#c!mangie

[re-ikrmso]

[rt-intervals]

"I'll tell you what you are-" he started as he swung.

The porcelain split, with chips and chunks of it scattering across floor-- revealing rotted flesh intertwined with steel.

"-You're A GODDAMN MONSTER!"

[silverview]

royston vasey / spent dashboard simulator

😎 anon asked: happy anniversary!! you and your husband are so cute together aaaa i think it's amazing you've been together so long

🌟 starllghtx

thanks anon, amazing is one word for it LMAO amazing that i’m still putting up with him!!!!

👨🏻 c-handy-c-harlie Follow

don’t listen to her anon i planned a very thoughtful anniversary i bought her flowers and everything

🌟 starllghtx

anon you should see the state of these mangy fckn corner shop flowers he got me anon literally the worst flowers you’ve ever seen

👨🏻 c-handy-c-harlie Follow

they were lovely when i got them home anon!! they just shrivelled up as soon as they got near her anon!!

🌟 starllghtx

anonnn sometimes i wonder what would happen if i walked out the front door and just kept walking and never stopped or turned around?? things could’ve been different but i think now it might be too late??? /lh /hj

🌟 starllghtx

unrelated can anyone recommend a good AFFORDABLE vibrator

16 notes

☎️ bigwoman

sorry if you send me an ask and i don’t reply straight away it’s nothing personal

☎️ bigwoman

turning off asks until some of you learn to be normal

1 note

🤡 goodjokesbygeoff Follow

here’s one for you…... i’ll reblog it later with the punchline...... how many flies does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

😎 lifein-plastic-deactivated20210105

two, but don’t ask me how they got in there!

🤡 goodjokesbygeoff Follow

delete this off my post or i'll kill you

😎 lifein-plastic-deactivated20210105

get it because the flies are "screwing in" the lightbulb but they're also "screwing" in the lightbulb if you see what i mean :D

🍻 badpostsbybrian Follow

i know it's all "ha ha deactivated blog op got him" but in this case i am genuinely concerned that op might have killed this guy

299 notes

🩺 vetchinary

Big day at work today!! Going to help with calving at one of the local farms, can’t wait ☺️ Helping a new life into the world is always a privilege

🖊️ birofutch

how did it go?

🩺 vetchinary

I don’t want to talk about it

⛪️ ice-burn

3 notes

[icarusredwings]

Isaac Worthington

Finding home au's own little menace.

I have this idea for a kid. But like im not sure if Warren is the kid type. And then I thought okay well maybe he's a clone? Like a clone of laura with his dna spliced with Warrens? His names Isaac. Hes got wings and is a edgy little shit, kind of like a young Daken? But he dosn't have a healing factor and his talons are retractable unlike sabertooths who can grow and sharpen his at will but I think he has to file them to get them normal (thats why he scratches trees so much in the comics i think or hes just a territorial fuck)

I recently read all new wolvering and x 23 and it mentions that in the future gabby has kids but not Laura, and Warren is her boyfriend through all of the all new wolverine series (that I know of) so I thought it would be cool if some evil guy was like "What if I tried to give the wolverine wings?" And he ends up making a bunch of kids who dont survive because the dna won't take properly, and then he ends up with a single successful subject.

And that's Issac, aka Subject 15543 which to Wade's dyslexia kinda looks like I S S A and two backwards C's on top of each other.

I dont see her finding a kid who's spliced with her boyfriends dna and just... abandoning them, though. You know? Like Gabs. She couldn't leave gabby.

It would go from "Oh I have a younger brother" quickly to "This is my son and ill stab you"

I love the idea of him being feral and hurt, only trusting a couple people and then florishing when hearing stories from worst wolverine and sparing with Wade.

"Oooh little birdies got SPUNK! But youre too slow baby bird. Put those wings to use!" And he gets frustrated because his wings were bound most days so hes still learning how to use them. Theyre mainly for bluff purposes now. Fluffing them up and stuff.

I love the idea of some mangy feral kid jumping at Wade with his wings out and claws out, teeth bore and snarling only for him to stand there and stifle a laugh. "Oh, you're ADORABLE! So what's your deal, chickadee?"

And then have the kids make fun of him with the name Icarus cause he always tries stuff that makes him bleed everywhere (so badly that his wings stain red, theyre dyed black) until he finally decides that, yeah. That'll be his hero name.

Little guys like "I am vengence, I am darkness, I am- Vulture!" And wade is clapping like "oooh nice. Vulture! Whos bed time is 8:30 on school nights! So fierce!" Like Gabby, His name would go from Vulture to Icarus like how she has Honeybadger and then Scout.

I can so see Issac jumping at Leo and growling at him, and Leo, whos literally a lion mutant, Jumps back and does the high pitched scared mew thing, fluffs up and sticks his claws into Logan (cause hes his mentor) and logan just stands there like:

"......Ow..." Cause theres currently 22 claws in him right now

"Sorry! I-i got scared"

".. I can see that. Issac stop it. You're on the same team."

"Im not on a team with that LOSER"

"He's not a loser. And if you dont stop being a lone wolf, you're never going to have any frien- GASP No! I sound like scott- ewwww"

Edgy little ass is like crossing his arms and not participating in recess or gym cause "he's too cool" and "no one likes him" or "all the people I love gets hurt HMPH"

Logan is having a life criss becAUSE IS THIS REALLY HOW HE ACTED??? like holy shit he didnt realize he was acting like such a sore loser and SOOO edgey

Cherri: Hey Issac! Wanna play?

Issac: Everyone hates me because im so different

Logan: *dies of second hand embressment*

Logan, internally: Why is my grandson such a little bitch

Still playing with the idea tho. Thoughts??

Bonus:

Wade: Its all that rich boy in him

Logan: *glances at him* ....

Wade: Oh... oh logan... dont tell me..

Logan: ...Okay so MAYBE my parents were well off...

Wade: Was EVERYONES family rich but mine??

Rouge, Remy and Kurt: *start laughing in abandoned*

[sethdomain]

Also before i forget there's something about the way you draw c!Tommyinnit that make it stand out from other artist interpretations fanart of c!Tommyinnit. Simplistic yet unique like it was so fucking cool mate.

yeee its cuz i was actually aiming to do that.

No shade to people who likes the fanon, but I've been like on dsmp train since 2020 and if i see the same interpertation over n over again IM GOING CRAYYYZEY and if i have to comply to the woke mob agenda and make my ctommy design fanon-ny again i will DIE.

I used to make my ctommy design so fucking fanony it actually was dead ass ugly and i used to hatessssssss it so much. Because he looks so ugly in a bad and unintresting way. I was miserable. dying, because i was kind of afraid to not comply on how people would interpert him(kind of conventionally ugly cute attractive). I was like, "what if people find me weird for making him like this?" "what if people wont like this design?" MANN i was a pussy, turn out people love my soaping wet cat ctommy that looks super mangy and ugly. I think it was also factored on my worries on making him looks so much like cctommy and it would be weird.

Anyway yeah, the moral of this story is do not be a pussy and you can design the dsmp character however you wanted. Don't let the woke mob stops you from being who you are and making ctommy a fat men, buff guy, hairy guy or trans guy/girl whatever man do whatever, its 2024 and he's now a public domain oc. Damn, maybe you dont see it but im literally slowly making him a smoke/drug addict himbo if you squint.

[poesiablog60]

"Anche quando sei sola devi prenderti cura di te stessa.

Quando mangi da sola, metti una bella tovaglia, piatti e posate, prepara un buon pasto, versati un bicchiere di vino.

