#but also i just dont find it fitting for danse

[hearteyedbunny]

saw someone say Danse would be a Taurus and the absolute horror that I felt

[semi-good-artist]

Possible candidates for the sixth weapon in hades 2 [Spoilers!]

didnt see anyone really talk about this on here, but i want to hear the tumblr thoughts on this

Part one: the patterns

first i have to start with the pattern i have seen in this game's roster so far: so far the weapons can be seperated into three categories, those with a short attack and ranged special (s/l), those with either long or short ranges (but not the other)(s/s and l/l), and those with long attack and short special (l/s). remember that im not factoring the omega options, since those vary to much. in the silver pool, they are ordered like this

you might also note, that each category has one faster and one slower option (at least by game feel, i didnt run tests) so the last weapon is probably a l/s slow weapon

the next point i realised was another split in the weaponry, illustrated here:

One might argue on my placement of Descura (the staff) in the magic category, but since its attack patterns drawing spell circles instead of clobbering foes, i hope i can dissuade these grievances. Of course this order could change in later updates.

so a martial ranged option would fit these findings

but there is another thing which places this into conjecture (maybe the skull is martial after all, since it physically hits things); when observed top to bottom, you may find this pattern

So a long attack, martial (?), floaty weapon according to the patterns drawn in the silver pool.

Part 2 cool concepts, which could fit these patterns

unfortunatly i cant think of a weapon that fits this bill, so lets ignore it and just imagine some that fits at least some of them

For this i consulted reddit threads, as mentioned above, who had some interesting ideas, like a whip or lyre, but im unsure about

first lets discuss the whip; this being a physical option with some range to it, fits 2 of my patterns, but i dont know if it can differentiate itself from the axe and staff enough. the axe has some range with sweeping attacks, while the staff has kinda single point damage (which i imagine the whip to have aswell). also what would the special be?

now to the lyre; while having some clear connections to already present figures (Apollo, Orpheus and Hermes) which could be great aspect choices; i dont think, if they are going for an instrument it would be the lyre, since zagreus already has one. for attacks maybe its a range of homing bullets/notes that Melinoe has to sit down for to play (kinda like one of Scyllas attacks), thereby creating a slower attack speed. but homing bullets might not have the heft known from slow weapons. for a special it could be a danse macabre type of deal, where Melinoe summons shades or the recently fallen foes to fight for her, or after a foe dies, the weapon spawns a mote that can be erupted by the special, kind of like mines

if theres a instrument based weapon i personally hope its based after Athena's/Marsyas' flute, since i dont hear that myth brought up a lot. (this can also fit the theme of divine punishment, since Marsyas got it bad after playing it). if we get Pan (since hes mentioned in the aspects), this flute could spark a conversation about his own. also with the danse macabre special, it could also reference the Piper of Hameln.

Another idea i heard was a spell tome, since the apparent witch theme; but im unsure since we already got the staff which is quite witchy with its sigils already. it could float so theres that

A lot of people also wanted another gun or other weapon type to return from the first game; but this is a boring option. cant you think of literally anything else?

if you can think of anything else i would love to hear it!!

[angelellipsis-devilofdots]

a long list of songs that remind me of the witcher

okay i started this way too late at night when i was in a witcher mood so here we go, here's a deadass masterlist of some of the songs that remind me of the witcher (some might be a stretch but WHO CARES, not me)

[ SPOILERS AHEAD !! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED ]

ciri

nobody by the crane wives because of her and mistle

little astronaut by aku p

rose by the oh hellos mainly because of the lines "wars are raising for her" but also some other parts, this one is a stretch

take me to war by the crane wives reminds me vaguely of her during the voleth meir possession, but just her in general

run baby run by the rigs

welly boots by the amazing devil can't fully explain why, it just feels right

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos she's the king, of course

hard times by ethel cain

eat you alive by the oh hellos

jaskier / dandelion

blossoms by the amazing devil season 2 character arc

the old witch sleep and the good man grace by the amazing devil season 2 character arc again

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos the poet, for obvious reasons

dandelion by gabbie hanna

dear fellow traveler by sea wolf don't know why. it just seems like the kind of situation he'd get into

rule #35 - microphone by fish in a birdcage kind of reminds me of his plot in blood origin? i didn't like that show either i just love him

little lion man by mumford & sons reminds me of season 3 when he has to tell geralt that "ciri" was taken by nilfgaard

rule #2 - moonlight by fish in a birdcage just him being a golden retriever when he hyperfixates on a person

geralt

blood upon the snow by hozier and bear mccreary

soldier, poet, king by the oh hellos as the soldier

the wolf by the crane wives

yennefer

as good a reason by paris paloma

tongues & teeth by the crane wives i don't know it's just? her?? can't articulate it but it's her

burn your village by kiki rockwell well well, if it isn't the embodiment of yennefer of vengerberg

pray by the amazing devil

pretty little things by the crane wives

the horror and the wild by the amazing devil

yenralt

the angel of small death and the codeine scene by hozier

i want to live by borislav slavov

wild blue yonder by the amazing devil

danse macabre by the oh hellos i know it's instrumental but. hear me out. it reminds me of the melange

like real people do by hozier

radskier

rule #7 - angel tango by fish in a birdcage

caesar by the oh hellos (i have zero reasoning other than i've always imagined the song to an animatic of literally any kind of gay betrayal i DONT KNOW WHY its not at all relevant to the song)

