#he goes through every stage of grief 7 times during every game

[tylerpitlicktruther]

💕😮goofy game faces😗💕

[fallingin-like]

november 16

l’amour parle en fleus by @scribbleb-red [requested by @fuzzballsheltiepants]

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post! 

this is a wonderful and heartbreaking fic that deals with grief and the beauty of life. it is soft and sweet, while dealing with hard topics and loss. this fic is incomplete.

disclaimer: i reviewed this fic when it had 7 chapters, so no comments on chapter 8. sorry!

this fic was stunning and i was blown away by your amazing descriptions and imagery. everything is so vivid and feels real. i was so interested in the little pieces of andrew and neil’s stories and how they pieced together to bring them to this story.

parts that stood out to me:

”he had cut himself free of the roots of his past and planted new ones, blooming in a country that should never have belonged to him, yet matched the varying shades of his soul” wow, this is such a beautiful beginning to the story, the wording you used makes it read like poetry, especially the last part of the sentence

”not on that sun-drenched afternoon” oh this is wonderful

”bruises had stiffened his face into a mask” i love the way that you wrote this

it breaks my heart to see how affected andrew is by aaron’s death. although he tries his best to show it outwardly, andrew gave up so much of himself to protect aaron

ooh the house/property you’ve described sounds so nice. do you have something specific (like an existing house) that you’re referencing?

”maybe he’d make it a challenge to sleep in all of them” whatamood andrew

”the air was clean and full of grass, as if it had only ever been breathed by wild things” oh, this is so nice

cats! sounds like a dream, to be in a bnb and find out they have cats

it sounds like fun to read a book that someone has annotated. so much that you can learn about them through how they react to the events in the novel in comparison to what you feel or think

”liked how steady and quiet king was, how sir vocalised every time they wanted something” love that you had andrew highlight these characteristics, it seems very in character

”the sound of footsteps approaching an unlockable door” EXCUSE ME DID YOU THINK YOU COULD JUST SLIDE THIS IN AFTER “a number plate, a smile, a mist rising over a river” AND THINK I WOULD NOT NOTICE. LIKE IT’S NOT A DEVASTATING SENTENCE.

”his was a skull full of a thousand momento mori. aaron was just the latest” woah what a powerful two sentences

how cute that andrew keeps all of neil’s notes! sounds like something i would do haha

ohmygoodness neil singing is bringing me back to my french classes from a long long time ago (i can remember enough to kind of work out the english translations loool)

”because worst of all, nathaniel never seemed to notice him back. it rankled… didn’t the idiot care that he was killing the world over with that voice?” yeah okay andrew, you keep thinking that’s the reason you hate that neil doesn’t notice you.

woah you descriptions of the outside is absolutely gorgeous. the colours, descriptions, and imagery are so wonderful and overwhelming and beautiful. i get so lost in the sheer volume of it all, i forget about andrew’s anger (as i’m sure he also does, a little)

andrew picking up his cigarette butt is so lovely and fitting for this section of the story

AH IT’S NEIL

”and, as the folds of material were plucked at by the wind’s childish fingers, andrew followed the sharp lines of his collarbones, the smattering of freckles, strangely warped and wefted flesh” I LOVE THIS. the wording you used is absolutely amazing

NEIL HAS PIERCINGS AND HE KEEPS LAVENDER IN THEM THIS IS THE BEST

oh, the story of aaron giving andrew his hat is so soft, such a wonderful thing shared between the two of them. it’s so small, but for us who know how much of a struggle everything is with them, a constant push and pull, it’s everything.

neil’s loft sounds so nice, how did you come up with this idea?

also prickly neil is great, i love that you have this shortly after andrew goes to touch a plant and gets pricked because of it

”a stab of hatred lanced through andrew’s stomach, white-hot, easy. sweat rolled down the centre of his back, a sour coating filled the back of his throat” ahh your descriptions are so so good

”andrew replied, popping the ‘p’ like an eyeball under a thumb.” exCUSE ME LIKE WHAT??

also i am very much a fan of neil being super strong

uhhHHHH neil has a tongue piercing?? i think andrew actually vapourized in that moment

orange! tractor! adorable!

”apathy, his brain supplied, the opposite of anger, the inverse of hate” oh this is interesting. i guess i always automatically thought of love, but when i think of this, it seems so right. hate, anger are such strong emotions, overtaking everything, making it hard to think, feeling so so much, but the absence of that feeling? oh

”and neil was leaning forward, plucking the cigarette from andrew’s fingers and taking a drag, smoke spilling between his teeth when he grinned a grin like a knife blade. andrew felt it in his gut” !!! this!!!

”addiction left people brittle. left them dry as kindling and just as easy to burn” woah

i really cannot handle these boys

NEIL IS MISSING PART OF HIS FINGER, OH MY GOODNESS I AM LOSING IT HERE. 

amazing bit about the garden, never thought about it that way. it’s so true

honestly, there is just so so much to unpack. love your description of the buzzing andrew is feeling, i really like hearing andrew’s thought process, how everything turns back to aaron, love the way that, even now, he can read neil so well

THE TWINYARD EMBRACE. THE WAY THEY HOLD EACH OTHER. “‘you killed him,’ andrew said. ‘you killed her,’ replied aaron.” THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THEY HAVE PROTECTED EACH OTHER. THE BEGINNING OF JOINT THERAPY. THEY WAY THAT THEY SLOWLY LEARN TO LOVE EACH OTHER IN A WAY THAT’S MORE HEALTHY.

ahhhhh andrew talking to neil? this is so so good to see his progress, to see how he’s working through his grieving

oh boy, loving the little rivalry that eduard brings, the kind of tension heh

this town/market sounds amazing, so beautiful

IN THE GAME. OH DANG EDUARD YOU ARE NOT THE FARMER BOY WHO HAS THE HOTS FOR NEIL THAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE

”’well… like an american,’ said neil, like it explained everything. and it did, like a fire hissing out in the rain, andrew felt his shoulders relax, his ire cool” ahh so nice.

”because neil was so much give, when andrew needed to take” oh this is so interesting!

”neil shouldn’t be allowed to just vanish” AHH

”andrew shouldn’t have lashed out, sneered at neil’s story and spot on his honesty” NOOO ANDREW WHY

”his scars were the noughts to andrew’s crosses” oh this is so nice (like, not nice, but you know)

woah it’s really interesting hearing neil’s story while also having andrew’s commentary available with his knowledge from school. to see the personal side of it and also what was portrayed to the public

as much as i love neil with long curly hair, him with a buzzed look has me interested. paired with his cheekbones and his eyes, woahhhhh

”it looked like he’d been bled of life, colours fading until he became a negative of himself or an older version of the hollow-eyed teenager from the newspapers all those years ago.” i think this is my favourite sentence of this fic so far. makes me hurt.

AARON USED TO CALL ANDREW A TURNIP THAT IS SO ADORABLE I WANT PEOPLE TO CALL ME TURNIP (wait i just looked up what it means and although it is true i have no brains i was thinking in an affectionate way. turnips look really cute and are tiny lol)

ahhh neil in his bed in the barn during the storm ;-;

i love how you incorporated consent into andrew anchoring neil from his panic with the hand on his neck

ohmygoodness i cannot believe that neil has a PALMETTO HOODIE WITH A NAME AND NUMBER ON IT AH

”they took long walks through the fields and along the mountain paths, navigating the rocky terrain of andrew’s grief and neil’s jagged history that came so painfully close to intertwining with andrew’s own” oh this is such a beautiful sentence

NEIL HAS WATCHED ANDREW’S INTERVIEWS EXCUSE ME WHAT THAT IS SO CUTE

”he caught his reflection in the mirror and saw only himself” THIS IS AMAZING. what a transition that we get to see andrew experience

”for months andrew’s mind was a jagged thing, not knowing what he wanted or what he needed” !!

ooh love the acknowledgement that younger andrew would have denied his feelings but he’s more mature now and is more in tune with his emotions and wants!! amazing

”dinner with neil was an abundant thing. odd choice of word, but it was the only way andrew could describe it” it is an odd choice, but at the same time i think i understand it?

oh. andrew’s dream of aaron in the field. it’s so sad and soft and makes me feel blurry around the edges. what a contrast to the evening with neil. i like it though. you don’t just get over grieving. it gets better and it gets worse. it comes back again and again, even when you think it will not return. “wait for me. wait for me” i love what this adds, it feels so right

”andrew pressed every lane and shady square between the pages of his memory” so wonderful

PARLE EN FLEURS. EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE NOW.

woah aaron’s story was intense and well-told. things make a lot more sense now.

love that andrew sends nicky pictures to show everything, to share without words. they have such a unique relationship, they both care so much but are so different in the way that they show it sometimes it clashes

”it’s not the kind of pain that can be quantified. and it will still hurt in a year, in five, in ten”

i mostly skimmed the last chapter because i know that i easily internalize the thoughts and feelings that come when people write depression. 

i love the way that you structured this fic. the chapter titles are perfect because throughout the fic we see andrew’s healing and grieving. it’s subtle, but he clearly shifts through the different stages that you include and i’m really impressed by how seamlessly you incorporated that into the fic. the fic’s focus slowly transfers from aaron to neil so naturally that you almost don’t notice it until you take a step away for a moment.

you do such a marvelous job with the descriptions of this fic, i liked so so many sentences that i could not possibly mention them all. the town and the fields and the surroundings sound so beautiful and stunning, you made everything so vibrant and alive. all the colours and textures and words that you used really established an amazing backdrop to the story you wrote.

and the story, i loved your approach to this, it’s very realistic. the interactions between andrew and neil are pure and natural and don’t seem forced. you created complicated, intricate relationships between all the characters, brought up the difficulty of expressing emotions and feelings with people, and trust that was built. i liked the way that you wrote the characters, and i adore neil with his flower piercings. thank you so much for writing this fic! i can’t wait to see what comes next!