Non accendere la radio, ascolta piuttosto un po' di musica. Vestiti sempre elegante, profumati, truccati ma non troppo.

Quando esci metti dei gioielli, togli sempre una spilla, un anello, un braccialetto.

Meno è meglio di troppo. Bisogna sempre avere fiori in casa.

Non sentirti in imbarazzo a bere qualcosa da sola in un bar, andare al ristorante, al cinema, a teatro. Non lamentarti perché sei sola, goditi il caffè bollente, l’umorismo del film che stai per vedere, e se ci riesci scrivi, scrivi lettere, scrivi poesie, libri, se puoi, non pensare a ciò che non hai avuto. "

C. Schneck

[reincarnated-angel]

not even half a day later:

closer (nine inch nails) x fugo (& fugio) analysis bc this guy (me) is insane

Reinc- ReRe’s Incoherent Analysis

//notice: this whole post is full of reaching, tunnel vision, informal language and character speculation (reaching alert 🚨). i am very aware. im so sorry, its hard to read 😭 i just want the people to know that i understand that this is a reach, because im anxious and this is a fugio-focused analysis bc im not normal about them. this is the only way i can reassure myself that i'm self aware//

the instrumental to closer has a sludgy, mangy, sensual but horrific feel. it invokes a sense of intriguing disgust and it’s…hot, frankly. love this song. it makes me think of purple haze, its virus and the rippling skin it causes. the swampy?? sounds really remind me of that. also, the way it’s sung (?? past tense for sing) sounds desperate and frustrated at times which reminds me of fugo himself obviously. also there’s some vaguely siren-sounding instruments and that might be like. a warning. iykwim. a warning like the colours on a poison dart frog (reaching alert 🚨)

the lyrics aren’t exactly fugo literally. i do think the more explicit lyrics could be intrusive thoughts though. (reaching alert 🚨) i feel like some parts of the lyrics might apply, since the song can be interpreted as a self-harming cycle of addiction-to-an-escape, that concept i think can be demonstrated.

“I broke apart my insides

(Help me) I've got no soul to sell

(Help me) the only thing that works for me

Help me get away from myself”

this can be applied to fugo in a sense, as i think his character is intrinsically self-loathing for all the things that have happened to him, and as i headcanon him to be #beautiful physically, (albino, soft regal features) i think he hates that. hence being willing to sacrifice himself how he does in PHF and i also like to think he wears his glasses (headcanon alert, reaching alert 🚨) to sort of veil his pretty eyes //sorry, i like him//. i don’t think he feels like he deserves anything and keeps trying to make his physical appearance match his twisted self-image, consciously or not.

“My whole existence is flawed

You get me closer to God”

fugio. sorry guys

wuh oh saviour x damned dynamicksjshut up. im so into it

i. dont think fugo wants to exist. i have to be frank here. the only thing keeping him there was definitely the gang and having some sort of support, but even so he def had..thoughts sometimes. knowing half of them…went….would probably have broken him. in the 6 months he’d been alone, i can't imagine how horrid he must have felt, not knowing anything, worrying, screaming internally, probably barely getting sleep thinking he’d be found and shot or something for leaving them, or for being with the betrayers. (as in, if they survived, they’d come get him, and if they didn’t, passione would come get him for being associated with them) (reaching alert 🚨) when he found out about their deaths he probably blamed himself like the community does (lmao..sorry its not funny 🥲), thinking he could have saved them somehow with his stand. survivor’s guilt core. also, he was very close with bucciarati and was literally the first to be recruited. how do you think that feels. the man who rescued you from the depths of society. flipping DIES. trying to save the girl you thought wasn’t worth saving logically. god. //ugghrghgk the complexity this is why i'm in loooove//

”you get me closer to god” giorno! son of dio! how much closer could you get!!! we could flip that and say this means closer to feeling not guilty and holy.

“You can have my isolation

You can have the hate that it brings

You can have my absence of faith

You can have my everything”

//literally him !!!//

“isolation” 6 months of being alone. also purple haze forcing himself to distance from others literally for fear of damage

“the hate that it brings” reminds me of abbachio’s visible, almost violent fear of purple haze, knowing its capabilities and how it can destroy without thought. and of course fugo’s feelings about it. he hates this ugly reflection of the things he dislikes, his anger and lashing out at everything, and if we take his anime backstory as canon, the incident of being assaulted. looking at it invokes all these memories and it's painful to him

“absence of faith” you think he believes in anything after leaving the gang. you think he believes in HIMSELF? hell no he's got no faith in anything anymore.

“have my everything” oh no phf tieback again [gets shot] uughhhh i think im not seeing the deeper layers but stfu. i think devoting himself to one cause would give him a purpose and a will to live

“you tear down my reason…

…(Help me) you make me perfect

Help me become somebody else”

you already know what im gonna say.

he’s got all his doubts denied by giorno. i'm not idolising him it’s just from fugos perspective he’d definitely seem like one. (reaching alert 🚨) any self deprecation will be shot down in the name of healing, amen. “you make me perfect” the intertwining of their souls...uuhgh i'm not gonna go further with this cause thats so fanfic core and not relevant. //tears in my fugio eyes// “help me become somebody else” they're the new bruabba if that makes sense. (no it doesn’t)(reaching alert 🚨) abbacchio said he was at his best following orders and i feel like this might apply here. mindlessly obeying commands is becoming somebody else, no matter your feelings about it

“Through every forest

Above the trees

Within my stomach

Scraped off my knees

I drink the honey

Inside your hive

You are the reason

I stay alive”

theyve been through trials and tribulations. seriously

“I drink the honey / Inside your hive” i feel like fugo might feel like he's taking from giorno/passione. he feels guilty for accepting or asking for anything, even if it’d help or is necessary //me too// (reaching alert 🚨) “You are the reason / I stay alive” again, his tether to the world is that human connection. it's having someone accept him in the way that he needed to be accepted. (reaching alert 🚨)

thank you sooo much for reading my incoherent insanity bizarre adventure. sorry again for the reaches and text yelling. this is not edited and is very much written as if i was screaming in someone's dms. also, there might be some things i missed. 😔

please reblog and/or say something in replies, this is meant to provoke thoughts and discussions !

companion doodles… theyre not really related but whatever

fugio lps when

doodles on the left are from the 6 month gap (ace attorney ahh terminology)

[anxsity]

WOHOOOOOOOO!!! okay so they scored 5 goals when i couldnt watch and then 2 when i could. i see how it is.

4.9 ⭐ / 5 ⭐

it wouldve been a fiver if lt got a shutout bc he served cunt relentlessly. literally so many goals im looking at twitter to keep track of names god damn. CMM x2, that dad power is fucking slamming, choke and die lavi. protas, big boy and absolute beast. mangy with a gorgeous vrana assist. ovi (KING) ofc. dowder for a fourth line beauty. and finally, a stromer goal for a final nail in the coffin. also shoutout to tvr that man has been killing it with assists. and really the whole d-core has been great i cant really complain, even with injuries happening. also lovvveeeee having carbery as a coach, hes so smart and knows how to make it work. give him 10 year extension rn. why do we have the c*nes tomorrow i was having fun.......

[messinwitheddie]

Pepito "Nny, you unwashed ASS CRACK! You have the NERVE to bitch because Tenna responded to your 1200th text with a fucking emoji instead of a Shakespearean sonnet?!

Let me explain something to you! You are NOT a catch! Why do you think you're a catch?! Because you're "funny?" Because you can FAKE being nice and charming long enough to trick a woman into buying you dinner and a movie ticket?! Because you're well read?? The only reason you have free time to read so much is because you have no job and no friends besides Squee!