no light, no light by florence + the machine

i want to live by borislav slavov

the garden by the crane wives

yennefer and ciri

arsonist's lullabye by hozier

burn your village by kiki rockwell but under different reasoning this time, so hear me out - "i am the vengeful daughter of the witch." In this essay I will

geralt and ciri

everybody wants to rule the world by lorde - or tears for fears since it's the original of course, i just feel like the lorde version is more fitting for the dark & dramatic tone of the witcher

rule #9 - child of the stars by fish in a birdcage

space song by beach house i think just because of the lines "it will take a while to make you smile" and "were you ever lost? was she ever found?" once again, a stretch

jaskier and ciri

inkpot gods by the amazing devil in the sense of their adorable uncle/niece dynamic (i interpret this song in a familial way in most contexts). it could also very well be a geralt and ciri song

that's all i can think of at the moment. i tried to look for geraskier but i couldn't find anything yet. reblog with songs that remind you of the witcher and i'll add them, this list will be updated as i think of more

[streamdotpng]

I'm really sorry to barge into this whole Enid x Tara thing (love the baby btw). But I just want to propose a song for Wednesday from Enid pov, like, I think it works best for canon compliant. Dancing with the dead of Powerwolf. I don't know, you can put a fiery danse (maybe not a tango but you got me) on it, and like, it screams danger but the way you can't turn away from her. You know like, yeah if you're near her you have a higher chance to finish in a demon incantation but you cannot help being near. Also, kinda orchestral song fits Wednesday.

hey bud, dont be sorry for sending an ask that isnt similar to the current topic in the blog! totally find as long as its wenclair or smth discussed here before

but honestly, the song makes me think of a redo of the rave'n but wenclair

[amazinglyegg]

Egg!!!!!!! I wanna kno. What companions you thing would smoke the za? Which companions would enjoy it or hate it or not wanna try it again?

Finally, now THIS is a good companions react!!!

Side note you almost got a "companions react to pizza" because I did NOT know what "za" was slang for. I was very confused on why companions would smoke pizza. I am not a cool druggie :(

Also also I Have Never Touched A Drug Ever so all my information comes from spying on my older sister and her friends "doing their homework in the backyard" when I was like seven. Enjoy.

Companions React to: Weed

Cait:

Yeah sure why not

Pre Benign Intervention she already does a shit ton of psycho so she wouldn't turn down weed

Post Benign Intervention probably won't continue though for obvious reasons

Not the type of person to make it her entire personality though

Codsworth:

Maybe???

Okay okay I know he can't actually smoke it BUT

It's not like they'd program a mr handy to snitch on their owner for slurping on the bong (is that what they do??? That's what it sounds like)

If Sole's having a good time with friends then Codsworth's happy to be the designated sober friend :)

Curie:

Will only try it if its edibles

Smoking is BAD FOR THE LUNGS and she's the type of person to smell someone smoking weed from across the road and complain about it

She is interested in seeing what being high is like and there's no real risks to it so she's down for experimenting

Probably won't do it again but she enjoyed the experience

Danse:

Medical use marijuana?? More likely than you may think

NOT a partier tho. Will take his One (1) perscribed gummy bear he keeps in his weekly pill organizer and frown at anyone who even mentions the number 420

Makes it surprisingly easy to sneak it past him tho. "I'm making weed brownies.... for medical reasons.... the baking helps with my anxiety as well. Don't eat them."

Deacon:

Oh yeah totally [lie]

You would 100% THINK he's the guy to smoke pot. He knows all the code words. He wears the weed shirts. He knows what "za" means.

But deep down he's a fraud

After getting clean from hard chems he really just does not want to touch any drugs or be around high people in general

His deep insecurities and fear of being abandoned as soon as he's unlikeable will leave him too scared to admit any of that though, so he'll end up smoking just to fit in if he can't find a good excuse to do otherwise

Desdemona:

Has probably done it as a teen and probably enjoyed it but won't do it again

She is too important to the Railroad to ever be inebriated

Unless Glory convinces her to take a break and then mayybbee she'll get high with her

Takes a lot of convincing though and will probably only happen as a celebration for destroying the Institute

Father:

Sole will blow smoke in his face and he will die right there and then he is Too Old

Gage:

Gage canonically doesn't like drugs but come on he'd smoke weed

Just a little bit. As a treat. Not the type of person to get ridiculously high for hours

Probably had a bunch of bad highs in the past and now is too scared to do it again around others

Hancock:

Not only does he enjoy it, he's like, Into It

Knows all the different kinds of strains and will shit talk your dealer if you show up with Low Quality Weed

Don't ask him too many questions or else you'll be listening to him explain the details of every strain for three hours straight

Maccready:

NO drugs are BAD and he needs to be a GOOD INFLUENCE for his SON

Ends up getting FOMO immediately and tries it.

