#deep dive into toons and aging

[astralfandoms]

GIVE ME THE HCS I WANNA HEAR EVERYTHANGG

okay so

*cracks open google doc*

i'll just go through the areas because my brain formats better talking about the different cogs like that

also i'm not going to include the factory managers, the satellite investors, C.O.O, or Chairman because i have yet to develop their full mental image in my brain (but it will eventually happen asdfiopj)

also this is going to be long as hell so warning you

Toontown Central

Derrick Man (William Boar)

30

Transmasc Bisexual (He/Oil/Drum)

Autistic

Grew up in a family that was extremely focused on how they looked to the public, and was "match-made" with Misty at an early age, but they ended up just seeing each other as annoying siblings. Both sees Misty as an annoyance and as a friend, but doesn't like to admit that second part, especially to Misty herself.

Is crushing hard on both Alton and Rain and is being tsundere about it

Duck Shuffler (Buck Ruffler, Card Shark, Blackjack)

29

Transmasc Demiromantic Homosexual (He/They/Quack/Slot/Luck/Seven/7/🦆/🎰/⚙️/🍒 [Buck], They/It [Card Shark], It/Its [Blackjack])

Bipolar, DID (Buck [Host], Card Shark [Emotion Dampener], Blackjack [Nonverbal Trauma Holder])

Grew up in Toontown Central surrounded by Toons and later moved into Suitopia as an adult, working as a day trader and gambling on the weekends to help relax. At a casino night, Chris spotted him and offered him a position at C.O.G.S under him. And Buck accepted mostly because he realized he had nothing to lose if he applied.

Dating Dave and has a crush on Brian as well as Eerie Descent

Prethinker (Brian Wiseman)

35

He/It/Study/Thought/Brain/King/♟️/🧠/📖/💭

Trans Gay

Paranoid Personality Disorder, Avoidant Personality Disorder

Grew up in a family where his parents were usually not home a lot of time and thought that if he got to the top of his class and graduated with honors, then his parents would actually acknowledge him. But that...never happened. So, after college, he drifted around, not knowing what to do before he applied to C.O.G.S in desperation, so ended up overcompensating to make sure that his place in the company was secured leading to...a lot of mess ups. Also transitioned after entering college, renaming himself, but doesn't like mentioning his last name because he's embarrassed that he picked that for himself.

Is dating Benjamin and is crushing heavily on Mac and Buck

Barnacle Boatyard

Land Acquisition Architect (Alton S. Crow)

40

Cis Bisexual (He/They/Hazard)

Anxiety, Paranoid Personality Disorder

Country boys make do. That's like. Pretty much it. Grew up in a large family, had to start working at a young age to help support the family, and now has trouble knowing when to stop working.

Crushing on William real bad due to them being hired around the same time

Deep Diver (Mary Anna)

32

Intersex Bigender Bisexual

He/She/Ocean/Wave/Dive/Sea/Marine/🌊/🪸/🤿/🛟/⚓/🪝

Autistic

Grew up with two moms who encouraged his love of marine life, to the point of her deciding that was going to be oceans career. Immediately was rivals with Holly due to both of them thinking they knew more about the others' specialty.

Dating Misty and keeps denying waves crush on Holly

Rainmaker (Misty Monsoon)

30

Trans Lesbian (She/Rain/Cloud/Storm/Fog/☔/☁️/🌧️/⛈️/🌦️)

Depression, Anxiety, Autism

Similarly to William, grew up in a family focused on how they look in the public eye, and became hyper attached to William because he was the first person who ever treated her nicely and was the one who she first told that she was trans and a lesbian to. Is hurt about the fact that he won't really talk to her anymore but thinks that it's because they're working in opposing departments.

Is dating Mary and Holly and wishes that the two would just get admit that they like each other already

Ye Ol' Toontown Time

Public Relations Representative (Winston Byrd)

98

Genderfluid Biromantic Homosexual (All Pronouns)

Anxiety, Autism, PTSD, Depression, Paranoid Personality Disorder

Was a close friend of Tawney's before everything went down. Was eventually snuck out of the dungeons by a blue and white cat toon before getting smuggled to Daffodil Gardens where he got restored to his previous state.

Currently isn't seeing anyone but is yearning to have a partner again

Gatekeeper (Holly Grayelle)

35

Holypaladin (Xenogender) Bisexual Lesbian (She/Holy/Gold/Knight/Shield)

Autism, ADHD

Grew up being told that she was extremely good at being a leader and so holy has it engrained in gold that knight can’t be any position other than a leadership one and so tends to clash with anyone who challenges that view. And/or fall in love with them. Luck of the draw.

Dating Misty and keeps denying knights crush on Mary. Used to have a crush on Prester until shield found out that he was gay.

Witch Hunter (Prester Virgil)

35

Transmasc Gay (He/Him)

Depression, PTSD

Grew up in an extremely strict, religious house with a doormat of a father and extremely religious mother, which caused him to have a lot of internalized homophobia, even after he transitioned, and takes it out on people who are extremely secure in their sexualities (ex. Diane, Holly). Also has both a fear and affinity for fire due to being shamed growing up as draconic-descended cog.

Dating Cosmo and sorta kinda dating the Satellite Investors. Also Diane's cousin.

Daffodil Gardens

Vice President (Allan Bravecog)

65

Cis Polyamorous Bisexual (He/Bulb/Radio/Static)

Narcissistic Personality Disorder, PTSD

Grew up having people constantly trying to befriend him because he was extremely good at making connections, so tends to have people who he doesn't trust at arms length but pretends that they're closer. Married his college sweetheart Norman Bravecog (OC) and had Cathal around when they founded C.O.G.S along the other Chief Officers after they graduated college. Dotes on Cathal heavily because Cathal was the only child of theirs that survived through infancy.

Married to Norman and has an on-and-off-again thing with both Craig and Chris.

Bellringer (Benjamin Biggs)

38

Transmasc Salmacian Bisexual Gay (He/Ring/Bell/🔔/🛎️)

Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Autism

Grew up being praised for his healing ability but shamed for rings need to feed on oil, so has an energy of “I am perfect and if anyone argues that I am going to kill them and then myself”. Oh yeah, Benjamin is a vampire (sorta kinda) due to having vague leech-based programing and needing more oil than the average cog to allow for bells healing ability (has two oil tanks for that very reason).

Dating Brian and is a bit jealous of Mac and Winn (also is low-key crushing on them but shh).

Multislacker (Cathal Ray Toby Bravecog)

32

Genderapathetic Aroflux Cassexual (He/They/Tech/TV/📺)

Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Autism, ADHD

Grew up extremely coddled by his father for reasons mentioned above and quickly realized that it didn’t matter how hard they worked because everyone would assume that techs work was just tvs fathers, so became very tired and just decided to roll with it.

Has a friends with benefits relationship with High Roller and ends up developing feelings for Chip and Graham.

Mezzo Merryland

Chief Financial Officer (Chris P. Dollair)

66

Trans Bisexual Man (He/It/Cash/Coin/Bank/💸/💵/💰/🪙)

Paranoid Personality Disorder, OCD

Grew up extremely poor so has a lot of trust issues and money insecurity (will swing from penny pinching to splurging).

Is heavily crushing on Allan and Craig, while hooking up with Craig sometimes.

Mouthpiece (Belle Dama)

85

Transfemme Bisexual (She/Chatter)

Autistic

Has had a relatively boring life and works to help her husband, who is too disabled to work, and keep them afloat with help from their children. Visits her husband on the weekend but lives in Mezzo Merryland during the weeks. Is confused by her son's taste in men but is very supportive.

Has a husband named Peter and two kids: Tartarus (huh i wonder who that could be /sillly) and Emily (OC), as well as several grandchildren, with her favourite being Cassidy “Cassie” Dama, one of Emily’s children.

Major Player (Dave Brubot)

27

Melodyboy (Xenogender) Pan (He/Melody/Hymn)

ADHD, Autism

Grew up in a very large, musically inclined family so naturally drifted towards music as his main aspiration. Extremely extroverted and is the one who usually gets his friends to socialize.

Is dating Buck and is trying to encourage Buck to talk with Brian and Eerie.

The Brrgh

Chief Legal Officer (Diane Morsecode)

34

Cis Bi Lesbian (She/Legal/Law)

ADHD, Autism

Grew up similarly to Prester, but was the "star" child, but because of that, whenever she fails to do something, it hits extremely hard. Is both extremely annoyed at and extremely worried about Prester.

Is currently single, but isn't looking for anyone. As mentioned, is Prester's cousin.

Firestarter (Flint Bonpyre)

He/Fire/Flame/🔥/🧯

27

Transmasc Gay (He/Fire/Flame/🔥/🧯)

Anxiety, Depression, Scoliosis

Had a pretty normal childhood, growing from a weird girl into a weird boy. Met Graham first in high school and dated pre-transition and then met again in sophmore year in college post-transition and started dating (had a nice laugh about the fact that fate kept bringing them together).

