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grace-williams-xo · 7 months ago

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There is much discussion on the internet about how many seasons of Bridgerton we’ll get, and how it will be approached. I have a wild theory, if you wanna TLDR and skip the ramblings then scroll down to the bold.

While 8 seems far fetched, a lot of people are thinking 6 but I increasingly don’t even think that will happen (or if it does, it won’t happen well).

Jonny has said he’s committed to Bridgerton, and making whatever he projects he gets work around it, and that he/kanthony will be at all the siblings weddings. His commitment to the show and increasing career is well displayed in s3. He’s only in the first of the four eps (tbd for the second half, let’s hope more!) but he filmed Fellow Travellers at the same time (watch it if you haven’t) and Wicked also at a similar time. I think we can count on him/kanthony making at minimum 1–2 appearances per season, regardless of how long it lasts.

Arguably the other biggest star of the show rn is Nicola, so will be interesting to see what she does in Bridgerton s4. There’s a trend of the lead actor/s taking a back seat in the season following their spotlight, so wouldn’t be surprising if it happened also with Polin/Nicola and Luke Newton.

Now, the core of the issue is the remaining stories. (Preface, I haven’t read any of the books but I know most of the general plots). Consensus is that Benedict will be s4; and (or maybe but) all the s3 Benedict press is talking about him going through changes, evolution and inching toward the marriage mart. One could say this is set up for s4, but that doesn’t feel entirely right to me. The only plot that needs the set up is Polin because of the friends to lovers arc, and we got that in s2. (If there’s more benophie set up that makes sense that I’m not aware of, let me know!)

While I know Francesca is popular with book readers, and her character steps up in s3, we can agree that the next most popular sibling is Eloise. Eloise’s story is also the most hotly debated about how authentic the show should be to the books. I know many book readers want Eloise’s story to stay mostly as it is, and while the more I read about it the more I come around to it, I think that a problem is posed by the fact that Marina’s character is much more significant and invested in the series than the books (so I hear).

On the note of Gregory and Hyacinth, I also think that the viewers are too attached and invested to them as children to want to see them as serious romantic partners with anyone. This isn’t even touching on the fact s8 would be released in (crikey I just did the maths) probably 2030 or 2031 😭

In my head there are three possible options for the future of the show. (Four, three good options).

1. Six seasons: with Benedict, Eloise and Francesca all getting a season. (Approx 2025, 2027 and 2028 release) (I think this would be the best option if the got their act together and made/released the seasons faster, but as the actors get busier I don’t see that happening)

2. Five seasons: with Benedict and Eloise getting a season. (The best (realistic) option imo).

3. Four seasons: Benedict season four, no Eloise. (The worst option imo).

4. Four seasons: Benedict season three AND four, Eloise season four. This is kinda why I made this post. Stay with me, hear me out.

All the indications that Benedict is evolving and stepping into the marriage mart this season make me think that they could be doing a lot more set up/start of the story than necessary for a brother who isn’t the lead yet. Beneloise are such an iconic duo that I think them falling in love together would be so fun. If they followed the book, then Eloise’s love is kinda long distance anyway. If they did do something different with Eloise (contentious, ik, I’m in two minds) and made her queer and/or not get married then it could also work well.

I don’t think this is the best outcome, I just think it might be the best outcome if we only get four seasons. The actors are all increasingly busy, and many (Claudia and Nicola especially) are already playing characters far younger than their characters.

Please let me know your thoughts on this rambling, especially if you’ve read the books. Tell me what will or won’t work!

–GW xo

#bridgerton #bridgerton season 3 #bridgerton season 4 #nicola coughlan #claudia jessie #jonathan bailey #benedict bridgerton #kanthony #eloise bridgerton #polin #francesca bridgerton #gregory bridgerton #hyacinth bridgerton #bridgerton theory

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ink-beneath-her-fingernails · 4 years ago

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BNHA/MHA First Watch-Through Notes

1x01

these are... stupid... and... a mess. bc I am stupid and a mess. you have had your warning. I didn’t even go back and skim through this when I was done I’m just releasing these little bastard thoughts into the void they’re not my problem now

I’m watching dubbed btw

I know, I know... it’s the only one I have access to rn tho

I... do not know how to feel about funimation’s new intro?

well I guess it’s not really new but

listen I haven’t watched anything of funimation’s since the og fruits basket ok I’m used to the DUN-DUN *funimation* ((....you should be watching))

he is. babie. green babie.

but also why do these small children have such wild hair colors

I mean I’m here for it

I just wasn’t expecting it

oH SHIT THEY GOT POWERS POWERS

so this is the famous deku

I’m guessing this is like a flashback or memory or something?

I missed the bully’s name

speaking of the bullies, they changed order? It was wings, fire, stretchy hands, but now it’s fire, stretchy hands, wings. I know that they probably wanted to show the “leader” closest and that’s why but,,

also wtf?? these are kids. like bullies should not be a thing, I think we can all agree on that, but yeah, it’s gonna happen. but these kids are, what? eight? nine? maybe their powers (’quirks,’ whatever) aren’t super powerful yet, but this blonde kid has fire powers. has nobody talked to them about just how dangerous this is? forget roughing the other two up or intimidating them or giving them a hard time, this could genuinely escalate and get way out of hand super fast, and someone could get seriously injured.

oof. boy is dead.

this eight year old (purple hair) sounds like he’s a thirty yo new teacher trying to sound hip and cool but also wise and knowing to his class who Does Not Care

that wasn’t purple kid?? that was current deku???

wack

then this fourteen year old sounds like he’s a thirty yo new teacher trying to sound hip and cool but also wise and knowing to his class who Does Not Care

also they were four?

jeepers heckin criminey who starts beating people up at four years old

have to say though, I loved that sky-to-puddle transition

jiminey fucking crickets I’m not even a minute into the episode these notes are going to be stupidly long I’m sorry

!! I love his little skipping-dance thing when he’s impatient at the crosswalk!

alright... I’ll admit it... his character design is pretty adorable

also tf is that thing

it looks half shark half poorly drawn dog

I mean I get it’s probably a person and that’s their quirk or whatever but

did this kid just run all the way across the city just to watch this guy start shit at the station so he could see the heroes take him down??

I mean respect tbh but also priorities kid

also I really appreciate that the cops are just kind of calmly directing everyone and everyone else is just kind of chillin like “oh. another villain. that’s too bad.” like tbh that’s one of the things that always kind of annoys me about movies and shows like this where there’s like repeatedly villain attacks because yes they are scary, especially when you’re caught up in them, but if you’re just kind of there and not directly in the action or being directly threatened, then why are you freaking out? you’ve lived in this city for how long? there’s an attack every, what, two days? this isn’t routine for you by now?

I started this like 15 min ago and am only like a minute and a half into the ep smh

ngl this intro kinda pops off

that hero guy seemed... kind of evil lookin tho

love the animation oml

also the lyrics to this are great???

OH IS THAT A NARRATIVE FOIL I SEE IMPLIED THERE

I THINK IT IS

“and they were narrative foils” “oh my god they were narrative foils”

k ngl rewinding real quick bc I missed some of the intro and there’s always so much fun stuff to see and unpack in those

also I wanna read all the lyrics

k so I was wondering this before but I’m just gonna say it... why does the hero guy have rabbit ears

alright character designs lookin p fire so far

last guy I keep missing but he kind of looks like steven universe?? idk I still have to watch that show too tbh so,,,

does the big hero guy turn into a giant bird?

oh that intro got me excited for this

these characters look so lit!!

“the first incident?” so this isn’t just like a natural factor of their world? it hasn’t always been going on? there was, like, a definitive start to it all? was that kid really the first incident or the first one they noticed? was that actually the first incident or is it just like the commonly told first incident, like an old myth/legend/folktale/old wive’s tale?

interesting that it started with a baby and then moved to people of all ages?

oh they don’t know the cause of the quirks? interesting

((why do I feel like finding out the answer to that is gonna be like A Big Thing™ at some point in the series))

I really like the visuals they put with this exposition?? idk why it’s just,,, very appealing

also his voice is very nice to listen to tbh, so that’s a definite plus

I hate it when the main character’s voice is super annoying

but like how long ago was it that this started? he just said “before long”

I like that in this universe they actually acknowledge that hey comic books are a thing and this whole superheroes/villains/powers thing is kind of ridiculous bc it’s legit like playing out scenes straight from those comic books but also this is real life and it’s actually happening and really does pose a lot of danger and complications to a lot of people, so we’re going to treat it as something real and serious and affecting us

I might’ve spoken too soon but I really hope they don’t blow that mindset

I feel like too often superhero shows/movies just either completely gloss over the effects this stuff has on society as a whole, or it’s like a completely new thing for them, like there’s never been the concept of a fictional superhero or a comic book there before.

“was an age of heroes”??? oh no what happens

k but why is this guy dressed like the ‘do not cross’ lines

kind of a lame hero costume tbh :/

why. does he have. sleeves. but no shirt.

edna mode would never do you like that honey go see her

“Death Arms”?? what kind of alias is that?? also wouldn’t it make more sense for arms to be uncovered than his chest, then??

“The Punching Hero”

I’m sorry I Cannot take this guy seriously

waterbending??

asdkfdls idk why but this firehose guy really reminds me of that one alchemist from fmab with the top hat and the monocle and the peg leg that spun like a top and Scar murked

“rescue specialist” see?? that makes sense!! it makes me so happy that they’re actually thinking more about the worldbuilding and how dangerous scenarios would work if 80% of the population had powers of different kinds, beyond “big bad guy meet big good guy. punch punch good guy wins”

also dear god thank you for putting someone on crowd control I know I was just saying it was great these people weren’t really treating this like the end of the world and it is good that they were mostly staying back by themselves but. they were still standing very close to an ongoing fight. priorities, people. self preservation. they are things. that I do not believe most people in superhero universes have in the slightest.

aww he’s too short

(but is he shorter than edward elric)

((do we know))

(((somebody please tell me if this information is available)))

alsdfkj l;a that guy calling in late bc the train got held up by the villain... do you think that’s another equivalent of “oh...I’m...sick... yeah, totally, I’m sick” and “my dog ate my homework” to them? “there was a villain attack” or “some idiot on my block decided to show off their quirk and it got out of hand”

ope Big Hero™ is here

...why am I surprised that they have fans?? I mean I guess that makes sense they’re basically celebrities and public figures right?

okay Big Hero™ is Kamui got it

wait no that is not the Big Hero™

but they are another hero and their name is Kamui got it

“Kamui Woods” ok that’s actually helpful I was gonna ask what his skin was supposed to be bc I didn’t think it was scales and it does look kind of like bark... Now going to take that as permission to assume it’s the latter

kamui kind of reminds me of some pokemon but I’m not sure which one?? I’m sorry idk pokemon v well but thy def remind me of one of them

“...a fAnBOY” he looks and sounds like he just tricked someone into confessing to murder why is he so smug about that smh

you know what. speaking of. I don’t get why everyone views being a fan of something/someone as something to be embarrassed or ashamed about?? why do people make fun of other people for it? why do we treat it like some big dark secret we try to hide? when did liking something become a bad thing? like?? sorry I have hobbies and interests and you don’t? sorry I think this person is talented? sorry I thought this book was life-changing? sorry I listen to this album so much because it’s good? sorry this show made me laugh during a really rough time? like goddamn it’s nobody’s business what you like unless you’re trying to force it on you when you’ve asked them to stop or it’s hurting someone? if they’re being safe and respectful about it for everyone involved then there shouldn’t be a problem? stop making people feel like freaks or be scared to enjoy something just a little too much? just let people have good things in life and consume the media that makes them happy? it has little to no effect on you? I don’t get why it’s you’re problem?? sorry to get all soapboxy this is something that’s always really annoyed me

does kamui have flowers on their belt

icon

k but isn’t wood like... really easy to break tho

I mean... comparatively speaking?

“illegal use of powers during rush hour traffic” alsfjsadlkf

wait so he’s listing charges for the guy, does that mean heroes are officially licensed here and can actually arrest people? and... actually work with law enforcement?? gasp no wait but I thought that was impossible except for The One Officer On The Inside That The Hero Has Convinced Of Their Cause™

hold up... “assault, robbery, and illegal use of powers during rush hour traffic... you are the incarnation of evil” ...bro chill lmao

I mean those aren’t good things but,,,, buddy “evil” can get so much worse holy shit sunflower child has no idea what’s in store for them

the show can do a hell of a lot even if they decide not to go that dark

well deku did say he was new

also off topic but I just looked it up and DEKU IS HALF A FOOT TALLER THAN ED

I’M SORRY BUT THAT’S HILARIOUS

CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS EXCITED GREEN CHILD MEETING ED THE GREMLIN ELRIC AND JUST TOWERING OVER HIM

he’d probably get along well w al though so ed would have to like him anyways

ok but back to bnha

ope kamui just got upstaged

but honestly?? he was actin a lil cocky and she seems like a queen so I ain’t mad about it

oh great creeps are everywhere apparently

YES THANK YOU THEY NEED TO INCLUDE SUPERPOWERS IN LEGISLATION SOMEHOW OTHERWISE PEOPLE CAN GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING GEEZ

just. more worldbuilding that I appreciate.

jfc they muzzled him?

ok i wasn’t that mad about kamui being upstaged (idk why I kinda like the guy) but now she’s acting a little too cocky for me and I feel kind of bad for Death Arms and Backdraft (?) because they definitely do deserve at least a little credit

yes. official. overseen by the government. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a good idea bc I’m not getting into the whole mess the MCU basically did regarding that, but it really does add to the worldbuilding and making it seem more realistic/draw you in a little more because you can bet that would be a thing that would actually happen in some capacity if such a large percentage of the population had superpowers, and crime was at an all-time high at the same time, with normal methods without powers likely not doing much to combat that, and it being even harder because everyone’s is different

wow so they really do have roles similar to celebrities huh?

