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purplesurveys · 4 years

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What internet browser do you use? Chrome. It’s what I’m used to, but I also think it looks the cleanest among the other available browsers.

What brand water do you drink? (Smart Water, Dasani, etc) I never reach for imported water brands like Evian because what is the point?? The local bottled water brands we have like Summit and Absolute work fine and already do a great job of quenching my thirst.

Do you have a job? Yes and I go back tomorrow and I’m cringing thinking about it. I love my job, but I wish it wasn’t so mercilessly hectic for 9 straight hours, 5 days a week. I like to think that I was hired right at the start of all the simultaneous Christmas campaigns of our clients which is why everything seemed busy; so I’m hoping the workload will start to die down a little bit now that all the holidays are over.

Are you full-time or part-time? Full-time.

Are you watching TV right now? Nope. I was watching on YouTube earlier, but I decided to focus on this.

Or are you listening to music? No. It’s silent here in the living room, just the way I want it to currently be.

Would you go to jail for 3 years for $1,000,000? I don’t think that’s enough money for a dare that big.

When's your birthday? April 21st.

Thoughts on kids? I’m a lot less idealistic about them now. I used to want kids with my only formula being “I’ll do the exact opposite of what my mom did with me.” but I realized it’s so much more complicated than that. Raising a kid/kids is a whole damn job in itself and I see that with how my cousins of the same age, but from different families, have been acting. My cousins from one family are really spoiled and entitled, and I can’t last in a room with them for more than a minute; but my cousins in another family are so ridiculously well-behaved I can’t even start to fathom how respectful and kind they are. That observation has scared me away from kids in the meantime, because I still have to figure out how to not fuck such a responsibility up.

Worst punishment you've ever received by your parents? The worst thing they ever did was take away my laptop privileges for an indefinite period when I was 11, when they caught me being a dumbass on social media and cursing all over the place. It’s a reasonable punishment per se, but that was also a time when the internet was starting to become a resource and requirement for homework and school projects; so my parents didn’t know how many things I failed to submit because they didn’t allow me on the internet.

Are you the type who is completely against abortion? I am pro-choice and pro-pregnant people should be allowed to make decisions about their own bodies. I don’t like the idea of abortion, but I’ve always believed people should have access to resources to learn more about it, to a healthy culture that embraces it as an option, and to actual facilities that will enable them to receive one if the need be.

Have you ever read a book that actually changed your outlook on life? No, I don’t think so. Not yet at least.

Does your favorite flower hold any meaning to you? Peonies don’t mean anything in particular. I just think they look pretty.

What would you do if your favorite animal became endangered? I can’t imagine dogs ever getting endangered, but hypothetically I’d be crushed. I’d do the same thing I would do with other endangered animals, which is to spread the word about their situation and what can be done to save them from getting even fewer in number.

Have you ever owned an expensive eyeshadow palette? No. I never cared for makeup. I’m turning 23 and still don’t feel the need to invest in it...should I be worried?

Do you own a tripod for your camera? We used to, but I have not seen it in a long time.

Are your nails always painted? They never are.

What's one thing you've had a toxic reaction to? A breakup. < This was true for me too, at least for a time. Another one would be the barbecue that my uncle bought for a family gathering once that was definitely contaminated with something...shit gave me food poisoning at 3 AM and made me think my half-naked self was going to die right then and there in the bathroom.

Which holiday is your favorite to decorate for? We only ever decorate for Christmas, so I guess it wins by default.

Were you popular in school? By the second half of high school I was hanging out with the popular groups and getting invited to popular kid things, but I never wanted to claim to be popular myself. I still liked letting my friends take the spotlight.

Are there any foods that often give you heartburn or indigestion? Is there something you intend to buy in the near future? Is anyone in your family artistically talented? What about musically? What cute behaviors or characteristics does/do your pet(s) have? What's the screensaver on your computer? Crossing these out as I believe this survey is a shuffle of questions from many different surveys...? and I have already answered these five in a past survey I recently finished.

What’s the sexiest thing about a guy? I don’t really care for guys, I think... I still haven’t made up my mind about them yet, but all I know is I definitely have not felt seriously attracted to any irl man my whole life.

What’s the sexiest thing about a girl? THIGHS

Who were you with at midnight on January 1, 2021? Who was the last person to send you a message on social media? ^ What qualities does this person have, that you appreciate? What was the last thing that caused you to scowl, or frown? Have you smiled at any point during the last hour? What was the last thing you consulted Google for? So, did anyone send you a "Happy New Year" message when midnight hit? When was the last time you were on a carousel? What is the closest you have ever been to an elephant? Have you ever played Halo? Have you ever read a National Geographic magazine? When was the last time you had a pillow fight? Name somebody who you think deserves more respect: In your own words, define what the word sexy means. What is the most popular tourist attraction where you live? Without looking - do you know what brand your underwear is? Are you any good at volleyball? Have you ever had a water balloon fight? Same situation as above. What an interesting order of questions, hehe. Still having fun with this though!

Do you think some babies are ugly? Newborns are super wrinkly and make the strangest facial expressions from time to time. That won’t stop me from cooing at them, though.

Don’t you miss Chuck E. Cheese? I’ve never been there. Is it like a standard birthday party events place for kids?

Do you think Fall Out Boy is gonna be a classic band, like Queen or AC/DC? In time, maybe.

Do you love stuff-crusted pizza? Yessssss.

Do you apply lotion after you bathe? I don’t, but I should probably pick it up as a habit seeing how dry my skin can get.

What’s your favorite color? Pastel pink. < Same!

Who did you have your most amazing kiss with? Gabie.

Has a YouTube video of yours ever gotten over 10,000 views? I’ve never even posted a video on YouTube.

Would you ever get a tattoo on your collar bone? Not my spot of choice, so maybe not.

Do you like Robert Frost poems? I’m only familiar with one and I’m having a little trouble remembering it rn haha.

Do you go to church every Sunday? We used to go to church, yeah; back when it was okay to. Our local church has allowed face-to-face masses again (but with very limited attendees) but my mom has preferred for us to stay home, so for the last few months we’ve been watching livestreams of Sunday mass every week.

Have you ever been in a relationship on-and-off for more than a year? I would say Gab and I were on-and-off, but it went on a lot longer than a year. The total time would amount to six years.

If you had to get famous for one of the following, which would you choose: music, acting, writing, modeling? Writing. Or modeling, if I could only pull it off.

What do you think of girls with huge boobs that don’t wear bras in public? I seriously don’t care. I skip out on bras all the time because I honestly personally don’t need them, and everyone should be allowed to feel and act the same way.

What is the last thing you tried on in a store? I never do this. Even before Covid, I’ve felt iffy about trying clothes that many others have already put on and were probably not washed 100% well. I’d rather get something, try it on at home, decide if it’s a good fit or not, and then return it ASAP if it ends up being the latter.

Is sleeping naked more comfortable than in clothes? My mom doesn’t knock so I’ve always been scared to try sleeping naked (and she also throws a fit if she catches me locking my door, which is like - then why did you even buy a doorknob with a lock??), but I definitely see the appeal.

Have you ever had a dream in which you were making out, or more, with someone? Yes for the more part lmao, but I don’t know if I’ve ever made out in a dream.

Do you feel as though you have a good memory, or are you forgetful at times? Do you feel that your short-term memory or long-term memory is better? Have you ever had a concussion or some other sort of brain injury before? Do you have any sort of mental illnesses or disorders? What do they involve? What’s the longest that your hair has ever been? How about the shortest? When is the last time that you got it cut? What are some ways that you style your hair? Do you use any sorts of products in it? Who was the last person to truly get on your nerves? What do you think caused you to feel that way?

Do you recycle? Is this through choice or do you live somewhere where it’s compulsory? Through choice. Waste management is sadly not much of a priority here, if at all.

Do you prefer plain, carbonated, or flavored water? Do you think you drink enough water throughout the day? I have never tried the latter two. Water has always been tasteless and plain to me, and I never understood the point of customizing something that’s meant to be tasteless and uncarbonated. There are days where I’m able to have several glasses and other days where I unconsciously skip out on water until dinner.

Have you ever needed to call the police, ambulance, or fire department? Fortunately I’ve never had to call any of these.

When was the last time you visited the library? What was the purpose of your visit? I wasssssss maybe having something printed? If it wasn’t that, I was probably returning a book.

Do you see a lot of wild animals where you live? Are any of them dangerous? None of that here, especially since I live in the city. A sighting of a wild animal outside of a zoo or eco-park would definitely make national news, like that time an ostrich was seen running around a private village many months ago.

Aside from when you were born, have you ever had to stay the night in the hospital? Yep, from a dengue scare that turned out to be just a simple low platelet count.

Have you ever experienced a panic attack? Yes, but they are extremely rare. The last time I had one was maybe two or three years ago. Unfortunately I think all my panic attacks were caused by and involved my mom.

Would you ever want to go into the medical profession? Was your answer different pre-COVID? For a time, when I was hating journalism in college, I was daydreaming about the idea of shifting to biology and making the drastic swerve to med school. But I knew a love of memorizing and biology topics won’t be enough for me to be successful in the medical field, so I quickly shot the idea down.

Where you live, are people paying attention to whatever restrictions are in place to help control COVID? Many? People are definitely following and have been obedient with protocol in different places. Some cities are also still strict with maintaining their checkpoints and banning tourists from entering their area just yet. It’s the government that hasn’t really been making the effort to put measures to contain the virus.

Do you get a real or artificial Christmas tree? Artificial. I don’t know if getting real trees for Christmas trees is a thing here.

What’s your favourite type/flavor of popcorn? Cheddar cheese.

Do you drink oat milk? Nopes. I’d like to try it just to say that I have (and I might end up loving it too), but I have yet to look up what foods or drinks it works best with.

Do you love thrifting? Sure, sometimes I get good finds from it.

Do you consider using only lowercase letters your aesthetic? Sometimes I’ll use it in a Powerpoint or a tweet, but I wouldn’t say it’s an aesthetic that defines me as a person.

Do you say “mood?” Too much.

Do you own fairy lights? No. I wanted those before, but I’m not so sure if I still do now.

Do you own glass straws because the metal ones kind of gross you out because you can’t tell if they are clean or not? I don’t own glass straws. Most places have changed their cups into a design that you can sip directly from, anyway.

Have you made a TikTok? No, don’t care.

Do you own airpods? No, but would like a pair.

Are you afraid of Mercury in retrograde? I really don’t care.

Do you make life choices based on astrology? No, I don’t believe in it. It scares me how much some people rely on it and use it as an actual moral compass or judgment system. It doesn’t harm anyone so I never actively speak out against astrology, but it scares me nonetheless.

How many pairs of converse shoes do you own? One pair. I used to own another one, but my mom threw it out several years ago.

Number of jeans in your closet: I would say like 10-12.

What accent do you have? Philippine English/Americanized Filipino, I guess.

Do you have a big butt? I’d say it’s decently-sized.

Do you count how long you and your gf/bf have been together? Yeah, before.