Is dating Graham and used to date Chip in college (but still has lingering feelings about him)

Plutocrat (Cosmo Kuiper)

68

Cis Bisexual (He/Star/Constellation/Meteor/Planet/🌟/⭐/🌠/✨/💫/🪐)

ADHD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Grew up in a mob family and would have stayed only attached to it if C.O.G.S didn’t take over the town that he was the head of, leading to star reluctantly joining C.O.G.S. Took one look at Prester and went "oh i NEED to date that man".

Dating Prester and constellations investors, often showering them in gifts to let them know that meteor loves them.

Acorn Acres

Chief Executive Officer (Craig Edgar Oilcan)

69

Transmasc Genderfaun (He/It/They [Collective], He/Oil/One/Fore [Craig], It/Its [Justice], Edgar [He/They/Golf])

Narcissistic Personality Disorder, DID (Host: N/A, Headmates: Craig [Persecutor, Protector], Justice [Emotional Funnel], Edgar [Guilt Holder, Trauma Holder])

Grew up in an extremely cut throat family where it was essentially "succeed or get scrapped" which caused his system to form at an extremely young age. Applies that motto to a lot of its life, which is why they turned a blind eye to everything involving Chip.

Is deep in denial about the fact that he cares about Allan and Chris (doesn't want to admit that he's attached) and "rationalizes" it by hooking up with Chris and having a good business relationship with Allan.

Treekiller (Spruce Campbell)

46

Cis Gay Man (He/Wood/Gnaw/Log/Chop)

ADHD

Grew up in a large, relaxed family who were the types to encourage friends stay for dinner before they headed back home (especially when it came to Chip and his family). Is so worried about Chip, especially with how little he tells him about work nowadays.

Is single.

Chainsaw Consultant (Chip Revvington)

54

Boyflux (Chip) Agender (Override) Demi Bisexual Gay (Chip) Pan (Override) (He/Rev/Chainsaw/Saw [Chip], It/Its [Override])

Autism, DID (Headmates: Chip [Host], Override [Protector, Persecutor, Prosecutor, Emotional Funnel])

As mentioned in this post, grew up in a very oppressive, strict household that punished him for any sort of autistic behavior, leading towards Override to form to help mask revs autistic traits.

Chip is still not over Flint while Override is head over heels for Cathal, with their difference in romance causing a bit of a struggle in the system.

Drowsy Dreamland

Featherbedder (Tawney C. Esta)

98

Cis Gay (He/Sleep/Snore/Nap/Rest/Bed/Dream/💭/💤/🛏️)

Cis Gay

Insomnia, Depression

Grew up pretty ordinarily, but got depressed after his husband passed, but is now slowly healing from that.

Had a husband, and has grandchildren as well. Also has a bit of a “are they dating or just good friends” thing going on with Doppel (OC)

Pacesetter (Graham Ness Payser)

27

Transmasc Genderfast (Xenogender) Gay (He/Speed/Fast)

Transmasc Genderfast Gay

ADHD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Literally does not remember his childhood other than the fact that he had dated Flint in highschool. Only remembers his life post-transition, which is pretty ordinary and standard.

Is dating Flint and has a rivalry/crush thing going on with Multislacker.

So there you go!! That took. way too long but I hope you like!! Also if you have any questions please ask 'em!! This is a lot of fun to do :3

[ink-flavored]

Pride & Justice Side Characters: Pride's Friends

In the story, Pride trips and falls into making exactly three (3) friends, and one cat. This is a post about them!

Picrews here: Nellseto's Maker, TOON ME! Body types A and B, Djarn's Character Maker, felidaze's warrior cat creator, Cat Creator || ネコ アイコンメーカー, felidaze's cool cat creator

Olivia "Ollie" Clearwater

She/They | Trans Butch Lesbian | "Only motherfucker in this city who can handle me." - Pride, probably

Olivia grew up with extreme Christian fundamentalists for parents, controlled and sheltered all her life. Her only knowledge of queerness was as a one-way trip to Hell, and her knowledge of transness was non-existent. Even as deeply closeted as she was, Ollie chafed against her parents' strict upbringing, and began lashing out at an early age—and suffering the consequences.

In her attempts to free herself, even momentarily, Ollie found smoking and "the devil's music" to be particularly freeing. By thirteen, she was regularly sneaking packs of cigarettes and death metal albums into her room, and taking them with her every time she left so they wouldn't be found. Making up excuses about kids smoking at the bus stop saved her for a little while, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

Desperate, she held on until her she graduated, shipped off to college, and then her deep dive into everything forbidden began. The longer she strayed on the outskirts of what her parents found acceptable, the more she discovered. From metal, to grunge, to punk, Ollie found the queer community on her college campus and beyond, After so many years, she finally discovered herself.

Time ran out at the end of her first visit back home for the holidays. All her secrets exploded from her in a heated argument, and her parents instantly cut contact. With no money to pay tuition, Ollie had no choice but to leave her degree unfinished. And with nowhere to go, she was homeless for several years, couch-surfing with her few college friends, and sleeping on the streets.

After what felt like a lifetime of strife, she found solace in the community aid the local punk scene strung together for her. They helped her find temporary housing, work, and have a life again. Now in her early thirties, she credits them to this day for allowing her to live the rest of her life, and is active in fiercely defending it and supporting people like her.

Though Olivia does not dream of labor, she makes ends meet working retail, and spends a significant chunk of it on edibles as she attempts to quit smoking after nearly two decades.

Sofía Torres-Iglesias

She/Her | Cis Lesbian | The obligatory catgirl in every queer friend group

Sofía was born a second-generation immigrant to her Mexican parents, having a familiar childhood that many queer people might recognize—feeling different, but without the language to explain why. When she was young, she simply didn't understand why anyone would want a boyfriend in the first place. Growing older, and learning how strange it was for her to turn up her nose family members asking about her non-existent boy crushes, she bottled the feeling and tried not to think about it too much. She spent time with her friends and nodded along with all the teenage squealing about the boys from her school, and saying what people wanted to hear when asked about her own preferences.

Eventually, she found the words of her community. She sat on the knowledge for years, until coming out to her parents in a nervous rush before her quinceañera. After a lot of tears and hugging, the celebration went off without a hitch, with Sofía confident her parents supported her.

However, as time went on, it seemed clear that they supported her... insofar as they accepted her "experimenting" in this "phase." They were confused about how she could possibly be a lesbian because she loved pink, and kittens, and femininity—nothing like the marimacho they imagined queer women to be. It took Sofía a long time to establish with them how to talk about her sexuality and her community in ways that didn't make her want to scream, in addition to convincing them that she would never find "the right man" to "fix" her.

After many more years, a few messy early-twenties-relationships, Sofía was finally able to convince her parents it wasn't a phase. At last, she could breathe.

She met Ollie in her late twenties at a gay bar, and they rented the U-Haul a month later. Three years have passed, they're still together, sharing an apartment and a cat named Marbles. Sofía has a day-job tutoring kids in Spanish, but hopes to one day be able to afford to go to veterinary school.

Dante Price

They/Them | Nonbinary Asexual | Can and will quote the Divine Comedy verbatim

Dante's first canvas was always their own body. The story of their young self using finger-paints on everything except the paper was a popular anecdote of their parents, to the point where everyone at church could recite it word-for-word. This love of art continued through their childhood, from crayons to paints to their mother's make-up and it was all fine—until it suddenly wasn't.

On a dime, Dante's creativity was stifled. Their hands slapped away from eye shadow and lipstick, there was suddenly an acceptable art, and an unacceptable art. Growing up with a younger sister brought the unfairness into sharp relief—she was allowed to toy with make-up, dolls, and glitter. But Dante wasn't.

Nothing that was shoved into their hands as "proper" ever felt right. Not sports, martial arts, or any school subject sat right with them. They struggled to stay focused on anything except art, doodles getting snatched up and torn to pieces in class as punishment for their lack of attention. Later, they would be diagnosed with ADHD, years too late to save them from a miserable public school experience.

Dante drifted through life, listless and feeling destined to fail. The things they loved weren't allowed, and the things they sucked at were the only way to succeed. Stuck in the middle of an impossible situation, there was nothing they could do.

One place they escaped this limbo was in Dante's Divine Comedy, obsessed with the epic poem to the point of near-encyclopedic knowledge. The journey consumed them, a trip through Hell, into Heaven, and finally finding God and the love that aligns a soul. Such a path felt impossible for them, but they clung to the possibility.

School sucked, with shit grades, few friends, and net-zero interest in dating anyone or anyone dating them. Home sucked, with an air of disappointment hanging above their parents' heads. But one day, they would escape it. That they would exit Hell, and scrape their way to Heaven.

Before they knew it, high school was over, and Dante was expected to have a plan. They went to community college, because they had to do something, and joined the GSA after reading the word "asexual" on a flier. The more meetings they attended, the more they talked about existing in the in-between, the more the rest of their life started to make sense. It felt like climbing closer to Heaven, and Dante named themself after their favorite poet, hoping beyond hope it would give them strength.

They mulled over coming out for a long time. Their parents were just now starting to feel proud of them—would this ruin it? Would they be trapped forever? Dante tested the waters by telling their sister, Aria, and cried from relief when she accepted them, said she would help.