[lordgeebsdom]

2019, a year in review: Superlative Edition

-Gareth Bill

Athlete of the year:  Lamar Jackson - QB Baltimore Ravens.  HM: Kawhi Leonard - SF Toronto/LA

Lamar Jackson came out of nowhere to light the league on fire in 2019 breaking Michael Vick’s all-time record for rushing yards by a Quarterback and redefining the position in the process.  From his five touchdown performance in Miami to being the assumed MVP, there wasn’t a week where Lamar Jackson didn’t dominate headlines and he continues to show superiority as Baltimore has secured the Number 1 seed in the AFC.  Honorable mention goes to Kawhi Leonard for producing the first ever buzzer beater in a game 7 in NBA history and for also bringing Canada their first NBA title.  Even against a Kevin Durant-less Golden State Warriors team, Leonard stepped up and delivered when it counted most.

Song of the year: Lost Lately- San Holo.  HM: Daemon Veil - EPROM & G Jones

Sander van Dijck, better known by his stage name “San Holo” surprised us with “Lost Lately” in June of this year.  A melancholic and melodic ballad of discovery and feeling “lost in aftermath of a breakup” spoke to feelings of insecurity and extends a friendly hand to those in need.  From an endearing marketing campaign featuring “lost” posters where fans could call a “helpline” to hear an exclusive sample of the song, to a music video taken straight from EDC: Bitbird executed an almost perfect build and drop for “Lost Lately.”  Great followup work to last years “Album1” and I definitely am excited about his future projects for 2020.  Honorable mention goes to the IDM monster “Daemon Veil” by EPROM and G Jones.  Plain and simple, I loved this ear worm.  There’s so much going on from the initial baseline drop to the stuttering minefield of drops and turns that follows before a calming conclusion.  Every time I hear this track, I see it too: the flying snares, the zips, zooms and wubs, the story it tells me….its captivating and satisfying.  While it isn’t as friendly for casual listening like my 2018 song of the year “Time” (also by G Jones), Daemon Veil is an IDM banger that I’ll continue to blast well into 2020 and beyond.

Album of the year: Good Faith- Madeon.  HM: Hollywood’s Bleeding - Post Malone

This was a tough call for me, there was a lot of great albums that came to us in 2019 but Madeon’s “Good Faith” stands tall above the rest.  From the initial singles of “All My Friends,” and “Dream, Dream, Dream,” to the unexpected bangers of “Miracle,” and “No Fear, No More,”: “Good Faith” makes a solid argument not just for album of the year but possibly even for the decade and I simply cannot recommend it enough.  Honorable Mention goes to “Hollywood’s Bleeding” by Post Malone.  Like many, I have thoroughly enjoyed the evolution of Post Malone from SoundCloud sensation to certified super-star, and “Hollywood’s Bleeding” continues to show us that this artist is just getting started.  I loved “Goodbyes,” “Circles,” “Sunflower,” and many other tracks on that album, and I’m confident many others did as well. Rapper, Rockstar, Soul-singer and bro: best of luck in 2020 and beyond Post, we’re all eagerly watching.

Movie of the year: Its a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.  HM: Avengers: Endgame

Easily the most contested category of the year and the hardest decision made in these superlatives.  2019 produced some awesome films but Tom Hanks’s take on Fred Rogers gave me chills that I hadn’t felt since seeing Christopher Reeve’s Superman as a child.  Like Superman, his presence among adults and children alike would universally cause awe and calm, almost god-like tranquility through security. In a year that was defined by division, unrest, cruelty, and anger: Fred Rogers reminds us that there’s still a great deal of hope for humanity, and it all starts with being a good neighbor.  Young, old and everyone in between can learn something from this deeply affecting story about humanity and connection.  Honorable mention goes to Avengers: Endgame for managing to be the only major franchise ending this year (Game of Thrones, Avengers, Star Wars) that managed to do it with a consensus BANG!  It was a 3 hour film that somehow felt like an hour and half, and when Captain America held Mjornir with every Avenger ever at his back and said “Avengers, Assemble!”, I couldn’t help but fist pump with a grin from ear to ear.  Tony Stark’s dying words of “I am Iron-Man,” gave me goosebumps and Black Widow’s death made me feel genuine loss: The Marvel Cinematic Universe managed to execute a singular plan and vision over 23 films and that is truly exceptional. 

Actor/Actress of the year: Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur/Joker.  HM: Florence Pugh - Midsommar

Joaquin Phoenix’s long anticipated and controversial performance as Joker was the best singular work I saw this year.  Authentic, gut-wrenching, thought-provoking, and anything but boring: Joker gave us the next step in comic book cinema and a new cultural icon in the process.  Arthur Fleck is a poster child for mental illness, something that currently is at the forefront of our society and gave the general public a poster child for such conditions.  Phoenix’s Joker will one day be recognized in the same light as we currently see Che: an underdog figure of resistance and revolution standing against a seemingly unstoppable status quo and inspiring the unseen masses in the process.  Honorable mention has to go to one of my new favorites in Florence Pugh and her performance as Dani in “Midsommar”.  Her pain, confusion, and ultimate triumph that unravels throughout a trip to a small village in Europe during their mid-summer festival is the stuff of “slow-burn horror” wet-dreams.  There’s a scene early on where her character has to convey immense grief after suffering a personal tragedy and I can still hear that crying in the most haunting way.  Pugh’s performance stuck with me in a year full of great ones, and I’m very excited to see her future work including “Black Widow” in May.  

Television show of the year: Watchmen- HBO.   HM: Good Omens - Amazon Prime

Watchmen blew my mind, and I the less I say about it, the better.  A continuation of the story told in my favorite book of all-time, “Watchmen” managed to tie together many loose plot threads from that story while also moving the universe forward in new and exciting ways that matched the tone of the graphic novel.  Regina King’s “Sister Night” was a complex, likable, and tragic protagonist uniquely qualified to walk us through this new chapter, and without spoiling things anymore than I already may have: YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS.  Honorable Mention goes to Good Omens on Amazon Prime.  To any familiar with the story or Neil Gaiman’s work in general, you know what to expect: deep stories, complex and likable characters, and witty dialogue that will make you pause and think or laugh feverishly in equal measure.  Its only 5 episodes, so there’s really no excuse to not dive into this one and see how the world ends…..or rather was supposed to…

Game of the year: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - PS4/XboxOne/PC. HM: Apex Legends - PS4/PC/XboxOne

From Softwares’ “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” stands tall in a year that finally saw long awaited projects like Obsidian’s “Outer Worlds” and Kojima’s “Death Stranding” get long-awaited releases.  An exciting and more stealthy evolution of the Dark Souls combat system made me feel like a real Ninja for the first time since Ninja Gaiden Black on my original Xbox.  The demanding, but fair gameplay combined with a variation of environments including haunted Japanese forests, Sengoku Temples, Palaces and gory battlefields came together to give the most complete package I played in 2019. Just don’t be too surprised if the final boss gives you problems because that f***er can almost made me break a controller.  Honorable mention goes to the game that managed to dethrone “Fortnite” as the most popular game for like a whole two months.  Respawn entertainment developed the awesome Titanfall series that I personally enjoyed and rumors had been circulating for quite awhile that they were looking to expand Titanfall into the booming genre of BR or Battle Royale.  Apex Legends is the answer to those prayers and still continues to push out new skins, content and weapons at a regular rate.  Did I mention it is also completely free to play? 

