#flashy moves

[unkstaarwysbr]

Unleashed Potential: The Lost Era of the Los Angeles Clippers

In TSDS 279, the hosts embark on a nostalgic journey to a time when the Los Angeles Clippers possessed a roster brimming with extraordinary talent, poised to revolutionize the NBA. Fondly reminiscing, they recall the likes of Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson, Lamar Odom, Elton Brand, and Sam Cassell, all of whom graced the Clippers’ lineup at one point or another. However, a tinge of…

[goosterbold]

cinderella

[mindless-maisie]

do yall think this will get people to learn how to use tags on this website

[biblically-accurate-dca]

super disorganized sketch page because i do what i want

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance Dual Style - Rising Wing

[itsbeenliketenyearsitsprettywild]

Thing to remember about Cat’s magician theme: while yes, it does imply there’s some stuff that we just won’t get to see due to it being hidden, it’s also hinting at something meant to help us:

Don’t get caught up in any misdirection.

One of the big things about this music video in particular is that there’s a lot of stuff thrown at us really fast and quick, multiple times. A bunch of busy, flashy, dramatic sequences that are sure to draw most people’s eye and theorycrafting!

But, just as a magician uses their skills to get the audience to look away from the actual trick that they’re pulling, Kazui is subconsciously pulling the same stuff on us. Like, just in considering what one of the slower sections of Cat showed us:

People have already pointed out that the guy in the wedding audience is the same man who was bartending in Half. But I think there’s even a bit more past that that Kazui’s given to us as context. Which is to say: Consider the ring on his finger and the woman behind him.

Know what other woman in Kazui’s videos we’ve seen who has brown hair and been right next to this man?

Which actually puts the bar scene from Half into a completely different context.

The picture above wasn’t Kazui cheating on his wife: it was him getting to know the woman his childhood friend was going to marry. 

By having their meeting in a casual setting, with both Kazui and her sitting right up next to the bar where the guy was working, all three of them would get to talk and hang out when things weren’t too busy. And when things did get busy, Kazui and this man’s future bride would be easy to check up on via a quick look down the bar counter, with alcohol as an added social relaxant so things would hopefully never get too tense and awkward. With all this in mind, I think it’s really important we consider the art of misdirection when looking through the rest of Kazui’s Cat video: If our attention is being drawn to something in particular, look at everything else first.  That’s gonna be how we crack through Kazui’s shell and get to the truth.

[bornnraisedinsilenthill]

I understand people who are disappointed in Dragon Age’s lack of darkness in the newer games.

Yes, it was funny, quirky and stupid. Always was and hopefully always will be.

But what I see most people missing, is how dark Origins could be and how little impact the dark stuff in Inquisition had. Example:

When you meet Hespith in Origins and learn about broodmother’s, it rightfully freaks you out. The gore lying on the floor, the poem being recited in the background and the realisation of what had happened, what has to happen to create a broodmother, all perfectly made to present the twisted shape of the enemy to you and add a vitality to your rise against the blight. It adds together almost beautifully to create the most horrifying quest in the entire game.

(I will not add a picture of the scene here, because Hespith’s haunted face genuinely unsettles me. Her face alone manages to encapsulate the horror of this scene.)

In Inquisition you fall into the fade and into the lair of an overpowered fear demon. Fear demon, whose purpose is to torture you with your nightmares. It is the perfect quest to go wild with the horror aspects, that built the Dragon Age games. To build up an unsettling atmosphere, so that the enemy and the setting could pay off on the idea. To have the demon torment you, perhaps isolate you, and haunt every player who replays the game. Instead the demon kind of roasts your companions.

This was merely the example that bothered me the most, as I played the quest, hoped for a lot and was left a little underwhelmed. It hurts especially after the quest, wherein you’re sent forth in time. That one used its’ darkness to give your Inquisitor a taste of the future, should the enemy succeed.

Similar games, like the Witcher or Baldurs Gate, are able to balance the light and darkness in equal measure. Sure, you get drunk with your Witcher buddies, but you will always rethink your choice to free or not to free the demon under the tree, to save or not to safe the children from the bog. It makes you understand Geralt’s decision to stay away from most choices. Sure, the sexy vampire is sexy, but also suffers from how he was used as a sexual object by his former master and how you can do the same. It makes you rethink your own actions and understand Astarion better.