You're not that tall! You have crooked teeth, a crooked nose, an off putting smile, a sunken-in chest and narrow shoulders-- literally the only thing you have going for you is you're skinny! And once time and gravity catch up with your shitty diet of corner store snacks we'll see how skinny you stay!"

Nny "Fu--"

Pepito "Say one fucking word and I'll make you projectile puke a swarm of roaches! Where was I?! OH! You're rapidly approaching 30! You haven't displayed a shred of talent since high school! AGAIN, you're unemployed, unemployable, penniless, homeless-- you literally SQUAT here, you have NO family, NO future! The only useful function you ever served in this reality was being a negative energy waste lock and you've been replaced already! You, Johnny C, have NOTHING to offor this girl or ANYONE!!

The only two types of women who EVER talk to you are exhausted, underappreciated retail workers with a pity kink and confident club chicks who want to piss off their strict daddies and/or they have a fucking pity kink!

You should be on your knees, kissing the most ample spot on her ass for acknowledging you much less willingly touch you long enough to give you a haircut that effectively covers the bald spot forming-"

Nny "What--??"

Pepito "-instead of chasing you out of her hair salon with a hose like the mangy street dog you are!! Okay?!! We clear on this??! Did I help reality set in?! Tenna is TOO good for you! Nearly everyone on earth is TOO GOOD for you! Don't chase her off like you did Devi because you will NEVER find another Devi! Tenna is your last chance to NOT die alone in a dark corner under this dilapidated bungalo!"

Nny "..."

Pepito "-So shut the fuck up and text back a winky face or some shit!!

[The dialogue I never finished for this post

Which was inspired by the above Nny tweet lol.

[re-ikrmso]

I CANT STOP AND LOOK THE OTHER WAY...

ahhh its themm..ohh..its them...so long since i drew it felt like..i just have to give them more time.. (ignoring blue NOO i will get to them later..)

but yeah! them...and anger...and thinking what is "right" and then subverting it...so hard to put into words... but they are definitely vindictive and spiteful at times (before regretting the 'high' they get from hurting others, because it is so unfair but nothing is fair)

=i was also orignally going to draw c!Dark in the background...teehee... ohhh, Dark and mangie..

=wrote blurb thing in comment, mostly on spot--unrefined. it's a little more insight onto Mangie's character! hope it's decipherable enough!

song i listened to while drawing YAY: OHH SOME OF the lyrics like BARELY apply to them X,[ WAHHH banger songs though ehehe

you right x luxurious (sped up + reverb) [huh, i usually associate this song with Ikari. oh well!]

Yu Yu Hakusho Soundtrack (Romantic)

Killshot

かめりあ feat. かめりあ - Midnight Amaretto

[veneritia]

wip tag game

thank you pris @serpentarii for the tag!!!

Rules: share one sentence/excerpt from your WIP(s) that starts with each letter of the word you're given. My word was lace

l -

Leda knelt on the floor of Fenice’s bed like a penitent sinner.

a -

"And may those hunters never catch him." Perhaps fortune-spinning Aetierya was not completely biased for this damned empire after all. "Even if it does mean that the bear must travel with wolves."

"Not a fan of canines, your highness?"

"Only a rather particularly mangy mutt."

c -

“Crimson-handed Areia, divine progeny of all-knowing Vithail, Revered ruler of mortal hearts, most honored lady of passions, Bless the strength of this union, be liberal with its fortunes, and let it be fruitful. May they be crowned in glory and honor, and the realms be blessed with peace everlasting.”

e -

Euphemia laughed as if Nike had said something amusing. “And of course fortune smiles upon you again, dear sister. I heard the rumors of our father’s wedding gift to you.”

tagging: @cheshawrites @thewritersplace @lexiklecksi @thousand-page-dreams @sourrcandy

EDIT BC I FORGOT TO PUT IN TBE NEW WORD: it's silk

[savvythepirate]

You requested something to read, so I thought I’d share this little abomination that I wrote. I’ll be posting it on my page as well.

“I’ll stab you with my trouser sword and plunder your booty, yo-ho!” You sang loudly as you swabbed the deck of the Black Pearl.

“Yo-ho!” The crew hollered in response, as it was part of the song.

You were a new addition to the crew, and fine one at that! From your jokes to your colorful sea shanties, you brought such a lively and fun energy to the ship. Everyone there loved you.

All except one person, that is…

It’s not necessarily that he disliked you, but Barbossa didn’t seem to find you as entertaining as everyone else did. It was a shame, really.

“Quit yer caterwaulin’ ya blunderin’ mongrels!” He hollered as he exited the captain’s quarters.

Everybody looked around at each other uncomfortably and got back to work, disappointment in their eyes.

“He can be a bit of a mood-killer, can’t he?” Jack said as he joined you to swab the deck.

“That’s for sure,” you replied, focusing on your work. Then you stopped for a moment, smiling an amused half-smile, “I must admit, though, the man certainly has a gift for colorful insults!”

“That he does,” Jack mused, “One of my favorites is probably ‘salty sea dogs.’ It has a nice ring to it.”

“Yeah,” you chuckled, “I personally found ‘slack-jawed buffoons’ to be a good one. It really packs a punch, you know? Like, it’s unnecessarily harsh.”

“That, and ‘wreckless pack of ingrates.’” Jack said, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

“We should start writing these down!” You laughed.

A while later, you and Jack had acquired a quill and some paper, and you began your list.

“He said ‘poxy mongrels’ once,” you said as you jotted it down.

“I remember him saying ‘nattering swine’ the other day,” Jack said. You added it to the list.

“Let’s add some of our own!” You said, looking excitedly at Jack.

“Ooh, we should, shouldn’t we,” he said, taking on your expression. Then he thought for a moment, “How about ‘lily-livered milksops?’”

“That’s a good one!” You wrote it down, “I’ve got one!” You said, “‘Toe-eyed cabbages!”

Jack looked at you with an expression of surprise and discomfort, “That one’s a bit out there.”

“I suppose so,” you said, pondering the strange words that came out of your mouth. Then your eyes lit up, “I’ve got a better one! Bald-headed yogurt slingers!”

“Now you’re just scaring me,” Jack said.

“Okay, fine,” you said, chuckling, “Let’s get back to his insults!”

“For the sake of my own sanity, we should,” Jack said. You continued writing.

“‘Scurvy bilge rats’ is a classic, so we can’t forget that one!” You said, smiling as you wrote.

“I think he also said ‘salty bilge rats’ once,” Jack said.

“Honestly, a lot of these sound like they could be interchangeable,” you mused.

Jack’s face took on a thoughtful expression. Then he brightened, “I have an idea!” He took the paper from you and started to write.

It took a while for him to finish, which made you worried that Barbossa would catch you and scold you for not working. Finally, Jack was done. He handed you the paper, “I put the first parts on the left, and the last parts on the right. That way we can mix and match!”

“That’s brilliant!” You grinned, “I like it!”

You scanned the two lists, which were somewhat long. Then inspiration struck you, and you added your idea to the list.

You handed it to Jack, the finished product looking something like this:

Front:

A: Wreckless

B: Blooming

C: Lazy

D: Mangy

E: Cackhanded

F: Knee-knocking

G: Bloated

H: Salty

I: Yellow-bellied

J: P****-licking

K: Feckless

L: Lilly-livered

M: Filthy

N: Blundering

O: Bilge-drinking

P: Bloody

Q: Slimy

R: Bleeding

S: Poxy

T: Slack jawed

U: Nattering

V: Wretched

W: Squiffy

X: Gutless

Y: Scurvy

Z: Blasted

Back:

A: Ingrates

B: Cockroaches

C: Bilge rats

D: Scoundrels

E: Deck apes

F: Halfwits

G: Sea cows

H: Sea dogs

I: Milksops

J: Codpieces

K: Mongrels

L: Sobs

M: Whelps

N: Swabbies

O: Buffoons

P: Codpieces

Q: Hornswagglers

R: Swine

S: P****-lickers

T: Maggots

U: Curs

V: Ninnies

W: Knaves

X: Blowfish

Y: Picaroons

Z: Scallywags

“I don’t understand,” Jack said, with his brow furrowed in confusion.