Story of the year: President Trump becomes the third President to ever be impeached 12/19

HM: Henry Nobrega wins the fucking BVN Football Fantasy Football title. 11/19

To be perfectly honest, this is the first category that really could have gone either way for me.  President Trump becoming the third President in US history to be impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of congress was massive; regardless of how you feel about President Orangutan.  His tenure as President has produced a number of newsworthy moments but this story stood out among the others for sheer importance and international embarrassment.  Speaking of embarrassment, that’s essentially what my good friend Henry’s fantasy football team has managed to be every year that I’ve played with him.  A perennial basement dweller that typically auto drafts due to some BS excuse, and a resident near the bottom of our power rankings but this year he flipped that script on its head.  He managed to draft my Athlete of the year, Lamar Jackson, and the last great white running back in Christian McCaffrey.  Not only did Henry surpass his preseason ranking of bottom, he managed to win both regular season and postseason titles and beat a solid team by Graham Heck in the process.  I got love for you bro, but I’m still perplexed on how your season managed to be as dominant as it was.  Sorry Greta Thunberg, but these stories had my jaw on the floor, maybe next year lil’ Queen.

Meme of the year: Baby Yoda of the Disney+ show “The Mandolorian” 

Was there every really a doubt here?  Baby Yoda or “The Child” as he’s known on the show is the biggest pop culture icon born on the internet in 2019.  The gap between Baby Yoda and what I considered to be an honorable mention was so wide that he will officially stand alone in this category.  Baby Yoda’s cuteness managed to melt even my stone cold heart this year and that is absolutely an achievement.  What made this creature so endearing was the universal applicability though music, sports, culture, and food: Baby Yoda was everywhere and the internet found common ground and shared meaning through sharing little graphics everywhere prominently featuring him as the centerpiece.  Well played Jon Favreau, we love this little guy and everyone thanks you for creating him.  

[ghostmartyr]

Pokémon FireRed Nuzlocke [Part 4]

Still on attempt number one of beating this game with standard Nuzlocke rules + no fighting outside of Trainer battles. A death has occurred, but all in all, it’s been more optimistic than expected.

Barring some unfortunate experiences in a cave.

But it’s time for a new cave now!

Tunnel. Whatever.

Though I lied for the sake of convenient narrative pacing. Before we go inside Rock Tunnel and explore all it has to offer, there’s a trainer outside who is in need of some battling.

Picknicker Heidi wants to battle. She has two pokemon, and the first is a level 20 Pikachu. tfw you miss having a Ground pokemon, but this challenge is made for grief and I shan’t shed tears. Clefairy follows the Pikachu. With, appropriately, Follow Me as its first move. Hee.

Anyway, Allenby handles both.

Back into the tunnel. Where we have a catch waiting for us.

Also Zubat.

Many, many Zubat.

There we go. A not-Zubat.

Caught! I dub you Athrun. I’m never going to do anything with you, probably, but you can stay in the party. In case something goes desperately wrong.

Now, with the power of Flash, let’s explore the part of the game I always hated most as a child. I don’t know if I understood Flash or how it worked or that I would be happier if I had it, but I have very distinct memories of grabbing a flashlight and shining it on my gameboy in an attempt to stomp my way through the cave.

I didn’t figure out until years later that light outside the game was not going to help.

Many of my childhood trials were self-inflicted.

Pokemaniac Ashton is our first contestant of the tunnel. He opens with a level 23 Cubone. I make the decision to switch Noin in, then immediately want to strangle myself because Noin is part Poison. But it works out, and she’s in to deal with the following Slowpoke.

Noin advances to level 25, and that’s the first fight.

A level down, Pokemaniac Winston wants to battle. He has one pokemon. It is a level 25 Slowpoke. Delightful. By which I mean slightly intimidating. Noin switches in, and I start reconsidering Allenby’s position as first in the party.

Shit.

That was a critical hit from Confusion.

...How do critical hits work in this gen?

2x a normal hit. So it normally does 24 damage. So to survive, Noin has to--ugh, screw it, I’ll spend a turn on a Super Potion.

(Normally it does 23 damage. So noted.)

Okay, this is fine.

Noin is also going to move to the front, since Pokemaniacs seem to trump Hikers in this area of the Tunnel.

...It was fine, then Slowpoke used Disable. Yay, okay, still fine.

We continue down the tunnel. Next opponent appears to be a Picnicker, so Allenby goes back in front. I feel like this is going to be a lot of switching things around. For real this time, since those Slowpokes are scary.

Thanks Martha.

Heero can fight the level 22 Oddish. As well as the Bulbasaur.

Another Pokemaniac moves Noin back to the front, and I’m already tired of putting this much thought into what I’m doing.

I dearly love these games so much.

His name is Steve, and he has a level 22 Charmander. Ah. Uh. Heeeeeero. ;-; Heeeeeelp. Then it’s another Cubone, and that one can go to Noin.

My party isn’t too battered from all of this, but the thing that I really dislike about caves is that they make me unwilling to go back to the Pokemon Center even when my extreme caution wants me to. I want to embrace the hover parent. My children must live.

But I really hate walking through caves, so I prefer all of my walking through caves to go forward. Alas.

And of course with the level 20 Machop. Ugh. This is why Noin doesn’t get to be up front for these things. Even if everything else Hikers have is of interest to Noin’s dietary needs.

Allenby will eat that, but the critical hit she also eats means Noin is in for the Onix. Noin hits level 26 and we’re all very proud of her.

Post-fight, Allenby gets a Super Potion and moves up front to fight the other Hiker in this room.

Local man bullies small child.

This one’s name is Allen. He has one pokemon, which is instantly scary. It is a Geodude, and fears are instantly assuaged. ...While Magnitude 7 is going to mean another Super Potion for Allenby. Who has just gone and hit level 27. Yay.

Hiker Lenny is up next. He’s got a level 19 Geodude, and a team count that promises more. Noin is going to handles the others to keep the damage risk at a minimum.

Oh, but then there’s a Machop, and Allenby can have that.

Geez, but Allenby is taking way too many critical hits for comfort. I’m basically using some kind of Potion after every fight. I can’t remember how long this tunnel is, but. I would prefer it to be ending faster than it seems to be going.

Real player characters have maps.

He has a level 20 Onix. And a name I wasn’t looking at when it showed up on the screen. Noin gets the level 20 Geodude so Allenby can please stop losing health. ...Same with the next Onix.

Oliver, that’s the dude’s name.

Hiker Lucas is next, bringing the level 21 Geodude.

...Aaaand a Graveler. For Noin.

Oliver doesn’t.

Picnicker Sofia! With a level 21 Jigglypuff! And a Pidgey?

...Zaft. Let’s... give you a try. Heero might be rescuing you, but let’s give you a shot. You won! You can’t fight anything else until we get you some medical attention, but look at that! A whole fight! All by yourself!

Now get out so Allenby can murder the Meowth.

Realistically, I think Zaft is going to have the same problem Ismail had. The training demands before Zaft can carry weight could kill our little Voltorb buddy. But I love Electrode. I’d like to use one. What I ultimately end up with is likely a question of whether or not I can get the Exp. Share, but still. Something needs to kill my rival’s eventual Gyarados, right?

Hey!

Naisu.

No, you can’t learn Rage.

Hiker Dudley says hello with a level 21 Geodude. I grant the next to Noin. As well as the Graveler.

And there’s a move tutor down here that teaches Rock Slide. That sounds like an Allenby move. Bye, Scratch. You had your time.

A Pokemaniac’s up next, so Noin goes in the front. Hi Cooper-san. Hi level 20 Slowpoke. Hiiiiiiii-oh fuck.

I clicked something.

The window closed.

Okay, let’s try to salvage this. I think Lucas was last. I’ll just... do what it says I did up above and hope I wind up in the same place. One moment that you won’t feel at all, please.

And back. Zaft escaped the Pidgey with slightly more HP left, but everything else is exactly the same, and we’re on the second Slowpoke with Noin.

And done. Nice.

Though when I was checking my team during my replay, there was. a thing.

What. Did. Did I give it that accidentally?

...Pickup can give you TMs? I guess? I don’t even want to look that up, in case it disrupts the magic, but that’s bizarre. Or not, since TMs are one and done in this gen. Still. What.

Okay, now to go up the ladder and figure out if Noin’s 2 Absorbs left will make it until Lavender, or if we’re spending a precious Ether on her.

Picnicker Leah blocks the way. Allenby looks at her level 22 Bellsprout with disdain. Her Clefairy receives similar attention.

Picnicker Ariana has more pokemon. Like a level 19 Pidgey. And a Rattata... is this worth giving Zaft some experience, or should I accept that Zaft is too far behind to catch up.

Let me think. I have three team members that aren’t leaving unless death takes them. The guaranteed encounters are Snorlax and an Eevee in Celadon. Vaporeon was going to be my choice for the Eevee, and I would be delighted to have a Snorlax, but I don’t know how realistic it is that I’ll be able to catch it.

Electrode’s only amazing stat is Speed. But Electro Ball could do some serious murder. So... I could have a glass cannon. Not a safe choice for this type of run, but I said I was expecting to have to do this several times. Fuck it, I want an Electrode. Zaft, you’re fighting a Rattata.

Hoo boy.

