#ine’s speech bubbles

[inebubble]

Hobb writing The Liveship Traders: YOU get a redemption arc and YOU get a redemption arc and YOU- wait no, not you. You just get what you deserve.

[shironezuninja]

I have to go without coffee on Friday…?😖😮‍💨

[mibkid]

Can i just say as both an artist and cosplayer i am so greatful and amazed over Jojo's amazing linked universe comic and just how much time and effort she puts into it.

i mean i am floored over 10 pages a month fully colored with detailed backgrounds and good story, believe me it's crazy amount of work. ...and speech bubbles. eurgh typography...(u can guess which part of comic making i enjoy the least)

Not only that but i am eternally greatfull for just how many angles we get to see the characters in the comic, the varied poses and expressions are not only amazing to look at and great way to show personalities, but also just such great reference points when either drawing the characters or trying to figure out how the hell a costume is built up.

AND jojo has drawn them in various stages of their clothes on during the comic, so you KNOW HOW THE LAYERING WORKS.

How is Time's armor built up? Boom right there in multiple angles and sometimes off.

Ah how does Hyrule's layering work? BOOM right there with an interesting maybe leather based under-armor??

How large is Twilight's chainmail and how is it built up? BAM right there.

Jojo literally drew a whole page of how Sky's clothes are built up, layer by layer.

It's truly a blessing!

AND IT IS CRAZY that jojo added so much beautiful embroidery to the characters' clothes.

(my brain is like "oh but me like to know every detail of the embroidery of every character", and i end up looking at the pictures and say "sush brain don't be a spoilsport they're already detailed just use your imagination of what jojo has drawn and what could fit the specifics", because that is fun too! like Sky's embroidery on his over-undershirt could very much be berries of some sort on twig together with some sort of classic skyloftian forms, like lingon berries though it isn't,( i know that lingon berries don't exist in hyrule...) but it would be a fun idea!)

As you can see by my... detailed oriented nature i am very interested in their designs. But again the whole comic is a true wonder, i mean, so many angles not just the characters but the surroundings. So many different zoom-outs and zoom-ins utilized, the comic knows when to change from one character to another to more than one. So it's great on a technical standpoint too. And it's SO cool to see how Jojo's art has changed through time. (that is not a pun)

Anyway, i felt like i had a lot to say, and this was me saying it. I guess it's a Appreciation post for jojo, for showing other artists and creatives so much different and amazing artwork. (and giving us amazing references)

But also it's that i want other people to see(though i think they do already) how much time and effort and love has been put into it, not that it matters much coming from me as a random person who happens to enjoy her work.

But i think it's fun to show appreciation for artists and writers anyway.

[candy8448]

Continuing reading meshi

(Previous post)

That pannel is so goofy lol

I really cant wait to see how the anime adapts these pages, theyre so cool and the speech bubble cant be done in anime, unless they do use the visual of a bubble anyway

This chapter was so cool.

Final battle Kjsshajavs7equagah

OH BOY OH DUDE OH SH-

THAT'S LAIOS' PERFECT MONSTER AKSHSJSSHJ

Also the lion's manipulayion is so terrifying 0.0

He's so blorbo

(Dadchuck shining thru)

I have no idea where the ship of these two comes from but what even kabru? Why the shoujo bg sparkles?? 0.0

Chulcklechuck :(

(The official translation says "no dooon't" whoch sounds so much more vunerable, desperate and helpless and it makes it more sad :(( )

I love how well defined kui writes and draws each character. These winged lion laioses look so unsettling and really just not him at all just from the body language and tone and its so cool

Oh wow these are super disturbing images 0.0

Just like a dog >:)

:000 (so cool how the eating desires thing was hinted at when we got the black bg pannel of the notebook page)

Thinking about how dungeon meshi could have litterally just ended after they revived Falin from the red dragon's stomach if after they revived her and washed her up and ate, they ask her to teleport them up to the outside of the dungeon.

I mean, the winges lion's magic doesn't reach outside of the dungeon so falin would probably have not felt a need to go back into the dungeon since whatever lured her to thistle would not have reached her outside. Bam happy ending (lol) (i have since been told why that wouldn't work...)

Oh Shuro's poor ears =_=

Also: bamboozled Laios, lol

Totally normal request

Ooh i didnt notice any mention of religions before. Im kinda curious now as to what types of religions there are and what they entail in this world 👀

Also what even is that face in that last pannel, laios???? 0.0

List of priorities: less important -> most important

Eat monsters, eat dragon, eat a world ending demon, eat sister

Dawww lookat them :))

Also chilchuckle... what are ya doin? You're not lifting anything what's that face for? (All of their faces in this pannel are masterpieces)

Them.

Awwwww the baby! He's so sweet :(

I can see why he's a blorbo 💖

This was a long one 0.0

Next ine will probably not be this long. Ive been struggling to have motivation to read anything lately so this took ages to post.

Near the end now and its so crazy 0.0 i dont want it goneeeee :((

Im gonna buy the adventurers bible when i finish this. I want to see all the lil goodies and i just love this series so much anyway

(Next post - final three chapters!!)

[crystal-wingeddragon-spikes]

Bad news everyone, it seems that Krita's vector tools in 4.0 version is drastically different, and I have no idea how to add the speech bubble any more.

I have options, if I would try out some plug-ins, or use Inkscape, but that means it would take time to learn.

I think this comic will be on hold until I learn how to make vector.

This is bad.

[moononmyfloor]

My Year End C-drama Review (2023)

Last year, I did two Cdrama Wrapped posts for each half of the year. This year, I watched so much stuff right away I got arrogant and was about to do a January-February summary. And then life happened and handed me my entire ass, so here we are right back on the ground zero.