When Solas tells you, that he is Fen’Harel, it was given all the buildup it needed and will forever be, in my opinion, one of the best plot twists in history. It makes you replay the game, analyse his dialogue and analyse him. I merely wish the rest of the game and its’ quests be treated with the same amount of importance and care. Because yes, Dragon Age is goofy, but that is not all it is. And we’re right to worry, that it may have lost its’ dark moments and with it its’ depth, as honestly tell me, how much did you find the side quest, especially the ones in the Hinterlands, in Inquisition interesting?

I want the Evanuris to make the impact they deserve to make in the world, story and the player. I want the story to not only give me a fun time, but to leave a certain darkness and sadness in it, to make the fun moments shine so much more. I do not want to play the game and find, that it lost its’ charm, because it was too afraid to tell a deep story and too interested in making money. I do not want to play a game of a beloved franchise, to find it hurting the name of the others, that came before.

[demigod-of-the-agni]

The funniest thing about the Sohm Al dungeon is that when I did it for the first time I did it with the NPC party- Ysayle, Alphinaud, and Estinien. It was all going swell but I, a dragoon main, CONSTANTLY found myself trying to outdo Estinien??

like GIRL calm down he's just an NPC 😭 what's he gonna do, gloat about how he's going to kill all the dragons and pull out all the stops and use all the limit breaks?

...

HE FUCKING USES THE LIMIT BREAKS

THE LITTLE SHIT

AS SOON AS WE FILL ALL THE BARS HE JUST SAYS SHIT LIKE "TASTE MY LANCE" AND WHIPS OUT THE LIMIT BREAK AND I'M THROWING MYSELF HEADFIRST INTO THE GROUND SCREAMING BECAUSE YOU BASTARD I WAS GOING TO USE THAT ON THE FINAL BOSS

[20dollarlolita]

Definitely not the most coherent or coordinated coord, but I made that skirt in 2014 or 2015 out of things found at an estate sale. Total cost was $1.25. It's got a very special place in my budget lolita heart. I also love that I have handmade items that are approaching 10 years old now and that I still can wear.

If I wasn't absolutely exhausted, I'd probably wear a blouse instead of a cutsew, but I wanted the comfort and the ability to move freely. I also just watched Kamikaze Girls, and was inspired by Momoko's white headbow. Didn't work out quite right, but I can assure you that no one at the mall food court seemed to care.

There's a weird element of being both physically disabled and having a lifelong chronic mental illness that I didn't understand until recently. It's very easy for me to make exceptions for one, and not give the other the care that it deserves. Some days are like cotton, comfortable and easy to breathe, but care is needed to get the wrinkles out and make it look good. And some days are like polyester, where wrinkles aren't an issue but you might feel like you're crushed and in a trash bag.

Friend is FrilledCriminal on instagram.

[spikes-got-anger-issues]

I find it so funny that the only reason Chase can do martial arts stuff is because Billy is quite talented in martial arts. He was originally not written to do combat with martial arts, just to be the smart one

[gingermintpepper]

Day 6: Iaso

Interpretation notes and trivia under the cut!

Okay the first thing I'm going to say is I know she has a criminal lack of jewellry but I really didn't want to draw all the little baubles 😭 She's also missing her headscarf but like,,, shh, it's fine. Actually her design her is very very loose - for example the back of her two scarves should be tucked into her belt, and they should be tied off in front before flaring out again beneath her belt. Also her belt should be clip on with a silver clasp instead of a tied off sash like the greek women HOWEVER, what if I just drew her barely clothed and completely a mess? Okay? Okay mwah mwah mwah. Me committing liberal fashion faux pas aside, I think Iaso is the first true "what the hell does she have to do with the story of Hyacinthus and Apollo" character I've introduced and that makes me very happy, get used to that it will happen again. As the second child of Asclepius, Iaso has spent her life supporting her mother and chasing her father's shadow. Machaon, her older brother, has never disliked the nomadic life their family leads, travelling from place to place, lending their aid where they can and healing whatever sick and afflicted they find but Iaso has only ever wanted to fix her family - to keep her mother happy and to make her father stay with them. When the opportunity comes for her to fix it all, of course she springs for it and rushes off on her own adventure, still that little girl chasing after her father's shadow. Determined, upbeat and kind of precocious, Iaso's the sort of girl to take her fate into her own hands, for better or for worse.