Switch training for the next Rattata. Heero can have it. Heero will also stay in for the Bellsprout.

Picnicker Dana has a level 20 Meowth. And a Pidgey for switch training. Heero will take care of it and stay in for the Oddish.

SUNLIGHT.

And battles I will be avoiding until I hit the Pokemon Center.

Aaaah, sweet, sweet healing.

Oh, and the Name Rater’s here! We can finally fix Ren the Pidgey’s name! Making Ren legal! If I ever feel in the mood to train up a level 3 Pidgey!

Back up to the Picnicker and Hiker.

And the walking Pokemaniac I sort of remembered was a Trainer, but got complacent about. I’m not sure I want Allenby up front for this one. Sigh. Pokemaniac Herman. Level 20 Cubone. Okay, that’s fine. Slowpoke goes to Noin.

Now we deal with the people outside the cave.

Aw.

Sorry in advance, Carol.

Level 21 Pidgey. A Pidgeotto follows, so it’s time to play Zaft chicken again. Heero, save our little buddy from the big bird. Yay, Zaft lives to see level 17.

Hiker Clark. Wassup. Hello level 21 Geodude. Noin gets the Onix.

Lastly, Hiker Trent is up. Level 19 Onix to start. Noin takes the Graveler.

Phew. Okay! We’re in the Lavender Town stages of the plot. I don’t think I want to go to the Tower until after the Rockets in Celadon. I might also be buying Zaft Carbos in Celadon. Undecided. I can’t remember how much my money means in this. Really, the current mission is just beating down every nearby Trainer until I am forced to find more by following the plot. The only question is if I go down first or left.

I will flip a coin.

Heads. I’m going down to play with the fishes. Noin, take your place in first position.

Goldeen, level 22. Noin, level 29. Poliwag gives Speed, so Zaft comes out to play briefly. Allenby takes the next Goldeen.

Fisherman Chip is next. Ooh, our first Tentacool. Level 24. Goldeen is Allenby’s again.

Then comes Fisherman Hank. With one level 27 Goldeen. And Noin drank the exp, and saw that it was good.

Fisherman Elliot might be the fisherman I’ve been waiting for. Four pokemon. Could it be...? ...A level 21 Poliwag. Followed by Shellder. A Goldeen for Allenby. The Horsea can be Zaft’s.

Sigh. So many Water trainers. So few Magikarp.

Last fight South of Lavender until I deal with plot stuff. Lesgo. Noin and Heero vs. two level 24 Nidoran. All goes well except for Heero ending up poisoned. Ugh. There’s an Antidote for that.

Back to Route 8, and back to Allenby being in front.

Lass Julia has a level 22 Clefairy in need of punching. The second one is deserving as well.

Gamer Rich has a level 24 Growlithe in a similar state. Heero can have Vulpix so she has something to do. The Vulpix Roars out Zaft. I know better than to leave Zaft in, so Heero gets switched back to save her young one. Then Zaft gets Roared back out and Sonicbooms ftw.

Oh. I thought you were a scientist and switched to Heero in hopes of Magnemite. tfw only level 22 Grimer. And Muk. And another Grimer.

Hmmm. I think I’m going to try to see if I can make it to Celadon without fighting anyone else. I want that Eevee. For reasons of want. And the superMart there has lots of nice vitamins, and knowing how much that all costs will be useful.

Success!

One male Eevee for my first encounter for Celadon. Aiming for a Water type. Hmmmmmmmmm. Ribbons!

Naive, huh? +Speed, -Sp. Def.

Workable.

Look, you’re stuck being a Vaporeon. I’ll make it work, but that’s what I want, and I don’t have much room for choice in this Nuzlocke. Arguably that makes using you against the spirit of everything, but I care not.

Now the important things. Eevee learns Bite at level 30. Vaporeon learns it at the same level. There’s no reason to hold off evolving Ribbons. Now we go to the store and make a lot of decisions that leave my virtual wallet crying.

HA. Um. Yeah, okay, this can’t happen. Cute thought, very optimistic, but I am not spending all my money on drugging my pokemon that might die in the very next fight. I’m going to have to continue doing all the EV management the old fashioned way.

Reflect TM earned on the roof by giving a drink to a little girl. Giving people drinks is very important in this game.

Great, Water Stone and Leaf Stone bought.

Max adorbs.

There’s no reason to delay Noin receiving her Leaf Stone, either, which. is sort of depressing because yikes that moveset, but hey, let’s appreciate the added bulk and not poke holes in it.

Hooray!

Now we return to finding random trainers to fight.

Aw fuck.

A level 29 Rapidash and Ninetales. I am here too early. I put Ribbons in the second slot in the hopes of exp, but that decision might really bite me here. Allenby needs to swoop in and save the day. Hopefully she can.

Yes, she can. Her improbably good aim with Rock Slide continues, delaying its inevitable betrayal.

Yikes, that was scary. I just wanted the Fly HM.

Which I now have.

I’m going to leave Route 16 alone because I think the Snorlax blocking Cycling Road technically belongs to it, and I want as many chances at Snorlax as I can squeeze out. I will also grab the TEA before I head back to beating up Trainers.

As well as whatever my Route 7 pokemon is.

It’s Growlithe!

Hi Growlithe! Imma name you Duo!

And I can now go through the... guard thingies. They aren’t blockades... gates? Those.

Anyway, back to the Trainers on Route 8. Super Nerd Aidan sends out a level 20 Voltorb. Opportunity! Zaft and Heero do the switcheroo to make magic happen. Same with the next. And the Magnemite. Allenby gets the Koffing.

-gasp- A level 22 Poliwag! Zaft, look!

Hypnosis hits and Zaft falls asleep.

That’s honestly fine. You weren’t going to do anything.

Look Zaft, another Poliwag for you to do nothing against. And a Poliwhirl, even!

Every fight I let Zaft participate in, all I can think is how it would probably be way more useful if the teammate helping Zaft just took all the exp. Yet I persist. Because I want a dang Electrode.

Biker Richard wants to battle! Dick. He has a level 22 Koffing. Allenby can eat the second one. The Grimer is clear Ribbons food. Kill it, Ribbons. Kill it with your Quick Attack. Your wonderful Quick Attack that dodges Disables just as well as Minimize dodges everything.

And then Ribbons’ only attack was Disabled. Repeatedly.

Ribbons, let’s let one of the other party members handle this.

Welp.

Nothing can hit the Grimer thanks to all the Minimizes from waiting for Ribbons to get in a final Quick Attack. Sludge also keeps poisoning everything.

Noin finally steps in and kills the wicked Grimer.

Sheesh.

Biker Jaren, please don’t have a Grimer.

Biker Jaren has a level 24 Grimer.

Biker Jaren has a second level 24 Grimer.

Heero burns it.

Heero is a good girl.

Now we’ve got these people I don’t really remember.

I mean.

Hi Lass Megan.

Level 19 Pidgey for Zaft to share with Heero. Given the number of pokemon she has, this feels like a statement I will use multiple times. ...Fine, sometimes there’s a Rattata. Or a Nidoran. Or a Meowth. Or a Pikachu.

Bye Lass Megan.

I’m going to take a brief detour to go get my bike. I never traded in the voucher.

Now I have a bike.

Back to fighting. Lass Andrea is up next opening with a level 24 Meowth. Followed by another. And another. Win get.

Lass Paige is next on accident, because I was running along the side where glasses dude wasn’t looking. Oh well. Order isn’t that important, right? Level 23 female Nidoran, Ribbons, would you like to play? With Heero’s help, sure. Ooh, and followed up by a level 23 Nidorina. Allenby can help Ribbons with that.

Now glasses dude to finish off the row.

One level 26 Koffing.

Heero murders it.

Huh, and then I run into Twins Eli and Anne by accident. Sensing a theme, here. Heero and Ribbons versus level 22 Jigglypuff and Clefairy. No contest.

I think I’m going to give Ribbons Water Pulse so he has the chance to do something when I’m training him. Using TMs in gens where you don’t get them back is scary and blah, but he really needs something besides Quick Attack.

This is probably where I want to go face Erika. Before then, though, I don’t have a Route 8 pokemon.

-quick search-

Oh. Because I already have the ones I can get here.

Alrighty then. Time for Erika. AKA the Heero show.

Time to shine.

Lass Kay up first. She has a level 23 Bellsprout. Had. Allenby can take the level 23 Weepinbell. And we continue. Beauty Bridget up next. She opens with a level 21 Oddish. Allenby goes in for the Bellsprout. Heero back in for another Oddish. Allenby back in for another Bellsprout.

There’s going to be a lot of that.

Picnicker Tina next with a level 24 Bulbasaur. Then a level 24 Ivysaur.

Delete a Grass starter for Flamethrower?

Beauty Tamia is next. Level 24 Bellsprout. Allenby handles the second one.