I actually love how he’s analyzing the new hero

that’s!! the good!!! nerdery!!!!

ngl thought that guy was gonna be like “well that’s never gonna happen” lmao glad he didn’t turn out to be an asshole

this guy’s hair and his sweater need an upgrade

I’m sorry honey it’s just not a Look™

I mean ngl I’d probably wear it but also I am the absolute last person to look to for a good idea of fashion so

wow we hate asshole teachers

this kid’s hair grows wtf

they seriously just break out their quirks when they get annoyed?? I mean me too probably but

oh wait he’s not totally an asshole

but that still is kind of a dick move because even if it seems really really likely that most of them do, a lot of them probably feel like that’s just what’s expected of them or that that’s their best bet at an ok life, or they don’t think they’ll actually be able to get a career as a hero, and he has to know that there are kids (or at least one) in his class who don’t have powers and who will probably be shut down at every turn on that career track??

also what is it with the absurd number of people whose hair grows/flys/whatever and whose hands change chape and/or elongate

the girl who just throws up the rock n roll sign is my favorite

also why does this teacher remind me of gilderoy lockhart

I get that his eye thing is part of his quirk... but does he face no consequences health-wise from putting his grubby fingers all over his eyeballs?? you don’t know where your hands have been

the famed bakugo

we finally meet

you seem like a cocky asshole and if I remember correctly you have firepowers

you know who else seemed like cocky assholes and one point or another and had firepowers??

roy mustang and zuko

and one of those guys is an awkward, angry turtleduck, and the other one is a rightly smug bastard who succeeded in pulling a coup on the government who was surveilling him and holding half his team hostage

so yeah I have a feeling I’m gonna like this guy

probably

at some point

eventually

it might take a while

“the only place worthy of me” oh dear

All Might!! Big Hero™ has a name!!

oh being a hero solely bc you want to be rich and popular? lame

aklsdfsjaslkfd teach just callin deku out in front of everyone

r.i.p.

it was nice having you as a main character for eight whole minutes I’m sorry you have to face death-by-embarrassment you deserved better

ope

bakugo doesn’t want anyone stealin his thunder

lemme guess deku is also his Main Rival™ or at least will be

awwwww poor guy

how much you wanna bet he gets the highest scores in all the exams bc he studies the heroes so much and that’s how he gets in

that lady got forcefields for her quirk? damn she lucked out

“this cash is mine” *drops cash*

are all the heroes like fine mt. lady can deal w the guy she keeps stealing all our credit anyway so there’s no point??

....is that all might?

k but... y’all should be taking notes on the heroes too if you want a better chance at that career and better schools for it? I know they’re probably making fun of it bc he doesn’t have a quirk but still

also I find it really interesting that the kids all act like the quirks are absolutely everything but at that scene on the street earlier people were complaining about missing the days they didn’t have to worry about “every rando w a quirk” or something... like maybe it’s because the kids grew up w it? Idk just the difference in mindset between (presumably) generations seems cool to look into

wow we love bullies so much

no we don’t pls stop you’re not as cool as you think you are

DESTROYING SOMEONE’S NOTEBOOK/JOURNAL/SKETCHBOOK IS ONE OF THE MOST DICK MOVES SOMEONE CAN MAKE CHANGE MY MIND

alright bakugo you’ve definitely moved onto my shitlist for the moment

don’t stay there

well you know what they say about greatness... some people are destined for it, yeah, but some become it, and some have it thrust upon them

cliches are there for a reason buddy

and either way... I could be wrong but... there doesn’t seem like anything great or heroic about bullying people... I mean idk that’s just my opinion but

god I hope they eat bakugo alive at ua

deku I know you’re a sunshine child but you have to get in now. you have to. out of pure spite. please.

yeah, friend 1b is right buddy...

destroy him deku

DESTROY THEM DEKU

oh suicide jokes huh

bakugo you’re on thin fucking ice you’ve just moved way up in my shit list

wow I hate him <3

EXACTLY

THANK YOU DEKU

I hate it when shows have someone make a suicide joke like that and just? no one addresses it?? or the characters don’t seem to realize that it needs addressing, at least to themselves??? so this is refreshing

voiced my thoughts exactly

he really is an idiot

NO BUDDY YOUR DREAMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE AND VALID

YOUR NOTES ARE SALVAGEABLE

he really is a jerk deku you’re right

awww little deku is so cute

alright I’m gonna make a prediction

this is his mom right

is this gonna be

another

dead anime mom?

and lemme guess she always told him she was sure he’d be a hero/she knew he’d become one, and then she died, and that’s why he’s so set on it

probably not

but just... placing my bets now

w h a t is this child doing

he’s a hair’s breadth away from head-desking

are we... just gonna... ignore that robbery that was happening on the street a few minutes ago

OKAY WE GET IT YOU’RE HERE CAN YOU GO BACK TO SAVING PEOPLE THEY’RE STILL IN DANGER

HIS CACKLES I CAN’T

alsdkjf;lsjk I feel bad for him but also,,, that transition was gold

but also the face his mom made before he started laughing... she knew he probably wouldn’t get one didn’t she

but why do they assume it won’t happen if they don’t get it by a certain age? they said after that baby people all around the world were getting powers, and showed people of all different ages when they said so. that implies that they got those powers at those ages, after the baby was born but not when they were children themselves? like yeah there’s probably some point where you’d consider them “aged out” and therefore less likely to get a quirk but... she just said he’s in kindergarten.

fourth generation? so the appearance of quirks isn’t a super recent thing then

they can tell if someone is going to manifest a quirk or is starting to by looking at x-rays?

also I know I’m seriously overusing the word “interesting” but

maybe I’m reading too far into this but it’s also kind of interesting that his father and his (current) main antagonist have such similar powers?

OH!!!! lore drop!! kind of!!! that’s a really interesting (wow there it is again) thing they chose to be an indicator for that kind of thing in this universe

*cue izuku contemplating chopping off his pinky toes*

I feel like... all might’s... not gonna be that great....

DEAR LORD HOW MANY TEARS CAN THIS CHILD HOLD IN HIS EYES

also ngl when little deku’s eyes are wide and he doesn’t move he looks really creepy and kind of like a child-sized doll

like pinocchio

how sure are we that deku isn’t made of wood

hmmmmmmmmm I do love this animation

ah Internal Angst™

the fuck is that laughter??

skin suit? no thanks

but guess we aren’t ignoring that earlier scene

yeah all might’s in the city alright

he’s gonna break this up isn’t he

yepppppp that’s him

idk I think alex louise armstrong did it better sorry bud :/

“texas smash”??

he just... punched liquid apart

this kid’s still gonna go flying and hit the ground hard buddy thanks for your help

oh he stuck around

and he’s not hurt too bad

“justicing”

he’s using the city’s sewer system being difficult to navigate as his excuse for why he wasn’t paying attention to keeping bystanders safe like he “usually” does?

the armstrongs do the sparkle better

a;ldkfsdlfls this is really funny to watch ngl

“that’s... a pretty good point.” yeah no shit lmao

I love how he’s just. awkwardly patting deku.

yeah he’s gonna end up accidentally adopting this kid isn’t he

is he hurt?? or did the other guy actually take him over while deku was unconscious??

nah I think he’s just hurt I’m p sure he really did get the guy

but still

that was... a big boom.... that’s not good

he’s just.... abandoning this kid on the rooftop??

but also he probably really does have to go if blood is coming out of his mouth

do heroes in this universe have secret identities?

I feel like yes but also no??

watch as this guy’s like “I don’t have a quirk either” and he’s just. like. an armstrong or something

that or he’s gonna crush this kid’s dreams and be like “no, it’s not possible” and I will be forced to ensure deku becomes the most successful hero ever out of Even More Pure Spite™ even if he idolizes the guy

oh yeah he’s gonna get his dreams crushed

IS ALL MIGHT GONNA VOUCH FOR HIM AND GET HIM AN OPPORTUNITY AT UA BC HE FEELS BAD FOR HIM

hmm this outro kinda slaps too

overall feelin good, like it so far, definitely think I won’t have trouble continuing watching at least for now

#this took me... almost 2 AND A HALF HOURS #IT'S A 24 MINUTE EPISODE #THESE AREN'T EVEN GOOD NOTES #but whatever #notes #bnha notes #mha notes #bnha #mha #yap yap #1x01

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mxrcayong · 5 years ago

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the avatar series: 01.01

masterlist.

previous | next

The whole city was bustling with excitement. Vibrant colors streamed the streets as everyone prepared for the celebration that is Avatar Day. It’s funny, the old holiday used to defame the Avatar is now used to celebrate the end of the 100-year war. Every city celebrates differently, although most include a dance performance utilizing all four elements and parades. Sooman City is known for having the most eccentric festival of them all. SM city has the biggest parade that runs from 1 to 4 in the afternoon and dance performances with talent shows everywhere possible. There are dramatic retellings of the story of the Avatar, a special feast, a carnival, and occasionally the descendents of the previous Team Avatar come to speak at the main stage. Additionally, there’s a huge fair in the central park and numerous street bazaars selling Team Avatar themed foods and souvenirs. Children and adults alike run amuck, enjoying their day off from work and celebrating the anniversary of the day the world was saved from eternal darkness.

Tari always had work on the day of the festival. It usually consisted of spending her shift drawing the faces of the previous Team Avatar with foam on the coffee of the customers. The most difficult face? Funnily enough, was Momo. It’s hard to capture the colors of his face in a distinguished manner. Tari is just glad that ‘Iroh and Me’ café is most known for their tea, cause all they have to do for tea orders is add a cookie with the special Avatar Day design of their choice. Most businesses are closed today, from the gyms to the schools, however customer service never stops for anybody – even the Avatar. People would come in, dressed up in traditional garbs compared to their usual outfits, laughing and feeling grateful for the existence of the Avatar. However, this year, the boss of ‘Iroh and Me’ designated Hendery to be the one in charge of the shop for the majority of today (much to his dismay). So, today was the first day in a while Tari was able to sleep in and will be the first Avatar Day she’ll be able to experience. However, her priority is a good twelve hours of sleep. Working in a café usually means being awake at unholy times - normally five in the morning so she could get to work by six and open up by seven.

Stretching in bed, Tari was awakened with the sight of the bright sun shining into her bedroom, alarming her of the time. It felt unusual - she’s always so used to seeing the sun rise on the coast first thing in the morning when she walks towards the closest tram station. Consequently, she was momentarily panicked - fuck, I’m late to work - she thought to herself. A wave of relief hit her as soon as she remembered her plan for today: stay inside and relax. With a breath she didn’t even know she was holding, she fell back onto her pillows and nuzzled into the comfort.

On any other work-free day, she’d be out with friends - usually annoying Johnny in his studio, following Doyoung to the gym, checking out local shops with Kilara, helping Roddie study, or assisting in Sonan’s store. But all those workplaces are closed – except for Johnny’s, but he loves the festival; always trying to get Tari to get an ‘off day’ on work to participate in the festival with Doyoung and him, and any of the friends he invites or bumps into later. Not only has she been avoiding this day since she’s heard of it, but she just hates the fact that the streets will be absolutely flooded with people. Walking today will be like swimming in the ocean when the tide brings you the other way; difficult.

Climbing out of bed, she quickly threw on a pair of sweatpants and brushed her teeth in her bathroom. She wanted to get ready to spend the day at home, planning to cook her favorite comfort food of seaweed noodles with traditional water tribe soup. It’s her favorite go-to meal, reminding her of the home she doesn’t have vivid memories of. She may potentially also put on a movie or read a book. She’s been meaning to read “To Rock and Flow With It”, a love story between an earthbender and a waterbender.

Through her bedroom door, she could hear soft mumbles of a conversation from the living room. Hoping Doyoung hasn’t gone insane, Tari stood up to figure out where the other half of the conversation is coming from. As she opened the door, the brightness from the whole wall of windows blinded her temporarily. “So you don’t have work today.” A voice that certainly wasn’t Doyoung’s commented. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Doyoung behind the kitchen counter, whisking a bowl and Johnny sitting across the counter on a stool. He looked mischievous, as if he was up to something. Both of them were dressed. The two of them always spends the holiday exploring the city and the different fair activities. Johnny was in a cream sweater and black jeans, a gray shirt poking out from the neckline while Doyoung wore a black hoodie and dark blue jeans.

“Nope,” Tari popped the ‘p’, walking towards Doyoung to see what he was cooking. “Eggs?” Doyoung nodded, “Can I steal some?” She pleaded, widening her eyes and pouting to convince him – despite knowing he wouldn’t need that look to comply to her request. She quickly turned to face Johnny, now sliding towards the fridge. “Johnny, I swear, your home is on the other side of town but you’re always here.” She’s not complaining - she loves his presence, but they just tease each other. It’s the nature of their relationship.

“Yes, but, this place will be so lonely without me.” He fake cried, motioning to the small apartment. “Who else will sleep on your couch every once in a while?” Tari chuckled, before rolling her eyes.

Doyoung smiled, staring at the eggs he was now pouring into the frying pan. “I mean, at this rate, you should just move in rather than pay for rent at a place you don’t even stay in.”

“I’ll hold you to that offer,” Johnny winked, “But for now!” Johnny clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “You know what Tari’s freedom means, Do!” Tari looked at him questionably as she opened up the fridge, grabbing the ingredients for seawood noodles.

Ignoring her confusion momentarily, she turned to look up at Doyoung. She already knew if Johnny was here, he’d want to eat anything that he could. “Seaweed noodles?”

“Yes please.” Doyoung grinned, before Johnny took over the conversation once more.

He put his hands on the top of his head, “I’m just saying this will be your first time in two years to experience the novelty of a Sooman City Avatar Day. C’mon, where did you live before right? You said they hardly celebrated.”

The water bender shrugged, using her powers to speed up her cooking time by gently steaming up the water in the pot with the seaweed noodles and other ingredients in. “I hardly celebrated, I always had to work.”

“So, this will be your first time!” Johnny further contested, making Tari roll her eyes as Johnny now came up towards her, standing beside her in an attempt to convince her more. “I mean come on! Out of your 20 years of life, you’ve yet to experience a culturally important, iconic” He exaggerated his pronunciation of the long list of adjectives that he probably have used in his most recent articles, “... event.” Usually, he was more relaxed and open about her not being able to go - although usually, she also has a solid excuse. She looked to Doyoung. One thing they developed quite well over the last almost-two years of living together was a silent language, purely using their eyes and facial expressions.

Doyoung chuckled at her flustered face just begging him to answer why Johnny is so desperate for her presence, “He has to report on the festival this year.”

She chortled. “Ooh, that’s fun!” Tari teased, “Mixing work with pleasure. What angle are you taking? ‘Why the carousel should be your must-go activity’?”

The journalist leaned against the fridge as his two friends cooked for the three of them. “No, it’s actually about how this day is used to celebrate the previous Avatars and consequently, also bending and thus,” He grabbed a piece of the pile of dry seaweed Tari would sprinkle on the top of the soup and took a bite of it, “shows support against the anti-bending regime.” He obviously rehearsed that, and Tari can only assume that he signed up to report on the event. Surprising, she thought to herself, Johnny usually wants this day to relax.

The air bender nodded, liking the idea. “You could get some really cool perspectives on that. From both like the police officers patrolling, influencers, stall owners, families, so on.” Doyoung imagined the article’s success already. Johnny was one of the best reporters in the local newspaper and it’s easy for him to gain a lot of attention on his articles. Him writing this article - as a non-bender - may bring awareness to the issues benders currently face, “I’m getting kind of sick of people pointing at the bending gyms and yelling that it’s ‘anti-equality” He sighed.

“Okay first, Doyoung that sucks and you need to report to the police for harassment.” Tari started.

