#it’s hard to portray consistent movements

[daveyfvckingjacobs]

I have other things to write but I’ve been in a car mood and need serotonin so *drops this at your feet like a cat with a mouse and runs*

—

“You sure about this?” Morris was regarding the steering wheel in front of Oscar like it might bite him, toying with a seatbelt he was yet to fasten.

Oscar glanced sideways and nodded easily. His eyes glinted with an uncharacteristic mischief as it shrugged. “Sure I am. When ain’t I?”

Otto, sat up in the boot with his head propped on the back seats, rolled his eyes. “That’s the problem,”

“This was your idea, so shut the fuck up,”

“I’m just saying!” Otto raised his hands in protest, shook his head and leaned further over the seats to point at the ignition. “Start the damn car,”

The damn car in question was - to put it bluntly - a piece of crap. When Oscar turned the key it only barely spluttered to life, amid a lot of coughing and rattling from places that probably shouldn’t have been coughing or rattling. It sat rumbling unhappily underneath them as Oscar glanced at Otto again.

“You’re the one Weis taught to do this,” he said. “What’s next, genius?

“Why am I back here if I’m meant to be teaching you?”

“Cause someone-,” Oscar shoved the side of Morris’ head. “-wanted a seatbelt,”

“Someone doesn’t wanna fucking die when you hit a pole,” Morris grumbled, swatting at his brothers hand. He wiggled the gear stick uncertainly. “It ain’t moving,”

Otto nodded. “Yeah, it won’t. Oz, do the clutch,”

“The what-?”

“We’re gonna flip this thing,” Otto muttered, before he raised his voice casually. “Inner pedal, then you can do the gear. Then handbrake and accelerate,”

He made it sound relatively simple, but when Oscar did as instructed the car had other plans. The moment the handbrake was let it of jerked forward and made Morris yelp. Oscar just laughed a jackal bark laugh and did it’s best to keep the wheel straight as the Clio trundled forward. The car park tarmac was uneven and pitted, jolting the trio every few yards.

Otto, for his part, whooped. “There you go!” he crowed. “Told you, piece of piss,”

“What now?”

“I don’t know- don’t stall?”

Morris paused in fumbling to click his seatbelt into place. “Wow Otter, you should take up teaching,”

“Don’t be a back seat driver. Listen to the expert,”

“You don’t have a license,” Morris pointed out.

“Neither does the dickhead behind the wheel,” Otto said, before disappearing from view with a thump as Oscar sped up over a particularly deep pothole.

Morris snorted. Next to him, Oscar managed to keep his expression impressively neutral. “Oops,”

“I’m gonna fall out, asshole,”

“So close it,” Oscar shrugged. “How do I go faster?”

“Go to second and fucking floor it,”

“Or just-,” Morris shook his head as he grabbed the overhead handle. “Oh for fuck sake take it easy-,”

“Wuss,” Oscar replied. He kept taking deliberately sharp turns, trying to jostle Otto as much as possible while piling too much speed. The engine whined and strained, tires scraping against the ground and kicking up pebbles.

“When we’re in hospital, I don’t know either of you,” Morris muttered, jaw locked as he gripped the handle. It didn’t do a whole lot to steady him, just battered him against the door but with the speed they were going by now it was worth a shot.

Oscar snapped his teeth teasingly in response, while Otto laughed and yelled every time he was thrown around a little bit more. The adrenaline was crackling as Oscar rolled the window down to let his hand trail out. He was laughing louder than he’d had in a while. Otto’s chest hurt both from the impact against the boot and the way his amusement shook his ribs. Morris’ grip was white knuckled but the way his brother was whooping made up for the jolting fear. It was almost enough to make up for the hell they’d pay when the stolen car was discovered, when the scrapes across its side became apparent, when everything else came crashing back down. Just enough for them to forget about it. For a little while, it could all be left behind with the wind whipping by and the electric tang of petrol.

[leportraitducadavre]

The reddit dudebros obsession with proving Sasuke is a twink or not masculine☠️

Its like they relate being masculine with morality...so ofcourse they deny sasuke his masculinity to make his objectives and themes meaningless

When objectively speaking..he comes off far more masculine than Naruto(even Itachi) and I think kishi made sure to highlight it because Sasuke IS supposed to be superior to everyone in konoha 11...thats is the core reason of naruto and sakura's(their fans as well) insecurities

Sex is used as a means of obtaining power, as the sexual act is a reflection of the sentimental relationship of the characters, they tend to put the character they consider superior in the "penetrating" position of the relationship and usually link this role with the masculine/dominant condition, while the "penetrated", that is, the one they consider the weaker of the two, is cataloged as the feminine/submissive one.

Sasuke's particular beauty is another reason, since delicacy and beauty are characteristics usually associated with the feminine; while strong and hard features are related to the masculine.

I wrote something about this topic, so I'll copy it here:

Addition: Male characters that either present culturally associated female behaviors or male characters that the fandom perceives as female-coded. This specific point is more inclined towards, in its majority, yaoi shippers (such a fanbase mostly consists of female readers) that create and develop romantic dynamics between two or more male characters. The creation of such relationships isn’t bad or toxic per se, however, many of these fans portray these types of relationships with a heteronormative premise, in doing so, they give one of the two characters involved female-coded behaviors. It’s interesting to note how most of the time the male characters that the fandom links to such prototypical feminine conducts are Uchiha characters (particularly Sasuke and Madara), which are both the most beautifully designed (it’s often brought up in the manga how alluring they are), and the ones canonically accused of having a “biological” condition that makes them too emotional and therefore dangerous. It’s, again, a patriarchal and misogynistic mindset that associates females (or the characters associated with such archetypal conduct) with emotional responses due to biological conditions that they have no control of in order to diminish their merits, dismiss their ideas, downgrade their participation in government affairs and deny them of any political power. [And let’s not forget that many of the people reproducing such beliefs also consider themselves “feminists” whose idea of activism is creating female characters that follow the patriarchal standard analyzed previously -like many Sakura fix-it fanfictions]. Furthermore, they “balance” such chaotic behavior from the female-coded characters by pairing them with “virile” characters (often using Naruto, Hashirama, and Tobirama) that are able to ��control” and/or withstand the emotional responses from their partners. It’s still a sexist mindset and conduct that gets merged with their idea of feminism, destroying the actual purpose of the movement and consequentially reproducing both the misogynistic values that downgrade and/or diminish women (and males with female-coded behaviors) and fetishize LGTB+ relationships, reducing them to a prototypical patriarchal heteronormative dynamic.

Source

[disturbingstar]

The last of us trivia

TV show

• Pedro Pascal agreed to play Joel within a day of being sent the script.

