#i hope my boy heron will be okay

[aethes-bookshelf]

I'm so glad blood of zeus is finally back! loved the season (though I can't say I'm a fan of ares of all the greek gods being the one to attempt sa) and I'm really curious what the creators will do with this story in season 3

[hamable]

I’m thinking about Mahito’s great great uncle maintaining and preserving a peaceful and beautiful thing in a way that to an outside observer looks tedious and unimportant, hoping to pass the duty off to a successor but ultimately he cannot find one and dies with it.

I’m thinking about the specificity of the blocks being made and handled with care, not with malice or ill intent.

I’m thinking about Hayao Miyazaki, a bastion of beautiful 2d hand drawn animation who refuses to retire.

I’m thinking about a world where animation is so rarely made with love over profit and efficiency.

I’m thinking about how, though the old man didn’t see it, the next generation still hangs onto a piece of that beautiful, tedious thing and takes it with them because it feels important.

I’m thinking about Mahito being told he should forget, but no. He shouldn’t.

[discountsoysauce]

Okay so the Denholm brothers have been on my brain a lot recently, and with the direction this smp is probably going + what I know from outsiders, it's pretty unlikely that both of them will survive to the end. So here are my ideas of what would happen if one of them sacrificed themselves for the other (both written slightly differently because I just went wherever the thoughts took me)

Acho

- Scott would take in Dipper and reminisce with him about the good times he and Acho had when they were kids. Dipper becomes a permanent addition to the Heron faction and can often be seen milling about the tavern or sleeping next to the waterfall. Scott tells him that he was a good boy and he did his best to look after Acho while they were here.

- He would regret not searching harder, thinking maybe if he had found Acho and talked everything out, things wouldn't have ended up this way, or at least he would have had some more time.

- He would look back through his diary and rip out all the pages where he promised to protect Acho. He gathers them all and puts them back where they go almost immediately after.

- Maybe he'd look up and talk to the stars just like Acho used to do. It feels a bit awkward at first, but eventually, it becomes natural, and he finds himself talking to the stars like they're an old friend.

- He would possibly start to grow resentful of his parents depending on their reactions to Acho's death, and angry at them for pushing Acho away from the family.

- He would feel guilty for driving Acho away. If he had realized how they felt, had done more to show he cared, had tried to understand Acho better, maybe star would have never left. Maybe they could have done it together.

Scott

- Acho would be angry at first. He had told Scott so many times that they didn't need protecting, that they could hold their own. So why? Why was Scott gone and Acho still standing here? He told him he didn't need protecting, and yet there he went, throwing himself into the fray like an idiot. Did he not think they could protect themselves? Did he still think they were weak? What had Acho even done to deserve that kind of devotion? He left. He left Scott alone for a year with no message, no warning, and yet he still did it. Acho just doesn't understand.

- Then comes the guilt and regret. The times he told Scott he didn't need protecting, the times he ignored him, ran the opposite direction, blamed him for their parents' mistakes and left him to shoulder the brunt of their expectations alone. He can't say he regrets leaving, that would be disingenuous, but he often spends nights tossing and turning in his bed, wondering what could have happened if they had just left some kind of message. Maybe it wouldn't have saved him, but at least they would have had a little more time.

- Star would deny being upset about it to anyone they weren't close to. Scott made his choice, Acho never asked him to give up his life. He wouldn't have done the same. Graecie, of course, sees right through this and eventually manages to get through to him enough that he admits everything, and it becomes a nightingale secret.

- Acho has another person to talk to in the stars. He thinks about if the two of them would get along, decides they probably wouldn't. He hopes they stick around for him all the same.

[nickormsby]

what's your thought process for armour designs?

It can be inspired by anything really; a color palette, a weapon type, animal, plant, etc. It can also stem from the character themselves and what about them (be it personality or ability or just vibes) I want to shine through in their look.

Once I have a starting point, I mess around a lot with shape language and motifs that fit the "goal" of the design. I like to find a shape that repeats in different areas of the designs to help reinforce what the character "is about".

Most designs end up being a combination of several different sources of inspiration that I think helps each Knight stand out from the other. For instance, the "Piercing Wind Knight" was inspired by the classic "Robin Hood" attire, a hummingbird, and repeating angular "arrow" shapes.

I didn't start with these right away though; I went into the character thinking "I want a knight that fires a magically summoned arrow". I had also recently watched "The Boy and The Heron", and although feathers are already naturally associated with birds/feathers, I was interested in combining those things visually. This is the part of the process where research is important; It's okay to have ideas for the design already, but be open to letting anything about the look change when you feel you've come up with something that fits better.

Once I started throwing around the shape language and I was fitting in the arrow/triangular motif, I though of a tri-corn/cap which lead me to outfits like Robin Hood, which also fit nicely with what I wanted for this look. As for which bird specifically, hummingbirds are fast and angular so that was hitting the right mark, and their color palette is pleasing visually to me. This blue-green tied back to the Robin Hood inspiration as well.

So after that, it's just down to lots of sketching to try my best to have these different elements blend together into one design!

This was a long winded answer to your question so I hope it answered it at least somewhat!