Probably enjoys it??? Idk bro this is such a hard prompt I DONT KNOW WHAT WEED IS LIKE

Maxson:

I give up

Nick:

This comic is all you need

Piper:

Would try it if Sole gave it to her

NOT IN FRONT OF NAT THOUGH

Would enjoy it

Uses all the terminology wrong though

Preston:

Lets be honest he needs it

Probably won't like it recreationally and good luck getting him to a doctor so he can get it medically

But medical marijuana would be helpful for him pls get him some

X6-88:

He's a teen boy who's rebelling from his parents (the institute) for the first time so of course he tries it

Acts like he enjoys it even if he doesn't

Does this

Bonus Carrington because I have a good guess on who sent this ask:

[ghosts-of-love]

bass person here: can't think of how it would end up in the actual story (quick n the dead) because it would make no sense, but still,,, i recommend listening to danse macabre (saint saens) because the whole thing's on spotify and its so good :0 (and sort of related to being undead as well akfhkshdkdj)

also,, while we're here, solitary wish by brian balmages is pog (boring part for db but it means u get to listen to it more!!)

you dont have to reply to this ajshsjshdj i just wrote it here so it isnt the start of a conversation (plus idk how to use tumblr)

hello!! the danse macabre fucking SLAPS, i am listening to it right now thank you! I've definitely heard it before but couldn't name it or anything. I will give solitary wish a listen after this! (ok it's taken me long enough to type this that I'm already listening to it and i think i've heard it before and it is AMAZING TOO!)

I've already drafted some new stuff for chapter 3 and 4 of tqatd to include Cap's propensity for music (he needs a hobby in his immortal life after all) and the double bass stuff fits in pretty well with some things i already had vaguely planned related to pianos and also Ben Willbond's ability to play the violin :)

i'd like to reiterate though that i have exactly no musical talent so i'm sorry if write something entirely wrong haha i'm trying my best! (basically i just keep looking up double bass covers of modern songs on youtube to see if the things i'm planning are actually possible and if i can find it then it goes in the fic!)

[ghoulishrimp]

ok so for companions: what are your thoughts on Craig Boone and Paladin Danse? or Ulysses because he was supposed to be a companion but they couldn't fit him on the disk.

Oh man Boone... to say the least my first impression of him was "wow what a jackass" and i very quickly dumped him for lily, who's a character thats much less abrasive but. the more i traveled through and really thought abt the companions, i realized that boone isn't a jerk and just Horribly traumatized. it didnt click to me that he was part of the ncr/great khan conflict at first until i went through his dialogue again after doing great khan quests. he still isnt my favorite (my favs are arcade and lily lol) but i definitely appreciate his character more after that u kno? i still think his writing could have been (much) better in terms of him actually opening up/not having all of that piled onto his backstory, but i like his character and personally i do think that given his backstory, especially after finding out his wife was pregnant, he's completely justified in how he handles things when the courier meets him!! boone my man pls just let me help u i feel so bad 💔💔

as for danse, i also really disliked him at first! i didn't want to do bos stuff at all really bc they're jackasses, but once i actually started traveling with danse and doing his affinity dialogue, hearing the way he talks about certain things, seeing what dialogue he actually likes, i started liking him wayyyy more. on the surface he's an absolute dick, and i dont blame anyone for disliking him pre-BB, cause the bos makes him into a complete asshole. but i actually think his character is really endearing like?? under the abrasive surface he's actually such an endearing little nerd and i Love him. i especially love how much he actually cares about kids and animals, and how he genuinely just wants to help people (Diamond City Blues & Confidence Man are my favorite examples of this). I do really hate how badly his arc gets cut off tho, so he does seem like an incomplete character without mods that remove his brotherhood lines and such But! i still rly love him n i think his character is so interesting and endearing.

as for Ulysses, I actually havent talked with him! From what I heard about him as is mentioned in the vanilla game, he isn't my cup of tea as far as characters go. I do rly like his character design tho!! its super cool jfjsnd

[nux-morbid-art]

Sole Survivor + Relationships

I felt like rambling, original post Here. For: Max

Some get-to-know your SS questions! I came up with these as ideas for future drawings, but I also love reading stuff like this about other people’s OCs.

1. Who is their best female friend?     Piper. She likes to talk, he likes to listen. He doesnt agree with all her views, but her hard head and big personality keep him coming by whenever he’s in diamond city. It doesnt hurt that she’s always got snacks and hot coffee, either.  He adores Nat and usually has some small gift in his pocket for her. He’s wary as hell when he first runs into Piper, because she read him like a book and started trying to turn pages too fast. He lets his guard down around Nat, who is the one to point him to Valentine. He and Piper rescue Valentine together, and it plants the first seeds of doubt around the Brotherhood. 

2. Who is their best male friend?      Deacon. He doesnt exactly like D’s compulsive lying, but understands why he does it, and where the truth in him lays. Deacon talks like a fable, not to be taken literally, but get at the heart of what he means.       He also appreciates Deacon’s sense of humor, and the two have fun back-and-forth and a hundred inside jokes, much to Danse’s irritation. He’s given up asking whats so funny when the two just break out in laughter. 

3. Who is their current romantic partner(s)?      Danse! In so many ways they are opposites (Rebel v. authority) but they find their broken edges fit together nicely. The overall theme I have for them is taking care of each other and keeping each other safe, physically and mentally. 

4. What was their late spouse like?     Maria was a firecracker, a stubborn, “do no harm but take no shit” rebel girl. They grew up together, getting into trouble, sneaking into concerts, and raising hell in their neighborhood. Max holds her as a saint, a guardian angel, she guides him through the wasteland and keeps him true to himself. Tho she’s more like, “pull your head out ya ass” than ur typical idea of sainthood. 