• Neil Druckmann (the writer and director of the games, and the co-creator of the HBO series) watched over 100 auditions for Ellie before seeing Bella Ramsey's audition, of which he said, “It didn't feel like I was watching someone acting like Ellie. I was watching Ellie.”

• The TV adaptation offered the opportunity to expand on characters' backstories like Marlene and Ellie's relationship - as they weren't limited to a first-person POV.

• Huge apocalyptic sets had to be made for the show that were only used once - like the interior of the Capitol Building, which was built on a soundstage from scratch. Matching the lushness of the game while making it more realistic was the end goal, and art books from Naughty Dog (the company that developed the video games) were used as a jumping off point.

• Tess is portrayed by Australian actress Anna Torv. She was aware of the games but had not played them and watched the cutscenes after her casting. Torv felt her performance required consistent truthfulness due to its subtlety.

• Anna Torv and Pedro Pascal who portrays Joel decided that Tess and Joel had been lovers for some time but, like in the game, were subtle about their relationship.

• Sarah is portrayed by English actress Nico Parker. Parker watched videos of the original game years before getting the role. She wanted to stay away from the game version and provide her own interpretation of the character.

• As the clickers were a “home run” in the games, prosthetic artists from Game of Thrones were brought on to make them look as close to the source material as possible.

• There was even a movement bootcamp to train extras how to move like infected.

• The art teams were given the direction to find the beauty in the fungus. As Neil Druckmann said, “When you see the beauty in these monsters, it somehow makes them creepier.”

• It was Bella Ramsey's suggestion to have Ellie sleep with a switchblade during her first night with Tess and Joel.

• Neil Druckmann always thought of Joel and Tess's relationship as romantic, and the TV show offered the opportunity to make that explicit.

• Neil Druckmann is open to a The Last of Us Part 3 game, but it depends on whether the team can “come up with a compelling story that has this universal message and statement about love.”

• Pedro Pascal was chosen to play Joel Miller because of his ability to portray a tough, tortured, and vulnerable character who suppresses his emotions until necessary.

• Pedro Pascal based Joel's voice on his own experiences growing up in San Antonio, Texas, paring it back from the Southern accent used in the games.

• Bella Ramsey was aware of the game before their audition, but was encouraged not to play it to avoid replicating Ashley Johnson's original performance, instead watching some gameplay on YouTube to get a sense of it. As of filming the series, they still hadn't played the game.Ramsey wanted their performance to be reminiscent of the games without copying them.

• Unlike his counterpart from the video game series, Joel is more vulnerable in the television series; he is hard of hearing on one side due to a gunshot, his knees ache when he stands and he also suffers from nightmares and panic attacks. Co-creator Craig Mazin felt Joel should be less resilient than in the game to show the toll that living in the post-outbreak world has taken.

• Tommy is portrayed by American actor and producer Gabriel Luna. About a month after the casting of Pascal and Ramsey as Joel and Ellie respectively, Luna was asked to submit an audition tape. He was familiar with the work of co-creator Craig Mazin and executive producer Carolyn Strauss, and had previously worked on HBO's True Detective. About a week after submitting his tape, he was offered the role and, according to Luna, they instantly knew he was the one. He was enthusiastic for the role, having lived in Austin, Texas—Joel and Tommy's hometown—around the same time as the show's setting. He was also given a PlayStation 5 during production to play the games as research.

[dissociation-station123]

What It Takes To Win

Pro-Basketball Player Suguru Geto X Sports Analyst/Personality Reader

Warnings: Rough sex; Jealousy; A bit of angst/arguments; Marking (Small mention of blood) Adult Language

Plot: Y/N L/N cannot stand Suguru Geto as a player. He is selfish and does not take the game she loves seriously. So why does she keep meeting him in bed?

I wrote this for @ayyy-pee amazing writing prompt! Please check out all the other wonderful stories at #JujutsuJournal #jujutsuJournal

:read more:

“Y/N why are you so hard on them? They make it to the playoffs every year!” Your co-host scoffed; As you reviewed last night's games. You were currently discussing your least favorite team's loss.

“What is the point of setting up that offensive screen when we all know where the ball is going?” You laugh; your eyes roll automatically. “Suguru Geto has to always touch the ball. All the other teams know this. Sure, they may make it to the playoffs but immediately get swept.”

“The man’s PRA is consistently over 40! He is the franchise player for a reason.” Again he counters in defense. “He is easily an MVP player.”

You gawk at the man sitting beside you. “When you shoot 30 threes a game and make ten then of course you will be the highest scorer! I just don’t understand why people defend him so much? He needs to learn how to be less controlling and selfish!” You shout at the camera; talking vigorously with your hands. “I’ll admit he is good when I see a championship ring on his finger.”

~

“Would you look at that…” His deep velvet voice hummed dangerously in your ear. He had a tight grip on the back of your neck; forcing you to watch your broadcast from last night. “Mmmm… I need to be less controlling and selfish.”

Suguru Geto shoves your face down into the pillow not giving you time to think or respond; His other hand digs into your hip as he thrust into you even faster. You're a sobbing moaning mess as his cock pushes down into your soaking folds; the sinful wet noise makes you even louder.

“Sugu…” Your whine is muffled into the silk fabric of the pillowcase, now coated in your drool. You feel him push his entire weight on you as you cry out his name. The action pushes his cock further rubbing against that special spot. Your entire body shudders. His long hair tickles your body; as he leans into your shoulder to scrape his teeth on the soft flesh. Not giving up his merciless rhythm.

The hand that had a grip on your neck pulls you back against his chest. A small nibble to your earlobe as he pulls you even closer. “No.” He says maliciously pulling his cock out until the tip is barely at your entrance; you both groan; him because your pussy pulses at the feeling and you because you want him to continue his movements.

Suguru laughs at your pathetic state. He holds you tightly, your fighting against him to sink back onto his dick; desperate to be impaled completely by him again. “Call me MVP.” He practically growls and you shake your head. Though your mind was blank with lust you still refused. He makes a frustrated sound, his muscles straining to keep you still; veins in his forearm bulge.

“So damn stubborn.” He whines; You could sense he was just as needy as you; You look up at him with your best pout.

“Sugu please…” You beg your eyes low and you watch as he clenches his jaw. “Kiss me.” You knew he could not resist no matter how tough of a demeanor he portrays. No matter how much you fought.

Suguru looks down at you; the purple hue of his irises barely visible due to his blown out pupils. He lets out a desperate breath and you mewl softly. His hold softens and he lifts you up. His strength always amazes you as he turns you around to face him.

Before you could mutter another word his lips were on yours. A deep passionate kiss fueled by both of your conflicting emotions. You gasp and his tongue is down your throat. You suck on it greedily and he groans.