The airbending instructor was quick to interject, “It’s not to the air gyms, at least – not a majority of time. It’s usually at night and to the fire bending gym. I don’t have any place to report on behalf of anyone else”

“But that’s still society, so this anti-bending regime is just anti-pro bending.” Tari commented, furrowing her eyebrows. She hasn’t noticed any particular hatred for bending other than the pro-bending, which was why it was banned around 20 years ago – just before she was born. Yeah, as a result of this ban – there has been discrimination against benders, often seeing them as violent or leading them to be ostracised – but it’s been improving over the last few years due to the amount of protests and parades hosted to support benders. “Maybe just focus on the societal perspectives?”

Johnny tsked, “I heard from an inside source that there are rumors of something escalating.” He sighed.

“You must be glad you’re not a bender then.” Doyoung chuckled, trying to lighten the conversation from the news regarding perception of benders and trying to hint at Johnny to change the topic. He always notices that Tari gets quite awkward when talking about bending. She’s comfortable doing it – not much actually talking about it.

Johnny winked, “Always.” He turned back to Tari, following Doyoung’s lead and changing the topic, “can you please come? You can help interview people rather than do things.” That didn’t elicit a response, Tari just shrugging - not in the mood to be doing work she normally does when she has a day off anyway. “Okaaaaaayyyyy, how about while Doyoung and I check out the actual festivities and do interviews, you can look at the bazaar stalls?” Tari pouted her bottom lip, getting slightly intrigued. “I heard Sunmi will have a special stall full of exclusive stuff!” He practically sang.

“Hey, wait, when did I sign up to help?” Doyoung lifted his hands defensively as if he was caught in a crime. He’d help regardless, but it’s always nice to be asked.

Johnny cheekily smiled, “You signed up when you became my friend.” Doyoung stared at the ceiling, laughing, before putting his hand back on the spatula to scramble the eggs.

“Tempting.” Tari bit her lip. Out of all the local stores in Sooman City, Sunmi owned a shop called ‘wonder girls’ which sells some of the most beautiful re-worked thrifted items. It’s where Tari actually bought her favorite carpet reminiscent of air nation patterns that now adorns the living room and the tapestry in her bedroom which is reminiscent of the patterns reported to be in the Northern Water Tribe spirit oasis.

“Fine.” She growled out reluctantly. “Let’s go, but after we eat. And we have to stop by Sonan’s shop.”

She wasn’t sure if Sunmi’s stall was worth it. Most of the things she sold were old items reminiscent of the different past Avatars. Yeah - they all fit Tari’s aesthetic and likes, but they just weren’t what she wanted hanging in her room everyday because of the specific designs. The only thing that caught her eye was an old-looking book on “the lessons we could learn from the previous Avatars”. The cover was decorated with minimalist sketches with a traditional edge to them. It called out to her because of the fact that on the front cover, they promoted the fact that the self-help book was apparently approved by Tenzin and Pema. So, she looked through it - and while her fingers flipped through the crisp pages, particular phrases in bold seemed to shout out to her: “No matter how strong you are, individuals cannot maintain harmony alone” and “do not doubt your greatness and do not run from your truths.” At the same time, the last phrase made her scoff and put the book down. Thanking Sunmi and wishing her goodbye, she slowly left the white tent - letting her eyes linger on a necklace similar to Katara’s (but bronze rather than blue), a boomerang with air nation carvings and Aang’s tattoo on it, a headband reminiscent on Toph’s but in different colors, and a silk robe which took inspiration from Zuko’s vest.

Leaving the white tent, she looked around the city that’s already vibrant on it’s own - nevertheless with the purposeful use of colors to heighten the celebrations on the street. She looked at all the children who were carrying around prop-gliders, grinning and smiling. All the booths and stalls sold cookies in the shapes of the Avatars and their teams or of the symbols of each element. Balloons in the shape of Momo and Appa marked the sky while Flying Bisons were used as an attraction, people paying a number of yuan to be able to board and ride the Flying Bison over the city for just thirty minutes.

While walking down the bazaar, she saw Johnny and Doyoung interview people attending the festival and hosting the stalls. Johnny was equipped with his camera around his neck like a necklace and a notepad which he was intently scrawling notes from the interview. She chuckled at Doyoung’s bored expression; looking around the festival as he held Johnny’s microphone so that he could replay and get exact quotes later. Doyoung caught her eyes across the crowd and lifted one arm up as a wave, so Tari responded similarly - before chuckling at Johnny slapping Doyoung to pay attention. He immediately had to rrub the spot he was hit on and turned back to the interview. If there was one thing Tari learnt while joining Johnny for multiple interviews, it’s that Johnny hates it when there’s anything that can negatively affect his rapport with an interviewee. This means whoever he’s with has to look equally engrossed in the conversation.

Despite how much she has been avoiding these celebrations, the bustling crowd didn’t prevent her from seeing the beauty she saw from the street’s vibrant colors and festivities. Everyone looked so happy and in bliss. This is what peace and harmony should look like; happiness. I’m not needed, she’d tell herself. She stood blankly in the middle of the street, ignoring the very minimal and light pushes from other people as she observed the world around her - mentally slowing down everything thats happening. Mental note, she told herself, ask Johnny to send me some photographs from today.

Walking down the streets, everything was so lively. Animated story tellers, grinning parents, young adults exploring, children learning history - this felt amazing. Why do I avoid these? She questions herself, before her eyes caught sight of the reason she does.

Her eyes fell upon the statues of the previous Avatars standing in order, taller than most buildings on the street but only half the size of the Aang statue that guards the coast. Some people were bowing down in front of the statues, some were just observing it. Most people stared at up in awe - afterall, these are the people who save the world and whose purpose is to protect mankind. These are the people who will forever live on through a different reincarnation, a different life. They are the people with immense and extraordinary power. Despite her trembling steps, she decided to approach it, allowing the large and otherworldly statues to stare down at her - eyeing her up and down, reminding her she’s not of similar status.

She felt her breath get trapped in her throat as her memories flash back to the last time she lived with her parents.

“We don’t normally tell them when they’re this young,” She overheard someone telling her parents; a voice she’d grow familiar with as she grew up, “But your daughter is showing incredible skill and we want to train her early.” The same voice’s smile was evident in their voice as they continued to speak in conviction, “If we do it right, she can be considered the greatest of them all.”

She was only four years old when the person who raised her took her away from her family who resided in a traditional water nation village. Ever since then, despite being put into circumstances where it may seem impossible, she kept trying to run away. Not just physically, but mentally. Trying to leave everything behind. All she wanted was a new beginning, a new identity, a new face. She knew if she had the opportunity, she may ask the Mother of Faces to change her face - but at the same time, that doesn’t stop the fact that she’s Tari. That she was born like this.

Trying to catch her breath, she looked around and saw a stage with a list of performances next to the entrance to the audience area. This should be calming, she falsely presumed. She approached; noticing how some of the famous local dancers like Jungwoo and Winwin are at the front of the audience, probably preparing for their act. She always loved seeing them dance - they were always enchanting. Whenever she hears they will be performing, she always drags someone - usually Sonan or Doyoung - to watch. Although intrigued due to her interest in watching the dancers, as she got closer she noticed that the current show was a play and the actors were standing in line as if they were about to bow. All of them dressed like the statues from earlier, except theres an addition. At the end, right next to Aang, there was two waterbenders holding a newborn child. She tried to focus on what’s being said by the narrator.

“All we know now is that there is an Avatar in this world and they are from the water nation.” The narrator’s voice boomed, mumbled by the distance. He grinned as if reminiscing about the time he heard the news of the birth of the Avatar, “There’s no other information about him or her, but we know that whoever they are; the spirit of Aang, of Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, Bayu, Salai, and Wan lives on through them.”

It started to become overwhelming. She quickly turned back and started heading anywhere she can catch a breath - but that means she has to get away from the bustling crowd. Okay, time to go. Her thoughts were running a mile every minute, nothing focusing - everything in a fast-paced motion. She was planning on going to Sonan’s booth once Johnny and Doyoung started heading in the same direction, as it was set up on the opposite end of the street and she was not going to brace this festival alone. But, she just can’t be here anymore. She quickly texted Hendery telling him she’s on her way and she’ll take over his shift, no problem. His response? A series of celebratory gifs and a promise to a future favor.

Quickly texting her, Johnny, and Doyoung’s group chat – she informed them of ‘an emergency at work’ where ‘Hendery got burnt’ and she has to step in It’s better to text them rather than approaching them because all they’ll do is convince her to stay. That, and Johnny may actually hold her to him throughout the event. She then texted Sonan she’ll see her later tonight for dinner, which Tari now promised she’ll be providing. She quickly sprinted to the closest tram station, but even there – despite how it’s not as crowded as usual due to people exploring the festivities, everyone who got off the train were in traditional garbs. Especially the orange outfit and red cape Aang was famous for. I just can’t escape, can I? Staring at her quickly shuffling feet as much as she can, she made her way to the cafe within thirty minutes.

“You’re a savior.” Hendery praised, hugging his friend and passing over his apron. She chuckled.

“Go have fun, donkey.” She lovingly called him his nickname, making him chuckle. As soon as the door chimed, signalling that he has left - she watched him waddle towards the same direction she just came from. “Because I know I won’t.” She mumbled under her breath as she tied her apron behind her back and prepared herself to serve numerous patrons dressed like the very same statues who stared down at her like gods half an hour earlier.

request anything for future parts / penny for your thoughts here

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traincat · 6 years ago

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What exactly happened with the Fantastic 4? I never followed the series, I'm not really much of a comic book fan besides Spider-man and CO. But I knew that the Fantastic 4 were an iconic part of Marvel, basically their mascot heroes at one point, but they were missing for a while now? What happened?

The Fantastic Four are basically to 616 comics as Iron Man is to the MCU: they’re the foundation that a lot of future properties were built on and without them it’s almost certain we wouldn’t have any Marvel comics today. A lot of what we now consider classic in the Marvel universe originally debuted in their books. The Skrulls, for instance, originally debuted in Fantastic Four #2. The Inhumans and Black Panther also first appeared in the pages of Stan Lee and Steve Kirby’s original run. The Fantastic Four have been hugely popular at times, but not consistently. That popularity has waxed and waned throughout the years, but despite the common arguments you see (”they’re old-fashioned”) it’s hard to argue that they had a huge impact on the Marvel landscape.

In 2015, Marvel stopped publishing the Fantastic Four comic series. At the time of the cancellation, I believe the book was not doing badly, at least not compared to other titles at the time. (Sorry, I’m not pulling numbers, it’s Christmas and I am champagne drunk. This is all stuff that’s pretty easy to google once you have some framework for the situation.) It had just wrapped up a run by James Robinson that I personally find hugely enjoyable. Before that, Matt Fraction had run a messy in places, great in others run that spanned two different Fantastic Four monthly titles. And before that, Jonathan Hickman had written a truly fantastic, pun fully intended, run that brought the book back into a lot of prominence. So what the hell happened?

In short, movie rights. This is an open secret. Marvel has repeatedly and very badly denied this, but multiple sources, including Jonathan Hickman, have gone on record that the Fantastic Four were canceled because Marvel chair Ike Perlmutter threw a fit over film rights. As you probably know, Marvel is currently owned by Disney. Fox owned the Fantastic Four film rights. What happened in 2015? Fox put out a new Fantastic Four movie. (Marvel also attempted to replace the X-Men in comics around this time with the Inhumans, who operate under a similar premise -- a series starring a very large cast who all belong to the same group but who can all have different superpowers -- but whose film rights Marvel had control over. As you might remember, that really didn’t work out so well.)

So from 2015 until August of this year, there were no Fantastic Four books published. They were essentially persona non grata. Reed and Sue and their children were shipped off on a multiversal mission and presumed dead by near everyone, including their remaining family, in-universe. The remaining core cast was divied up: Ben Grimm ended up as a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Johnny Storm was on the Uncanny Avengers and worked with the Inhumans. The majority of Doctor Doom’s appearances in this time period are within Iron Man books, with him eventually being the lead character on one.

So that all happened. I don’t doubt that the biggest reason for the frankly sudden (though extremely welcome imho) return of the Fantastic Four involves the Disney-Fox deal, but I have to say the fan effort in demanding that Marvel return the Fantastic Four was terrific and only got louder as more and more time went by, and that was great to see.

#*replies #traincat talks comics #Anonymous

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taffysannotatedsonichu · 6 years ago

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The Most Pointless Character in Sonichu

Taffy here. This was a post I made for the Kiwi Farms forum on the most pointless character in Sonichu in late October 2017, and I took up the challenge to prove every single character has no point. This was kind of my beta version of what would become Taffy’s Annotated Sonichu, so I thought it would be worth reprinting here (also I’m sorry it’s taking me so long to get more CWCDefense or GitM up, I’ve been really sick for the past two weeks and I’m just now trying to get back in the swing of things).

Chris's comic persona and fursona are pointless because he could have just lived vicariously through Sonichu and not have an in-comic presence.

Sonichu himself became pointless after Chris took over as main character but was already pretty pointless since really Chris could have just written a straight Sonic fanfic with Sonic as the lead in the first place. Besides the occasional electric attack and the complete lack of an original personality he's basically Sonic.

That said, all the characters ripped wholesale from Sonic or Pokémon (Sonic himself, Perfect Chaos, Robotnik, Giovanni) are pretty pointless as they were dropped not long in as Sonichu grew to have its own canon with its own crazy cast of characters.

In addition, any character ripped wholesale from any other franchise (Beavis & Butthead, Bugs Bunny, Meg Griffin) exist solely for "fan service", or rather fan disservice.

Rosechu is extremely pointless, all she does is A) be a token girl, B) prove Sonichu is STRAIGHT, and C) occasionally face rape someone. That said The Incredible Lioness is probably the closest we get to a real character with a point, rivaled only by the Voltorb that kills Simonla. They have simple purposes (to brutally maim and murder) and they do them to a T.

Kel is pointless since Rosechu could have just been Chris's Pokémon to begin with and she didn't need to exist as a middleman.

For that matter, any character best known for being a Moon Pal (Bill the Scientist, Metal Sonichu, Yawning Squirtle) or just as a meme in general (Inos), while being great for laughs, are all pretty irrelevant background characters.

Reldnahc Notsew Niatsirhc exists solely for Chris to physically obliterate his sexual insecurity.

Any Jerkop or Manajerk exists solely for Chris to vent his frustrations with real people who were just doing their jobs. Same goes for Hanna.

Blake is too inconsistent to have a point to existing. He was a pointless villain-of-the-week at first and then he was a pointless supporting character.

Sarah Hammer and Wes Iseli are particularly pointless because Chris' relationship with Sarah was already waning when he wrote Sonichu 2. Since the reincarnation plot point was dropped not long after, you can honestly skip Sonichu 2 entirely and not miss anything.

Mary Lee Walsh, while being awesome, is like the jerkops and manajerks just there essentially as a comic book voodoo doll. Maybe the point of her was to show that Chris can in fact write an interesting and badass female character? We'll never know.

Count Graduon is pretty redundant with Mary, power wise. Other than to vent frustrations with his graduation he's really pointless.