Some assorted trivia:

Has never met her grandfather and doesn't actually care much about being the granddaughter of the Radiant. The only members of her paternal family that she's familiar with are Artemis and Orpheus. Artemis because she frequented Asclepius' home when dealing with The Hippolytus Incident and Orpheus because all of the children, even the twins, know Uncle Orpheus.

Despite her skill with healing and ingenuity when it comes to administering and refining medicinal receipes, she doesn't want to be a doctor and very much wishes she had the freedom to be something else. Hasn't had time to have a hobby but she thinks she'd like horseback riding.

Extremely good runner and fantastic at concocting poisons. Surprisingly hardy and due to handling home affairs for so long as Epione was usually busy for long hours in the healing tent, can haggle and cook with the best of them.

Routinely pilfers a lot of the jewellry Machaon inherited from their father and is especially fond of the bronze snake anklet Asclepius wore on his wedding day. It was originally given to Machaon in the hopes that it would help him find a bride but considering Machaon hasn't yet told his father that he has no interest in such a pursuit, the boy passed the bronze snake to Iaso who wears it religiously. She even says a charm spell each day just in case she finds her special someone while on the road!

Thinks the current world without the Radiant is beautiful enough and that people will ultimately perservere even if the god of light never returns. She hopes her father can understand that divine matters should be left to the gods and that his priority should be the family he built with his own two hands and not his paternal family who can never seem to agree on anything.

Favourite colour is the greenish-yellow of olive oil, favourite season is the lingering fall. Her favourite food is her mother's menemen (without onion).

[steelthroat]

Actually... anti-stress aqueeze toys are a game changer AND if they're hard enough you're also keeping your hands and arms trained.

Why have I snobbed them when I was in middle school???? Or during the last five years???? Fuck that I won't make the same mistake again. I have 3 new allies against Uni shenanigans.

*SQUEEZE*

[derryonair]

Chat do you guys think they’re a toxic yuri couple

[voievod]

After looking at several possible references for what could Vlad’s kılıç look like, I finally made up my mind and crafted a particular idea. Therefore, let me introduce you to Vlad’s weapon of choice:

Even though the general rule on how to differentiate between the Turkic and Persian scimitars is that the Persian shamshir has that perfect deep curve while the Ottoman kılıç is straighter and has a flaring tip near the end of the blade, even these two can be mistaken for one another because they might be curved to a varying degree or with a less pronounced tip. However, Vlad’s kılıç is definitely one of the finest Ottoman works, showcasing the mastery of sword-making of that time.

Therefore, his would have the perfect, standard shape — the slightly curved and broader handle to fit his grip nicely, a straight blade that curves upwards into the wider yalman (the flared tip). It has a single edge except for the yalman which is double-edged, allowing to harm the opponent by a flick. I do think his yalman would be much more pronounced than it is on the picture, maybe something like this. I also think the guard would be wider, for his own comfort.

The Ottoman sword-making was pretty famous for personalisation of the blades — the owners usually had quotes from Qur’an on them, Mehmed’s ceremonial sword is a good example of that (more on his sword soon!). Because Vlad was not a Muslim, he obviously wouldn’t have that, but I still think he would have a soft pattern engraved on the steel, something like on the picture above. He definitely values practicality, so the pattern would be more on the subtle side.

Despite having inherited his father’s two-handed sword (allegedly made from the finest Toledo steel and given to him by King Sigismund), Vlad prefers the Ottoman kılıç over any of the European swords. This reason is a very practical and pragmatic one — because he was raised by the Turks from his ten years and spent time there until he turned eighteen (with roughly ten months of that period being back in Wallachia), a period during which he was most intensely trained for fighting, he simply grew accustomed to the Ottoman way of fighting and use of weapons. Unlike the Europeans, the Ottomans had a very dynamic fighting style in terms of movement, and their weapons were an extension of that fluidity.