Cooltrainer Mary almost has a full team. Leading with a level 22 Bellsprout. Level 22 Oddish is next. Weepinbell goes to Allenby. Gloom heads back to Heero. The Ivysaur is similarly nommed.

Two more before Erika.

Lass Lisa with the level 23 Oddish. And Gloom.

Beauty Lori with just one. Level 24 Exeggcute.

Now. One Trainer left in the Gym.

...Is it a popular theory that Erika is just blazed 24/7?

If it isn’t, it should be.

Good grief, and right out the gate we jump to a level 29 Victreebell. One Flamethrower is enough, but that’s still quite the jump, and I wasn’t expecting it. Level 24 Tangela feels more in line with what I was expecting. It meets a similar fate.

Last but certainly not least, a level 29 Vileplume.

And we’re done here. GG.

(Erika also hands out the Rainbowbadge and explicitly only has women in her Gym. Erika is the stoner lesbian leader we deserve.)

Wait, one more thing!

Only hey, we’re not done! We have the Giga Drain TM for Noin!

Best Gym so far for the squad. That seems like a good spot to pause at.

[nancywheelxr]

(our friends set us up on a blind date as a prank because we don’t like each other but neither of us wants to let them win so ) | Part 7:

( part 1 ) ( part 2 ) ( part 3 ) ( part 4 ) ( part 5 ) ( part 6 )

Weeks pass surprisingly uneventfully, but even amidst the dull boredom, something stays with Winn, nagging at him to pay attention. Alex hadn’t meant anything by her comment, not really, not this time, but it makes clear they have to step up their game if they want to keep this up for much longer. Soon, people will begin to wonder why they never seem to go on “dates”. And god knows the DEO loves a good gossip.

So when Kara asks if they want to go get drinks after work, Winn makes a big show out of telling her no, he can’t, actually, because you see, it’s date night.

The choice of words is important, too. He’s very proud of that. Date night, implying a routine, implying they did this before, implying they go out regularly.

And he thinks Brainy notices it, too, because he smiles from across the table, knowing and private, eyes shining under the lights, before going back to his conversation with Alex.

Kara grins, watching them. “Right, are you guys planning anything big for Valentine’s Day?”

“Sure,” he replies easily, “I’ve got reservations at that fancy french place downtown.”

She coos, shaking his shoulder excitedly, “oh my god, that’s so romantic! You’re taking him back to the place of your first date!”

“Yeah, well, not to brag, but I’m a damn good boyfriend.”

“You are constantly bragging,” Brainy comments, suddenly appearing at his side, “although you’re not incorrect. This time.”

Winn snorts, “thanks, babe.” A foot steps on his, and he has to bite back his snickers, “anyway. We were talking about how awesome I am, right? We should go back to that.”

“No, but seriously, how did you get that reservation? And at Valentine’s Day?” Kara says, gaping, “I heard there’s a month-long wait list.”

He shrugs, stuffing his hands into his pockets, “two months long. But I actually made them back in December? I mean, I was already there anyway, so I asked just to see– who knows, right? And there was a table left, so I took it. Seemed smart at the time.”

“Not at all,” Brainy frowns, apparently not grasping the logic of that, “two months are too far ahead, what if we had broken up?”

“Nah,” Winn grins, swinging an arm around his shoulder, “I thought it was worth the gamble. ‘Sides, I have faith in us, man.”

The frown clears from his face, but Brainy keeps looking at him with surprise– no, that’s not right. Something surprised and disbelieving in his eyes that Winn wishes he had more time to figure out properly–

Someone makes gagging noises nearby, drawing their attention away from each other. It’s Alex, faking a disgusted grimace, “yeah, yeah, we get it,” she rolls her eyes, waving them off, “you guys are disgustingly in love.”

If she wasn’t grinning just like her sister, Winn maybe would be inclined to believe the annoyance on her words, but as it is, Alex isn’t fooling anyone. She’s just as happy for them. And maybe if he hadn’t meant it what he had said earlier– he did have faith in them at the time. Half-drunk and excited with their new plan, he had been absolutely goddam sure they would be able to pull this off– then maybe he would feel a little bad for tricking them.

“It’s a love story for the ages,” he says. His smile slips briefly, but it goes unnoticed.

“Absolutely revolting,” she shakes her head.

Kara elbows her sister, snickering along. “Let them live, Alex,” she keeps a straight face for about a second before adding, “they have a date tonight.”

“You know, I met thirteen-years-old more mature than you two,” Winn tells them matter-of-factly, then turns to Brainy, “are you ready to go? Or do I need to entertain the peanut gallery for much longer?”

“There are no peanuts here,” Brainy gives him a perplexed look, “do you want peanuts?”

Right, he should’ve seen that coming, this one’s on him. “No, it’s just an expression, it means they’re children and their comments are stupid.”

“Oh. It’s a very misleading expression,” he shrugs, “but in that case, yes, we can go now.”

“Great,” Winn claps, whirling around, “shall we?”

“Have a good date,” Kara calls.

“And bring him back before midnight!” Alex adds.

“Will do,” he laughs.

*

“I have a very important question,” Winn says with a serious expression. He’s just finished locking the door, and Brainy is still hovering nearby. “Have you ever played Mario Kart?”

He throws his keys in the vague direction of the dish by the door, and Brainy follows him into the living room, sitting down on the couch. “I have not. The only games I know of are the ones Kara has brought at Game Nights.”

“Yeah, right, right, she told me you were there a few times,” Winn says, hooking up his game system on the TV. “She also mentioned it was a bit of a learning curve?”

“There were no explosions and no kittens,” he complains, huffing forlornly, “everything is so misleading in this century.”

“Even Scrabble? I thought you would be good at that one.”

“We haven’t had the opportunity to play it,” Brainy says diplomatically and takes the controller passed to him, turning it around curiously.

“Seriously? Kara hasn’t lifted the ban yet?” Winn scrunches up his face, “but then again, we’re still strongly against Mario Kart during Game Night, so. That’s fair, I guess?”

Only sort of, though. Adding the letter s to every completed word on the board just to see Alex slowly go through all five stages of grief does not compare to breaking one’s favorite controller during Mario Kart. The thing was crushed. To smithereens. But he supposes some games are just not meant to be played by a group of very, very competitive people.

They haven’t banned Monopoly yet, though, for some reason.

“Nevermind that,” he shakes his head, focusing on the task ahead, “so. I figured since we gotta stick together for a couple hours, we could just stay here and chill? I’ve got Mario Kart, Netflix, and the pizza place on speed dial.”

“Not Massimo’s?”

“God no, that place is stricken from the records. Giorgino’s two blocks down– and before you ask, yes, I’ve checked and they’re willing to make your weird apples and olives pizza.”

Brainy smiles. “It is the only acceptable flavor of pizza.”

“And people think pineapples were the real crime,” Winn laments.

The familiar song kicks in as the menu pops up, and Winn does his best to explain the game. It’s fairly simple, after all, and it’s not as if they were going straight for the rainbow road. Brainy picks up on it quickly, choosing Luigi as his avatar. Winn, of course, chooses Yoshi because some traditions are meant to be followed. And, weirdly enough, it’s not so bad. Throwing shells at him is very entertaining, watching his confusion as to why he’s suddenly spiraling off the road turn into suspicion turn into really? And that turns into spite pretty quickly.

Because the thing about Mario Kart is that it’s so much more fun when you’re overly competitive– and not gonna lie, both of them are guilty as charged on that one.

“Fuck off,” Winn says, too busy to physically flip him off, “that’s cheating!”

“No, I am merely using the resources available in the game,” Brainy replies calmly.

“I don’t know how yet, but I know you are and I will figure it out,” he threatens, leaning to the right as he makes a curve, “in the meantime–”

“I’ve told you I’m not– wait. What happened? Why have I shrunk?” Brainy glares at him, “and I’m the one cheating?”

Winn laughs.

He had been so prepared for tonight to suck, it’s almost upsetting how well it goes. They don’t argue properly, no more than the usual bickering, which by now it’s mostly fun. Brainy accepts the beer he tips in his direction, humming pleased and somehow not swerving on the road while holding the controller one-handed.

That’s so cheating.

“So, you want that pizza now?” Winn asks, pausing the game.

“I could eat,” Brainy decides after a moment of indecision. He might have been aiming for a nonchalant, cool reply, but his stomach betrays him, growling earnestly, and he sighs, halfway amused, “I meant, yes, I would like that pizza now.”

Hiding his snickers, Winn digs around for his phone, lost somewhere in the mess they made of the coffee table. The pizza place is on speed dial and the teenager on the other end of the line apparently isn’t paid enough to judge his weird ass order.

“Appalling,” he says later, when the two pizzas are laid side by side and the olives stare back at his soul amidst the apples. “God really has left us.”

“Try it,” Brainy tells him, eyebrows raising in clear challenge. He picks up a slice for himself and nudges the box towards Winn.