All of the Chaotic Combo are basically team filler filling out some elements that the rest of the team lacks. Specifically:

Wild Sonichu doesn't really have a personality. He's pretty redundant with Sonichu himself, other than, of course, we need a green Sonichu. The one thing that possibly could have made him interesting, the struggles of being a single father, are really rushed over so Chris can get back to the murder spree. His only notable father-daughter bonding experience was drilling a man to death.

Bubbles Rosechu, aside from being the token blue Sonichu/water type, finds one Sonichu ball and then returns to being a moron.

Angelica Rosechu, although I imagine her original purpose was to be a pacifist voice of reason and a token religious character, well, that got thrown out the window pretty quickly. The things that differentiate her from Bubbles besides their powers are few and far between.

Punchy Sonichu is just the token red character and the token Asian. Seriously I don't even know what "fighting type" means. In fact, why not make him fire type? It's the one element missing from the Chaotic Combo (Bubbles is water, Wild is earth, Angelica is air, Magi-Chan is ether/heart/mind, no one's fire!) (Note 26/11/18: I now know Fighting-Type is a type of Pokémon, but nevertheless “Fighting-Type is one of the weirder types. The Pokémon types are elements, supernatural creatures... and martial arts. And yes, the Fighting-Type icons in the series are red while Fire-Type is orange, but from a team balance perspective fire would have made sense).

Magi-Chan, especially after being paired off with Silvana taking away his sole unique trait of not being driven around by his penis, is just Chris's round the clock surveillance system.

Boulder Dropping Whale would have been useful if he actually killed Bubbles's mother but since he failed he's just a great meme.

Why does Flame the Sunbird even exist? He's literally just Kazooie from Banjo-Kazooie and his role could have easily been filled by Wild or Bubbles or anyone because that stupid Sunstone doesn't even matter, except it does make everything grow like Norma, whoever she is. Norma is the most relevant character in that whole issue. (Note 26/11/18: Yes, I named Nadine’s mom after this typo.)

Again, Darkbind and Zelina are crimes against nature. (Note from an earlier repost): I am referring to a previous post complaining that Darkbind and Zelina were the combinations of not two but four franchises (Sonic, Pokémon, Zelda & Darkwing Duck) and came off as clunky because of it.)

Crystal the sister is especially irrelevant now that Chris is a girl (why not make her a trans man to mirror Chris' own transition? Oh wait JERKS.), but she was always redundant with Rosechu and Chris himself.

Sailor Megtune - why didn't he just draw Megan herself? We know he's okay drawing her.

Megagi - Already kinda redundant with Megtune and she really had no reason to exist after Chris & Megan had that falling out.

Jamsta and Lolisa speak for themselves at their uselessness. I mean, they are just bit characters anyway. But as someone else mentioned before their radio station is particularly shitty.

Patti-Chan, while her story is cute, just exists as a way for Chris to hold on to his beloved pet and not fully cope with her loss.

Allison Amber, although being one of the better characters, wouldn't need to exist if Chris would just do some work for once. That said if the point of her character was to be an audience surrogate (I mean, until she shoots a man in cold blood) then for once Chris succeeded.

Bionic the Hedgehog as previously mentioned is just there for the sake of having an orange Sonichu, even though he isn't one.

All of the specific characters of Chris's "real life" "sweethearts" (Pandahalo, Blanca, Ivy) as well as their OCs (Jiggliami, Blazebob & Chloe, Layla Flaafy) are pointless because they all just disappear almost immediately after they're introduced after Chris finds out they were a troll or they "died".

Likewise any rendition of one of Chris' real life trolls (Jason Kendrick Howell, Clyde, Jack Thaddeus, Alec, Evan, Sean & Mao) are again just there as pen-and-paper voodoo dolls for Chris to take out his frustrations on. The trolls in particular almost work against Chris' point in including them because no matter how much Chris paints himself as the hero his violent murder sprees always end with him looking like the villain. (Justice for the Asperpedia Four!)

Beel is just Satan and a secretary for the 4-cent-garbage building. Pretty pointless.

Zapina is just there as a token "cute" character.

Simonla is just Wild's token sweetheart and then later the lynchpin Chris needed to justify executing his enemies.

Silvana, while another fairly interesting character, is just a villain-of-the-week with an added dose of Chris's sexual insecurity.

Sarah & Rita Jackarass - These two are both stupid minor characters, but why on Earth did there need to be two of them?

GodJesus exists solely to heap praise onto our beloved autist.

Those stupid Samurai Pizza Transformers are stupid. I hate them so much. I hope they burn in the Earth's lava core.

Sonichu & Rosechu's children are initially just there to be cloyingly cute and then once they're grown to be Chris's LGBT mouthpieces, forgetting that we won't listen to anything they say because we already hate them. Of special pointlessness is Cerah, because while Robbie is the most punchable he's at least the focus character of a lot of the newer stuff (even though we hated him as a Sonee, we hated him as a Sonichu, and we'll hate him as a Rosechu), and Christine is vapid she gives credence to the idea that Magi-Chan is giving it to Rosechu behind Sonichu's back which is way more interesting than canon. Cerah does jack squat besides be a lesbian.

The Asperchu cameos are just there for Chris to try to force Alec to give him what he wants and the Basement Rosechus are just there to slander Alec's name.

Sandy is particularly irrelevant since Simonla's back, she was never anything more than a replacement goldfish for her.

Kevin the Jew - I knew it! I knew it all along! Peppermint Patty is a boy!

Bananasaurus - Don't listen to your Patreon backers Chris.

Lastly, Russel & Cynthia are just there to fill the Sonee/Rosee void left when Cera Christine & Robbie evolved, a void no one in particular wanted filled.

Edited (27/10/17) to include all the MLP characters and Chris's ponysona - We hate them and we want Sonichu back.

#cwc extras

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head-and-heart · 7 years ago

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Cry With Me - Part 2

It’s been a century but I’m finally back again with part two of “cry-with-me-about-how-ridiculous-book!bellamy-is-and-THIS-is-why-we-can’t-just-”read-the-books”-and-solve-all-of-our-bellarke-angsty-heart-induced-problems-CAUSE-THEY-AIN’T-THE-FUCKING-SAME-JASON!!!”

aNYway ...

If you don’t remember what the purpose of this post is: to put it short, I decided to go through all of The 100 books and pick out all of book!Bellamy’s best (worst) lines that truly show just HOW different he really is from show!Bellamy. At the very least, it cracked ME up when I was reading. So hopefully someone else will find it entertaining too.

You can read some gems from the first book here. This part will be about the second book, “Day 21″ (my personal favourite).

Fair Warning: Potential Book Spoilers Lie Ahead

1. “I think the radiation must’ve finally scrambled your brain.”

2. “You really shouldn’t have done that.” Bellamy’s voice was low and menacing, and for a moment, Clarke thought she might’ve actually upset him. But then he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head in one swift motion. [i can’t believe him look how dramatic he is]

3. The moon was so large and bright that there was no mistaking the grin on Bellamy’s face as he reached down to undo the button is pants, tossing them aside like they weren’t the only pair he had on the planet. [*sings* it’s gettin hot iN hEre - so TaKe oFf aLL yOuR cLoTHeS]

[Clarke] shivered again, and Bellamy slowly unlocked his lips from hers. “You must be freezing,” he said, rubbing his hands up and down her back. She cocked her head to the side. “You’re wearing even less clothing than I am.” Bellamy ran his finger up her arm, then tugged playfully at her damp bra strap. “We can fix that, if it bothers you.”

5. “You should get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on Sleeping Beauty here, and let you know if there’s any change.” [can you imagine bellamy saying this about clarke in the show lmao]

Bellamy twisted her arm behind her back, just like he used to do to the boys in the care center he caught teasing Octavia. “You’d better tell me right now [where Octavia is], or you’ll wish you never crawled out of whatever cave you came from!” [...] He reached over and yanked on the girl’s hair, bringing her face up to his. “You tell me right now, or this is going to get really unpleasant, really fast.” [...] Bellamy didn’t care if the girl was radioactive, or if she had goddamn wings. All he cared about was finding out where she and her friends had taken his sister. [...] “We kill her,” Graham stated [...] “Not before she and I have a little conversation,” Bellamy growled. [don’t you just wish you could maintain your composure as well as book!Bellamy?]

Her friend giggled. “I bet that’s why she smells like the recycling deck.” “And you’re going to smell like a rotting corpse when they finally find you,” Bellamy interrupted.

8. Did trying to choke that piece of space trash who’d been bullying his sister count as an Infraction? [iconic]

9. “That’s a pretty name.” The words slipped out before he realized how stupid they’d sound.

10. “My reputation precedes me. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. How could you not talk about someone this good-looking?” [i CAN’T]

11.

“You only brought two [rabbits]?”, Lila asked, trying to exchange a disdainful look with her friend Tamsin, a reedy blond girl who struck Bellamy as a quieter, and somehow even stupider, version of Lila. [ROOD] [...] “Good counting, Lila,” Bellamy said slowly, as if praising an accomplished toddler. “You’ll make it all the way to ten soon.” [...] “You’re an asshole, Bellamy.” “Ever hear the saying ‘Don’t bite the and that feeds you’?” he shot back with a grin. “Or, why don’t I put it to you this way? There are two rabbits, as you so astutely pointed out, and there are way more than two of us.” [...] “Not everyone is going to get a bite. And you just made that decision a little easier for me. So, thank you.” He extended his hand as if offering it to Lila to shake. “I’m very grateful for your help.” She smacked his hand away and sun on her heel, tugging on the uneven edges of her shorts as she strode away. Typical Wal-ditz, Bellamy thought, using the term Octavia had coined for the girls on Walden who purposefully acted like airheaded Phoenicians.

[I’M SCREAMING I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW SAVAGE HE IS]

12.

A curly-haired girl approached him, trailed by two giggling friends. This trio had taken the cutoffs trend to the extreme, and were now tugging at the frayed edges of shorts that barely skimmed the tops of their thighs. “Hey,” the first girl said. “We need a tall person to help us fix the roof on the north cabin. It’s caving in already.” Bellamy barely glanced at her. “Build a ladder.”

13. “There’s the spot where I almost dropped you,” he said, pointing vaguely into the distance. “That’s where I stopped to make sure you weren’t choking on your own vomit. And, oh, look, that’s where you regained consciousness for a few seconds and told me that I had the biggest-” He cut himself off with a yelp as Clarke jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow.

14.

“Jazzed? What does that mean? Like you’re so happy, you’d be willing to listen to jazz music.” [Clarke speaking] “Willing to listen to jazz music? You must mean ‘happy because you get to listen to jazz music.’ So happy that your heart starts beating a jazz riff.” [Bellamy speaking] [...] “So what does a jazz riff sound like?” “It’s more about what it feels like,” Bellamy said, reaching for Clarke’s hand. He began tapping a rhythm up and down her arm. She shivered as his fingers danced on the inside of her elbow. “So jazz feels like some weirdo tickling your arm?” “Not your arm. Your whole body. You feel it in her your throat . . .” He brought his fingers to her neck and tapped along her collarbone. “In your feet . . .” He knelt down and tapped along the side of her boot, and Clarke laughed. “In your chest . . .” He stood up, bringing his hand to rest lightly on the top of her heart, and was very still. [show!Bellamy I-can’t-flirt-for-shit Blake is shooketh]

15. He’d kissed girls before, and it had never done anything except scramble their brains, turning them into a walking mass of giggles who always wanted to hold his hand. [BUT BELLAMY YOU LOVE HOLDING HANDS *betrayal*]

16. “Don’t you dare tell me what I understand,” Bellamy cut her off. “I never want to see you again. Maybe you can offer yourself up to the Earthborns. Wouldn’t that be fun? A whole new population of children to experiment on.” He spun around and strode off, leaving Clarke alone and trembling in the woods. [BELLAMY HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO YOUR WIFE LIKE THAT]

17. Now he was leaving for good. He’d dealt with Wells’s mind games and Clarke’s treachery for the last time. As he stuffed a few protein packets into his pocket, a new wave of anger rose in his chest at the thought of everything he’d given up to bring Clarke safely back to camp. [...] He should’ve left Clarke in the woods, letting her limbs swell and her airway close up so that she’d never be able to utter another lie again. [DAFUQ?? this is like Day Trip except written by Satan]

18.

Was that Clarke really in there? The Clarke who could look so gravely serious one moment and then burst into laughter the next? The girl who found everything on Earth miraculous, and kissed him as if he were the most incredible find of all? “You look creepy standing there. Either come down or get going,” he said gruffly. [way to woo a girl, Bellamy]

19. “If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll go find a blond. Redheads are nothing bu trouble.” Bellamy grinned and reached for the book. “Give it to me. That thing is half your weight . . . Carrots.”

20. “Are you okay?” Clarke asked. “It’s just Jim Dandy.” Clarke reached over and squeezed his hand. “Aren’t you excited? You’re finally going to meet people who understand your weird, old-man Earth slang.” [TBH this isn’t that notable but I just thought it was funny since the fandom always jokes about how Bellamy’s just a soft old-man-teddy-bear]

21. “Half-brothers,” Clarke said for what was probably the twenty-ninth time that night.. She reached out and ran a finger along Bellamy’s cheek, as if she might find some sign she’d overlooked that he and Wells were related. Bellamy smiled as he gently removed her hand, then brought it to his lips to kiss it “I know it’s hard to believe. I’m just so much better looking.” [listen to this cocky asshole]

22. “Look at that,” Bellamy whispered in her ear. “What?” He took her hand, gently extending one of her fingers, and pointed it toward a pinpoint of light moving quickly across the sky. “Did you ever make wishes on meteors on Phoenix?” [again, this quote isn’t so much about Bellamy himself as a character in the book but it just struck me because it’s basically the reverse of “can you wish on this kind of shooting star” in 1x05 so I thought it was interesting to point out]

That concludes all of the main Bellamy parts of book two! He still has some pretty ridiculous (and SAVAGE, holy crap) moments but to be honest this is probably my favourite of the four books in the series (just in general). Hopefully you found this post entertaining - stay tuned for book three: “Homecoming”.

#the 100 #bellarke #bellamy blake #day 21 #kass morgan #clarke griffin #posts by moi #cry with me #otp: maybe together will be our always #bellamy blake: he's the key to everything

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filmista · 7 years ago

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Stranger Things (Season 1)

“If anyone asks where I am, I’ve left the country.”

As a lot of you know I usually review films and not tv series. ‘Big Little Lies’ has been the big exception, although that’s a mini-series and thus an easier to cover than a series with more than one season.

But I wanted to make another exception and cover another series that I’ve discovered lately, really gotten into and thoroughly enjoyed: it’s the hype of 2016 ‘Stranger Things’.

Now you can’t be a regular Netflix or Tumblr user and not have heard of ‘Stranger Things’. The hype definitely got to the cave I live in, I’ve had people ask me if I’d seen it and recommend it to me. As always I eventually caved. Because you do start to wonder if it’s acceptable to venture out in public and not have seen it...