It was... a difficult series of conversations. Their parents were confused, not understanding what "nonbinary" even meant, or how Dante could be asexual when they haven't ever dated anyone—they were just inexperienced. But they agreed to use Dante's new name and pronouns, and that was more than Dante expected. And, to help them the rest of the way along, they offered some of the resources the GSA handed out, to help them through the process.

Things got better faster than they ever expected. Much less than simply tolerating their queerness, Dante witnessed their parents switch to a more progressive church in the name of respecting it. They bought make-up again, learned how to use it like paint on a canvas, something they also found love in after so many years of getting their art torn to shreds.

Now, with a supportive community, family, and self, Dante is working toward an art degree, and basking in the light of the love that set their soul right.

Marbles

He/Him | Grey & White Tabby | No thoughts. Only treats.

Sofía's beloved cat. He has one brain cell the size of a marble that bounces around his skull. He is very spoiled and enjoys ear scratches.

[nights-flying-fox]

✨️ Hi hi hello, welcome!! I'm Nighty, and I reblog a lot of stuff*, sometimes draw and write too. Both fanart & oc art!! 💖

*if you don't want to see most of my reblogs block my queue tag: #a pie for you & a queue for me

💫 For more art: @nightsfoxart ♡ For more writing: @nightyslibrary 🐢 tmnt side account (still a wip): @eughboi

⚠️ pr*sh*p / neutral etc. DNI ‼️

🪐 My ko-fi page!!

🦊 Art Tag: nighty arty ▪︎ Writing Tag: nighty write -y ▪︎ random posts: nighty talky ▪︎ lists and such: nighty archive

|☆ | ◇ | ♡ |

Linktree for more social media ig

🌠 Portal Fam Server!! Click here to join!!

💜 AU Tags:

🐀 Animaniacs: Toons (Storks AU) • There's a Beast in There • Pirates AU

🐢 ROTTMNT: Dimension Hopper Leo AU MASTERPOST • Where You Belong (Separated AU) • Let's Grab a Slice Together • Hopelessly Surviving AU (Resurrected Leo AU) • A Turtle Like Me, A Turtle Like You Masterpost • GENERAL AU MASTERPOST

🌟 Fandom Tags / Masterlist ⬇️

🪶 Some of the stuff that I find myself thinking about them 7/24: tmnt/rottmnt (rise leo is the blorbo), hazbin hotel (alastor & rosie friendship aaa), warrior cats (longtail, hollyleaf, hawkfrost my beloveds), kingdom hearts (khux & days), the legend of zelda (miphvali & botw zelink), linked universe (legend is fav), animaniacs, pokemon (unova ftw)...

tLoZ - Breath of the Wild

Art - Fics:

-Warmth (Zelink / One-shot) AO3

-Christmas Together (Multichapter Modern AU Xmas Fic / Ongoing / Includes Zelink and Miphvali) AO3 [currently on hiatus]

-Following the Silent Princess (Modern AU / includes Zelink and Miphvali / multichaptered ongoing) AO3 [currently on hiatus]

Zines: By Your Side Zelink Zine

tLoZ - Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Art | Fics:

-Mountain Walk (Miphvali / One-shot) AO3 | Chinease Translation (AO3)

-For You (Zelink / written for Fated: Through Time digital zine / one-shot) AO3

Animaniacs

Art | Fics:

-Welcome Back, Doc (Space Jam: New Legacy crossover fic / multichaptered ongoing / Dad Bugs) AO3 [on hiatus but might finish it before the end of may <3 ]

-Years Ago, A Winter Night (Wakko's Wish fic / a lot of angst & hurt/comfort / multichapter & completed / XMas fic) AO3 | Playlist

-Happy Allergies Dot!! (one-shot / Dot centered) AO3

-Guilt Is Eating Him Up (one-shot / lots of angst & hurt/comfort / Wakko centered) AO3

-Toons (Storks AU / multichaptered ongoing / kinda on hiatus??) AO3

-There's a Beast in There (Beauty and the Beast AU but without any romance / multichaptered ongoing / *holds it gently* this one is my fav) AO3

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Art | Fics:

-A Friend Against Dark (Raph centered / fluff / pre-series / one-shot) AO3

-Finish the Tale, Ven, Please? (Where You Belong AU / fluff / one-shot) AO3 * tumblr

-finding your stellar association (for @/ashwii's Celestial AU / one-shot / fluff) AO3 * tumblr

-so I dive straight back in the ocean (hurt/comfort / post-movie / Leo centric / one-shot) AO3 * tumblr | playlist

-Little Talks with a Big Robot Turtle (for @/somerandomdudelmao's Cass Apocalyptic Series / Raph centric / fluff / one-shot) AO3 * tumblr

-Deep (Purple) Thoughts (and Realizations) (Donnie centered / post-movie / angst & hurt/comfort / multichaptered ongoing) AO3

-Last Resort (Mikey centric / bad future timeline / Let's Grab a Slice Together AU but you don't have to know about it to read it / angst (with a bit of comfort??) / one-shot ) AO3

Warrior Cats

Fics:

-One Last Night (Leafpool x Hawkfrost / one-shot) AO3 | Turkish Translation

[tourist-destinations]

8 Things to do in Sentosa Island, Singapore

Singapore isn’t kidding when it claims to be the ultimate fun destination for everyone. The Sentosa Island in Singapore packs a punch when it comes to adventure attractions and family-friendly experiences. It is rarely advised to skip Sentosa Island when visiting Singapore because this is a place with a great deal of fun and adventure. Here are 8 attractions on Sentosa Island that are extremely popular and favored by visitors out of all the experiences offered here.

Sentosa Skyline and Luge

The Sentosa Skyline-  sky ride and luge ride combination experience is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia and is one of the best ways to get a bird’s eye perspective of Sentosa island going up the sky ride with a hint of mild adventure riding downhill on a luge. It is something everyone should try out first thing when they visit Sentosa Island. Being a kid-friendly activity, you and your family can enjoy an exciting adventure with scenic views while visiting Sentosa Island. 

Sentosa 4D AdventureLand

At Sentosa 4D Adventure Land, you are not just watching the action but are a part of it. It offers three incredible 4D experiences that take you on adventure rides through raging rivers and underground mines, making you grip your seat. This high-tech theme park's main attraction: "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," makes you feel like you are on a wild adventure with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. There’s also an interactive shoot-out game – Desperados. These exciting adventure rides are sure to keep everyone visiting here thrilled and entertained throughout their visit, irrespective of age. 

SEA Aquarium

This famous Singapore tourist attraction at Resorts World Sentosa takes you on a journey through the enchanted realm of the ocean without having to swim, dive deep, and get wet. If you were never a keen adventurer and never wanted to go snorkeling or scuba diving but always wanted to view the enchanting underwater world, SEA Aquarium is for you. This is where you get to view more than 100,000 aquatic fishes and creatures up close in 45 habitats. The brand new VibranSEA is an absolute not-to-miss adventure on your Sentosa Island visit. 

Universal Studios Singapore

Dive into a world of movie magic and comic and cartoon fests at Universal Studios Singapore. It’s your all-in-one stop for the ultimate fantasy and cinematic entertainment. It's got everything from adrenaline-pumping rides to chilling out with your favourite toons in uniquely themed 7 zones. Go crazy with minions, enjoy a wildlife adventure with the Madagascar crews, or simply enjoy heart-thumping rides based on Transformers. You can tell that there is never going to be a dull moment here. 

Skypark Sentosa by AJ Hackett

Ready to take the leap of courage at Sentosa? For the ultimate adrenaline rush and daredevil challenge, head to Skypark Sentosa by AJ Hackett. If you find the rest of Sentosa does not match your adventure bandwidth, then Skypark Sentosa is for you. Spend an action-adventure pack day here with a bungy jumping experience from 47 metres above Sentosa Island overlooking the gorgeous Siloso beach. Then amp up the adrenaline kick with the Giant Swing experience to fuel a captivating rush unlike anything you've ever felt!

Adventure Cove Water Park

Adventure Cove Park steps in as a nature-themed water park for its Sentosa guests to make a splash at this fascinating water park. Shrouded in a dense wilderness ambience, the water rides and thrills are installed in such a way that you occasionally get the impression that you are sliding off a waterfall in a lush jungle. Adventure seekers can experience the ultimate knuckle-whitening thrills and an exhilarating rush on rides like Rip Rocket Tidal Twister. The ambiance also incorporates a variety of marine creatures in water-filled glass tunnels and pools to further invoke an oceanic feel to the attraction. The Rainbow Reef and Ray Bay are the most charming attractions where you can go snorkelling to watch colourful fishes and rays. As one of the most popular, award-winning water parks in Asia, the attraction is a must-visit for families and friends looking to unwind and enjoy some splashing fun on Sentosa Island.

Sky Helix Sentosa

Sky Helix Sentosa experience feels as if a gentle giant picked you up for a better view of Singapore. It is an open-air gondola ride that spins you slowly into the sky, giving you some of the most breathtaking aerial views of Sentosa Island and beyond while you nonchalantly sip on a cool drink and enjoy the view. In just 12 minutes, you soar up 79 metres above the island to enjoy a 360-degree panorama from the highest viewpoint in Sentosa. Striking a balance between excitement and comfort, the attraction is apt for those wanting to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Sentosa with a thrill factor that is neither mild nor too much but just perfect.