Well, not exactly. I watched lots of dramas I liked this year and would like to give nods to as many as possible, and before I start forgetting details I thought I better go ahead with the entrees that I'm sure of the answers.

My initial Cdrama reviews were inspired by anniedelavoye's this post 2 years ago, I've extrapolated a lot from there but some entrees remain same.

Part 2

.

1. First drama I finished in 2023

Hi Venus. Modern workplace romcom isn't my go-to-genre, least of all if the ML is a CEO. If not for the unusual-for-the-genre setup of initial few eps and the strong recommendations of my friends, I might not have pressed play at all. And I'm so glad I did because it turned out to be one of the most refreshing takes of the genre, it was funny, the pacing nor the dialogues were ever draggy, the characters were intelligent and pleasant, and down to earth. It never leaned to the tropes of helpless/badass FL or tsundere/beta ML extremes, there was no dramatic villain arcs, down to the supporting characters everyone were so reasonable and mature and simply had the nicest time ever together. Now I put it like that, it sounds boring but trust me, it wasn't. Do give it a try. Your time won't be wasted.

.

2. An actor who took my breath away

Jing Boran as Lan Jue/Peizhi from The League of Nobleman

I mean

Look at him. Instant KO.

I remember watching this scene (and every scene that followed after, especially when he had his hair down) and being in disbelief about how he's real. He's literally glowing out the screen! His performance as a model scholarly minister, the way he conducted his glance, his steps, his speech and temperament were nothing but enchanting and... look, I can write poetry about him for ages lol.

And then I watched every single work I could find of him and ended up even more in love, because his resume was nothing but diverse. A measured scholar, a bubbling-out-of-his-skin social butterfly, a ballerina in a tutu, a man pregnant with the cutest radish monster ever, there's nothing he cannot play. I'm definitely going to check out every single work of him that'll be coming out in the future as well. Even if the plot fails, his character will surely be interesting.

(Also, I was FINALLY lured into DMBJ fandom thanks to going down his profile as well, and now I'm here to stay🤭)

.

3. Most relatable character

Bai Moxi from Gone With the Rain

She was street-smart and sassy, but never foolhardy. She wasn't a damsel nor was overly clever. She had her moments of daydreaming, but she knew what was and wasn't reasonable. She had a high sense of self-worth, she also knew when to make herself scarce. Despite being the most outgoing and energetic personality in the room, she didn't make everything to be about herself. In fact, she couldn't have been happier to be a background supporting character of the story, quietly minding her own business in her corner. In summary, she just felt very real, and exactly like how I love my FLs. Every decision she took felt like what I'd also have done in her situation. (Btw I hope noone messages me about loving Moxi but hating her sister because I don't. I think her character also made a lot of sense based on her circumstances even though she was bit more difficult to love than Moxi.)

Most of all, she was played to a tee by Zhang Nan, the young actress was allowed to shine to her true potential in this role, as she used to be quite stereotyped in either bubbly or petty mean girl roles. The drama horribly fell apart in the latter quarter (I'd like to pretend it all ended before that Great Seperation Scene), but I'm going to remember her charaacter for a long time to come.

.

4. Most inspiring character

Li Lianhua from Mysterious Lotus Casebook

The tumblr tag for MLC is already filled with Grade A+ poetry, prose and analysis dedicated to him and I'm not capable of wording it any better than them. All I can say is he really touched a vulnerable corner of my heart, and gave it strength. He's just so very admirable and represents all I ever want to be, and his entire character design and all its metaphors and philosophy especially resonate with me as a Buddhist. Like Cheng Yi said at the end of MLC concert, "At the end of the day, if you have a lotus flower in your heart that you can call your own, that's what matters."

.

5. Best Couple of the Year

Lu Zhaoxi and Ye Shilan (Zeng Shunxi and Liang Jie) in Hi Venus, Zhao Jian and Yuan Zhongxin (Zhou Yutong and Zhang Xincheng) in Young Blood 2

Here are two couples who were each others' equal match in every big, small and miscellaneous ways possible. Where their roles in their partnership did not have anything to do with society-determined gender or power dynamics, not about conforming to them nor about beating them. Everything about their relationships simply had to do with what they meant to each other their admiration, respect and love towards the other person, from beginning to end. In Hi Venus, it was never uncomfortable to watch Shilan being Zhaoxi's subordinate, for he always treated her like any good superior should in any healthy professional relationship. In Young Blood 2, Zhongxin would fully trust Zhao Jian with everyone else's and his own life, not because his head was in wishful romantic clouds but because he was 100% confident in her capabilities and would never disrespect her with "girls should be protected, you stay back and let me take the sword for you" nonsense.

I may check out like 50 dramas per year and may never come by such Het pairing dynamics in some years, yknow? I do not hate on any other kind of dynamic (plus I'd have next to nothing to watch in that case lol) but, THIS... this is so rare -for me to not be icked out by not even a single second of a fictional het couple's screentime lol- hence the gushing! (Though I know I'm not doing the greatest job of phrasing what I feel😆).

Following that note, though not a couple, honorable mentions to Chufeng (Bi Wenjun) and Robin (Zhu Zhengting) from Silence of the Monster who took Sui Yi (Sun Yihan) into their home not because they thought it'd be chivalrous to help a girl, but because it's the nice thing to do as a fellow human. For continuing onto integrating her into their world with ease and enthusiasm not because any of them had feelings for her but because they simply found her a good friend to hang out with.

Suffice to say I DIG ANY relationship where gender does not come into play, like, at all (or barely, if you must).

.