Have you graduated? Both high school and college, yup.

Rihanna or Lady GaGa? I like Rihanna’s music more, but I love Gaga’s outfits, concepts, and stage presence more. Do you use fake eyelashes? No. I had to use them twice, but I’d never seek them out on my own.

Which was the last book that really captivated you? It’s been a while since I encountered a book like this.

What makeup brands do you use? I don’t use makeup.

#survey #surveys

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surveys-at-your-service · 4 years

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Survey #270

“please remain calm; the end has arrived. we cannot save you; enjoy the ride.”

Do you own pastel-colored pants? No. What type of lotion do you use? I don't really use it. Nothing seems to help how dry my skin is. What were your favorite clothing stores in high school? Hot Topic. If you could have a car in any color you wanted, which color? Pastel pink, but realistically (given a pink car would probably have a paint job I'd have to pay for, I assume?), I like burnt orange cars. Not too brown-ish, though. What is your favorite color, do you look good in it, & do you wear it a lot? Pink, probably not, and no. Name someone you know who hates pink. Idk. What is your favorite Avril Lavigne song? "Nobody's Home." Do you kill bugs? Sometimes. Depends. If they're in my house, most likely. Have you ever had a bedroom that had wallpaper on the walls? No. Do you own any rompers? No. What’s one thing you’ve done to celebrate Earth Day? I made a birdhouse out of a milk carton once. Animal Planet taught me lol. Do you use window clings (aka window stickers)? No. What color is your stapler? Black. Do you have a desk that you sit at in your room? Ugh, no, but that's one reason I want to move to somewhere I have a bigger room for a desk so I don't do everything in my damn bed. What do you miss about college? Feeling like I was worth something and on a "proper" path. Was your middle school crush the same as your high school crush? No. What is/was your dream school? I never had a "dream" school. Do you wish you could talk to someone about your past? If so, who? Idk, probably someone. What motivates you? Music and/or videos on whatever subject I could use motivation in, like self-care on my bad days. Have you ever completed a weight loss program? No. Tried, though. When was the last time you did something for the first time? I went through a doctor appointment entirely without Mom just a few days ago; she had to stay in the car due to chemo, so I filled stuff out, checked in/out alone, answered questions on my own, that business. I'm entirely aware it's sad as hell that a 24 y/o did that for the first time, but if you knew just how dependent I am on my mom, you'd get it. Which do you prefer: Valentine’s Day or Easter? Valentine's when I actually have someone to celebrate with, but I love Easter as an aunt with how excited the kids are about candy and all. Easter sorta rubs me the wrong way though since, y'know, Christianity essentially stole and rebuilt it. Do you wait until the last minute to decorate, or do you decorate early? I myself don't even decorate. Mom only does for Christmas, and it's very last minute. What’s your favorite Starbucks drink? I don't drink Starbucks. What were you wearing in the last good selfie you took? *checks phone* uh the one where I'm wearing a red tank top is okay. That's all you can see cuz FUCK taking full-body pics of me. What’s on your wish list right now? Ha, I actually have a list in my phone of things I really want/need to buy when I can. A few include a bigger terrarium to Venus, a treadmill, an Unus Annus shirt before the channel and thus merch expire, glasses for driving... What do you use to sweeten your tea? I don't drink tea. Have you ever owned an expensive eyeshadow palette? No, I don't wear enough colors or makeup in general to warrant buying one. When was the last time you stepped outside of your comfort zone? The aforementioned doctor visit. How would you rate your self-esteem? Low, healthy, or high? Low as like, the deepest oceanic trench probs. Do you own a tripod for your camera? Yeah. Were you a bigger fan of Lindsay Lohan or Hilary Duff? Hilary. Do you make Halloween costumes out of clothes from your closet? Only ever to just be a goth to live out my inner fantasy of regularly flaunting that aesthetic. Do you enjoy putting outfits together? Not particularly. Would you rather it rain or snow? Snow! What does your umbrella look like? Don't have one. What’s one thing you’ve had a toxic reaction to? Do you mean like, emotionally/mentally toxic? I'm guessing probably yes. Even though parts of it were entirely realistic, understandable reactions/behaviors, I most definitely had some toxicity in me regarding the breakup, too. Which do you prefer: cropped tops or tunic tops? Uggghhhh, both are so cute. On me, I'd only ever wear tunic tops, but on others, I tend to find cropped tops cuter. What’s a style or trend that you think is ridiculous? I don't pay enough attention to this to really know... hm. Yeah, idk. Which YouTuber do you want to be more like? I could only dream of being as motivated and smart and determined and "I can do this shit" as Markiplier jfc I Love One Man Only. Do you like stuffed animals? EEEEEEEEK yes!!!! What was your favorite class in high school? Art. Have you ever gotten straight A’s in a class? If so, which classes? Yes; not to brag whatsoever, but too many for me to remember. I remember I got my very first B in 5th grade in I think math, and I was so bummed out. Were there any subjects that you got a perfect SAT score in? If so, what? I don't think so. Are you happy today? If so, what made you happy today? I'm content-ish, not happy, but also not unhappy. Is your bed right by a window? There's one to my upper right and middle left, but my bed's not exactly against either. Do you spend more time in your bedroom or your living room? I barely leave my bedroom. Which holiday is your favorite to decorate for? Halloween, if I actually did decorate. Do you name stuffed animals still? Very rarely. Depends on what it is, the importance, etc. What titles did you win in the senior class polls? I FUCKIN READ THIS AS "TITTIES" AND WAS JUST LIKE... Anyway, none. Were you popular in school? No. If you’re from the US, what states have you lived in? Only NC. Who was your best roommate? Well, Jason, if he even counted as a "roommate." Was your first roommate your best roommate? See above, considering idk if he fits the term; if he does, then yes. What’s the best family vacation you’ve ever been on? Disney World. Have you ever wanted to be a model? No. What years did you attend prom? Sophomore (bf was a senior and he took me) and senior. What do you want to be for Halloween? I was recently listening to a metal version of Oogie Boogie's song from TNBC and it hit me: MISS Oogie Boogie. A fat bitch could pull that shit off, watch me ho. Which member of your family are you closest to? My mom. If you have any regrets, what is the biggest one? If not, why do you have no regrets? Letting a boy become absolutely all that mattered and more to me. Would you ever apply to be on reality TV? Why? Ew, no. I don't need any more people judging me and my life. What is the best thing that has ever happened to you? The partial hospitalization program that saved my life, literally. Do you have a hard time letting things go? It depends on what it is, but generally, yes. I recently realized one of my greatest flaws: I respond very, very poorly to loss, in any way. Looking back on people (especially people), events, other things... a negative, chronic reaction to loss is present throughout. What have you accomplished in life that has made you the most happy? Emotionally healed, a lot. I don't think some things will ever fully scar over, but nevertheless, I don't mentally have fuckin gashes in me. Have you ever struggled with your weight? Ever since the breakup, yes. I thought I was slightly fat before then, but looking at pictures now, I just think "damn hunny u look gud" and realize I was perfectly healthy. But anyway, I was put on a medication called Abilify (full-on name droppin', fuck this med), and it MURDERED my metabolism. I could eat a fuckin carrot and gain five pounds, probably. Emotional eating probably contributed too, but here's the thing: my current doctor took me off of it, knowing the moment I mentioned it that it was not only bad for me and my conditions but also responsible for the extreme weight gain? Pounds dropped like a ton of bricks, and this started before my emotional eating began to die off and regulate. I lost around 80 pounds just from dropping a goddamn pill. Cue college essay-long rant here about how my body image was slaughtered, how much I loathe the fucking doc that kept me on the med and blamed everything on me, and now how I've been stuck weight-wise for two years despite a vast plethora of methods to continue shedding a;sdlkfajkwlelawe GUYS I could rant til my hypothetical great-grandchildren die. When you are out with your friends are you loud and outgoing or shy and reserved? It depends on who the friend is, where we are, etc., but generally, I'm just awkward, trying to be outgoing when in fact I'm questioning every single thing I say and do al;wekjrkawde this survey has taken a TURN. Do you like to stay in your pajamas all day long? I don't leave my pj's unless I have to leave the house and go inside somewhere besides like, a gas station or something that's just "whatever." In high school did you have a lot of friends? Do you still keep in touch? I wouldn't say a *lot*, no, but not a tiny amount, either. The only one I ever still see is Girt, but I keep up with many on Facebook via the like button and shit, ha. Do you really care about such issues as abortion, religion, and global warming? Fuck yes I do. Who is the biggest womanizer you know? Juan sure was, but I haven't been in contact with him for years. Would you ever have a threesome? No. Who is the most attractive person you know? Of those I personally know-know, my answer will probably always be Alon like jc she's beautiful. When did you last feel the most free? ZOINKS we can't ask that question in America rn. Is there anyone who likes (or liked) you and had a really hard time getting over you? I don't know. Did you ever love someone and feel like it was wrong? Love? No. Well, before I realized I was bi, maybe Mini counts, as then I was anti-LGBT and couldn't even imagine myself as anything but straight. What’s your favorite bug? Butterflies. What’s the longest amount of time you liked/loved somebody for? Yeesh... I still can't say with absolute confidence I no longer love Jason at all, whom I started dating in 2012 and went head over heels for. What song makes you cry? There's a few that are capable of it sometimes, but do fucking not play "Stairway To Heaven" if I'm within 10 miles of you. "Another Life" by MiW usually makes me tear up towards the end, but it normally doesn't get that far anymore. Do you like rock or rap music better? Rock, as I'm not a rap fan. If you could watch someone change, would you? Yes let me live my life a;lsdkfjaws Ever known someone with an eating disorder? I don't know. I think maybe? Have you ever had a white Christmas? I think? The best snow we ever got was late Christmas night though, and the next morning was a total whiteout. What’s something you want to do but aren’t sure of yet? Hm. Idk. I'm pretty sure of most things I want to do. Biggest lie you ever told? I'm not entirely sure and I'd rather not search for one. Do you have a religion? I don't fit perfectly into any. I relate most with Neo-Paganism, but even that I deviate from some. Believe that there is a point to churches? I mean sure, people have the right to believe in/worship what they want to, and some people get a lot of joy and reassurance out of going. How do eat Oreos? "I split them in half and lick the cream before eating the cookie." <<<< Converse or Vans? Idc. Eh, maybe Converse, but idk. Dancing or watching others dance? I love watching others dance, it's why I enjoyed dance recitals and competitions. Favorite thing to touch/feel? My cat! <3 Rather be in a tornado or a large earthquake? Both would be horrifying, but I guess earthquake. I've had an outrageous fear of tornadoes since I was very little. Would you rather Santa or the Easter Bunny actually exist? Santa, duh. Would you rather spread gossip or start a fight? Start a fight, I guess. Trying to sully someone's name with false information would haunt me way more than starting an understandable fight. What has been the best New Year's for you so far & why? I don't know. What is the weirdest fear you’ve ever heard of someone having? Do you have any weird fears, and if so, what are they? Uhhh I think maybe butterflies? Idk, even that's not too weird considering it's an insect, and that's common. I'm personally absolutely terrified of pregnancy and also whale sharks scare me quite a bit. ig that's weird. How did you find Tumblr? lol how could you not know at some point as a teen on the Internet. What of the 8 wonders of the world do you find the most fascinating, if any? I had to look them up lmao. I guess the Great Pyramid of Giza. I in general find Egyptian culture and art to be very cool. Do you have a webcam? If you do, do you ever use it and what for? I mean, it's built into the laptop. I never use it. What is something that you think is really underrated? The band Otep, for one. I mean they're not small, but I don't think most people interested in the metal genre know them. OH and then there are A LOT of YouTube artists that MADLY deserve to be signed. I have a large chunk of metal musicians I listen to, and those especially like Jonathan Young blow my fucking mind they haven't technically "made it," even if they have a large subscriber base. Have you ever had a dream where you died? Did anything weird happen to your body after it? Yes, a few. Now hang with me, okay? One of my worst nightmares as a kid involved the wicked witch from TWoO turning me into one of those fucking party things that you blow into it and the paper unfurls and her using it killed me. Yo idk. I was really scared of that witch as a kid. What’s the scariest dream you’ve ever had? How about the most realistic? It involved my dad and that's all that needs to be said. Realistic? Hm. This was SO long ago that I barely remember *just* how real it felt, but I remember it felt real as fuck. I was very little when this happened. I dreamed that I went outside to our porch because there was a weird light and when I stepped outside, a swan and a goose flew down from the light onto the porch to become my late grandpa and my deeply beloved cat Midnight, who died from sickness. I'm sure it was just a dream now, but back then, I was VERY convinced it was like a vision from God or something, telling me they were okay and with us. Do you have a favorite fashion trend? What is it? Is there a fashion trend right now that you think is completely ridiculous, and if so, what? What do you think was the worst fashion trend of all time? I don't care about fashion enough to go in depth about all this. I'll tell you right now though that mullets were the worst mistake known to mankind. Do you tend to like original horror movies or re-makes better? What’s your favorite horror movie? Is it an original or a remake? If you're remaking an old one, I'll probably like it more since they're generally not nearly as cheesy. Modern horror movies, I don't have much of a preference. My fave is The Blair Witch Project, and it's an original. What is one characteristic in a person that you cannot stand? What characteristics do you like best in a person? Do you possess any of these characteristics? Those that act violent when they're angry, for one. Those scare me. Some traits that I really like are compassion, patience, genuineness, empathy, kindness just for the sake of being so, stuff like that. I'd like to think I've got some of those. It's notable that in my nightmares, I'm way more violent than I actually am, though. What kind of jeans do you like best? When I actually wore jeans, they were like solely skinny jeans. What has been the most traumatic experience of your life? Does it still bother you? A very abrupt and poorly-executed breakup after a long-term relationship and falling way, way too hard to be healthy. Does it still bother me? PTSD is stapled on my fucking forehead if you know the slightest about it. I've healed a whole lot, but I'm pretty sure it's a scar that's never going to even fully seal.