Siloso Beach

After all the excitement and high adrenaline, the soft sandy beachside of Sentosa-Siloso Beach is perfect to unwind and relax for the remainder of your day. You can fuel up your energy with a wide array of cafes, bars and restaurants. You can go forth with some surfing action at Wave House Sentosa, simply call it a day, cease your adventure expeditions and opt for relaxing sun-basking moments amid the white shores and blue seas or seek solace in nature with a serene walk on the Fort Siloso Skywalk which won’t cost you even a penny. 

Conclusion

So when you are shortlisting things to do in Singapore for your vacation, add in a few of these fun attractions so that you can have a wholesome experience of culture, nature, food, and fun. For a more comprehensive experience without going through the hassles of booking a ticket for different attractions in Sentosa Island, opt for a Discover Pass, which acts as Sentosa Island Tickets that lets you enjoy any attraction you desire with a single pass.

[preciouslittletoonette]

How does “aging” work in Toonverse, especially with regards to the Tiny Toons?

Aging is a complicated concept to a lot of toons. Mainly because its a concept that comes with different forms so it isn't as straightforward as it is for humans. Humans get older as time goes on, easy as that. Not so much for toons. For toons, there's aging and then there's narrative aging.

Narrative aging is basically aging because that is what the story requires. If a cartoon was to let's say: have an episode that takes place in the past or in the future, the toon would age according to what was needed, aging both up and down (becoming older or becoming younger). Or heck a movie from a cartoon that takes place in the future of said cartoon, would have toons or maybe just specific toons age up. The unique thing about narrative aging is that it is rather simple to revert back to your original age with the possibility of being able to swap between the age forms.

An example of a toon who had gone through narrative aging would be Max Goof. Max Goof initially debuted as a child (Goof Troop) and that was his set age up until A Goofy Movie was in production and it was required of him to 'age up' to a teen for the story, which he did. He later then aged to young adult for "An Extremely Goofy Movie". Max can now change through the three different forms at will.

Another example on the opposite spectrum of aging would be the Looney Tunes, who would have to 'de-age' to act in Baby Looney Tunes. They don't swap to their baby forms at all but can do so if desired.

And then there's Aging, which is admittedly a little more complicated than narrative aging, especially in concern to Tiny Toon Adventures.

In the Tiny Toons Adventures' episode 'Fields of Honey', we are introduced to Honey, the very first female Looney Tunes character after Babs went scouting for a mentor in the old films archive. However, Honey has been missing for several decades after she and Bosko were kicked to the curb in favour of a new star like Porky Pig. With the help of a disembodied voice, Babs goes off to try and get people to remember Honey again.

Somewhere during the episode, Babs is stopped by the voice who points out towards Bugs Bunny who was surrounded by students and the voice states something pivotal to toon lore.

"It's Laughter that keeps a toon young. When the Laughter stops, a toon grows old and forgotten"

Laughter is a very powerful thing, especially in the Who framed Roger Rabbit Toonverse (which TTA is a part of). It plays a vital part in the life of a (comedy) toon. I put comedy here in brackets because laughter here would only relate to toons in the comedy genre. So for here:

Laughter=Remembrance

So to just rephrase the quote to be more inclusive of other genres:" It's Remembrance that keeps a toon young. When a toon stops being remembered, they grow old and eventually become forgotten."

Honey, because people stopped laughing at her (and in turn, forgot about her), began to age. And judging by how she looked by the 90s, she aged at the same pace of a human. If she were in her 20s when she was created in the 1930s, then she'd be roughly in her 80s physically by when the episode aired. That's OLD.

But luckily, like Narrative Aging, this sort of Aging can be reversed, albeit it's much more difficult. To quote TTA again (same episode):

" To save Honey, the people must watch and laugh again"

Basically what its saying here is that the public has to basically remember the toon to bring them back to their prime ages. It took at least a theatre full of interested and curious people to bring Honey (and Bosko who I assumed also aged as he was forgotten) back to her former glory.

And that's aging, with regards to Tiny Toon Adventures :). Stay tuned for my future rant as to why the character Sweet Pete from Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers 2022 frustates and infuriates me from the standpoint of Toon Lore.

[bengiyo]

War of Y Ep 10 Stray Thoughts

Let's finish off Frigay with the soap opera drama. I'll be relieved when this managers fighting is over, and I'm not sure I'll be continuing next week.

Last time we were here, we learned that Bew is likely not just a victim in all of this, and either has become or always was a player as well.

I'm going to miss these shorts once we're done with this pair.

I am glad Sprite gets to be in this show and have fun.

I do like the dramatic posing and framing. Curious how this payoff will blow up.

Glad to see Gus and Bew not qualifying their queerness as a couple and being direct about it, and contributing to the call for marriage equality. Super refreshing.

Ah, Sprite's character is talking to Toon. Small industry.

Oh, are we going to fuck on the counter? Pran would be proud.

Oh, Bew was the one who didn't want a formal contract? How long has be been plotting to bail on Toon?

It's time for the drama! Stefano is back and ready to swap some babies!

Yes, dramatic rain and lightning. Give us ambience!

Honestly, I'm tired of accounting for all the provocations and escalations. It's all too much.

(For a variety of reasons, I had to pause the episode here on Friday. We are resuming now on Sunday morning.)

Bew is definitely still an actor. Pla is not playing anymore and snatched that phone back.

Damn, now Gus has the moral high ground?

Okay, we need to talk about music translation and where we place this in our shows. It baffles me that we still haven't figured out how to let music subtitles appear elsewhere in the video with the uploaded subtitle files these services use. I like knowing what the singers of songs used in dramas are saying, but squeezing it between dialogue is so frustrating.

"I want to end all the rumors." Me, too, Toon. I'm ready for this entire plotline to end.

Oh no. Can we not script people touching their chests when we literally have mics strapped to them???

An airport goodbye in the age of security theater? It's more likely than you think.

I feel like I need to read some deep dives into FC culture.

Why is Bew taking this picture in portrait mode??

I'm enjoying this tentative reconciliation.

Love that BL and other dramas have made me emotional about a head pat.

I do like that both parts have ended on a hopeful romantic note. That's encouraging.

Next week looks kinda fascinating in that they're doing a reality competition show. Can't guarantee I'll continue. I didn't like these guys in the little we've seen, and I'm not sure I have enough Days of Our Lives jokes to make it through ten more weeks.

[agerefandom]

Little Brother, Big Brother

Fandom: Homestuck

Characters: Regressor!Dave Strider & his mom Roxy Lalonde, regressor!Dirk Strider & daddy!John Egbert

Words: 5,400

Summary: Dirk and Dave are both age regressors, but they have never regressed in the same space. After almost a year of consideration, they’re finally getting together for a playdate with their two caregivers. Everyone’s a little nervous and a little excited.

Content Warnings: Brief mention of diapers. Parental caregiver names. One brief tantrum/bout of separation anxiety. (Important Note: Dirk and John’s caregiver/regressor relationship is a little blurry between non-sexual kink and regression. For example, they have rules and safewords, which I don’t typically write as part of age regression. This is only briefly mentioned in the fanfiction, and both of them still characterize their relationship as sfw agere, separate from their romantic relationship as adults. Nevertheless, I wanted to mention it in the content warnings!)

There was a knock at the door and Roxy perked up, tossing aside the phone she had been anxiously fiddling with. She made her way around the scattered toys on the floor to the front door, opening it to reveal a familiar smiling face.

“John!” Roxy exclaimed, pulling him in for a hug. He happily returned it, wrapping his arms around Roxy’s shoulders and laughing into her hair. John had been a gangly teen, but he had grown into it now, with broad shoulders and a soft stomach that Roxy loved to lean against while they played video games. “It’s been forever!”

“Too long,” John agreed, then stepped back to reveal the other visitor who had been half-hiding behind him. Dirk had his hands shoved deep in his pockets, and he moved with John as if he was tempted to dive right back behind him.

Roxy fixed Dirk with a Look and opened her arms for a hug. He stepped forwards to oblige, ducking his head so the edges of his shades weren’t a threat to Roxy’s perfect face. His hugs had become familiar over the years, brittle but genuine, all long limbs and restless fingers. Roxy squeezed him once, pressing her cheek against his hair, before she let him step back. He didn’t look like he was inclined to talk, which was fair enough. Roxy could guess that they were all nervous about their evening plans.

“Come on in, you guys. Don’t mind the mess, it’s been a busy day.” Roxy showed them in, ushering them to the couch.

“Oh, I understand,” John laughed. He had a backpack over one shoulder, patterned with little red robots. Roxy guessed that it was the supplies for Dirk, who was currently dressed in his usual outfits: unassuming, plain clothes from the newest brand that cost an arm and a leg. Roxy didn’t keep up with that sort of thing, but she could admit that Dirk always looked nice. “It’s hard to keep track of everything when someone’s over-excited.”