“You take the first letter of your first name from list one, and the first letter of your last name from the second list. For example, I would be (insert your name here).”

“I see,” Jack said, reading the list, “I would be…p****-licking p****-lickers…” he looked baffled, and maybe a little disappointed.

You laughed, “That’s actually kind of hilarious!”

“What are you two feckless mongrels up to?” Barbossa barked. Noticing the paper in your hands, he grabbed it.

You and Jack panicked as he read your creation. Then he looked up at the two of you, “Get back to work,” he ordered. The two of you scrambled off, eager to get away from the grumpy captain.

“Do you think we’ll be punished?” You asked Jack.

“I hope not,” Jack said, glancing over his shoulder at Barbossa. Frightened by the likelihood of that happening, you two picked up your mops and continued where you had left off a while back.

Barbossa continued reading their list. When he finished, he chuckled and put it in his pocket and headed back to his quarters.

Thank you so much for this! It gave me the smile I needed! ❤️

@savvythepirate

[galaxyedging]

Part of the Exposed Masterlist

Claude the Cat x OFCC (the extra C is for cat because apparently I've lost my mind. I may as well go all in at this point.)

WC:3.2k

Summary: Claude meets a cat that he is desperate to paint and do other things with.

Warnings: A horny cat. Angst. Talk of death.

Alley Cats

The sun warming his tail told Claude it was time to make a move before the room was rented out. If he made his way to the kitchen door, he could probably charm some thinly sliced salmon from the overbearing sous chef. She always finds a little something for him. She even digs out a little extra if he lets her hold him. He feels like a common whore when her boney fingers dig into him and her strong citrus perfume brings a sting to his sensitive eyes. Still, the food was good and it wouldn't be the first time he was called a whore. They didn't understand that he was on borrowed time. 

The new guy he lived with had taken him for that goddamn operation. Claude was lucky to come out with everything intact. The vet had the gleam of a butcher in his eyes. His fingers looked cumbersome and not capable of the fine motor skills that needed to attend to Claude's most delicate parts. He had put up a fight. He dodged and weaved like a prize fighter. He'd done his best to keep them at bay. His new roommate, and several of the employees, bore the scratch marks to prove it. Ultimately, he had been bested by a rather rotund man with a syringe. He spent the next few days ruing the day he graced the fire escape outside that insipid artist's apartment. Even if he had fed him tuna and scratched that spot on his head that he likes. And he let him sleep on his bed when the storm outside got too loud. Still, he took him for that operation, he risked his virility, it was still at risk. Claude was afraid if he didn't use it he would lose it. 

It may have caused a couple of problems for him. A couple of fights between his partners, who thought that just because they barbed, once, they were a thing. That he owed them something. If anything, they owned him. Even if he could only find a flea bitten tabby to keep him company, he always made them feel good. If he was going to do something he was going to do it right. They should be thankful.

To be fair, they usually were. They fell at his feet. He didn't blame them, given the competition. All mangy alley cats and overfed, lazy family pets. His winning personality aside Claude was obviously the far superior choice. 

As he sat on the sun warmed concrete, finishing off some salmon meant for today's main, (He earned it by doing his best 'poor little kitty' routine. Big, brown eyes. A little mournful whine. His small, soft paws laid gently on her outstretched hand. It was degrading, but a man's got to eat and occasionally he has to eat finer fish than his roommate offers him), Claude thought that this new life wasn't so bad. Throwing himself into all these indulgences helped him to forget what he had lost, his home, his….well, he wasn't going to be in that position again. He'd barb, he'd take what he could from the humans and that was it. No bonding. No feelings. It wasn't a bad way to live. He could quite happily spend the rest of his days like this, then she sauntered into his life.

Claude watched her lithe form drop down into the alley. Gracefully landing on all fours before heading to the open kitchen door. A pitiful meow got the sous chef's attention.

"Oh, Sweetie, you're back. Are you hungry?" She rubbed her head against the chef's calves as they spoke. "Stay there. I'll get you something special."

The woman returned with even more food than she had given Claude, chicken as well as the salmon. He watched as the woman fed it to the newcomer, who purred happily in her boney hands. He didn't know this cat but she was good. 

"That was a pretty convincing little act." Claude called over as the cat made her way back down the alley.

Her head snapped towards him, she raised an eyebrow in question. "Act?"

"The nuzzling, the purring. Acting like you can stand that woman." Claude gobbled up the last of his breakfast before waiting for her reply. Making a good show of licking his paws while he did so. He might have found her display a bit over the top but there was no denying how attractive she was.

"She's kind. She feeds me when my owner can't. Why wouldn't I like her?" Claude was taken aback by her answer.

"Don't you find her a little overbearing? Needy?"

"How long have you been coming here?"

"About a month. Why?"

"Did you notice the tan line on her ring finger? Or remember the ring that used to be there?"

Claude hadn't given any notice to either.

"She's clearly going through something. She needs a hug."

"How noble of you." Claude scoffed.

"Wow. Are you always this big of an asshole?" 

"I don't know. Why do you spend some more time with me and find out?" Claude's tone was laced with suggestion.

"Hitting on me before you even find out my name. Classy."

"I would have learnt it eventually. I'd need to know what to call out in the throws of passion."

"Good luck with that." She leaped up onto a crate next to the wall preparing to leave.

Claude called after her. "So you're not going to tell me your name?"

"No." She stated firmly.

"No matter. A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. Mine is Claude by the way.

The female smiled to herself as she strolled along the top of the wall. Against her better judgement, she decided to visit this place more often.

A couple of days later, Claude smiled triumphantly as the object of his desire dropped down into the alley again.

"Good morning, Molly." He called out casually. He saw her bristle at his words."I asked around. I couldn't go another day without putting a name to my latest piece."

"Piece?!" Molly spun to face him, claws out.

"My art piece." Claude smiled wryly as her reaction as he walked over to get his pizza box canvas. "What do you think?"

Molly had to admit it was good, he was obviously talented. "I think it's creepy that we met once and you painted me."

Claude was enjoying this. It had been a long time since he'd had to work this hard for a woman. Usually after he unveils his art work it isn't long until he gets his cock wet. Molly was going to be a challenge. One he would gladly rise to.

"How can you blame me? Look at the inspiration I had. Any artist worth his salt would have to immortalise a woman as beautiful as you."

"Immortalise? Whatever you painted with smells like it's about to turn. I give that two days, tops."

"But the mental image will stay with me forever. Unless you have a better one to replace it with?"

Molly found herself being rather flattered by Claude's tenacity. He was good looking, and that voice! Maybe she would concede to his attention eventually but she was going to make him work for it. She wasn't some easy street cat.

"Is that all you are interested in? My beauty?"

"It's not all I am interested in." Claude made a point of raking his eyes over her body.

Molly cursed the way her body betrayed her morals at his molten gaze. Ignoring him, she made her way to the door to be fed. Once she was done she made her way back the way she came. Shooting a quick "Bye, Claude." his way.

"Bye, My Darling. I'll see you again soon. I hope." His tone was almost sweet.

