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chaosdndsquad · 2 years ago

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Reflections

The trip to the marketplace from the temple is uneventful—which is an achievement in itself considering the chaotic company Sasha now keeps…and now occasionally adds to, much to her regret. (Noa and several other of her troops are undoubtedly jumping and cheering for joy at this new development in Sasha’s character.)

Ash and Fang walk ahead, leading the way to the potions shop. Korel and Magda are talking together, heads ducked low and close, like they’re sharing secrets. Sasha can’t bring herself to be curious, too wrapped up in her own problems to wonder if others are dealing with their own. Over and over again, the events of yesterday and today play like a bard who only knows one song.

“We’re here.”

Such a simple phrase, and yet the one that gave Sasha the most hope. She remembers the agony and self-destruction tendencies she had when mourning Maya. When she survived it, she thought nothing could be worse. She was, evidently, wrong. If it wasn’t for having to take care of Magda, Sasha doesn’t know what or who she would be in that first month of mourning the 512th. Magda had saved her life…in more ways than one. Sasha doesn’t know if she will ever be able to repay this debt, but she is certainly willing to try.

This brings her to her next reflection.

Sasha is a focused person. That’s one of her best traits as a leader if she’s being honest. She can zero in on anything with a certain ruthlessness that has caused her many late nights and an unhealthy addiction to coffee. It is a trait that has served her well in the military. Even when she transferred to the 512th, with their lax policies and disordered nature, Sasha had used her skills to mold them into one of the best battalions in the GRA. She had always seen her dedication as positive, but now, it was easy to see just how much she had allowed that same devotion to turn into blind faith. Sasha could also see how that same blind devotion bleed out into other aspects of her life.

Sasha had been hopelessly devoted to Maya when she was alive, and even a lot more when she was gone. Sasha knew that she could have learned to love Ioh Graylock in the same way.

Sasha was a fool to not realize she felt the same about Noa Montoya as well.

The taste of their final conversation still left a bittersweet tinge in her mouth. Sasha had meant every word: if she had to do it all over again, Sasha would trade spots with Noa in a heartbeat. All their friends would still be alive if Noa were Captain instead of Sasha. But maybe that’s why Sasha was promoted over Noa: Sasha had follow-through, especially when she shouldn’t.

But the thing that Sasha focused on the most, was the overwhelming amount of love that flowed from her heart. Developing feelings for Ioh was easy: a shared tired glance, fingers that touched for a few seconds longer than they should between friends, an amused smirk at a shinnies antics. Many times, it felt like Ioh and Sasha were the only two adults that acted like adults in the 512th. It was a comfort to lean on one another when the others around them became too much. They found peace in each other’s silence. It wasn’t a surprise that soft, tender feelings crept up on Sasha, but at least she was aware of them.

Noa had snuck into Sasha’s heart without knowing.

It was a relief, honestly, when Sasha realized that she had a crush on Ioh, because Ioh was nothing like Maya. Ioh, the exasperated, sarcastic medic who would soon as chew you out with a lecture as she would patch you up. Ioh was as cool and dry as a night sky desert. Maya was a firework show ready to go off at the first opportunity.

Noa wasn’t a firework—not like Maya--but she was a dancing flame all the same. Warm and reliable one minute, and then going in whatever direction the wind blew her, leaving you cold and wondering what happened. She picked up conversations just as easily as she would drop them, moments later when something else captured her attention. Noa was opposite to Sasha in all the ways Maya was, and a little extra. Sasha considered Noa her best friend, but she failed to realize how precious Noa had become until she was gone.

Sasha is pulled out of her musings when Bryn zips in front of the group without anyone noticing. She speaks to Ash and passes something along to him. Sasha takes the time to look, really look, at Bryn, their druid and flighty friend of the party.

Noa and Maya would have loved her. Bryn’s wild nature would fit like a glove alongside Noa and Maya’s. In another life, much kinder than this one, Sasha imagines that she and Noa could have raised a child whose nature is similar to Bryn's.

And that was the crux of it all. Maya, Sasha’s first love and forever twenty-three, was not nurturing as Noa and Ioh had been. Maya, for all her talent and excellence in her field, had ultimately been given a leadership position over everyone else because of her family name. Maya, in turn, had taken the title not for the honor or pride in her skills, but because being in charge was new, exciting, and an excellent way to pass the time until the next campaign came along. Noa, Sasha knew, had asked for leadership positions: not because she wanted a new challenge, but because no one else would take up the responsibility. Noa, for all her flighty nature, wanted to take care of her shield siblings: because no one else would, and she knew she could do it. That was the difference between Noa and Maya: Noa cared in the same ways Sasha did. Maya cared for as long as it interested her.

Sasha snorts, bitter amusement trickling her thoughts away. She’s being too harsh on Maya’s memory, she knows it. Maya was twenty-three and Noa was twenty-eight: a five-year age difference that allowed for more growth and maturity than Maya would ever get. Wasn’t Sasha a vastly different person than she was five years ago? Who knows how Maya would have grown if the world was kinder to her fate? How would Noa, Ioh, and the other ninety-eight people Sasha have buried in that peaceful meadow of Pada?

She looks up at the big tree, in the center of the city. The trunk is at least a mile wide, the branches cover the sky so much that Sasha can’t see what the weather is like above the canopy. Her friend’s last words to her whispered on the wind, were not of righteous anger or hate as they deserved. Sasha had expected them to be angry, vengeful, towards her. She did not expect friendship. She did not expect love.

“We’re here.”

How easily two words can flip her entire existence on its axis. Sasha had thought herself a walking cemetery, carrying all these names and regrets with her until it was finally her time to join them. She was simply waiting to join them all, to eventually make the numbers one hundred and one. Now, a paladin in their honor, Sasha is a living memorial. Tattooed flowers and a hundred small leaves adorned on the shaved right side of her head, down her neck, and onto her arm, in their memory showed her dedication to Sasha’s new cause. She will bring her old friends' justice. And now Sasha knew they will be with her every step of the way.

Sasha glances back at Korel and Magda, heads still linked together and whispering over something. Sasha knows she is a loyal person…but now she knows there is a thing as being too loyal. She owes Magda a life debt, which is an unshakeable truth…but perhaps Sasha has been rather childish when it comes to her soft feelings toward Magda.

Sasha cringes at the memory of jealousy from last night. How many times had she flirted with other women while Ioh and Noa were around? How many trips to the brothel had Sasha made while they were in-between campaigns? Granted, the trips were fewer after she was ready to move past Maya, but she still made those lengthy visits every now and then. Ioh and Noa had expressed their displeasure, but that was because they were worried Sasha was slipping back into old bad coping habits, not because they were secretly jealous.

Sasha thinks of Magda kissing Primrose on the back of the hand in farewell and the childish jealousy that sprung up immediately afterward. She thinks she hid her jealousy well enough, but that doesn’t mean she was actually successful. She could be extremely petty when she puts her mind to it, and liquor can help embolden that particular trait. Now, Sasha is glad kept her distance last night during the potluck, giving the two happy women their space as they flirted with each other.

She’s a hypocrite, Sasha decides. A hypocrite who wants to hoard her favorite toy like a child. Disgust at herself coils in her gut, and Sasha quickly swallows it. She didn’t act on those feelings, that’s the important thing to focus on. She didn’t stop Magda from searching for happiness, especially considering that happiness wasn’t with Sasha.

They all enter the store and the proprietress, a pretty goth elven woman, pays special attention to Magda. Sasha makes it a point to look away, reading labels of potions she has no intention to buy.

She tunes them out (really, she must thank Bryn for this newfound skill) and continues to think. Sasha can’t be a hypocrite about this anymore. Magda deserves happiness. Sasha will not allow herself to get in the way of that, jealous feelings be damned. So Sasha has a crush on Magda. So what? She’s not alone in that if Magda’s admirers continue to grow as they are. It doesn’t matter. Magda can do as she likes, with whomever she likes. It’s not really Sasha’s business anyways.

Besides, Sasha has bigger dragons to slay anyways. Her friends won’t get justice if Sasha is busy being jealous and regretful. Sasha can get through this.

She just needs to give herself time.

#Sasha #the slow burn is slow #Magda #the s tag #dnd fanfic #the rolo era

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cleoenfaserum · 2 months ago

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REBLOGS: 1- SHORT FILM: THIS TIME AWAY (2019) -2- ART: Art of Movement -3-FILM: The Way, Way Back (2013) (1197)

Nigel is an elderly man living as a recluse, haunted by his past and memory of the family he once had, until an unexpected visitor arrives and disrupts his lonely routine.

Read: This Time Away: a succinct and heartwarming character study with a sting in its tail – Under Southern Eyes (edpinsent.com)

IMDb 7'3

youtube

1197-1 link https://youtu.be/RIKaRigsL44 source: great-shortmovies origin: Apr 8, 2021 Sci-Fi Short Film: “This Time Away” (2019) (Starring Timothy Spall)

ART: Art of Movement

source has been deleted: hauntedbystorytelling

A. Grinberg (?) :: Ornamental plastic pose, mid-1920s. Artist’s photographic print. Catalogue of the third “Art of Movement” exhibition, 1927, No. 277. OE | src Nicoletta Misler's The Russian Art of Movement 1920-1930 (see pdf book at: misler_estratto1_0.pdf (nieuweinstituut.nl)

An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific art philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defined within a number of years. Art movements were especially important in modern art, when each consecutive movement was considered a new avant-garde movement. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an attempt to reproduce an illusion of visible reality (figurative art). By the end of the 19th century many artists felt a need to create a new style which would encompass the fundamental changes taking place in technology, science and philosophy (abstract art). Read more at: Wikipedia

The art of movement refers to the way artists convey action and energy within their work. It involves utilizing elements such as line, shape, color, texture, space, and value to create a visual representation of physical motion. Essentially, it captures the dynamic essence of a moment in art. (AI Copilot)

The Way, Way Back is a 2013 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debuts.

Anna Sophia Robb (20) in The Way, Way Back (2013)

The story is about Duncan, an introverted 14-year-old who goes on summer vacation to Wareham, Massachusetts with his mother and her overbearing boyfriend.

1197-2 link https://ok.ru/video/6670609353464

#1197 #SHORT FILM #THIS TIME AWAY #2019 #ART #Art of Movement #FILM #The Way Way Back #Way Back #2013 #2024-09-28

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catherine-media · 3 months ago

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Western Medicine Looks to Ancient Psychedelic Wisdom for Modern Insight

As the psychedelic Renaissance gathers momentum, Western medicine is increasingly drawing from ancient traditions for guidance. The extensive use of plant medicines over the past 10,000 years offers crucial insights as researchers explore psychedelics as potential treatments for mental health disorders.

A pivotal discovery in 2008 from the Andes of southwest Bolivia revealed a small leather bag belonging to a Tiwanaku shaman from over a millennium ago. Inside were ancient tools and substances, including a snuffing tube, spatulas for grinding psychoactive seeds, and traces of cocaine and psilocin—the hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms. This artifact provides a rare glimpse into ancient psychedelic practices, capturing contemporary researchers' interest.

Modern psychedelics such as MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, and ketamine are increasingly studied in Western medicine for their potential to address mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Proponents believe these substances could revolutionize psychiatric treatments, offering new avenues for managing severe mental health conditions. However, critics caution about potential risks and overhyped expectations.

As psychedelic medicine evolves, ancient artifacts like the Tiwanaku shaman’s bag offer valuable context. Yuria Celidwen, a senior academic at the University of California, Berkeley, notes that indigenous use of psychedelics often involves holistic practices beyond individual mental health treatment. Celidwen, of Nahua and Maya descent, emphasizes that psychedelics, referred to as spirit medicines, play a central role in community rituals and daily life in many indigenous cultures.

Historical records show that psychedelics have long been used for various purposes, including rituals, palliative care, and exploring consciousness. Ancient Greeks and Romans, for instance, engaged in rites involving kykeon, a drink with LSD-like properties. Evidence also suggests that the psychoactive mushroom Amanita muscaria was used in the Americas as far back as 16,500 years ago, with ongoing use among the Ojibwa community.

Researcher Osiris Sinuhé González Romero traces psychedelic use to ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, highlighting evidence of sacred mushrooms in Mayan culture and the use of San Pedro and Peyote cacti in Peru and Mexico dating back thousands of years. Historical texts, such as the Codex Vindobonensis Mexicanus 1, depict rituals involving sacred mushrooms, underscoring their deep cultural significance.

Spanish chronicler Bernardino de Sahagún documented Aztec rituals involving psilocybin mushrooms in the 16th century, describing ceremonies where participants sang, danced, and shared their visions. This illustrates how psychedelics were integrated into communal and spiritual life.

Celidwen argues that Western medicine’s focus on psychedelics as standalone treatments misses their broader cultural context. "In most traditional cultures, there is no separation between the human and natural world," she explains. "Spirit medicines are used to communicate with and restore balance with the natural world, emphasizing collective well-being."

González Romero points out that indigenous ceremonies often involve music and rituals designed to induce a trance-like state, fostering healing and creativity. This contrasts with the Western tendency to view psychedelics through a medical lens, potentially overlooking their collective and spiritual dimensions.

As Western interest in psychedelics grows, concerns about cultural appropriation and commercialization arise. Celidwen and colleagues have highlighted issues of indigenous voices being excluded from the booming psychedelic industry, projected to be worth $7 billion by 2027. Indigenous practitioners often receive significantly less compensation compared to their Western counterparts, despite their extensive knowledge and practices.

Jules Evans, a psychedelics researcher at Queen Mary University of London, notes that Western secular perspectives may struggle to integrate the profound experiences offered by psychedelics. Indigenous cultures have long navigated these altered states with established practices and guidance, which contemporary settings often lack.

Celidwen concludes that while Western approaches often focus on the individual effects of psychedelics, their true potential may lie in fostering connections and collective healing. "It’s not just the molecule; it’s the relationships and context in which the medicine is used that bring about healing," she says. "Without this collective framework, the benefits of psychedelics may not be fully realized, potentially leading to a cycle of seeking the same sense of wonder repeatedly."

As Western medicine continues to explore psychedelics, ancient wisdom offers valuable lessons in integrating these substances into a more holistic understanding of healing and community well-being.

#western medicine

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rei-does-stuff · 3 years ago

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Anyways imma scream abt my insect ocs!!

