll take or where she’ll end up, but she hopes for the best. 

KQ Entertainment is a peculiar place, according to Bella. It originally was a marketing business that turned into a record label. They successfully accepted plentiful artists who have been in the industry for years. Not to mention, KQ recruited eight boys and created their first group. Now, they are rising stars. 

ATEEZ has been getting the world’s attention like magic sparked into people’s lives. 

Unfortunately, Bella wasn’t as close to the group. She had seen their faces and their stellar talent but never knew them personally. However, it’s all going to change. Two months after ATEEZ’s debut, the group will be welcoming someone. 

Bella attended a meeting with KQ’s big boss and had a long discussion that would impact the company and the K-pop industry. The boss allowed her to debut with ATEEZ. Of course, Bella was baffled for a lot of reasons. In other words, she wasn’t sure if it was safe. Having only one girl is going to raise eyebrows for many. However, to Bella’s surprise, from what the boss told her, all eight agreed to have her be part of ATEEZ.

So, today, she’ll be seeing the guys.

Once she says hello and bowing to the workers, Bella can feel her nerves running wild. Before arriving, the teenager keeps questioning if they will like her or think she is awkward and strange. Bella has to eventually develop communication skills because it’s a tough world to survive. The girl enters the elevator to take deep breaths and relax. 

Good thing she is a formal person. It’s not that Bella finds herself to be dull. She was raised in a household with manners and being immaculate. Most importantly, she doesn’t want to make a fool of herself. 

As Bella exits the elevator, she heads to the practice room. “Hm. Maybe I’m too early.” The girl figured because she noticed the darkness from the outside. Her hand grabs the knob to open the door. She switched on the lights to have the room bright as day. Instantly, eight handsome, cute, and beautifully bared-faced guys in warm outfits yell at the top of their lungs. 

“WELCOME TO ATEEZ BELLA!”

Lost for words, the girl has her eyes widened owlishly and mouth gaping. The guys couldn’t contain their laughter at her adorably shocked reaction. Bella can see they all have party hats on, decorations layered in the room, and a snack table with a delicious cake. 

“Hyung, I think we broke her,” Wooyoung whispered to Hongjoong. 

“Ouch!” 

The captain smacks the boy, who is pouting like a hurt child. 

Hongjoong clears his throat and goes up to Bella. “Sorry that we scared you. We didn’t know a better way to make a surprise.” He apologizes so politely. Bella shakes her head. “N-No! You didn’t! I thought it was going to be simple and formal.” Her expectations are the complete opposite. 

The guys glanced at each other and started chuckling. It takes them back to when everyone got together, one by one. Most of them had friendly attitudes, but they soon learned they weren’t normal. In a good way, to not be mistaken.

San comes forward with a big, bright smile and wraps an arm around her shoulders. “We thought it would be too lame to do the typical greetings. So, why not throw a party? Also, it’s okay to drop the formalities because we’re family here.” The young man with cute, deep dimples tries to convince Bella that she doesn’t need to shy away from her true colors. 

Bella looks at their sweet smiles. The atmosphere has become fuzzy and warm. She is also feeling a bit emotional. Bella breathed, “Okay, I’ll try to be myself.” She said. All of them cheered. Soon enough, she and the guys form a circle on the floor to talk about themselves, like an ice-breaker. 

“So, what is your position in ATEEZ, Bella?” Yeosang asked the girl.

Not just him, but the rest are curious to know. Bella responded, “Our boss put me as lead vocalist and maknae. I’ve been singing since I was very little and I am thankful that my appa introduced me to K-pop.” She tells them a piece of her background. 

“Ooo~ vocal buddies~” Wooyoung playfully nudges Jongho. The now second youngest shyly smiles. Bella and the others laugh at him merrily. 

“Wait, maknae? How old are you?” San was so straightforward that it kind of surprised the members. Though Bella didn’t mind answering. “I’m 17.” 

At once, they gasped at their new maknae. She is a baby! Their baby!

When getting done with the introductions, Bella can see that everyone has a unique personality. But overall, they are super kind and caring. She witnessed them helping each other give out food because she and all of them were starving. Bella predicts she’ll have the time of her life in ATEEZ.

“Oh! Bella, look what we got for you!” Yunho exclaimed happily.

He and Mingi pulled her arms to drag her to the snack table. They showed her a cutely baked cake of My Melody. “For me?” Bella questions the two. 

Mingi nods earnestly. “Yep! We actually made it, and if it’s not good, then it’s okay to get upset.” He is so blunt that Bella starts laughing. Her laugh is so mellifluous that the guys thought an angel from heaven graced their ears. 

She shakes her head. “I’m sure it’s tasty! Thank you so much!” The new member of ATEEZ sincerely appreciates the whole lovely celebration.