6. Best harem of the year

Orchid and Lotus harems (from League of Nobleman and Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

(Only sharing the pics of Orchid Harem because it was from the earlier quarter of this year, whereas pics of Lotus Harem will be everywhere in the Cdrama scene for quite a while to come lol)

The support group of devout puppies, zhijis, friends-with-benefits and all sorts of other polycule postions, all centered around one precious babygirl enigma of a man is just my jam, and I love it when it happens because it brings forth the fandom's most unhinged high-art. 😌😌😌

(ALSO ME AND WHO WHEN!😭)

.

7. Best ensemble of the year

Young Blood 2, I Am Nobody

For me a perfect ensemble is where the supporting characters are just or almost nearly as engaging and thoroughly written as the main leads, you'd love every second spent on any character just as much as you love that of any other. The ultimate relaxing experience where your brain doesn't have to pick favorites and you don't have to speed watch or fast forward or be antsy about who's going to appear next because you know it's gonna be enjoyable no matter whom.

And this year, it's Young Blood 2- with its Class 7 members who were all so different but all so compelling and equally contributing to the plot, complimented by the Class 8 and the unnervingly captivating villains.

And I Am Nobody- with its extensive spread of young and old heroes/antiheroes alike, all with dramatic backstories and individual charisma that were not second to another.

.

8. Favorite posters/promos of the year

Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Young Blood 2, Sunshine By My Side

Really liked what MLC did with positioning the characters on various spots of the titular Lianhua Lou, the wind-sway choices for the wisps of hair and the skirts... idk the exact angles of it all were just right for each character and their vibes and appealed to me a lot.

The blending-into-painting style poster of Young Blood was so pretty too, plus these Suoyi raincoat posters.

The comic strip posters for Sunshine were also super cute, unique and perfect for the drama's themes.

.

9. Best opening credit sequence

Love You Seven Times

The drama itself was a hot mess but the opening sequence was entirely worthy of being a parallelish-universe story to Love Between Fairy and Devil without a debate. IF ONLY they put the same effort to the story itself.

.

10. Favorite Prop/Set designs

A League of Nobleman- Lan Jue's Tea Pavilion, Mysterious Lotus Casebook- Lotus House

I wish I could install a fixture in my home where me and my imaginary homies can chat over tea while being seductively separated by an active stream of freshwater, while my not so elegant period-style caravan is waiting outside in the yard for more cozily cramped get-together times. 🤧

.

11. Favorite lighting/color grading of the year

The Forbidden Flower, My Journey to You

The former, a kaleidoscopic explosion of colors, a celebration of fleeting life, youth, summer and nostalgia. It was a daring drama on so many fronts and nailed each of them as well, and the use of colors represented its bold soul perfectly.

The latter, a marvelous combination of mountains shrouded by mist, dark-toned wood pavilions and fur-lined robes, pale, dusty makeup with rosy lips and plump cheeks; all combined together on screen to bring a palpable ambience of a secluded glamorous hideout in a dystopian world and its ethereal residents. Seriously, how I especially loved to stare at the bride candidates in their white getups, it was like the light bounced off of the fabric to shine on their faces even more, and the skin and hair looked non-oily and baby soft. And it didn't feel over the top but convincing because the camerawork and editing conjured a believable image of an upcountry with dense and dewy forests, waterfalls and rivers, there's no sun, no heat no sweat, only cold air and pregnant humidity. OF COURSE you are going to look like THAT.

.

12. A drama that taught me new things

Hi Producer

The infuriating thing about Yu Zheng's show-off genre of costume dramas is that the story may be a hit-or-miss, the "historical facts" provided in them may need to be taken with a grain of salt, but they almost always provide me with great entry points to do my own research 🥲. Most niche facts that take me by surprise and things I'd never have thought to look up on my own are randomly sprinkled all over the place and I run around like a headless chicken trying to collect them all.

.

13. Most exhilarating drama/scene

Three-Body

That scene in ep 5. The entire buildup to it and the resolution. The phenomenal acting bringing forth the exact emotion and exact tension required. The moment you start to understand at least a sliver of why exactly all the characters are making this much of a fuss about what's happening to them.

I cannot spoil, not even a bit. You'd have to see for yourself.

I Am Nobody

(lol Three Body and I Am Nobody. I swear that was an unintentional coincidence!)

The great V-match between certain two characters, I can't elaborate. (See the thing about exhilarating scenes is that you have to see it for yourself what's the big deal is about lol.) I really liked how both their biggest vulnerabilities and yearnings were pulled out mercilessly in public, how they both fought themselves through each other before actualizing the philosophy of what it was all about. It was beautiful to watch visually as well.

.

14. A drama location I'd love to visit

Yunnan province

I've seen glimpses of the prosperous and both naturally and culturally diverse Yunnan province through Bite of China Documentaries and Dianxi Xiaoge's vlogs, the beautiful bucolic backdrop of Meet Yourself only heightened the wish to experience it all in person.

.

15. A drama that was a pleasant surprise

I Am Nobody

Perfect casting job, earnest effort from everyone involved to bring out the 2D to live action in the bestest way possible, it was like a dream come true to see a genre that was previously limited into written media like comics and fanfics (modern cultivation) as a drama even if it meant labelling all the cultivators as aliens lol

It had a lil bit of a flavor of western coming-of-age/"teen gets powers and goes on an adventure in search of their origins" stories, a bit of Japanese anime presenting style and the chaotic-gaggle-of-youth-and-veterans-with-different-extreme-powers genre vibe. And then they incorporated Chinese wuxia philosophy into it and made it their own thing. I hope to see more of this in future, and definitely a season 2!

.

16. An old drama I watched in 2023

Shaolin Wendao (2017)

This is one of the best period dramas I have ever seen, but I don't recommend it unless you have a strong tolerance for angst. Like, worse than Royal Nirvana and Heroes (2022) level of angst.