“You can say that again,” Roxy sighed. She and John had been good friends over the years since the game had ended, and one regular part of their relationship was chatting about their forays into caregiving. It was different, of course, because Dave and Roxy weren’t dating, but John and Roxy were still two members of the friend-group who dealt with regressors in some form or another. They had found each other a valuable resource to share ideas, tips, questions, and just to vent about their exhaustion occasionally.

“Alright, so we’re getting set up in here?” John asked, looking around the room. “Is that still the plan?”

“Yep, I think it’s the best way to do things,” Roxy said. “Help yourself to snacks, toys, anything apart from the stuffed dinosaurs. Dave’s a little protective of those guys, but everything else is fair game. Do you need anything before I head out?”

“Nope! I think I can work with this,” John said, rubbing one hand across Dirk’s shoulders. Dirk hadn’t taken a single step away from John since they entered, almost pressed against his side. “Give us about fifteen?”

“No rush,” Roxy told them. “We’re happy to watch some TV in the bedroom.”

“I’ll let you know.” John seemed pretty confident, something that Roxy had always envied. She was never sure if she was doing things right with Dave: his younger self was so different from his older self, and he was resistant to talking about it openly when he wasn’t regressed. John and Dirk had much more communication set up, and many stricter rules. Maybe it was part of their relationship, but maybe it was just what Dirk needed. Roxy knew that Dirk’s headspace was more consciously constructed that Dave’s, and he preferred to structure it with safewords and rules, while Dave wouldn’t be able to set good boundaries when he regressed.

“Cool, we’ll be around!” Roxy brushed a hand against Dirk’s arm on her way out, smiling at him over her shoulder. She was excited to see him smaller, excited to see John taking care of him first-hand. It wasn’t that she couldn’t picture it, she just couldn’t picture herself in the situation with them. She fiercely hoped that it would all go well, but of course her priority was…

“Dave!” she called as a soft warning before opening the door.

Her son/not-son was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, working on a puzzle she had bought for him. It was a little more complicated than a normal four-year-old could handle, but Dave’s hand-eye coordination wasn’t quite as bad as a bio-toddler, and Roxy tried to err on the side of something too hard instead of something that would take him five seconds.

Dave looked up at Roxy with wide eyes, his lips pressed together in an expression dangerously close to a pout.  

“Oh, baby, are you nervous?” Roxy closed the door and swept down to kneel beside Dave, pushing a hand through his hair.

“Don’t wanna do this,” Dave muttered, hands clenched into fists. Roxy put her hands over his, easing them apart and revealing the puzzle pieces he had been crushing in his palms.

“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to.” Roxy watched Dave carefully. She was excited about their plans, but Dave’s comfort came first. She knew that this was a risky situation for everyone involved, something that she’d been thinking about for over a year, but pushing it wasn’t going to help. “Little brothers are a lot of work.”

Dave visibly perked up at the reminder that he would be the big brother in this situation. The difference in age was one reason why John and Roxy found it so interesting to compare their experiences: Dave was a fairly active toddler, with a lot of curiosity and energy, while Dirk’s headspace was closer to an infant, and he was a largely reactive child, easily entertained by simple toys or a TV show.

“Do we have to play?” Dave’s question took Roxy a moment to put together.

“You mean, play with each other?” Dave nodded. “I don’t think you need to play together if you don’t want to! Dirk is pretty tiny, I don’t know if he does much playing. It’s mostly going to be you and me just like normal.”

“But John?” Dave covered his face, nerves and embarrassment making their way through his regression. His voice came back to his adult voice as he curled inward. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

Roxy hummed sympathetically, giving Dave his space. “Like I said, we can back out at any time. But I know that John is really excited about this, just like I am. He wants to meet you, little one. He already knows he’s going to love you.”

Dave made an incoherent sound of protest, flapping his hands in front of his curled-in knees.

“Anyone would be lucky to spend time with you, honey.” Roxy curled up beside Dave, mirroring his position with a bit of space between them. “I’m so lucky to be your mom. And John loves you a whole lot, he won’t stop talking about it! He’s going to be over the moon that you trust him with this. Even if it only lasts a little while, he’s going to be excited for months. You know him.”

Dave laughed, clearly still out of regression. “John’s a nerd.”

“Oh, that’s not up for debate,” Roxy smiled. “But he’s also a very good daddy when he needs to be.”

“Weird.” Dave shook his head. “Can’t picture him as a dad.”

“I don’t think I knew what I’d be like as a mom,” Roxy mused. “I’m sure that Dirk is just as nervous about it all. I don’t think anyone knows what’s going to happen with the four of us, really. I can’t imagine how much Dirk is struggling with the lack of structure.” Dave chuckled at that. He and Dirk had a mixed but friendly relationship as adults, so he knew exactly what Roxy was talking about. Whenever things didn’t go exactly to plan, Dirk tended to fly off without a single word. Roxy knew that it was his way of trying to stop himself from making everyone stick to the original plan, but it didn’t stop it from being a kind of disorienting response.

“Okay.” Roxy watched Dave as he uncurled from his little ball and took a deep breath. “I do want to do this.”

“Yeah?” Roxy stretched out her arm in an invitation, and Dave scooted over to press against her side. His breaths were long and slow, trying to calm himself down. “It’s up to you.”

“No, I really do. I was excited about it.”

“Alright, then we’ll do it.” Roxy set her hands on Dave’s waist, pulling him gently up to sit on her lap. He was a little bigger than her, but very light. He was the perfect weight when she held him in her lap like this, her arms wrapped around his waist and her cheek pressed against his shoulder blade. “I’m excited too.”

--

Getting Dave back into regression was a process, but some cuddles, a bit of calculated tickling, and an episode of Loony Toons did the trick, and soon they were both laughing on the bed, Dave’s laughter that free and louder sound that Roxy only got to hear when he was regressed.

Both of them were startled by the knock on the door, but Roxy reacted first, pausing the show and rubbing Dave’s back to calm him down.

“What’s up?” Roxy called towards the door.

“We’re all ready in the living room whenever you want to come out!” John informed them.

“Alright!” Roxy said loudly, then turned to Dave as John’s footsteps retreated down the hallway. “Do you want to finish our episode before we go play in the living room? I brought out your lego.” Dave’s duplo lego collection was a bit ridiculous, but it meant that he could build a house big enough for him to fit into. Roxy stored them in a little void-pocket in one of her drawers, and pulled out the huge rubberneck containers whenever there was a special occasion. This definitely qualified.

“Lego,” Dave nodded, already moving off the bed.

“Okay,” Roxy said. “Now, remember not to shout around Dirk, okay? He’s very small.”

“No shouting for the baby!” Dave repeated at a very high volume. Roxy shrugged internally. There was only so much she could do, and Dave would probably be alright once he was actually in the same room as his older-younger-not-brother.

“That’s right, no shouting around the baby,” Roxy said encouragingly. She opened the door to the hallway, leading the way out. “Do you think you could build a house for him?”

“For both of us!” Dave said.

“Well, I don’t know if we have enough for something that big,” Roxy laughed.

“Gonna make a big house!” Dave wasn’t willing to be discouraged.  

“Okay, you can see how big you can make it,” Roxy allowed. Dave was bouncing on each step, clearly mixing nerves and excitement into a desire to run into the room as quickly as possible. Roxy kept their pace slow and her footsteps audible, letting both John and Dirk adjust to the idea that they were entering the room.

As they stepped into the living room, John looked up with a smile. Dirk was huddled against his side, eyes closed and a plain white pacifier hiding his mouth.

“Dirk is sleepy, but he can doze through anything,” John told them softly. “I thought it might be nice for him to wake up to you, when he wakes up properly.” Roxy could tell that Dirk wasn’t really asleep, but it made sense that he would want to lay quietly for a while, adjusting to their presence and the way that they interacted.

“I hope he sleeps well,” Roxy said, and gave Dave a gentle nudge towards the boxes of lego that were stacked in the corner. “Do you think you can play quietly, sweetheart?”

Dave nodded and soundlessly glided over to the lego boxes. That wasn’t exactly what Roxy had meant, but he didn’t seem to have been jostled out of regression by the request, so it was probably alright. Triggering requests usually made Dave age up faster than anything, so his calm unpacking of the lego was a sign that he was still regressed, despite the absolutely silent movements that usually showed his discomfort as an adult.

“Dave is determined to make a big house for him and the baby,” Roxy told John. “He’s very good at lego.”

“Oh, that sounds like a lot of fun!” John swivelled his head to watch Dave start sorting the pieces from the box, quiet and methodical, glancing over to Roxy every few moments. Roxy kept her eye on him and offered a proud smile every time he checked in with her. “Dave, do you think I could help with that? I’m a big fan of lego myself.”

“If you’re quiet,” Dave said in a hushed voice.

“We don’t need to be too quiet,” John laughed. “Dirk really can sleep through anything.” He placed a fond kiss on the top of Dirk’s hair, and then carefully extracted himself, guiding Dirk’s head to rest on one of the couch cushions. John murmured something against his cheek and then moved away, letting Dirk curl up into himself a bit more, the pacifier shifting in his mouth. “I think you’re doing a good job so far, though.” He squeezed Roxy’s shoulder on his way by, kneeling down beside Dave’s boxes of lego when he reached them. “You give the orders! What can I do to help?”