But as is usually the case, I’m always late to a hype and don’t get into it until much later. I thought it wouldn’t be for me because I thought it would mostly be an homage to 80’s cliches that I’m not too big a fan of.

Also, I have to admit that I’ve never been that big of a fan of the government is doing, secret, fucked up shit in some top secret lab… it has a tendency to go really big and stray too much from subtlety for my liking.

Although one day I was home sick from school and had an entire day of couch sitting ahead of me, and the film I picked was ‘Super 8’ which judging from its storyline, should by no means have been something I’d enjoy. But I ended up quite liking that film, because of it’ focus on friendship. And a large chunk of the morning past with it.

Much the same happened with ‘Stranger Things’, I had heard of it but I never thought it’d be something for me, yes admittedly basically because of preconceived notions about it.

Eventually, curiosity did get the better of me and I decided to read up on it a little bit, and all the mostly positive reviews convinced me that there must be something to it.

“Joyce, this is Hawkins, okay? You wanna know the worst thing that’s ever happened here in the four years I’ve been working here? Do you wanna know the worst thing? It was when an owl attacked Eleanor Gillespie’s head because it thought that her hair was a nest.”

So skip forward and there I was on the sofa watching ‘Stranger Things’, that same afternoon I watched the first two episodes, in less than a week I was done with it. And even though I didn’t love the first two episodes, I liked the atmosphere enough and there was enough tension at the end of the episodes to keep me watching.

I had conflicted feelings about the show at first, on the one hand, I actually thoroughly enjoyed the episodes and I wanted to watch the next one, but I also was always left a bit underwhelmed. It didn’t feel like nothing I hadn’t watched before to me.

‘Stranger Things’ is definitely a beautiful show, with all kinds of aesthetic wonderfulness, but its quality goes deeper than just the surface. While it does borrow heavily from 80’s films, there’s also a lot of nods to one of my favorite horror writers: Mr. Stephen King, I can’t be the only one that got ‘Carrie’ ( I love Carrie) vibes from Eleven.

It’s more than just about paying homage, to some of the sci-fi and horror from the 80’s, though it starts as a murder mystery and eventually goes full-fledged sci-fi, it does without getting too overbearing kudos to that!

The creators of the show The Duffer Brothers clearly know the era they were working with and know their stuff, but the most important thing is that their love for the era and it's films, even it’s music shines through.

We all love some music, books, and films from the 80’s, though it is safe to say that not that many of us would like to live in it now being conscious of how hideous the fashion was, it really was…

So the Duffer Brothers took the 80’s and weren’t afraid to create something build upon existing elements of that time. But as I said ‘Stranger Things’ is much, much more than just a pretty show.

It’s well written, well acted, and man does it have fantastic music! (the soundtrack is my new to go to put on in the background while I’m working for class).

It’s acting is above the level of a lot of tv series, all of the actors, the child actors too give very strong and nuanced performances, they build their characters into so much more than just their 80’s archetypes.

Also how cool is it that 80’s and 90’s icon Winona Ryder is in this?! It builds around elements from known 80’s movies and it pays the era a loving, nostalgic glance.

“Yeah, that’s right! You better run! She’s our friend and she’s crazy!”

Stranger Things is set in the 80's in a small town in Indiana, Hawkins. A typical “we all know each other town”, where really nothing ever happens. Until a boy, Will disappears without a trace one day.

His three best friends are determined to find him. However, during their search, they do not find Will, but a mysterious girl. Without name but with supernatural powers. Meanwhile, Will’s mother is also convinced that Will still lives, despite the fact that every indication seems to prove the opposite-

And believe me, there are still a lot more strange things happening in Hawkins. Like in many films and shows from the time, adults and children, coexist but it is seemingly in opposing planes, a lot of the parents are unaware of their children’s internal world.

This is especially so with some of the teens and their parents, the show illustrates that time when teens and adults begin to grow a little apart, beautifully.

But in this show, a supernatural mix is also thrown into the equation, super secret shit of the government went wrong (when does it not?) and now there’s a dark, alternate version of the town within the town, inhabited by a monster (The Demogorgon) that smells blood from miles away and feeds onto the inhabitants.

The people in the town that went missing get into this alternate version of the town called the upside down. Now the group of children figures this out sooner thanks to their mysterious new friend Eleven, Eleven true to the cliche was experimented on because of her supernatural powers, by the government in their evil, top-secret lab.

The younger people of the town are onto the truth much faster than some of the oblivious adults, and some adults also are sooner than others, some just stay oblivious to what goes on around them, like boring “enjoying your chicken Ted” the only one in the show, to never shed the skin of his stereotype and mutated into a more interesting one.

Ryder’s character is one of the first adults that experiences that something supernatural is going on in the town, she doesn’t give up on her son, and comes to believe that he makes contact with her through the Christmas lights, and is thus still there.

Though of course in accordance to the cliche, she questions her own sanity first, but still, holds on to that beacon of hope no matter how ridiculous. And while some say Winona Ryder pulled some serious overacting here, that may be so but how would someone react if they lost their child?

She has others around her question her sanity, but the character that eventually comes to believe her and one of my favorite characters in the show overall: Chief Hopper.

It’s implied that Chief Hopper and Joyce somewhat have feelings for one another. And hopper himself lost his daughter, so he feels a lot of empathy and sympathy for Joyce, and is in the end always there to support her.

Now what I loved about chief Hopper, is that he’s not an overly macho policeman, he’s a very kind and sympathetic man, with a somewhat nervous disposition because of his past.

He’s also an alcoholic of who we perfectly understand why he became one, but underneath all of that, there is still the same kind, loving man. And as a coffee lover, I love anyone that would say “Mornings are for Coffee and contemplation.”

There’s the group of kids, all perfectly played by the child actors.They illustrate perfectly that childhood friendships are some of the strongest we have in our life, but they also face disagreements. Though the star of all the kids is arguably, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven.

She delivers an insanely nuanced and emotional performance for her age, she never falters in the role and stays strong throughout, I can predict now (and I’m probably not the only one) that’s she’s going to be big one day.

Then there’s the teens and the adults. The show is in this regard mostly focused on two families, The Wheelers and The Byers. All of the adults in the Wheeler household are blissfully ignorant of the events happening in the town, except eventually teenage daughter Nancy (who’s my favorite character but I’ll get to her).

And the Byers household. Now Joyce’s son Jonathan, who’s the brooding, quiet kid, that’s discovered photography (another cliche) at first doesn’t believe his mother and thinks that she has lost her mind.

“Maybe I am a mess. Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe I’m out of my mind! But, God help me, I will keep these lights up until the day I die if I think there’s a chance that Will’s still out there!”

Until he too is confronted with the events. And later teams up with his crush Nancy to fight the Demogorgon. Now Nancy (played with brilliant subtlety by Natalia Dyer) who’s hideous layering style, I find secretly wonderful.

Nancy at the beginning of the show doesn’t really start out as a character that we love. She comes across, as the very shallow, somewhat bitchy older sister, that’s just found popularity, she’s dating in true 80’s fashion, an enormous douchebag.

She drags her best friend, the shyer Barbara to a party she really didn’t want to go to, chugs beer, ignores all of her friend's advice, and further ignores her to give into her hormones, and lose her virginity to the douchebag her friend warned her about.

But the really interesting thing about Nancy is that she grows, and eventually evolves from that storyline. Like in classic horror movie she would have died after this, only this show doesn’t do that her and gives her another chance-

She realizes she made a mistake with her friend and sets out to repair the damage she made. In the meantime, she also befriends the kid, who’s not popular.

And she just becomes one of the biggest badasses in the show, being the first to willingly go into the upside down, and the first to devise a plan to kill the monster. Guys I just love Nancy.

“I don’t think my parents ever loved each other. They must’ve married for some reason. My mom was young. My dad was older, but he had a cushy job, money, came from a good family. So they bought a nice house at the end of the cul-de-sac… and started their nuclear family. Screw that.“

Which leads to the very cool moment of her training with a baseball bat a scene I love, she and Jonathan stocking up on stuff to face the monster with, and eventually fighting it.

And she also moves away from her grumpy older sister image and restores her relationship with her younger brother.

Perhaps the only decision she makes that some people would be bothered by, is her choosing Steve over Jonathan (at least in this season) but she still didn’t change her personality that much, she stayed true to who she is.

And Steve arguably was redeemed a bit in the end, as he tries to make up for his mistakes, and ditches his utterly awful friends.

Overall Stranger Things is a show with a great binge-ability factor, a clear love of and an ode to the 80’s, but that goes deeper than just becoming a copy of classic 80′s sci-fi and horror.

But anyway what makes it great, is that as deep as it can be after you’ve had a deeper look at it (it took me a while to really warm up to it) you can also just enjoy it as you spent an entire afternoon watching.

‘Stranger Things’ is probably one of the best-crafted shows on Netflix though, truly one of those shows, that transcends the quality, of what’s usually expected of it and becomes a true phenomenon. It was the most popular Netflix in 2016 in America, and with this outdid ‘Orange Is The New Black’ now that is a feat.

It’s in quality just as good as any film. It builds up its atmosphere brilliantly, not only is at pretty and pleasant to look at (there are some great special effects and just beautiful use of colors and lighting) but it’s also all believable and makes sense.

Its atmosphere is dark throughout, it’s almost like an inverted fairy tale, it’s not every day that Christmas lights become something so dark and sad. But it also knows when to be lighter and let the audience breathe, so we get some very intense, sometimes slightly frightening scenes (this depends on how easily you scare I think though). Alternated with moments that are funny, or heartwarming.

It’s got a love of all things nerdy as well, the most important characters in it are huge nerds, and where these people would usually be the victims, here they’re the heroes and they get to stand up to their bullies.

It has acting, that’s at the level of some films, no overdramatic, soap-like acting, everyone delivers strong and confident performances. And then there’s as I said that wonderful soundtrack, a true 80’s synth soundtrack.

In conclusion, I’d say ‘Stranger things’ is indeed worth the watch, though I like some people had some difficulty with the first two episodes. But once past those two, it consolidated itself into something with a high nostalgia factor, while still managing to become unique.

I for one, like I think many other people am all set to enjoy season 2 when it arrives on October 27th. Whereas for all the influences; there’s a great deal of them, Spielberg’s films being one of them, but all of those you can find plenty on the internet.

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esqreverblog · 7 years ago

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Over 100 Years Later, Photographer Alice Austen Is Finally Being Recognized as an LGBTQ Icon

“Alice had the means to pursue this craft,” Monger explains. “It wasn’t a profession, but she took it seriously and was very technically proficient—it was beyond a hobby.”

During a trip to the Catskills in 1899, Austen met Gertrude Tate, a kindergarten teacher who was recovering from typhoid at a hotel. A small photo album made by Austen documents the relationship that blossomed that summer. Tate, who lived in Brooklyn, began visiting Clear Comfort, accompanied Austen on holidays abroad, and in 1917, moved into the cottage. While Tate’s family objected to her “wrong devotion” to Austen, she lived there for three decades.

Personal photographs of Tate, Austen, and their female friends reveal further insight into Austen’s layered, playful personality. One iconic image, Trude & I (1891), features Austen and her childhood friend, Gertrude Eccleston, an Episcopalian minister’s daughter, wearing masks, corsets, and calf-length skirts, their arms intertwined. Both are smoking—an act women could be arrested for.

In The Darned Club (1891), taken in Clear Comfort’s garden, Austen and three female friends are framed as two embracing couples. Another photo, Julia Martin, Julia Bredt and Self Dressed Up as Men (1891), features exactly that—she and her friends dressed up as men—complete with phony mustaches and cigarettes. Another picture from this series depicts one of the women with a closed umbrella between her legs, suggesting a phallus.

“Alice probably felt she had the freedom to take those photos, because they weren’t necessarily for distribution,” Monger says. “She mocked Victorian society and the restrictions it put on women. At the same time, she was thinking about gender roles and exploring her identity.”

By all accounts, photographer Alice Austen was an extraordinary woman. Born into an affluent family on Staten Island in 1866, she challenged oppressive Victorian conventions by embracing individuality and independence.

Austen roamed around turn-of-the-century New York with camera in hand, capturing street vendors and immigrants. She worked from moving trains and sporting events, creating early action shots, and obsessively recorded the activities of friends and family, as well as her own life. Unafraid to climb a fence post (and risk exposing her ankles) to get the perfect shot, Austen produced roughly 8,000 photographs in her lifetime. In doing so, she helped to pioneer documentary photography.

But there’s an underrepresented part of her story: Austen’s 53-year-long relationship with a woman named Gertrude Tate. “There’s a history of not talking about Gertrude,” says Janice Monger, executive director of the Alice Austen House, the photographer’s Staten Island cottage-turned-institution. Even this place, dedicated to exploring Austen’s life and work since 1985, has promoted varying narratives of its former resident. The reasons why are as complex as the photographer herself.

Austen and her mother moved into the cottage, called Clear Comfort, after her father abandoned them around 1869. Austen’s uncle, a Danish sea captain, let her play around with a camera at age 10; another uncle, a chemistry professor, showed her how to develop the glass plates she exposed. An upstairs closet was converted into a darkroom for Austen, who took painstaking notes about the photo-making process. She was an experienced, exacting photographer by her 18th birthday, and spent the next 50 years perfecting her craft.

Clear Comfort served as Austen’s earliest muse: She photographed her home and the family events it played backdrop to. She shot visits to the beach, picnics in the mountains, and bowling parties at a friend’s mansion. An avid athlete, Austen documented the newly introduced sports of tennis and cycling—even collaborating with a friend on a book depicting the correct positions in which to turn, coast, and dismount a bike. In the 1890s, Austen and her photo equipment travelled around the East Coast and to Europe, where she spent entire summers exploring.

While traveling encouraged Austen’s boundless curiosity, at home, history was taking place in her backyard. She watched the building of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island’s new federal station. Before entering New York’s harbor, each incoming ship was inspected at a quarantine station south of the Austen cottage. The U.S. Public Health Service asked Austen to photograph the facility—an exercise that fascinated her so much, she returned every year for a decade, fervently documenting people and equipment.

Austen’s knack for photojournalism was perhaps most apparent when she ventured into New York City, making pictures of “street types”—street sweepers, bootblacks, fishmongers, organ grinders—that she had copyrighted at the Library of Congress. The nature of this work, and the fact that she never married or bore children, was hardly typical of a Victorian woman. But because she wasn’t paid for her photographs, Austen considered herself an amateur.

“Alice had the means to pursue this craft,” Monger explains. “It wasn’t a profession, but she took it seriously and was very technically proficient—it was beyond a hobby.”

Such photographs are often omitted in accounts of Austen’s legacy. Many articles I read didn’t even mention Tate, preferring to focus on Austen’s images of street types and Victorian society. The word “lesbian” barely appears on the Alice Austen House website, despite criticism it has received for not acknowledging the relationship to a fuller extent.