Okay okay soo

I’ll start with my fave first!!

Rosy maple moth!! He’s this daycare worker who cares a lot about children, he’s very nice and kind but had a tendency to bottle up his emotions

He had rose petals to hide his wings because a long time ago humans captured him and FUCKED UP his wing. Whilst he was in capture he met another moth, the Lonomia moth which ill talk about later, but he ended up saving the other moth and the two grew close, but sadly the Lonomia put a curse on him one day (will explain why when we get to it) and the curse is basically ‘you will never die UNLESS one of the children in your care dies, if a kid in your care get hurt you feel their pain x10, and if they die you die.” Which explains why he didn’t like die in a week lol, Rosy has lived long enough to make a few enemies, his demeanor can be irritating to others as well

They’re genderfluid and use all pronouns too :)

Okay so now we have a Polyphemus moth! He’s a father of Stigmella maya!! He’s quick to get frustrated and does NOT like rosy maple moth at all. He used to another kid before Maya, Silk moth, but he ran away and never came back. So he’s kinda dealing with the grief of that.

He believes Rosy is to blame with Silk running away so that’s why he dislikes him (the two slowly get along tho) Rosy was always the one who was with Silk, Rosy took care of him when Poly couldn’t and the two were really close. But Poly was already a lil suspicious of Rosy mainly bc of how long he lived he was supposed to die in a week after all, and since he was convinced he had nothing to do with why Silk disappeared, the blame fell on Rosy. Esp bc rosy introduced silk to magic

Next is the painted apple moth! She’s a friend of both Rosy and Poly, she takes care of a lil Viceroy Butterfly!! She understands and tries to help both of them, though it’s a bit hard for her at times

Main 3 kids areeee

Stigmella maya- An oblivious moth who doesn’t rlly know what’s going on like- ever- (Maya or Stig Or Mella for short)

Andrena- A little rowdy bee who is very overconfident of herself

Viceroy- A RLLY anxious butterfly who gets worried abt pretty much everything

Viceroy is A TRANS GIRL, she has a lotta confidence issues and desperately wants to be like a monarch butterfly but can’t Bc she’s just an imitation (viceroy butterflys look rlly similar to monarch butterflies for camouflage) she’s a pretty good flier tho and her mom always helps her with her issues

Andrena is a very spunky bee who rlly stubborn. She constantly wants to prove she’s the best, she’s overconfident which can lead to some bad situations, but she always tries to bring the best in others! she always tried to help viceroy with her confidence issues

Stigmella Maya is the son of Poly! He’s rlly tiny but always tries to act tough despite it. He LOVES magic and is convinced it’s real even if his dad doesn’t think the same, he’s friends with both Andrena and Viceroy and often goes on adventures with them. He doesn’t know much about his brother since his dad never talks about him. But he often imagines his brother be this cool epic strong guy and wants to be like him

Lonomia used to be the king of all the moths, along with his wife Atlas moth,

He used to be loved by all and everything was going well, he had a family and everything,

But one day his son, cecropia moth, got ill, REALLY ILL, they tried everything but nothing worked. So he turned to dark magic. But the magic corrupted him and with a heavy heart his wife banished him from the kingdom to avoid any further harm to her people.

He wandered around not knowing what to do, his memory was hazy, but eventually he was captured by the humans. He stayed there for days and almost died until Rosy saved him. He thanked him profusely. Since the two were basically lost they stayed together for a while getting closer and closer together. One day he tried using dark magic to heal Rosy’s wing, it was the only magic he remembered how to do. But the dark magic took over again, and he cursed Rosy. Horrified by what he did, he ran as far as he could, eventually staying in a abandoned cabin. One day he heard a knock on his door, it was a small shaken silk moth asking for help. He decided to let the young moth stay with him eventually treating him and seeing him as a son. Now the two are trying to get his kingdom back. No matter the cost.

Atlas moth was horrified when she saw what her lover had turned into. She told him not too to use dark magic but he didn’t listen. She blames herself for it, if she had just tried harder it wouldn’t have happened. Their love is what brought the kingdom together. But now the kingdom is bleak and heartless. As she herself is cold and distant from everyone. She wishes she could turn back time to experience the joys of before, but alas miracles don’t happen to those unworthy

Silk was a young and usually well behaved boy. His father loved him dearly, and mister maple was very kind to him. But slowly and surely he learned about magic, specifically dark magic. Poly found out and was furious. He tried to explain how dangerous this sorta magic was. But silk didn’t listen. Not wanting to give up magic he ran as far as he could. Until he met Lonomia. He was supportive of magic, he didn’t tried to hide it away from him, he was better than his real father ever could be. So why not help him?

Rosy introduced Silk to magic, which is why Poly blames him. And why he has such a low opinion on magic

Now basically the 3 kids wanna find out if magic exists so they go on adventures to see it for themselves,

Rosy, poly and apple find out they’re missing and also go on an adventure to get them home, shenanigans ensue

Side character:

Madagascan sunset moth- A popular popstar who lives in one of the moth cities

Cinnabar moth- A circus preformer that’s mute

blue morpho butterfly- A vane photographer who is basically a glorified reference to life is strange

The pepper moth twins: Two moths that believe in pasts lives (a reference to my moth oc sunny)

The tiger moth sisters- Two moths who love tricks and pranks especially during Halloween

gangis moth- A crazed moth who only speaks in riddles

And THAT IS EVERYTHING SO FAR

#my post #ocs #my ocs #original character #long post

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kythed · 4 years ago

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💕Hello! If it's all right was could I ask for a matchup? I'm a straight gal, 5'2" tall gal with pale skin and a thin form. I also have long brown hair, blue eyes and glasses.

As for personality, I'm kind, reliable and hardworking, though a little awkward in large social groups. I enjoy joking around and prefer looking at the bright side of things. My mbti is infj (and ennegram 9w1). I prefer my friends to be considerate and open-minded, someone who doesn't judge anyone by their first impression. I make a lot of bad jokes, so they need to have a sense of humour as well, or at least tolerance for mine😅

My biggest hobby is writing, which I think about almost around the clock. Fantasy and horror are my favourite genres to write, and for character inspiration I often do people-watching. I also sing, mostly in a choir, and go out for hikes in the nature because I love the fresh air and beautiful sceneries. My worst fear is letting people dear to me down and not being there for them in their time of need. I try my best to check up on them but sometimes I wonder if I'm doing enough . . .

My motto would be "If you're going to do it, make sure you don't have regrets later." as I strongly dislike leaving what I start unfinished. It makes me anxious.

My love languages are quality time, acts of service and words of affirmation. I'd like my s/o to know that I overthink often, that my silence doesn't mean I'm angry on uninterested but that I'm stuck in my own thoughts. A deal-breaker is definitely narcissism. Confidence is great but I don't like anyone who thinks the world envolves around them.

Thank you for taking time to read this! I hope it was all righ. Have a great day😊

——————————————————————————

thanks for the request ! i hope you enjoy :-)

- this was an incredibly easy choice for me; it just makes all around perfect sense-- I match you with kuroo tetsurou

- you need someone to keep you moving in the right direction because you burden yourself with way too much shit that shouldn’t even be your responsibility

- he helps you to identify what you really want in life and makes you pick n choose a couple of goals to focus on at once rather than doing everything and anything (something tells me you have a hard time prioritizing and saying no to people)

- you help him stop n smell the roses every once in a while because that man doesn’t know when to take a break

- you both share this incredible attention to detail and you both highly value and love getting to know other people

- he’s the one who booked you your first appointment with a publishing house once you finished your first novel and he used his death glare to scare the poor publisher into giving you a higher percentage of royalties on each sale

- SCRABBLE. y’all play a highly competitive game of scrabble every friday night and you always win. this typically culminates in kuroo throwing a tantrum and tickling you mercilessly until you agree it was “practically a tie” (nevermind the fact that you literally won twice the points he did)

- you love fantasy, kuroo loves sci-fi so your conversations are constantly peppered with ridiculous rants and arguments (e.g. “who would win in a fight, a dragon or a tie fighter?” “definitely a dragon babe, i mean it has fire and--” “okay but what if the tie fighter was piloted by a jedi?”)

- physical touch may not be one of your love languages but it sure is one of his-- he’s constantly got his chin resting on your head, or he’s slipping his hand around yours, or putting it on your lower back-- he also really loves giving you these crazy bear hugs (like picking you up and swinging you around type shit) because he likes to feel all big n protective

- I mean the man is literally almost a foot taller than you so can you blame him?

- you guys have literally the worst inside jokes that no one else understands but they send you into hysterics each times until you’re both crying with laughter (lots of terrible puns, yo mama and knock knock jokes that don’t even make sense)

- like once y’all were on a trip to rome and caught a cab to your hotel from the airport but then it took a wrong turn and it ended up that it actually wasn’t a cab and you had just climbed into the back of some little old italian man’s car

- so now whenever y’all are driving somewhere and accidentally go the wrong direction one of you says “mama mia!” in a terrible italian accent and you start screaming with laughter ITS LITERALLY SO OBNOXIOUS LMAOOO

- because you’re both so intuitive that the relationship is like being two halves of a whole-- you can instantly tell when the other is even the slightest bit down and adjust your behavior accordingly

- AND y’all remember the most random shit about each other

- like he once absentmindedly mentioned he loved this particular brand of orange juice and then you started buying only that brand to stock the fridge and he absolutely loves you for it

- and on your first date when you went hiking you pointed out a clump of flowers on the side of the path you thought were pretty so on the way back he secretly picked one and dried it in the pages of a heavy dictionary and got it framed for your birthday

- honestly it’s just little considerate things like this that make the whole relationship

- he always makes sure to involve you in group conversations because he knows it’s your tendency to be shy and hang back

- good conversation is a big deal for you guys but so is quiet time-- you frequently cook dinner together without exchanging a single word, just kinda doing your own thing (like you’ll chop the salad and he’ll make the pasta) and listening to your playlist

- speaking of music, you used to refuse to sing for him until one day he heard you singing in the shower so he crept right up next to the door and recorded it on his phone, and then when you opened the door he shrieked “AHA! CAUGHT YOU!” which nearly scared the shit outta you and made you drop your towel

- but, ya know, you don’t even need to be self-conscious about your singing around this man because he doesn’t have a musical bone in his body and will think that every single note coming out of your mouth sounds like an angel chorus

- overall you guys are that couple that is just so clearly in tune with each other, you know each other like you know yourselves and it’s such a delight to see (hanging out with you is a third wheel’s nightmare tho)

your song: first date by blink-182 (he loves punk pop and you think it’s dorky as hell but he’s adorable when he’s playing the imaginary drums and head banging-- he actually got you to accompany him on the air guitar eventually and it’s lit asf) plus the song perfectly captures the easy, eager way you guys love each other

your favorite movie to watch together: the fellowship of the ring. he wasn’t really into the idea at first (he wanted to watch terminator) but now he’s as big a tolkien fanatic as there is. once you brought him to one of those fantasy renaissance fairs and y’all had the time of your lives.

your relationship in one quote: “In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. / In all the world, there is no love for you like mine.” - maya angelou

#matchups #matchup #haikyuu matchups #haikyuu matchup #gwensmatchups

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harthuntcr · 5 years ago

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( sabrina carpenter. nineteen. she/her. ) everything’s fine, MAYA HART-HUNTER, you’re in the good place! do you remember your last days in GIRL MEETS WORLD? but don’t worry, your ( bay windows, perfectly messy hair, pencil sketches, subway stations, layered necklaces) will fit perfectly with the rest of the good place, so long as you commit to the UPBEAT OPTIMIST despite your tendency to commit to (a constant need to prove she isn’t broken) that the architect of the good place said you were. it’ll just be like a fun acting exercise! just play along and everything will continue to be fun.

honestly the only one that’ll fully read this is me but i just rewatched all of gmw so here’s a few of maya’s defining quotes with some info tacked on ! (to sum it up: major daddy issues, minor mommy issues, craves stability, great artist, cares SO MUCH about her friends, deserves better !)

maya penelope hart-hunter, nineteen, crossning

“hi, i’m maya. you’re really cute. we should hang out sometime. you make me happy. you don’t pay enough attention to me. this isn’t working out, it’s you, not me. we can still be friends, not really.”

maya is introduced as riley’s shawn, as her very best friend in this universe. she’s bold, fierce, rebellious, loud, and everything that riley isn’t. she wears lip gloss, she marches right up to cute boys on the subway, she is the night. she is dark and mysterious.

“ i was a little girl, and i climbed through an open window because i heard singing. i was attracted to what i saw inside. it was someone safe…”

she and riley meet as small children when she wanders into her open window. her parents are fighting. they never seem to stop fighting.

she never leaves riley’s side. it becomes a simple understanding that they are an extension of each other, no longer separate entities. her loyalty is a defining quality to her.

“i do go outside, riley. i watch the light move during the day. and you know what happens at 5:30? you turn gold. everything is more beautiful at the beginning and the end of the day, and i want people to see that. i want to capture that. i didn't mean to believe in something.”

maya is an amazing artist. she can also sing, but she is partial to painting and sketching when she is at home. her favorite teachers are, as expected, her art teachers, and that is always the class she excels in.

"when i was real young, i used to come to this park and look at this statue and wonder if i would ever have friends as good as these. that would hands with each other and smile. i used to wonder what it was they were so happy about. now i know.”

this just be a cute quote. her friends are the stars in her sky and she really would do anything for them if they need it, sacrificing herself over and over if it meant they could be spared for even a second longer.

“i’m gonna get an education from him. and i’m gonna earn my own money. and someday i’m gonna have a good place with good walls and a good roof.” “and what are you gonna do for everybody else?” “everybody’s a lot of people. but if i could afford it, i would fix somebody else’s roof.”

she understands not having a lot. maya has a hole in her wall and a leak in her roof. she takes care of things gifted to her because she knows the value they truly hold. she comprehends that if her mother didn’t work extra shifts, her lights wouldn’t be on and their water wouldn’t flow. she doesn’t take what she has for granted, and it definitely stuck with her as she grew into adulthood.

“you had everything. family meals around the table. i wanted that. ‘how was your day, maya?’ ‘it was great, dad.’ you had that. you went to bed with a smile on your face every night, while i went to bed wondering if my father was going to be at the breakfast table in the morning. i wanted that.”

maya has half a mom and her father left, which she blames on her half a mom. of course, she doesn’t realize that it’s because her mother also got left, but shawn helps her see that. this also starts to build up her wishing for shawn to step in as a more permanent part, but hope is still for suckers, ladies and gents!