HOWEVER, unlike those two, Shaolin Wendao will leave you feeling rewarded for your suffering. This drama achieved a number of things that very few other have managed to do, especially for a story with such a heavy and dark premise.

The characters remained true to their selves from beginning to the end. They grew up in various ways, at the same time remained consistent. The story made sure to make all the characters aware of their individual faults and address them.

The characters were put through immense wringer but also provided viewer with the resolution they deserved. It was SO exhilarating at times, I cried. It felt like a detox, sometimes.

They prioritized telling a realistic story about the changing nature of humans. The ending was blissful but not in the idolized, wrapped-in-a-bow-tie way one would imagine. They wanted to tell a story about tribulations and letting go, and did exactly that.

It will ignite the pain but will also make sure to thoroughly quench it. So there's that.

Oh and also, respect to all the actors. All those characters were so layered and had some quite difficult scenes. I do not understand how Guo Xiaoting didn't get any good roles matching of her caliber for years after this. She was magnificent.

.

More Posts by Me

[olderthannetfic]

https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/740377643707400192/maybe-its-just-the-fandom-circles-i-hung-out-in#notes

The other thing I think is increasingly important with mods now is that they be somewhat familiar with Online but not too familiar. The problem I've started to see with moderators is that in older forum-y spaces (thinking of a particular media website I read a lot where this is a frustration the writing staff have with the forums mods, but they have no control over that) is that they're so un-online other than that one space that they are allergic to the idea that anything about someone's other Internet presence should factor into moderation of them in that space, treat it all the same as petty weirdos "cancelling," etc. And so they refuse to understand the difference between "hey guys, here are some receipts about this person's problematic shipping opinions on Twitter! you need to ban them for that!" vs. "this person has shown on Twitter that they have a stalkerish parasocial obsession with this particular writer, and that should probably be taken into account when evaluating their comments on that writer's articles" or "this person who is rules-lawyering the part in the forum rules about bigoted speech, here's their Twitter that is clearly them where you can see they're an out-and-out Nazi. They're trying to be 'subtle' here but their ultimate goal is softening people up for white supremacy and softening the forum up for being able to say that."

But on the flip side, you don't want someone to be so fucking Online that they do actually treat silly discourse/callout stuff like a reason to ban someone without any other reason, they think someone shipping certain things means they must be a bigot or a sexual abuser, or are overall more worried about their fandom clout than being an effective moderator and treating everyone fairly. IYKWIM. You don't want someone to be in such a thick bubble that they have no self-awareness, jump all over someone who is new to fandom because they don't know all the ins and outs yet, etc.

Along with that, there are certain takes that are going to seem innocuous on their own but less so within the context of a particular fandom's discourse. But also, mods should be able to distinguish between a newbie who isn't aware of that vs. someone who is more enmeshed in that who is in fact using them as a dogwhistle.

--

[steele-soulmate]

Tattooed Wings, CHAPTER 618, Peter Steele & OFC, Soulmate AU

SUMMARY: Mary Claire Bradley meets her soulmate- literally- the famous Peter Steele of metal group Type O Negative. But will obstacles including trauma, stalkers, and toxic family members get in the way of their life?

WARNING: mentions of child rape (nothing graphic) PTSD, milk kink, soft smut, grinding, assault, fingering, hand jobs, blow jobs, 69, P in V sex, blood, noncon rape, violence, death, vandalism, graffiti, attempted kidnapping, break-ins, wild animal attacks, terrorist attack (sabotage) consensual impregnation, bareback, impregnation kink, creampies, terrorist attacks (shootings) hit and run pedestrian accident, precipitous labor, neonatal death, abandoned baby, child intoxication, death of a minor character, injured baby, kidnapped child

WORDS: 1060

“Hey!” Isabelle announced herself, coming into the girls’ shared hospital wearing a bubble backpack. When she turned to close the door, I saw Mittens looking like a happy kitty in a cat backpack.

“Mitties!” squealed little girl as she led the charge up to the family nanny.

MEOW Mittens perped as Primrose appeared from behind the motherly cat, chittering as Isabelle set the backpack down and opened it.

“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY…” screamed the babies as they swarmed the Ratajczyk pets with gentle hands and excited eyes. Mittens leaned in deeper to the scratches and sweet words, her green eyes closing as a loud purr erupted out of her.

PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR…

“MITTIES IS BAE!” little girl declared as Primrose was busy exploring the hospital room.

“MITTIES IS BAE!” the babies repeated, clearly agreeing with little girl.

Peter had been taking a sip from a water bottle but had no choice but to spit out his drink from roaring with laughter at little girl’s cult of babies. He wheezed and coughed as he reveled in the babies’ adorableness.

“Oh my babies,” he gasped as a knock at the door turned out to be Ken Anderson carrying two bouquets of flowers- one of pink baby roses, blue violet petals and white baby breaths and was wrapped with purple paper and the other was a gathering of wildflowers and was wrapped with pink paper.

“Hihi mama and papa and Ratajczyk cubs!” he sang out as he moved across the room to settle the flowers onto the windowsill, where there were vases of flowers as provided by Type O Negative fans and PeteClaire shippers. I had posted to my socials and had asked that flowers be sent to the nurses and other patients instead of to us. The next day, the nurses’ station was overflowing with flowers, to which they had all thanked me.

“Hihi, Mr. Ken!” Elizabeth still wasn’t able to open her mouth fully, and was now receiving speech therapy with someone who would come and take her out on walks around the hospital. The girl had taken to bouncing a tennis ball while walking, a tick for calming her anxiety, or so she told me.

“Hihi Elizabeth!” The corners of Ken Anderson’s eyes crinkled. “How are you doing?”

Isabelle was the only person at home right now, and she would let Daisy out back to do her doggy business and feed the Ratajczyk pets. She came in every other day with the mail that she would pick up at the family PO box.