Monger, who assumed her role in 2013, has spent the past four years tackling the issue. But it’s difficult to put modern labels on historical relationships, she told me. “Even in the museum world, there’s differing opinions on this. I’m not afraid to call her a lesbian. But using that term would be over-simplifying things.”

Lillian Faderman, an internationally known scholar of lesbian and LGBTQ history, is part of an advisory team the Alice Austen House assembled to help bring Austen’s relationship with Tate to the fore. The word “lesbian,” Faderman told me, carries a connotation that Austen’s social class wouldn’t have identified with.

“Another term around at the time was ‘sexual invert,’ which probably would have horrified them as much as ‘lesbian,’” Faderman says. “It was coined by a sexologist, and suggested pathology.” Other available terms, like “romantic friendship” or a “Boston marriage,” inspired by Henry James’s 1886 novel, The Bostonians, may have been more attractive to Austen.

“Everyone wants ‘evidence,’” Monger says. “We don’t have anything explicitly written that says they were lesbians.”

Looking at Austen’s photographs and other documents, Faderman and others contend, there’s no question about it. “It’s hard to imagine the kind of willful ignorance about homosexuality that existed in earlier eras,” Faderman says. “I would think that if Alice’s family didn’t know, they’d tell themselves they wouldn’t want to ‘think ill’ of Alice and Gertrude. It’d be tarring them with this terrible allegation.”

Similarly, one of Austen’s biographers, Ann Novotny, offered two different versions of her life. Tate is referred to as Austen’s companion in Novotny’s 1976 biography, but as her lover in an article she wrote for Heresies, a feminist art magazine, the following year.

Since Monger’s arrival, she’s worked with the Alice Austen House’s board to incorporate Austen’s personal identity into the cottage museum. They’ve since updated its mission statement and received multiple grants to further contextualize Austen from a number of perspectives, including LGBTQ history. In 2019, the house will unveil a new permanent display, complete with new text panels in current language and photographs that make Tate more visible.

And on June 20th, the Alice Austen House was officially designated a national site of LGBTQ history by the National Park Service. It is the fourth site in New York City, and the first in the city and state devoted to a woman, to receive the honor.

During Monger’s remarks at the ceremony, she described Austen and Tate’s relationship as a story of love and acceptance, and emphasized the responsibility of representing a historical person. “What an incredible day,” she mused. “This moment is a long time coming.”

—Tiffany Jow

Source

ARTSY EDITORIALBY TIFFANY JOW

#lgbt #photography #alice austen

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basicsupply-blog · 8 years ago

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How I Met Your Mother

Sitcoms have always put a smile on our faces, but seldom do they make us cry as well. How I met your mother, is well loved by comedy enthusiasts because it not only gives them the laughter they need to brighten up their day but it also advocates amazing life lessons that we can apply ourselves. How I met your mother's pilot episode was aired in 2005. From there, I loved everything about the show. It wasn't your typical sitcom, romance was also incorporated into the story. Everything started when Ted decided that he needed to take a step further in life. He thought that he immediately needed to find the girl he'd want to spend the rest of his life with. This wasn’t easy for him because he falls in love too quickly, In his perspective every girl he met could be the one, the mother of his children. The first season would probably be the best one in my opinion. Ted Mosby, the narrator throughout the entire series, first laid eyes on who he thought would be the mother of his children, Robin. Through all eight seasons their relationship would go on and off. They were both convinced that they just weren't meant for each other. During the later seasons we then find out that Robin isn't the mother of his children. It was exciting and heartbreaking to see all the twists present in this series. One moment you're laughing, the next you're sobbing like a loved one has just passed. These unexpected turn of events are what I loved most about this series. It gave me the idea that anything could happen, and true enough it lived up to my expectations. There were many things that are now well known since they appeared on the show. The blue French horn Ted stole for Robin during the first season would be one of them. After being used on the show, the idea of giving someone a blue French horn to profess their love became iconic. Another was Barney’s way of helping Ted meet new girl’s. He’d start off with a line saying “Have you met Ted”, then the rest was history. The most iconic thing they created in the show would probably be the “Bro Code”. This so called Bro Code was like a bible for men. It contained Rules that one must follow to remain “Bro’s”. The Bro Code was later published into a real book and sold multiple copies worldwide These are just a few of the things this series made iconic. I'd say the downside of this series would be that they used too much profanity and there were also scenes which had too much sexual context. That being said, the show was not suitable for very young viewers. Being young, they shouldn’t get exposed to these things yet. They’re just learning to absorb new things and ideas. Those that have been in love can relate so much to this series. Yes, it is a sitcom and at first you'll think it'll just be a bunch of cliches, but this show will surpass all your expectations. One minute you’re laughing your problems away, the next you’re filled with tears. It's amazing to see a well written story. From the start and build up, to the climax, resolution and ending. There was never a dull moment. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions that fluctuate endlessly. However, their last episode endured a lot of criticism. After 8 seasons of waiting anxiously, the viewers finally meet the mother or Ted Mosby’s Children. We were all in awe after what had happened, it was something you wouldn’t expect. The woman we waited 8 seasons to meet died just like that. This being said, millions of viewers couldn’t help but get annoyed and some even enraged. After his wife dies, Ted marries Robin. The same Robin he fell in love with on the very first episode. It just shows us that you can never really tell what’s about to happen next. Now, aside from the content of the film. The actors were amazing too. Barney Stinson never fails to make us laugh. His character as a womanizing, alcoholic playboy will always be “Legend wait for it dary”. This iconic line will be forever remembered by all How I Met Your Mother fans out there. Lily and Marshall will forever be “Relationship Goals”. As for Ted, he’ll be remembered as someone who doesn’t give up on love, someone that believes in a forever worth fighting for. There are no better actors to play their roles but them. You can see that they're comfortable with each other and that they're always having fun. In some interviews, co-stars often say that they don't think of it as work anymore. They just get up on set, act like themselves and have fun. The authenticity of their happiness and love for each other is beyond amazing. Co-workers that turned into friends, and even friends that became family.

Overall for me, this is the best sitcom to ever come on television. You never know what to expect. They'll play with your emotions and you'll see how authentic these emotions are. The story was one that I could never read, I couldn't tell what was next to come. I was always just in awe of what has just happened and excited for what was about to happen. Their last episode aired on March 31, 2014 entitled "The Last Forever". Just hearing the title of the final episode brought me to tears. It was a joy to watch a group of friends spend each day of their lives with each other. After eight long seasons of laughter and tears, the series finally comes to an end. It was sad that they had to end it, but it’s better to end the series at its best than to prolong it and ruin the series. I may have been four years old when all this series first started, but it's a movie that viewers from generations to come, will love.

#reading and writing #critique paper #carlo

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ciathyzareposts · 5 years ago

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Abandoned Places: Empty Frame

Spider webs posed a (mild) obstacle on some of this session’s dungeons.

A second session with Abandoned Places has shown it to be an adequate but unmemorable Dungeon Master clone. Most of the things I initially liked about it–elements in which it departed from the usual Dungeon Master template–have not really compensated for a certain lack of imagination and challenge.

You’ll recall that the plot involved the resurrection of four long-dead heroes to save the land of Kalynthia from a new threat posed by a threatening figure named Bronakh. It turns out that I was missing a large part of the backstory, kept in a book separate from the game manual called The 23rd Chronicles of Kalynthia. The 40 pages of this book tell a Tolkienesque history, full of allusions, partial biographies, and heroes lost to history except for their names. It’s an impressive effort, one that suggests epic ambitions for the series that were frustrated by poor sales or lack of interest.

It’s probably not worth trying to summarize all of it, but I’ll cover it in broad strokes. Thousands of years ago, Kalynthia was an icy world with a technologically advanced population. The manual is written from the perspective of someone who doesn’t understand the ancient technology (“armored carriages that could release explosions of fire”), but the population clearly had firearms, bombs, airplanes, and tanks. Some leader named Zander united this world through a combination of diplomacy and conquest. A million-year peace followed in which the population built shining cities and fortresses, tunneled deep into the earth and built entire cities underground, and mastered the art of magic.

A long backstory is delivered in a 40-page book with thick text and no illustrations.

A warming of the world caused this ancient population to decline and vanished, replaced in dominance by the human creations of two gods, Kiri-Sam and Gardi. After several thousand years of tribal living, a figure named Drexel the Great established the first major civilization. Guilds of craftsmen and storytellers thrived in this civilization, and the most powerful of the guildmasters became the world’s first kings and queens.

Several generations later, a queen named Solara ruled a Camelot-like kingdom when a mysterious, dark, charismatic stranger named Zorin became her steward. Her husband died under mysterious circumstances, and she remarried Zorin, bearing from him a child named Bronakh. A “strange and willful” child, Bronakh exerted a power over his mother that caused her to disown her previous children and make one desperate attempt after another to please him. As she descended into insanity, Bronakh was raised by his wetnurse, a gypsy witch named Xonia. As he grew, he became lovers with Xonia’s daughter, Ellida. Anyone who spoke against him or Xonia suffered a mysterious death.

Here’s a random shot of the guy who runs the jewelry shop in town.

When Solara died, Bronakh declared himself king and Ellida used enchantments to help him win the support of the people. Solara’s older sons (Nikor, Igon, Drel, and Erik) raised an army to oppose Bronakh, but Ellida filled their heads with mistrust for each other, so that when the battle came, the brothers’ armies turned on each other and left Bronakh unharmed and victorious. However, Bronakh was mentally exhausted by the many glamours that he’d cast to get this far, and he ended up retreating to an island in the northwest and establishing his kingdom there. On the mainland, with the help of a great Council, the four brothers established four separate kingdoms.

Generations passed and peace reigned for a while, but eventually Bronakh stirred and began sending abominations to the mainland to threaten the populace. The citizenry had to retreat into walled cities to avoid certain death. The rulers of the four kingdoms decided to commission warriors and mages to clear the world of these monsters. Lacking the resources to establish a true army, they selected the 12 most talented specialists in war, magic, and healing, commissioning a Great Contest to suss them out. Bronakh tried to sabotage the contest by sending his own son, Ignis, to compete, but King Soron discovered the plot and destroyed Ignis by pouring a jug of holy water on his head. The 12 heroes did their jobs, and ultimately Bronakh was bound and tossed into a volcano. But the rulers knew that he was immortal and would eventually return, and thus they used magic to turn the 12 heroes to stone and stuck them in the Temple of Heaven’s Light to await the world’s need. So this is all nice to know, but what strikes me more is how little it would have affected my experience of the game if I’d never found this document. Because as with Dungeon Master, the story is simply a framing story. Telling a more elaborate framing story is like putting a more ornate frame around a painting–it may be an interesting object in and of itself, but it doesn’t fundamentally change the experience of the central piece. What’s annoying is that Abandoned Places at first shows every intent of abandoning the framing story as the main plot device. It has an overworld with numerous interesting-looking locations. Wouldn’t it be nice if visiting those locations produced NPCs and encounters that referred back to the story? Perhaps a couple of places where knowledge of the story helps you solve a puzzle? Alas, the story hardly references actual locations on the map (it mostly contradicts it), and the places you can visit either have generic menu towns or nothing at all. You can’t even visit the different dungeons out of order. Thus, the overworld just becomes an interlude between dungeon levels in a game that otherwise plays like most other games in its sub-genre.

I forgot to include the overworld map int he last entry. Here it is.

We began last session with four of the heroes awakened. It is unclear why there were only four, who awakened them, and what happened to him. The four heroes had to fight their way out of the Tempe, make their way to the mainland, and visit over a dozen locations before finding anything to do at Souls Abbey. There, it wasn’t even clear that the (unidentified) person who greeted them knew who they were or why they were there; he simply sent them on a “prove yourself” quest to clear out monsters from a dungeon.

The dungeon was a single 22 x 22 level with the same sort of navigation puzzles already described: buttons and levers on the walls, keys and keyed doors, squares of fire or water that you must avoid or take damage crossing, pressure plates, and illusory walls. There were enemies in the form of flying skulls and zombie-like humanoids.

How did skulls acquire wings? How do they affix?

When I cleared the monsters and returned to the abbey, the unidentified representative–again not suggesting that he knew anything about us–suggested we go seek the Book of the World in the “old library” at Kal Kalon. Kal Kalon is the capital of the land, with a full set of services, so I certainly didn’t mind the visit. I sold some excess equipment and leveled up before clicking on the “sage” icon option. There, another unidentified old man gave me permission to enter the library.

Souls Abbey.

The library was three levels, but fragmented so that they really only took up two 22 x 22 level spaces. Other than the textures suggesting books at certain points, the only thing the dungeon introduced was furniture that I had to push out of the way and cobwebs that I had to destroy. (The only way I could find to do it was with the priest’s “Fire Path” spell, but I feel like there must be other options.) Enemies included what looked like ghosts of priests and hairy monsters with long claws and razor teeth. In the end, I got the Book of Worlds and returned to the abbey.

I don’t even have a placeholder name for these guys.

It turns out that when you activate the Book of Worlds, it activates a little auto-map in the lower right corner. But it shows only a small space and doesn’t annotate puzzles or anything. I haven’t been mapping very faithfully for reasons I’ll discuss below, but if this were the sort of game where you really had to map, I don’t think the automap would do much to help you.

Note the automap in the lower right window.

Back at the abbey, the priest finally figured out that we were four of the 12 heroes from hundreds of years ago. He then said we’d find a valuable scroll at the Steps and sent us away again.

The Steps are a mountain range southeast of the abbey. From the manual, I learned that when searching for a dungeon entrance over a large area, you need to turn the “search” option on in the overworld interface. From a commenter, I learned that you needed to be dismounted for this to work. Eventually, we found the dungeon entrance.

The Steps featured the first pit, and thus the first use of a rope.

It was another pair of 22 x 22s. This dungeon introduced a pit that we had to climb down, explore for a while, and climb back up. Ropes we’d found plus my fighters’ “climbing” skills did the trick. Finally, in this dungeon, we found our first item of armor–a suit of ringmail. I had begun to wonder if the game even had armor given that there’s no explicit slot for it. It turns out that the character figure in the inventory section has been reflecting armor all along. When I dropped the ringmail on a fighter, he gave up his previous suit of leather.

My fighter wears a fancy new set of ringmail as we fight some kind of warrior.

Enemies in the Steps were mostly skeletons and large, armored warriors. The culmination was a scroll that I couldn’t read. I took it back to the abbey, and the priest couldn’t read it either. He told me to take it to the “wise” at Kal Kalon. He, in turn, said that the scroll discussed the Ruling Symbols.

The Ruling Symbols are some kind of magical items. They were created by a group of powerful spell casters to keep evil from Kalynthia. The work was completed too late. Evil got to them. Then after an adventurous fight of mighty heroes the items were brought back to the Council of Elders. They decided that these items may help forthcoming generations. So they cut the items into pieces, and hid the around the empire. Only the worthy ones can find them. You will need all of these artifacts to destroy Bronakh.