“my teacher thinks if i forgive you, it'll bring me peace. and he's usually right about these things, but i don't see how he's right about this one. and i can't. your job was to stay. you don't think i had it in me to allow my father to grow?”

when maya writes to her father for an assignment, she gets the closure she needs to understand that it isn’t her fault he left. of course, it doesn’t fully settle. it never does. and she realizes that she can’t forgive him for leaving yet. daddy issues galore. but she’s not angry anymore and that’s important.

“i could always hear my mother crying in her bedroom. i’d try to go in and stop her from crying… but i couldn’t. so, i’d try to fall asleep next to her… but i couldn’t. ‘mom, would you stop crying if daddy came back?’ ...and she’d look at me and say, ‘we don’t need anyone else, babygirl. all i need is you…” too much responsibility. can’t sleep, riley, been up since i’m four.”

after katy and shawn get engaged, maya is scared. she doesn’t know why they can’t just date forever. she really doesn’t like change. plus! they don’t have the best records! she even tries to come between them, to ask why shawn would be doing such a thing when he knows what the universe does to people like them.

they get married anyways!!! shawn surprises them with an entire wedding set up on the roof because that’s how he rolls (spontaneous and romantic), and he surprises maya not too long later with adoption papers which is why she’s maya hart-hunter now.

“my voice is still my voice, riley. you're gonna need to show me a lot more than clothes and hair and a boy before i believe that it isn't.”

when maya starts to get good grades, starts wearing more dresses, starts showing signs of growth as a person, she is told she simply is becoming riley. i personally hate this plot line! but it’s canon so i gotta mention it! i feel like she should’ve been allowed to grow!!!! she should’ve been allowed to have good things happen to her!!!!!!!!!!!!! but whatever!!!

“i feel like... if you know me at all... and you know the last thing i would ever do is want anything that was riley's.”

triangles are one of maya’s biggest triggers because she was part of one and it really almost tore apart her entire life. liking the same boy as riley consumed the better part of her middle school years and her first year of high school. i don’t think she ever actually stopped liking lucas, but she stepped back again for riley’s sake because, as she says, the last thing she would want is something that belongs to riley. her first boyfriend falls directly under that category. so she filed all of those feelings away to never be touched again because if they were horrible things would happen!

“boyfriend and girlfriend eventually.”

stepping back from lucas worked out in her favor because it opened the door for josh! who riley could never like because that is indeed her uncle! she went out here and there with a few artsy boys throughout her high school years just so that she could double date with riley, but nothing ever stuck. she didn’t mind. her and josh were also awkwardly always more than just friends but never more than friends, but as she got older, her feelings for him just got stronger, so she buried them and focused on school and art and life and boys are simply just not everything! contrary to popular belief! and what her journal from sophomore year with ‘mr. and mrs. josh and maya matthews’ doodled all over it say!

then toward the middle of her senior year, she started going to more nyu parties after a messy breakup (not technically a breakup because maya didn’t think they were dating which was the entire issue!) with missy bradford (who hosted the best parties) and that is where she starts running into josh more often. he starts walking her home, they are constantly talking, they’re hanging out, and it’s not that they didn’t do that before during family game nights and family outings and family things or even sometimes just to do it when he was around, but now she sometimes actually on campus because she has friends at nyu, mutual friends of his from parties that invite her to trivia and concerts and events. then, her birthday passes and their age isn’t an excuse anymore.

when she dies, she is rounding out her freshman year at nyu. she is majoring in art education, is finally dating the guy of her dreams, and has the world in her reach. :(

exactly how she dies in my app/ last memory: she and josh were driving in the car and she turned the voice off the gps because it interrupts her music for no! good! reason! plus why does he even need the voice? she is sitting right there she can just tell him when to turn. it’s so annoying and her voice is way better and so she is turning it off despite his protests because she wants to get through one song peacefully, it’s not going to kill them to turn off the stupid robot voice- but it definitely does. she gets too lost in her song, forgets to tell him to turn, he takes his eyes off the road because he is sure they have missed one, she can’t believe he doesn’t trust her navigation skills, he points out that she was giving a concert not navigating, she repeats it back in an annoying voice with a face that he laughs at, she restarts the song because he interrupted it, and bam! dead.

#somehow i put absolutely no and way too much thought and effort into typing this #gplaces.intro #we're pretending graphics don't exist :)#bc i can't do them:)

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artofmorehq · 5 years ago

Photo

OUT OF CHARACTER

NAME/ALIAS: Shantel / shan

AGE: 23

PRONOUNS: she/her

IN CHARACTER – BASICS

FIRST/LAST NAME: Ashton Ryder

AGE: 78 / died at 26

PRONOUNS: he/him

OCCUPATION (MUSE, ARTIST, ETC.): Muse | DIA

FACE CLAIM: Luke Mitchell

3 POSITIVE TRAITS: Loyal, Tenacious, Protective

3 NEGATIVE TRAITS: Altruistic, Secretive, Yes-man

IN CHARACTER – DETAILS (OPTIONAL)

[“I’m not a m o n s t e r. I swear. I just.. had orders.”]

t.w. torture

Space.

One day, I’m gonna go up into space!

That was all Ashton ever really thought about as a kid, zooming around pretending that he was in a spaceship ready to land on Pluto (because Pluto is the absolutely coolest). He was one of those that believed that dreams will come true if you try hard enough, those wide-eyed bushy tail kids. And when NASA established themselves in 1958, it was like a little spark that lit in him to join them. Of course, 16 year old Ashton couldn’t simply just waltz into NASA and charm them with sad puppy dog eyes to get privileged training. And seeing how most of the astronauts were chosen through being pilots or being military, he signed on with the US army almost immediately.

It didn’t seem like such a bad route to go to, he soon found his niche in the medical side of the military, working from the shadows and helping soldiers, and starting to really enjoy his time there. Even though some of the times got really ugly, he kept his smile on and his head held high, believing it’s all going to be worth it. With a solid record in the army, he applied to NASA with their testimony after his unit was withdrawn. It took him three tries before they finally picked him for the Candidate Programme. Who would’ve known that at 22, he’d be this close to being able to go out there, into the stars?

The worst part about training is knowing that not everyone makes it there. What would they be training for if that’s the case? For that one in a million chance to make it. The whole candidate programme just kept on training, some got picked, some dropped out, and the rest kept going. After four years Ashton heard his name called out during a morning announcement; the team for yet another mission for project Apollo; Apollo 8, a four-men mission to orbit around the moon. Though he was just there young and naive, hell they might even cut him off, but it was a chance. To hear his name called, to see what Earth looks like from above, to make it all worth it.

They spent most of 1968 training for launch, all they did was eat, breathe, and sleep for the launch, physically, mentally and emotionally preparing for, the worst case scenario, a one way trip. Somehow war had long prepared him on so many levels already.

So he thought he was ready for the life he planned out.

On one of those late night training, Ashton had headed home, yet never reaching his doorstep. Screams of pain were drowned out by the hand clamping down hard over his mouth, body burning from blinding pain through his back getting colder, almost certain that was it for him. Everything numbed away, but he recovered his senses to see not his Apollo team, but a whole bunch of strangers, limbs chained down to the bed, and scared was an understatement.

They gave him a night to rest, they hardly explained anything, they kept him on a sedative, they sat him down with someone, everyday, a scientist - Maya, they being the DIA. or FBI, they blurred together to him. Somehow with his military and astronomy background, and some chance killing him would pay off in a revival, they thought he’d be useful to them. Some fucking recruitment this was. All NASA did was a cover up that he died during training and gave him a proper military funeral, hoping to give closure for the missing astronaut.

Ashton thought he was going to calmly figure out what happened, and then they made the pain come back again. He was confused, in pain, and just wanted it to end, everything to stop. Follow our advice and you’ll be safe. You’ll be fine soon. I promise. Promise? He took their word for it, and believed, like he always did. Do this experiment, join this mission, eliminate this target, tell us what you see, tell us what the universe says. He did what he did that he thought would make it go away.

Just take their advice for a few years, try and adapt to.. whatever this new thing is, and then maybe leave them and go back to NASA. Just a couple of months.. 3 years. 6 years. 10 years. 25. 35. 50. Advice turned into orders, and Ashton doesn’t even blink twice before obeying them. It started off easy; hand-eye coordination experiments, intelligence tests, recon missions, sitting with Maya, talking about space, astrophysics problem solving. Then it got worse; lead a mission’s intel, sit with Maya, assassinate a target, sit with Maya, torture a captured suspect, sit with Maya. They just kept whispering back in his ear, “You don’t want the pain to come back, do you?”

For 50 years, underneath the Washington HQ, he was used as a tool, a weapon, day in day out. Maya was the only anchor to some kind of sanity, to talk about space, to talk about anything, it was just so easy with her. Yet Ashton was desensitised and lost himself somewhere in the pool of blood he spilt and the pile of bodies he stacked up. To the point where he felt nothing. He was nothing. He can hardly remember who he was before all of this.

Nothing but their good little s o l d i e r.

Ashton never thought it would end, until it did, until Maya left him a letter and never came back. And he could feel it, the rip in his soul when it happened, like someone tore his heart leaving him bleeding in a pain even they couldn’t inflict on him. The complete absolute knowledge that she was gone - that she ripped them apart herself. Suddenly everything came to a standstill.

“What are my orders?” every day he would ask, not sure of what to do anymore, he was just lost. It was like without Maya, suddenly he was useless here. Every day, he continued to ask the same question. Until he finally got an answer: “Your orders are to move to New York.”

Current Mission Active | Locate NYC Muses

—-

TLDR; Enlisted in the army at 16 (1958), military medic till 22, apart of the Vietnam war(1962), join NASA astronaut candidate programme, was finally chosen for one of the Apollo programmes at 26. Died at 26 (1968) as recruited by the DIA, resident Muse as an experiment and agent until the death of his artist 76 (2018), ordered to live in NYC. Current Mission Loading.. Locate NYC Muses

—-

Personality Types

MBIT type: ISFJ, The Defender

+ Supportive, Reliable and Patient, Observant, Loyal and Hardworking

- Humble and Shy, Represses their feelings, Overload themselves, Too Altruistic

Altruistic and well-rounded, no other personality type is so well-suited to be of service of others. They can always be relied on to get the job done on time. They are rarely sitting idle while a worthy cause remains unfinished. They have a tendency to underplay their accomplishments, and while their kindness is often respected, more cynical and selfish people are likely to take advantage of ISFJs’ dedication and humbleness by pushing work onto them and then taking the credit.

Hogwarts house: Huffledor Trustworthy, Tenacious | Chivalry, Brave

Astrological sign: Scorpio Loyal, Secretive, Self Reliant, Brooding, Protective

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs him. Order and organization are paramount to her. He may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or he may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government. Whether a law is good or evil is of no import as long as it brings order and meaning. A lawful neutral character will keep his word if he gives it and will never lie. He may attack an unarmed foe if necessary. He will never harm an innocent. He may use torture to extract information, but never for pleasure. He will never kill for pleasure, only in self-defense or in the defense of others. Or when ordered to do so.

Muse: http://shantelchiitriestowrite.tumblr.com/tagged/ch%3A-Ashton

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/1190435857/playlist/26VzIdKqRXiPBjzBxknVbR

#queue #fc:lukemitchell #ch:ashtonryder #mun:shan #character #muse

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evien-stark · 5 years ago

Text

✧I Need You✧ Chapter 78

His attempts to appeal to Maya’s sensibilities- to a long forgotten moral code- seemed fruitless. Why was it always people like this- she wanted help- help to continue funding and guiding this mountain of bullshit. To continue to hurt people. Not to help them. To clear somebody of this disease she’d manufactured for Killian, of all people-

It struck him a little too late that the last person Maya had been with was-

“You know what my old man used to say to me?” Killian’s voice echoed in the hallway just beyond, and Tony lifted his eyes, hands tightening and straining against the straps holding him to the that bedframe. Turning his head, he saw Killian descending the small set of stairs to his side. “One of his favorite of many sayings... The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."

Watching him walk over to one of the work tables dead ahead and set down a briefcase, Tony steeled himself. “You're not still pissed off about the Switzerland thing, are you?” Whatever was about to happen was sure to be unpleasant. Just like always. As his stupid mistakes one after the other compounded on each other until he eventually found a way out.

...because he would find a way out, right? He had to. For her. Wherever she was. So he had to stay strong. He had to stay sharp.

God help them if they touched a single hair on her head-

Killian turned around with his hands open. “How can I be pissed at you, Tony? I’m here to thank you.” He approached. “You gave me the greatest gift that anybody's ever given me. Desperation.” Tony’s eyes narrowed in a small twitch, watching him for only a few seconds more before allowing his gaze to drift as Killian monologued. “If you think back to Switzerland, you said you'd meet me on the rooftop, right? Well, for the first 20 minutes, I actually thought you'd show up.” This man really liked to hear himself talk, didn’t he? “And the next hour... I considered taking that one-step shortcut to the lobby. If you know what I mean.”

Tony shook his head, eyes dropping. “Honestly, I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the first mouse.” Think. Think. There had to be a reason they had him strung up like this. Did Maya really think he was going to help her? Is that really the only reason? Then, in the face of absolutely not giving in to that- no way in hell- what was he going to do to get out of here when the suit powered up- if it did on time-

Think…

Killian ignored him, turning half away, like he was reliving that moment so many years ago. “But as I looked out over that city, nobody knew I was there, nobody could see me, no one was even looking. I had a thought that would guide me for years to come. Anonymity, Tony.” He pointed at him, and then half looked back at Maya. “It’s been my mantra ever since, right?” He started walking back and forth. “Thanks to you, it's been my mantra ever since. Right? You simply rule from behind the scenes. Because the second you give evil a face, a bin Laden, a Gaddafi, a Mandarin, you hand the people a target.”