#survey #surveys #quiz #questions

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path-of-my-childhood · 5 years

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Taylor Swift helped design her Time 100 Gala dress

Page Six // By Elana Fishman // April 24th 2019

With new music rumored to be on the way this Friday, Taylor Swift has spent the past several weeks teasing her fans with a slew of pastel-hued social media posts and countdown clocks. And on Tuesday night, she offered a glimpse at what her so-called “TS7”-era style will look like, hitting the red carpet at the Time 100 Gala at NYC’s Lincoln Center clad in a pale pink and yellow gown from J. Mendel that fit right in with her recent snaps of rose-colored ruffles and Easter egg-hued bicycles.

“Taylor always has a very strong point of view; she’s really extraordinary in how she transforms herself constantly,” J. Mendel’s creative director Gilles Mendel told Page Six Style of working with the pop star.

“She always comes to me with an idea; in this case, the theme was pastel colors and soft tones. Luckily, my recent spring collection was very much about those tones, these beautiful pale citrus colors. So we started with my spring palette, and from there, we built up the dress. Taylor wanted a really ethereal, hand-pleated moment, which is something we’ve always done so well.”

The primary challenge of creating Swift’s outfit? Since she was set to perform an acoustic set at the gala, she needed a way to ensure her arms would be free to strum her guitar and play the piano without being encumbered by extra fabric. And as it turns out, it was Swift herself who came up with the solution.

“That bolero didn’t come from me - it was her,” Mendel revealed. “She had the vision of having some sort of cover that would give it a different volume than just a basic dress. So we developed, with our Gilles Mendel touch, this little hand-pleated silk sleeved bolero cover that I thought came out really stunning.”

Best of all, the billowy-sleeved piece made Swift’s look convertible, so she could make a dramatic entrance on the red carpet and then shed it before she took the stage later in the evening.

“I love to design for people who perform,” the designer, who has created costumes for the New York City Ballet, explained. “It’s always a challenge, and it’s fun, to give someone the freedom of movement that’s so important for their art. The concept she brought to me - creating volume out of a super-soft, drape-y material - is a very complicated task, but it’s great to work with Taylor because she always pushes us, as designers, to bring out our best.”

And there’s good news for fans eager to shop Swift’s Time 100 ensemble for themselves. “I’ve never duplicated any of the dresses I’ve done for her,” Mendel said. “I’ve been with her twice to the Met Gala, and those two gowns are still in my archives. But after this experience… I think definitely, in the next collection, [there will be] some modification of what I’ve done for Taylor.”

As for whether Swift and Mendel might make their third appearance together on the Met Gala red carpet next month? “Unfortunately, it’s so hard to give you an answer, because we never know until the very last minute,” the designer said with a laugh. “And it’s maybe bad luck to say, because you never know!”

#page six #article #taylor swift #time 100 #j. mendel #time gala #fashion

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makistar2018 · 5 years

Link

Taylor Swift helped design her Time 100 Gala dress

By Elana Fishman April 24, 2019

Taylor Swift in J. Mendel at the Time 100 Gala AFP/Getty Images

With new music rumored to be on the way this Friday, Taylor Swift has spent the past several weeks teasing her fans with a slew of pastel-hued social media posts and countdown clocks.

And on Tuesday night, she offered a glimpse at what her so-called “TS7”-era style will look like, hitting the red carpet at the Time 100 Gala at NYC’s Lincoln Center clad in a pale pink and yellow gown from J. Mendel that fit right in with her recent snaps of rose-colored ruffles and Easter egg-hued bicycles.

Taylor Swift in J. Mendel at the Time 100 Gala WireImage

“That bolero didn’t come from me — it was her,” Mendel revealed. “She had the vision of having some sort of cover that would give it a different volume than just a basic dress. So we developed, with our Gilles Mendel touch, this little hand-pleated, silk- sleeved bolero cover that I thought came out really stunning.”

Best of all, the billowy-sleeved piece made Swift’s look convertible, so she could make a dramatic entrance on the red carpet and then shed it before she took the stage later in the evening.

Taylor Swift performs at the Time 100 Gala Getty Images for TIME

“I love to design for people who perform,” the designer, who has created costumes for the New York City Ballet, explained. “It’s always a challenge, and it’s fun, to give someone the freedom of movement that’s so important for their art. The concept she brought to me — creating volume out of a super-soft, drape-y material — is a very complicated task, but it’s great to work with Taylor because she always pushes us, as designers, to bring out our best.”

And there’s good news for fans eager to shop Swift’s Time 100 ensemble for themselves. “I’ve never duplicated any of the dresses I’ve done for her,” Mendel said. “I’ve been with her twice to the Met Gala, and those two gowns are still in my archives. But after this experience … I think definitely, in the next collection, [there will be] some modification of what I’ve done for Taylor.”

Taylor Swift (in J. Mendel) with Gilles Mendel at the Met Gala in 2011 (L) and 2013 (R) Getty Images

Page Six

#taylor swift #j mendel #time 100 #2019.04.24

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harinezumiko · 7 years

Text

Jaspearl: From a Distance

Very self-indulgent AU I’ve been toying with for a few months. Canon divergent as of The Return. Jasper takes Pearl to Homeworld to be put on trial since Steven is clearly not Rose Quartz, Peridot gets to check on the Cluster, and nobody is happy. When it becomes clear that Pearl’s memories have been altered, Jasper takes custody of the Terrifying Renegade, and Era Two is anything but what Pearl expected.

Lots of OCs by necessity. It’s mostly worldbuilding. Milky and Copper in particular belong to @anditwasjustathought.

So much had happened in the past few months that Pearl didn’t ever think her head would stop spinning. Everything bled together, a distinct change from the day and night cycles of the Earth she had left behind. Time was an illusion, marked by the movement of stars in a galaxy she would likely never see again.

She was in the Home Galaxy, now.

Pearl had offered herself in exchange for the others’ freedom and safety, a trade that Jasper wasn’t fool enough to shoot down. Rose Quartz was organic and worthless now, but the Terrifying Renegade might still hold answers, might face charges for what the traitor had done to Pink Diamond. Peridot had been able to check Yellow Diamond’s precious geo-weapon for an estimate on when it would emerge, and from there…

From there, it had become abundantly clear that someone had tampered with the pearl’s memories. Put on trial, she truly didn’t have anything to offer that they didn’t already suspect. The zircon assigned to her hadn’t been able to extract any useful information, and it was entirely luck that the Diamonds themselves couldn’t be bothered with a pearl’s testimony, lest all Gems present be shattered.

Yellow Diamond granted Jasper’s request to keep her prize; part of the plan. It was the only thing that had been truly out of their hands.

Pearl was too old to manifest colors outside of her limited pastel palette, but she’d reformed with appropriate attire for her new station; Jasper headed a gladiatorial Arena, and while she already had an Arena Pearl, a second wouldn’t be a problem. She had the status for it. Pearl wore a uniform that looked a bit like Peridot’s and tried not to acknowledge the yellow diamond insignia over her sternum.

The Arena Pearl knew rumors about the Terrifying Renegade, as did many of their caste. Originally from the ailing White Diamond’s court, and later passed to the tragically deceased Pink Queen, she had something of a reputation back home; her involvement in the rebellion on Earth had sparked great change for her kind.

“We can’t just tell everyone who you are,” Jasper grumbled, “But Copper can know.”

Copper. Copper Pearl. It was still strange to hear other Gems calling pearls by their colors. Pearl could have cried for joy, if she hadn’t used up all her tears mourning her comrades on Earth.

Several things became apparent very quickly, following Pearl’s arrival in the Home System. Most notably was how different things were; Lapis Lazuli hadn’t been exaggerating when she said that it was beyond her understanding. Pearl couldn’t keep up, didn’t know what to do with holo-screens or most of the other Era Two technology. But socially, for a pearl…

Pearls in the White Court had always been dutifully silent and impossibly stationary. Pearl herself had been terrible at it in almost every respect, but she had been part of an otherwise perfect batch meant for the Diamonds, and she’d been allowed a great deal of leeway from Her Holiness.