The Ruling Symbols turn out to be three items: the Sword of Darkness, the Staff of Supremacy, and the Globe of Forthcoming. Each is in three pieces, leaving nine total pieces to find. For each piece, the first one will somehow lead me to the others. The scroll describes the location of each first piece: the Broken Isles, the Sands of Fire, and Seers Point. So it appears I have a bit of freedom at this point. I can start in any of those three locations and then either finish finding an entire item before moving on to the next, or find all “first pieces” before the seconds, and so on.

The wise man doesn’t seem to care one way or another if I save the world.

We’ve seen that Abandoned Places doesn’t break much new ground, although it initially seems to, in its narrative or game world. That leaves how it plays as a dungeon crawler, and as I said before, it distinguishes itself in neither mechanics nor challenge. To start, I haven’t suffered a single character death the entire game so far. In fact, I don’t think any of my characters have seen their hit points drop below 50%. Enemies hardly ever hit, and when they do, they don’t hit that hard. Combat itself is unsatisfying. The cool-down period for attacks is just a little too long, so a lot of the time you and the enemy are just standing there looking at each other. Even if combat was faster and harder, the game lacks many of Dungeon Master‘s tactics. Closing them in doors doesn’t work. Combat waltzing (check the glossary!) doesn’t work because enemies are always facing you. Enemies have fixed patrol zones, so you can’t do the backpedal.

Fighting a ghostly librarian in the library. Trying to close the door to crush him just closed it behind him.

Meanwhile, the puzzles have also lacked any real challenge. They’ve all been of the find-the-switch-here-to-open-the-wall-there variety. I’ve been stuck a couple of times, but mostly because I failed to note a wall switch, or because I hadn’t yet tested every wall to see if it was illusory. As the game has progressed, the puzzles haven’t gotten harder so much as more distant, so a switch might open a wall on the other end of the dungeon, or even another dungeon level. Usually in games like this, I map everything I can without touching anything, then start experimenting witch switches and plates. I do it carefully because you never know when a switch might be temporary, or a plate might open one door but close another. But here, the causes and effects are so rudimentary that I’ve started activating every switch the moment I find it.

The brick above the cursor is a button.

Abandoned Places retains two quirks of Dungeon Master that have always annoyed me: inability to see the names of your enemies and inability to see weapon statistics. At least in Dungeon Master, you could track the damage done to enemies and basically figure out which item was better, but in Abandoned Places, the only feedback you get is whether you hit or missed. Naturally, the ease of combat makes it a lesser consideration for now. My characters have upgraded from clubs and daggers to short swords, maces, and axes. I’ve found two magic weapons: a magic club and a magic dagger. I gave the club to my cleric, who almost never gets to act in combat and thus has the lowest experience point total of the group (he gets most of his experience from “Minor Cure Wounds” and “Create Food” spells). To help him get more, I have him attack to the rear. After my fighters attack forward in combat, I spin around and give the cleric an attack or two. My mage remains aiming forward, as she can cast offensive spells past the fighters.

Opening a chest with a key. You can see the mage’s spell list here.

Miscellaneous notes:

So far, no dungeons have allowed enemies to respawn. If I did end up feeling I needed a little grinding, I’d have to do it with random encounters in the overworld.

The game’s font makes a w look like an m. It’s driving me crazy.

The mise maits the scroll before telling me what is mritten.

I’ve found some missile weapons, including a bunch of shurikens, but picking them up after battle is annoying even in games where you desperately need them. There’s no chance I’m doing that here.

I found a reasonable amount of gold in the last dungeon, plus lots of items to sell for more gold. I’m just hesitant to spend any of it.

This dungeon room had piles of gold on the floor.

Food depletes very fast, and “Create Food” doesn’t create much. I probably have to spend 5 minutes casting “Create Food” multiple times, passing it around, and eating it to get 15 interrupted minutes of dungeon crawling. Once characters are starving, they periodically lose 1 hit point, accompanied by an “oof!” I’m not sure, but I think the standard hit point regeneration might be faster than the 1 point they’re losing by starving, but the “oof!” is so annoying that I feed them. The whole system exists only to annoy you.

Half the time you try to visit some place in town, you get a screen saying that it’s “closed now.” Most of the time, if you acknowledge the message and try again a couple times, you can get in. Yet another thing that seems to exist solely to annoy.

Spellcasters get spells automatically on leveling up. So far, I’ve been relying heavily on the mage’s “Mage Bolt” and “Mage Cloud.” My priest has a spell called “Death Clow”; I don’t know if it was supposed to be “claw” or “glow,” but either way it doesn’t seem to do anything. There are some other mysterious ones, such as the priest’s “Create Water” (characters don’t need water separately from food) and the mage’s “Teleport,” which seems to be the “recall” part of a “mark/recall” spell except I can’t figure out how to specify the “mark” part.

Moving from the abbey to Kal Kalon.

Late in this session, I was Googling around to see if I’d missed any documentation on spells. I took note of a walkthrough, checking out only what it said for the parts that I’d already played, and I realized that an entire facet of the game had escaped my notice. The Soul Abbey is one of only three possible places that you can wind up where they give you the initial series of quests. The other two are the castle called Twilight and Vo Marris on the Isle of Mists. Each one of them sends you to a different starter dungeon. The library at Kal Kalon is the same for all three, but then each sends you to a different place to look for the scroll. The three potential paths converge at the point where I am now. It’s an interesting approach that enhances replayability.

I’m considering whether to declare that I’ve explored this one enough and just move on, not because it’s bad, but because it seems likely to take another 20 hours without offering anything substantially different. I’ll give it at least one more session and perhaps a quick scout of other sites to see if someone else has documented the endgame.

Time so far: 9 hours

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/abandoned-places-empty-frame/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

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hermanwatts · 5 years ago

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Sensor Sweep: Space 1889, Barry Windsor Smith, Tokien, Prydain

Popular Culture (DVS Press): If you needed more proof that the obsession with fictional corporate franchises has a religious overtone to it, here is a major filmmaker advertising just that. When my viewers were upset about the corporate destruction of Star Wars, calling the franchise a cultural institution, I thought it a bit hyperbolic – after all, these are just stories, and you can’t uncreate what George Lucas did. I see things better now. Star Wars is part of the religious reverence for popular franchises.

RPG (Matthew J. Constantine): Way back in the 80s when I was a wee lad and just getting into tabletop RPGs, I used to see Space 1889 on the shelf at a local game store and I thought it looked pretty cool. Somewhere around there, my father picked up a copy, and I used to thumb through it a bunch. There was something in the setting that really hit a lot of my buttons. I was an Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne fan, so that was probably enough. But the setting had something that drew me in.

Comic Books (ICV2): Marvel Comics announced Conan the Barbarian: Coming of Conan, the first volume of collected Conan books restored for The Original Marvel Years Epic Collection, for release into trade in June 2020. Conan’s adventures would become legend, but before he became king, he was Conan the Barbarian. In this new trade paperback, Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith bring Robert E. Howard’s barbarian to four-color life, and have restored the art to match the epic majesty of their original editions.

Cinema (Amatopia): So this Birds of Prey movie didn’t do so hot. The usual suspects are blaming misogyny among the movie-going public. The other usual suspects are blaming a marketing campaign that specifically told men that this movie was not for them. Now, both are apocryphal, as I have not found men telling other men not to see this movie because it features women, and I have also not found people involved with the making of the movie telling men “This movie is not for you.”

Tolkien (Sacnoth’s Scriptorium): we now know that Tolkien was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature at least three times: in 1961, when he was nominated by C. S. Lewis. in 1967, when his name appeared on the (alphabetical) long list as #58 of 70 nominees. In 1969, when he was #90 on the long list of 103 names. So far as I know he did not make the short list any of these times.

Weird Fiction & Appendix N (Goodman Games): Without August Derleth (1909-1971), you probably wouldn’t have that Cthulhu bumper sticker on your car, that Cthulhu for President poster, and certainly not that Plushie Cthulhu you have staring down at you from your geek-memorabilia shelf. Not that Cthulhu would not exist, but he (it?) would be just one more forgotten character in a series of stories by an author unknown except to the most ardent of horror literati. Howard Philip Lovecraft’s greatest creation and most if not all of his fiction would have passed into obscurity if not for August Derleth’s founding of Arkham House publishing.

Fiction (DMR Books): These are stories of Jean Ray, who was known as “The Belgian Poe.” Other writers he was similar to are H. P. Lovecraft, William Hope Hodgson, and Guy de Maussapant. I first read Ray’s fiction in the doorstopper anthology The Weird by Jeff and Anne VanderMeer which reprinted his stories “The Mainz Psalter” and “The Shadowy Street.” Reading these stories, I felt like I did when I first read Lovecraft. They were tales of cosmic horror of immense power and imagination. I decided I would seek out more of his fiction.

RPG (Black Gate): For twenty years, the folks at Privateer Press have been creating games, primarily set in their Iron Kingdoms steampunk fantasy setting. They began with a series of RPG volumes, including an award-winning trilogy of adventures from 2001. These adventures, later collected into The Witchfire Trilogy, was built on the D20 System from Dungeons and Dragons 3E. Then Privateer Press really came into their own with the introduction of the Warmachine miniature wargame, focusing on armies that control massive metallic warjacks, one of the iconic creatures from their Iron Kingdoms setting.

T.V. (Dark Worlds Quarterly): When I was in graduate school, one of my

favorite television shows was Highlander. I’d seen the first and second movies, and while I’d enjoyed them, it was the TV show that really captured my imagination and made me think about immortals and immortality. A movie is limited to approximately two hours. By contrast, a weekly show has a lot more time to develop characters, backstory, plots and subplots, and story-arcs that can last for months or even years.

Fiction (Epoch Times): In 1907, the man who composed these verses won the Noble Prize for Literature at the remarkably young age of 41. He also wrote hundreds of short stories and several novels. Many of these were made into films in the 20th century, among which were “The Jungle Book,” “Kim,” “Gunga Din,” “Wee Willie Winkie,” “Captains Courageous,” “Soldiers Three,” and “The Man Who Would Be King.” (Reader, if you haven’t seen this last film, starring Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Christopher Plummer, treat yourself to a great movie this winter.)

Fiction (Wasteland & Sky): A couple of years ago, Superversive Press announced a series of 12 volumes each containing short stories based on the classic planetary system. 9 were based on the planets, and two were based on the sides of the moon. Each volume would contain stories science fiction, fantasy, horror, and weird fiction, with everything in between. No genre style was off limits. All that mattered was matching tone and theme. As a themed series of short story anthologies, it was quite ambitious.

Retro-Science Fiction (25 Years Later): There are two closely-knit, though not necessarily always interchangeable, subgenres of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Raypunk, or in architectural design circles referred to as Raygun Gothic, is the retrofuture with an eye for a bright future. Atompunk generates dystopian vibes and warns of a dreaded future in which the atomic bomb desecrated all humankind. Atompunk is bleak and afraid. Raypunk is quite excited for what tomorrow has in store.

Cinema (Jon Mollison): Bollywood often gets bandied about as an alternative to Hollywood fare by those cut back on consumption of it’s anti-American resentment. Taken in by the flashy colors, the obvious national pride of the productions, and for some strange reason the song and dance numbers that break out on the regular, they seek solace in alien spectacle. Personally, I find the sheer foreign-ness of Bollywood off-putting in much the same way I find anime incomprehensible. . . Enter Furious, the Russian made story of 17 brave warriors who stood up to a full Mongol horde.

Art (Down the Tubes): The Windsor-Smith Studio announced the completion of Monsters, the long awaited graphic novel by Barry, last December, and that the project is on track for a mid-2020 release, but a publisher was not revealed. Assuming it will be launched through traditional distribution routes and not solely through the Windsor-Smith Studio official web site, you’d expect a solicitation through Diamond Previews might soon be in the offing.

Fantasy Fiction (Superversive SF): To both spend time with my children and give them literary food to build their minds, I recently read to them THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN. For them, it was the second reading, but they were too young to remember the first. This time, they were begging for me to read more each night. The stories of Taran and the companions, Fflewddur Fflam, Gurgi, and Eilonwy not only filled their imaginations with adventure but taught them how dragons can be slain (paraphrasing of G.K. Chesterton).

Tolkien (Tentaculii): In August 1955 L. Sprague de Camp reviewed new Conan books and The Fellowship of the Ring, in Science Fiction Quarterly, August 1955. Worth reading right across the spread, as it’s ‘all of a piece’. For those who have somehow not yet enjoyed The Lord of the Rings, note that his review has plot spoilers for the first volume. At that time the second volume was not yet published. Camp must surely have here been the first to draw the comparison between the modus operandi of the ring in the Conan novelette “The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932) and The Lord of the Rings.

Sensor Sweep: Space 1889, Barry Windsor Smith, Tokien, Prydain published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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moonshroooms · 7 years ago

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102 More random questions. I wasn’t even bored I just saw some on a blog so here we go

Forgot to save the link for the post it came on, so sorry if you wanted to do this too! >^<

1. favorite season?

Hmm, spring and fall. Though I like spring more than fall

2. prettiest thing u own?

My Zelda necklace/choker, which is just some basic woven bracelet (brown with a gold Zelda emblem), but my wrists were too bony to actually wear it (it kept fallin’ over D: ) so my friend modified it to be a choker for me! It’s my favorite thing. And also, a silver pendant necklace that’s little gem-covered (fake gems, obvi) lock with a tiny key. I used to like collecting keys as a child, and often thought of myself as a lock and key when I was little, so it’s one of my favorite things as well. :3

3. do u prefer to be outside or inside?

I prefer to be outside. I was always a dirt child growing up, and I love being outside in the sun or clouds or rain, in the grass or up in trees. However, since I currently live in the city, I prefer the inside, because there’s no people. So basically: when there’s no people/it’s nature-y, outside. When there’s people/it’s a city, inside.

4. furthest ever traveled?

I went to the Bahamas for my sister’s wedding. Hoo was that quite a lot of saving, but I made it, and it was such an experience. I’m so lucky to have been able to go

5. what’s your aesthetic in 3 words?

Animal nature fandom

6 favorite gemstone?

Larimar, for sure! I don’t know that it’s technically a gemstone, but it’s a pretty rock and that’s all I care about.

7 best thing about yourself, in your opinion

Everything obvi

No no. But hmm. I guess I’d say my athletic prowess. I love moving around and going places (as in, climbing up rocks or something). And I love that I’m naturally inclined to be rather strong, flexible, and dexterous, despite the fact that I’m out of shape as hell

8 best thing about yourself, in other’s opinion

I. Hm. I’m not sure, as I haven’t asked that kind of question (despite desperately wanting to). I think my friend TH said it was great how everything could be a game for me. My other friend T said he liked that I could easily switch with being an adult and being a kid. So my childlike sense of the world, I suppose.

9 what’s your weirdest fear?