Insane. This man was absolutely insane. And blaming it all on Tony? Sure. Why not. It was another day that ended in Y. But what was Maya’s excuse for getting involved in all this? She used to have a heart. Once. ...he could barely remember, honestly, but that wasn’t the point. He did remember a few slivers. She wanted to do good, hadn’t she? So why-

Tony shook his head, allowing it to half lower again. “You’re something else…” Was it just his fate, his lot in life to have every person he’d ever wronged, subtly or not, come back to try and bite him? Maybe so. Maybe he was eternally going to be reaping what he’d sowed, no matter the changes, or how far he’d come or-

Killian sat down, opening the briefcase he’d walked in with. “You have met him, haven’t you?”

At this Tony could only heave a sigh. How much longer was he going to have to endure this? “Yes. Sir Laurence Oblivier.” This whole racket was set up to fail. That was really why they wanted him, he was sure.

“I know he's a little over the top sometimes. It's not entirely my fault. He has a tendency- he's a stage actor. They say his Lear was the toast of Croydon, wherever that is.” Hands gesturing vaguely, as Tony looked at him again. “Anyway, the point is, ever since that big dude with the hammer fell out of the sky, subtlety has kind of had its day.”

Looking over to the window through half, letting his eyes wander again around the room, trying to scan out his exit path- once he broke those bonds, and he would- he made sure to keep it going. “What’s next for you in your world?” It only mattered in that this was a key part of understanding why all of this was happening. Less in any other capacity, because he was going to shut it down. He had to.

“Well, I wanted to repay you the self-same gift that you so graciously imparted to me.” He held up something in his fist and then leaned forward to roll three metal balls forward on the floor. “But we’re not going for desperation. It’s the other one.” A low-quality image beamed to life in front of him.

Her. Strapped down. Tears cascading down her cheeks. Teeth tight in a grimace- save for when her mouth moved to call out an easy recognizable shape-

Tony-

He could hear her calling out for him then, like a ghost in the back of his mind.

She was straining. In immense pain. Her veins seemed to be alight in a terribly familiar orange glow.

Pressing his lips together his head shunted down, pulling at his own bonds, feeling a shiver of-

“Despair.” Killian called it for him. “Now, this is live. I'm not sure if you can tell, but at this moment the body is trying to decide whether to accept Extremis or just give up. And if it gives up, I have to say, the detonation is quite spectacular.” Tony felt himself pulling again, lifting his eyes every other second, wanting to focus on that image of her because this was his fault, but having trouble watching as his brain scrambled. When he found the courage to look at her again, he saw her scream, and he felt his eyes water as his own body rejected the sight, pulling again, shaking the frame behind him. “But until that point, it's really just a lot of pain.”

The white hot flash of anger swirling in his heart would not save her- no matter how much guilt compounded, no matter how much he understood that this was his fault- her suffering was his fault-

The room lit up and all eyes directed to the floating image of her screaming, head back all the way, eyes closed tight- entire body seeming to pick up that orange glow brighter and brighter until-

Until-

A burst of light moved forward and then severed the connection. The image of her was gone. She- she was-

“Damn it all.” Killian put a hand to his face, shaking his head. “I asked her not to waste my resources. Ah, well... “ Calmly as ever, considering- “To think I almost had her perfect.”

“What just happened?” Tony felt himself breathless, muscles tight as he asked this. Still looking at that space where she’d been moments ago.

Killian shrugged. “Win some you lose some. Seems like we need you after all.” Stepping in, Tony gagged as Killian put a hand around his throat. “We haven't even talked salary yet. What kind of perk package are you thinking of?” His skin was burning where those fingers were clutching, and an orange light touched over Killian’s pupils.

Maya’s voice boomed. “Let him go.”

The two looked, seeing her standing in the elevated portion of the room, holding some kind of needle device to her neck. Killian let him go, thankfully, and his head dropped forward. Eyes closing tight. He felt himself asking what just happened- a few more times in a mutter as the two of them squabbled.

“What are you doing?” “1200 CCs. A dose half of this size, I'm dead. “

Maya found her soul. But it really, truly, did not matter anymore. What just happened? What just happened? His brain was reeling. Racing around corners trying to avoid the cliff. Trying to talk himself out of making sense out of what he just saw. Because he already knew. She’d rejected extremis. The feed had cut because she’d exploded- She was dead. She was dead. She was dead and it was his fault. And the last person in the world she’d called out for-

A shuddering breath escaped him as a gunshot broke his thoughts free and he came to too late, seeing Killian with a gun in his hand and Maya’s body dropping to the ground.

Killian looked back at him, smiling. “The good news is, a high-level position has just been vacated.”

There was only one thing Tony knew for sure in that moment. He made sure to keep his vision steady as he looked straight into Killian’s eyes. “I’m gonna kill you.”

She was dead. It was his fault. Over the course of- what was it- two? Three days now? He’d literally blown up everything he’d ever cared about. He’d endangered her by acting irrationally. He could have just told her to come to Rosehill. They could have met up. She would have been safe. But he’d had to do it his way. So she’d been captured and tortured to death, and it was his fault. And months before all this she’d been suffering in silence because of him. And none of it mattered. All of it was for nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

She was dead. And it was his fault. So the only thing he knew for sure in this life anymore-

“I’m gonna kill you.”

Killian let out a short laugh, turning his back on Tony as he walked back up the stairs and out of the room. “Hey, that’s what she said to me before she died. Let’s find out if they’re your last words, too.”

His voice was quiet, but ironclad. “I’m gonna kill you.” Promising. To himself. To the world.

I’m sorry, honey. I’m so sorry. It’s my fault. It’s always me. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have suffered- you shouldn’t have died- it’s my fault- I’m sorry. I’m sorry…

“I’m gonna kill you.”

For her.

-------

Someone was calling your name. In a whisper. Quiet. Wonderful- because your head was pounding. Aching. And your body was hot. Burning. Burning on every square inch of skin. Burning deep down in your core. Just fire, everywhere. You felt breathless. Panting- lying down- you had no idea where-

Opening your eyes felt painful. The light then was blinding.

“Good morning-” That voice. The last voice on earth you wanted to hear. It was only then that your vision was able to focus- “Or- good evening. You know, you made quite a mess. But I’ll bill you later.” Killian was sitting atop you, hand on your throat, holding you down.

“I’m going to kill you-” The thought ejected out of you without another second to spare.

He grinned. “Why does everyone keep saying that to me?” Leaning in closer, his nose brushed yours. “Was it something I did? My face, maybe? Am I just that unlikeable?” The hand around your throat squeezed. “You should be more thankful, you know. I cleaned you up. Got you some new clothes- well, they’re borrowed, actually, but-”

Heavy mechanic footsteps played just beyond the both of you, and the two of you looked up to see the Iron Patriot approaching- weird, this was your first time seeing the new paint-job up close- but- immediately you sensed it was not Rhodey inside. Somehow you just knew.

And as the suit opened up, your new unconscious sense was rewarded, as President Ellis fell out in a heap. Why him? Why now? What on earth-

“Good evening, sir.” Killian leaned back, though still kept his hand at your throat. With his free one, he gave a mock salute. “Welcome aboard, Mr. President.”

Getting enough wind back in your lungs, you decided you just couldn’t take any more of this. Reaching up, you tried to claw at his face, but Killian tsk-tsk’ed you and grabbed both your wrists, pinning them above your head. “Now now, let’s not fight in front of our guests-”

But, really, honestly. God damn. You’d just had enough. You were not in a state of panic anymore. You were out for blood, and it drove the next several easy movements, Natasha’s training taking full hold of you. You were not a damsel in distress, and you would not be cornered by this man any longer. He’d tried to take so much from you-

And you were going to kill him.

Quickly putting your feet square on the floor you thrust your hips up, knocking him forward off balance, then you pushed forward, hooking your arm around his and pulling him down so you could utilize the momentum of his weight crumbling at his side, flipping him over and following him in a roll so you landed on top. From there it was easy. One- two- three clean punches-

And then he threw off your entire plan by glowing hot underneath you and literally spitting fire from his mouth as he opened it. A small bit of that familiar panic entered you again as you jumped back in a small stumble. Okay. Killian could breathe fire. Wasn’t that fucking great? Looking up you saw one of his armored goons take tight hold of the President, pointing a gun at his head. Trying to cut this all off.

So you resorted to something much more innate. “Don’t you feel ashamed?” Projecting it on him as Killian edged back on his elbows, inching away from you. In that space that was now warmly orange, brightly lit- no longer dark- you walked over his waves and put your hand to his chest. “Don’t you feel scared?” The man in front of you shivered and gave in so easily. So it was a simple command after that, “Give your gun to Ellis.”

When he did, Killian finally pushed himself to his feet, “Stop!”

But the deed was done. President Ellis was now in possession of a weapon, and was aiming it right at Killian. The other men in the room felt the slight terror that had infected their friend, and their resolve was waning. So much so that it was easy to push them. “Everyone leave.” Why couldn’t it have been this easy before? Why did it always have to come down to the last moment- after everyone had already suffered, after everyone had already been hurt-

If you’d just been better sooner maybe none of this would have happened. And it was that guilt and that anger that consumed you. “Leave, Matthew.”

“But I-”

“Go!”

“How?” Practically whining at you.

“You came in the suit, leave in the suit!!”

Killian was still held at bay now that he had no men to cover him, all having fled, and Ellis still pointing a gun his way. For a moment you worried Ellis would ruin everything, but finally he played smart, walking backwards until he stepped inside of the suit again. He threw the gun thousands of feet away then and… then proceeded to clumsily walk out of the room.

With that taken care of… “I’m going to kill you.” Stronger now, though calmer as you told him.

Killian put his hands down. “You keep saying that.” That orange glow overtook him again. “Let’s see how true it is!” He came at you lightning fast after that, wasting no time. His hands against yours, beat for beat, hooking a leg underneath you to take you down, but you pulled him with you and then threw him away with a kick to his side, rolling up and back to get on your knees.

He was on you after that, a hand in your hair, but you wrenched his wrist back, only then noticing- The both of you were glowing hot. Elbow back into his groin had him lurching forward and you grabbed his hair, pulling him forward into a center console in a smash. Getting to your feet you pushed your foot into his spine, and really thought finally you might have saved the day-

But an explosion outside rippled through the area and sent you sideways in a tumble. Though it startled the both of you, Killian took the opportunity where he saw it, putting himself over you and mirroring your earlier efforts. One punch to your jaw, the next to your cheek-

And then another explosion burst forward into the cabin, flinging him away from you as the ceiling ripped open with the force, sending metal and debris scattering down over you. Though you held your hands up to keep the damage at bay, one knocked you right at your temple, and the floor half opened up as yet another explosion bloomed underneath you, leaving you falling half forward while your vision blurred.

The lights went out- or was it just you? More scrap fell on top of you, trapping you. Your glow died out, leaving you alone-

But the sound of jets cutting power and a suit landing inside the room drew your attention up. The only man you wanted to see right now kneeled down in front of you, holding his hand. And then really showed you it was him, as the face mask lifted up and back, and you saw Tony stare out at you glassy-eyed. “Give me your hand.”

He overwhelmed you so suddenly. Ghosts of incredibly deep, soul destroying sorrow clung to him. And a well of fear swirled beyond that. “Tony…” Breathing out hard as pain returned to you.

“Come on, honey. Just reach.” You realized he was begging you. Something had happened. Something terrible had happened to him. Just as it had you, no doubt. You’d just have to talk about it later.

Stretching your arm out as far as it could go, you felt the tips of his fingers brush yours only barely. A cry of pain escaped you as you felt metal digging somewhere inside your skin close to your ribs. “I can’t-”

“You can.” Strong and sure.

Just as you felt your hand connect, something burst through the floor, grabbing up into the suit’s chest, burning through with ease. Killian pushed his way up from the ground, all of him glowing that hot orange, and ripped through half of the Arc Reactor. Then he shoved Tony back with relative ease. Standing, Killian looked at you. “This guy bothering you?”

A shuddering breath left you as you hung your head, fist balled to collide with the floor. “I’m going to kill you…” You would. You would.

You heard his footsteps and looked up as he sat over Tony, holding one of his hot hands out to push a finger into Tony’s suit. “Ooh. Is it hot in there? Do you feel a little stuck? Like a little turtle, cooking in his little turtle suit.”

Looking up you reached a useless hand out, trying to grab on to anything. “Tony-” Soft and scared now. That courageous fire had left you. Something about the way Tony had looked at you…

Killian laughed. “She's watching. I think you should close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close your eyes. You don't want to see this.”

He reeled his other fist back to move in a closing blow, but Tony raised his arm, pointed blade appearing just underneath the wrist, meeting Killians’ arm in a strike that severed. He yelled out as his arm flopped uselessly to the floor, and fell back. Tony sat up. “Yeah you take a minute.”

The arm that had been cut off burned a hole through the floor, weakening the support underneath you, sending you collapsing down to a lower level in a grunt. A new sensation of pain rained over you as a metal beam pinned your hips. Wherever you were started to move, and as you looked out, you saw black ocean- a dock you were at a dock, you realized too little too late.

Struggling only made it worse, as whatever was moving you came to a jarring stop, leaving you lurched heavily over an edge that saw only one way down. Far and most likely fatal, a roaring fire burning beneath you, heat hitting you in waves. But your struggles only worsened your situation. It didn’t help that- only just now- you realized the suits- those suits that he’d been building- there were so many. All flying around. Fighting. Fighting.

The metal holding you up groaned underneath all the weight, alerting you that it was going to drop very soon. But one more move towards the edge made it rumble and shake again, and you felt a fresh wave of pain that had you go dizzy, collapsing forward and putting your head down. Just a moment. You just needed a moment…

Just as you felt Tony approaching, the sound of chains snapping above you caught your attention, and the platform you were on dropped further still, cut short by the last support holding you. You landed on your back, debris pinning one of your legs, your upper half swinging vicariously over the edge until you shot your hand forward, holding on to a snapped cable just to keep from tumbling over. Upside down, you cast your vision forward, and saw Tony jump down onto a platform beneath you, holding his hand outstretched as he called your name.

“-I’ve got you! Honey- I’ve got you- I promise-” He was so far away. Too far. There was no way- “Just look at me! I’ve got you-” You swung your arm uselessly, a cry escaping you. He was too far. “Honey, I can't reach any further and you can't stay there. All right? I need you to let go. You've got to let go! I'll catch you, I promise. Trust me!”

Looking deep into his eyes, you said nothing as you let go. Because you did trust him. You loved him.