The grip on your hip disappears and you push down. Both of you moan against the kiss as you sink onto his cock. His hands lower as he spreads your ass apart. He bites your lower lip. “Fucking brat…” Suguru whispers but you smirk knowing he loves this as much as you do.

A burst of confidence and you sense the shift in the power dynamic; you lightly trace his collarbone. As his eyes flutter at the light touch you push him back against the mattress. You enjoy the smile that appears on his face; his expression now amused.

“Show me what you got then pretty.” Suguru laughs as he grips your thighs. You begin to grind against him; feeling full as you push down your clit now rubbing against his lower stomach. Your head falls back and a wicked sound escapes your lips. “That’s it…” his voice rasps and shudders.

“Sugu suck…” you lean over, guiding his face to your taut nipples. He obliges your request and your body trembles. You knew it wouldn’t be long before you used him to cum.

Slowly you begin to move; your mind blanking at the feeling of his dick sliding halfway out. The squelching as you moved back taking him deep once again makes you breathless. “Fuck… s’good…” you mumble trying to keep your eyes open to take in his blissful expression. He bites your bud as his thumb circles the other.

Just as you pussy clenches around him; you pull his hair roughly and he cries out against you. You follow screaming his name. He loses himself and begins bucking up into you. Overstimulated, you lose all control when he thrust wildly. “Shit… so addictive…” he says against your flesh.

A soft whine, he releases, his hold now rough enough to bruise as he buries his cock deep coating your walls white. “This is so crazy…” you sob lost in the overwhelming feeling. Both of you fall still and struggle to regain your breath.

“I still can’t stand you.” You say after a while. Neither one of you has pulled away; bodies pressed close and covered in sweat. A chuckle vibrates in his chest.

“Feeling is mutual.” He grins wolfishly and you roll your eyes. Pulling you close he bites down on your neck and you smack his very toned chest.

“Suguru I swear if you leave a mark!” You shout wriggling from his grasp pushing him away. You both let out a sigh as you pull away and your traitorous cunt already misses him. “Well thanks for this.” You stretch and begin to move out of the bed.

He sits up and gently grabs your wrist. “Are you tapping out on me already?” He is temptation personified. Those deep velvet eyes piercing into your own. That muscular athletic body decorated in tattoos. His long black hair is messy from what just occurred. But you manage to move your arm out of his grasp.

“Early flight back. And I need to study some game footage before the show.” You say looking around for your scattered clothing. Suguru groans but does not argue. He stays in bed and watches as you walk around the room.

“Should rewatch my game.” He mutters and you laugh. “I’m serious! I’m one of the best in the league.” You hear his tone change; aggravated.

“Didn’t you have practice tonight?” You ask a bit snidely. You know he was known for skipping out. The lack of teamwork is the clear result.

“You're such a bitch.” He mutters coldly, standing up himself and heading to the bathroom. “Lock the door behind you.” You shrug and finish getting dressed. Make your way out the door without a second thought.

~

It was a busy day in the NBA. Mid season and all the teams were quickly trying to build towards the playoff games. Rumors of trades swirl around and you are currently jotting down your hypothesis. Your mad scribbles are interrupted by the ding of your phone.

I sent you a court side ticket for my game this weekend. It will be in your city.- Suguru

After the harsh words you both have not spoken in a while. You are surprised by the sudden gesture and a bit suspicious.

Why? I planned on just using my press pass. No need.

A quick response:

I want you to see me play up close. Just use it. -Suguru

I can see just fine in the press seats. Less attention.

After about ten minutes there is no response. You assume Suguru had given up. Just as your mind focuses back on work your phone vibrates with a call. You let out a breath to keep your cool.

“What is it?” You ask the annoyance obvious in your voice. Suguru chuckles at your attitude. Music is playing in the background. He is most likely cruising around his city without a care.

“I’m going to keep bothering you until you accept Y/N. So stop being stubborn.” Suguru is unbothered by your cold demeanor. You know his persistence. He would be true to his word.

“If I accept, will I be able to finish my work in peace?” You say monotonously; you scribble a potential trade in the process.

“Whatever you want. Just say yes.” He sounds a bit too enthusiastic. As if your last encounter he did not call you a derogatory name and leave the room.

“Fine.” You agree half heartedly. “See you then.”

“You know you miss…” you quickly hang up on him with a frustrated sigh.

You were unsure how your dislike for him turned into a physical relationship. Insults were thrown one night when you all noticed each other at an event. Next thing you knew you were being thrown against the brick wall outside of the bar. Your Legs around his body and lips hungrily fighting for dominance.

Probably a number of factors were the cause, combination of unprocessed emotions and childhood trauma. When you were constantly working it was hard to find time to unpack. You assume this was the root to your strange attraction to the arrogant man who believes himself to be unstoppable.

You do what you do best. Bury your thoughts into statistics of the game you love. This has always kept your mind from tumbling too far into the dark.

~

The crowd is in a fever pitch as your home team faces off with Suguru’s. It is currently the fourth quarter; the previous quarters all ending in an unprecedented tie. The battle is a fierce one.

Sitting court side you saw everything so clearly. You hate to admit you were a bit thankful for the view. You now watch as Suguru is one on one with your team's franchise player, Saturo Gojo.

The amazing point guard is close to getting a triple double. You always admired his passes, never knowing where he would throw the ball. He is truly a team player. Though at times he got a bit whiny and flopped a bit too dramatically, overall he was well rounded.

“Suguru dribbles left but Satoru is leaving him no room!” The announcer echoes over the roaring fans. Then Suguru does something very much in character. He turns towards the crowd and winks, steps back a millimeter and scores the three in Satoru’s face. You follow his line of sight to a beautiful group of women. That is so like him. The crowd was in an uproar.

A timeout is called to slow the current pace of the game. Of course Suguru bought you court side seats near his team's bench. Your eyes widen when Suguru instead of going to the huddle makes a beeline in your direction.

You shake your head no but he plays by his own rules. Leaning into your ear, sweaty and a bit out of breath he whispers, “Did I make you jealous? I’ll wink at you next time.”

You lower your ball cap hoping no one recognizes you and glares. You choose not to even acknowledge his presence. You glance around hoping a photographer did not catch the moment. “Suguru!! What the fuck are you doing?” The coach shouts and you are relieved when he walks away.

“Asshole…” You mutter still in a state of shock. Mid game and he is trying to make you feel bad? What is the motivation?

The rest of the game is dimmed a bit by the interaction. Your mind is anxious that you might end up in a tabloid. Even after your home team pulls out the victory in overtime.

~

You could not help but bring your press pass along. You make your way into the press conference room to catch a bit of the players and coaches reaction to the game. You stumble a bit through the crowd trying to find an open spot. Finding one a bit clumsily just as Satoru Gojo sits down to be interviewed.