Dave scanned John up and down, the only sign of his discomfort the pattern of his fingers tapping against each other over and over again. “You can get all the big blue pieces and make them into a wall,” he said eventually, pushing the box between them. “No holes.”

“Can do!” John said enthusiastically, diving into the box with gusto. Roxy chuckled, moving over to sit in one of the chairs and watch. Some things never changed, and one of them was John’s adoration for Dave, clearly. She watched them build together, Dave eventually falling into John’s rhythms and becoming louder, laughing and even knocking over one of the walls on purpose to make John fake a pout at having to start again.

“Play nice, Dave!” she called over, when it was clear that he was considering doing it again. Dave aimed a little frown at her, but settled down and continued his own building.

Roxy settled back in her chair, considering picking up some water from the kitchen. Dave always forgot to keep hydrated as an adult, so Roxy tried to keep a sippy cup always in his reach when he was regressing at her house, but she had left it in the bedroom. She shifted, ready to offer John a drink while she was going to the kitchen, when she noticed that Dirk’s eyes were open and fixed on her.

Roxy froze. She could see the swirling orange of his eyes, the way his long lashes framed them, the angles of his face somehow softer without the sunglasses he wore every day. She felt afraid of the intimacy in meeting those eyes, overwhelmed by a surge of panic that she couldn’t trace to a concrete thought.

“John,” she called, trying to hide her panic. “Dirk is awake.” John immediately extracted himself from the lego with Dave, leaving the regressor with an affectionate hair-tousle that made Dave scowl. He trotted over to the couch and knelt down beside Dirk to give him an over-dramatic set of kisses on his cheek.

“Did you enjoy your nap?” John asked, nuzzling his nose against Dirk’s. Dirk’s eyes fell closed as he laughed, the pacifier garbling the sound. He wrapped his arms around John’s neck, pulling him closer, and John obediently scooped Dirk into his arms.

Roxy found she couldn’t watch the display, feeling too much like an intruder. She bounced to her feet as quietly as she could, trying not to interrupt, and made her way over to Dave, who was entirely focused on the lego house he was making. It was coming along quickly, the bigger lego blocks fitting together into simple blocky structures. Two walls of the house were almost finished, with one featuring a gap for a window. It looked like each wall was going to be a different colour, and the one that Dave was finishing was a bright green.

“I’m fetching your sippy from my room,” Roxy told Dave. “Do you want me to get Rexatorius while I’m in there?” Rexatorius was not in fact a t-rex, but a brontosaur: both of them enjoyed the name anyways.

“Yes, please.” Dave was very polite as a child, his southern accent stretching the words out. “Can I have more juice?”

“You can! Coming right up,” Roxy told him, and headed off to the bedroom without another look at the two on the couch. She collected the dinosaur plushie and the sippy cup, tucking Rexatorius under her arm as she navigated through the living room on her way to the kitchen.

“John, do you want some water or some apple juice?” she called back into the other room.

“I’m good, thank you.”

It still shocked Roxy sometimes, how much they had all grown up. Collecting water for herself in her own kitchen, with glasses she had chosen, offering drinks to guests, having people over for a dinner party… it still felt so foreign. Being twenty-three hadn’t been something that Roxy had ever considered, always focused on making it to sixteen, always focused on making it to the game that would change everything, would save the world, would save her from the empty echoing rooms of the mansion she’d spent her childhood inside.

And here she was, a part-time mother, a part-time host, a full-time adult who was involved in politics, of all things, as well as going into her Masters in ecto-biology with multiple offers for a full-time job afterwards (thanks to their fame, all of the planet-founders were highly desired as a source of publicity and funding for whatever career they wanted to pursue). Roxy, in short, had somehow become an adult.

Roxy shook the reverie away as she rinsed the sippy cup between servings of apple juice, filled a cup of water for herself, and grabbed a bag of chips just in case anyone wanted a snack. Back in the living room, John was settled on the couch and Dirk was on the floor, playing with a wooden puzzle that was made to look like a circuit board.

“One serving of juice!” Roxy dropped it off next to Dave with a kiss and Rexatorius, patting the dino on the back before retreating. Dave could handle his own lego building, and it had never been one of Roxy’s interests. She would happily come to ooh and ahh when the building was all done.

Roxy approached John and Dirk cautiously, and John looked up to give her a smile and a wave to come join them.

“Roxy! Do you want to meet the baby?”

“I would love to.” Roxy pushed away the anticipation she had been feeling and focused on Dirk on the floor, trying to push away all the past experiences they’d had, the fights and the two am vent sessions and the ill-conceived projects they’d come up with together. She knew what regression meant to Dave, but she didn’t know what it meant to Dirk, and she needed to keep an open mind.

“Hey Dirk,” John said, getting down on his level on his hands and knees. “I want you to meet Daddy’s friend, Roxy. She’s Dave’s mom, remember? We came to visit her and Dave.” Dirk glanced up from his puzzle at Roxy, and Roxy was taken aback again by the sharpness of his eyes. There was none of the hazy contentedness of Dave’s regression. Dirk stared directly and piercingly towards Roxy’s face.

“Hi,” Roxy managed. “It’s good to meet you.” She almost held out her hand, and jerked it back. Dirk’s eyes followed the movement.

“Can you say hi to Roxy?” John prompted Dirk. Dirk shook his head, and dropped his eyes back to his puzzle. Roxy tried not to feel rejected, but her heart spasmed. “That’s okay,” John said softly, and smiled up at Roxy from the floor. “Dirk’s not so good at words,” he explained. “What about sharing your puzzle?” John asked, pointing to the piece that Dirk was holding in his hand. “Can Roxy help you?”

Dirk hesitated, nodded, and then held the piece out in Roxy’s direction without looking at her.

Somehow this motion reassured Roxy, something more akin to a shy child than Dirk’s own mannerisms when he was on edge.

“Thank you,” she said gently, accepting the piece and kneeling down. “Did your daddy get you this puzzle?” It was easy enough to find where the piece went, but she took her time looking. Dirk nodded, sucking on his pacifier with a soft sound. “He’s a pretty good daddy, huh?” Roxy smiled at John as Dirk nodded more enthusiastically.

Dirk picked up another piece and held it close as he surveyed the puzzle. Roxy gave him the time to figure it out, and he eventually pushed it into the right place. He picked up another piece and pushed it into Roxy’s hands again.

“Thank you!” She took the piece from him and hummed thoughtfully as she pretended to search for the right place. “Does it go here?” She put it in the wrong place, and nodded with satisfaction. Dirk laughed and shook his head. “No? Are you sure?” Dirk picked up the puzzle piece and slotted it into the right place, still laughing.

“Oh!” Roxy hit her forehead. “Why didn’t I see that?”

Dirk rolled his eyes at her, but he was still laughing.

“I know,” Roxy nodded. “I’m a silly mom, I can’t help it.”

“G’d mmm,” Dirk muttered, his voice quiet and slurred by the pacifier.

“Sorry, sweetheart, what?” Roxy leaned closer, trying to hear him, but Dirk only shook his head emphatically and picked up a new piece of the puzzle, fitting it into place with none of his earlier hesitation.

“He said you’re a good mom,” John interpreted, rubbing Dirk’s back with a calming motion that Roxy recognized from using it with Dave herself.

“Aww!” Roxy pressed her palms to her cheeks, grinning. “I hope that Dave agrees with you.”

Dave’s voice came as if on cue, from over the couch. “Moooom!”

“On my way!” Roxy called back, more softly. She didn’t want to scare Dirk, who was leaning into John’s touch and closing his eyes. She rose to her feet, automatically helping herself with her god-tier weightlessness as she pushed herself upwards. Dave was standing by his house, which had three walls finished. “What’s wrong, baby?” Roxy drew closer, and Dave threw himself into her arms, wrapping his arms around her.

“Don’t go,” he whispered into her shoulder, and Roxy could feel him shaking slightly.

“Oh, no, honey.” Roxy wrapped her arms back around Dave, squeezing him against her. “I’m not going anywhere, I’m your mom. I wouldn’t leave you for the world.”

“I could hear you and you were gone,” Dave protested, curling tighter into her arms.

“I was just visiting the others, over by the couch,” Roxy told him, rocking slightly to comfort him. “Not gone, never gone.”

“I thought…” Dave trailed off, derailing into a mumble that Roxy couldn’t make out, despite her experience with Dave’s rambles.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Roxy soothed. “I love you so much, and I always will. I’ll always be your mom.”

“My mom?” Dave echoed.

“Yes, honey, your mom.” She cupped Dave’s cheek to tilt his face up for a forehead kiss. “No one else’s.”

“Okay.” Dave seemed to have calmed down quite a bit, but he was still holding tight to Roxy.

“Do you want to work more on your house?” Roxy cast an eye over the work Dave had done so far. “Or do you want to meet Dirk?”

“Dunno.” Dave rocked back and forth slightly in Roxy’s lap.

“Well, why don’t you come say hi? You can go straight back to your lego after that, if you’d like.” Dave nodded.

“Okay.”