The physical training is what he always enjoyed greatly, and so he naturally picked up the style he was rigourously trained in. When he becomes an active warrior, that is the type of fighting that comes naturally to him, like an instinct. Kılıç is the weapon he is accustomed to and is masterful at wielding — whenever he tries to train with a straight two-handed sword, it feels clumsy in his hands and slows down the instinctive fluidity he needs in his movement.

[gofancyninjaworld]

OPM Manga Update 230 Review: Updates

Summary

This is the sort of chapter we've not had in too long: the sort that zips along, catching us up on what's been happening. Finally, the long, dark nightmare of Tatsumaki's tantrum begins to fade. (No, it's not that it's that bad, but 2 chapters would have been plenty).

We start with Flashy Flash trying to find God. No, Manako, who's the next best thing to God. By asking monsters. He's getting nowhere fast, which is anathema to our speedster so he decides to enlist Saitama's help, after he polishes him up. Because what Saitama truly needs in his life is a random drop-in master.

Anyway, on we go. Much less inflated, in both ego and body, we have Tank Top Master. He has finally worked off the fat (phat?) boost that Fubuki gave him. He misses the strength it came with but the rest of the gym like s him back to his old shape. Speaking of the reset, there aren't many Tank Toppers left: many have retired in the wake of the Monster Association showdown. Tank Top Rockabilly starts to curse their cowardice, but Tank Top Master stops him, pointing out that what mattered were those who still showed up. Besides he had a feeling about tank tops -- and on cue, three C-Class heroes come in to sign up as new recruits.

Also in a gym but much less happily, we see Super Alloy Darkshine trying to do what he's done so many times before: work off his insecurity. It isn't doing much for him, and, as he peels off his shirt, we see the livid scars left on his torso and hands. He reflects that he simply cannot quell the fear he feels at the rethought of fighting again. We close out this scene with Captain Mizuki watching him with concern.

The camera moves again (yes, yes, I know -- bear with me; there's method to my madness) and we watch the biggest, fuzziest chick mascot you ever did see help little children cross the road safely. Yes, it's Phoenixman, or Chick Man as he's now known. He catches sight of Child Emperor across the road and the two repair to a cafe. He explains to a very wary Child Emperor that even though he's no longer a chick-sized man, but a man-sized chick, his powers haven't returned and he ekes out a living doing good. Kids love him! It's not too bad at the moment, so what does Child Emperor want with him? Child Emperor wastes no time getting to the point: he wants to know what the monster knew about the bad things happening at the HA, and how.

Feels like just a few days ago since we left Monster Chick Man cheeping in the rubble -- don't they grow fast? Speaking of fast-growing things, we have a problem in City Y. Yes, this is the city where Child Emperor has his lab -- looks like he's too busy interrogating monsters to look after his patch, and in his absence, we have an invasion of trees. Sentient moving trees announcing their divine purpose to restore the Earth's soils to their former fertility -- by using people as fertilizer. We see three heroes trying to cut them down (or blow them up), setting up a smokescreen to confuse the monsters but they're quickly snared by the tree roots. It looks bad, but then Tank Top Master and several of his Tank Toppers come barging through. Tank Top Master urges the heroes not to sit there but to join them in their charge. They charge forward, sending tree monsters flying and it's all looking good until...

...obscured by the smoke, they run straight into the Forest King himself. The monster wastes no time picking up the heroes and, starting to squeeze the lives out of them, announces the arrival of new fertilizer.

Of course, a hero always knows how to pick their moment, and in that moment, all the plant life in the boulevard, even the vines choking the buildings disappear in a flash. Out of that smoke appears a very familiar silhouette. Declaring himself satisfied with Dr Kuseno's work, Genos tells the monster and heroes that he wants a new spar with Saitama (talk about non-useful information!) But first, he had some trash to get rid of. And that is the end of the Forest King, gone too fast to be worth panelling.

We close with a very excited Genos showing his nice new parts to Saitama, who appears to just about have noticed there's something different about his disciple again.

Correction: we close to the Tank Toppers working out frantically to catch up to machine power. Can't call Tank Top Master a quitter.

Meta below the cut.

Meta: So much to catch up on

You know, I was happy to see Flashy Flash looking for Manako... at least until I heard his reasons for it. If he'd protested to someone that he was just looking for her as a witness too valuable to let some random hero kill, I'd have smiled and called him tsundere. As this is him musing to himself, I'm much less reassured. There's something I find deeply untrustworthy about that ninja.