“She is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen…” his voice echoes across the small area. You feel your fellow reporters' eyes fall onto you. “Ooo shit.. is my mic turned on already.”

You look up at Satoru and those blue eyes meet your own. His cheeks flush red and the room fills with laughter. “I’m so sorry. You're one of my favorite sports personalities. Seeing you in person… I- sorry.” He addresses you and you want to disappear. But remain professional. “Please I’ll take a question from you if you have one.”

“Umm yeah… Thank you.” You try to ease your racing heart from the sudden and unexpected attention. “First congratulations on your triple double tonight. This will be your fourth one in a row. Being a franchise player, how do you still remain humble to your team?”

Satoru Gojo beams a smile. “My team makes it easy. If I get a bit too cocky they bring me back. Honestly without them I would not have accomplished as much as I have. I am thankful.”

The expression on his face is proof of his devotion to the game. He meant every word. Suguru suddenly pops into your mind. He could be even greater if only his mentality could shift. His potential was there and that is what infuriated you the most.

As you jotted down notes from the rest of the post game conference your phone vibrates.

I’m staying at the Brown hotel. Meet me. -Suguru

Fine

Even after the embarrassment he had caused you, your body reacts to his text. The way he touches you was unlike any past relationship. Images of your exploits flash into your mind. You could not deny the sparks between you. So when he calls you answer.

~

You spot him surrounded by a group of fans in the lobby. Your eyes meet for a second as you make your way to the less crowded bar area. “Two Whiskeys on the rocks please.” You address the bartender who nods.

You feel him as he approaches, just as you're taking your first sip. “Here is the most beautiful woman in the world.” He mocks and you grumble assuming that clip must have gone viral.

You pass him the drink you had ordered him as he sits beside you. “Are you jealous?” You tease, cocking your head to the side with a smirk.

“Pfft.. of Satoru?” Suguru sounds a bit less confident than usual. “Never. Why didn’t you stay to ask me a question? I scored an all time high in your stadium.” Was there a bit of hurt laced in his words?

“Did you win?” You ask more harshly than you meant. The earlier frustration of how he could be one of the best currently on your mind if he could be less selfish.

Suguru’s expression darkens and he doesn’t speak. This was different from the usual banter you both often shared. This felt more serious. You just want to crack his ego a bit for his own good. Yet who were you to judge?

“I’m sorr…” you go to apologize but he holds up a hand. You watch as he finishes his liquor in one gulp, setting the glass on the counter with a clank. He pulls out his wallet and you go to stop him but he glares at you, setting a stack of bills down.

He slides the room key in your direction. “Finish up your drink. Take your time.” Without allowing you to speak. Pushing your arm away as you reach for him he walks off.

With a stubborn huff you do as he says. You did not think he would take what you said so seriously. He started the whole thing by copying Satoru’s words. So you order a second drink and take your time.

~

The moment you open the door to the suite his hand is around your throat. His body is pushing you against the door, wearing nothing but a towel. His lips meet yours at a feverish pace. You struggle to breath, move, or think. You can only respond.

After stealing your entire being from you he pulls away. Drool coating both your lips and dazed expressions. Suguru Geto is a man you found yourself losing yourself in with one touch.

Yet under that heated gaze you see that strange mix of anger and sadness. “Sugu…” you call out to him for reassurance. His mind seems to snap back to the present.

“Want to take a shower before?” He asks flatly. Those eyes tell you he is going to devour and break you. You know you should question him. You could see you upset him; your body shivers in anticipation.

“Y-yeah…” you mutter weakly, waiting for him to let you out of his grasp. You're pinned to the door not only by his body but that penetrating glance. The large pupils, the way his breath is heavy, and reddened cheeks. You suddenly lift your finger to trace his jaw line softly. He was too damn pretty. It makes arguing with him so unfair.

Suguru steps away after a few more tense seconds. You study his features, so serious, the way his mouth gapes open and closed it seems he wants to speak. Instead he walks away giving you space.

You stay against the door watching his large back retreat to sit down on the velvet lounge chair. There was a conversation you both needed to have but neither one of you wanted to cross that line.

You let out a soft sigh and make your way to the suite's elaborate bathroom. Steam greets you as you open the door. The warmth is a welcome comfort as you begin to undress.

You take out your make up remover from your bag, along with cleanser. The routine of washing your face refreshes your mind. The soft texture of the luxury hotel washcloth feels nice.

You turn on the shower, test the temperature and step inside, amazed by the space that greets you. You are still not used to the amenities that a professional athlete like Suguru Geto receives. A truly lavish lifestyle, far above even you a sports personality could even fathom.

You lose track of time, lost in thought, as the water cascades down upon you. The smell of Suguru’s body wash as you scrub your body, entices your senses. Your stomach flutters in anticipation.

You feel his presence before you see him. Taken by surprise not expecting him to interrupt you. “Hey. What’s up? You ok?” You call out, reaching for the knobs to turn off the shower.

Just as you turn the knobs off, the glass door slides open. Those velvet eyes burn with lust and possessiveness you have never quite seen. He yanks you by the base of your hair and you let out a groan. You catch out of your peripheral his hotel robe thrown to the floor carelessly. His body was pressed against your own.

“I kept…” Suguru kisses you passionately, his tongue taking claim of the inside of your mouth. Not giving you time to even take a breath. “Seeing that interview… mmm.” His teeth tug at your lower lip. You moan as his hands grip onto your hips roughly.

He lifts you up, his hard cock twitching against your stomach. The friction causes a whimper to escape your lips. He sets you down, the cold marble of the counter causes you to shiver. Suguru spreads your thighs apart, kneeling before you.

You're overheating, your mind losing the ability for a logical thought. Eyes low you watch as he gathers his long hair from his face and ties it up. Your pussy already wet, leaks even more from the imagery, everytime, Pavlovian dog effect.

Before you could protest his face was between your legs. A harsh bite to your inner thigh and you cry out, you grip the counter tightly.

His tongue slowly makes teasing circles on your clit, your head falls back against the mirror from the pleasure. “Suguru… fuck…” you manage to say, “what’s with you tonight?” His fingers dig into the thick flesh of your thighs, the pain feeling so good.

He does not respond with words. Instead he kisses your cunt with vigor, sucking and squelching, prodding his tongue along the folds. His thumb rubbing your nub you are overwhelmed. Making you a whining mess within seconds, your orgasm catches you off guard. Your body convulses violently around him.

“Sh-shit… wait…” you could only curse as he drinks up your cum, then shoves two fingers deep inside. Overstimulated, you gasp and hear him groan as your finger clench around his digits.