And well. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Winslow Schott, Junior cannot back down from a dare, so he sets down his own pepperoni slice and carefully takes the olive and apples, gingerly raising it as if it were a nuclear bomb about to go off in a crowded mall. A deep breath. He takes a small bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Eh, it’s not so bad. I thought it would be worse, to be honest.”

Brainy gives him a victorious smirk, “would this be a good time to say I told you so?”

“It’s never a good time to say that,” he scowls, washing down the taste with beer, “and it’s still weird.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” They eat in relative silence for a while, and Winn isn’t surprised to see him slowly working his way through the entire pizza. The game is soon switched for some very unrealistic action movie neither of them recognizes, but the explosions do look cool with the electronic soundtrack.

“It’s a shame there are no pizza places in the future,” Brainy comments idly.

“Oh my god, I know, right? I searched everywhere for one, it didn’t even have to be good, the bar was at existing.” Winn says, gesturing broadly with a slice, “and how come there are no bananas, either? And no one even knew what I was talking about, it was like they didn’t even exist! Like, I didn’t look it up because, you know, spoilers, but what happened? Did we all as a species develop a sudden aggressive allergy to bananas and had to destroy all records of the fruit? Is there gonna be another banana apocalypse in the next centuries– what?”

He stops, self-consciously wiping his mouth with a napkin, because Brainy is staring at him strangely. To be fair, everything about all of this is strange. But he caught him doing that before; sometimes at work, Winn will turn to say something, only to find Brainy already looking back. It’s odd and offputting, and honestly? A lot easier to just chalk it up to another one of his quirks and call it a day. That’s probably the explanation anyway. Now, though, Brainy shrugs, “nothing. Do you always feel this passionate about fruits?” A pause. “Did you say another banana apocalypse?”

“Dude,” Winn breathes, sitting up properly because it’s not every day you get to school Brainy about something. “It’s so much less exciting than it sounds, but here’s the thing– “

*

It’s a little after ten o’clock when he walks Brainy to the door, awkwardly stopping in the doorway. He scratches the back of his neck, “so. I guess it wasn’t all that bad, after all.”

“I suppose it was not unpleasant,” Brainy allows, his lips twitching, “although, I do have a request– next time, may I bring the movie?”

“Sure,” Winn says easily, then stops. He narrows his eyes, “am I going to regret agreeing to this?”

Now, Brainy grins openly, startlingly amused, “well, you’ll just have to wait and see. Good night, Winn. And thank you.”

It’s something in the way he says it that Winn wonders what exactly he’s being thanked for, too warm, too grateful to pass as simply politeness. Still, unwilling to overthink it, he shrugs awkwardly, “no problem, man. See you tomorrow.”

Brainy nods, slipping out the door.

Winn stays there, staring at the end of the hall for another long moment before going back inside.

[nadia-guerreiro]

Annotated Bibliography

Spark, A. 2016. Andi Spark – Pursuing the Animatrix: Musings on Defining a Term to Describe Woman-Centered Animation – Animation Studies. [Online]. [Accessed 25 October 2019]. Available from: https://journal.animationstudies.org/andi-spark-pursuing-the-animatrix-musings-on-defining-a-term-to-describe-woman-centered-animation/.

The writer grabs the topic of “female workers in animation” to describe the changes that have happened over the years. Up till the day this was written, woman were able to gather some significant roles (mainly going for storyboard artists, and some for animators), but most of the self found conceptions still apply, studios would still choose a man over a woman for a creative roll. For me, as a woman in the field, this kind of exclusion is not understandable. Woman can be as creative as man, and the only explanation provided is that woman tend to bring their own feelings for animation, while man do the most creative out of the box ideas.

Herhuth, E. (2019). Eric Herhuth – The Animated Will: Intelligent Movement and Embodied Intentionality in Character Animation. – Animation Studies. [Online]. [Accessed 22 Oct. 2019]. Available from: https://journal.animationstudies.org/eric-herhuth-the-animated-will-intelligent-movement-and-embodied-intentionality-in-character-animation/

During his journal entry, the author explains the importance and evolution of the technic for the character’s will. The was used to show that a character could do any actions without thinking, that it was free to choose whatever it was meant to do, nonetheless, it was only an illusory freedom (or as he would call it “insincere promise of freedom”), as the choices that they go though have been meed previously made. Personally reading this text was really important for me since I tend to concentrate on character performance, posing, movement and acting takes a great part in this relationship with the creation of freedom.

Martin, B., Yecies, B. (2004). First Monday: Peer-reviewed Journal on the Internet, [online] 9(6). Available at: https://documents.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/pubs/04firstmonday.html [Accessed 28 Oct. 2019].

This journal entry shows a variety of titles a corporation may have to battle while climbing the ladder to success, and analyses the variety of changes the company itself had to grow from, especially with the rise of the internet and NET communication technology. The author goes through an analysis to understand each site’s reason to take an anti-Disney approach and question each of them creating a table of sites, reasons, goals, methods and their strategies. I feel lithe this article is a good approach for everyone to understand what a rising company such as Disney can go through the years, while they gain more fame, their actions will be more criticized and noticed, so more and more of this sites will appear. It’s good to understand that any animator might be on their shoes one of these days.

Berney, S. (2016). Does animation enhance learning? A meta-analysis. Computers & Education, [online] 101, pp.150-167. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131516301336?via%3Dihub [Accessed 25 Nov. 2019].

The author took this journal to analyse whenever would be easier to learn from graphics or animated videos. They tested both methods in various forms consecutively with different studies, such as pure animation, animation with sound and animation with no explanatory text, they grew in results substantially, understanding that the most efficient method would be the animation with sound a no explanatory text. This induct to a transition of the media, that implies great research in the animation field, with more development, this kind of animation could bust the way people study. This topic was particularly interesting from my point of view since I can give more time of my attention to video lessons other than reading, this method could prove really useful in various fields of study.

Telotte, J. (2019). Letting Go: Representation, Presentation, and Disney’s Art of Animation. Animation, [online] 14(2), pp.132-148. Available at: https://doi-org.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/10.1177/1746847719858159 [Accessed 18 Nov. 2019].

This article shows how Walt Disney was able to present both sides of animation while developing his drawing to tv, he made a series of behind the scenes so he would be able to let people understand when and how their favourite films were being made. This was a way to show various differences in the animation studied by the studio, as for example, from the realistic style Pinocchio (1940) to a more fantasy/cartoony one as in Lady and the Tramp (1955). This source was relevant from the point of evolution, as a person and a company leader, how to develop a whole variety of shows that appeal to your work and are able to demonstrate your development.

Neuman, R. (2019). Disney’s Final Package Film: The Making and Marketing of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). Animation, [online] 14(2), pp.149-163. Available at: https://doi-org.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/10.1177/1746847719858678 [Accessed 21 Nov. 2019].

During this journal, it is analysed the conception of the film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad (1949), how it was developed even in times of war, how it took eight years to assemble and how the conjunction of two different origin stories gave birth to this final script. A great point made by the author is that film shows the division they had in subtle ways, like for example having one character more cartoony and other more realistic. Unfortunately, this movie wasn't a big hit for Disney but was good for many experimentations and answers. I particularly like this journal entry as a form of making movies as a research method, a way of understanding the public needs and likes, and as a proof that no matter how much a movie can fail, it does not mean the next one will follow the same path.

Death and Coping Mechanisms in Animated Disney Movies: A Content Analysis of Disney Films (1937–2003) and Disney/Pixar Films (2003–2016). (2019). The Psychosocial Implications of Disney Movies, [online] pp.17-30. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-03897-849-7 [Accessed 29 Nov. 2019].

During this chapter, the author decided to examine how Disney has portraited death over the years, what were the differences from the old traditional movies to the newer versions, and how children are dealing with the concept of death transmitted by it. It’s referred that some stories are supposed to help the children deal and learn the state of grief. During the studies, it was noticeable that protagonists were the ones who die the most, and that normally it had negative emotion embed with the feeling (and was unjustified), while when an antagonist died it was a positive emotion (and was justified). In a personal analysis, the recent movies made the grief make more sense, and developing the stages of character and having it pass the same stages of grief is something that, in my opinion, will help children understand such a complicated topic.

Pluralsight (2014). Animation for Games vs Animation for Movies. [online] Pluralsight.com.  Available at: https://www.pluralsight.com/blog/film-games/how-animation-for-games-is-different-from-animation-for-movies [Accessed 1 Dec. 2019].

In this article, it was pointed out the main differences between working as an animator for movies or for the games industries. The author argues that while movies only have to worry about the shot they're working at, and have a wider amount of time to develop it, relying mostly in acting, in games, the industry demands good and fast animation, it needs to be ready for every camera angle (since it’s interactively based) and relies mostly in character performance and body mechanics. This was a great article for me as since the beginning of this course I was trying to explain what I pretended to do, this helped me decide that developing character performance and acting is my main focus.