TLDR: I'm always on the lookout for inspiration, whether it spurs me to create something entirely knew, or helps me finish an incomplete idea. If something grabs my attention, I make a mental note to see if it can be expanded upon to become part of a future design.

That being said, I think the best advice I've been given is to go out into the world. Look closely at nature and architecture and art. Read stories and learn the origin of things; that's what I feel is the best way to come up with ideas. Let yourself be inspired and see what happens!

[ilovescaredysquirrel2]

Last movie review of 2023, Migration!

Okay I think this might be one of the best animated movies of 2023! "Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken" and "Under the Boardwalk" were the two best, and "Migration" and is the third best. These movies were so incredible and well done. I fell in love with the visuals and scenery, and the animation for Migration overall. The characters were definitely a 10/10 though! I mostly loved how Gwen was more than just the cute sidekick, but she was the cute sidekick who was also sassy and a little bit daring too. Her brother (i think his name was Dax?) was an optimistic and daring character too! He was fearless and also a good character too. I really loved how they focused on Pam and Mac as well, and made them good parents but also showed their struggles on protecting the family. Pam was so optimistic, she kind of reminded me Ginger from Chicken Run. She was such an icon! My favorites had to be Pam and Gwen! I also loved Delroy and Uncle Dan! They were so funny! Awkwafina also played a unique character too (she voiced a tough greaser pigeon).

I also would like to talk about the villain's design and personality. He didn't speak, they just had an evil chef who just growled and tried to get the ducks. They didn't show much human interactions in the movie but the only bad human was the chef character. He looked like the a super rich chef guy, with gold on him and stuff (He had white hair with gold bands). I liked his funny face too! Also, the other humans didn't seem to be that bad either, it was one person who wanted to eat the ducks. They weren't portraying all the humans as animal-eating monsters.

Another thing is that the art style and everything looked a little different from Illumination's usual movies, seeing really big eyed cartoony birds that were the main focus. Dreamworks, Illumination, and Aardman are dethroning Disney and I'm all here for it! I hope Ghibli does too when the "Boy and the Heron" dub comes out. I'm just happy that Illumination is going to be known for something other than annoying minions. Also, before you say anything, the short film that was before Migration WAS a Despicable Me one but it focused more on that Vector guy and him getting off the moon, as well as showing the minions as comic relief which was fine (tbh Vector himself is funnier). Seeing that animated short made me think of when Disney used to do stuff like that, and I'm happy that Illumination did that. I mostly just enjoyed Migration and I think it was beautiful!

Last of all, the thing I loved most was probably that salsa dance scene when they played that Beyonce song that goes like, "I'm a survivor" but it was a jazzy version of it and it just blended with the movie so well! Whoever chose that song deserves a raise! Also, that was such a cute scene between Mac and Pam. I love how they showed that adults have flaws once in a while, and focus on the adult ducks as much as the kids. This movie was so so cute!

Into 2024, I'm hoping that I would get to see the movie "Butterfly Tale", which according to my best friend who's in Canada and got to see it (I'm an unfortunate American who missed out). If you have any info about Butterfly Tale, please tell me! The best movies this year I'd say are Butterfly Tale, Ruby Gillman, Migration, and Under the Boardwalk. Tell me YOUR favorite animated movies of 2023! Go on! Don't be afraid to express your opinion in my comments, even if it's different from mine!

[midnight-scrivener]

Kids are wild, dude.

Couple days ago, me and Partner popped over to Disney Springs to a) buy some mead, and b) spend gift card money to go see the Boy and the Heron (10/10 so good).

I was chilling on a wall outside, waiting for Partner in the bathroom, and behind me, I hear a tiny, clear voice, filled with the plaintive ennui of someone who's been trapped in a time loop for aeons unknown, say, "just let me die."

*Freeze, slow turn*

Reader, allow me to paint you a picture.

There is a man, the daddest man perhaps ever to dad. He is wearing a visor. The visor says something like, "have a Disney day™️" on it in red swirly font. His hair is sticking straight up out of the top of the visor, like a mad scientist who forgot he was leaning on the Tesla coil when he told his Igor to throw the switch, henchman! This gives the distinct impression that this is not his visor, but rather was hastily thrust upon him, likely by a spouse who is also in the bathroom. It was cold out (for Florida anyway), so this man was wearing a heavy Patagonia fleece, and, in true Dadly fashion, little cargo shorts, pockets bulging, dragging the shape of the garment parabolically earthward, laden with the responsibilities inherent in being the Vacation Manager and Bearer of the Visor. His legs were covered in gooseflesh. But, reader, he bore it.

He had sunglasses, those iridescent mirrored kind that make you think of sport fishermen. But they dangled around his neck, so I could see his eyes, vacant, staring, lined with the patient resignation that can only come from loving someone who is A Lot To Be Around. His hand, large and calloused and properly Daddish, was clasped with another set of tiny digits.

Dangling from his arm with a comfortable drama that implied this was but one time of many, was a tiny girlchild, no more than maybe five years old, wearing a full length Rapunzel princess gown, light-up Sketchers, and pink, glittery mouse ears that had been knocked askew in the process of her collapse and gave her hair the air of waging a losing battle with a little bird.