“I’m doing good, Mr. Ken!” The entire family was taking two weeks off from rehearsals for The Nightmare Before Christmas- a Broadway Musical in order for the two eldest girls to heal enough before returning to the Paper News Theater for run throughs for the newest Tim Burton musical. “Katie and I composed a song together- it’s called The Waltz of the Pumpkin King and His Ragdoll Queen.”

“Do you want to hear it?” Katie asked from where she was working on her calligraphy for her Chinese class on her bed. “There’s a piano in the library just down the hall, and Isabelle brought Lizz Lizz’s Celtic harp with her for her to practice on!”

“If it’s alright with your parents, then of course!” Ken Anderson responded with, glancing back over to where I was hosting Primrose in my lap as I knitted a Vinnland flag blankie.

“It’s alright with me!” I hummed as I worked peacefully. “Peter took the babies out to go explore the garden, so I’m the one holding the fort down here.”

MEOW Mittens meowed loudly as she darted out from underneath Elizabeth’s bed, clearly experiencing a case of the kitty zoomies.

“Okie dokie mommy!” Katie chirped as she got out of bed, taking her IV drip pole with her as she and her sister pattered out of the room with Ken Anderson close on their heels.

“Go straight to the sunroom and then back again- no detours!” I called out as a nurse entered the room. Primrose and Mittens both knew to hide whenever hospital employees would stop by.

“Hello, where are the girls?”

“They took Ken Anderson to the sunroom to show him a song that they wrote,” I replied, my focus on my knitting project.

“Ah, fun! Are all of your kids musically gifted?”

“Well, so far, only Elizabeth and Katie show an interest in music and play instruments,” I told the nurse as I got started on another row. “Little girl and Baby Tommy are beginning to show interests in what brings them joy- I’m thinking of enrolling little girl into gymnastics and Baby Tommy seems to want to dance with big sister Elizabeth Drew. However, the dance studio where she is currently enrolled at only accepts students aged five and over, so we’re going to need to wait until he turns five in a few months.”

“Neat! Well then, if you could excuse me to go and change out the girls’ IV drips…”

TAGLISTS ARE OPEN/ ASK BOX IS OPEN/ REQUESTS ARE OPEN/ PLOT BUNNIES ARE WELCOMED

If you liked this, then please consider buying me a coffee HERE It only costs $3!!!

PETER STEELE TAGLIST

@rock-a-noodle

@elianafilthyrose

@ch3rry-c01a

@rockstarslutt

@angelxfuckk

[princess-of-purple-prose]

[ID copied from alt: An excerpt from the book Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, digitally illustrated as a series of comic pages. In this page, Camilla Hect and Palamedes Sextus stand back to back, holding hands. They each have a watch on their wrist. The background is a gradient from black to midnight blue. A speech bubble, above them, reads "I've loved you two." Five speech bubbles on either side of them say "Not well. Not even wholesomely. But I've loved you. You've been my agents...stand-ins for something I haven't had for longer than either of you can understand. Which is why I'm saying - don't do this. Please, don't do this."

The background is a gradient from midnight blue to black. At the top of the page, two speech bubbles read "Understand that once you do this, you can't take it back. It's not love, what you're about to do. It's not beautiful and it's not powerful. It's a mistake." Underneath the speech bubbles, a puddle of water expands to the bottom of the page. Pre-lyctoral Pyrrha Dve and Gideon the First are reflected in the puddle, upside down, from their shoulders up. Behind them, also reflected in the puddle, is a starry sky. Over the top of the puddle, below the reflection of the characters, white text reads "we didn't even do it right...we were children - playing with the reflections of stars in a pool of water...". At the very bottom of the page, white text reads "...thinking it was space".

Four panels: The background of the panels are a medium purple color. In the first, cropped to only show their hands, Palamedes (in the body of Naberius Tern), holds Pyrrha's wrist. Palamedes says "Whatever you think we're doing, we're not." The second panel is a shot of Pyrrha from the chest up. She looks tired and has subtle stubble on her chin and grazes up her arms, neck, and jaw. She says, "Whatever you think you're doing, you shouldn't". The third panel is a shot from above. On the left, Palamedes stands, wearing a white jacket with gold trim and and white pants. Pyrrha stands in the middle, wearing a white shirt and khaki cargo pants. On the right, Camilla is sitting in a wheelchair wearing grey pants and a grey jacket. She has a bandage around her midsection. They are lit from behind by a spotlight on the ground. Camilla says "Just watch us". The fourth panel is the same view as the first panel, except Pyrrha pulls her wrist out of Palamedes's grasp.

Seven panels: The backgrounds of the panels vary from medium purple to dark, desaturated purple. The first panel is a view from the side, from the shoulders up, of Pyrrha and Camilla. Camilla is sitting in the wheelchair and Pyrrha is crouched to her level. They look at each other, and Pyrrha has her hand gently under Camilla's chin. The second panel is cropped to show only their eyes. Pyrrha and Camilla look at each other intently. They have bright highlights in their eyes. The third panel is the same view as panel one, and Pyrrha kisses Camilla's forehead. The fourth panel is slightly zoomed in, and Pyrrha kisses Camilla's mouth. In the fifth panel, Pyrrha and Palamedes are both standing in front of Camilla. It is cropped to be Cam's eye level, so you only see their waists. Camilla smiles subtly and says, "Could you try not to be such a chicken hawk, Pyrrha?". The sixth panel is of Pyrrha and Palamedes from the waist up. Pyrrha ruffles Pal's hair and he leans slighty forward, looking at Pyrrha to the side of him. The both have small, bittersweet smiles. In the seventh panel, Pyrrha turns to kiss Palamedes on the side of his mouth. Palamedes has his eyes closed and is smiling. He says, "You are an appalling old roué, Dve."