5. Which companion is most like family?     This is hard because Max puts everyone he cares about in the “family” category. Max came from very large, very close family, so being thrown out into the wasteland completely alone was... painful. He desperately wants to feel that sort of closeness, companionship again, so he collects people.   So, Preston, Sturges, Ronnie Shaw, Maccready, Deacon, Piper, Nat, Valentine, though it takes a looooong time. 

6. Which companion are they most protective of?     Danse, naturally, but the guy can fend for himself physically. Max wont allow trespasses on his on his character, either.  2nd to that its Maccready, who in my canon is 5′5 and 90lbs soaking wet, and Max is like “who does this sassy child belong to?? Noone? He’s Mine Now” The entire reason they meet is Max accidentally eavesdropping on Mac’s business in Goodneighbor, and sees these two giant dudes hovering over Mac and just being like. That ain’t a fair fight, I dont care whats going on, u dont do people that way

7. Who is their closest confidante?     Max tells Danse everything eventually, and mostly finds himself talking to Maria when he’s alone (or thinks he is). Max isnt really one to confide in others, he doesnt like talking, and takes the most comfort from physical contact. So he’ll go to Deacon or Mac and be like ‘dude i need a hug’ but thats it. 

8. Who do they get along least well with?    He’s initially very wary of Valentine, but I don’t think I’ve found anyone that max would just straight up not like or not be at least willing to get to know better, or who would dislike him. He’s very laid back, quiet, and doesnt talk much, so its hard for new people to form an opinion of him much less dislike him. 

9. Are any companions jealous of their romantic partner?     Mac has a mostly unreciprocated crush on Max (bc the ‘flirt’ options for Mac are stuff that max would say just. being friendly.) But I mean. Mac’s probably a little gay for Danse too. 

10. Which companion would they like to spend more time with?      Piper! They have one of those Adult Friendships where most of your interactions are saying “we should hang out more!” and then never being able to because of work and life in general. They get together once or twice a month for coffee or noodles. 

11. Which companions would they play matchmaker with?       Thats outside of what Max is comfortable with. If a friend expresses interest in someone, he’s just like, go for it dude just. go. do the thing. good fuckin luck. 

[icharchivist]

Thanks for the links I'll be sure to watch them. I like watching analysis on Disney movies. Belle is my most favorite Disney princess. Has been forever. I was eager to see the live action movie until I kept hearing all this stuff about Belle being 'better' smarter and stronger. I was thinking Belle was already perfect. Why fix what's not broken? I'm not sure how any of this is an improvement. Instead of appreciating who Belle is and why her nature ended up destroying a curse to save countless -

2 people and redeem one soul who also proved he was a awesome selfless guy underneath that spoiled attitude. We get a character who we’re suppose to be impressed by her talents or, as you put it, how ahead of her time she was. Original Belle would be special yet easy to misunderstand no matter where or what time period you stuck her in. She was role model for her selfless attitude and independent mindest that didn’t go w/the crowd. She saw past images and cared about what was underneath. -

3 Belle was also relatable because she liked what she liked and felt lonely sge didn’t have friends who liked or accepted her. We all have yearnings to escape a place we feel belittled or trapped in. We all want to have at least 1 person to love us for who we are w/o wanting to completely change us first. But in the remake we got Belle the inventor. I’m not going to relate to someone alone for being an inventor. As you said, I feel like they lost what made Belle Belle when they turned her into -

4 into a mini version of her Father. We didn’t need her to become her dad and inherit her dad’s problems. She had her own problems. Just like what they’re doing w/Jasmine. Once again I thought the Aladdin remake looked fun until they talked about Jasmine veing a stronger version. She’s into politics and stuff. Forget that Jasmine wanted to marry for love and stood defiant against her well meaning Father’s picks for a husband. All men who only wanted her for status. That she was brave enough to-5 escape her sheltered world to be herself. That she never once looked down on Aladdin or anyone for being a street rat and treated him like a equal worthy of respect. She’s never once impressed w/material gain and showed more awe for a kind thief’s world then a boastful Prince’s magical parade that enchanted everyone else. That she stood up to Jafar of all villians w/o breaking a sweat. That she forgave so much. That she got her freedom and true love in the end. That’s only 1 movie too.

Yeaaah that’s so true I agree with all you said.

Tbh this is kind of another problem, Belle was more “ordinary” in a way that was relatable: but that was part of what made her this “extraordinary”. She was the “simple bookworm” who had a golden heart and could have people be their best selves around her. And it’s.. good. I mean I think people forgot those movies originally target kids or the kids inside of us. Sometimes it’s just good to tell the kid that even simplest things make them amazing. That they don’t have to be “special”, to be smarter, stronger than everyone else to be taken seriously, that you could just be yourself, that you could still have an impact on people’s lives. 

Like yeah it’s cool to tell kids they can be more too!! It’s important that there are stories that can tell kids “and you can do extraordinary things” but htat doesn’t mean that the likeable ordinary characters shouldn’t exist. And it’s such a disservice to Belle bc she was relatable. Any kids could feel for her journey, for who she was, and didn’t have to feel.. unadequate because y’see they’re not a genuis like her.