This girl, with the face of a cherub and the serious manner of an elderly man of state, stared off into a slightly different middle distance than her father. Her sketchers trailed over the ground as she rocked slightly in his gentle-but-firm grip. She sighed, and reader, I felt that sigh. In my bones. No one who's never experienced the weight of deep debt looming over them should be able to sigh like that.

She opened her mouth and said again in that clear, innocent voice, "Please won't you let me die?"

Her father, aware that people had begun to take notice, shook his head. "We're just waiting for Mommy."

This did not satisfy the tot. Still without a shred of distress, just the solemnity of a gig worker with twelve different 10-99 forms to file come tax season, asked "Yeah, but why can't I just die now?"

Her father closed his eyes. He was silent for long enough that I knew on some level he was wondering the same thing about himself. People were Aware of the situation now. Eventually he took a deep breath and looked down at her, still hanging from his arm. "It's against the rules to die at Disney World," he said. "Even if you want to. But tell you what, if you wait until we get back home, you can die there instead. That way Mommy and I can both be there."

The girl's mood brightened immediately. She got her feet under her and straightened, beaming up at her dad. "Oh, okay," she said. "After Mommy comes can we go to Legos?"

There's not really a proper end to the story, Partner just came out of the bathroom and we went to the movie. But damb. I hope that little girl knows I'll think about her at least once a day for the rest of my life.

Don't die. There might be Legos in it if you stay.

[revasserium]

people I'd like to get to know better

thank u for tagging me @bby-deerling <3 it was so fun reading all ur answers and i def wanna get to know u better too!!! i just... haven't been online as much lately (っ◞‸◟ c)

Last song: ???

so. actually. i don't RLY listen to music much on a daily (or even weekly??) basis if at all??? I KNO. it's wild. bc i mainly listen to audiobooks/podcasts when i'm commuting or just like chilling doing chores. my latest audiobook was actually an audible original drama called henrietta & eleanor which was a modern retelling of the og classic jekyll and hyde by robert louis stevenson. i hope??? that kinda sorta counts???

Favorite color: pink!!!!!!

what can i say? im a barbie/disney princess girlie at heart. and also physically -- everything i own is pink. i have 4 custom keyboards and they are all pink

Last Movie: the boy and the heron

my bf and i actually went to see this in theaters when it came out in nyc! super amazing, highly recommend; i've a deep love of animated films, from ghibli to pixar and everything in between so !!!

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury: spicy/savory

i love spicy food. i love hot cheetos, i love anything that makes my whole face feel like it's going to melt off... well, my face.

Relationship Status: happily taken <3

my bf and i are actually closing in on our 3yr anniversary! i feel very lucky to have snagged possibly the last good man in all of nyc sdlkfjsdslskdf he cooks, he's supportive, he runs me baths when i tell him im stressed, he brings me wine when im sitting in those baths lol, he indulges in all my weird hobbies; i constantly am like AM I DOING ENOUGH IN RETURN??? but he assures me that i am <3 this is the first bf i've ever had in my life, and honestly hopefully the last! i consider myself very very lucky to have found someone i love so deeply. but also, i was never interested in dating until i met him so... i guess sometimes the hallmark movies do get it right!

Last thing I googled: french linen duvet cover

im trying to live my dreams of having a fully french-linen bed set; so far, i've got the fitted sheet and pillow cases. i just need the duvet cover !!! but sweet baby jesus french linen is EXPENSIVE.

Current Obsession: handmade press-on nails

OKAY listen;;; there was a stand in ktown in nyc that had them and i passed by and got some on a whim??? they kinda slap???? like i don't have to pay 100+ dollars to get single color gels done at a salon, and have sUPER cute designs!!! i think u can get them on etsy too but im in love !!!

tagging: @violettduchess @skiagrafia @dira333 @jamesbparker

[halcyon-autumn]

Doing some concept writing for a Dragon!Egwene au to try to get a feel for character voices and see if I like the concept enough to commit to it. Set in the showverse, except Rand and Egwene are twins and not romantically involved.

It took a lot for a viewing to surprise Min. She’d Seen beggars who would one day wear the rich clothing of lords, and noble ladies who would one day be reduced to peasants. She’d Seen wedding rings and swords in the hands of people she’d never expected to hold either, and she’d Seen a staggering number of truly horrendous ways to die. The viewings that she’d had today did not surprise her, not really; the rings and towers and even that fellow with blood running down his face had long since lost the ability to surprise her. Nor did someone bursting into the door of the unremarkable pub where she worked.

It was a surprise to see the boy with the Aiel coloring burst in. She’d been expecting the girl.

There was an intensity to him that she didn’t like. The intense ones might get violent or weepy, which were both irritating. At least he didn’t look hopeful.

“I need you,” he said, “to tell me that I’m not the Dragon Reborn.”

“Okay,” Min said flatly. How nice to be able to deliver good news for once. “You’re not the Dragon Reborn.”

He frowned, disbelieving. “You don’t have to protect my feelings.”