Her job now involved a lot of staying in one building, but rarely sitting in one place. If anything, Jasper was the one trapped in an office dealing with files and planning; she and Copper worked together to ensure that the Arena ran smoothly, that guests were orderly, and that even visits from the uppercrust went without a hitch.

Sometimes, Copper’s sisters visited. Pearl didn’t know how to feel about that. Pearls had visitation rights now, jobs and income and opportunities, and rights, and Copper privately credited her role in the rebellion.

Of course, Pearl couldn’t visit her sisters; it was luck that Jasper had gotten permission to keep her, luck that kept Nacre from doing an inspection. Pearl was on borrowed time, and seeing her batch mates would surely mark the end of that. She stood to the side while Jasper made her reports to Yellow Diamond through her sister, held her tongue, and missed Earth more than ever.

Jasper sometimes spoke to her about the Earth, little questions that grew more pressing the longer they were alone. At first, Pearl was reluctant to speak to her at all; despite their accord, Jasper was entirely responsible for taking her away from the people and planet she loved above all else, and she hadn’t been very kind about it. Pearl supposed that she didn’t really have to be, but then, she didn’t need to like Jasper for it.

Jasper was, however, the only tie she had left to Earth. Lapis Lazuli was conspicuously elsewhere, likely readjusting to life in the Home Galaxy, and there was a marked lack of other Earth-grown Gems here in space.

Her questions were mostly innocent, honest things about the planet they had left behind, but they grew more pointed. She asked about Pearl’s companions, about Amethyst, about when she emerged. Pearl pointed out that Jasper could have stuck around to ask, if she’d cared. Her superior stormed off, and Pearl resumed sharpening swords for the rest of the cycle.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk about them. As she understood it, Jasper was the only Earth-grown Gem still serving the empire, somehow, and quartzes had an affinity for Gems grown in the same soil. They were sisters, in a sense. Amethyst would probably have liked Jasper if she’d had the time to get to know her; when she wasn’t bearing down on enemy rebels, she could be kind, but had the kind of scathing dry tongue that Garnet did, that Amethyst so enjoyed.

But thinking about the Gems she’d left behind made Pearl’s heart ache, and Milky—Jasper’s second-in-command, a brittle Era Two quartz whose sincerity reminded Pearl of Steven—caught her crying for the first time since the trial.

Milky was several things a quartz shouldn’t be. The resource shortage had hit Homeworld hard, made the Diamonds lower their requirements for viable Gems. There was no choice, when only a dozen out of a Kindergarten of five hundred even emerged. She was soft-spoken and hardly intimidating, and offered Pearl her shoulder to cry on. She wasn’t very worldly, and she had never—and would never—seen battle outside of Arena matches, and even those were few and far between. She was a civilian in ways that Amethyst should have been, but that the corrupted Gems on Earth had prevented.

Pearl clung to her and cried until her eyes were dry again, and Milky promised her that life at the Arena would get better with time.

Jasper took her aside a few cycles later, looking tired and haggard and uncomfortable, and Pearl dutifully let the big quartz steer her into her office without complaining. She felt stiff and wooden, and Jasper offered her a seat, but Pearl remained standing.

“Milky told me I made you cry,” Jasper said stiffly. Pearl stiffly denied it. Her superior—her owner, Pearl supposed, and the burning in her gut at the notion would probably subside in a century or two—sighed, pinching between her brows, just above her Gem. “That wasn’t my intent, Pearl. I apologize.”

Pearl’s tongue was dry and her mouth felt stuffed with cotton. She nodded. “And?”

Jasper didn’t need to pull her into a locked office for that.

The quartz sighed again, looking annoyed. “We’ve got a confiscation today. I need to debrief you, or you need to be out of the way. Either way, I need to debrief you, because it’s… messy.”

“Messy,” Pearl echoed, finally sinking into the offered chair.

Jasper looked like she’d tasted something sour, and her sharp eyes met Pearl’s. “An aquamarine has been invited to enjoy today’s show,” she said slowly, “She’ll be sitting in the reserved seats, with her blue pearl. You won’t want to read her file; it’s sick. With luck, she won’t realize what we’re doing until it’s too late…”

Pearl’s eyes went impossibly wide as Jasper explained the details of Copper’s plan to separate the pearl from her visiting owner, an apparently common practice at the Crystal Arena. There was something of an underground network, Jasper explained, where battered pearls would reach out for help—but the legal channels through which they could be taken away from their owners required recorded testimony, and that testimony was impossible to secure while they were in their abusers’ custody. The Crystal Arena was one favored by Yellow Diamond, highly thought of and hard to get tickets to; turning down an invitation simply wasn’t done.

Neither was leaving a pearl home for most of a cycle. It was a good honey pot.

“…The aquamarine has had pearls confiscated before,” Jasper went on, “Public outbursts in the courts aren’t tolerated, and they were easy cases. But this one’s… new. Different. She isn’t even registered. She might be hard to save. We got the tip from another Gem; the pearl may not know what she’s in for.”

Pearl wasn’t registered, either, but she knew that Era Two pearls were supposed to be.

“What’s my part?” Pearl asked, pursing her lips in a thoughtful frown. “She doesn’t know me. I don’t know anyone in this system. I don’t even know the laws.”

Jasper’s toothy smile startled her; it was grim, and almost conspiratorial, and she leaned forward with her hands steepled in front of her face. “Exactly. The aquamarine won’t even know you work here. Copper’s practically synonymous with the Arena itself, and Milky’s too timid. If you can lure the pearl away from the seats, we can get her to safety without causing a scene at all.”

It sounded dangerous and unfamiliar, and Pearl nodded. “What if there is a scene?”

“That’s what your spear’s for, isn’t it?” Jasper sounded almost nonchalant about it. Pearl stared at her like she’d split into two Gems, and Jasper raised an eyebrow challengingly. “You’re supposed to be a legendary warrior. Use it. Protect the blue pearl and don’t hurt any of the spectators. If the aquamarine tries to stop you, use force.”

“Since when are pearls allowed weapons?” Pearl managed to squawk out. Her mind was reeling.

Jasper looked smug. “Welcome to Era Two. Are you on board?”

She offered her hand, and Pearl stared for several seconds before extending her own. Jasper squeezed her smaller fingers tightly, and Pearl stared at the quartz a moment longer. Then, she managed a smile, faint and uncertain. “I’m in.”

----

The confiscation went almost too smoothly, but Pearl supposed that Copper must have had several centuries’ worth of practice from the way she steered the blue pearl into a private area after Pearl had gotten her out of her owner’s sight. Milky was tasked with detaining the aquamarine not long after, and Pearl felt a little silly and awkward standing perfectly still in the hallway, clutching her spear for several minutes while the aquamarine’s shrieks echoed down the hall.

“Good job,” Jasper said, appearing behind Pearl without a sound. She whirled on the Arena Head, ready to lunge with her spear, still on edge—and Jasper caught the shaft before Pearl could thrust it too close to her Gem.

“…Sorry,” Pearl managed tightly, letting the weapon dissipate. “Reflex.”

“My fault. I shouldn’t sneak,” Jasper said, raising her hands in a gesture of appeal. “You did good. No disruption at all. No complaints from the crowd.”

Wide blue eyes stared up at her; Pearl wasn’t sure what to say. “Is this… normal?” she asked uncomfortably. Jasper nodded slowly.

“A lot of Gems don’t like the new laws, especially old ones,” she explained, motioning for Pearl to follow her. Pearl found it easy enough to walk and listen, just like a pearl should. Jasper went on, voice low. “It’s hard to enforce new laws on old Gems. Especially if their pearls won’t—or don’t know to—report violations. Or they can’t, because it’s all they’ve ever known. Some owners aren’t sneaky, but the ones that are’re harder to trip up. That’s what we’re here for.”

“This entire Arena schtick?”

Jasper laughed, shaking her head. “Nah. Arenas have been around longer than I have. When Copper applied to be the Arena Pearl, I looked a little too deep into what happened to her. Found out she wasn’t alone. And now, we do this alongside regular Arena duties.”

“What happened?” Pearl couldn’t stop herself from asking, but from the way Jasper’s step stuttered, it was a mistake.

Jasper didn’t answer, not right away, but she did look down at Pearl coolly. “Not your business,” she said, and Pearl shrank back a little. “Copper doesn’t talk about it.”

“Oh.”

Silence stretched between them for several seconds, and Jasper sighed. “Let’s get you somewhere quiet. Nacre isn’t coming for this confiscation, but it’s better if you don’t get seen by her aides yet.”

Pearl nodded absently and wondered, briefly, whether her sister still worked alongside Mother of Pearl—but thinking about her sisters was almost as painful as thinking about her family on Earth, and she stuffed those feelings down inside her to contend with in the distant future. Pink certainly couldn’t afford to see her, and if that meant hiding in alcoves and weapons rooms after confiscations to buy a little more time, she would have to do it.

She wrapped her arms around her midsection and missed the perplexed look on Jasper’s face.

----

Pearl’s new life was terribly, achingly lonely. Copper was kind and spoke with her often, but she was hardly physically affectionate at all, even for an Era One pearl. Pearl learned to approach her from her left side, away from the Gem on her thigh, to give ample warning, and that she seemed to have a limit to how much physical contact she could stand from just about anyone—and that limit was far, far lower than anyone Pearl had been close to since the war. She endured the clinging from pearls they confiscated because she understood, in ways Pearl wasn’t sure she could, their fear and pain.

Milky had learned to be sparing with her affection. She expected Pearl to be distant the way Copper was, and though she was pleasantly surprised that it was not the case, she was too shy, too awkward to simply fall into easy, casual touching with an Arena Pearl.

Finding out that the new Arena Pearl was the Terrifying Renegade that Jasper had told stories about made her even more awkward.

“I don’t bite,” Pearl insisted, feeling somewhat wounded that the brittle quartz was avoiding her now that she knew. The diamond against her sternum itched, and Pearl shrank in on herself. “That’s not who I am anymore.”

Milky regarded her with some hesitation. She was a young quartz—made well into Era Two—and she couldn’t imagine the scope of Pearl’s long life. Jasper had regaled her with thrilling stories of the war on Earth, and those stories featured a worthy adversary that she had never had the opportunity to fight. Pearl seemed to think her reputation was undeserved, and Milky didn’t know her well enough to agree.

“Who are you now?” Milky asked hesitantly, scratching the back of her head. Pearl’s gaze shot up to meet hers, startled and glassy. “You don't have to tell me anything—that is, it’s up to you. But I’d kinda like to know.”

Pearl no longer wore a sash or skirt to fiddle with, and her long fingers tangled together in her lap instead. “I’m no one now,” she murmured, “I gave up everything I was coming here.”