He does not listen to your plea. Thrusting over and over hitting your sweet spot, by now he knows your body well. He is using this to his advantage. His lips slick with your arousal, he looks as if he might growl as those eyes stare up at you, barely visible through your eyelashes. Baring his teeth in a maniacal expression as he watches you fall into pieces for him.

Tears begin to pool from the corner of your eyes. “What... ahh… o fuck…” Words were difficult as you cum consecutively. Still silent he slowly removes his fingers, you make a pathetic sound. He stands, takes hold of the back of your neck, and brings his fingers coated in your liquid towards your lips. You open obediently. He hums in satisfaction as you suck and lick tasting yourself. Without warning he pushes them down your throat, you swallow but he pushes further. Your eyes widen as he chokes you.

He looks crazed as he watches you gag. You grip his wrist and he lets you pull back his hand. “Suguru what the fuck…” The silence is driving you mad. Then his lips were on yours once again.

Not for long though, he yanks you forward falling into his chest. Leaning down he sucks on the sensitive flesh of your neck, then bites down. You scream out as you feel the thin flesh break.

He flips you around and your bewildered expression greets you. The spot he just sank his teeth into red and a small amount of blood visible. You go to curse him but your mouth closes when you feel his tip collect your juices. Instead you let out a loud moan and lift your ass higher.

“That’s it, make it easier for me…” His voice is raspy and low. “Such a slut…” You hate that you were relieved to hear him speak, even if it was to degrade you. “My perfect little whore.” Giving you no time to adjust he pushes into you, deep. You cry out your voice strangled from the pressure.

Suguru ruts into you completely feral. His hips snapping into you with a force that has you tightly holding onto the sink. Your mind is completely blank as you try to keep up with him. Just a potent cocktail of pain and pleasure that has you screaming.

A sinister chuckle erupts from him causing you to attempt to look back. He roughly grabs your chin leaning into you but not stopping his malicious pace. He forces you to look at your fucked out expression. “At least you think my cock is good enough…” He says sadistically.

His words hit deep. Even in this blissful state your heartaches as you make eye contact and see his hurt. You never truly understood how much he was affected by your statements. You assumed he merely brushed them off.

“Fuck Suguru…” You stifle your moan. “I think you could be one of the greatest.” You finally say outloud your frustration. His movements falter at your proclamation. His face softens and his death grip on your hip and chin loosen. “A legend if you wanted to. If you tried.”

“What?” He slowly pushes back into you, stopping completely, and you whine. Those violet eyes look at you through the mirror in disbelief. “A legend?” He asks more to himself to confirm the words were actually muttered by you.

Seeing his ego shatter before you, a sense of compassion fills you. “You idiot…” you click your teeth and rub back against him, rewarded by a deep groan. “I get so pissed at you because you are so talented. You don't even try!” You shout at him, all the bitterness you held coming to the surface.

Suguru chuckles again but this time it feels warm. He leans his forehead against the back of your head, you feel him kiss the crown of your hairline softly. “You suck at communicating.” He whispers and you find yourself smiling even as you roll your eyes.

“Fuck me Suguru.” You say sternly as he nuzzles against you. “Is that clear enough for you?” You say teasingly and you feel him nod.

He pulls out of you and you go to protest. But before you could speak he turns your body to face him. Looking down at you with a wide grin he says, “Yeah I hear you…” He kisses you again but this time it feels different. His lips brush against yours slower and with a purpose. Your breaths intermingle so intimately. You squeak in surprise when he lifts you up and begins carrying back towards the room. “You're so cute.”

Usually his flirty remarks leave no impression on you, but the way he looks at you while saying it your heart flutters. You feel heat rush to your cheeks. Embarrassed by your own sudden strong emotions, you swat at his shoulder causing a fit of laughter from you both.

That night you make love. Exploring every inch of each other's body. Sensual and meaningful fluidity as your bodies connected. Suguru refuses to let you look away, “I want to watch every expression you make for me.” A strange feeling, one you have not felt in a very long time reaches you. It was intense and overwhelming in a foreign way then your usual fuck sessions.

Early in the morning exhausted and worn out you attempt to leave the bed. Suguru once again grabs your wrist to stop you, “Stay with me.” You bite your lower lip in contemplation but agree. Craving his embrace as you return under the covers.

~

It felt weird being the one reaching out towards him. After that night and a nice breakfast you had parted ways. No calls or texts were being returned. Your mind has been a mess, thinking about only Suguru Geto.

Work keeps you pretty busy but it is not the usual distraction you could rely on. Yet you did notice a change. A change in Suguru’s playing style.

The play offs were occurring. Suguru’s team did not get swept in the first round. He was playing differently. His assists were on the rise and his post game conferences were full of praise about his teammates.

Even as your co-host basically said I told you so, you could not help but smile at the progress. Yet you still refused to mutter the words that Suguru wanted to hear so badly.

~

“Suguru Geto and his team have made it to the finals Y/N.” Your co-host says annoyingly.

You laugh and shrug as your show is coming to an end for the night. “Suguru’s progress has been impressive. I can not deny that. I guess we will have to see what happens.”

Your co-host is stunned by your acceptance but quickly recovers and finishes up the show. As the all clear was given you go to grab your phone and hate how excited you felt when you saw the text on the screen.

Got you court side tickets to the finals. Sorry I have not been in contact. Taking things more seriously. -Suguru

~

The sound of the fans was deafening. Confetti flies around the stadium as people rush to the court in excitement. Suguru’s team pulls it off. They have won the championship game.

Watching the final game is always such a bittersweet moment. The joy on the winning team's face is endearing. The dejected sadness and hunched figures of the other team always got to you as well.

As you look away from the sorrow filled expression and back to the court you spot Suguru. Those eyes zone in on you even as he is bombarded by his teammates and media. He reaches out for you.

Unlike the previous game, in these exact seats, you feel elated. Your body reacts on its own propelling you towards him. He opens his arms to you and praises your insight to all that were near. The shocked faces should embarrass you but his presence makes you feel emboldened.

You stand on your toes to whisper, “My MVP.” His eyes widen as he takes a second to register what you just said. Realization settles in and he takes hold of your face. You are the one now surprised, as he kisses you in front of everyone. You sense the flash of the bulbs and mics being shoved towards you but you are completely engulfed by him. Fuck… I think I love him…

[cowboyjen68]

howdy jen!

I’m a younger butch, 22, and i only recently came into this label in the past year or so. i cut my hair and started embracing myself and am so much better for it, but it’s also brought a lot of struggle. primarily, i have a really hard time feeling desirable. i don’t know if it’s something to do with where i am or just my age, but i feel like it’s so much harder to meet people who are into people who look like me. it’s hard to look visibly queer, and it’s hard to be masculine. a lot of the time i feel pride in my roll as a protector and safe person, but it becomes so exhausting when i never feel safe myself. when i never feel desirable. i wonder if this is a common thing amongst butches, and if so, how do i get past it?