Already I feel like we’re losing a bit of her agency by making her an extension of her father, but as it is, it’s just… again that apparently to be considered a “good protagonist” you have to be a step ahead, to not just be a normal person see, you have to be a SUPER person who is more amazing that everyone and super transgressive.

And it’s.. a shame because the original movie carries that on far better. Belle is still weird, and we know the town is being a bit dumb but…. the thing is that, it’s super relatable? Like in the remake tries far more to relate it to the time period (which is in itself silly, the original “La Belle et La Bête” was published in a lady’s magazine for women to read it’s not,, like it was that weird to “teach another girl to read” in that time period in France,,) and they add this stupid plotline of how Gaston is just having major PTSD and that’s why he’s a douche and they have a whole section showing the townfolks don’t trust him blindly and Le Fou has to pay them to sing Gaston and i’m just??? Bc No, the Town were just mindless people who just would push away anyone who’s different. Gaston is your usual bully. The kind who believes they’re more important than anyone. They’re… people you actually meet in your life. 

So by making Belle “more special” while also in a town that is “more justified” it just… feels wrong and fall flat and it just feels insulting.

I don’t know that remake missed all the marks and Belle especially suffered from it and i hate how superficially they took the character. It’s super annoying. 

For Aladdin i admit i didn’t keep track of the remake, i personally think it looks like a trainwreck but i’m also very, very tired about the Disney Remake trend, and extremely annoyed with the “We’re fixing stuff from the original” ones. Because like, for exemple, liking it or not Maleficient wasn’t trying to fix the original, it was another side of the story. Jungle Book took a different approach but didn’t act all smugly about how they were fixing things. But with Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin they keep talking about things to change from the original to make it “more modern and better” and generally it’s not even on like… actual important stuff (i’ve only ever watched Aladdin in French and they don’t have it in it but apparently there’s a lyrics from the opening song that is downright offensive about how barbaric the culture is. Like. Think about fixing that before fixing your “woman problem” Disney.)

For Aladdin,  I really have no idea where the damn remake is headed but yeah i’ve seen them mention how much the new Jasmine is better than the original and c o m o n. You can try to talk a little more about politics without completely  undermining that she was still having an arc in the original, that she didn’t want her life decided for her, and everything you just said. 

idk i feel like they didn’t even get why those characters were liked to start with. They rush into conclusion about what bad role models they are without even taking into account that it’s… not like that people took them. Legit I’ve never thought “Cinderella/Ariel/Belle needed a Man to save them from their lives” for exemple until people started to smash it all over my head when I was a teen. 

Personally my fav princess growing up was Ariel, for exemple. to me she was a passionate person and people around her kept villainizing what she liked, his father litterally destroys all her stuff in front of her in a fit of anger. she is more pressured into doing the family stuff like singing for his father, but her interests are shunned away. What she wants is to explore her passion, to discover new things, to not be locked where her family tells her is her best place to be, especially when her father for exemple completely overlook her boundaries. Saving Eric happened to be one of the catalyst making her want to set it in motion, but she didn’t do it until her father sent her the message that her passion would be welcomed with violence. And yeah she took rushes decision when she was running away from home after her father terrified her, she was pressured in the contract, but the enjoyed herself on Earth, and whatever “she just wanted to find a man” means, she found what she wanted with Eric. he has boats, they can travel if she wants. He invites her to danse, he makes her visit places, she handle a horse, he helps her live more of her dream that isn’t just living a life with him. 

So to me i grew up with Ariel on a pure escapism sense, of living off your passion, of being able to escape an unsafe place to be with said passion, and hell the ultimate fantasy is that her father admited he was wrong and did right by her in the end. Getting the man was a bonus. 

and Ariel also enters a lot in the bashed princesses category because of Eric and it always kinda frustrated me, but when I was a young teen and everyone told me they were bad role models? I just ended up agreeing because “guess kid me doesn’t know any better”. But as an adult now, I feel like kid!me understood it much more, because those raw emotions are what inspired me in my life. Not the man, the passion did. 

Can’t WAIT until they remake The Little Mermaid to “remake Ariel in a Stronger Female Character” even if that’s not what this story need /sarcasm.

So yea long story short I think executives who are trying to say “how to better female characters kids loved” just completely missed why kids loved those characters to start with, and so instead it’s just pushing down our throat “shhh you love it the wrong way, here how you should love it too be More Progressive” and this is just annoying.

So yeah. Wait and see for the Aladdin’s remake but I have very little hope. 

Oh boy and it reminds me everything they planned for the Mulan remake *takes a huge breath* i dont know if i’m strong enough.

Take care!

[grapsandclaps]

PROGRESS LA DANSE MACABRE - THE GRAPS AND CLAPS REVIEW

Hello again everyone and welcome to Part 3 in the ever continuing story of the #100showyear which took me to a cold but sunny London Borough of Camden to the Electric Ballroom for the return of Progress Wrestling after a 7 week break from their huge Ally Pally show which ended with Travis Banks raising the title and Pete Dunne with one foot on the plane to Orlando to the WWE. So it was fascinating to see what would happen on this show to set up further storylines to entice the increasing mass of people to their shows.