Two panels: the first is in the top left, over the top of the second panel, which fills the entire page. The first panel is a close view of Pyrrha's face. She says "Call me if you need me". She looks sadly to the side, with her hand on her neck. The background of this panel is a saturated purple. The second panel is drawn as if you were looking out of the back of a truck. On the left of the page, in the background of the drawing, Palamedes stands next to Camilla, resting his hand on her shoulder. They are watching Pyrrha walk away. In the middle of the page, Pyrrha walks towards the truck, facing the viewer, but turning her head to look over her shoulder. She is in shadow and has a sorrowful facial expression. She says "Otherwise, see you around." On the right of the page, in the foreground of the drawing, Nona is sitting in the truck with her back to the viewer, leaning against the side of the truck. A few obscure, undetailed figures stand on either side of the main characters, not paying attention to them. All the characters are lit from behind by a spotlight on the ground. End ID]

"Pyrrha crossed over to the truck, to Nona, and leant heavily into the interior; Nona could see that she was sweating, in exactly the same way she had sweated after the bottle of bleach. She mumbled 'You knew this was happening. You knew this was happening months ago,' and when Nona put her hand on Pyrrha's, it was like Pyrrha hadn't even noticed her."

[chefediaboiv]

Clappers

Im gonna keep leaking the secret. The traffic of geeks hits speeds of dumb, no I don't want or wanna give you a lollipop but she likes when I speak in tongues. Telling me to shut the fuck on my freedom of speech on who and why on the breach of my plush fund? Oh no come come. I can lead you to who's holding out for some gum drops, eyes red as the devil's dick; bloodshot. Jay won't even tell silent Bob what's in his glove box, pictures of a dogma. No honor with cheap shots from Wisconsin, thank you Ohio. Every card I drew scary, no hate on your Bible. That's a Dilbert, who's line was a diamond dick and your still hurt. Sure wish any cigarette you had came from the cancer team, that's what you get for not figureing out how to play the tambourine. All this child abuse, you knew better then to raise your hand at me. Now your festering about a little spinal tap, learned a time attack. Then get pissed off that I already know how to take my time with tacs, toe tagged the FM radio hobby as the time ticks. Now somebody is using a pencil to cassette rewind it back but I'm sick. Touch that door and you'll see how much more elaborate I convince. It could take years for a nigga to come up with some timeless shit, just tell him to take his time with. That bit of advice is profound, timeless shit. I struck out an entire team for seven innings, remember what I said bout the crazy man's flexes. I wasn't kidding, repeat is a better answer then lemurism. I've never met so many black people that can't keep a riddim. For a frosted flake, Toby McGuire is a great position and drew uncles Bill for the trouble. Oi, it's no mystery to me why they Jake Gyllenhaal'd her bubble boys, image is more important then the pro ferrets Sara Bellum, you told him some shit that you're actually scared to tell him. My mojo loco and your ex husbands a career felon, they update every time I wipe my ass. He say, she say, he's the shit and I can't smell him. There's no amounts to the fucks I give that I won't tell em. It's over boy with your mud donk, any reason my actual opponents don't show to get mud stomp. A Papai I see era in you rushing to Wilson, for a Pat on the back you better belichick the whole million. Your religion must be Christiana Aguilera trust me your coaches know the rent. I'm not gonna waste words on fools, hold your sense. Your too bitch for my blood, trust me I know the stench. Can you keep up I hear a go home baljeet attack in the distance, castration is what we do to the wimp men. You thought Sheldon was smart I make the big bangs lookalike simplins, your name doesn't get points on this SAT little chitterlins. Looking to buff your GPA, you may wanna put in the effort. King's orders for negating the other way, Sepatown Sa da tay! Go that way. Stool pigeons and what they do, on your ride to badder Babe Ruth's who don't mind the bandito's payday. Remember comic view didn't work out for your laced little JJ, is it gold Dupree. Your a little behind the times, spell check doesn't go with loose leaf. Never seen or heard my talents, play that role loosely. There is no max with no Goofy, Billy Blanks keep the wiz on hold til bacalito learns from smarter people. Great see ya Moana about vitamins, there you go cutting into your time again.

[inebubble]

yeah im a writer. no you can’t find my writings anywhere because what i actually do is craft hoards of neat little snippets and then sit on them like a dragon

[shironezuninja]

I’m gonna finish the Detective Pikachu Returns game before next month’s 7th date arrives. Once again, I fell off my Empathy Wagon. Deal with it, Community Guidelines.

[davidcarrera0]

Chasing the Pennant: Inside MLB's 2024 World Series Pursuit

As the crack of the bat echoes across stadiums and fans gather with anticipation, Major League Baseball (MLB) embarks on another thrilling journey toward the coveted 2024 World Series title. With teams brimming with talent and strategies honed, the path to baseball glory promises to be exhilarating. Let's delve into the prospects, challenges, and storylines that will shape this season's pursuit of the ultimate prize.

Early Season Dynamics

The early season sets the tone for the marathon ahead as teams establish momentum and assess their strengths and weaknesses. For reigning champions and contenders alike, it's a period of calibration and adjustment. Managers fine-tune lineups, pitchers find their rhythm, and rookies aim to make their mark. Each game carries significance, laying the groundwork for future success or adversity.

With divisional rivalries reignited and interleague matchups adding spice, every win is vital. Teams seek to gain an edge, whether through dominant pitching, explosive hitting, or impeccable defense. As the standings fluctuate and narratives evolve, fans are treated to a spectacle of skill and strategy.