The next time they met it was raining, the overhang by the kitchen door afforded little shelter. Claude was already there licking the remnants of his meal from his paws. He locked his eyes on Molly's as she came into view. Purposely slowing the progression of his cleaning. Making a bigger show than necessary with his tongue. "There you are. The weather is miserable but there is enough shelter here, if you want to squeeze in with me?"

He wasn't wrong, there was just enough room in the dry patch of floor for the two of them, if they huddled together. Molly rethought how hungry she was.

"Come. I don't bite. Unless I'm asked." Claude shuffled back a little to give her space to land. She did so gracefully as always. "There. Isn't that better?"

Molly had to admit that the shelter and the warmth of Claude pressed next to her was a lot better. 

The sous chef appeared with her supper a few minutes later. Molly ate happily as Claude sat pressed into her in silence. She was grateful that he didn't keep hitting on her while she ate. Until he hit her with "So when are we going to fuck?".

The last of her chicken almost caught in her throat.

"Sorry to be so blunt but you are attractive, I'm attractive. You clearly have strong feelings towards me. Even if they are just of annoyance. Hate sex is fantastic. So it seems a shame not to fuck."

Heaven help her, Molly found his boldness attractive. "I do find you attractive but I'm not interested in being another notch on your scratching post. I'm not a young cat, my priorities are different. If you want to fuck me, you'll have to get to know me." With that hanging in the air she left a stunned Claude to shelter from the rain as she bounced home.

Claude told himself he wasn't going back to the alley. So Molly was attractive. So she was self assured. So she wasn't going to be an easy lay. It didn't mean he had to have her. Except it totally did mean he had to have her. He was obsessed. He painted her every day. She consumed his thoughts. He liked that she was keen to put him in his place. Claude was a big, bold personality. He usually got what he wanted, when he wanted. Being denied something was driving him crazy.

As soon as Molly dropped down into the alley, Claude was on his feet. Despite telling himself he wasn't coming back here, he'd been there every day. When he finally laid eyes on her he was practically giddy. Taking a breath, he forced himself to regain his composure."There you are! How do you expect me to get to know you if you're not here?"

"I didn't expect you to get to know me. I figured when it became clear I wasn't an easy lay, you'd move on."

"I'm wounded that you think so little of me!"

"I know your type. Thinking women should be honoured to carry your progeny."

"That's where you are wrong. I just know what a good time I can provide a woman. It would be wrong of me not to provide that service to as many women as possible."

"So your interest in me is purely philanthropic? How noble! If pleasing me is all you care about then you can get to know me."

After a quick bite to eat, Molly gave Claude her best come hither look over her shoulder and hither Claude came. He followed her out of the alley like so many foolish humans he'd seen being led out of clubs in the dead of night. Destined for heartbreak and regret. Not that that would happen to Claude. No one can break your heart if you don't give it to them. Claude followed her as her backside swung temptingly to and fro. He was so entranced by her curves, he didn't realise she had led him to a park until he heard an overexcited voice. "Look at the kitties!"

The owner was a little chubby faced thing, all freckles and sticky hands. Molly didn't seem to mind when it petted her. It giggled in delight as she purred before skipping off to play in the sand.

"So I know you like salmon and don't mind the gross mini humans petting you. Is that enough?" Claude sighed.

"Yes. Please take me in a manly fashion." Claude couldn't help but smile at the sarcasm dripping from her tone. 

A matching smile spread over Molly's face. "Come on." 

She continued through the park, stopping to let various people pet her, while Claude hung back out of the way. His lack of hair generally made him a less attractive petting prospect. The scowl on his face helped to ensure that no sticky hands touched him.

"Here we are." Molly smiled as they cut through some brushes. Claude was so caught up in how pretty she looked smiling in the sunshine that he didn't even notice his surroundings until a large drop of water landed square on his lower back. The freezing liquid shot a shiver up his spine. Instinctively he jumped and whirled on the source of his discomfort. Claws and fangs bared. 

Molly's laughter was light and airy as she skipped towards the fountain. Jets of water rhythmically shot from the floor arching into the air, projecting rainbows in their spray. Molly moved from jet to jet pouncing on the spray, causing it to rain down on her. The droplets ran down her spotted fur causing it to shimmer even more so than usual. 

Now that he was over the initial shock, Claude couldn't help but see the beauty in the scene before him. The sun dipping low behind the trees caused an orange dappling across the ground. The gorgeous woman frolicking in the dewy rainbow cascade. It was all so rich and vibrant. He knew had found his next work of art. As he pondered what medium he would use he was hit by an errant jet of water. An indignant yowl erupted from him. He hissed until he saw Molly suppressing her laughter. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to full on hit you with it. Are you okay?" 

"I've been better." He shook the drops from his whiskers. "So this is something you enjoy?"

"I'm a Bengal. Water is kind of our thing. You?"

"I'd be happier if it was warmer."

"That's the second best part. Come on." Molly darted out of the water to race ahead. 

Thankfully, all those tins of tuna hadn't slowed Claude down. He caught up to her at the bottom of an art installation. It was a conceptual art piece. Large uncut stones were used to recreate the shape of Atlas. This idea was that the responsibility of taking care of the earth was on all of our shoulders. Claude could do better. He also knew that Atlas carried the sky not the earth. 

"Do you like this piece?" Claude tried to keep his distaste out of his tone.

"It has its perks." Molly jumped from stone to stone before disappearing at the top.

Claude quickly followed to find her stretched out of the 'earth' stone. The stone still clung to the heat of the day under his paws. It felt good. As if she could read his mind Molly commented "Wait until you stretch out on it."

Claude didn't wait any longer to stretch out. He sprawled himself next to her, so close that their side touched. He was sure she would push him away until she didn't. Until she snuggled closer. Emboldened by it, he rested his head on top of hers. In turn she rubbed her head against his until their positions were reversed and her head was on top.

"So are we going to…?" Claude began.

"Not tonight." Her voice was firm but gentle. It gave Claude some hope.

Then Molly began to groom him. Around his neck as first then she ran her tongue over that spot behind his ear. The one that usually got his leg twitching and his motor running. This time it had a different effect on him. Warm tears gather in his eyes. It had been so long since anyone had treated him with this kind of care. It had been so long since he let anyone treat him with this kind of care. He tried to muffle the sobbed that welled up in him but she caught it.

"Shh. You're okay, Claude. Just let it out." she continued to soothe him with her tongue as he finally let out everything he had been holding in. 

His owner had died. He had watched as she faded away. It hadn't taken long. In less than a week, she started with a cough then she was gone. He could still hear it every night. She told her family she was fine. Claude knew she wasn't but he was helpless to do anything. On the third day, he stayed out all day and night. That worried his owner enough to call her nephew. When her nephew came, he suggested a doctor. She'd shook her head, told him she didn't want to trouble anyone, it was just a bad cold. Two days later Claude woke up on her bed but she never woke up again.

"Damn, Lucien. I haven't teared up this much since episode three of The Last of Us." Jerry looked up from his script.

"Is it too much? Our viewers usually like the honesty in the show. The writing team liked it." Lucien bent the end of his own script in his hand nervously.

Jerry stood to clap a reassuring hand on Lucien's shoulder. "It's great, man. Really. I usually worry about last minute changes to scripts but this is so good. It's bold. It's real. Let's get Bravo back in for the last scene.

"I'm sorry." Claude sobbed into his paws as he covered his face.

"Don't be." Molly held him closer. "I'm flattered that you feel safe enough to let your guard down. I knew there was some reason you acted like an uptight asshole."

Claude laughed at that "No, that's pretty much my default personality."