And as you fell forward in a quick slide, jagged metal going with you, your hand touched his barely, and felt yourself falling. Going down- you were going to die-

The thought stopped as he fell to a kneel, other hand shooting out to grab hold of your arm, stopping your quick descent, jarring another wave of pain through your shoulder. But as you looked up at him- “Tony-”

“I’ve got you.” Promising you this. With a quick pull he reeled you back from the edge and onto the platform. Once you were there, his arms wound around you, crushing you in a tight hug. “I’ve got you…” Head resting at your shoulder.

You held him back, shaking, now drowning in that fleeting sadness of his. “I love you… I love you, Tony…” Clutching to him. Relieved. Not just for your own life, but his. It wasn’t too long ago that you thought you’d lost everything-

And when that feeling matched it slid into place. You realized. He felt the same way you had. He’d thought you’d died. And that it had been his fault. You could hear it now, echoing. The pain and devastation, as he clung to you.

In your ear he whispered a thousand times, a desperate, “I love you…” Over and over. At least until the heavy footsteps of Killian approaching the platform finally broke the both of you from one another.

But as you looked at Tony again, and he at you, one thing became clear. “I’m going to kill this guy.”

A twitch of a smile touched his lips. “Not before me.”

“Together, then.”

A small nod, a lean in so he could press his lips against your forehead. “Together.”

#Tony Stark #Tony Stark x Reader #INY Chapter Seventy Eight

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askkrenko · 5 years ago

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Nuzlocke Recap (in progress)

I have just gotten home from vacation, and I beat the 8th gym leader today, so it’s time to recap my Nuzlocke of Shield so far! This is gonna be long, so... break lines.

First off, the rules: If a Pokemon faints, it goes into the Ded box. I’m not releasing them, because once I either lose entirely or win, I plan to use the same save file to start doing actual game-completion stuff. If it gets up on its own in a Dynamax raid, it’s not dead, but if the raid ends with it down, it is. Each new location, I can only catch the first pokemon I encounter on land, and the first pokemon I encounter other than on land. They’re now using overworld wandering stuff, so I AM allowed to try and dodge things I don’t want as much. On Land generally means “in the grass,” but anything that pops up and wanders, or the ! pokemon in grasses. It also includes flying pokemon. Not-on-land means fishing, swimming, berry tree pounces, dynamax raid, NPC gift or trade, etc. I can skip a pokemon if it’s the same species (or evolutionary line) of one I already have, but I don’t have to. Pokemon too high level for the game to let me catch don’t count. NO ITEMS IN BATTLE except for Held Items. This is what makes things actually get really hard. Otherwise you just spam super potions and X Defense and such. Also, I’m TRYING not to over-grind and just get ridiculous, but I don’t actually know what levels things are because it’s a blind run, so trying to grind up to a decent level gets.. odd. So far, this game is... weird and sometimes mean. A lot of things are no trouble at all, the game has a tendency to throw out sudden battles against things much higher level than you, and of course, Self-Destruct and Counter are moves that exist. I lost three guys to a trainer with two level 37 pokemon in an area where everything else was mid-20s. Now, I’m going to give the list of EVERY POKEMON I HAVE, with their names and current status. And here’s a little game to play: Guess why each Pokemon has that name! Some are obvious, some are somewhat obscure, some are layered, and one is literally impossible for a random person to know. THE DED Tympole- Gitrog - I honestly don’t remember what happened to this one... Or ever using it. I think I just threw it in the way of something. Mudbray- Mudbriar - Caught in my first Dynamax raid, Part of the TPK against Nessa Corvisquire - Liliana - fell to Nessa, and she was doing so well, too Carkol- Koth - had the misfortune of being in my party when I lost to Nessa. Had no intent to use him against her, but he was there. Toxel - Kindra - ... I have no memory of this loss. Cherubi- Sherri - Was SUPPOSED to beat Nessa. She did not. Zigzagoon - Sorin - Also Nessa Drizzile - Willow - My starter! Final member of the first Nessa failure. Lombre- Kappa - Was trained up for Nessa round 2! ... Died in training. Stufful - Fuzzy-Wu - also died in training. I may have taken too many training-based risks, but seriously, random wild pokemon in this game are just huge. Koffing- Douglass -... Really wish I’d taken notes. Helioptile- Sunshine - Caught and then basically immediately died to... something or other. Boltund- Thunderbutt - helped fight through Nessa, died shortly after. One of these three pokemon was a Self-Destructing Drifloom, but I don’t remember which. Vanillite - Friendly Roselia - Darien Skorupi - Venom: After Darien took down Nessa, things were going great, and then some random guy with two level 37s in a cafe challenged me and killed these three. Note that the gym leader AFTER this was still only like level 25. Pawniard- Gwyn - Took to the fairy gym to use Steel type moves against, but didn’t survive the gym leader. Morgrem - Jareth - Taken out by a surprise fighting attack on a non-fighting pokemon. Greedent - Rastogar - Okay, this name is impossible to know because I got it wrong, but if I got it right, you’d just google it, so points if you can figure out what name I forgot and mangled into this. He fell on me from a tree, and he sucked the whole time. He was there to fill space and no tears were shed when he fell. Pangoro- Gray - Bonus points if you can figure out the super roundabout way I came to a name that’s really just a mixture of his colors. Never amounted to much. Vullaby- Carri -... Never did anything. Died somehow. Perrserker- Gimli - Counter-Death the first. He was doing so well before that, too! Arcanine - James - the best boy. Was one of my earliest catches, only survived the first Nessa wipe because he was hiding in my box so Cherubi could fight. Carried me through a huge chunk of the game. First pokemon to get that super-friendship where it’s constantly bugging you about it. Soft and fluffy. Defeated on Route 9 by Sawk using Counter. Abomasnow- Michelle - ...This was earlier today, how did I already forget? Xatu- Maya - Took her on a Dynamax raid. For the record, I’ve done a decent number, but the difficulty seems to have risen with levels and she got smushed. Garrploct- El Ocho- Captured and overtrained him for the Dark gym which worked out great! Fell to the ‘Dragon’ gym leader. Dusclops- Grimm - Fell to the Dragon gym leader. Beartic- Polerberr - Was supposed to be my ace against the Dragon gym leader, but he got one-shot by a dynamax rock move. Also, what kind of a dragon leader only has two dragons? THE LIVING:

So, that was a lot of dead, here are the... four pokemon I have in a box, not including my team. Barboach- Mudkip - He’s cool, but I’m overflowing with water types. Octillery- Hugs- Caught him, haven’t used him. Chewtle- Spike - Caught him super early, never used him. Gyarados - Shenron- Fished him up, only put him in my party enough to evolve him. And now, MY TEAM! I do have an extra spot on it, but I already have two water types and literally everything I have left in my box is a water type. Corvisquire - LumDul- Yeah, species clause, but I saw him and I wanted a new one. Haven’t gotten much use of him yet. He just slid in after the recent losses to Raihan. Dracovish - Abomination - kinda wanna just kill this thing myself, it’s made with mad and horrid science, but I’m low on Pokemon. Toxicroak - Napoleon - Trained him up for the Dark gym, and he’s been doing pretty well. Skutank - Gross - I slid this into my party way back to fight Ghosts and it just... keeps doing good work. I’ve never been a fan of this pokemon, but she’s doing really well, and Toxic + Venoshock is just good stuff. And finally, the most important pokemon in my game... Wishiwashi- Fish- With leftovers and Aqua Ring, often hiding with Dive, Fish are able to stand up to just about anything and just chill through long fights. Fish are my longest-running team member at this point by a significant margin, having joined right after the Nessa wipe to replace Willow, and they have continually been the backbone of my team. Also this one time they survived a Claydoll Self-Destruct at 2 HP. If I make it through this Nuzlocke, even if I lose Wishiwashi now, Fish will have been the MVP.

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onisionhurtspeople · 6 years ago

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Hey, I really appreciate your psychoanalysis of Greg’s most troubling traits. They’re very insightful and you definitely know what you’re talking about. I was wondering if you have any theories on why Greg is so obsessed with ‘honesty’ and why he uses it as an excuse so much even though it’s so clearly hypocritical? Sorry if you’ve covered it before and I just missed it!

You sent me this question a couple of weeks ago, and I’m sure you’ve been wondering why it’s gone unanswered even though I’ve responded to some of the other submissions in my inbox. The reason it took me so long to respond is because I’ve been thinking about this question for probably the better part of two years, and I wasn’t really sure what my opinion on the subject was - his responses seemed all over the place, and I just could never quite pin down whether or not his insistence upon total honestly was just him being manipulative, or whether he just genuinely is not capable of honest, unbiased self-reflection.

..That is, until recently, when Greg released his documentary about Shane Dawson. It didn’t present any new information that we haven’t already heard from him, but his documentary did reveal one very significant piece of information that I’ve always suspected about Greg, but never quite had the proof for until now; and that information also happened to be the key to answering this question of yours that I’ve been thinking about for such a long time: why does Greg place so much emphasis on being honest when it is clear to even the most casual of observers how incredibly dishonest he is? So I’m going to try and outline my impressions for you, and keep an open mind as to whether or not I’m correct; but I think he has finally, and unintentionally, tipped his hand, and given me enough information to draw this conclusion once and for all: that not only is Greg extremely dishonest, but he is also completely and totally aware of how conniving and manipulative he is.

For a very long time, I couldn’t decide whether or not Greg was aware of how dishonest he was. It seemed impossible to me that anybody could contradict themselves as badly as he does and not be aware of it, and yet his continued insistence upon “brutal honesty” (and how angry he gets at other people when he thinks they’re lying) seemed to contradict that. The fact that he was a narcissist had me leaning towards the position that he wasn’t aware of his own hypocrisy in this area, until a couple of things happened that convinced me otherwise. The first (and admittedly least reliable) indicator was the body language that he displays in videos and during debates when he’s in the middle of being consciously dishonest; the second was something that he said to Adrienne, and which she then relayed in her now infamous letter outlining her three-week relationship with Greg; and the third and final nail in the coffin was something he said in his recent Shane Dawson documentary.

I won’t spend too much time going over his body language, because it’s pretty subjective (and very subtle and easily missed besides); but one of the very first things I ever noticed about Greg - even before I was aware of his personal history - was how much of his intentions he gives away in his facial expressions. When Greg is lying, manipulating, or has an ulterior motive, he almost always adopts a look on his face that indicates his intention to lie, and (from what I’ve read) is a very common behavior among narcissists and sociopaths. He begins to smirk and his eyes squint for the briefest moment before he regains control and tries to adopt a more neutral, passive, and sincere appearance. This is a microexpression called duping delight, a briefly flashed smirk caused by the pleasure of successfully manipulating others. He does this constantly throughout his YouTube videos…

Ironically, this screenshot was captured about ten seconds before he called himself a “raging narcissist”:

…and was even described in detail by Lainey’s most recent girlfriend (and Greg’s latest failed attempt at incorporating a third into their relationship), Maya.

The second thing that clued me in to Greg’s awareness of his own dishonesty was when he admitted to Adrienne, during the second week of their relationship, that he was aware of his tendency to be an extremely conniving and manipulative person. Clearly he’s aware of this tendency of his if he’s willing to admit it to Adrienne (even if his admission was just another manipulation tactic).

Adrienne’s full letter can be found here, for those who haven’t yet read it.

The final nail in the coffin that finally convinced me that Greg is fully aware of what he’s doing was the way that he presented his argument in his Shane Dawson documentary. His arguments in that video acknowledge a level of nuance that I’ve NEVER seen him delve into before in the 7+ years I’ve been observing him. I think this was an attempt on his part to come off as being unbiased and reasonable, but if you read between the lines a little bit, the fact that the style of argumentation that he displays in this “documentary” diverges so dramatically from his regular MO is extremely telling as its absence in his regular behavior. What this tells me is that he IS capable of injecting nuance into his opinions, and he IS capable of acknowledging alternative perspectives - it’s just that he chooses NOT to, because it’s much easier to manipulate people when you only introduce them to false black and white dichotomies where you present a lot of manipulated evidence for one, and make the other choice sound completely unreasonable and illogical.

So, why do I think that Greg insists on honesty when he himself is so blatantly and prolifically dishonest? In my opinion, his preoccupation with honesty is nothing more than yet another manipulation tactic to place himself in a strategically advantageous position by intentionally attracting those who are drawn to his “Always be honest” ideology. The people who do this never keep their word themselves, but they will surround themselves with people who do keep their word - and use their words against them - but never feel that they need to be accountable to their own. They go out of their way to attract those who are honest themselves so that they can always be sure of the honesty and integrity of those individuals. It is truly a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” scenario, and Greg has managed to find a way to surround himself with sheep so that he can prey on them more easily.

#onision #anti o #anti onision #npd

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meganbarnesdaly · 7 years ago

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The 12 Principles of Animation

Squash and Stretch

A bouncing ball constructed on “Maya” shows a ball bouncing with a rigid,

non- dynamic movement. However, by using the "squash” and “stretch” tool, this creates a rebound from the fall. The movement also accelerates during the start of the fall, and slows down towards the end.

Eadweard Muybridge captured photos of a race horse galloping which later became a sequence. The horse's body demonstrates squash and stretch in very natural way. One of the most important principles is "squash and stretch”. The purpose of which is to give a sense of weight and flexibility to the objects. It can be applied to basic objects, like a bouncing ball, or something more complex, like the human face. You can create a more comical feel by exaggerating a figure, (“stretching or squashing” the object). In realistic animation, however, the most important aspect of this principle is the fact that an object's volume does not change when squashed or stretched. If the length of a ball is stretched vertically, its width needs to contract to ratio out the mass horizontally.

Anticipation

Anticipation is used to prepare the audience for an action, and to make the action appear more realistic. A golfer has to make a swing having to swing the club back first. The technique can also be utilised for less physical actions, like a character looking off-screen this in turn anticipates someone's arrival.

Staging

This principle is similar to staging in a theatre. Its purpose is to direct the audience's attention, and make it clear what is of most significance in a scene. Whether the idea is an action, a personality, an expression, or a mood. This can be done in numerous ways, such as the placement of a character in the scene, the use of light and shadow, or the angle and position of the camera. This principle is used keeping sole focus on the relevant objects, and avoiding unnecessary details.

Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose

These are two different approaches to the actual drawing process. "Straight ahead action" means drawing out a scene frame by frame from the beginning to the end. Alternatively, "pose to pose" is where you start with a drawing producing a few key frames, and then filling in the intervals later. "Straight ahead action" creates a more fluid, illusion in terms of movement, and is better for producing realistic action sequences. However, it is hard to maintain proportions, and to create life-like, realistic throughout this process. "Pose to pose" works better for dramatic or emotional scenes, where composition and the surroundings are of greater importance. A combination of the two techniques is often used to create a piece.

Computer animation removes the problems of proportion in regard to "straight ahead action" drawing; however, "pose to pose" is still used for computer animation, because of the advantages it brings in composition. The use of computers facilitates this method, and can fill in the missing sequences in between poses automatically. However, it’s still considerably important to oversee this process and apply the other principles discussed.

Follow Through and Overlapping Action

Follow through and overlapping action is a general heading for two closely related techniques which help to create movement with a more realistic style, and help to give the impression that characters follow the laws of physics. "Follow through" means that loosely tied parts of a body should continue moving after the character has stopped and the parts should keep moving beyond the point. "Overlapping action" is the tendency for parts of the body to move at different rates - an arm will move on different timing of the head and so on. A third, related technique is "drag", where a character starts to move and parts of him take a few frames to catch up. These parts can be inanimate objects like clothing or the antenna on a car, or parts of the body, such as arms or hair. Body parts with lots of tissue, such as large stomachs or the loose skin on a dog, are more prone to independent movement than bonier parts of the body. This technique if over exaggerated, can produce a comical effect, while more realistic animation must time the actions exactly, to produce a life-like result.

The "moving hold" animates between similar key frames, even characters sitting still can display some sort of movement, such as the torso moving in and out taking breaths.

Ease In and Ease Out

The movement of the human body, and most other objects, needs time to accelerate and slow down. This is what creates a convincing animation, if it has more drawings near the beginning and end of the action, it emphasises the extreme poses. This principle goes for characters moving between two extreme poses, E.G sitting down and standing up. This also applies for inanimate, moving objects, like the bouncing ball an illustration.

Arc

Most natural action tends to follow an arched trajectory, and animation should also stick to this principle by following implied "arcs" to create a greater realism. This technique can be applied to a moving limb by rotating a joint, or a thrown object. The exception is mechanical movement, which typically moves in straight lines.

As an object's speed or momentum increases, arcs tend to flatten out in moving ahead and broaden in turns. An object in motion that moves out of its natural arc for no apparent reason will appear erratic rather than fluid. For example, when animating a pointing finger, the animator should be certain that in all drawings in between the two extreme poses, the fingertip follows a logical arc from one extreme to the next. Traditional animators tend to draw the arc in lightly on the paper for reference, to be erased later.

Secondary Action

Secondary Action: as the horse runs, its’ mane and tail follow the movement of the body. Adding secondary actions to the main action gives a scene more life, and can help to support the main action. A person walking can simultaneously swing their arms or keep them in their pockets, speak or whistle, or express emotions through facial expressions. The important thing about secondary actions is that they emphasise, rather than take attention away from the main action.

Timing

Timing refers to the number of frames for a given action, which in turn translates to the speed of the action in the animation. On a physical level, correct timing makes objects appear to follow the laws of physics; for example, an object's weight determines how it reacts to a push. Timing is critical for establishing a character's mood, emotion, and reaction. It can also be a device to communicate aspects of a character's personality.

Exaggeration

Exaggeration is an effect specifically useful for animation, as animated motions that attempt a perfect impression of reality can look fixed and dismal. The level of exaggeration varies on whether one seeks realism or a particular style, like a caricature or the flair of a specific artist. The classical description of exaggeration, engaged by Disney, was to stay true to reality, just exhibiting it in a wilder, more extreme form. Other methods of exaggeration can involve the mystical or surreal, alterations in the physical features of a character; or basic fundamentals in the storyline itself. It is important to utilise a certain level of limitation when using exaggeration. If a scene contains several components, there should be a balance in how those elements are exaggerated in relation to each other, to avoid confusing or intimidating the viewer.

Solid drawing

The principle of solid drawing means taking into account forms in three-dimensional space, or giving them volume and weight. The animator needs to be a artist competent and has to understand the basics of three-dimensional shapes, anatomy, weight, balance, light and shadow, etc. For the conventional animator, this involved taking art classes and doing sketches from life. One thing in particular that Johnston and Thomas warned against was creating "twins": characters whose left and right sides mirrored each other, and looked lifeless and uninteresting. Current computer animators draw less because of the facilities computers give them, yet their work benefits greatly from a basic ability to put to use the animation principles, and their additions to basic computer animation.

Appeal

Appeal in a cartoon character corresponds to what would be called charisma in an actor. A character who is alluring is not necessarily compassionate – villains or monsters can also be engaging – the important thing is that the viewer feels the character is real as well as interesting. There are several ruses for making a character interact better with the audience; for likable characters a symmetrical or particularly baby-like face tends to be most effective. A complicated or complex will lack appeal, it may more accurately be described as 'captivation' in the composition of the pose, or the character design.

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anon-luv · 7 years ago

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Blankets [JungkookxReader] (Pt 1/5)

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader (Feat. Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung)

Genre: Romance/Angst/Smut BadBoyAU!

Summary: A one night stand turned into various visits. No strings attached, or at least that is what you told yourself every time he walked through the door. His first name was the only thing you knew, besides having memorized every sensitive spot that laid upon his skin.

One night you catch a glimpse of his world. One that you had never had the temptation to roam on your free will. Jungkook though was addicting, and your craving for his touches led you to venture into his life. This new found world offering you a freedom you didn’t know existed. The consequences of your actions instead of taking you a step closer to him, formed a barrier. Jungkook’s sweet touches turned rough with rage, his passionate kisses turned possessive, and his comfortable casual talk went to promises/lies of a forever.

Rating: M [Language, Strong Scenes, Drug usage, Sexual Scenes](Will add a warning prior if that chapter will contain any smut scenes)

Author’s Note: This was supposed to be a One Shot, but after I started writing it I couldn’t stop. After it got way too long I decided to divide it into 3 sections. I am hoping to finish this in about a week. I almost have it completely finished, just need to edit it. I hope you enjoy it :)

Not 100% edited yet. Might have minor mistakes :)

Feedback is greatly appreciated!

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies.

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

-Still I Rise, Maya Angelou

Those eyes that showed you galaxies that forever were going to be out of reach. Those lips that peppered little glimpses of heaven all over your skin. Those fingers that traced every curve of your body as if you were made of the most fragile glass. Those strands of hair that you held onto with dear life when he was rocking into you so deep that you were scared to spiral down into an endless abyss if you let go. Those promises of forever and always whispered in between the sheets every night. They were all but a mere figment of your imagination. Now you knew better.

Those eyes were grounding you to the floor not taking you to outer space. Those lips were damning you to hell as you let them set your core ablaze. Those fingers were strangling your neck, stealing your breath away. Those strands of hair were not for support, they were but a loose rope that would let you fall. Those promises were lies. Forever and always did not exist. The only thing real were those blankets, where your sweaty bodies had entangled and connected over and over again.Those blankets were now entangled with last weeks takeout in the deep depths of trash, along with the memories of haunting smiles. At least that is what you liked to tell yourself. That was probably a lie too.

He was beautiful. The mere sight of his strong back, as he cooked eggs in the morning, had instantly captured your heart. You were expecting for him to be gone, like the many one night stands had done before. Seeing him in front of you in nothing but a pair of iron man boxers had shocked you. You were not sure what to say, but as you walked in close enough to see the purple and pink love bites sprinkled across his shoulders, you grew bolder. Your arms encircled his waist causing him to jump slightly.

“You are quite a breathtaking sight to wake up to in the morning” you said with a slightly rough edge to your morning voice. You cleared your throat embarrassed at the tone that it had just emitted.

He chuckled “You are quite an angelic one if I may say so myself, but my hunger won over after 2 hours awaiting for those curly eyelashes to grant me the wish of seeing what laid beneath them”

A blush spread across your cheeks. You knew you were a heavy sleeper. Your friends had teased you countless times about your outstanding ability to sleep throughout even the loudest of noises.

He grasped your waist and hoisted you up onto the counter. His eyes looking into yours as his mouth made a silent path towards yours. When your lips were about to meet, he surprised you by putting a strawberry in his mouth, biting it. Your eyes darted down to his red stained lips, and before you knew it your lips were against his trying to taste the sweet remnants that coated his lips.

The kiss building up in passion only to be broken by the sound of your stomach growling.

He chuckled causing his doe eyes to crinkle making his face look more boyish.

He scooped up a bit of egg from the pan and offered it to you. You opened your mouth and devoured it. You had never been a good cook, and home cooked meals were a rarity. The fact that he had scavenged and found something to make in your fridge had been a miracle.

He passed you a plate and you both ate in silence in the kitchen. The items diminishing bit by bit from your plate.

“I know this is probably going to make me look like an asshole….but I was wondering…..I’m actually quite curious…” he started stumbling over his words cutely causing a small smile to graze your lips.

“Spit it” you said nudging him playfully. Causing a bunny looking smile to sprout from his lips.

“What is your name??” he said scratching his head with a small tilt of his head.

“(Y/N), and yours Romeo?” you asked while shoving the last bite of eggs off your plate.

“Jungkook” he replied as he took a sip of freshly brewed coffee you are guessing he had prepared.

You took away the coffee mug from his hands and took a sip of the dark bitter liquid.

“Jungkook…pretty hot name….goes well with that bod” you flirted not, aware of the consequences behind the words. If you knew what it would bring in the future would you have taken them back??

You wish you had never asked his name. The sin of moaning his name through the nights with no promise of tomorrow had become a routine. A way of escape for the both of you. His number was not saved on your phone. Your birthday or job occupation were not a matter of importance in his world. Your apartment, the only link established between the both of you.

After the first visit to your apartment, you did not expect his presence to become a constant. A kiss, the only thing exchanged before the door closed behind him.

A week later he was in your entrance, a bruised cheek and a split lip. You let him in without questioning. Unconsciously letting the devil inside your home. Aiding his physical and mental wounds with antibiotic cream, bandages, soft touches, and kisses had become your addiction. He was dangerous.

It had been a year, and till this day the only thing you knew about him was his first name and the way your name sounded when he moaned it through the night. Phone numbers, emails, and social media were never shared. Anything that occurred outside of the four walls were never brought up.

The line between your relationship was but a mere dotted one, allowing him to wander off and come back whenever necessary.

You did not care, or at least that was what you told yourself.

You went on dates, and even held a relationships as his surprise visits continued. Jungkook never knew or askes.

The unspoken permission to seek comfort in another bed when he was absent, given through nights without traces of purple kisses marking your skin. On the contrary, you made sure to leave him a souvenir, that would be fading to yellow awaiting for a new to take its place.

You had a tendency to steer away from large crowds unlike your friends. Their persistent coaxing worked about 20 percent of the time ,and this specific Friday night, their success send them flying out the door with you in a red skintight dress.

30 minutes in and you were already on the tip of your toes trying to sneak out of the crowded hell. How could anyone call this fun??

“(Y/N), have a drink please!” Your friend Danielle screamed hoping you would be able to hear her through the mass of people surrounding you. The bass of the music consuming most of her words, leaving it to your lip reading skills to unravel the message.

You rolled your eyes as you gulped down the bitter shot. Your tongue burning by the unfamiliar liquid, that had only been in your system before in the rare opportunity.

“There, now I am going home” you said as you stood up walking away. Your body with a slight coat of sweat due to the lack of available oxygen surrounding you.

“Don’t do that. The night just started. Don’t be a party shitter” she screamed after you. You were sure Danielle was going to wake up sounding like an 80 year old man tomorrow.

You ignored her words as you pushed yourself against the crowd, who rubbed against one another as if they were magic lamps. Your body feeling the condensation of bodily fluids that presented themselves in the dance floor. Your eyes searching for the nearest exit in desperation.

The red Exit sign was hovering about 10 feet away, when you saw him. His hands were around a petite waist, caressing it like he had done to yours many times while enclosed in the four walls of your apartment. The girl’s similarities to you were mere to none, other than sharing a vagina you were pretty sure she was a whole other world. She stood tall compared to your short frame, a blue bob cut haircut that gave her an exotic appearance, a mouth piercing that you could just assume would be fun tugging at during a kiss, and an endless number of colorful tattoos that were exposed in her crop top and short cut jean shorts. You couldn’t deviate your sight from Jungkook. He looked to be entranced as his body moved along side her to the beat of a generic techno song.

You gulped as an unknown feeling bubbled inside the pit of your stomach, drawing you to the edge of sanity ready to topple you over. To say that you were not expecting to see Jungkook out in the wild was an understatement. Sometimes you even told yourself he was but a figment of your sexual frustruated imagination. To be quite honest, you could barely even recall how you both ended up meeting in the first place. At the time this man before you had been insignificant. You met him at a concert your friends had succeeded in both dragging and intoxicating you to. Other than the first hello out of his mouth, everything else was blacked out, except for the rough sex that first night, that had left you bathing in epson salt and warm water for the next two days. Sex with Jungkook had always been unforgettable. It always left you craving for more as his footsteps made their path to the outside world, not guaranteeing a tomorrow for the both of you.

The punch of the heartache was unexpected, and the air escaping your lungs leaving you like a fish out of the water, nauseating. The outcome of bumping into Jungkook was not something you wanted to acknowledge, but as his eyes landed on you as he coated kisses along the neck of the blue haired girl, you couldn’t deny it. You were jealous. You wanted him to only be yours. You had not applied that to yourself these past few months, as you jumped from bed to bed, when you assumed he wouldn’t be jumping into yours for the night. You were being selfish, and you knew it.

Jungkook gave you a smirk as he turned his partner around allowing her to rub her hands up and down his chest, no longer paying attention to you.

The Exit was long forgotten as your feet courageously worked on their own, stumbling around till you were two feet away from Jungkook. He stopped his movements surprised by your proximity.

“Jungkook, surprise to see you here” you yelled hoping the words would travel adequately enough through the music.

Jungkook shook his head while pointing at his year, and then with a tilt of his head while grabbing the hand of his partner, he guided you both to a less crowded area where five guys, that were similarly dressed like Jungkook, sat cradling beers.