You could be me talking when I was 23 and just coming out. My first thought, once I really realized that I was a bit different from many of my female friends, was “What lesbian is going to be attracted to me? Lesbians like other women and I kind of look like a boy”. I truly thought that my stature, the way I walked, whatever energy or movement got me consistently mistaken for a boy (or man) was the very reason why I would never find love or passion with whom I most desired, another woman. 

In college I toned it down, I kept my hair long with a sort of short in the front mullet. I wore generic jeans and a sweatshirt to try to be somewhat comfortable but also unremarkable in my clothing choices. Looking back it made no difference. I was clockable as a lesbian, and butch, long before I fully admitted who I was to myself. 

I felt unattractive. I refused makeup and more feminine clothing and convinced myself it was because I was a “feminist” or didn’t want to invite the gaze of men because I wanted to focus on college and not date. I just knew I would be alone forever (which sounded better than being with a man in any case) and no woman would look at me as anything more than a goofy friend. 

Years later, after talking to my old friends and nights chatting with my older lesbian friends in my early 20’s I realized we all shared very similar experiences. Very few women think of themselves as desirable to others. It was the rare one, usually traditionally attractive and outgoing, who had some idea that she was interesting to the opposite sex even if she had no desire for that. Most of us had this idea that we were just plain, or ugly or just not attractive, especially to the demographic we most wanted to desire us as a romantic partner. 

The fact is, many women have a similar feeling to what you are going through regardless of her sexual orientation. 

On to the good news. The greater Western culture tends to portray butches in the media either ugly and rude or stoic or as some perfectly physically fit woman who wears a sports bra to show off her muscles and is brimming with a snarky confidence. That is show biz and not real life. 

I hear young butch4butches and young femmes and garden variety lesbians lament all the time that they can’t find butches today. “Where have all butches that love being butches gone?”  they ponder. So as a butch there are plenty of women out there seeking you and wanting to see and meet you. 

We are quite visible and it is hard to hide our lesbianism when we are in public. And most of us don’t want to. We want to be comfortable as ourselves so we put on a stiff upper lip and go into the world looking as confident and sometimes as tough looking as we can muster. Once you meet the right friends and date a woman with whom you connect you will find a feeling of safety if you let it. Allow your friends to carry some of the burden. Listen to them when they say they have your back. Let the woman you are dating stand up for you and talk about how wonderful you are. 

Take a look at my tiktoks or posts here on tumblr and you will see that butches are loved and appreciated but a vast majority of the LGBT Community. 

Wear what makes you feel confident. Get out to events at the gay bar, concerts, even non profit fundraising events. Take the time to go to places that require you to dress up and put some effort into picking an outfit that suits you. Looking good can truly lead you to feeling good. You can boost your own confidence by getting a good haircut that you love, shining your boots and putting on some light cologne. The best way to get past the feeling of being inadequate as a dating partner is to get out and meet more women to befriend.  The more women you meet the more you can see you are not alone 

As you meet more people,  and form more community connections, you become more comfortable as yourself and you feel much less endangered in public. You learn that much or your fear is thinking others are watching you when in reality most people are just trying to get through their day. This is not to say it is not important to read your surroundings, it certainly is, but you will feel much more at ease if you feel confident in yourself.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Michael David Cobb Bowen

Published: Dec 21, 2024

Today I came across some interesting material. It was a video that my brother Doc, retired LAPD, got to me from his network of insiders. It seems so long ago, but seeing it fresh four years later is quite the revelation. Today I’m publishing some of the last things I said on my old blog before moving to Substack. You can check it out at Stoic Observations.

From the Archives

Dateline June 2020 Some time ago I wrote My Black Life Doesn't Matter. As the machinations and shenanigans associated with BLM continue to disturb my peace, I think I have come to an appropriate way to describe it. Having come to this realization, I find it entirely consistent with my understanding of coming to grips with an identity one doesn't choose and how the Civil Rights movements of the past are so starkly and fundamentally different from what's going on today.

George Floyd has become a fungible.

He has been press ganged into a parade of celebrity victims by a crowd of activists and their sympathizers. His actual black life has been hounded into a representational dead end. Or to use more commonly bandied about language, he has been culturally appropriated. George Floyd is not his life, he is only his death. What his life might have meant has succumbed to the public acceptance, almost unanimous, about what his death has symbolized. I too, like the family of Floyd, know what it is like to lose a family member suddenly and tragically. I know what that kind of grief and loss feels like. I have experienced this for myself, twice. What I do not know, is what it feels like to have a family member's entire life be overshadowed by a moment of infamy and then converted into an avalanche of political activism. I have not had a family member erased.

On the other hand, I am familiar with the theme. Anyone who has attempted to write, as I have, as a black writer, knows how difficult it is to get your writing recognized as a legitimate and authentic representation of your lived experience. You can call this an economic injustice if that term suits you, because it is clear that the economic power of news organization and political organization and cultural production companies in any medium quite handily overwhelms the truth of any individual writer. Only the writer who is broadly published and becomes famous because of that, is relatively safe from misrepresentation. That safety is under a greater threat than ever in my memory, owing to the cowardice and volume of Cancel Culture and their blue meany alarm-clowns. As much as it is told that diverse voices are being empowered, these are only pigeonholes. They are as common and as generic as rainbow graphics and full [people of] color brochures for liberal arts colleges. Yet it is hard enough to have the actual details of life accurately portrayed in a world where racial stereotypes rule. When I moved from Los Angeles to Brooklyn around the corner from Crown Heights, it was assumed that black Americans all had the same negative connotations of Jews. So I was asked to join certain protests. I never had anything but normal relations with Jews my entire life. When I moved from NY to Atlanta's largely white Cobb County suburbs, it was assumed that I would inherit all of the black culture of Fulton County, largely black. Black diversity, that phrase you never hear, is real but it is always smothered for the premises of black cultural and political unity, and by the liberal confirmation bias that assumes it. That's why it's not part of today's narrative. That's why George Floyd's dead body means so much more than his life. It can't defy the narrative. It generated a perfect storm because it was racially predestined.