Midseason Showdowns

As the season progresses, the stakes escalate, and contenders emerge from the pack. Midseason acquisitions bolster rosters, injecting fresh energy and experience. All-Star festivities showcase the game's brightest talents, offering a moment of celebration amid the relentless pursuit of victory.

Divisional races intensify, with teams jockeying for pole position and wildcard hopefuls refusing to concede. Every series becomes a battleground, with crucial matchups shaping playoff aspirations. Managers deploy bullpen arms strategically, starters showcase their endurance, and hitters display nerves of steel in clutch situations.

Trade Deadline Drama

The trade deadline looms large as teams evaluate their position and weigh the cost of improvement. Buyers seek to fortify weaknesses, while sellers look to the future, acquiring prospects and assets. Blockbuster deals send shockwaves through the league, altering the landscape of contention and sparking debates among fans and analysts.

Deadline acquisitions can be the difference-maker in a postseason push, providing the missing piece for a championship puzzle. Franchise-altering trades are etched into baseball lore, shaping legacies and defining eras. As the deadline frenzy subsides, teams set their sights firmly on October glory, with rosters finalized and aspirations soaring.

September Surges and Playoff Push

As the regular season winds down, September brings its brand of drama and tension. Divisional races reach fever pitch, with every game laden with significance. Contenders aim to secure postseason berths, while spoilers seek to play spoiler, disrupting the plans of their rivals.

For teams on the bubble, each win is a lifeline, while losses can be devastating. September call-ups inject fresh talent into lineups, providing a glimpse of the future amidst the playoff chase. Managers employ every tool at their disposal, from strategic matchups to motivational speeches, in pursuit of October glory.

October: The Quest for World Series Glory

The postseason arrives with a flourish as the best-of-the-best vie for supremacy on baseball's grandest stage. Wildcard matchups ignite the postseason fervor, with one-game playoffs determining who advances to the Division Series. From there, it's a grueling gauntlet of series showdowns as teams navigate the twists and turns of October baseball.

Each game is fraught with tension as the margin for error narrows and heroes emerge in the clutch. Momentum swings can be seismic, with one swing of the bat or one stellar pitching performance altering the course of a series. From walk-off wins to extra-inning epics, the postseason delivers unforgettable moments etched into baseball lore.

The road to the 2024 World Series is paved with uncertainty and excitement as teams embark on a journey fraught with challenges and triumphs. From the early-season skirmishes to the October battles, every game carries weight as contenders vie for baseball immortality. As the season unfolds, one thing is sure: the quest for World Series glory will captivate fans and etch new chapters into the annals of baseball history.

[makima-s-most-smile]

Trigun Ultimate 1 (Part1)

With much delay, I can finally join the bookclub with my meagre thoughts and comments. I just try to say stuff that I haven’t seen, I think.

Trigun Ultimate: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 Trigun Maximum: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5

Chapter 1: The $$ 60 Billion Double Dollar Man

I thought the city in the establishing story was a small one, like in all those westerns of my youth. Few houses, one mainstreet, that kind of city. But with those numbers of daily casualties (), it has to be a bigger one. Damn, that totally did not register when I read it the first time! 

I love how subtly Vash moves. I didn’t see in the first readthrough that he puts his finger into the barrel. And all the while his opponents are boasting, he is taking control of the situation! Nice!

Me, when I see all the Trigun theories!

With the knowledge that they are in April and thus in one of the main cities, the whole number of dead plants makes so much more sense.

Also, how bad are the conditions that they don’t have access to a resident doctor in one of the big cities?! It looks like that woman’s personal plight, but then the waitress lady chimes in with the plants, so the whole city seems to be dying?

I still hc that Vash is in April specifically to avoid another maintenance bug taking more of his sisters. For the humans, but also for the sisters on their own.

Chapter 3: Hard Puncher

Thank you, Speedwaggon, for your explanation…

Look! Glasses! He puts them on! Squeeeee!

Again, this is the entire April city. Not gonna lie, I read somewhere that like 20? Million people survived the Great Fall. Somehow I don’t believe that, if that tiny city is one of the big ones. But then again, this is Nightow still finding his vibe.

Chapter 04: Bang!Bang!

I love how mindful and in the present Milly is! 

Sadly, she never really gets her win. No wonder many people think of her as just a silly airhead, when her mindfulness gets immediately countered by a joke.

Someone needs to calculate by those examples how much a donut costs and then how much a bullet does.

Chapter 05: Assault

A riverbed? There were rivers in the past? It would make sense, since worms and thoma are native to the planet and water is needed to start life. But damn, did No-Man’s-Land lose water by twin sun sunstorms?

Chapter 6: Diehards

Somehow I feel like the speech bubbles should be pointing to the other, with Kaite being the one who knows the ins and outs of the ship.

Chapter 07: Rem

Dude’s living partly in a fantasy world… Neon being fully like: It's like in the novels!

Well, Vash, buddy. You could explain Kaite afterwards, why you are so weird, but we already know that you won’t stay to explain!

Not the first time people mention Vash's arm. Totally not becoming important later.

Here he’s an adult or at least a teen, not like a kid as shown later. Could it be that he still feels like the time he lost Rem and only his body aged? His mind is still trapped in that moment.

Kaite lost his dad and fell on hard times. This will not be the last time that we see kids’ desperation exploited in the manga. It is also an interesting mirror to Vash with how he connects to Rem. We know at that point that she was there when the ships fell and died then, too, and that she rescued humanity. And that Vash made a promise with her (more like with himself… but in her memory). Her memory leads his actions, while Kaite’s negative memory of his father led his. Though we see the kid reflect upon them and it more or less boils down to him feeling neglected and left alone for his father’s work and then… well, truly left alone. This is his turning point.