Before the show it was time to meet up with some of the graps gang in The Ice Wharf Wetherspoons for breakfast and a couple of drinks. The lack of change from a £20 nite was noticeable after ordering 2 drinks and 2 lots of breakfast, all I can think about is that the price of Lager Shandy is expensive. Also had here was 2 pints of Pepsi Max at a cost of £1.99 each, breakfast was a bit on the lukewarm side of things but was passable.

We end up leaving here at about 2pm and moved on to the queue at the Ballroom, since the new barcoding ticketing system has come in, the queue has moved along much faster and has improved this aspect of visiting.

Arriving in the venue we saw what was some hot sauces on sale (to charity) made by resident screamer on the commentary - Glen Joseph and having tried this sauce Ive got to say it has a kick to it - strange but good touch for a great cause like MIND. I didn't happen to see Dahlia Blacks candles on sale though, certainly could do with a bit more art and crafts stuff from wrestlers on sale as there are quiet a lot of arty people in the fraternity.

Anyways lets get on to the wrestling, watched from my usual spot in Ogden Corner with the dodgy cold air con unit and I was joined by former Graps and Claps coloumnist Matthew who apart from a couple of shows is taking a hiatus from going to shows and instead he is off visiting the many football grounds around the UK and Europe. Having visited plenty of grounds in my time, i can understand why he is doing it - I just think he is a bit burnt out fron wrestling. It was also good for a change to chat to Stephen who flew over from Ireland and Simon (The Granville on Twitter).

Pre show action began at 330pm on the dot and out came the tag team of Delaney and Carter to a good reception for 2 unknown wrestlers but it was nothing compared to the earth shattering cheer that was to come. Their opponents - The O.J.M.O who had the look of a Ryan Smile and look like he had a lit of charisma just in his entrance but who was his tag team partner - the hush and tension descended and out stepped a 7 ft shadow of NA NA NA NA NA BIG T!!. The Northern section of the crowd were in raptures with this. The actual match was a good warm up match with it revolving around O.J.M.O failing to hit his moves and BIG T just tagging in and cleaning house and I liked their team dynamic. The finish came when BIG T hit the "Justice is Served" only for O.J.M.O to tag in to get the win, this was a great introduction for them to a new audience.

After the obligatory Jim Smallman opening, it was time to bring out British Strong Style who were dressed in their finest Burtons Menswear with Tyler Bate especially doing his best Val Doonican impression.

Anyways Dunne apologised for his actions as Progress Champion and was sort of saying its not goodbye yet but it might be soon. But they were interrupted by ITVs New Sunday Night Drama - The Grizzled Young Vets who distracted Moustache Mountain long enough to send them to the back leaving Pete Dunne on his own in the ring, but racing through from the fire exit near me was Joseph Connors to attack Dunne to leave him laying which has set up a potential Dunne vs Connors match very soon.

Opinion here rated from this was a good segment to turn BSS face to Bloody hell another WWE UK Guy 🙄. My opinion was a bit of the latter, but I dont mind Joseph Connors unlike others, his Southside Comedy belt has been a highlight when I have been to see them this year.

First main show match was Never Say Die & Connor Mills vs OMARI & Aussie Open in a great opener and for me it was the best match of the first half with all 6 lads looking fantastic especially the debuting OMARI who came out to a nice jazzy theme tune which even though it was no 'Down with the trumpets' it was a toe tapper. Also Mark Davis who is a proper hard man and I for one would like to see him vs WALTER one day for the Atlas title. The finish came after about 15 minutes when after a couple of combo moves from The Aussies and OMARI, Davis hit the pull up piledriver for the devastating 3 count - good stuff.

Next up was a more submission based between Strangler Davis vs Timothy Thatcher. Now this was just ok in parts but generally I dont think it worked with the crowd, playing out to large spots of silence which I did feel was a recurring theme at many times on the night. Finish came when Strangler low blowed Thatcher and choked him out for the win in 14 minutes - OK but very missable.

Next match was a Non-Title Tag Team Match with The G.Y.Vs vs Chris Brookes and Jimmy Havoc who was replacing a still injured Kid Lykos. A decent tag match but I did feel it went a little bit long near the ends with many false finishes with The Vets getting the win with the raised lung blower to Jimmy Havoc for the win.

Half Time Main Event was the big ATLAS Title Match with Wolfgang vs WALTER (Champion). This lasted around 10 minutes with what I thought 7 minutes of that was WALTER smashing Wolfgang all over the shop with chops that could make any crowd wince, if this is of things that are to come WALTER is going to make a great champion. Finish came after a dive from Wolfgang to the outside ended in a splat, the effects of that made him groggy enough to get waffled with a huge powerbomb to Wolfgang for the win - good match and hopefully this is built and built till no one is left for WALTER and then the chimes of The Flumps is heard and Rampage Brown makes his return 😉.

Tag Team action next with the newly turned Moustache Mountain vs David Starr (sadly without Joan Jetts dulcet tones due to the Casio Keyboard glitch in the Progress sound system) and Jack Sexsmith. Even with two teams of good guys this was a really good 15 minute tag team match with the finish of Tyler Bate hitting the big Tyler Driver 97 to everyones favourite Canvasback David Starr for the win.