When I first got on the net in the early 90s, a close friend of mine said something fundamentally profound. It was that black Americans didn't need and weren't looking for a black leader, it was white people. White people needed a black leader to speak for the masses, someone they could accept or reject and then compare the ideas of the leaders to those black Americans with whom they wished to embrace or denounce. Where do you stand on Khalid Muhammad?, we were asked. Where do you stand on Mumia? What is your opinion on Cornel West? It was as if black America lived in an hermetic universe whose bubble could only be pierced by the Fungibles who communicated with the rest of us at the Wednesday Night Meeting. At the same time, we acknowledged it was true that black Americans were looking for symbols to back up their stories of "I told you so." to anyone who doubted the reality of racism. The dynamic remains. There is a hot market for tales from the hood. I cannot tell you how many breathless inquiries I have received in the vein of "What is the most devastating racist thing that ever happened to you?".

In this inverted world of show and tell, only the bleakest, blackest tragedies are monetized and taken up by the American elites. The short attention span theater of the mainstream media does not have the inclination, time, patience or budget to put more substantive non-fiction into their agendas, certainly nothing that defies the new conventions of multicultural political correctness that floats up from the teaming millions. The common man must be left to his own devices and of consumption, but they are not interested in their reality. If the New York Times survey says X, then the public had better believe it for its own good. All the acceptable alternatives are to be consumed by the first class citizens in the magazines that matter, mostly brought to you by Conde Nast. Perhaps I'm being cynical and shrill. I simply hate drowning in the vanilla fluff of deepest darkest horrors of the 'black lives' that matter. Once upon a time there were celebrated men like Vernon Jordan who got to represent what America could provide to its citizens. Now the examples are the mistreated, maimed, & murdered.

In my writing, I have dealt with just about every one of them. Sean Bell, The Jena Six, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, Ron Settles, Michael Zinzun, Don Jackson, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Mumia Abu Jamal, Shaquanda Cotton, and many more that I don't currently have the patience to link to an appropriate post in my archives. Nevertheless I have no problem simply listing them:

Abner Louima

Genarlow Wilson

Dunbar Village

Jonny Gammage

Tyisha Miller

Eric Garner

Tamir Rice

Freddy Gray

Philando Castile

What did they do? How did they live? It doesn't matter. They were crushed, now all we have are their ghosts haunting every newsroom, every political mention of race. They have, in the hands of the priests of the death cult of the New Anti Racists, the only blacks that matter - the dead ones. Nobody is able to celebrate black life in this narrative. It's black death that pays the bills. It's black tragedy that keeps the newsrooms buzzing. It's black dysfunction that keeps people talking and editorializing and coming up with some of the most nonsensical political ideas outside of Lilliput. This game is old, tired and wrong.

[39472034658449305249465224devils]

The info we get about the Nohrians moms is pretty sparse but Leo's insecurities and desire to be seen kind of reads to me as like stemming from a hard critique mom. I don't think Leo is at all conscious of it but I think it says something his desire to be seen by Camilla specifically and her being the most "motherly" might imply something.

It's an angle I like to play with personally. Also I guess the logical assumption of the Concubine War was the mothers all competed and potentially assassinated another's kids. So a lot of hatred by the nature of the environment. Kind of funny if Leo and Camilla's mothers REALLY despised another....and their bloodlines converged in Forrest.

I get that info but i feel like a lot of the supplementary content like the manga kinda plays leo as having no respect or mind for his mother, when it comes to canon its not really 100% for me, though coicidentally in my own rewrite stuff i do write leo's relationship with his mother to have been much closer.

i feel like leo's desire for camilla comes from the narrative poles placed on camilla and xander to be foils to his desire, the things he "cannot have", whereas odin and niles are written as the foils of the things he fears himself to be/look like. camilla and niles sit on the same pole of sexuality and repression. leo is jealous of the attention he does not let himself chase, and only ever watching from afar, he associates positive attention from a figure of attention and compassion as well as the generally most present woman in his life who is also a blatant sexual figure, and camilla's attention given to corrin is obviously sexually charged, leading casual intimacy and recognition to be linked directly to sexual attention in his head. using what we know about writing and reflection we can derive from this that leo represses both of these needs for himself and worries that if he speaks out about his needs, he would come off as a pervert. he's worried of coming off as clingy or needy or annoying and quiets these insecurities with the knowledge he's "not good enough" and therefore does not deserve to ask and therefore cannot be annoying, clingy or needy. he wants it to happen naturally without any movement from himself, which is a consistent problem he faces as a character, where he lets himself stagnate like an iceberg.

theres more to say about leo's fears of queerness that afix to both this and the xander size of the poles but i literally just woke up so maybe ill get into it later. in supplementary materials we see that leo is self conscious of his own 'femininity' and his relationship with xander is strained by what we can assume is xander mirroring his father and physically lashing out at leo when he's upset. leo's initial rejection of forrest comes from the way that leo's character approaches insecurity, which is to push the source as far away from him as possible. im always happy to discuss him as a character because he's very often written off as shallow despite being somewhat suspiciously one of the best written characters in the game (which is suspicious due to the large amount of changes he went through which we will never fully know during production, enough that even the cover of the game portrays a late beta design, with light under clothes and green eyes, which is not easy to ignore when you know how very purposeful and conscious the designs and usage of color espessially are in fates... leo was probably intended to play a larger role before script cuts started, which slowly removed him more and more, but random strands are still present in the story and supplementary contents. we will probably never know for sure, but it's my guess that he was supposed to either serve a more azura-like role as a tertiary protagonist or he was a more traditional sort of camus figure rather than xander. anyways, im rambling now)

[politesper-rip]

anonymous sent in: Why itsuki like to cross his arms a lot?

haha, i imagine because he finds it comfortable to stand that way. but you've now opened the floodgates of me analyzing all of itsuki's body language so get ready. if the haruhi anime did one thing right (it did a lot right, to be fair) — it was capturing the subtle ways the brigade members portray themselves through their body language and reactions.

CROSSING OF THE ARMS — an indication of being closed off. it's a defensive position, subtly protecting your torso. as someone who doesn't share his true thoughts and feelings often — and as someone who fears for his safety on a daily basis — it's natural itsuki stands like this often. he probably doesn't even do this one consciously, as he tends to be more expressive in his gestures most of the time. we should also note that itsuki often SITS WITH HIS LEGS CROSSED as well, which is once more a closed-off way to hold himself. again, i think he just positions himself in what's comfortable/natural, but subconsciously he's communicating a lot.

LACK OF PERSONAL SPACE — while most often this is done with kyon, itsuki has a habit of getting into people's personal space. to a level you would only really expect from someone you're intimate with. naturally, being allowed in someone's personal space is a sign of a very close relationship and comfort with each other. i believe him doing this with kyon especially is him pushing to have that kind of relationship with him, regardless of how kyon may reject him, since he is very focused on getting kyon on his side.

SMILING — his most iconic trait. naturally this is to give himself an approachable, friendly disposition. he hopes to appear as someone you can get along with. charming, amicable, content. even if often not genuine. that combined with his GOOD POSTURE give off the aura of someone confident and self-assured. reliable, even. the exact image he wants to put out into the world.