I don’t know that it’s weird or that I have a really ‘weird’ fear. I had a fear of mirrors at night, once, because I was afraid if I looked in one I’d see the Chuckie doll in the reflection. I’m incredibly creeped out by intestinal parasites, but I mean, who wouldn’t be, you know? Unless that’s your jam, that is. If it is, dang do I wish I could be u cause u got some nerve

10 weirdest dream you’ve ever had?

It started off on what would seem to be a sex dream, and then I turned away from the random dude my brain conjured up for one second for it to be replaced with my mom. And I was like. So disappointed. And she was just like “:D Hey sweetheart, what’chya doin’?” I woke up and was very annoyed.

And to be fair, this isn’t exactly a “weird” dream, but 90% of my dreams are absolutely off the wall and make no sense, so the fact that this one was mostly coherent was the weirdest thing about it tbh

11 go-to hiding place

Up a tree

12 favorite place in your house

Wherever my laptop or games are

13 earliest memory

Racing my old cat home down the hill we lived on

14 do you believe in ghosts?

Yes, but at the same time if someone told me they could see/speak to ghosts, or that there was a ghost haunting my house right now, I tell them that was bullshit. So basically I’m open to the possibility, but probably wouldn’t believe someone saying they’re supernaturally gifted XD

15 favorite sea creature?

Beluga whales, hands down. I’ve been in love with them since I was 6 years old and they’re my favorite animal period.

16 cold showers or hot baths?

Cold shower, but don’t get me wrong, hot baths are great too

17 satin or lace?

Satin is comfy, lace is sexy ;D

18 gold or silver?

Silver. I don’t understand why people like gold so much. Yellow is an alright color, and gold is basically just yellow. Silver is just so much prettier and goes with 10x more colors honestly smh

19 hoops or pearl earrings?

Pearls!

20 aesthetic song

Fireflies by Owl City

21 top 5 songs

Fireflies by Owl City

Aaaand

Not gonna lie, Fireflies is my favorite song, and the other four songs tend to change to whatever I like at the time, so I don’t really have a top 5 favorite. So here’s my favorite songs right now

Enchanted by Taylor Swift (Owl City Cover)

Louder Than Thunder by the Devil Wears Prada (I just rediscovered this song recently. It’s so fricken emotional and it makes me laugh so much. I love the instrumentals and the dude’s voice).

Violet Hill by Coldplay

Jenny by Studio Killers

Sad Machine by Porter Robinson

22 favorite time of the day?

Dawn, like literally when the sun is just barely showing in the sky and the skies and clouds are washed with pinks and blues and no one else in the world has quite woken up yet. A prerequisite to enjoying this time of day is having pulled an all-nighter, of course, because I am morning person, but not a “waking up” person. Other than that, midnight, when the moon is high and the world is quite.

Basically any time of day when everyone is clocked the fudge out and I can be alone without anyone expecting anything of me

23 favorite part of your body?

When I was little my friend told me I had a really nice collarbone, and that has been my favorite part of my body since lol

24 do you drink alcohol?

Naaah. Other than being pretty uninterested in being drunk in general, I also hate the taste of 99.9% of any alcohol. Beer is the taste I hate the least, but I still don’t like the taste. The only alcoholic drink I can say actually like the taste of was Red’s Apple Ale, and no I was sponsored to say that :P My friend coaxed me into taking and sip and I was like ‘welp, get ready for the bitterness’ and then I was like ‘that was pretty good wtf’

25 dream job from when u were a kid

Working on a TV show about animals, like Steve Irwin, or Jeff Corwin, or the Kratt brothers. It still technically is my dream job, but I will be satisfied with anything that allows me to make an improvement in the animal community

26 messy or clean?

Depends on my mood and the location. My room? Messy. My laptop icons/folders? Clean. At my friend’s house? Clean. My computer desk? Kinda messy, but with an intent to be organized.

27 tea or coffee?

Water

28 favorite book

Forest Born by Shannon Hale.

Ps read her whole series it’s called the Books of Bayern and the first one is the Goose Girl and they’re beautiful they’re literally my favorite series go read them

29 zodiac sign?

Scorpio!

30 extrovert or introvert?

Mega introvert, but I’m one of those people that’s like really shy and quiet and calm at first/if I don’t like or know you well, and then I get loud and weird and spazzy when I’m comfortable around you

31 celebrity crush?

None, actually. I’ve never had a celebrity crush. I feel like knowing their personality is kinda required to get a crush, you know? I can’t really crush based on faces alone

32 early bird or night owl?

Night Owl for sure

33 do you believe in love at first sight?

Nah, that’s infatuation man. Love only comes from understanding one another, time, and effort. You can’t actually fall in love with that person the first time you see them. Attraction at first sight, absolutely. Love? Nope

34 favorite book quote

Uhhhhh. Hm.

Honestly, I don’t think I have one. And if I do, and I’m not going to look for one right now cause I’m lazy, then it’ll probably be something dumb the character said.

35 three wishes you have

Can they be unrealistic wishes?

Shapeshifting

Speak any language

Visit the loved ones who have passed on

36 do you believe in magic?

100%

37 do you believe in soulmates?

38 zoo or aquarium?

D: I

Can I have both

If not aquariums I suppose, since I’m more likely to see my favorite animal there

39 cats or dogs?

Cats. I love puppers though! I’d just rather have cats as pets :3

40 how many languages do you speak?

Just English, though I know a few phrases in Spanish that my mom will say at me, and I hope to learn sign language one day soon!

41 how has your life changed from last year?

I’m in college now. Community college, but still

42 why do you have your name/url?

My nickname is Moon, and honestly all of my unimportant usernames are moon-related in some way

43 do you keep secrets? how well?

Super well, cause I hate gossip. The exceptions are that I may talk to my mom or best friend if it bothers me. Exception from that being if the secret-sharer explicitly asks me not to talk to those people about it

44 favorite animal

Beluga whales, white lions, sugar gliders

45 what is love to you?

A feeling/person that makes your life better overall. That the two of you will talk and support each other when things are rough, and someone that you want to be with you on your journey in life, and they want you in theirs. Close friends and romantic love are very similar to each other, to me, with a few differences of course

46 future children name?

Devon or Aiden for a boy

Anaise or Astrid for a girl

47 favorite color

Blue! Cerulean blue, specifically

And silver

48 favorite movie

Bambi, Jurassic Park, Jumanji

49 cuddles or kisses?

Fade in and out from both

50 if you could have any person in the world over for dinner, who would be?

My best friend’s in florida!

51 someone to bring back from the dead

If there were absolutely no downsides to bringing them back and the person in question wanted to be brought back, my old cat Princess. Life just… looks less colorful since she left.

52 lipstick or lipgloss?

Chapstick

53 are you street smart or book smart?

Book Smart for sure. I wish I could be street smart, but I’m an awkward sausage

54 your biggest strength

I… am not sure. I don’t know what I’d consider my biggest strength. Looking at both sides of an argument, perhaps?

55 favorite sport

I hate sports because there’s too many rules. That’s annoying. I want to kick someone in the shins and not get a penalty for it

56 favorite drink?

Cactus Cooler and Shirly Temples (sans alcohol)

57 favorite winter activity

Staying the fuck inside with a fire

Where I’m from it doesn’t know, it just rains

58 last time you went abroad

My sister’s wedding, august 2016!

59 favorite dessert

Strawberry shortcake!

60 favorite artist

You know, I thought this meant song artist, but considering singer/band is right underneath, then maybe it means like art artist? I dunno man, I don’t pay attention to art much.

61 favorite singer/band

Owl City

62 favorite dancing song

Single Ladies by Beyoncé

63 favorite crying song

The Last Unicorn by America

U asked for a crying song and that’s like literally the only song that can actually make me cry for some reason

64 do you wear glasses?

Thankfully not! I don’t have a problem with other people who wear glasses, it just seems like such a pain

65 first thing you do when you wake up

Say good morning to my old cat in heaven

66 how long do u usually sleep for?

Though my friend said 8 hours is actually too much for most people, and most people should typically get 7 hours, I’m an outlier and should not have been counted cause if I wanna wake up without feeling sleepy still for a few hours then 8 hours is the way to go

67 one thing you lost and you want back

My old teddy bear named Rose. I was kidnapped when I was younger (long story) and my brother’s old army friends pulled together money to get me a red teddy bear with a rose on the neck. It was/is my favorite stuffed animal. When my mom and I moved apartments I was being taken on vacation with my friends to her grandmother’s ranch. I put Rose in my mom’s purse for her to make sure it didn’t get thrown away or lost. She lost it though, and I never saw Rose again. I miss her very much

68 biggest fear

Losing my loved ones

69 favorite carnival ride

That ride where it spins you around and you stick to the walls

70 do u have birthmarks or scars?

I have some stretch marks on my thighs which I actually quite like the look of, and a slightly darker blotch on my lower left-side of my stomach. It’s not really noticeable at all, but you can see it just fine when I point it out

71 favorite childhood memory

Anything with my old cat Princess

72 what do u think about during a storm?

If there’s thunder, I think about how I can almost feel it rumbling in my chest. Otherwise I think about how if I didn’t have neighbors and people around to see me, I’d 100% go outside and play in the rain

73 one word to describe your life?

Downhill

74 craziest thing ever done

Mmm. When I was younger I got to go be “zookeeper for a day” and I got to pet one of the baby alligators (two of them! They’re names were Hugs and Kisses!) and see all the snakes and other animals!

75 do u have piercings or tattoos?

I do not. I had my ears pierced when I was younger, but it was so annoying to keep up with since it would always close, so I just. Let it

76 favorite flower

*googles*

Oh my goodness.

Dahlia flowers. Dahlia flowers are goregeous

(Orchids too!)

77 do u have any pets?

I do. I have two kittens (eh, they’re not kittens anymore. But they’re kinda small and fluffy cats, so they’ll always be kittens), named Canyon and India!

78 describe your style

Casual, bright colors

79 choose one thing to change about yourself

Be more sure of myself

80 do u play any musical instruments?

Does your voice count?

81 if your life was a movie would it be a comedy, a rom-com, action film or drama?

Tragedy

82 do u prefer dark, dramatic makeup or natural makeup?

No makeup, but if I must choose, natural

83 favorite perfume

Anything cherry blossom

84 biggest fandom

Keeping in mind that, despite being apart of many fandoms, I never actually participate in anything other than the consuming of other people’s works

Undertale, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe

85 favorite YouTuber(s)

Chuggaaconroy: A+++ let’s player. He’s very detailed and thorough in his let’s play, which are basically let’s plays and walkthroughs combined. He can get loud, but he seems very sincere and his videos are a lot of fun.

Vintagebeef: A+ let’s player. He’s got a nice calm voice, he’s funny, and plays a variety games (though mostly minecraft). My favorite thing is that he doesn’t talk over cutscenes and whatnot

Cryaotic: Another great let’s player. My god I could swim in that voice. I don’t watch a lot of his videos (mostly the sprite games he plays), but when I do I fricken’ binge. His reactions are very genuine and he’s funny too

Versus (Aka AttackingTucans/Tyler Sederwall and Josh Jepson): They run a let’s play versus channel where they race each other in single player games. They’re conversation can get a little (a lot) innapropriate, but I love watching their videos

My god I have a lot of let’s players

Swoozie: A funny artist who tells a lot of stories from his personal life, usually including drawings

JaidenAnimation: I love her videos and her art style is so adorable and she’s hilarious. Another artist who tells stories using art

TheOdd1sout: Another another art-life-story-teller type youtuber. He has a tumblr that he posts comics on too and they’re great!

Anna Akana: A young lady that shares stories and thoughts from her own life, very funny and it’s obvious she puts a lot of work in her videos

Daniel Howell/danisnotonfire: A british lad that shares stories and thoughts from his own life, usually at his expense. He’s hilarious and I relate to a lot of his videos, which probably isn’t a good thing honestly like my god he has a lot of existential crisis’

Channel Awesome/Nostalgia Critic/Doug Walker: He does reviews and whatnot on mostly movies and occasionally tv shows. Mostly I like his reviews and little. I dunno, side things where he asks a question/opinion on the nature of media? But I surprisingly enjoyed his and his brother’s Gravity Falls and Steven Universe vlogs. Thinking about picking up his Avatar the Last Airbender vlogs to!

86 OTP

Kisshu and Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew. My first OTP and somehow no one has ever beat them for all these years

Shion and Nezumi from No. 6. Honestly, I did not read the whole synopsis for No. 6, so I had no idea it was even a romance, but they’re so cute together and they’re just a really nice couple to see

87 country, state where you were born

U.S.A.

88 your parent’s name

Suzanne :3 (though that’s not technically her name, it’s what everyone calls her).

89 favorite snack

Raspberries!

90 pasta or pizza

Depends on the mood

91 pen or pencil

Pencil

92 blue or black ink

Blue, but only if it’s good blue ink

93 paper books or electronic books?

Paper! Electronic books just don’t hold the same feel. I feel like I’m reading a fanfiction and I just can’t get into it as much

94 history or geography?

History! Native Americans, Mayans, and Aztecs were the only times I was ever honestly interested in history

95 pastel or neon

Pastel for day, neon for nights

97 soap or body wash

Body wash

98 conditioner, no conditioner, or 2 in 1 shampoo & conditioner

Honestly only guys could use 2 in 1 shampoo/condition. And I don’t even think it’s that great for them

I have African hair, so I need conditioner man, or my hair would die

99 singing in the shower or not

I kill it in the shower

100 listen to music while bathing or silence

Usually music, but sometimes I enjoy silence

101 blow dry, towel dry, or air dry your hair

Towel/air dry. My hair gets put into braids while wet, so the water drips to the end hours after getting out (and is still wet for a few days even after it stops dripping), so it’s air-dried but there’s a towel around my neck and I sometimes squeeze/wring it out

102 morning or night showers?

If I’m allowed to pass out immediately, night showers

#personal #asks #questions

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caveartfair · 7 years ago

Text

This Pioneering Photographer Captured Same-Sex Love over a Century Ago

Alice Austen, The Darned Club, 1891. Alice Austen Photograph Collection. Courtesy of the Staten Island Historical Society.

Alice Austen and Gertrude Tate, Pickards Penny Photo Studio, Stapleton Staten Island, c. 1905. Courtesy of Alice Austen House.

Richard O’Cannon, Alice Austen seated with Gertrude Tate, September 1944. Courtesy of Alice Austen House.

Alice Austen, Trude & I, 1891. Courtesy of Staten Island Historical Society

“Alice had the means to pursue this craft,” Monger explains. “It wasn’t a profession, but she took it seriously and was very technically proficient—it was beyond a hobby.”

Alice Austen, Julia Martin, Julia Bredt and self dressed up, sitting down, 1891. Alice Austen Photograph Collection. Courtesy of the Staten Island Historical Society.

Alice Austen, Group Apparatus, 1893. Alice Austen Photograph Collection. Courtesy of the Staten Island Historical Society.

“Everyone wants ‘evidence,’” Monger says. “We don’t have anything explicitly written that says they were lesbians.”

—Tiffany Jow

from Artsy News

#Artsy News

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