After the match Jack Sexsmith got on the mic to thank everyone because of the year he has had only to be interrupted by the pop classic MASH POTATO ELEVATOR!!! And out popped Vicky Haskins distracting Sexsmith enough with a GIANT HAIRBRUSH for Mark Haskins to attack him from behind. Out then came Jimny Havoc for the save (what we thought) only to join in on the beatdown on both Starr and Sexsmith to the boos of the crowd.

A much needed heel turn in my opinion for both Jimmy and Mark who were treading water as whining faces over who should be champion. But the only thing I couldnt get my head around was the NO DQ match at Ally Pally and basically both of the Haskins willing to hit Jimmy with a baseball bat a few times and now they are mates?? But im sure we will find out.

Semi Main Event with Womens Champion Toni Storm vs Charli Evans. A distinct lack of knowledge of 80s hit Toms Diner was apparent here with not many of the crowd knowing that Charli's name fits into the ditty of said song. The match itself was a really good womens match but suffered a little from the quiet crowd, after a valiant effort from Evans she ended up falling to Storm in just over 10 minutes to the Strong Zero Piledriver.

Main Event time with ITS GOT TO BEEEEEEE KEITH LEE vs Travis Banks in a fantastic 20 minute match that I guess Travis will be feeling even now after being constantly chopped by the huge "Man of the Hour". After many attempts to chop down Big Keith, Travis finally hit a ring shaking Kiwi Crusher on Keith for the win to steal the Match of the Night honours.

Drinks prices - £4.90 for Camden Pale Ale.

Show done and overall a good starter to the next volume of shows for Progress with the Havoc/Haskins team coming together, Connors debuting and the Grizzled Young Vets throwing their hat in the ring for a tag title shot.

As a standalone show it was alright but WXW was far better from an atmosphere and wrestling standpoint, but do check out Lee vs Banks and the opening 6 Man for things off this show.

So thats Show 82 finished and now its on to Show 83 in Manchester for Lucha Forever - See you next time.

[goldfishfromthevosgestotogo]

L’arrivée et les premiers jours / Arrival & 1st days

Atterrissage à 18h15 (heure locale – une heure en moins qu’en France) à l’aéroport de Lomé, après un passage à Bruxelles puis Accra, je commence déjà à bien ressentir la chaleur, le pilote annonçait 29° !  Et place à la demande de visa de 7 jours (à renouveler)!  J’aurai mis près d’une heure à l’avoir tellement il y avait de monde qui le demandait également à l’aéroport.

Une fois les formalités effectuées et les bagages récupérés, Anselme m’a interpellé pour que je puisse le reconnaitre. Je suis la première stagiaire volontaire cette année, deux autres arrivent mi-février. Une fois arrivés à la maison où les volontaires sont logés, je rencontre petit à petit les membres bénévoles de l’association et une soirée d’accueil est organisée : WOEZON  (bienvenue) !

Accueillie au rythme des djembés, des chants et danses traditionnelles, on commence par me faire danser, puis boire le Sodabi (un vin de palme artisanal qui porte bonheur si on ne se trompe pas dans le rituel : il faut tout d’abord verser deux gouttes sur le sol pour les Ancêtres, puis boire la totalité du verre, pour finir il faut faire un grand sourire naturel).  Le premier plat que l’on me sert est bien épicé, du riz avec une sauce pimentée et des bananes plantées.  On boit également du bissap (jus de fleur d’hibiscus).

Landing at 18:15 (local time – one hour less than in France) at the Lomé airport, after a passage in Brussels then Accra, I start already feeling the heat, the pilot announced 29 °! Let’s go for the visa request for 7 days (to renew)! I would have spent nearly an hour to have it, so many people who also asked for it at the airport.

Once the formalities carried out and the luggage recovered, Anselme called me so that I could recognize him. I am the first volunteer trainee this year, two others arrive in mid-February. Once arrived at the house where the volunteers are staying, I meet little by little the voluntary members of the association and a reception evening was organised.

Welcome to the rhythm of djembes, traditional songs and dances, they start making me dance, then drink Sodabi (a handmade palm wine that brings happiness if we don’t be mistaken in the ritual: you must first pour two drops on the floor for the Ancestors, then drink the whole glass, to finish it must make a big natural smile). The first dish I serve is spicy, rice with a spicy sauce and planted bananas. We also drink bissap (hibiscus flower juice).

Je ne vous le cache pas, il faut un peu le temps pour la transition « climatique » ! Passer de 0-10° à 29-35°, c’est un peu compliqué et surtout fatiguant !  « Il fait aussi chaud en cette saison, mais où va le monde ?!��», me disait un ami ! « Et bien il va au Togo on dirait ».  Mais je sens déjà au bout de trois/quatre jours que je commence peu à peu à m’y faire ! Il y a de quoi espérer le soir rien que pour la fraicheur, afin de mieux respirer ! Oui… une fraicheur, c’est relatif ! Et dire que parfois les Togolais ont froid en soirée… oui oui, véridique !  La transition se fait aussi au niveau des repas ! Comme pour la soirée d’accueil, les plats sont plutôt épicés ! Mais les bénévoles essaient de trouver un équilibre pour que la transition « gastronomique » se fasse tranquillement ! Et parfois, surtout les soirs, je donne un coup de main pour préparer le repas ! Actuellement, j’ai pu goûter au riz au grain « à la Togolaise », à une salade,  à des frites d’igname, …. Ils aiment aussi beaucoup cuisiner des omelettes à la tomate (assez salées d’ailleurs), notamment avec les spaghettis.