Neistadt, W. (2018). From School to Studio: Sir Wade Neistadt’s Journey to DreamWorks Animation. [online] Animation Mentor Blog. Available at: https://blog.animationmentor.com/from-school-to-studio-sir-wade-neistadts-journey-to-dreamworks-animation/ [Accessed 3 Dec. 2019].

During this blog post, the author explains his own experience developing himself to enter the world of an animator’s career. From starting in a subject he didn't enjoy, to learning what animation could bring to his life until he learned of an online animator’s school, this opened his eyes for software and prepared him for future opportunities. He started in a studio, but not directly as an animator, he does believe that being inside the studio and getting to know people is already a major first step. This blog was a major help for me, as I was lost in whatever way a student could even be able to approach or even enter a studio by himself.

Barnes, B. and Sperling, N. (2019). Why the ‘Joker’ Movie Was a Risk Warner Bros. Wanted to Take. New York Times, [online] p.1. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/movies/joker-movie.html [Accessed 10 Dec. 2019].

This newspaper article main focus point was how everyone, including some Warner Bros. employees were worried how the film would be received by the audience. Since it tackled such violent issues and gave the main character a “reason” to justify his action, they worried it could have a negative impact on the already occurring disasters. The author says that “This was a risk Warner Bros. wanted to take” and I totally agree, as films should not be considered documentaries of real life, but imaginary worlds we create to live their stories, making that separation was what made this topic so important, it was a risk worth taking.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Opinion: Stop pretending Brock Osweiler can start

Grief is widely considered to be one of the most complex human emotions; it’s right up there with love, trust and that strange satisfaction you get as you listen to your neighbors’ marriage slowly fall apart during myriad screaming matches across the hall.

Appropriately then, grief is split into five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This is the denial stage, and if you’re a ‘they’ll go 11-5 this year, just you watch’ kind of Browns fan, you’re already vehemently familiar with this stage.

There’s an increasingly large number of Browns fans that are trying to talk themselves into Brock Osweiler as a legitimate starting option. Various and terrible Brock/rock puns are being made, and the Browns even released a moderately high production hype video of Osweiler making check-down passes in practice.

For those about to Brock ]]>🤘🎸

[junker-town]

Jordan Spieth’s 7 stages of Masters grief

The world’s greatest young golfer returns to the scene of a grisly collapse. It’s been a long year.

Jordan Spieth has played the Masters three times, as a 20-, 21-, and 22-year old. He has finished second, first, and second. There has not been a more consistently great Masters player at his age in the history of the event. His run at Augusta National has been remarkable.

But when Spieth is in contention on Sunday this year, the viewing public won’t be thinking about his 2015 win, or what felt like a Cinderella run to finish second the year before that. People will be thinking about what happened at Augusta last year, when a back-nine collapse on Sunday cost the then-22-year-old wunderkind his second green jacket. What Spieth himself will be thinking, only he knows.

Spieth is a 23-year-old millionaire and one of the best golfers in the world. It has been a long year of waiting for his return to the scene of one of the great public implosions in a career. Spieth’s public feelings towards the debacle have evolved as time has distanced him from it. Here’s how he has dealt with his Masters grief, in stages.

Stage 1: This is going to hurt.

Spieth’s Sunday woes last year began, in earnest, on Augusta’s back nine. He carded a 4-under 32 on the front nine, and had a commanding lead on the field. Then he stumbled on the par-4 10th and 11th holes, bogeying both. The oil was already leaking before the great unraveling.

The came the 12th, where the tournament came apart.

On the par-3 12th, Spieth’s tee shot came up short, landed on a downslope, and hopped into Rae’s Creek. He then took a drop and hit a fat wedge that splashed straight in. Spieth settled for a quadruple-bogey 7 and lost his lead to Danny Willett.

Spieth recovered after that, with two birdies to one bogey on the last six holes, but it wasn’t enough. He finished second, three shots back of Willett.

Throughout those final holes, Spieth, as you would expect, wore the look of the damned.

Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Spieth reacting to a bunker shot on the 17th hole at Augusta on Sunday last year. He bogeyed.

At his post-round press availability, Spieth explained an interaction he had on the course with his caddie, Michael Greller:

At one point I told Mike, I said, buddy, it seems like we're collapsing. And I wanted to be brutally honest with the way I felt towards him, so that he could respond with what was necessary to get us to rebound. And we did. I rebounded. I hit a great drive, I hit a good 7‑iron, got a tough break. I made two birdies coming in and almost made a couple more.

But, boy, you wonder about not only just the tee shot on 12, but why can't you just control the second shot, you know, and make 5 at worse, and you're still tied for the lead.

Big picture, this one will hurt. It will take a while.

Stage 2: What the hell just happened to me?

Spieth has been a media darling and fan favorite for the entirety of his young career. He comes across as kind, smart, and prodigious. But Spieth was emotionally blitzed after finishing out his Sunday round last year.

As he walked from the 18th green to the clubhouse, a CBS camera followed him. Spieth stopped, used his scorecard to cover his face. “Just not in the face,” he said.

This was not the polished Spieth everyone was used to seeing in public. How could it be? He had just been through a wringer of his own making on national TV.

Stage 3: It still stings, but I’m moving on.

In early May, Spieth sounded like he had come to grips with what happened. He wasn’t acting like he didn’t think about it, but he sounded fine:

It was 80 percent, 75 percent you have to do it yourself; and then 25 percent relying on my team, family, friends. And then mentors, messages I get from mentors, pretty much saying, hey, you've been in contention six out of the last eight majors, won a couple of them. Something like that; the wrong miss at the wrong time is bound to happen at some point. Whether you still win that major not.

I had the same exact miss at the U.S. Open last year. On 17 I made double-bogey and kind of squeaked it out at the end, but that was potentially the same kind of experience as the Masters. You're going to be on the good end and bad end.

If you're in it enough, you're going to be on the good end and bad end of those situations, so keep putting ourselves in contention, and when we're on the good end again, I'll be able to enjoy it even more having experienced the other side of it.

Defeat only makes victory sweeter, Spieth suggested. He seemed to have convinced himself that everything was going to work out.

“I’m not taking it very hard,” he said. “I’ve got ladies at the grocery stores putting their hand on me and going, ‘Really praying for you. How are you doing?’ I’m like, ‘My dog didn’t die. I’ll be OK. I’ll survive.’ It happens. I laugh about it now. I really do. But it keeps coming up, and I understand that.

“I’ll move on. If you’re in contention at a major, say, 50 times in your career, something like that is going to happen. Just don’t let it happen again.”

Stage 4: Oh, you’re still talking about this? I didn’t know.

At The Players Championship last year, a little later in May, Spieth said he’d put Augusta behind him. He thought people were done talking about it. But this was his first event since late Sunday at The Masters and damn near every question was about that finish. The Players Championship might as well not have existed in that press conference.

At this point I don't think people feel sorry for me. It's the nature of the game. There's a lot of people who were very happy the way it turned out, people that are fans of Danny, close to him. Again, he earned it. No, I'm not -- I think in the first couple weeks after, but now that golf has been going on for a while, and we'll have big events coming up, they're very difficult to win.

It's not like winning is easy. I don't have another win coming my way in my career necessarily. You have to earn it. That'll certainly be nice for me, to close one down the stretch, just like any time -- 2014 was a rough year. I came -- I was close in a lot of events, and I didn't finish them off. It wasn't maybe to the extent that -- it wasn't the Masters. But they were PGA TOUR events that took me until that off-season to start the train.

But I think people have moved on already, at least I thought so until I came in here today.

He insisted this wasn’t an issue.

I'll just tell you that I'm not affected by it. Again, it was the wrong miss at the wrong time. Yeah, I mean, if I hit a good shot and it catches a gust and goes in the water, it's not because of the Masters. It's not something that was in my head, or if I put a bad swing on it. Again, Augusta seems like a long time ago now, to me. This was a complete new week.

Stage 5: I’m going to do everything in my power to make you shut up.

Later in May, Spieth got his first post-Masters win at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational at Colonial in Texas. Masters-related heckling, he said during the tournament, had irked him.

You know, I knew it would be somewhat difficult to come back from what happened at the Masters. I knew that that was -- I don't wish that upon anybody. I mean, it was not fun to experience. It's not fun to hear people in the crowd walking down today yelling out, “Remember the Masters.” That's just what you hear.

After his victory:

The nerves hit me more than I think they should have or normally would just from the start of the round on today, and that's probably it. Paul Tesori came over on 18 green after I had made the putt, and he said, you heard that guy on 10, didn't you, and I did. Someone yelling out from the crowd, "remember the Masters, Jordan, remember the Masters." Whether he was being positive or negative, I'm not sure, like remember, like get it back because of it, or remember what you did. Either way, there's a little red-ass in me, and it came out on the next few holes.