"Maybe." Molly chuckled. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now. Thank you." Claude lay his paw over hers at his side.

"You're welcome. Let's get some rest. If you change your mind, I'll be here when you wake up."

"She'll be there when he wakes up. Like his owner wasn't. Fuck, that hurt." Dieter grabbed a soda from the mini fridge, nodding to offer Lucien one as he did, who declined with a shake of his head. "Oh, man. Where did you come up with the idea for this one?"

"It just came to me." The way Dieter's eyes narrowed on him Lucien got the distinct impression it wasn't the best idea to lie to a double Oscar winner that studies the human condition for a living.

"Right. I gotta head out. Call me soon, we'll hang out. I want to hear more about this new art project." Dieter was out the door before Lucien could think too much about that invitation.

Getting in his car Lucien pulled out his cell phone. Three messages from you sat there unanswered.

@kirsteng42 @prolix-yuy @thegreenkid2 @hquinzelle @fangirl-316 @gracie7209 @jedifarmerr @doommommy @scorpio-marionette @sturkillerbase @harriedandharassed @aynsleywalker @mswarriorbabe80 @quica-quica-quica @rise-my-angel @adancedivasmom @kinda-nobody @movievillainess721 @munsonownsmyass @mandoloriancookie @faceache111 @elegantduckturtle @shadowtrick @simpingcowboy @pedrit0-pascalit0 @yourcoolauntie @pedrostories

[binosaura]

C: "No io cavalli non li riesco a mangiare perché ho fatto equitazione"

J: "Guarda che anche gli altri animali hanno la stessa dignità, o li mangi tutti o non ne mangi nessuno"

[automatismascrive]

Unrestrained summer fun: Boku no Natsuyasumi 2: Umi no Bouken-hen e Summer Vacation 1999

L’estate è la mia stagione preferita! Mi rendo conto che l’incessante aumento delle temperature potrebbe contribuire in un immediato futuro ad un rimescolamento della classifica, ma per ora i gelati, le cicale e la possibilità di adagiarmi settimanalmente sul fondo di un fiume le permettono di guadagnarsi il primo posto senza troppa fatica; mi sembrava dunque interessante segnalare in questo periodo un paio di cosine interessanti per chi ha un debole per l’atmosfera calda, inebriante e statica di certe giornate estive cittadine ma non solo. Anzi, in realtà la mia idea originaria sarebbe stata di confinare il tema del consiglio di oggi all’affascinante microgenere dei summer timeloops, del quale l’iconico Kagerou Daze è un esempio perfetto, ma alla fine mi sono presentate nel corso di questi mesi due esperienze così radicate nella stagione in cui si ambientano le loro rispettive narrative – e soprattutto così belle! – che non ho potuto fare a meno di raccoglierle in questo post.

Ma di quali esperienze sto parlando esattamente [domanda retorica che mi permette di spezzare un paragrafo vicino ad acquisire lo status di wall of text]? Beh, intanto di un videogioco per Playstation 2 che può vantare un’importante fanbase giapponese e una piccola fetta di appassionati occidentali (nonché giuoco apparso regolarmente sul mio blog principale per i Veri Fan che mi seguono anche lì), ma anche di un film ambientato in un futuro alternativo degli anni ottanta in cui tutti i protagonisti sono interpretati da ragazze e scrivere molto velocemente su un computer a schermo verde è considerato C Y B E R P U N K. Che cosa state aspettando? Iniziamo!

Boku no Natsuyasumi 2: Umi no Bouken-hen

Nel 1975 Boku ha nove anni e sua madre decide di spedirlo dai suoi zii per tutto il mese di agosto in previsione del suo parto imminente per non avere pargoli tra i piedi; la destinazione è la campagna della prefettura di Yamanashi, ricca di possibilità per un bambino appassionato di battaglie tra insetti, esplorazione e soprattutto la proficua attività dell’immischiarsi negli affari degli adulti che è com'è giusto e sacrosanto tanto cara a tutti i più piccoli

Solo che la destinazione non è davvero la prefettura di Yamanashi, bensì un villaggio di mare sulla costa ovest del Giappone, perché questo non è il primo Boku no Natsuyasumi, ma uno dei quattro sequel spirituali che l’hanno succeduto dopo il suo significativo successo in Giappone (e oltreoceano, almeno per i pochi appassionati in grado di masticare un po’ di giapponese): per la precisione il secondo, Umi no Bouken-hen, salito alla ribalta nel mondo dell’emulazione occidentale grazie alla minuziosa traduzione di Hilltop Works, resa pubblica alla fine dell’anno scorso, che ha permesso anche a chi parla soltanto l’inglese di provare per la prima volta un titolo di questa saga discretamente popolare nella sua terra natale. Saga abbastanza conservatrice, considerando che tra tutti i titoli le variazioni sono minime e consistono nella scelta dell’area del Giappone in cui Boku passerà l’agosto del ‘75, alcuni cambiamenti nei personaggi ricorrenti e nelle migliorie tecniche dovute alla console di uscita di ciascun titolo. Insomma, una saga peculiare già a partire dalla sua direzione artistica, che rimane tale anche quando si considera il tipo di gameplay che propone e che ha contribuito a renderla abbastanza unica nel suo genere.

La copertina del videogioco. Trovo lo stile cartoon 2d del materiale promozionale adorabile.

Infatti una volta approdati nella cittadina marittima in compagnia di Yasuko, una ragazza di quattordici anni che torna a casa per le vacanze, per Boku si spalancheranno le porte di un intero mese di completa libertà: i suoi zii si assicureranno che mangi due volte al giorno e che non affoghi scandagliando i fondali marittimi, ma tutto il resto del suo tempo potrà essere speso come meglio gli aggrada. Durante l’intera giornata di Boku infatti il giocatore potrà scegliere in completa libertà quale zona della mappa esplorare, con quali personaggi interagire e in che attività impiegare il proprio tempo – attività di cui non c’è certo penuria, considerando che avrete a disposizione una canna da pesca, dell’acqua zuccherata per attrarre giganteschi scarafaggi da utilizzare nei combattimenti contro quelli dei vostri cuginetti, e l’intero fondale marittimo da esplorare alla ricerca di tesori e passaggi segreti! Senza considerare l’ingente quantità di persone che faranno avanti e indietro dalla casa dei vostri zii, che funge anche da B&B per i turisti; dal pacato turista americano Simon fino allo schivo Taniguchi, prono ad alzare il gomito anche di prima mattina. Ma sarà possibile conoscere bene anche le sorelle Yasuko e Hikari, un po’ sole e con una famiglia particolare alle spalle… Insomma, la vera domanda non è che cosa mai potrete fare per i trentun giorni di agosto in cui sarete lontani dai vostri genitori, ma se riuscirete a sfruttare al meglio tutto ciò che la città ha da offrire prima di essere costretti a tornare a casa.