People are like tea bags: you never know how strong they are until they're in hot water

Another chapter, another hero group, another shakedown. Earlier, we had seen the Blizzard Group shaken down to the few members who truly believed in what Fubuki did and were willing to seek to grow stronger in their own rights rather than just propping her ego up. This time, we're seeing a shakedown of the Tank Toppers. The good thing about the Tank Top Army is that with its policy of hard work, wearing tank tops, and just doing one's best, it's not as politically scheming as the Blizzard group and has the advantage that people there really do want to work together to do some good. However, a lot of them have also been hiding behind a Class S hero to get points (and wins) easily. With the long night of the Monster Association raid and all it pulled out of them, it looks like many have honestly looked at themselves and realised that they aren't going to be able to give the world what it needs. Tank Top Master respecting that a hero can only give what they can and letting them leave without rancour or ill word is a real credit to the man.

I've seen Tank Top Master called the Mumen Rider of the S-Class. I don't know if I'd go that far, but he's certainly the sort of guy one could describe as having no side. He's very much of the what-you-see-is-what-you-get persuasion. I loved how he shone in the Monster Association raid. For me the single most impressive thing was him cutting through Mumen Rider's self-deprecating routine and making him the de facto leader of the local rescue operation. And Mumen rose to the occasion without question. Tank Top Master really does know how to pull the best out of people.

This chapter is no exception when he refuses to berate the heroes who have been trapped by the tree monsters and urges them to get up and press on. Life is been tough for Tank Top Master, but heroism isn't measured in wins and losses: it's not a game, but a belief in doing the right thing whatever the odds. I would like things to go well for him sooner rather than later, but as long as his tank top is strong, let's watch him and cheer him on.

It's all in how you see it

Something that's too big and too long a topic to deal with here is the role of the subjective in One-Punch Man. ONE did set out to make OPM not a story with a single definitive narrative, but rather one told through multiple viewpoints, and it seems to exist at all levels of the story. Even the idea of a person turning into a monster is based on that person's subjective view of themselves and their place in the world. So it shouldn't be surprising that there appears to be a lot of characters with body image problems, one shown most graphically by Darkshine. Whether the scars on his body are as livid as they appear to him to a third party is irrelevant: to him, they're there, and all the trauma and shock of having the skin he trusted to keep his fragile self safe being breached is right there in front of him. His donning a t-shirt so as not to see it in the gym mirror is painful to see indeed.

I'd love to say something about Phoenixman/Chick Man but it escapes me for now. In the meantime, I have only questions. How the hell did he grow back to man-size so fast? What exactly has happened to him to so comprehensively depower him? Why is he able to be accepted as a mascot in society? Are there no background checks? Like Child Emperor, I find myself very curious but not one whit trusting.

Back to the grind

I'm not going to say Genos is back. He's been around in the aftermath of the Monster Association raid, helping Saitama find their old apartment, terrorizing the Hero Association, and just hanging out. He's appeared in reasonably good spirits and decent health, and yet, this is a return of sorts. It's more like he's come off sick leave and returned to work.

I know people like to pretend to know nothing for argument's sake, but if you've ever burned wood, you know that wet wood is not easy (or advisable to burn): you need dry wood to get a fire going. Living wood is 60% water and takes a lot of energy, such that to get a forest fire you need high temperatures, prolonged dry weather conditions, and a lot of dry underbrush to keep the fire going… and even there many trees don't burn fully. So for a forest of living trees to not just burn up but to be ASHED in a flash, like they're made of gun cotton speaks to a truly terrifying power.

I'm unsurprised that Genos can do that, and crush a dragon-level monster like it's a bug -- it's been clear he's got the power for a while but it's nice to see him consolidate his hard-won gains.

That said… what the heck is he so keen to show Saitama? I have no idea what Genos thinks he's got to show Saitama that will impress the latter. If nobody else knows, he knows the absurd heights of power from which Saitama looks down on the world. He knows too that Saitama sees him and thinks well of him. And yet he's eager to spar him. Okay, kid. Just don't embarrass yourself, that's all I'm asking.

[occasionaltouhou]

today in reimu’s adventures, there is a dragon