“Hey Guys, This is (Y/N). A friend of mine.” he said as he pointed at a free chair “Sit down (Y/N), they don’t bite…well that I know of. That is Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Taehyung, and Jimin.” the boys waved at you. “Ok guys, take care of her. We’ll be right back. We are going to go get us and (Y/N) some drinks.”

You were about to speak out rejecting the offer, only to be shut down by Jungkook, before you even opened your mouth “I got you covered. Don’t even try wiggling yourself out of this. Jin, the bartender, is our close friend. No worries”

You nodded surprised. Jungkook knew you. He did and you didn’t know if that was a good thing.

As Jungkook and the still unknown girl walked away, the other five guys stared at you curiously. The awkwardness relieved when one of them spoke up “How the hell did a girl like you end up being friends with Kookie??” Yoongi asked while sipping his beer.

“Umm…well….” you said not quite sure what would be an appropriate answer.

Jimin saved you by jokingly punching Yoongi on the shoulder “ Yoongi, don’t ask it like that. Sorry (y/N), we don’t mean it to sound rude or anything….you are just different from the crowd we hang out with usually…..” he said while his eyes traveled up and down your body. You inspected their style, not really having a hard time noticing what set you apart. You had traced the swirls that decorated Jungkook’s skin countless of times through your shared nights. You had also started your own personal collection of metal band shirts in your drawer, that had become your usual attire on lonely nights.

“Yeah, plus I’m surprised Tabi has not tried ripping your head off. The past 3 years of her being Jungkook’s girl has really affected my girl opportunities. She is just so hostile to anything that comes near her "boy” said Taehyung rolling his eyes playfully while a rectangular grin appeared on his face “You are one brave soul”

You felt yourself grow small at the new found information. Jungkook couldn’t be yours. He had been someone else’s for years now. You played with the hem of your red dress that now seemed so out of place. You did not belong here. You were not this kind of person. You were not sure what had triggered Jungkook’s visitations, but you knew for a fact that the boy your body molded to so perfectly had been a mistake. Not for you. You had been his mistake. It was clear as day as you saw him next to his girlfriend kissing her publicly for all eyes to see. He made sure to mark his territory as he nibbled on her ear and whispered sweet nothings as they waited for the drinks to be prepared.

You needed to get out of here before they made their way back. You stood up shocking the guys.

“Actually, I have to go. Just got a message…a text one. It was nice meeting you” you said rapidly hoping it would suffice as an excuse to escape.

They all said their goodbyes as Yoongi offered to walk you out.

You accepted his offer not wanting to be rude. Thankfully, he knew his way around the area, and it did not even take a minute for the cold air of the outside to hit your skin, as an unconscious shiver made it’s way through your body.

Yoongi walked silently along side you till you made it to your car.

“Thank you” you said shyly.

“You are welcome sweetheart” he said giving you a full on smile. One that you were not expecting, for his demeanor and cold stare did not prepare you for the sweetest gummy smile to erupt from those pink bitten lips.

You smiled at him as you opened your car door. Before you closed the door, he slightly stopped it, causing you to raise an eyebrow curiously his way.

“Hey, I know we don’t know eachother and this is not my place, but Jungkook…..he is not the healthiest or most suitable companionship for someone like you…… None of us in the gang are. This is my business card. If you ever need anything please don’t hesitate to give me a ring” he said handing you a small white business card. Your eyes traveled down to see that he worked in some sort of music studio.

“If you think I should stay away, why give me your phone number??” You asked as you placed the card inside your wallet, not sure if it would be taken out again or thrown to the trash along with receipts.

“Because out of everyone in there…..let’s just say I won’t cause as much damage princess” he replied giving you a smirk goodbye as he walked away.

With a pounding defeated heart you started the engine and made your way back to your safe cocoon.

It had been 2 weeks and the 5th time the knocks of Jungkook slammed against your door in desperation. The temptation of falling into his arms was unbearable. The only thing stopping you from committing another sin amongst your bed covers was the small voice in your head reminding you that he was a stranger. You still knew nothing about the man you had shared countless of nights with. The severity of sharing intimacy with a stranger was brought up by the memories of that one night. You had not been the only one to soothe his pain. On the contrary, you were more disposable than those hello kitty band aids you had placed upon his skin. You were really nothing to him. Now that you had caught a glimpse into his world you knew you were but a prop in his life. One that could be replaced without too much sacrifice. You felt stupid. As much as you had told yourself over and over again that all that there was to your relationship with Jungkook had been sex, you knew otherwise as the ache in your heart amplified with every knock and call of your name you wouldn’t respond to. You were ashamed at how naive you had been by falling into the claws of a man who you barely knew the name of.

Silent tears traveled down your cheek as you heard his footsteps walk away from your door, clearly giving up once again. You continued the task of cleaning out your fridge, which had been crowded with groceries that you unconsciously started buying specifically for Jungkook’s visits. Most of it already expired due to your lack of cooking skills.

You were tired of feeling used. You wanted to retaliate. You wanted to feel free to roam the streets without the fear of bumping into the stranger who held pieces of your heart. A man that only dimmed you worthy of his touches once in a blue moon and in private where no one would witness what you two shared.

Determination surged your veins tainting the little common sense left in your neurons, as you held your phone and dialed the number in the white card that had been waiting patiently in your wallet to be of use.

A deep voice answered the phone making you hesitate for half a second.

“Yoongi, it’s (y/n) speaking. Don’t know if you remember me” you said trying to sound confident in your actions. Your voice betraying you by sounding higher than usual.

“Of course princess. How could I forget such a beautiful contrast to my dull daily life” he said chuckling. You could hear soft music playing in the background. “What can I help you with??”

“I need to get out. Have a change of routine or something. I feel like i need a change of scenery, stuff seems pretty boring around here”

“Are you sure??” Yoongi asked in a deeper tone.

“Yepp” you said over enunciating the P.

You heard Yoongi sigh in the other line “You have no idea what kind of dangerous waters you’re diving into”

“I’m a tough chick, don’t let my stature fool ya” you said trying to hide the nerves that had made themselves present after his warning.

“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you…..What are you doing this weekend???” Yoongi asked caving into your request.

#bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts #kpopfanfic #bts scenarios #kpop fanfiction #kpop fanfic #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #jungkook #jungkook scenarios #writing #creative writing #fanfiction #bts angst #bts romance #bts au

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ezatluba · 5 years ago

Photo

The 23 most popular pet influencers, from Jiff Pom to Lil Bub

Paige Leskin

Sep. 1, 2019

Influencers don't have to be human to accrue massive followings and garner incomes of millions of dollars.

The world of pet influencers has boomed in recent years, spawning animal-specific influencer agencies, major brand campaigns and partnerships, and on-screen appearances.

There have, unfortunately, been some deaths of popular pets this year: Boo, a Pomeranian dubbed the "cutest world's cutest dog," died in January. Hedgehog Mr. Pokee died in March. Grumpy Cat, known for her permanent frown, passed away in May.

These are the 23 most popular pet influencers, ranked by their total followings across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

23. Coby the Cat — 2 million

Instagram: 1.7 million

YouTube: 1,200

Facebook: 342,000

Coby is a British shorthair known for his pure white coat and piercing blue eyes. His owner, Rebecca Schefkind, said she made an Instagram account for Coby as a joke, but started to take it more seriously after the cat's social media accounts garnered more than a million followers, as well as brand deals and sponsorships.

21. Esther the Wonder Pig — 2.1 million

Instagram: 533,000

YouTube: 26,000

Facebook: 1.5 million

When Esther was a baby, her current owners were told she was a micro pig: Now, she has since grown to weigh nearly 600 pounds. Living with a full-sized pig as a domestic pet in Canada is illegal, however, and Esther's owners were able to move to a nearby 50-acre farm in 2014 with fans raising over $400,000. The farm is called the "Happily Ever Esther Fam Sanctuary," and takes in rescued and neglected farm animals.

21. TurboRoo — 2.1 million

Instagram: 323,000

YouTube: 6,800

TikTok: 1.7 million

Facebook: 55,000

TurboRoo — who was named after the animated racing snail from a 2013 movie— was born without his two front legs. The two-legged Chihuahua's story got a lot of attention early on, and he became the first puppy ever to get 3D-printed wheels to help him run around. TurboRoo's owners have since gone on to help fundraise for other handicapped pets who need prosthetics and carts.

20. Loki the Wolfdog — 2.2 million

Instagram: 2 million

YouTube: 12,000

Facebook: 186,000

The part-husky, part-malamute Loki was a natural star when his owner, Kelly Lund, first started posting pictures of the dog to his Instagram account after getting him in 2012. Lund got into photography so he could take better pictures of Loki for Instagram, and was able to quit his job in 2016 to manage Loki's social media presence full-time. Loki has since inked deals with Eddie Bauer and Google for its Android Wear smartwatch.

19. Harlow and Sage — 2.3 million

Instagram: 1.7 million

Facebook: 529,000

The Harlow and Sage Instagram account started as a documentation of the close friendship between Harlow, a Weimaraner, and Sage, a miniature dachshund. Sage sadly died in 2013, but Harlow has made new best friends: two miniature dachshunds named Indiana and Reese.

The dogs' owners have since launched a secondary Instagram account to share photos of adoptable pets and raise money for animal shelters

17. Marnie the Dog — 2.4 million

Instagram: 1.9 million

YouTube: 36,000

Facebook: 421,000

Marnie is a 17-year-old Shih Tzu known for her permanent head tilt, which is likely due to a stint of Vestibular disease. The famed shelter dog now spends her days in Los Angeles and advocated for senior dog adoption.

17. Tuna — 2.4 million

Instagram: 2.1 million

Facebook: 306,000

Tuna, a Chihuahua-Dachshund mix, has a distinct overbite and wrinkly skin that has propelled the lovable dog to a book tour and millions of followers since his owner first launched his Instagram page, @tunameltsmyheart, in 2010. He's been made into countless memes and garnered celebrity status for a face as recognizable as any human celebrity.

16. White Coffee Cat — 2.5 million

Instagram: 2 million

Facebook: 496,000

White Coffee Cat shares an owner with another famous cat on this list: Nala Cat, who has seven million followers across social media platforms. Coffee has a loyal fanbase who has seen her through a cancer diagnosis in 2016, and has followed her progress and recovery since. Coffee's good looks have been used to launch a line of cat products and coffee-themed merchandise.

15. Smoothie the Cat — 2.7 million

Instagram: 2.1 million

YouTube: 122,000

TikTok: 287,000

Facebook: 216,000

Smoothie has been dubbed the "world's most photogenic cat", and her emerald eyes and golden fur have even inspired a mural in New Zealand. Smoothie also has an aptly-named brother named Milkshake, and the two are often featured together across social media platforms.

13. Manny the Frenchie — 2.8 million

Instagram: 1.1 million

YouTube: 7,600

Facebook: 1.7 million

Manny borrows his name from boxer Manny Pacquiao, but has since made a name for himself all on his own. He's starred in ads for brands like American Apparel, Converse, and PetSmart. The fame hasn't gotten to the French bulldog though; he's known for easily dozing off during his many media appearances.

13. Maru Taro — 2.8 million

Instagram: 2.5 million

YouTube: 26,000

Facebook: 273,000

A Slate article from 2016 compared Maru Taro's looks to "the pet in the stoner comedy who gets blazed off the fumes." The Shiba Inu's squinty-eyed smile, and sleeping positions next to his stuffed toy bear, have accrued him millions of followers from both his home country of Japan and abroad.

12. Waffles the Cat — 3.3 million

Instagram: 888,000

YouTube: 2,500

TikTok: 22,000

Facebook: 2.4 million

Waffles was, by his owners' admittance, the runt of the litter, but he's since captured the internet's hearts with his big eyes, folded ears, and perfectly round face. He's worked with companies like Intel, PBS, and Fresh Step cat litter.

Waffles was named a top pet influencer by Forbes in 2017, along with many others on this list, including Manny the Frenchie, Lil Bub, Nala, and Jiff Pom.

11. Cole and Marmalade — 3.9 million

Instagram: 618,000

YouTube: 1.2 million

Facebook: 2.1 million

Cole and Marmalade have been starring in videos since 2013, when the siblings were first introduced to each other. But since the two cats found fame, they have become the face of a website and YouTube channel that produce not only content showing their cute antics, put also news and educational videos about pets and animals.

10. Juniper Foxx — 4.1 million

Instagram: 2.9 million

YouTube: 64,000

TikTok: 101,000

Facebook: 986,000

While most the pets on this list are cats and dogs, Juniper is a domestic red fox who has gotten attention because of just how different she is from the norm, and also because of the many videos showing her tendency to pounce on anything she deems prey. Juniper shares a house with a nother fox named Fig and a dog named Moose, making for great social media content.

9. Swaggy Wolfdog — 4.2 million

Instagram: 1.2 million

TikTok: 3.0 million

Swaggy may be the first famous dog off of TikTok, the short-form video app. Swaggy' style and pink-dyed ears make him unmistakable out in public, and — like any good Generation Z influencer — Swaggy has a squad of other famous influencers he's frequently spotted with on the streets of Los Angeles.

Read more: Inside the rise of TikTok, the video-sharing app with 1 billion downloads that's owned by a massive Chinese internet company

8. Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund — 4.4 million

Instagram: 755,000

YouTube: 756,000

TikTok: 793,000

Facebook: 3.1 million

Crusoe was nicknamed a "celebrity dachshund" by his owners at first as a joke, but the dog has since truly embraced the moniker. His media presence is filled with videos of Crusoe starring in adventures from going camping, to going to school, and also starring on a dog-studded version of "The Bachelor."

7. Venus the Two Face Cat — 4.5 million

Instagram: 1.9 million

YouTube: 12,000

TikTok: 1.3 million

Facebook: 1.3 million

Venus' distinctly "Phanton of the Opera"-like face first caught the internet's attention in 2012 through a viral Reddit post. Venus' owners say she owes her look to being a "chimera," a cat whose cells contain two types of DNA, but the 50-50 split of her coloration makes her incredibly rare and easily recognizable.

6. Lil Bub — 5.6 million

Instagram: 2.3 million

YouTube: 295,000

Facebook: 3 million

Lil Bub is a genetic anomaly: She stopped growing at around four pounds, has no teeth, and her tongue hangs out of her mouth. But despite being the runt of her litter, she's become a celebrity and has starred in a movie at the Tribeca Film Festival.