That brought to mind several questions, but Milky watched the way Pearl closed off, the way her eyes grew distant and sad, and it was hard to be afraid of her. She put aside the bracers she had been tightening and crossed her legs, resting her hands in her lap. “You weren’t confiscated,” she said slowly, and Pearl shook her head. Milky’s brows furrowed as some pieces of the puzzle fell together. “You weren’t rescued. You weren’t even in the empire, were you?”

“Earth was never colonized,” Pearl’s voice was hollow. “We ensured that.”

Then what was Pearl doing here? Milky watched her, and daringly reached out, passing her hand through Pearl’s field of vision by way of warning before settling her big hand over hers. Pearl’s head jerked up, and their gazes met. Milky mustered up a lopsided smile. “Tell me about Earth?”

Pearl did.

----

There were many things Milky didn’t understand in Pearl’s stories of Earth; she had trouble imagining the beach, the trees, the fauna. Pearl showed her projections of some of these things, and Milky stared with rapt attention as Pearl talked about domesticated wildlife and plants, of ecosystems Homeworld didn’t have on any of its colonies, and while a lot of it went over her head, it was the happiest Pearl had seemed since she had come here.

Milky asked questions, and eventually, those questions were angled at Pearl’s companions. She was thrilled to learn that one of Jasper’s sisters lived on Earth, somehow, and abundantly curious about Garnet and Steven. She didn’t tell Pearl not to cry when the memories were too much for her, and for that, Pearl was grateful. Milky tried to be understanding, and Pearl tried to be honest. They talked, and Pearl cried, and Milky couldn’t really find it in herself to be afraid of the Terrifying Renegade after all that.

“It was really brave of you—protecting them like that. I’m sure they appreciate it,” Milky said with some uncertainty. Her smile was sincere, and she gave Pearl’s small hand a squeeze. Pearl squeezed back without missing a beat. “You couldn’t know you’d end up here. It’s lucky Jasper could save you.”

Save.

Pearl didn’t feel saved. She felt like a fish plucked from the ocean and transferred into a tank in someone’s office. Like the little clown fish in one of Steven’s silly movies, except that there was no brilliant escape plan to be made, and no one coming to rescue her.

She didn’t feel very lucky, either.

“I suppose I owe her for that,” she murmured dully, “It’s better than being shattered, I guess.”

Worry writ itself across Milky’s face, open and unguarded, and Pearl knew she’d said the wrong thing, but there was no taking it back. The quartz stared at her, searching for something to say and coming up short. The alabaster Gem before her looked—aged, like the vids she’d seen of White Diamond, and it startled her.

“You should talk to Jasper,” Milky blurted out, wincing at the withering look Pearl pierced her with. “She could—help? You’re obviously unhappy, Pearl, and nobody wants that. But Jasper’s the only one who might get it. Copper ‘n I have never left the Home Galaxy.”

Some long unturned gears deep in the recesses of Pearl’s mind creaked, shifted, and groaned. She wondered whether she could convince Jasper of anything. She had no leverage over her new owner, no tricks up her sleeve.

“I don’t have anything to give her,” Pearl’s voice was hollow, “She doesn’t have any reason to help me. Any information I had got thrown out at the trial. Mistrial.”

Milky considered this for a while, watching Pearl’s eyes darken unhappily, and she hesitantly reached up, settling her hand in the other Gem’s hair. “She doesn’t need a reason to help you,” she said gently, “She’s our boss. It’s her job. And she’s secretly nice, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

The joke fell flat.

“Talk to her,” Milky urged again, and Pearl nodded almost mechanically. The Arena Second managed something that passed for a smile, even if Pearl couldn’t see it. “Is there anything I can do…?”

Crush me, came to mind, but was the wrong thing to say. Pearl had already worried Milky quite enough, she told herself, and she shook her head slowly. “Thank you, Milky,” she mumbled despondently, “I’ll talk to her.”

She just wasn’t making any promises about when.

----

An upcoming tournament gave Pearl several excuses to make herself both scarce and busy. Unsure as to whether Milky had spoken to Jasper about their conversation, she simply avoided the Arena Head as much as she could. She buffed armor, reinforced bracers, and tended to the absurdly large collection of swords kept in the Crystal Arena.

She worked in their forge, too close to the flames, but if she closed her eyes she could pretend she was back home, in the Temple, in the boiler room, and what did she care if she got burned now?

Pearl didn’t speak for days, and her silence wasn’t totally unnoticed.

“…She’s not thriving,” Copper said, pointedly leaning across Jasper’s desk. Their conversation had gone in one circle already, and the Arena Pearl didn’t have time for another lap. Jasper seemed convinced that Pearl was adjusting well; Copper didn’t have to speak to the other pearl to know better. “She’s closing off! Jasper, why did you even bring her here? She doesn’t meet the qualifications!”

Pearl could hear Copper’s voice several meters down the corridor. She couldn’t hear Jasper’s response, not quite, and curiosity got the better of her. As quietly as she could, she moved to stand near the open door to Jasper’s office, and listened.

Copper was speaking again, shrill and frustrated. “I can’t even read her file—it’s locked up!”

“You know why,” Jasper sounded tired.

“And you know there’s a reason Arena Pearls have to apply for the position,” Copper quipped, “She wasn’t confiscated; she hasn’t had a cool down period; she hasn’t had any training that wasn’t on site! She has no travel privileges, she’s not registered, she hasn’t seen any of her batch mates since she started here—“

“It’s a risk we can’t take,” Jasper cut in, “They belong to the Diamonds. Yellow Diamond can’t know it’s her.”

Copper kept going, unperturbed, but getting louder. “So let’s review, Jasper; you brought a war criminal who gets no vid calls out, no rehabilitation, no visitation rights, no travel. This is completely against protocol!”

“She gets the job done, doesn’t she? She must enjoy some of the work—“

“That is not the point,” Copper growled, “And you’re killing her.”

Pearl heard Jasper’s chair scrape back. She wasn’t sure when she’d covered her mouth, but stale air burned in her lungs now.

“You know me better than that,” Jasper’s voice was a low rumble, and Pearl recognized it as threatening. “I saved her the only way I could, Copper! She’d be bubbled or worse—“

“Is this better? Is this really better, Jasper?”

They argued, and Pearl stood rooted to her spot in the hall, out in the open, in the worst possible place to freeze up. Copper’s words were touching, but the realization that so much about her situation was wrong scalded her to the core.

The fact that she’d never thought of any of this, for weeks, was chilling.

Tears blurred her vision, and Pearl pressed her palms to her face and cried silently.

“Pearl?”

Of course Milky would round the corner and see her. Of course. Jasper and Copper’s argument came to a screeching halt, and Pearl did the only thing she could think of:

She ran.

-----

Not that it helped. The Arena was large, but there were a finite number of places she could hide, doors she could open, and the other Gems all had higher clearance than she did. Pearl ducked into the forge and tried to bar the door.

She couldn’t do this.

The knight stumbled backwards into one of the many armor racks behind her and wound up buried in quartz-sized light armor, bracers and chest plates and something akin to chainmail. The resulting crash was almost deafening. She reached automatically to check her Gem—no dents, not that it mattered—and rocked forward to cry into her knees.

Pearl could hear the others coming, and she wished more than anything that she hadn’t been spared after her trial. She sobbed, tore at her hair, and was vaguely aware that the thundering footsteps in the hall had to belong to Jasper.

“Pearl!”

Milky’s voice. Sufficiently worried and out of breath, she sounded a little like Amethyst. Or, more likely, Pearl’s mind was playing tricks on her. If she closed her eyes, maybe just for a moment, she could pretend this wasn’t Homeworld.

Jasper tore the forge door off its hinges, and that moment ended.

Pearl reacted without thinking. Cornered and afraid, she drew her spear in the second it took for Jasper to lay eyes on her, but the quartz was already upon her—and it was the Strawberry Battlefield all over again, strewn with weapons that were unfamiliar and large, and Pearl screamed, expecting exactly the end she deserved.

There was no killing blow.

Jasper’s cheek bled crimson where Pearl’s spear had grazed her, but she snapped the shaft, and then—nothing. Wild gold eyes met hers, and Pearl’s breath hitched while reality caught up to her. Foliage and the scent of strawberries bled away like a forgotten dream, and Pearl tried scrambling away from her adversary, but was already inches from the wall. She was cornered, and a frantic look around confirmed that she was still very, very far from Earth. Milky filled most of the doorway, but Copper had an arm out, cautioning her to stay, and Pearl’s wide eyes settled again on Jasper—

Jasper.

“Pearl,” Jasper’s voice was low, but there was no threat this time. “Pearl, look at me.”

She did. Jasper’s face was inches from hers. Her vision blurred, and the world tilted, but she did meet Jasper’s eyes before dissolving into ugly tears with a low wail.

Jasper faltered, unsure of what to do, what to say. She settled for going rote, murmuring reassurances that she didn’t think Pearl could hear, and which ultimately didn’t matter anyway. Behind her, Copper slipped inside to check the forge itself; she shut the open grate as quietly as she could before pulling Milky into the hallway.

Pearl hiccupped and sobbed, but she wore herself out quickly, and Jasper leaned a hand against the wall near her head.

“I’m sorry,” Jasper said stiffly, and this drew Pearl out of her revere. “I made a lot of decisions for you without your input. It was well-intentioned, but…” She cleared her throat, looking askance. “You cooperated on Earth, and I… saw you give your testimony. The memory alteration wasn’t your fault. And I—I know about you. Stories from the war. I thought you’d do well here. I thought it was better than the alternative.”

The alabaster Gem stared at her, eyes puffy and damp, and she uncurled slightly. Jasper sat back on her heels, and Pearl tried to gather her wool before speaking.

“I’d rather be dead,” she croaked out, “I never, ever wanted to come back to this place. This isn’t where I belong—I can’t live under the Diamonds again. You said yourself that I’m defective—I know what happens to defective pearls!”

Jasper looked taken aback. She swallowed thickly. “It’s different now,” she insisted, “Nothing will—you’re safe here, the Arena program is a good cover. You’ll…”

Pearl stared at her flatly. “I’ll die. Isn’t that what Copper said? You took me away from everything I knew and everyone I loved, and I’ll die.”

The quartz’s jaw hung open, and she faltered, tried and failed to say something. Pearl’s arms were around her midsection again, and Jasper finally recognized the defensive gesture for what it was. Blue eyes fell away from her face, and Pearl dropped her voice. “I’ll die, and I’ll welcome it.”

Jasper’s throat was dry. Pearl looked smaller than ever, head bowed, hair tousled, and for a moment she could sympathize—because eons ago, after learning of Pink Diamond’s death, she’d felt the same way.

“Pearl…” she tried, and the smaller Gem bristled visibly, drawing in on herself. Jasper sighed. This wasn’t working. She was horribly bad at comforting anyone to begin with. “Just… bunk with Copper or Milky for a few days. I’ll see what I can arrange. I’m not going to just let you die.”

Of course, Pearl thought dully, even that was out of her hands. She had been a fool to think otherwise even for a second.