She snorted. “I definitely don’t care how you feel.” She turned around so that she didn’t have to see his face. Once he realized that he wasn’t the Dragon Reborn, he might start looking hopeful. She hated when they looked hopeful. “You’re just another guy in another bar that wants something from me.” 

He sighed. She scrubbed hard at the bartop without looking at him, as though a little elbow grease would make a difference in this dump. “Look,” he said “I think we got off on the wrong foot. I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Rand -”

“I know who you are.” She was wavering, she knew it, and she didn’t want him to be polite to her when she was about to fuck up his whole life, and probably a couple of other people's lives too.

He's asking, she thought. He's asking and I'll answer because he’s probably the type to follow me for answers until he hears what he wants. That’s not my problem and not my responsibility. She turned around and oh, light help her, the boy looked so earnest. She dropped into a chair and tried to decide how she wanted to get drunk when this was over. “I need you to tell me that you want to know what I have to say.” Maybe, against all odds, he'd say no.

Rand just nodded. She sighed, stood up, and poured them both some whiskey.

“When I look at you, I see plenty,” she said. “I see a black tower. I see a sun that is rising and setting at once. But the Dragon Reborn -” she paused, and then poured them both a drink. “When I was a child in Tar Valon, the first thing I ever Saw, was when I looked at a soldier holding two babies, fresh from the front of the Aiel war. He was holding two babies - one with that same black tower and rising sun I see around you.” She saw a few other things too, but she had a hard rule about never speaking of viewings that involved herself. “And the other baby was shining so bright that it burned my eyes, surrounded by herons and strange winged creatures and a distortion in the air like the pattern itself was wrapping around the baby. Something impossible. Something remarkable.”

“Egwene,” Rand said slowly. “My sister." He closed his eyes. "It’s always been Egwene.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, not sure if she was sorry that it was the girl or sorry that it wasn’t him. Both, perhaps. “I’m sorry that you have to watch this happen to her.”

Rand stood up. Her vision flickered and for a moment he wore a stiff necked black coat with a sword pin on the collar -  some future path that the threads of the pattern would drag him towards. “She’s not going to go through it alone.”

Min let him leave. It wasn’t a vision, just an educated guess, but she’d be willing to guess that Egwene al’Thor was already gone.

[calamitaswrath]

Cal Lucia plays Fire Emblem Path of Radiance: Chapter 17

WE’RE BACK!

Oh, I did not think that Tibarn and his birds are getting involved in this as well. Guess I was right in my assertion that this is kind of the midpoint of the game.

Seeing the Heron Laguz be referred to as “Serenes” really kind of trips me up, because my main association with that name is always the place. But I guess it makes sense that it is named after the people who live there.

Not too much interesting stuff here in terms of base conversations, but what was there was pretty fun. A random priest who used to work for Oliver and whose parents participated in the massacre at Serene’s Forest, which makes for some nice worldbuilding.

Devdan meanwhile – this man may not be the deepest guy at first glance, but pffft, his philosophizing towards Ike was nice.

Kind of an odd thing to note that the forest no longer has any colour specifically. I thought it was just burned down, and not anything else? Or was there some kind of magic involved?

First map of the chapter wasn’t too bad… but oh boy, I’m starting to see why I put this off. You can’t exchange units at the second part, and can only pick two characters who are there as reinforcements… urgh.

Reyson got special destruction magic? Can he please also have that when he joins?

Okay, even if it’s a bit frustrating that the characters you pick as reinforcements don’t join you right away, the fact that all of them seemingly get unique quotes is a really nice touch. Also the fact that the second map has a different objective than the first.

Somehow took me until the second map, but there are swamp tiles on these maps? No wonder that my horseback units had some trouble going through some areas. That, and that the enemy riders took the long way round to get me. Still not much trouble actually getting through this map.

Third part of the chapter! I figured that Leanne would appear around these parts, but I didn’t really have any idea how she plays into things.

And for these parts it was actually convenient for me that I was streaming this chapter for a friend who’s Normal enough about these games to know the ancient language text by heart, and could just translate them for me on the fly (though not fluidly). Granted, you can easily tell what Leanne is saying based on the context and how the others react to her, but it was still nice.

Anyway, while it’s a bit annoying in terms of gameplay, it is actually a really nice touch that for this chapter, Ike basically has Leanne “rescued” at all times. It cost him half his speed for me, but you know. Still a nice touch.

Another new objective for this map, too, which was really nice! This one definitely appeared more overwhelming than it actually wound up being, though. For a map where you have to survive for ten turns, I already cleared out the enemies way before that. Final turn there weren’t even any enemy reinforcements anymore, which I think might have been because I blocked the spots where they would have spawned.

Tibarn staging an intervention to get Reyson off the destruction magic. Dark destruction magic, not even once.

By the fourth part of this map, I was definitely running out of characters I wanted to have as reinforcement, though. I wound up giving Astrid and Mordecai another shot, but I still don’t really wanna use them as much.

Thank goodness though that I already promoted Jill and everything – she helped me take out the meteor mage on the second turn. The rest of the map wasn’t really worth mentioning, and Jill also landed the killing blow on Oliver. I would’ve liked to let Ike do that in the hopes of some unique dialogue, but Tibarn and his guys were already well on their way to him, so I doubt that he would have made it.