5. Maya Polar Bear — 6.9 million

Instagram: 1.8 million

YouTube: 1.2 million

TikTok: 2.8 million

Facebook: 1.1 million

Like many YouTubers, Maya records vlogs and participates in viral challenges. The Samoyed dog even has ventured into recording ASMR videos, mostly made up of sounds of her trying out different foods. Maya just recently passed the 1-million subscriber mark on YouTube, and received a customary gold play button plaque for the achievement.

4. Nala Cat — 7 million

Instagram: 4.2 million

YouTube: 28,000

TikTok: 148,000

Facebook: 2.6 million

Nala's social media presence started in 2012, when her owners fully embraced the trend in its earliest days of creating Instagram captions from the pet's point of view. Nala is the most famous out of her owners' seven Insta-famous cats, including White Coffee Cat, who was featured earlier on the list.

3. Tucker Budzyn — 8.1 million

Instagram: 1.7 million

YouTube: 1.2 million

TikTok: 3.5 million

Facebook: 1.7 million

Tucker is simply an adorable golden retriever who has gained a strong following due to his frantic reactions to simple items like hair clips and balloons that have gone viral. It doesn't hurt that his reactions are often captioned with beloved dog internet lingo and terms that are made for memes and virality.

2. Doug the Pug — 10.4 million

Instagram: 3.8 million

YouTube: 236,000

TikTok: 285,000

Doug the Pug: 6.1 million

Doug the Pug has rubbed paws with big-name celebs like Shakira, Ed Sheeran, and Cole Sprouse. He was tasked with recreating Taylor Swift's Instagram photos in 2015. Whatever he does, Doug stays up-to-date with what's going on, and his social media presence is filled with pop culture references: He recently recreated Lizzo's VMAs look and posed with a Popeyes' chicken sandwich.

1. Jiff Pom — 31.4 million

Instagram: 9.3 million

YouTube: 279,000

TikTok: 19.4 million

Facebook: 1.4 million

Jiff Pom is a tiny Pomeranian dog who holds two Guinness world records for his speed on only two of his four tiny legs. He's often spotted in trendy outfits in his multiple celebrity appearances, including in the music video for Katy Perry's song "Dark Horse."

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glassprism · 7 years ago

Note

Who are your favorite cast members from Elisabeth? I just recently got into it and was wondering your opinion

Ah, it’s been a while since I really watched Elisabeth, but I’ll see what I can do. I tend to focus mostly on the character of Elisabeth, and sometimes Death, so I guess some of my favorites would be:

Elisabeth - Maya Hakvoort is one of my favorites; while I’m a bit iffy about her voice, which sounds almost thick and throaty, I love her acting and how complicated and selfish, yet understandable, she made her Elisabeth. Ann van den Broeck was another; great voice, great acting, really good at showing how her character kept changing as the show went on. Janneke Ivankova has been one of the few actresses in recent times that I liked; she really showcased how manipulative her character could be at times.

I also remember really liking Wietske van Tongeren, Kristin Holck, and Ock Ju-Hyun when listening, mainly due to how emotional they were. And finally, I remember finding Shirahane Yuri and Ootori Rei some of my favorites from the Takarazuka productions, probably because they played Elisabeth less romanticized and helpless (which is the tendency in the Takarazuka productions) and more how she appears in the original productions. Oh, and I guess I should mention that I really enjoyed Pia Douwes’s Elisabeth in the original Vienna production, who was so raw and bitter; she toned it down and made Elisabeth seem more... heroic, almost, in later productions, which I found less enjoyable.

Death - Uwe Kroger in the original Vienna production was just incredible, very stoic, very inhuman, very much a force of nature; his Death in later productions was more kitschy. I liked Oliver Arno’s Death for much the same reason. I’ve fallen a bit out of love with the overly masculine, “sexy” type Deaths like Máté Kamarás, but I still appreciate the latter’s energy. And while there’s only audio, I adored how Martin Pasching sounded when singing the role, so smooth and so at ease with the score that he was practically playing with the notes.

Lucheni - Like a lot of people, I loved Serkan Kaya’s take on Lucheni, which was dryly humorous and less “crazy”. He also gave Lucheni something of a character arc, someone who is attempting to use the musical to justify what he did but who is less and less able to maintain that delusion as the show ends. I did like Kurosch Abbasi’s take as well; he made me laugh a few times.

Others - I still really enjoy Andre Bauer’s Franz Joseph; I thought he did well at showing someone who is kind of stiff and very duty-bound, but who underneath it all, deeply cares for Elisabeth but is unable to really show it. I also remember enjoying Michael Shawn Lewis’s take and... I think it was Franziskus Hartenstein? Though I can’t quite recall why off the top of my head. As for Rudolf, Martin Pasching and... I think Thomas Hohler?... did really well at capturing Rudolf’s nervous, almost neurotic side and his intense and desperate bond with Death.

#Anonymous #GP gets asks

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velvet-tread · 8 years ago

Text

Octavia, Jasper and leadership on the 100

So I’ve been mulling Octavia’s victory at the conclave and what it means for O and the storyline more generally. I want to talk about leadership and political legitimacy and later I’ll talk about Jasper and I’m going to talk about Clarke and Bellamy quite a bit too. (Just fyi I’m not covering discourse – there’s a valid discussion to be had about white saviour tropes but this is pure meta today. I leave the discourse platform free for others).

Onward under the cut

The end of the heda

The past few episodes have been maddening. Like, frothing at the mouth slow and apparently pointless. But FINALLY last week it started to make sense and I see now that these little plot points have been quietly laying the ground for a political metamorphosis. Clarke becoming a nightblood and her failed attempt at assuming the role of commander came about not because she is Lexa’s heir or for simple dramatic effect, but because the show wanted to undermine the premise of the 12 clans’ current hierarchical structure.

As Roan says, if the Grounders’ cannot trust the power of the blood, the whole system, including the role of the commander, is rendered null and void. Which would mean that there is now an opportunity to forge a new way of governing the survivors of the apocalypse, as “one people”.

So as winner of the conclave, Octavia now finds herself in a position of power. I say power and not “leadership” for a reason. Crucially, as winner of the conclave Octavia’s power is legitimate in the eyes of the Grounders because the contest was mutually agreed by all the clans. But what it does not do is automatically confer on her a leadership position. Firstly, because that was not was what was agreed upon - the winner of the contest gets the bunker, not the crown. And secondly, because there is no universally-recognised leadership position to fill - yet.

So Octavia will not be elevated to leader of the “one people” automatically. But she has the power to make it meaningful and take a step in that direction. To establish a voice for herself and have others listen. To make decisions on behalf of others. To lead organically.

The apprentice

But does Octavia have what it takes to lead? Is a power grab Octavia’s style? We’ve certainly never seen her in a leadership position before, she’s always been in the shadow of others – of Bellamy, of Lincoln, of Indra. She is the perennial apprentice. But I’m reminded of something Indra says in 402 (I think?) when we are introduced to Gaia. She says something like: “my daughter was meant to lead great armies”, which in retrospect feels like foreshadowing to me. Her biological daughter chose a different path, one which she shows little interest in relinquishing, but perhaps her adopted daughter might be the one to fulfil this destiny.

Octavia has never shown interest in leading. Rather, she’s taken more of an interest in judging the leadership abilities of others (more on that later). But honestly, as leaders go, I am so here for the reluctant leaders for whom leadership is a burden rather than a privilege or a right. Those people, who always seem to have a sense of the corruption inherent in political power, tend to make the most interesting leaders. Give me Harry Potter or Jon Snow. Give me Katniss Everdeen. Give me Octavia Blake.

And just... Octavia’s status as the girl under the floor really does lend her clarity where others might see only the fog of what has gone before. In fact, Octavia really makes more sense than Clarke as Lexa’s political heir.

When Octavia was living under the floor in the Ark, she was never of the Ark. She didn’t vote in its elections. She didn’t participate in its customs or traditions. She’s not schooled in its political mores like Clarke or Kane or Abby, or embedded in its military structures like Bellamy. Likewise, she was never accepted as a Grounder either. She’s not influenced by faith like Echo or by tradition like Indra. She even says: she’s not Skaikru, she’s not Grounder, she’s nothing. And a nothing, someone with a clean cultural template, is precisely the person most likely to have the vision to forge the new, unified future that Lexa pioneered.

Leaders and Not Leaders

Which brings me to my next point about leadership, that the development of Octavia as a leader doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll become a Commander-like figure who gets to assume authority over everyone as Lexa did. What would make the most sense for me is that this is Octavia’s first big test of leadership, without actually making her a figurehead. What if she could lead, make decisions and actively use her power, but defer to others when the time came?

I want to digress a moment and talk about Leaders, and how we define them. There’s a tendency in this fandom to consider leadership and leaders in binary terms: someone is either a Leader or they are Not A Leader. And if they are a Leader, they give orders. If they take orders, then they are Not A Leader. Hence why there was outcry when Bellamy “took orders” from Clarke in s2, because people perceived he had been stripped of his leadership status.

Imo this is such a reductive way to talk about it. I mean, sure, some people have leadership qualities and some don’t and some have more aptitude than others. And even bone fide leaders – leaders with a title – are also required to know how to take orders. Military personnel take and give orders simultaneously, that’s why it’s called a chain of command not the dot of command. It applies if you are a middle manager at a carpet sales firm. It even applies if you are the president of the United States. If you climb aboard Air Force One, you don’t cease to be the leader of the free world. But while you are on Air Force One you are not in charge, the pilot is, because the pilot is responsible for the aircraft and everyone on it so you’d better do what the fuck the pilot says.

So when Bellamy takes orders from Clarke it doesn’t mean that Bellamy’s not a leader. It just means that in that specific context Clarke is in charge because she is in a position to/has the specific leadership skills necessary for that situation, in s2’s case a fragile political negotiation. And even in that situation, Bellamy is still leading. Once he’s in the mountain, he’s leading the others, arming them, issuing instructions, taking the initiative etc etc. It’s just that the command structure has adapted for the situation they’re in. Leadership is not only defined by the position you hold in a group, it can be organically defined by the circumstances. dependent on context.

With this in mind, let’s talk about Jasper. When the kids landed on Earth a leadership contest ensued between Bellamy, Clarke and Wells, with various others jostling for position in the hierarchy – Murphy and Finn especially. Not Jasper. Jasper, having survived a spear to the heart, was never in the game. He was thrust into heroism when everyone else was struck down with haemorrhagic fever - he was never touted as a leader. But then when the group is captured by the Mountain Men, and after Clarke escapes, Jasper emerges as the leader of the group. It was part personality, part luck. His affability puts him in contact with Maya, they become friends and she becomes his key to the Mountain Men’s culture, and like Octavia he starts to act as a bridge between the two cultures, all the while leading the counter-insurgency against Cage and his vampires. Jasper is a leader. He is. He’s a leader for that time and that place and that context. Doesn’t mean he’s Chancellor or even leader of the delinquents when they get back to Arkadia. And guess what, Jasper’s leading again, this time his DNR death cult. So when the variables line up and Jasper’s charisma and leadership skills hit the mark – people follow him. I repeat: Jasper is a leader.

The point of all this is that I see Octavia in a similar vein to Jasper. Young, inexperienced and as yet without the confidence or precociousness which pushes the likes of Clarke to the forefront, but still with the qualities – vision, determination, charisma and intelligence – which makes them the natural leaders in certain situations.

Bellarke and forgiveness

So what really interests me is the parallel stories of empowerment, suffering and disillusionment that this show has been telling about Octavia and Jasper, particularly with how they sit in the narrative in relation to their group’s natural leaders, Clarke and Bellamy.

As well as being dormant leaders with parallel arcs depicting acute mental illness, Jasper and Octavia both hold the unique narrative positions of being Clarke and Bellamy’s personal antagonists. Jasper and Octavia owe them their lives; both put them each up on a pedestal. With that pedestal came a host of unrealistic expectations of Clarke and Bellamy’s leadership abilities, their humanity and their infallibility as well as a tendency to invalidate their feelings and take their loyalty and love for granted. Inevitably, Clarke and Bellamy fell short. Of course they would. And when that happened, their fall from grace was all the more spectacular for the high esteem with which Jasper and Octavia initially held them, and the resentment and the disappointment in them all the more visceral.

I thought you were better.

This disappointment and anger is embodied in the events at the root of Jasper and Octavia’s most acute episodes – the MW genocide and Lincoln’s death respectively – for which Jasper and Octavia hold Clarke and Bellamy wholly (and unreasonably wholly) responsible.

What would be interesting is for Octavia and Jasper’s parallel stories of leadership in extreme/specific circumstances to segue into their forgiveness of Bellamy and Clarke for the decisions they made that led to those events. I would love that forgiveness to be tied to an understanding of how those decisions were made, as well as an understanding that fallibility with tragic consequences is still just plain old fallibility. Clarke may have committed the ultimate crime, but she made imperfect choices in an impossible situation. Bellamy may have played a role in getting Lincoln killed, but his mistake was a lack of foresight rather than malice.

On last week’s metastation @reblogginhood talked about the possibility of Jasper having to make decisions about who lives and who dies when the shit inevitably hits the fan closer to Death Wave Time. I love this idea, because although Jasper says he gets why Clarke did what she did at MW, I don’t think he’s tried to understand the pressures she faced as a leader in MW. Having him walk in her shoes would make her experience so real for him.

So whether or not Octavia “leads” in the traditional sense after the conclave, she will definitely be responsible for other people’s lives – the people who are looking to her as winner of the conclave, the current inhabitants of the bunker, and yeah, Clarke. I would looooove her experience with this kind of responsibility overlap with Bellamy’s too. Because although Octavia and Clarke are fam and O has always looked to Clarke for ideas, I think rightly or wrongly she’s probably at a point of being done with Clarke for good (hello tonDC). I don’t think she’d want to execute her, but I neither do I think she’d sacrifice others to save her. My guess is that Clarke’s importance to Bellamy will be what pushes O to save Clarke’s life, but there will be a messy, uncomfortable compromise or an unexpected escalation. If so, I would love to see Octavia realising that responsibility is harder than it looks and that your decisions can very quickly run away from you without your consent.

Make it messy, make it difficult, make it look like growth. Give me Octavia Blake.

#octavia blake #jasper jordan #leadership #the 100 meta #the 100 #the 100 s4 #the 100 speculation #clarke griffin #bellamy blake

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