----

#Jaspearl #Steven Universe #anditwasjustathought #Jasper #Pearl #fanfiction

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webbygraphic001 · 6 years

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20 Best New Portfolios, April 2018

It’s that time again, readers. We’ve got a variety of sites, here: presentational and simple, colorful and nearly monochromatic. We’re also doing something a little new: we’re including the platform each site was built on, according to my best guesstimate.

At least the WordPress ones are easy… Enjoy.

Note: I’m judging these sites by how good they look to me. If they’re creative and original, or classic but really well-done, it’s all good to me. Sometimes, UX and accessibility suffer. For example, many of these sites depend on JavaScript to display their content at all; this is a Bad Idea, kids. If you find an idea you like and want to adapt to your own site, remember to implement it responsibly.

Reece Parker

We begin with Reece Parker’s illustration portfolio. It’s dark, it’s minimalist, and it has an amusing little animated Q&A that I enjoyed reading through. Now you know how I feel about depending on animation, and all (I am contractually obligated to mention it at least once a month), but this was charming enough to win me over anyway. The whole site pretty much sells itself with charm.

Platform: Semplice

Myles Lucas

Myles Lucas’ portfolio goes straight for the “Well isn’t that something?” approach with a slideshow that is comprised of, well… his name. One letter at a time. The rest of the site isn’t much more subdued, with a background that changes color drastically as you browse through the projects.

Platform: Static site

Théo Rosel

Théo Rosel brings us back yet again to that odd sort of minimalism that is packed with animation and interactive elements. Well in any case, the site’s design is elegant, clean, and pretty as you could ask for. My only note is that on the home page, you have to click and hold on the main slideshow to see the associated projects. This probably does wonders for preventing mis-taps, but it’s rather awkward for anyone who still uses a mouse.

There are dozens of us. Dozens!

Platform: Static site

Lettuce & Co.

Lettuce & Co. is one I’m kind of excited to feature, if only because we’ve never had an event planner portfolio in this series before (that I can recall). It’s minimal, but clearly sticks to the fancy-ish, serif-loving, classic event-planner style we’ve come to associate with weddings, especially.

Their past work is, of course, all about the photos, because how else would you do it? They use a lot of close-up detail shots to show how committed they are to said details, and I think it works.

Platform: WordPress

PROFI

Is brutalist web 2.0 a thing? Or is it just extreme minimalism with big text? Whatever the case, the designers at PROFI are masters of this form. I can appreciate just wanting to put your website up without worrying too much about the details normally associated with web design.

But oooh, on this one you hover over images to get text, rather than the other way around. What’s old is new again.

Platform: Static HTML

This Page

This Page is a digital studio with a pretty clear emphasis on video. Thus, the site is predictably presentation-like. Still, I absolutely love their use of color. One thing I can say for presentation-style sites: they’re usually not afraid to look as bright and cheery.

Platform: JavaScript App

Momkai

Momkai is the second Amsterdam-based studio on this list. New conspiracy theory: they synchronize their redesigns and/or site launches for some nefarious purpose. This one takes a fairly normal layout, and embraces pastels. Also animation. Nothing mind-blowing, but it’s pretty.

Platform: Static Site

Monica Lovati

Monica Lovati is both a person and a design studio, and they both have a name that just rolls off the tongue, man. Her/their website is another one that made it onto this list because it’s pretty. Go admire it for a bit!

Platform: Semplice

Bee Creations

I’ll be honest with you. I’d be extremely disappointed if Bee Creations wasn’t a black and yellow masterpiece. It leans more toward the black than the yellow in general, and it’s just so… aggressively modern. I do rather like the way they side-mounted header and navigation tie the site together, while case studies are allowed to be a lot more flexible with the art direction.

Platform: WordPress

Kasra Design

Kasra Design makes excellent use of a bold color palette, but tempers it with a more classic modern aesthetic and lots of literal white space. The use of photo composites all over the place definitely sets the tone, and helps to convey the agency’s personality.

Platform: WordPress

Voir(e)

Voir(e) is an atelier with a very, very distinct aesthetic style that ranges from the clothing they produce to the photos they use to showcase it to the colors of the website itself. I’d say that this site possibly wins this month’s non-existent award for most unified sense of style.

Platform: Static Site (with some AJAX, not quite a full-on app)

Film Truck

Film Truck is, as you might expect, a truck that goes down the street playing music and sells… wait, no. It’s a film studio. Like many sites nowadays, this one combines artsy minimalism with presentation-style UX. The color palette and small graphical flourishes do give it a distinct personality, though.

Platform: JS App

Zazu

Zazu goes for that bold, almost default-link-color blue (da-ba-dee-da-ba-die). And then they go for lots of white space with blue text. And then once in a while, they’ll throw all of those rules out the window, and engage in some honest-to-god art direction for their case studies. It’s been done before, but these people do it well.

Platform: Semplice

We Should Do It All

We Should Do It All is both their agency name and their mission statement. Their dedication to doing it all seems to extend to their portfolio, which is both text-heavy and image-heavy. They seem rather dedicated to telling whole story of each project, in a functional, simple, near-brutalist fashion. I actually rather like it.

Platform: Static Site

Kuon Yagi

Kuon Yagi is web designer and self-professed “markup engineer”. Now I don’t think we need another job title, but I have to admit that one sounds cool. The design is darned cool, too with a distinctly space-themed aesthetic, a .space domain name, and typography so pretty that I don’t care if a lot of the text is Japanese.

Platform: Static Site

Mustafa Celik

Mustafa Celik is an art director, and has taken full advantage of animation and typography to create an experience that is rather beautiful, on the whole. It does that thing where the navigation links are all over the place, but otherwise, it’s a darned good-looking site.

Platform: WordPress

Sophie Haig

Sophie Haig’s photography portfolio combines collage-style-design, hover-over-text-to-preview UX, and the exact same font used in every hair style catalog at the local barber shop. Okay, I’m half-kidding. I’ve actually been seeing a lot of vertically “squished” type lately. I’m not a huge fan, but it has been a change of pace, and I appreciate that. In this case, it doesn’t look bad at all.

Platform: Static Site

Anyonegirl

Anyonegirl is a simple yet stylish photography portfolio with a rockin’ 416 pages full of photos. Any site with that much content pretty much has to keep it simple for bandwidth reasons. Even so, there’s a distinct style present that I find appealing.

Platform: WordPress

Oak & Morrow

As much as I’ve been enjoying the web’s return to color, I must admit that Oak & Morrow’s nearly monochromatic portfolio is pleasing to look at. After that, their flair for illustration adds an extra touch of style to an already great site.

Platform: WordPress

Antfood

And we finish this off with Antfood, a distinctly presentational site with tons of color, solid type, and some fairly creative animation. They also do website audio the best way I’ve ever seen it done: it’s turned off by default. If you really, really feel the need to listen to your website, you can turn it on. They’re an audio studio, so you can hardly blame them for trying.

Platform: Static Site

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unixcommerce · 6 years

Text

20 Best New Portfolios, April 2018

At least the WordPress ones are easy… Enjoy.

Reece Parker

Platform: Semplice

Myles Lucas

Platform: Static site

Théo Rosel

There are dozens of us. Dozens!

Platform: Static site

Lettuce & Co.

Their past work is, of course, all about the photos, because how else would you do it? They use a lot of close-up detail shots to show how committed they are to said details, and I think it works.

Platform: WordPress

PROFI

But oooh, on this one you hover over images to get text, rather than the other way around. What’s old is new again.

Platform: Static HTML

This Page

Platform: JavaScript App

Momkai

Platform: Static Site

Monica Lovati

Platform: Semplice

Bee Creations

Platform: WordPress

Kasra Design

Platform: WordPress

Voir(e)

Platform: Static Site (with some AJAX, not quite a full-on app)

Film Truck

Platform: JS App

Zazu

Platform: Semplice

We Should Do It All

Platform: Static Site

Kuon Yagi

Platform: Static Site

Mustafa Celik

Platform: WordPress

Sophie Haig

Platform: Static Site

Anyonegirl

Platform: WordPress

Oak & Morrow

Platform: WordPress

Antfood

Platform: Static Site

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iyarpage · 6 years

Text

20 Best New Portfolios, April 2018

At least the WordPress ones are easy… Enjoy.

Reece Parker

Platform: Semplice

Myles Lucas

Platform: Static site

Théo Rosel

There are dozens of us. Dozens!

Platform: Static site

Lettuce & Co.

Their past work is, of course, all about the photos, because how else would you do it? They use a lot of close-up detail shots to show how committed they are to said details, and I think it works.

Platform: WordPress

PROFI

But oooh, on this one you hover over images to get text, rather than the other way around. What’s old is new again.

Platform: Static HTML

This Page

Platform: JavaScript App

Momkai

Platform: Static Site

Monica Lovati

Platform: Semplice

Bee Creations

Platform: WordPress

Kasra Design

Platform: WordPress

Voir(e)

Platform: Static Site (with some AJAX, not quite a full-on app)

Film Truck

Platform: JS App

Zazu

Platform: Semplice

We Should Do It All

Platform: Static Site

Kuon Yagi

Platform: Static Site

Mustafa Celik

Platform: WordPress

Sophie Haig

Platform: Static Site

Anyonegirl

Platform: WordPress

Oak & Morrow

Platform: WordPress

Antfood

Platform: Static Site

Add Realistic Chalk and Sketch Lettering Effects with Sketch’it – only $5!

Source p img {display:inline-block; margin-right:10px;} .alignleft {float:left;} p.showcase {clear:both;} body#browserfriendly p, body#podcast p, div#emailbody p{margin:0;} 20 Best New Portfolios, April 2018 published first on https://medium.com/@koresol

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mononohke-archive · 7 years

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Anime Roundup - Winter 2017 [Spoilers]

As always, this season flew by despite how disappointing it was (for anime that started airing during it, not leftovers from Fall 2016). Well, maybe it was also because near the end I started playing video games and fell behind on my normal watching schedule. Either way, it didn’t feel like a whole 3 months. I’m a little late, as usual, and I didn’t write as much this time around. (Chalk it up to laziness and distraction by the aforementioned video games.)

Overall: I think this season qualifies as the worst I’ve seen yet. So many disappointments but only one or two highs.

Featured Anime: Ao no Exorcist S2, Gintama., Rakugo Shinjuu S2, 3-gatsu no Lion, ACCA, All Out!!, ClassicaLoid, Nanbaka + S2, Onihei, Trickster

Total: 10 | Average Score: 6.8 | Word Count: 4,581

~ (DIRECT) SEQUELS ~

Ao No Exorcist: Kyoto Impure King Arc [5/10]

Let me be blunt, the only thing I actually give a crap about in Ao no Exorcist is Yukio. Specifically, Yukio as a character and his brother complex for Rin. That is really what carried me through the first season of AnE and made me feel like it deserved more than a 5. In season one, the whole dynamic between them, Yukio’s complicated feelings for Rin, and their rivalry was the main theme of a significant part of the show. But in this season and arc, Yukio is barely there at all. The shift focuses more to Suguro, his family, and the Impure King. While I don’t dislike Suguro (Nakai Kazuya being his voice helps), I really don’t care enough to watch a whole cour about him and his family. There’s a lot of Rin too, of course, but he’s the main character and that’s obviously unavoidable.