So, in the aftermath of the battle. Sanaki apologizing for the massacre at Serene’s Forest is a nice a gesture, but like Reyson says, that alone shouldn’t be enough to work through all the hatred. Still important to make a start, though.

Eyyy, another animated cutscene! The voice acting remains wonky at best, but this one was nice to look at. So, everything as usual, really.

And Soren continues to have Problem™. Wonder how long it’s gonna be before we get into those.

Next part isn’t technically part of this chapter, but I’ll include it anyway.

lol @ Ike’s “urgh do I have to" attitude towards being made a noble

Promotion time! And I got Ike to level 19 before that, too so good timing on that.

[aliveandfullofjoy]

as always i’m choosing to expect the worst and hope for the best for tuesday’s oscar nominations (and to be fair, the “worst” in a year like this, where i only really dislike one of the big contenders, is still pretty okay lol)

the following are things that would be amazing pleasant surprises:

at least one woman in best director (preferably celine song or justine triet, but i will happily take greta gerwig too!)

the boy and the heron in any category outside of animated feature (preferably best score for joe hisaishi, but if they wanna go crazy and nominate it for like screenplay or picture then be my guest!)

may december in literally any category

greta lee in actress (preferably at carey mulligan’s expense)

maestro underperformance

asteroid city in literally any category

otherwise, as long as lily gladstone shows up in actress and miyazaki shows up in animated feature as they 99.9% will, i’m choosing to embrace peace

amen 🙏🏼

[starjxsung]

hi angel <3 how are you? pls don’t apologize for not answering sooner. i totally get it, even if you never answered me.

buuuuut i’m glad you did tho bc i have so many feelings about skz and the met gala.

but lolla first! i swear im terrified of not getting a good spot too. and ik that friday sold out so its going to be full af. if i find a good spot i shall summon you, though. i read @ a reddit forum that for hobipalooza the best way to get good spots was to befriend the people next to you and ask them to hold it whilst you go to the bathroom/get food.

i’m soooo glad you’ve watched when marnie was there!!! it’s too good to not be talked about at all!!! plsss lmk when you watch the boy & the heron.

i love love love your matching pc holder and care bear plushies😭 that is so cute and cunty. keep cunting up your purse forever. (also, your sis’s minho pc👀 i need it)

and the met gala! honestly they looked fantastic because they’re them and they’re gorgeous even in trash bags. lee know, love of my life, i cannot continue gatekeeping you </3 the looks were okay but underwhelming. i absolutely love fashion and met gala (even if i have my beef with it) really shows some designer’s creative sides. tommy hilfiger really failed the theme imo (as well as many other designers). i think felix was most on theme. he looked like a fairy. my most toxic trait is thinking i could’ve designed better outfits for them😪

and the paparazzi😡😡😡😡 i swear im so pissed at that. those comments were so out of line. i feel so bad for all of them, but especially chan & felix, as native english speakers who register the negative connotations faster. i’m so sad that we can’t have nice things here :(( it really sucks bc i want them to actually like coming to the us </3

but other than that, im so proud of them for literally making history at the met gala. i hope that if they go next year their outfits will be better and the atmosphere too.

i just saw a bit of hyune’s ig live and like i adore seeing people painting. we love art here but also like, ✨hands✨ he should choke me 🫶🏻

ily bb i hope you have a gr8 rest of the week✨

-🐈‍⬛

Hi angel!!!!!!!

Not us both reading up about hobipalooza on Reddit to prep for skzlolla LMAOOOO I am on Reddit like it’s a full time job I swear I’m simultaneously so excited but SOOO NERVOUSSSSS 😭 I’m just hoping I get to see them even the tiniest amount from whatever spot I get but I’m also way too scared of crowd crushing to camp out or anything !

Agreeeeed about their outfits! Apparently Tommy Hilfiger was the most talked about designer of the night (thanks to skz of course) so it’s unfortunate the outfits were a little underwhelming but they still looked fucking fantastic. I will NEVERRRR GET OVER FELIX….. he straight up looks like Legolas was pulled from lotr and put on the red carpet. The little braids in his hair too !!!!! I’m so glad they’re doing interesting things with his hair while it’s this long. Overall not my favorite red carpet looks of theirs but I am beyondddd proud of them 🫶

The whole paparazzi thing really ruined the whole fucking thing for me. The worst part is that skz are all over mainstream media right now and for something so negative! And the comments on all these news articles right now either saying they deserves it or comparing them to bts…… 😕 I honestly just want met week to stop being talked about because I am in emotional turmoil every time I see the video of the paps

I caught the tail end of Hyunjin’s live bc I was on a run and I needed to listen to music but GOSHHHH he is such a cutie and his art is phenomenal 😭 I love him sm (also Hyunjin’s hands are so fucking FIIIIINE why do I feel like he’s into getting choked in bed too)

Also cuntified my purse today w my favorite Jisung pc everrrrrrrr 👼💗💖💓💕💘✨ I love you bby I hope you have an amazing week !!!!