Roxy helped Dave to his feet, keeping her hands on his and helping him stay upright when he was standing. He wasn’t always clumsy when he regressed, but it was usually a surprise to both of them when he had trouble walking, so she tried to be careful.

“Follow me, sweetheart.” She led Dave over to the carpet, glancing over to see that Dirk was twirling his fingers into the mane of a horse plushie, John singing a soft lullaby. John looked up when they walked in, but Dirk kept his eyes on his twirling fingers.

“Dirk?” Dave said quietly.

Dirk’s back stiffened and then he let out a breath and turned, blinking up at Dave.

Dave’s eyes widened and Roxy could practically see his excitement take over from nerves. Dirk looked quieter and unthreatening without his glasses, his plain white onesie and his long lanky pale limbs curled up against John’s chest.

“Hi!” Dave gushed, dropping to sit beside John and Dirk before glancing up at John and Roxy for approval. Roxy smiled warmly at him, and John nodded and shifted his grip on Dirk so that he was facing out towards Dave more. “I’m Dave!”

“…” Dirk looked at him for a long second, then hid his face behind the horse plushie he was holding.

“You’re a baby, but I’m really old,” Dave told Dirk seriously. “I’m gonna build us a lego house to live in.” Dirk raised his head again, smiling around the pacifier, and Dave smiled back. It was strange for Roxy, to see the instinct-driven space that Dave lived in, that she understood so well, and the difference between him and Dirk. Dirk was so clearly not as regressed, still cautious and deliberate. Maybe this was just him getting used to a new space? Or maybe this really was how he regressed. Or maybe this was how he’d been when he was a baby, making his way around his home in the middle of the ocean.

“Good job, Dave,” Roxy praised, resting a hand on his head. “Be gentle with your little brother.” She knew from talking with John that Dirk reacted well to being reminded that he was supposed to be small, regressed, a baby without responsibilities. Dave was very passionate about being a ‘big boy’ and pushed his limits further than Roxy would like. Another difference between them.

“Do you want to hold him?” John offered, cradling Dirk’s head against his shoulder gently.

Dave glanced back at Roxy, eyes wide. She could tell that he was intrigued but uncertain.

“I would love to,” Roxy said, knowing the question had been directed at both of them. “Why don’t I carry him to the couch, and you can sit with us, Dave? I can read you both a story, how about that?”

“Yeah.” Dave bobbed his head, subdued.

Roxy knelt in front of her two friends, smiling fondly at John and the tender way he handled Dirk. “May I?”

“Of course.” John guided her hands, one under Dirk’s knees and the other cradling his neck. Roxy had carried Dirk before, mostly out of his workshop before John had started taking over the task of disrupting Dirk’s manic work episodes. He had never been so unclothed, her skin touching his as she lifted him into her arms and settled him against her chest.

Dirk wasn’t light, thin but muscled. The only reason Roxy could lift him with ease was because she was taller than him, much to his ill-hidden annoyance when he’d first met her in person. He was the shortest of the eight of them, with Rose a close second.

Roxy looked down at Dirk as she carried him carefully towards the couch, and was surprised again to find him watching her. She smiled gently, even though his eyes were piercing.

“Hello,” she cooed. “Did you like meeting Dave?” The boy in question was following behind them, craning his neck to look at Dirk over Roxy’s shoulder. “He was so excited to have a baby brother.” Roxy shifted her weight back and forth, bouncing Dirk slightly in her arms as she reached the couch. “You are very sweet, I see why your daddy talks about you so much.”

That got a reaction: Dirk’s eyes crinkled, and an unfamiliar burbling laugh came from behind his pacifier.

Roxy gasped. “And adorable too! I should have known your daddy wouldn’t lie about that.” She turned around and settled on the couch, making sure Dirk wasn’t jostled by the movement as she settled him in her lap. Dave climbed up beside her and clung to her arm, wrapping both hands around her left hand and trying to pull it off Dirk’s back.

“Careful, Dave,” Roxy said. “Dirk needs a lot of support when I’m holding him, he’s only a baby.” Dave frowned, but let go of her hand and let Roxy arrange Dirk more properly, his head leaning against her chest and leaving her left hand free to hold Dave’s hand.

“John,” Roxy called. John had been sitting on the floor with Dirk’s toys, beaming quietly as he watched them move to the couch.  

“Yes, Roxy?” he called back.

“I think these boys have my hands occupied, would you mind reading us a story?”

“But of course!” John got to his feet and came over, standing in front of them with his hands on his hips. He really did have some proper dad energy, especially with the light stubble that he’d allowed to grow on his cheeks and chin. “What kind of book should we read?”

“Pigeon!” Dave shouted.

Roxy could feel Dirk flinch in her arms.

“Indoor voice, sweetheart,” Roxy told Dave quietly, stroking Dave’s arm and rocking Dirk back and forth to sooth them both. Two kids was a lot of work: she was very glad that she wasn’t a mother to both of them. Even if Dirk was very sweet, and she wouldn’t mind babysitting once in a while. She was sure that John felt the same about Dave: the two of them seemed to have had a lot of fun building the lego together. “Don’t scare the baby.”

Dirk relaxed again at those words, and Roxy held him a little closer. It was unexpectedly intimate, this age. John had talked about diapers and how they both felt like it brought them closer together, but even the experience of holding Dirk while he was this vulnerable felt dangerous, like touching a live wire, yet insanely comfortable at the same time. Where the two feelings met was what Roxy thought of as intimacy.

John was still standing in front of them, and Roxy realized that she would have to tell him what Dave meant.

“It’s on the second shelf under the TV, far right,” she said. “Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus. Have you read it?”

“We don’t read very much,” John shrugged as he went for the shelf and started flipping through kid’s books. “We have a couple board books and Dr. Seuss but Dirk prefers TV before bed instead of a story.”

“I’m not allowed TV before bed,” Dave said accusatorily, and John glanced at Roxy with clear panic.

“That’s because Dirk’s daddy doesn’t take care of you,” Roxy said. “I wouldn’t allow Dirk any TV before bed either, but his daddy gets to decide that.”

Dave thought that over for a bit.

“Can John be my babysitter maybe?” he suggested. “And then I could watch TV before bed?”

“We’ll talk about it sometime,” Roxy laughed. “He’s got his own little one to look after, just like I have you. But if you’re having a good time, we’ll try to get together more.”

“Yeah!” Dave settled onto the couch properly as John came back with the requested book held in both hands. “More time with Dirk and John is good.”

“I agree,” said Roxy, resting her cheek against Dirk’s soft hair as John flipped to the first page and prepared to start reading. “It’s nice to have a bit of company.”

[popculturebuffet]

Animaniacs: King Yakko Review (Comission by BlahDiddy)

Hello my beautiful technicolor rainbow! It’s time for Animaniacs, and while there is no balonga in my slacks there is one last christmas review for my friend to finish up, and after two visits to Acme Lab for the spinoff we’re finishing up with a look at Animaniacs proper.  Suprisingly for a show that stands so easily on it’s own it’s existance is entirely thanks to another show: Tiny Toon Adventures, which had largely the same staff, including ep and co-creator stephen speilberg and Todd Ruegger, who was brought aboard from A Pup Named Scooby Doo. Since TIny Toon was a colossal hit with tons of awards and merch, including some very good video games I wish Warner would find a way to re-release, I mean.. come on if disney can rerelease the disney afternoon games (If...not..for..switch), and LIon King and Aladdin games (If somehow FOR switch), then Warner, which has it’s own game stuido no less, can put together a collection of the good Tiny Toons games when the new show comes out soon. 

Point is it was a mass sucess and Warner Bros likes money, so they had Speilberg try to get Rutger to come up with another show for the two of them to do, something with name value. Rutger found his inpsiration when seeing the iconic warner water tower and taking some platypus characters, came up with our heroes and the rest is history.. well okay he retooled them from plataups’ to early looney tunes and other toons style characters minus the racisim of say bosko the tall ink kid but still, the rest after that is history. And the rest of this review is after the cut

The show was, and KINDA still is, a variety show: taking a page from looney tunes, as well as tex avery’s other work, the crew decided rather than just focus on the warners, to instead create a whole cast with various ensembles to work with so we got Pinky and the Brain, The Goodfeathers, Rita and Runt,  the Hip HIppos, Katie Kaboom, Chicken Boo, and my personal faviorite Slappy Squirrel.. and the bane of my existance, Buttons and Mindy.. or rather Mindy’s Mom. The kid did nothing wrong.  So naturally the first thing Animaniacs related I cover.. is an episode entirely breaking from format for one 20 something minute Warners cartoon. I do intend to do more animanics stuff in the future, so i’ll hopefully get a chance to talk about everyone, I just feel unlike with say house of mouse most people reading this probably know who they all are, and I can save any deep dives for if I cover the characters specifically. Spoilers: there’s probably never going to be a buttons and mindy deep dive unless someone tourtues me by paying for it. 

So with that out of the way, we can dive into the episode.. which I won’t be covering in my usual recap it point by point because the writers have freely admitted that��s not what Animaniacs is about. While some of i’ts SEGMENTS are more story based like Pinky and the Brain, Goodfeathers and Rita and Runt, most are just based on simple set ups to reams and reams of gags. And I love it. I grew up with this stuff not just Tiny Tunes and Animaniacs but the classic Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and Droopy shorts. 