Well, at least there a little bit of Yukio, however. He’s there for a few episodes and there’s like half an episode dedicated to his and Rin’s relationship, but that’s a pittance compared to the last season. For those reasons, AnE has dropped one point and just went into boring/average territory. If Yukio is a major part of next season or some future season, the score will go up to 6 again, but this one will stay at 5.

To give some credit though, I’m really grateful that they brought back all the original cast for this long awaited sequel. Unlike D.Gray-man last year, I never felt like something was wrong because all the voice actors and art style were different. It is unfortunate that they couldn’t get Keiji Fujiwara to reprise his role as Rin and Yukio’s father, but still 99% of the cast is the same.

Gintama. [8/10]

It is with a heavy heart that I have to give a title in the Gintama series less than a 10 (only applies to the main show and not movies/specials/OVAs). Unfortunately, the recent change in Gintama’s pace is tiring and got boring rather quickly. This problem was beginning to show in the previous season, but at least that had enough episodes and arcs to have more change.

This season honestly didn’t have a bad start... it was really great seeing the Joui4 together again especially Sakamoto (since he appearances are normally so limited) but then it went into Kamui and Umibozu’s backstory arc. To be clear, I like Umibozu, don’t care about Kamui, and love Kagura, but this whole arc was mostly about Kamui, Umibozu, and Kouka (Kagura and Kamui’s dead mother). Kagura herself felt like an afterthought in this arc. This was more about explaining Kamui’s issues with his dad and how Umibozu met Kouka.

Now, aside from my general disinterest in Kamui, the problem is not really with the backstory itself. It’s the fact that Gintama had turned into a battle shounen. I really dislike the pacing in battle shounens, especially if they are done badly *coughsNanbakacoughs*, and the worst part is that Gintama normally does these bits right in previous drama arcs. In this one though, it was boring... maybe not unbearable, but I found myself tuning out a lot more than I would watching Gintama - y’know, one of my all time favorite anime.

Personally, I think the comedy in Gintama has always been stronger than the drama. The drama, when done in arcs between a lot of comedy, is really when it’s at its best because that is when the show brings a necessary change of pace and adds more depth to the characters. When it’s just one drama arc after the other, the battle shounen portions tend to take over. Plus, I just really miss the humor. It always gelled with me and that’s why I loved the show so much from the beginning. I miss laughing my ass off every episode, but in season I only chuckled a few times.

There is one silver lining though and that is Utsuro, who is becoming more and more interesting. While it is kind of cliche that he came back from the dead and turned out to be immortal, I think the way it’s presented is really good, and I can’t wait to see more of him. The last episode giving his backstory definitely pulled me in for the next season. I just hope it lightens up a little more because the comedy is where Gintama always shined the best.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Descending Stories [9/10]

This show... how am I supposed to talk about it? I want to do a proper review that does it justice, but obviously that review would be spoiler free. In this post though, I think I’ll just quickly summarize my overall feelings.

First, let me say that Rakugo has totally met my expectations in S2. It expanded on the story pretty much just as perfectly as it needed to. There was one little thing that ruined it just a teeny bit near the end, but honestly it was otherwise masterful. For me to articulate exactly how I feel, I really need to rewatch both seasons. Sorry, I’m gonna skip actually putting effort into this lol, but I will try my best to get out a proper review on MAL later. Maybe one day I’ll even attempt an analysis, but that’s far off.

~ INDIRECT SEQUELS & NON-SEQUELS~

3-gatsu no Lion [9/10]

3-gatsu no Lion is easily one of the best and most emotional anime that I’ve seen recently. I’m actually surprised that it is a Shaft production (most famous for the Monogatari series and Madoka Magica), but it has Shaft all over it with Akiyuki Shinbo at the helm. I know some people have mixed or negative feelings on his style of direction, but I like it in all the other Shaft shows I watched and I especially like it here. It’s the first time I’ve seen Shaft do an anime like 3-gatsu, which has no fanservice, no harem (elements), no strong humor, nor any fantasy or supernatural elements.

In my opinion, they did an excellent job. If 3-gatsu was not presented in the way it is, it might not have been as interesting as it is. It would’ve been so easy to make this a dry and boring adaptation, but Shaft brings it to life with such incredible bold, imagery. And it pulls off mood whiplash (sudden mood changes) a lot better than most anime I’ve seen. Normally, I think they clash with the overall tone, but when 3-gatsu does it, it feels like an exaggerated version of what happens in real life, where tone does not stay consistent between moments.

Then there’s Rei, the main character. He really skirts the line between being relatable or not. On the one hand, he is a Shogi genius and makes his own living at age 17. On the other hand, he has a complicated past, depression, and is a very down to earth and nice person. The whole series really rests on Rei’s shoulders, as he is the narrator and everything revolves around him. But I think he’s excellent written and relatable despite being essentially a child prodigy.

Speaking of the shogi, I was also worried that it would be hard to understand the series because I don’t know shogi very well. Thankfully, that’s not the case. While there is a significant amount of focus on the shogi, the real focus on the characters. I’m sure for people who are familiar with shogi, it gives an extra layer to the narrative, but even for those who aren’t, it’s not so focused on the games that there’s nothing left. At least shogi has similarities to chess, which most westerners have a passing knowledge of. Still, even if you know fuck all about shogi and chess, I think the great depth of characters and the wonderful visuals carry the show and make it incredibly watchable.

ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka [7/10]

I... liked ACCA. Don’t love it, but liked it well enough. It has a uniqueness to it that you don’t see often in anime. For example the cast are all adults and most of them are government bureaucrats, the plot revolves around a conspiracy, and the anime is fairly slow paced and is very light on action. More than half the series is spent on world-building, with very little romance or other cliches. I could probably go on.

The color palette and art style is also a highlight with lots of bright, pastel colors. ACCA is just a neat little package of an anime that I appreciated watching for being something a little different. Have to say though, I’m not sure how much this will stick to me in the long run. Some of the world, maybe, and definitely the art style/colors, but not really the characters or plot.

All Out!! [6/10]

What initially drew me to All Out!! is a) rugby, never seen that sport before in an anime and b) incredible diversity in body types with a very wide variation in height, muscularity (although most are muscular guys), and weight (never seen so many chubby guys in an anime). So, while All Out!! does have some things that set it apart, unfortunately in literally every other way, it’s pretty much exactly the same as other sports anime. The protagonist is, OF COURSE, a newbie who joins the sport for the first time as a high school freshman. He’s overly energetic and most of the rest of the team thinks he’s annoying, but he’s super motivated and improves at an incredible rate. And he has another freshman friend who is a lot more experienced and naturally talented at the sport who serves a foil (especially since they have opposite personalities). The captain is an extremely motivated guy who’s tough on his team, but he’s also incredibly protective of them ie. team dad, and so on. The cliches just don’t stop...

That doesn’t mean AO is unenjoyable, just that the unique elements in the beginning wore off rather quickly and I was left with another run-of-the-mill sports anime (especially since this show is 25 episodes and not 12). My ratings for sports anime thus far have worked on a different scale than most other anime simply because sports is such an unusual genre with its own strict conventions that I have no choice but to rate them compared only to others in the genre. That means if sports anime were judged relative to the rest of anime I’ve seen, they would be rated lower (by between .5-1 points) because 95% of them have the exact same plot and many of the exact same characters.

I mention this because as I’ve watched more and more sports anime, my standards have steadily been getting higher and are finally starting to match the rest of my rating scale. If this was one of the first sports anime I ever watched, it would easily be an 8/10. Now, as the dozenth sports anime I’ve seen, it’s only a 6/10. I am finally getting really tired of the old sports anime cliches and want more unique experiences. That’s why I praised Baby Steps so much for being different when I recently saw it. Looking back, I may have to re-rate some of the other sports anime I’ve seen, especially more recently like Days of the Summer/Fall seasons last year.

So, do I regret watching All Out!!? No, it has some good and fun stuff in there. Will I watch if there’s another season of it? Probably (even though I don’t necessarily want to) because I only avoid sequels if I give the first series a 5/10 or less... even then sometimes I’ll keep watching for the sake of keeping up (fcking K). Would I recommend AO in the end? Nah, unless you’re really interested in rugby.

ClassicaLoid [8/10]

I... feel almost ashamed to give this show such a high rating. Looking at MAL, my score is a whole 1.53 points higher than the standard deviation, and one of the most incongruous scores I’ve ever given - in the positive direction. In the negative direction, I happen to have some highly unpopular opinions on anime like Erased, Sword Art Online, and Mirai Nikki.

For a long while, I just couldn’t decide on a score. Normally, I know pretty early on what score I’m going to give an anime, give or take a point in either direction (or two if the anime pulls something towards the end). By the end of a show’s airing, I usually pretty much know exactly what I want to give it. (This doesn’t apply so much to my precise ratings, but rather the broad score I give on MAL.)

For ClassicaLoid, I didn’t know whether I wanted to give this show a “guilty pleasure, I know this show is bad but I enjoyed it a lot” 6/10 rating, a “fuck it, because I loved this show that much 8/10 rating”, or a 7/10 as the balanced alternative. As you can see, I ultimately decided on an 8 (more specifically a low 8, but an 8 nonetheless) in the end. Yes, I really do love this show, and I did find it just that enjoyable and hilarious. It’s one of the funniest comedies I’ve seen recently and definitely my favorite comedy of 2016 (over the likes of Sakamoto Desu Ga? and Handa-kun).

The thing about ClassicaLoid is that if I didn’t love the characters so much and find it funny, it would be a pretty bad show. It seems pretty polarizing because a lot of people think this show is stupid and hate it for that reason. In my opinion, it is stupid, but it has some self-awareness and never takes itself seriously. The other thing is the humor. If the humor does not gel with you, you will hate this show, and that’s also highly subjective and polarizing. I think the humor is spot on most of the time, with great comedic timing and gags. There’s also, I guess, the “gimmick” of the show which is arguably the whole point - the remixes of classical music in the vocaloid style.

Tbh, I’m not at all familiar with vocaloids and even so, I found the remixes to be mostly average or even a bit cringeworthy. They were the weakest part for me, but that only applies to the songs themselves. The actual visuals that accompanied the almost once-an-episode sequences? They were not bad. Sometimes they were even funny or resulted in hilarious things (Schubert’s fish adventure comes to mind), but most of the time they were a pretty mindless distraction.

One of the real strengths is the characters. I seriously either love the characters* or I like them. They bring life to the show with their varied personalities. It’s kind of amazing because many of them skirt the line between being one-note quirky archetypes and actually being kind of deep. My favorites include (in no particular order):

- Kanae, who is mostly the straight man character, but plays beautifully off the rest of the cast because she has to put up with so much shit, but has her own silly and selfish sides. (Also, she’s one terrible idol.)