[boringmarinn]

Why do you ship Sans x Frisk? As a person who ships them myself, what do you see in them, like about them? Personality traits, situations, tropes etc, anything that comes to mind, what makes you enjoy them and continue to breathe life to them?

Omg ok sooo... When I realized I was already shipping Sans and Frisk, maybe because I love the trope of the funny ironic character who has secrets and the silent protagonist who have a lot of will and power. I also have a soft spot for monster x human interactions, relationships and seeing several AUs with the two of them was what made me like it even more.

I think I liked them visually because the sprites in the game are so cute and the same size and the colors match and so on. I also see Sans more as a teenager and Frisk as well so i almost always draw and write them close. Frisk have a lot of secrets that Sans knows about and vice versa, and both have this drama about fate, about powers that can destroy, judgment and guilt, responsibility and determination i found super interesting.

I absolute love the concept of Frisk being a "more than a simple human" thing, a deity, some powerful force that can be either benevolent or dangerous when in contrast with Sans that's "just a normal boss monster" or something like that. I'm in love with Frisk being a god what just wants to live a normal life, having a normal family and a happy life and find this wish coming true with their monster family, and they find love with that one monster who has kept his eye socket on them all this time, seeing the sweetness and love that they share.

I also love the angst in the forbidden love thing, like, monster and human love being a taboo...

Frisk It's a character that ended up growing in my hand while I was drawing and creating, so to speak. I didn't want to let Frisk become that cliché of cute and lovable, so she/they transformed a little too quickly hehe. Today It's very different and that adorable cover is just a disguise for the real Frisk. Which isn't a terrible evil being either, it's just harder to comprehend and morally gray. They're determined still, to being a better person and changing the order of things and changing fate.

Sans I don't even know where and how to start because he has been my main and if not my most intense and prolonged hyperfocus. I have a lot of fun writing and drawing it in many different ways, with my favorite being this ironic, calm and funny little guy, but who carries a huge weight on his shoulders for the people he loves, a guy who worries too much about simple things and is a bit anxious and uncertain about the future.

Soo... Well i think that's a lot of reasons people like them two. They're two little guys, they go around the time and space, (like sans can teleport in space and frisk teleports in time thats so cool aaaa) them both like papyrus and toriel very much, they two are poker faced deadpan funny faces

I find them fun and even more fun is seeing other talented artists in the community doing their own interpretations of them in such unique ways. I love seeing fans making content for fans and how the characters change drastically in each person's hands, it's beautiful

[monk-of-figaro]

Fanart: 鶴子さん (Tsuruko-san)

Back in March 2024, after a few months of running this Tumblr blog, I decided that I was no longer satisfied using just the default Tumblr avatar and header. The problem was that, while I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted, I'm not an artist at all. So I thought to commission someone to execute the vision I had.

I took a chance and reached out to one of my favorite artists in the FF6 fandom: Tsuruko-san. I've shared some of her work on this Tumblr before, and not only is she incredibly talented, she's also very funny and friendly. But I was worried that this wouldn't work out because 1) she had never accepted commissions before and 2) the language barrier between two people who don't speak the same language may prove to be too tricky to navigate.

Luckily for me, after giving it some thought she agreed, noting however that she would likely not have time to work on it for several months.

You know what they say: good things are worth the wait!

Not only did she capture what I envisioned, but she expanded on it in ways that fit perfectly both with my vision and with Sabin as a character.

Here sits Sabin on a high peak somewhere on Mt. Kolts, watching the cresting sunrise and meditatively drinking tea. I like to think he just finished his morning routine of training: katas, or yoga, or wrestling bears, or all of those at the same time.

Distant mountains enshrouded by morning fog that has not yet dissipated, rays of the sun breaking through the peaks, clouds tinged by the color of the sunrise… all depicted perfectly to set the "tone" I had envisioned.

The gear and equipment that he's using was Tsuruko-san's brilliant addition. Inside the giant, leather-enforced sack behind him, Sabin was cable to carry everything he needs to make a nice cup of tea to go along with a bowl of walnuts for breakfast. No doubt the sack also contains things he'd need for lunch, for dinner, for sleeping, for bathing… essentially, wilderness survival, which is part of what he loves about Mt. Kolts.

She says she made this using both transparent and opaque watercolors on drawing paper, after which she takes it to a convenience store to scan. I suspect she started working on this back in April, going through a few drafts - both digital and on paper - trying to find the proper aesthetic. I think she nailed it, and I sincerely appreciate the care and thoughtfulness she put into this

Honestly, I could stare at this image for hours. Every time I look at it, I almost feel myself transported to that exact location, enjoying the crisp morning air and calm serenity of the mountains.

本当にありがとうごさいます、鶴子さん！ Truly, thank you so much, Tsuruko-san!

If you'd like to check out more of her work, she posts a lot of her art on her Twitter account.