Their well timed, well executed feats of comedy and most have aged pretty well.. emphasis on MOST. I’m keenly aware why there are several gaps in the shorts for both Tom and Jerry and The Looney Tunes on HBO Max, including all of the Pepe LePew and Speedy Gonzalez shorts. Also all of Droopy is missing. 

My grumblin aside though, it is VERY NICE to have all the classic Warner and Tom and Jerry shorts at my fingertips and it was one of the biggest selling points of Max for me. Last year I gained an intrest in the old disney theatrical shorts, hence my various birthday specials, so I BADLY wanted to revisit the theatrical shorts I grew up with. And honestly.. Max is the best way to do that: their in crisp hd, in neat season collections (Though the Looney Tunes one is better sorted, tom and jerry’s seasons are just.. random smatterings of shorts across various eras), and most importantly EVERY SHORT they felt comfortable with putting up there is on there. Every. Single. One.  I make a big deal about this because Disney.. has only maybe 30-40 of their hundreds of shorts on there. Now lucky for me the vast majority are still on youtube and I get why some really arne’t suitable.. we probably don’t need the donald duck short where he prepares to shoot a penguin in the face or the Goofy short where his own reflection, the goofy equilvent of tyler durden I guess?, keeps saying “Hey Fat” to him. And yes BOTH of these actually happened. But.. there’s MANY shorts with no clear excuse why their absent like the triplets first apperance, gus’ only apperance, and one a friend told me about.. that time mickey built a robot to box a gorillia. Again not making this up, just wondering why you can’t restore the rest of these for plus. They’ve ADDED shorts ocasionally, but it still dosen’t make a whole lot of sense to just.. not have them all up there. and to not put them in some sorta collection for easier consumption but hey it’s Disney. They either full ass things or half ass it. There is no middle ground.  Point is Warner.. actually cares about their heritage in shorts and honors it and thus has everything avaliable in the best quality, so tha’ts nice.

My point after that detour is I really love this kind of humor, and now as an adult I can see the effort the timing, pacing and character chemistry these shorts had takes. And Rugger and co.. they got it. They got it down perfect. And this episode is a great show of that and just how they barely updated this format for the 90′s. But as I said it’s more about the jokes and basic setup, our heroes are slotted into x scenario and just left to run wild. It’s been the basic seutp for looney tunes, tom and jerry and all the gag based greats, and it works perfectly here. Sure there’s some setting and continuity with the warner lot, scratch n sniff, ralph, plotz and in the reboot Rita, but it’s mostly just our heroes go up against “X asshole” and it just works. 

And that’s.. entirley what this episode is. The short is an homage to the graucho marx film Duck Soup, which given the warners were based on the marx brothers that isn’t a huge suprise, a film like brian’s song I have not seen, but genuinely want to. The basic setup is the same: An underqualified womanizer, though since htis is Yakko it dosen’t get past hitting on his chancelor, played by hello nurse, constantly, which is still.. ewwwww... but clearly not the same thing, becomes king of a small nation and ends up at war with another country. There were spies and other stuff in the original short but that was left out to streamline things.  But this homage stands on it’s own fine: The basic plot is this: Yakko, due to being a distant relative and the last one alive, becomes king of the small happy and very musical, as the wonderful opening number shows, country of Anvilania, which makes anvils and why yes there is one MASSIVE anvil gag as a result at the end. Yakko says he’ll try his best and geninely tries to with the shenanigans you’d expect, including Dot not gettnig Polka Dot’s are a thing and instead taknig any mention of it as a sign to polka, Yakko again hitting on his colleague and wanting ot get a new anthem because the current one by “Perry Coma’ puts people to sleep. Honeslty that gag didn’t do it for me: Partly because I genuinely know next to nothing about Como and he’s far past my generation.. and because despite this, SCTV did a MUCH better Perry Como gag over a decade before this episode that while still left me baffled as to why anyone cared about mocking him, was 80 times funnier and felt far less like you needed to know who he was to be funny. 

That being said it’s one of only three running gags, and jokes period that didn’t land for me. The other ones being the hello nurse bits, because it’s aged really badly to have Yakko harass one of his employees and his age is hte only thing that keeps it from scuttling the episode as he’s just 13 or 14. Maybe 15. 

So SO glad I now have that on hand whenever i need it. The other being the “Your highness” joke as it just.. dosen’t make much sense and isn’t very funny. But that’s it: a refrence i specfically don’t get and I doubt most of you will, and if you do fine we all have our frames of refrences, a joke that’s dated very poorly, and one that just.. didn’t land. And even then the Perry Coma thing’s third use to knock out the opposing army DID work for me as did the VERY clever joke of “Sire” “Maybe later”, so even the weaker bits still had some legs.  But getting back to what little plot there is the king of the rival country, upon hearing this, assumes he can easily intimidate a child into giving him the throne and goes to a royal reception. Instead, as you’d expect, the Warners mistake him for a party clown, show him no respect and fail to take his delcration of war seriously, and while in a REALLY great gag, and the reason i’m not doing a strict summary is 90% of the review would be me saying something to that effect, Yakkos’ call to action for his troops ends up having them all run off in fear, the Warners take out the army as noted above and then in one of the most GLORIOUS climaxes in the series history...

 In which the Warners give the bad guy “all the anvils” as he requested. I sadly coulnd’t find a clip of it but seek it out if you got hulu, my words can’t do it justice as they hit him with anvil after anvil in increasingly clever and insane ways till the guy finally gives up and it .. is glorious.  Other highlights not already mentioned include: The opening song, the bad guy dictator from the other nation not being able to hear because of his helmet and his attendee having to lift it, leading to Yakko taking off his helmet just to end the “what’ running gag, Yakko’s bit explaning his distant relation and more.  So yeah not a ton to say on this one. It’s a very good, very funny episode but also very typical of a warner cartoon in structure, just stretched over 22 or so minutes. As I said with few exceptions the jokes work, the anmation is crisp as always, and the climax is one of the series best. A crisp, quick watch and a nice quick review after a week of with some really tough ones behind me and ahead of me and a month of rather large ones a few weeks out. So yeah if you like animaniacs, even ifyou’ve seen this one worth a watch, if you have any more animaniacs you’d like me to take a look at feel free to comment or comission and until the next rainbow..

[unabashedrebel]

Give us a headcanon about your muse that you never shared to anyone else or wanting to explore deeper.

What a difficult question. Mostly because you know, have a toon for nearly a decade and you tend to check many things off your wishlist.

I think something about Kirollis in specific that I’ve always had in my hand but never actually played off of is actually his backstory. I know, I know, ‘what are you talking about Kiro, his backstory lays the foundation. You talk about it a lot’. Well yes, sort of, his backstory is insanely fleshed out and regularly comes to mess with his present. But you know what I really havent written for him? Origin stories.

I never went back and was like ‘well yeah I say Kirollis was abused as a child a lot’ but the sheer facts of it is it’s probably not in ways you expect. The things I have in my head about how he was both psychologically and physically tortured at a young age and grew up thinking it was -normal- because it was all he knew growing up until he met Nelah. I never dig into that. I never dig into what an absolutely awful life Kirollis had when his parents were still alive and why he hates them as much as he does (Spoiler alert: it’s not solely for killing Nelah).

I think those would be interesting things to dive into. The closest I ever got was doing a flashback of Kirollis blunder of a first assassination target. But to really dig into the Duskhaven family has been a long time coming. It maaaaaaay be what I end up running with in Shadowlands.

Idk I’m just thinking about those origins stories I did for Korr and how great they were and how fun they were to dive into. I can’t imagine a character like Kirollis with such a deep and rich history wouldn’t be a blast to kind of take that route with.

Thanks @stonestridernerd !

[vintagegeekculture]

Are there any "geek retro" things that you think are dangerously close to be forgotten by time, even with the internet?

Too many to even begin to answer. I guess my entire blog could be the answer to this question! 

Off the top of my head,it is strange that it fell into the memory hole that part of the reason Tiny Toon Adventures closed down production was because of a furry stalker who sent death threats to the cast. That could have been a film.

What surprises me isn’t what’s forgotten (because forgetting is natural and inevitable with the passage of time), but what’s remembered. I love H.P. Lovecraft to death but I find it surprising that he is the Weird Tales guy that thundered into pop culture, simply because, as good as he was, he wasn’t super-prolific; his correspondence is enormous, but his body of work is smaller. You could read everything Lovecraft wrote in his life in one summer. Also, his work is so context dependent, “inside baseball,” with a billion little shout-outs to all his buddies like Clark Ashton Smith, that I wonder how possible it is to dive in deep and get it. Lovecraft is so big now, that he isn’t even a man anymore, he’s a word: Lovecraftian. 

Part of it is that Lovecraft (like Lord of the Rings) was rediscovered by the 1960s counterculture. Lovecraft was frequently mentioned and influential in one of the most important books of the 20th Century, “The Morning of the Magicians,” which is easily the beginning of the New Age movement.