I don’t hide you it, there is a needed little time for the "climate" transition! Going from 0-10 ° to 29-35 ° is a bit complicated and especially tiring! "It's so hot this season, but where's the world going ?!" Said a friend to me. "Well he's going to Togo it seems."   But I already feel after few days that I begin little by little to acclimate here! There is reason to hope for the evening, just for the freshness, in order to breathe better! Yes ... a freshness, it's relative! And I must say that sometimes some are cold in the evening ... yes, true! The transition is also for meals! As for the evening reception, the dishes are rather spicy! But the volunteers try to strike a balance so that the "gastronomic" transition is done quietly! And sometimes, especially in the evenings, I lend a hand to prepare meals! Currently, I was able to taste Togolese grain rice, a salad, yam fries,.... They also like to cook a lot of tomato omelets (quite salty), especially with spaghetti.

Pour ce qui est de Lomé, on me montre la ville et ses différents quartiers à moto (les zem) : quelques monuments importants (de la Paix, de l’Indépendance), les bâtiments publics (ambassade, consulat, service de l’immigration, Assemblée nationale,…), la plage, le grand marché,…. On effectue quelques démarches administratives (inscription au consulat de France – en plus du site de la diplomatie « Ariane » –, au consulat de France, au service de l’immigration et prolongement du visa, convention de l’association,…) et on commence à rencontrer des responsables pour les stages.

Rencontre avec Hervé, enseignant chercheur spécialisé en Droits Humains, qui a travaillé à Amnesty International Togo, désormais pour UCJG/YMCA– Togo (Union Chrétienne de Jeunes Gens) dont la vision est de « Renforcer la Capacité des Jeunes pour la Renaissance Africaine ». Il me briefe un peu comment va pouvoir se dérouler mon stage au sein d’Amnesty IT : il va falloir être forte mentalement (surtout si je visite les prisons), être rapide (ce que demande le domaine des droits de l’Homme) et avoir de l’initiative, …. Bref ça faisait un peu intimidant au premier abord !

About Lomé, the voluntary members of KATSATSA TOGO show me the city and its various districts by motorcycle (ZEM): some important monuments (Peace, Independence), public buildings (embassy, ​​consulate, immigration service, National Assembly, ...), the beach, the grand market, .... Some administrative procedures are carried out (registration in the French Consulate - in addition to the "Ariane" diplomacy site, the Consulate of France, the immigration service and visa extension, the association's convention, etc.) and we begin to meet with internships managers.

Meeting with Hervé, Human Rights Researcher, who worked for Amnesty International Togo, now for UCJG / YMCA-Togo (Christian Union of Young People), whose vision is to "Strengthen Youth Capacity for the African Renaissance". He briefly describes how my internship with Amnesty IT will take place: it will be necessary to be mentally strong (especially if I visit the prisons), to be fast (what is required in the field of human rights) and have initiative, .... In short it was a bit intimidating at first sight!

Le week-end, c’est bien le moment où on se repose un peu ! Pour l’instant le samedi, on a d’abord récupéré mon passeport (après une demande de prolongement du visa de 7 jours pour un mois) ; et oui, j’étais au moins 24h sans papiers ! Ensuite on a été au marché (un plus petit et plus proche), préparé le repas et hop direction le cyber café pendant 1h30 ! Le soir, on m’apprend des chants togolais… on va dire des chants à réponses ! Mais aussi on reprend un chant de Tiken Jah Fakoly !   Il faut que je trouve un chant venant de France maintenant ! Ensuite direction le bar pour suivre un peu la rediffusion du match Arsenal et Manchester.

Le dimanche matin, c’est grasse mat’ (sauf pour ceux qui vont à la messe ou au culte). Là je me sens vraiment me reposer ! Le matin, on joue au « Uno » et l’après-midi on va à la plage ! Le dimanche, tout le monde va à la plage, c’est le lieu où on se rencontre ! Ce dimanche 5 février, la plage n’était pas aussi fréquentée que d’habitude apparemment… et pour cause la finale de la Coupe d’Afrique des Nations entre le Cameroun et l’Égypte !

Le soir, place à la discussion et au repos ! Il faut être en forme pour le stage qui débute ce lundi 6 février !

At the weekend, it's time to rest a little! For the moment on Saturday, my passport was first recovered (after a request for a visa extension of 7 days for a month); And yes, I was at least 24 as undocumented! Then we went to the market (a smaller and closer), prepared the lunch and joined the cyber cafe for 1h30! In the evening, I’ve learned some Togolese songs ... It’s more songs with answers! But we also take a song from Tiken Jah Fakoly! I must find a song from France now! Then let’s go to a bar to follow a little the replay of the Arsenal and Manchester football match.

Sunday morning, it’s time for a lie-in (except for those who go to mass or to worship). There I really feel rest! In the morning we played "Uno" and in the afternoon we’re gone to the beach! On Sunday, everyone goes to the beach, that’s the place to be, where one meets! This Sunday, February 5th, the beach was not as frequented as usual apparently ... and for a good reason : the final of the African Cup of Nations between Cameroon and Egypt!

In the evening, place for discussion and rest! I must to be fit for the start of internship this Monday, February 6th !