[glassvines]

Thoughts On 2023 Favorites

TV Shows 1. Good Omens season 2: Oops, I'm obsessed again. You can make the argument that a second (and PHEW eventual third) season was unnecessary, but I disagree. It was nice to get a season that wasn't so breakneck in it's pacing. Everything slowed down a bit and focused in on Aziraphale and Crowley's shenanigans. Which, let's be honest, is what the audience wants. That being said, I liked everything else about it too. A cute/silly plot, fun new characters, and a devastatingly sad finale that left me distraught. I could not have asked for more really. (Except more kissing. Please tell me there will be more kissing.) 2. Lockwood and Co: A spooky premise that probably took a lot of effort to appear even semi-believable [as a tv show]. Yet, it was pulled off with flying colors. It was also perfectly atmospheric and charming, so of course netflix canceled it. I plan on reading the books.

Animation (TV & Films) 1. Murder Drones: 2023 was a good year for indie animation overall, and out of all of them Murder Drones was the show to win my entire heart. Perfect setup for horror and YA spoofing, but also well written enough that I enjoyed the character focus and progression as well. I'm psyched for the final two episodes set to release in the spring. 2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: If any movie of recent memory deserved a decent sequel it was this one, so I'm very happy it turned out as great as it did. One of the few comic-book films I bothered with in 2023. 3. Hilda season 3: Easily one of my all-time favorites from Netflix, so I'm beyond happy it has a great ending now. Gorgeous animation, a lovable main and support cast, and perfect chill vibes. Deserves a bluray release. 4. Elemental: Listen. Pixar's still got it this was so cute. You're forgiven for The Good Dinosaur Peter Sohn. 5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: So much fun tho. Love the current creative trend in cg films happening thanks to Into the Spider-verse. Also, the No Diggity scene was incredible. The movie has an A+ soundtrack. Anime (TV & Films) 1. Trigun Stampede: So relieved this turned out to be great, considering the original is a favorite of mine. Not a easy feat in the age awful, cash-grab reboots. 2. The Boy And The Heron: Honestly? My favorite Miyazaki film since Howl's Moving Castle. Genuinely moving and left me misty-eyed. 3. Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc: This show is so pretty. Still surprised how well the series portrays it’s simple, compelling cast. Like it’s an effortless sort of thing (it’s not). 4. Suzume: Makoto Shinkai's last three movies just make me happy okay. Happy and hopeful. The best comfort movies ever. Video Games I have a steam deck now so you'd think I played a bunch of video games last year but, no. I didn't get heavily into much last year. Played some Hades though? Live Films || Note: I watched so many great classic horror movies this year that I had never given a proper watch. I would like to continue that this year!! 1. Talk to Me: Please make more horror movies Danny and Michael Philippou. This one was wild. 2. Dark City: The fact that The Matrix got four movies and this didn't get any sequels is a fucking tragedy. 3. Coherence: Love me a simple, creepy sci-fi movie with an interesting premise. Apparently, quite a lot of the film is improvised as well? That blew my mind. 4. Greener Grass: More films that just feel like one big Adult Swim skit please. This style of script is hysterical to me. 5. Caveat: This goes on my fave list simply for scaring the shit out of me lmao. Movies walk a fine line, when the intention is to make you uncomfortable for long periods of time. They risk being irritating instead of entertaining. Caveat had me shrieking at my tv (in a delighted sort of way).

Honorable Mentions 1. Lore Olympus 2. Nier Automata anime 3. Asteroid City + Wes Anderson's new short films 4. OPLA

Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2024 1. Dune 2 2. Second season of Severance hopefully! 3. Madoka Magica Movie 4: Walpurgisnacht: Rising?? Is it finally happening or what? 4. New Magnus Archives

Some Creative & General Goals for 2024 I feel like I was drawing a lot more in 2023! Still nothing worth posting online, but I'm making some progress I think (slowly but surely). Goals: make more art for my siblings when they request it, finish some digital art that I started, and finish the diorama piece I planned out. On the general goals I'd like to travel more! Particularly, I'd like to visit some national parks.

[frauleindermorgen]

any happy little thought

@justices-blade from x

Okay, stuff just wasn't gonna stop getting weird, huh? At least it was nicer than being trapped by bandits, or in some kind of toy store cabinet — Heck, he might even enjoy this! He'd been fitted with a cool longcoat (pretty close to his trueblade coat, actually) and some other baubles for the occasion by a very insistent water-person, and it'd be kind of a waste to let all this go to nothing...

"Hey, Micaiah!" The boy perks up as he spots her — Or, rather, he sees her wings first, as unwieldly as they look, as she approaches. It hardly matters, and he completely forgets to reply to her question in his excitement to comment:

"Oh snap, you too?" He turns around, and there's a flare of brown in front of the other; Turns out, one of the extra 'baubles' happened to be a fully functional pair of shrike's wings. They shake themselves out once, before tucking almost perfectly to his back. There's an excited shine to his eyes — He's clearly quite unperturbed by the circumstances of the ball, at least for now. At any rate, he's filed it as a 'deal with it afterwards' kind of thing.

"You think we can actually fly with these?"