Piano piano, mentre vi acclimatate alla routine della giornata tipo della vacanza estiva di Boku, scoprirete almeno un paio di cose che vi sorprenderanno assai in positivo. La prima è che Boku no Natsuyasumi non è solo una bella esperienza, ma è anche un bel gioco. Sì ok, storia e gameplay non sono elementi narrativi distinti, un gioco è un’esperienza a tutto tondo in cui ciascun singolo elemento è inestricabilmente coinvolto nella formazione del suo senso ultimo, la dissonanza ludonarrativa è vera e può farti del male ecc. ecc., ma è innegabile che chiunque sia abituato a fare del retrogaming spesso e volentieri per accedere ad una storia affascinante si debba abituare ad un’esperienza legnosa, ad un’interfaccia confusa e a delle convenzioni di gioco obsolete che possono rendere le sessioni di gioco complessive decisamente meno appassionanti di quello che potrebbero essere. Non è però il caso di Boku no Natsuyasumi, che nonostante faccia la scelta poco felice di far muovere il personaggio con una strana combinazione di tasto x per avanzare e le quattro frecce per direzionare (… sì, è fastidioso come state pensando), costruisce ciascuna attività di ciascuna giornata con la massima attenzione a renderla meno intrusiva e faticosa possibile per il giocatore. Non c’è il rischio che gli eventi diventino troppo dispersivi grazie ad un efficace guida giornaliera sugli eventi più salienti che prende forma grazie alle predizioni di Hikari, la luce ci farà sempre capire a che punto della giornata siamo e quanto tempo ci rimane, la pesca è un semplicissimo minigioco d’attesa in cui si preme un solo tasto e la maggior parte delle attività, anche in virtù della loro semplicità, sono godibili senza risultare del tutto casuali; un ottimo esempio è la lotta degli scarafaggi, determinata dalle caratteristiche degli stessi, da quanto abbiamo dosato la loro aggressività e dalla fortuna, elementi che premiano un certo coinvolgimento emotivo senza suscitare troppa frustrazione.

Davanti al B&B degli zii di Boku, nonché un ottimo punto per tuffarsi a scandagliare il fondale in cerca di tappi di bottiglia.

Il gameplay di Boku no Natsuyasumi però ha meritato una menzione speciale solo per la sua abilità di mettersi al servizio dell’esperienza chiave del titolo, che non fa certo perno sulla complessità dei suoi sistemi. Il gioco propone un’esperienza marcatamente nostalgica, se non altro per via della minuzia con cui ricostruisce ciascuna interazione che un bambino di otto anni può avere con l’ambiente, gli adulti e i coetanei attorno a lui; esperienza ulteriormente calata in uno specifico contesto culturale di cui non mi sento di giudicare l’”accuratezza storica”, ma che di sicuro fa un ottimo lavoro nel vendere al giocatore perlomeno un’ottima illusione di come poteva essere il mese di agosto del 1975 in una cittadina marittima del Giappone. La malinconia di cui è impregnata ogni giornata di cui si ha esperienza nel gioco è ben sostenuta nella sua profondità e autenticità anche dalla complessità dei dialoghi che si hanno con gli adulti nel gioco; sebbene il paragone più ovvio che possa venire in mente dalla mia descrizione finora per questa saga possa essere Animal Crossing, il gioco non potrebbe essere più distante da quello specifico e melenso filone del cozy gaming che costruisce una fantasia zuccherosa dietro la quale si cela poca carne al fuoco nel senso narrativo del termine (conflitto, evoluzione e così via), ma si tratta chiaramente di un gioco da adulti per adulti. Nel corso dei giorni Boku potrà parlare con un anziano che si sente spaesato e inutile dopo la morte della moglie e del figlio, con una madre che fugge dai suoi figli perché si sente soffocare dal villaggio in cui è cresciuta e con un uomo che passa il tempo sulle montagne piuttosto che stare con il figlio appena quattordicenne – e ciascuno di questi incontri non ci permetterà di aprire il menù delle quest per risolvere la vita dell'NPC di turno che ci ha appena aperto il cuore, ma si risolverà in dialoghi fugaci che lasceranno il protagonista spesso confuso, e il giocatore più conscio della complessità delle dinamiche del villaggio in cui Boku è stato catapultato.

Quello che rimane al momento di salire sul traghetto del ritorno è proprio la sicurezza di aver parlato con persone con una vita più grande, misteriosa e complessa degli scorci che Boku ha visto e sentito, proprio come succedeva spesso a noi da bambini e come certamente capita anche agli adulti; e questa esperienza formativa per Boku ben si riflette nel corso delle giornate che passano, in cui il nostro protagonista imparerà a fare considerazioni un po' più complesse di prima sulle persone che lo circondano. Insomma, quello che davvero Boku no Natsuyasumi 2 è capace di regalare ad un giocatore adulto è proprio il ritorno a quella scoperta totalizzante e straordinaria che si provava sia di fronte alle scoperte provenienti dal mondo adulto che all’esplorazione della natura e dell’ambiente attorno a noi. Il mio consiglio è di provare sulla vostra pelle almeno un paio di queste giornate di agosto, per scoprire se è l’esperienza che state cercando.

Il diario che Boku compila a fine giornata con gli avvenimenti più rilevanti è credo nella mia top ten di cose belle che ho visto quest'anno.

Summer Vacation 1999

Sarebbe l’estate più noiosa di sempre nella scuola di Kazuhiko, Naoto e Norio, visto che sono loro gli unici tre ragazzi che hanno scelto di non tornare a casa per le vacanze e invece di passare le giornate a fare i compiti al computer, a cucinare e a giocare nei campi che circondano l’edificio deserto; se non fosse che la tensione nell’aria si taglia con un coltello e ogni scusa è buona per litigare, perché pochi mesi prima l’intera scuola è stata scossa dal suicidio di Yu, un ragazzo dello stesso anno di Kazuhiko e Naoto che si è lanciato dalla scogliera a due passi dall’edificio scolastico. Norio è convinto che la causa della sua infelicità fosse Kazuhiko, che dal canto suo passa le giornate in compagnia di Naoto, l’unico ragazzo che sembra in grado di rasserenarlo e di fargli allontanare dalla mente quel tragico evento… Almeno finché alla fermata del treno non scende Kaoru, copia perfetta di Yu che si presenta come un nuovo studente che condividerà le settimane successive con i tre; e nel tentativo di comprendere che cosa si cela dietro questo ritorno fantasma, ciascuno dei tre ragazzi aprirà la porta a tutte le pulsioni inconsce che fino a quel momento erano rimaste saldamente chiuse dietro un lucchetto a diverse mandate. E sì, sto naturalmente parlando del sesso gay.

Le uniformi hanno ovviamente lanciato una moda, e ci mancherebbe altro.

Ora che l’elefante nella stanza è stato finalmente svelato, mi pare giusto notare le due peculiarità del film che me l’hanno fatto immediatamente guardare la sera stessa in cui sono capitata sulla pagina del suo regista, Shusuke Kaneko. In primo luogo, se la trama di questo film vi sembra anche solo vagamente familiare, c’è una buona possibilità che abbiate letto Il cuore di Thomas, il manga di Moto Hagio da cui il film è liberamente ispirato; per quanto le differenze siano moltissime, dall’ambientazione fino al destino di molti personaggi, i temi trattati sono simili – fatto che non dovrebbe sorprendere nessuno che già conosce Hagio, di cui io ho letto solo l’etereo Il clan dei Poe, pioniera e maestra dei boys’ love. La seconda cosa che ha immediatamente fatto rizzare le mie antennine sensibili al bizzarro è che in questo film non c’è un solo ragazzo: ciascuno degli adolescenti è interpretato da giovani attrici, fatto che in nessun modo viene mai rimarcato all’interno della narrativa stessa ma che sicuramente dona un ulteriore fascino ad una storia che ruota attorno alle pulsioni proibite, dirompenti e totalizzanti dell’adolescenza, esasperate dalla solitudine estiva e dal quieto scorrere di giorni sempre uguali.