Vash is not wrong with telling Kaite to start anew and all, but that also blatantly ignores how much that kid went through and it has a very optimistic view of the future, maybe even naive. But that is the basis on which Vash is able to move on. It also reflects on Rem, but that is something for later.

What I think is interesting, Vash does not look happy or forgiving in the panel, it looks serious, too serious, too burdened for the thing he just said. It is not uplifting at all…

08: Duelist

Hello, Stormtroopers! How do they even miss his nether regions? Vash just stands there, legs spread apart and they miss everything!

A…hahahahahaha. He doesn’t seem to be, does he?

Lol, Milly gave herself the nickname?!

Okay, but this is massively cool!

Oh, so Neon was actively looking for Vash to hunt him down for killing his family? And then he lets him just go. Like I said, this guy is not really living in reality. A fucking romantic!

[techjpr]

TechJPR January Newsletter

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights. It's time to get things started on the TechJPR Newsletter for January 2023. Yes folks, the new year has arrived, just in time for more strikes, cold weather and rising prices. But don't get downhearted, we've got another dose of helpful hints, a job vacancy and hot news from the tech industry, so read on!TechJPRty and call for sponsors

We're still on the hunt for a sponsor/sponsors for the next Spring TechJPR social. We want to make this a biggie, so we're looking for quite a chunk of change to do something super interactive that will have attendees remembering sponsors fondly for years to come. Could this be you? Have a client/clients keen to get in with the TechJPR crowd and become synonymous with the most AWESOME event so far in 2023? Email hello@techjpr.com or get in touch with one of our friendly admin team via Facebook to find out more!

⚽Fantasy Football⚽

Big thanks as ever to our very generous sponsors Bubble Agency who are not only donating a £40 Amazon voucher every month when fixtures are held, but are also providing a £200 Amazon voucher for the overall winner at the end of the season. Yay!

💬 TechJPR social stuff💬

🖥️ Karen wants recommendations for monitors or monitor brands for better new year resolution. 🖥️ Jonathan is also looking for a new monior and various audio/visual items for a January revamp. All suggestions greatly received. 🔥 Federica got some useful advice on installing a Tado central heating control system, which is handy given the cost of energy these days. 🏫Guy got some good advice on training venues. 📝 Poppy wants some advice on how to pitch to journalists at MWC. 👀 Mike is looking for a contact email for Valve. 🤳 Need an experienced phone reviewer? Look no further than Sandra.

💰 Jobs 💰 

PR-land

📱Eleven Hundred Agency is looking for an AM specialising in B2B tech (£37,500 to £40,000) depending on experience. London-based with WFH option.

📣Journo-side📣😢 Not a good time for journo jobs.

Want us to share your PR or journalist job? 📧 Send details including company, salary (or day rate), and a link (or who to contact). Perm roles must also have a job level. Email hello@techjpr.com and we'll do our best to include it in the next newsletter. No recruitment agencies or former government ministers please.

🗓️ Events to attend -- or not🗓️

🎟️ What: ICE Total Gaming 2023. 🏢 Where: ExCEl, London. 📅 When: 7th - 9th February. 💡 Why: The latest gaming tech. 🎟️ What: Telecommunication, Optics & Photonics Conference 🏢 Where: London, UK. 📅 When: 13th - 14th February, 2023. 💡 Why: Find out more about the development and application of optics and photonics in telecommunications and data centres. 🎟️ What: Mobile World Congress. 🏢 Where: Barcelona. 📅 When: 27th February – 2nd March, 2023. 💡 Why: Meet the mobile comms community - all of it. 🎟️ What: FTTH Council Europe Conference. 🏢 Where: Madrid. 📅 When: 18th - 20th April 2023. 💡 Why: All you ever wanted to know about European full fibre broadband, but were afraid to ask.

News in brief:

📰 It turns out there are some interesting Easter Eggs in Windows 11, and one of them is actually useful, writes Techradar'sMatt Hanson. Speech to text? Simples.

📰 A new app from Impakt on Google Play and App Store, which helps you get fit in the metaverse, if that's your thing. No additional equipment needed - take note Pelaton.

📰 The new Amazon Kindle gives you a lot more book on the 10.2 inch screen, if you've got £330 to spare. Interested? Check out this review in The Guardian.

TechJPR useful bits

💡Journos, we feel your pain as you try to track down the right contacts for brands. PRs, make life easier (and win favour with journalists) by adding *your own* clients and contact details to what is possibly the best spreadsheet in the world. Journalists, feel free to gently nudge, poke and prod your new (or existing) PR contacts to *add themselves* in. Please follow instructions. 🎦 We're currently working on a new service for the group which will allow jounos to introduce themselves, say what beats they cover, how they prefer to be contacted and what sort of content they're looking for to help smooth the process of news and feature writing. Watch this space! 🧠Neurodiverse PRs - Want to connect with fellow different-brained PR folk on Whats App? check out this post 🧠Neurodiverse Journos - Want to join a space for fellow different-brained journo folk on WhatsApp? Check out this post or email us.

And finally....🎆 On behalf of all the TechJPR admins and mods, we hope everyone had a peaceful Christmas and wish you all a happy New Year. We're looking forward to expanding our Facebook group further, which currently stands at over 5.5k members, providing new services and most importantly, having fun!

Until next time... Get in touch via hello@techjpr.com to send us your jobs, events and useful bits and pieces for next month's newsletter and keep posting your useful and entertaining additions to our Facebook group. We're taking a break on other platforms, but service will resume as normal in due course.

[inedoodle]

One Week Portrait

Hey guys, I’ve been less active than the past few weeks, but that’s because I’ve entered the OneWeekPortrait course by Paintable, and am currently learning how to paint a realistic digital portrait! I’ll post the finished piece on here once it’s done, it’s coming along nicely thus far!