Edward's pervasive, well, Edwardness calms her heart at the very least, and she soaks in his smile along with the sentiments attached to it for a long moment to steady herself. She gasps, awe-struck despite herself, at the shrike wings on his back. She had not thought they would be fitting and yet... "I see my patron is not the only one with a sense of humor," she sighs, looking down at the mark on her own hand and then coming closer to peer at Edward's. Fire and water, was it? Just like Yune and Ashera she supposed. "I... hadn't thought of that," she admits, having been startled enough when they appeared; knowing of her heritage now, the fact they were white wings (though unlike any heron she had ever seen) seemed, well, a little cruel even if the elementals hadn't known exactly.

(She hoped they did not, at least).

"Normally, I would think it best not to try but," she holds her hand out with a small smile, "would you like to attempt it together?"

[chaosmenu]

4,19 and 20 :3

HI VIN ty for the ask ^.^

4 (movie of the year): okay it may be recency bias speaking but i really really enjoyed killers of the flower moon. ive yet to see the boy and the heron though so that may influence my choice

19 (what are you excited about for next year?): okay okay in terms of My Medias. comics-wise, i am hesitantly hopeful about the night thrasher solo, excited to see how ewing does the resurrection of magneto, dead x-men looks interesting & i wanna see nicieza cable. with poetry/books i am of course primarily excited for the new hanif abdurraqib collection, theres always this year, and the new kaveh akbar book, martyr!, which i really hope gets (re)printed in a paperback form just bc i dont like paying for hardcovers, and judith butlers "whos afraid of gender". wrt movies and shows, cannot WAIT for the old guard sequel i've been waiting for that for YEARSSSS, but theres nothing else im interested in thats been announced that i can think of. in terms of my personal life, im finally getting my license & a job soon which is a tad nervewracking but it means i get to have more freedom over my own life which is so exciting :-)

20 (whats something you learned this year?): it is NEVER that serious. i freaked myself out over the most minor shit so much last year and its been so relieving to just go "wait... this shit does not matter and i dont have to keep pretending like it does." also that the wikipedia page for autism has a picture of a baby stacking cans

[twofoursixohjuan]

Edvin Week 1: Unexpected

or, birthday fluff for my sane boy

Edvin lay on his stomach, drawing patterns into the sand which had built up in the Heron's crevices. Jesper was on cleaning duty that week and it showed.

He'd been born at eleven in the morning, and seventeen for eight hours now.

This was the first birthday Edvin had had away from his family. With the chase after Zavac and the excitement of their triumphant return to Hallasholm, he'd almost forgotten it was coming, and by the time he remembered Hal had already organised a two-day trip down the coast to test some new rigging.

Edvin was fine. No problem. He was almost an adult, now, and he could handle himself. But his younger sisters had planned to bake him a cake, and couldn't understand when their father told them they'd have to wait, and something about that was sticking with them.

He knew some of his friends — his brothers — had problems and rocky relationships with their families. But Edvin missed his, dammit, missed his mother and father and grandfather and four sisters, and this short trip was taking a lot more out of him than it had any right to.

No-one had remembered his birthday, was all it came down to. No-one. Edvin didn't have the long friendship of Stig and Hal, or the strangely-forged bond of Stefan and Jesper, but he'd thought somebody would at least remember. The twins' birthday a few months earlier had been a rowdy, chaotic affair, even in the midst of the Raven hunt, but today everyone just seemed to have...vanished.

Someone called his name.

Edvin rose from the deck and hurried towards the voice. It was probably Lydia returning from her hunt, asking for help dressing whatever she'd caught. He hoped it was rabbits. He couldn't find anyone at first, but as he pushed off the beach and into the edge of the brush there were the rest of the Herons, clustered around a small cookfire and wearing nine identical grins.

There were no rabbits.

But there was Stig's fish stew bubbling in a pot, and a plate of Ingvar's slightly misshapen smallcakes, and as he rounded the bush the grins dissolved into laughter and cries of "Happy birthday, Edvin!"

Oh.

Lydia caught his wrist and tugged him down beside the fire. Hal pushed a bowl of stew into his hands and Stefan deposited a garland of leaves and flowers on his head, and Edvin laughed in sheer unexpected delight. This was better than rabbits.

The stew was good, the cakes were delicious, and time flew past. The twins began a good-natured argument over who appreciated Edvin most, and the rest of the Herons chimed in with more and more ridiculously hyperbolic descriptions of Edvin's importance. By the time Stefan shot to his feet and declaimed with an impressively straight face, "He is the sea on which the Heron runs — far too salty, but essential," Edvin had to bury his bright red face in both hands.

Stig tugged Stefan back to the ground. "Okay, that one wins. Presents!"

"Presents?" Edvin blinked. He certainly hadn't been expecting that, but his crewmates were already retrieving neatly-wrapped packages from a pile hidden behind Ingvar's bulk. "You didn't — oh, what the hell." He grinned. "Presents."