Purtroppo la scelta di interpreti così giovani si fa sentire: nessuna di loro era all’epoca particolarmente talentuosa nell’arte della recitazione e la mancanza di esperienza è molto evidente. Moltissime scene sono legnose, recitate da attrici che imbastiscono monologhi esitanti e spesso poco convinti, tanto che è molto facile immaginarsele con il copione in mano che cercano di mandarsi a mente il discorso che dovranno recitare di fronte ad una telecamera. Non sono una persona che soffre particolarmente attori mediocri o scadenti – altro vero marchio che sancisce la mia esclusione dalla cinefilia dura e pura – ma è innegabile che il film a tratti ne soffra parecchio; ad essere però particolarmente generosi, mi sento di notare che questa recitazione così artificiosa s’incastra piuttosto bene con il resto dell’ambiente che i personaggi navigano.

In questa scena viene citato Demian con i suoi pulcini nel guscio, riprova del fatto che Ikuhara si sarà visto questo film più e più volte.

Infatti la scuola semideserta è costruita con grande maestria per indurre un fortissimo senso di straniamento nello spettatore, che si trova ad osservare un ambiente a volte ai limiti del plausibile e dal look plasticoso e retrofuturistico (che la pagina Wikipedia italiana insiste a definire cyberpunk). Dai monitor verdi che i quattro studenti fissano ogni mattina, digitando una serie di parole inintelligibili ad altissima velocità, presumibilmente per completare improbabili esercizi, fino agli strani giochi presenti in camera di Norio, ciascun elemento dell’ambientazione e ciascuna scelta di regia aiutano a sottolineare il carattere artificioso e favolistico dello spazio in cui i ragazzi interagiscono, come a puntare il dito sul fatto che si tratta di una storia universale, trascendente qualsiasi specificità poiché incentrata su pulsioni ed emozioni che ciascun adolescente prova nel corso della vita. L’effetto complessivo non è dissimile da quello della strana scuola che frequenta Utena, anche se l’ispirazione estetica è piuttosto diversa: un ambiente dominato dalla routine, dal lento incedere di giorni sempre uguali, che lentamente soffoca chi vive al suo interno finché qualcosa non appare a cambiare le carte in tavola.

Ed è questa cura minuziosa per l’atmosfera in cui il film ci deve immergere che mi ha fatto apprezzare Summer Vacation 1999 così tanto. Al netto delle performance meno che brillanti e di una narrazione lineare fino alla banalità che segue lo scombussolamento che Kaoru provoca nella psiche di tutti gli altri, si tratta di un film che ben cattura quelle estati topiche dell’adolescenza in cui avvengono ogni sorta di rimescolamenti emotivi, in cui ciascuna emozione è volatile, esplosiva e pronta a prendere il sopravvento; Kaneko preme a fondo il pedale sulla repressione che l’ambiente instilla in ciascuno dei ragazzi, e lo fa senza mai mostrare nessun elemento apertamente coercitivo, fatto che di certo fa onore alla sua abilità registica e che permette di mantere un filo di non detto in un film che è tutto tranne che sottile nella messa in scena dei turbamenti adolescenziali di fronte al taboo. Che ok, è il desiderio omosessuale ma anche l’attaccamento morboso, l’isolamento, la paura dell’apertura all’altro e tutta una serie di altre emozioni complicate che facilmente portano a ferire gli altri, sia in senso puramente psicologico ma anche e soprattutto in quello fisico, pericolo ben presentato nel film dalla scogliera dalla quale Yu si è buttato, che ricompare ancora e ancora nel corso delle scene fino al finale carico di tensione che la vede indubbia protagonista, in cui ogni frame di ogni inquadratura suggerisce ai quattro ragazzi un modo semplice e rapido per porre fine ai loro tormenti.

Tutti assieme in una scena senza alcun significato allegorico legato allo strumento suonato. Boys will be boys no homo <3

Non si tratta di un film che piacerà a tutti, vuoi per l’artificiosità della messa in scena, vuoi per la recitazione poco ispirata, o vuoi perché dalla prima scena del film è tutto sommato assai semplice dipanare la matassa della narrativa e leggere in anticipo ciascun movimento di trama, come in qualunque boys’ love degli anni ottanta che si rispetti; ma se anche solo una delle cose che questo film fa bene vi ha catturato vi consiglio caldamente di prendervi una sera per guardarlo e scoprire se l’atmosfera estiva (nel senso più opprimente del termine) di questo film fa per voi.

Detto ciò, questo consiglietto giunge al termine! Anzi, consiglio a pieno titolo, vista la lunghezza – in qualche modo dovevo farmi perdonare l’assenza prolungata. Va detto che all'inizio avevo pensato di imbastire un post fatto come si deve su qualche perla del cinema coreano, ma la seduzione del clima estivo ha ben presto preso il sopravvento e mi sono ritrovata a scartabellare nei miei cassetti mentali per poter parlare di qualcosa adatto al periodo; sono convinta di aver trovato proprio le cose giuste di cui parlare e spero che queste mie essenziali considerazioni possano aver stuzzicato la curiosità di qualcuno. Adesso torno a riascoltarmi tutto Kagerou Project però.

[boobachu]

Rewatched Sonic Prime

and the finale of season two basically upped the ante to where the story is either going to have a really good ending or be so bad it brings the entire series down. (Kind of a long-ass post with spoilers if for some reason you haven't felt to binge the almost seven hours of show yet.)

This moment right here completely changed the tone from "Sonic broke the universe and needs to fix it" towards "If Sonic succeeds, he would be committing multiple omnicide"

Sonic Prime Sonic could earn the title "World's most genocidal hedgehog" and that's really interesting.

Now, this is what has been a very basic "modern marvel" "robot chicken"-ass story, I mean very interesting characterization but otherwise very cookie cutter.

Which, I mean, we got a whole season to explore it, but Sonic immediately defaults to his pussy-ass "FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!11!!" but kind of the core of the story has been "Sonic's worldview is wrong"

Even though nothing too terrible has happened to him (beyond everyone he knew and loved and could ever know and love potentially being killed forever) it's very clear that the basic message is that Sonic's happy-go-lucky attitude needs to change, but so far we haven't seen what it needs to change into.

So basically

I think Sonic Prime is going to A) Have no fucking idea how to fix this problem it imposed on itself by stating the fact that Nine isn't Tails, and you're going to have to kill three people to bring back your little brother

So it just "Whatever! I don't care! We restored Status Quo without killing entire universes!"

or B) as stated before, Sonic Prime goes down as the Sonic canon that commits genocide across space and time to restore his parody of how news journalists who haven't played since Sonic the Hedgehog 2 react to seeing a human in a Sonic game.

or C) which is the least likely, they make some damn good writing that somehow preserves the new universes without it feeling like a handwave.

Honestly the B option could also be "Nine, Mangy and Sails fuse into Tails who has memories off all three" but that is also unlikely because it has the implications of every single being across the universe becoming plural or something. At least I don't think that's an obvious route to take.

People are concerned about Nine being a villain, and he's definitely going to be an antagonist, but I absolutely do not see how wanting to stop someone from wiping out countless worlds to save his own is a villainous trait.

Maybe they'd have the grim project turn out to destroy the other worlds, but that would come out of nowhere and would be kinda dumb to do the "dooming the multiverse through hubris" twice.

Tho it'd also be kinda interesting if the grim project turns out to be basically Eggmanland except Tails.

Like I'm not expecting the final episode of Sonic Prime to be the gang having a party while Sonic sits in the shadows going "I have become death, destroyer of worlds... literally!" and Shadow's like "You did what you had to do. I won't say more because the memory is punishment enough." and then he teleports away leaving Sonic to stand alone in uncomfortable silence while the party is heard in the background and then it cuts to black for the doofiest ass theme song to play over the credits.

It's more Sonic Prime has the potential to be in a Sonic lore iceberg as "Sonic canonically has more blood on his hands than anyone in fiction or reality"

Which is interesting.