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Spieth won the Dean & DeLuca Invitational at Colonial in Texas in May, his first post-Masters win.

Stage 6: My demons are buried.

Around the New Year, Spieth went back to Augusta. It’s common practice for Masters champions to drop in at non-tournament times during the year. It’s a lifelong perk and sometimes it’s good to just go to the course with friends or family when the stakes aren’t incredibly high and the pressure of the Masters is not overwhelming the place.

Spieth played with Augusta members, and he spent most of his round working from the members’ tees, not the ones used in the Masters. But he teed off from the standard spot on No. 12, the site of his disaster on Sunday last year.

It went really well.

I went there and played there in December. First time back. I was very nervous when I got on 12 tee, and I hit an 8-iron over the bunker to about 15 feet. Greens were a little slower, and I left a lot of putts short.

In the group, I was like, there was no chance I was leaving this short and I hit this putt to about 15, 18 feet. I was pumped to hit the green, and then I hit my putt and it just about stopped short on the front lip and fell in for two. I probably gave like a big fist pump. I was walking around with my hands up, like demon's gone.

And I went back the next day. We played it the next morning and I hit a 9-iron this time to a left pin, and it landed about three feet beyond the hole and it was really, really soft, and it sucked back and almost went in, right on the lip to about this far. So I got two twos out of No. 12 the first time back. Last two times I played the hole, I made birdie.

Stage 7: Time to go win the Masters.

Spieth’s had a strong start to the 2017 season. He missed the cut at his last pre-Masters event, the Shell Houston Open, but has a Pebble Peach win and three other top-10s in his eight starts to date. He is slotted as the No. 6 player in the World Golf Ranking, and he would shoot up close to No. 1 if he redeems himself this weekend.

Spieth might not do it. There are 94 players in the field, and he’ll have to beat Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, and everybody else. But a year after the biggest disaster of his career, Spieth looks well positioned not to repeat it. At his pre-tournament presser on Tuesday, Spieth focused on giving himself another chance.

“I hope to have the opportunities that I had the last three years, and that's what I'm going for,” he said. “I'm very proud of the way I've played every single round I've played here. I fought very hard at the end, and that's something that we always do.”

[russellthornton]

The 7 Stages of Heartbreak When You Become Someone’s Ex

Heartbreak’s here to stay for at least seven stages. Here are the common stages of heartbreak you experience when you go from sex to ex.

Unless you end up spending the rest of your life with your first love, odds are you’re going to experience one of life’s greatest woes: debilitating post-breakup loneliness and the seven stages of heartbreak that go along with it.

Breakups are totally worth it as long as you learn something, right? You may come out a stronger, wiser person on the other end of a breakup, but the process of getting there has to be some kind of cosmic joke.

The stages of heartbreak

It doesn’t seem to matter whether you were in a relationship or simply lusting after your crush from afar, heartbreak gets the best of everyone. From crying rage to hermit-like tendencies, we all seem to follow a vague pattern of heartbreak that charts our course through a breakup.

Feeling lost about where you rank on the heartbreak-o-meter? We’re giving you a chart of the 7 stages of heartbreak.

#1 Possible first: anticipation. When it comes to the stages of heartbreak, your first round can go one of two ways. Your possible first stage may just be anticipation.

Your lover was playing the long con, and you were wise to their game. You caught their subtle eye rolls, felt them backing away from you, and took note every time they told you they were hanging out with friends when they were really out at the club. This breakup may not have been a surprise to you, but it sure did hurt all the same. [Read: 20 signs your relationship is -oh-so-over already]

(or)

#1 Possible first: shock. Breakups bring us unbelievable heartache. Some feel that mourning a breakup is psychologically similar to mourning a death. The loss is so overpowering sometimes the mind can’t comprehend the difference. This can be particularly hard to bear when we don’t see the end of a relationship coming.

If this breakup came out of left field, your first stage of heartbreak is probably going to be shock. Big, slap-you-in-the-face shock. You were just living life, happy as a clam, thinking everything between the two of you was hunky dory. There was no anticipation, no telltale signs. You had no opportunity to slowly back away or to try and remedy the situation. Instead, the person you care for more than anyone just told you they no longer love you.

This is one of the hardest things to endure. [Read: Suddenly single?! 11 things you HAVE to avoid doing]

#2 Denial or it’s not over… It still isn’t over! Denial of a breakup isn’t as bonkers as you flat out deny that you’re no longer a couple. Rather, it’s more like you’re in denial that you’ll stay broken up. You have hopes of getting back together and picking up where you left off. I mean, you have to reconcile at some point, right? You were the perfect couple!

You may shelve your hurt feelings during the denial stage and try to psychologically convince yourself that this breakup is just a phase and you’ll be back together soon.

PS: This is really harmful to your psychological state. You ignore your grief when what you really should do is drowning your sorrows in a pint of mint chip ice cream and binge-watching Netflix with your friends. [Read: The pain of loving someone who doesn’t love you back]

#3 Bargaining or friends with benefits and other endeavors to win them back. Bargaining is all about doing whatever it takes to get your ex back and ridding your heart of the pain you currently feel. You swear that you’ll be a better mate, more understanding, more available, more attentive in the sack. You’ll even do that thing they like with the vibrating and the tongue and the…

The list goes on and on. Whatever you can do or say to get them to entertain the thought of getting back together, you’ll try it. This stage is rife with social media stalking. If you hope to reconcile then you need to make sure he’s not out with other girls, or that she’s just as upset as you are and… Whoa, did they really change their status to single? Ouch.

Becoming your ex’s “friend with benefits” is often a bargaining chip that women like to use. Do yourself a giant favor: unless your ex was the best lay you’ll ever have, skip this mistake waiting to happen. If you thought your heart was shattered during the breakup, becoming a friend with benefits explodes in your face so hard those shattered shards turn back into sand! [Read: 12 reasons why the no contact rule always works]

#4 Anger or the rant stage. Best friends unite—it’s the ranting stage! During this phase, you’ll move across the border from sad, wallowing heartbreak into pure pissed hell. You’re angry. You’re tired. You’re ready to rant.  How could your ex do this? Don’t they see what a catch you are? How could they not appreciate everything you’ve done for them? They’ll never get head as good as you gave ever again!

Opposite of the example above where you find out who your true friends are and cling to them for life as your new source of happiness, you may end up hating the world and everything in it—including your friends. You may become so angry that you lash out at those who love you the most. You may start acting out in self-destructive behavior.

This stage isn’t pretty, but it’s all a part of the process. Becoming angry means that you’ve taken off the rose colored glasses. It means you’re concerned about you now. [Read: How to let go of anger: Release the rage and resentment]

#5 Sadness or wallowing. Howard Hughes has nothin’ on you. You are deep into the sorrow stage. Right now your life consists of non-stop crying and reclusive behavior. You’re sad about everything: your breakup, the way you look, where your life is headed, the squirrel who keeps digging in your backyard.

This is one of those stages of heartbreak that is incredibly hard, but it’s also one of the most therapeutic once it’s over. Which, just warning you, could take a while.

Don’t let yourself be a hermit for too long. Engage your friends and allow yourself the chance to laugh, smile, and get fun drunk again. *You probably haven’t experienced that in a while!* Restart your social calendar so you start to feel like a real human being again. [Read: Self-discovery after a breakup – How to happily move on]

#6 Rebounding or looking for love at the wrong time. Somewhere between wallowing and acceptance comes the rebound relationship. A relationship is generally considered a rebound if you jump into it soon after a breakup from a serious relationship, or while you are sad, distressed, angry, or generally emotionally unavailable.

Rebounds are generally messy and involve a lot of hurt, but that doesn’t mean they’re worthless or wrong. For example, remember the days when you thought you could never love again? That it wasn’t worth putting time and effort into getting to know someone else’s little quirks and sex habits?

If rebounding to a nobody taught you anything, it’s that you really do have the potential to have a connection with someone new. The best part? It feels amazing. [Read: Rebound relationship rules to follow for a slam dunk]

#7 Acceptance… Sort of? If acceptance means ignoring your ex and staring daggers into their soul when you have the displeasure of sharing the same social scene with them, then yeah, you’re totally over it.

But seriously, acceptance usually happens when you least expect it. Suddenly a day goes by where you don’t even think about your ex. Every location, food, song, or movie you see doesn’t automatically remind you of some awesome time you had together. Instead, you’ve accepted and begun to move on. You understand why it didn’t work out and why you’re better off apart. You focus back on yourself and learn to live a life that is “me” instead of “we.”

[Read: How to be single after a long relationship: 16 ways to start over]

The 7 stages of heartbreak are unforgettably painful, but they also teach you something. You’re worth more than begging for someone’s time and affection. You are strong. And after this trauma? You can take a bullet without even flinching.

The post The 7 Stages of Heartbreak When You Become Someone’s Ex is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.