The presents, for the most part, were small and thoughtful. Two carefully carved wooden spoons from Ingvar, several balls of hand-dyed yarn from Stig, a new whetstone from Thorn. Ulf presented him with a wax-paper packet of sticky sweets, Wulf with a simple charm necklace to replace one he had lost overboard off Raguza. There was a complicated layered flask from Hal — "It'll keep your tea warm. I think. I only finished it last night." — and a package of dried leaves and herbs for teas from Stefan. Jesper handed over a signed note promising to do Edvin's washing-up for a month, and made elaborate wounded expressions when he looked skeptical. Lydia's gift was a pouch of dried, handmade jerky — just from the smell Edvin could tell it was ridiculously overspiced, but that had never stopped him before.

As the presents piled, all he could manage was "thank you", eyes wide with delight and disbelief. "To be honest, I thought you'd forgotten," he admitted when the last package had been opened.

Hal smiled. "In all fairness, you never once mentioned it. Jesper had to sneak into Sigurd's office and get the date off the brotherband lists."

Shit. Had he never? Edvin had always been a private person, but damn, did he feel daft now. "That's...endearing, and also a little creepy."

"Well, it's Jesper." Hal stood, stretching. "Probably time to get back to the ship. I want to try some night sailing on the new rig."

Edvin began gathering the bowls, but was stopped by a waving finger under his nose as Stig snatched the crockery from his hands and dumped it with great ceremony in Jesper's lap.

"Come on," he said. "Birthday boy gets to steer."

@brotherbandarchive

[smeemyselfandi]

Ranking every 2023 film I've seen since January 1 2023 to June 25 2024 from best to worst:

Oppenheimer- Eye opening and a chef kiss of a ending.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Not as good as the first but still done very well and kept my interest even though I'm over the whole Multi-verse thing.

Poor Things- The message is simple but told in a unique way and was a very interesting watch.

Godzilla Minus One- A serious Godzilla movie is just a better Godzilla movie.

Blackberry- The start of this movie before the time jump is so great but it kinda goes down after that.

Asteroid City- It was a bit hard to follow but I got it pretty well and enjoyed the silliness and serious parts.

Killers of The Flower Moon- Too Long. Felt a lot of it could've been cut but still good and a story worth telling.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3- The stuff with Rocket is really well done but everything else is silly and not as done as well as the other two.

Maestro- I loved Carey Mulligan performance and didn't get the hate for this.

The Killer- I enjoyed it and was into most of it. Don't know what people expected.

John Wick: Chapter 4- If you don't take it seriously it's a fun watch.

Fingernails- Unique film that I enjoyed just for that.

Barbie- Better than I expected but are the male characters suppose to be more interesting than the females?

Nimona- Animation and characters are good but the story is a story you've seen before but told in a different way.

The Iron Claw- Good but felt it could've been better

The Boy and the Heron- I wanted a more personal story or a big fantasy adventure. This tried to do both and didn't work as well.

Late Night with the Devil-A interesting premise done well but not as scary as you would hope.

Next Goal Wins- Heartwarming and fun but maybe not as accurate and a bit cliche.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves- It's like a Marvel fantasy film and that's not necessarily a bad thing

Saltburn- I was a bit confused on how they wanted me to view this movie but it was good film.

The Creator- Liked better than others. Mainly for how it looked and the acting. The story was cliche.

Beau is Afraid- I was so excited for this but its message was so basic for such a weird story and didn't need to be as long as it was.

Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles- Didn't realize there was so much drama when it came to the Wiggles

Leave The World Behind- Very interesting premise that led to a letdown conclusion.

Knock at the Cabin- Wish it was done better than it was. It's a better M Night movie but felt it could've been better.

Super Mario Bros. Movie- Everything you heard bad about this movie is probably true but dangit nostalgia got me.

Past Lives- Oh god. I'm sorry okay but it wasn't as good as I hoped but the acting was good!

Saw X- One of the better Saw but nothing beats the first.

Dream Scenario- The premise is good but overstays its welcome.

Evil Dead Rises- It was fine. There wasn't much not to like about it but nothing blew me away either.

Scream 6- Let down from Scream 5 or whatever you want to call it. Too bad this is the end of Scream an (d they're never making another again (you heard me)

The Marvels- Not as bad as people say but felt it needed bigger stakes

Priscilla- A bit boring. Felt it needed more to show or say.

Missing- Gets silly by the end just like the first one but the lead in this was not good unlike the first one.

A Good Person- A very depressing watch with a lame ending.

Elemental- World is weird and doesn't make much sense and it's a Romeo and Juliet story as you expect but I still wasn't bored.

Blue Beetle- I wanted this film to be good so bad but it was so basic.

Stan Lee- Wasn't as biased as I thought but it was big Marvel love fest. 39- Shazam! Fury of the Gods- It's like the Shazam never grew up and he's really annoying in it.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: Feels so long since I've seen this. Kang was good for a bit but nothing else really stood out.

The Flash- I didn't hate this as much as everybody else. Probably mainly because of Ezra Miller performance even though I hate to admit that.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom- I don't know what this was but it wasn't Aquaman.

She Came to Me- The characters were lame for the most part.

Paint- Should've just made a Bob Ross biopic.

Wish- This was like a Disney tribute movie but not done well and just a mess.

Plane- Why did people like this? It was lame action movie that I barely remember.