- Schubert, definitely my favorite classicaloid of the bunch. I was kind of surprised because he was introduced a little later than the rest, but Schu is so genuine... so weird, yet so underappreciated in-universe that I think is the opposite irl. His unpopularity is what makes him popular in the first place because aside from being a catty bitch to Mozart (who deserves it, btw), he tries really hard to be a good person.

- Liszt, who is amazing, I love that she’s badass and reliable (the only one who pays rent) but also a sucker for love. And she’s basically a trans women, isn’t she? She’s not the only originally-male-irl classicaloid to be given a female body, but she’s the only one who completely embraces it.

- Chopin, who in my opinion is a little underused, although that’s partially justified because he’s always hiding. He’s definitely the most relateable, being a shut-in who just on the computer all day playing games or watching stuff (sounds familiar), but he’s also blunt af and has such witty lines.

- Beethoven, I initially had mixed feelings on him, but came to love him over time. See, he may be voiced by my favorite voice actor (Tomokazu Sugita), but at first all his jokes revolved around GYOZA!!! and being a gigantic fucking ham. It got old kind of fast, but thankfully he gets more jokes and depth over time. I especially love his dynamic with Kanae and Schubert.

*The sole exception is Mozart. Here is where I rant about Mozart because thaT FUCKING PUNK BITCH IS THE WORST, AND IT SUCKS THAT HE’S A MAIN CHARACTER WHO GETS SO MUCH SCREEN TIME AND EPISODES DEDICATED TO HIM. ... Okay, I’m gonna calm down. I’ll stop shouting now and explain why I hate this pos. Here we go: He. Is. Not. Funny. Or. Likable. In fact, the only one who is not funny or likable. He’s always annoying, unhelpful, sexually harassing Kanae, and genuinely a terrible person except when it benefits him. Actually, the problem is not even that he’s terrible, but rather that he’s terrible and gets away with it.

Compare him to someone like Sousuke, who’s a little similar in some ways, except... hey, get this, there are consequences (funny consequences) when he’s being a douche. Sousuke, along with Schubert, are the butt monkeys of the ensemble. Sousuke is even referred to as “tool” by Liszt and mostly everyone else. If Mozart was also a butt monkey, he would be a lot more tolerable, except he’s not. Mozart behaves like an annoying dick 98% of the time and the anime has the fucking audacity to try and make him sympathetic.

I also have to bring up his voice actor, Yuki Kaji, who is easily my least favorite voice actor, so maybe I do have some inherent bias against him. See, if Mozart were played by someone who’s not annoying as shit, then maybe he would’ve been more likable, but Yuki Kaji has the range of a triangle (he’s one-note). Compare him to Beethoven, who could easily be so fucking obnoxious, except he’s played by the exceptionally talented and charismatic Tomokazu Sugita. /sighs. Well, I think I’m done ranting now.

Finally, I want to cover the jokes. It’s true, at first they appear to be of the very “lol random xD” type humor, but I think they are deceptively well constructed. There were many episodes where I was laughing out loud and some episodes where I spent the entire time laughing my ass off (again, I bring up the Schubert fish incident). With a few exceptions, I don’t think the humor or gags ever got old because the anime keeps doing more and more with the characters, throwing them into crazy situations. The absurdity of it all is hilarious and the likableness of most of the characters supports it.

I’m probably one of 10 people in the west who is very excited and happy that there’s a season 2. Only two more seasons left until it’s back :D.

Nanbaka [6/10] / Season 2 [4/10]

I’m put in kind of an awkward position by this show... At first, it was going to be published with the Fall 2016 Roundup until I realized that there was going to be a second season. So then I delayed it for Winter 2017 except the quality of the show has gone down significantly between the first and second season. I wrote most of my thoughts for the first season already, so I’m just gonna talk about season one first by itself and then compare it to season two. Here are my thoughts on S1:

At first glance, yes, the character designs are incredibly silly… an anime podcast I listen to described them as “deviantart ocs”, (which is not too inaccurate), and everything sparkles like a shoujo manga for some mysterious reason. But aside from the strange design choices, the humor was pretty solid and characters are pretty likable. Not just the main 4 characters, but Hajime (my favorite) and the other prison wardens, and their fellow prisoners all have a charm to them.

The first half of the show is pretty damn funny, definitely a solid 7/10, but then the New Years competition arc starts and the pacing screeches to a halt. There are four whole episodes dedicated to this arc and they actually introduce a plot, drama, and some intense action near the end. It comes out of nowhere. The problems don’t stop there, unfortunately. I can forgive the terrible pacing somewhat if they kept up the laughs, but that’s not what happened. Instead, the genre switches and suddenly becomes a drama with a whole conspiracy plot about some of the main characters. Insofar, the only comedy anime I’ve seen pull off dramatic arcs is Gintama (but as I’ve said even that gets tiring after a while). Nanbaka is simply not as well-written as Gintama in either way, and the actual “plot” was a total let down compared to the humor which I genuinely liked.

This plot continues for another few episodes and it takes a little while to get back to the laughs. Humor and characters are the only thing this anime kind of nails. When the author attempts drama, it turns into another generic shounen anime. What a shame. If this anime stuck to being a pure comedy, I definitely would’ve rated it higher.

Ohhhhh boy, now onto season two. My worst fears for the anime basically happened. Imagine the New Years Competition arc I just complained about. Now, slow down the pacing another 500%, take out all the humor from the first season, and chuck in some boring ass cliche shounen crap. That is what S2 is in its entirety. It’s like they sucked out all the fun and hilarity of the first season just to “advance” the plot. I put advance in quotes because the pacing is seriously glacial. It rotates between plot exposition/backstory and “action” comparable to a Naruto filler arc for the entire run time.

For example, my favorite character Hajime gets locked in a jail cell early on. Then some of the jail mates (including Jyugo, the main character) decide to break him out a little while later in the show. Guess when they reach Hajime? If you guessed the very last episode, you’d be correct! Inbetween is just pointless, boring fight after pointless, boring fight and fucking endless exposition! Either the character talks for minutes on end about their powers or the strategy of their enemies or about some thing in the past or there’s a flashback/backstory explaining the characters (by the way, a whole bunch of new characters are introduced except without the humor, they’re all shit) or the plot, it’s just UGH.

Halfway through, I came to dread Nanbaka. Most of the time, I would put on the show and zone out as much as possible, although in reality, I spent a lot of time bitterly remembering how funny the first season is and how it actually had characters I liked in them doing funny shit and being likable. If the first season was a lot of fun but was bogged down by the action/drama, then the second season is the bog. Watching it is liking wading through a swamp about waist high. It won’t kill you and it’s doable, but it’s unpleasant, tedious, and you rather wished you just walked around it.

If you really want to enjoy the show, just watch season one. Even then I only recommend the first half and the last couple of episodes. AVOID SEASON TWO AT ALL COSTS. I am certain there’s going to be a season three later this year or next year, but hopefully I’ll resist the temptation to watch it just because I watched the first two seasons.

God, it makes so angry how this show could’ve been a fairly pleasant humorous affair but ruins it completely and chucks it in the fucking garbage disposal. Way to waste your potential, Nanbaka.

Onihei [6/10]

Onihei is... unremarkable, but not a hard watch either. It’s just... alright? Very very middle of the road, but I can kind of appreciate that because it didn’t require much effort on me to watch, and I could just enjoy it without thinking too much about it. It helps that I’m already into samurai, but I admit I was hoping for more initially. Once I accepted that it was just going to be a simple collection of samurai/pre-modern japanese stories, then I began to enjoy it more.

My biggest complaint is that there were too many episodes not focused on Heizo (aka Onihei, the main character). Heizo really was the best part of the show, and I liked it most when they focused on him and his backstory, but about a quarter of the show is about other characters that I just didn’t really care for aside from two or three of them. It’s fine that this show is mostly episodic, but because it frequently shifts focus, it is quite inconsistent because some episodes are better than others.

There’s also the fact the show looks very cheaply made, especially in those creepy ass CGI people in background shots. It has almost a B-movie feel, but not as much of the B-movie charm as I’d like. Still, it’s not really bad at all. It’s a good thing I like historical anime and that the main character is great because that is what pushes it up from a 5 to a solid 6.

Trickster [5/10]

First, let me just say that Trickster baited me - and baited me successfully with the promise of attractive boys and homoerotic subtext. At least it delivered and pretty much met my expectations 100%, but unfortunately, it did not surprise me by being better than I thought it would be. It’s kind of a pity because Trickster actually has pretty good production values, but it falters in more important places: the characters and plot. Both of those elements are pretty clumsily handled. If not that, then they feel cliche, like I’ve already seen [x type] character and [y] trope countless times.

The characters in particular I feel like could’ve made up for the plot, but the anime chooses to focus on the least interesting ones (yes, I know this is a book adaptation). The main character, Kobayashi, is unlikable from the start and even when you unlock his tragic backstory late in the anime, it feels too little too late and it’s another overused trope. Hanasaki, the character who probably gets the most screen time is... actually alright. He’s annoying at first too, but his character development is not handled that badly either. The best characters are probably Inoue and Akechi; the former barely gets any attention at all, and the latter’s subplot is so fragmented by the rest of the characters and their own plots that it gets lost.

In fact, what I just said may just sum up the biggest problem I have with this anime. The whole thing feels fractured, like the writer wanted to give all the main characters (except poor Inoue) their dues, but didn’t know how to tie their separate plots together elegantly or didn’t know how to give all of them development/depth in one flowing plot. With tighter focus, I’m sure it would’ve turned out better, but the cliches and their rather bland execution still drag it all down.

The production values do deserve some praise though. The voice acting is great as always and the animation is overall good, but the music and direction had some standout moments that really elevated certain parts of the show. Unfortunately, the overall mediocreness of Trickster put it at a 5/10.

#*#anime roundup #anime roundup: winter 2017 #winter 2017 #writing*

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unixcommerce · 6 years

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20 Best New Portfolios, April 2018

At least the WordPress ones are easy… Enjoy.

Reece Parker

Platform: Semplice

Myles Lucas

Platform: Static site

Théo Rosel

There are dozens of us. Dozens!

Platform: Static site

Lettuce & Co.

Their past work is, of course, all about the photos, because how else would you do it? They use a lot of close-up detail shots to show how committed they are to said details, and I think it works.

Platform: WordPress

PROFI

But oooh, on this one you hover over images to get text, rather than the other way around. What’s old is new again.

Platform: Static HTML

This Page

Platform: JavaScript App

Momkai

Platform: Static Site

Monica Lovati

Platform: Semplice

Bee Creations

Platform: WordPress

Kasra Design

Platform: WordPress

Voir(e)

Platform: Static Site (with some AJAX, not quite a full-on app)

Film Truck

Platform: JS App

Zazu

Platform: Semplice

We Should Do It All

Platform: Static Site

Kuon Yagi

Platform: Static Site

Mustafa Celik

Platform: WordPress

Sophie Haig

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Anyonegirl

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Oak & Morrow

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Antfood

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