EXAGGERATED GESTURES — used to emphasize certain points, yes, but i also think itsuki attempts to grab people's attention with just HOW exaggerated his gestures are. spreading his arms wide, doing over the top W-shaped shrugs, sliding his finger from his forehead to the tip of his nose, pointing, leaning in, striking poses. he moves as if he's an actor on stage, making sure his movements can be seen and easily read from audience members no where near the stage. he wants focus on him when he explains things; he wants to be noticed. to be important. for people to pay attention to what he has to say. to draw them in. GESTURING WITH OPEN HANDS, especially with the palms facing upward, often indicate you don't have much to hide. that you're being open/truthful — essentially it makes people more likely to trust the words you're saying. this is definitely something itsuki does on purpose to make himself seem more honest/knowledgable.

MICRO EXPRESSIONS — itsuki is very guilty of these... those brief expressions that happen in less than even half a second. things you won't notice unless you're looking. he is only human, after all. no matter how hard he tries to hide his feelings, unless he is fully expecting what comes for him, he may not be able to hold back a genuine reaction. even if he's putting a lot of energy into keeping a consistent expression — of holding back his emotions. he is fallible. even if he is really, really good at keeping it together.

[karin-ko]

Life of Oharu by Kenji Mizoguchi

The film "Life of Oharu," directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, portrays the tumultuous life of a beautiful woman named Oharu.

The film portrays the societal roles of men and women during the Edo era. Regardless of a man's class or position, women were consistently viewed as possessions of men and were never regarded as equals. In such a world, Oharu, due to her exceptional beauty, finds herself manipulated by various men and repeatedly plunged into unfortunate circumstances. She lacks freedom in both love and work, with her downward spiral in life dictated entirely by the whims of men. Though fleeting moments of happiness do occur, they are often short-lived due to factors such as social status disparity or her past. It was hard to continue to watch Oharu, who stubbornly and strongly lives her life, not being rewarded while feeling the sorrow of living in a fate that repeatedly pushes her to the bottom of misfortune. Living as a woman during that era seemed incredibly challenging, and it made me unintentionally feel the joy of being able to live in the modern world. It is frightening to contemplate how a single misstep in choice due to a simple desire to live with a loved one could lead to such prolonged unhappiness.

While the film carries a profoundly tragic narrative, there are moments that elicit smiles, such as the scene where senior retainers search for a woman who meets the meticulous criteria of their lord, or when Oharu, likened to a bakeneko, mimics feline behavior. Also, scenes like the silhouette of a cat taking hair and where the face of one of the Five Hundred Rakan statues overlaps with that of Katsunosuke were particularly striking. The scene in which the man scatters money and revels extravagantly in a pleasure district where Oharu works recalled me the imagery of No-Face from "Spirited Away" dispensing gold.

The film predominantly employs long shots, allowing for seamless transitions between scenes as characters move from one location to another with the camera, maintaining continuity and enhancing realism, thereby immersing the audience in the unfolding narrative. It was as if I were watching a stage performance. There were many scenes, such as shots from under bridges and characters moving across rooms, that would not have worked unless everything was carefully calculated the meticulous coordination of character positions, camera movement, and set layout. This meticulous attention to detail facilitated a palpable sense of movement and flow, resulting in an engaging viewing experience. The structure of the story, such as the connection of the first and last scenes with flashbacks bridging, the fact that at the end of the story, Oharu takes the position of the woman who plays the shamisen midway through the story, and the out-of-focus camera direction to show Oharu's dizziness, were also good. I am amazed that they were able to create something this good at that time.

Moreover, the performances of the actors were amazing. Despite the few close-ups, their movements and expressions effectively conveyed the situations and emotions. Particularly noteworthy was the portrayal of Oharu by Kinuyo Tanaka, whose acting prowess was truly captivating. Her performance adeptly reflected Oharu's age, social status, position, and emotional state at each moment through her mannerisms, speech, voice, and expressions, and she skillfully depicted the tragic feelings of Oharu as she descended into old age, portraying her despair through facial expressions and demeanor with remarkable precision.

This film is a collaborative artistic creation of the director, cinematographer, cast, and crew, encapsulating the world of the Edo period with its cityscapes, props, traditional musical performances, puppetry, costumes, dances, hairstyles, makeup, and more. However, I do not think I have ever seen a film in which the protagonist is not rewarded until the end, with such a string of misfortunes. I can't think of any other film that leaves me with such a feeling of emptiness after watching it, even though there are no major incidents or deaths of characters that make me feel emotionally involved in the film.

[the-least-undefinable-ordinal]

I think on some deep level I'm convinced I'm not fully human on a psychological level, that I can portray one in a superficially satisfactory manner but each detail that is carefully examined is a bit off somehow.

This is probably related to how during my early teens I was called weird, strange and other unflattering synonims; I'm still not so sure which was the cause and which was the consequence.

I have only weak evidence in favour of this: low empathy and social skills and a complete indifference to dancing and live music. Like, I did my share of soul searching (I've been told a lot that I was just repressing my desire to dance or whatever) and dancing at the club still feels like nothing more than an arbitrary set of movements, they literally feel no different than flailing my arms around. I realize it sounds stupid to attach such significance to dancing at the club, but it seems to be such a standard thing people my age do and I derive no feelings at all from it.

I'm fairly certain this is a mostly irrational belief, the evidence in favour of it is not strong enough to justify how true this belief feels, it's more consistent with constant indoctrination by a set of callous teens than it is with confidence in my ability to understand myself through reason.

Even if there is some grain of truth to "I'm different to other humans in a way that makes it hard to satisfy my social needs", there is not much I can do about it except working to make the illusion of humanity more convincing.

[fearsmagazine]

ABIGAIL - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures

SYNOPSIS: A group of low-level criminals are brought together to pull off a caper - kidnap and babysit overnight the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, the pay-off is a $50 million ransom. The hideout is an old isolated mansion. They try to settle in for the night but the rules go by the wayside as, one by one, the gangsters grisly and mysteriously meet their demise. The gloves come off and when they confront their prisoner, to their mounting horror, they discover that they’re the prisoners and are locked inside the mansion with no normal little girl.

REVIEW: Occasionally, screenwriters attempt to breathe new life into the vampire mythos by blending genres into their screenplays. While many of these scripts start off with a great promise, the final product often falls short of expectations. However, there are a few notable exceptions that have managed to capture the essence of the vampire genre. Examples include "The Lost Boys," "Innocent Blood," "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," and "Vampires," the last two based on novels.

In Stephen Shields and Guy Busick's screenplay for ABIGAIL, elements of O. Henry's classic short story "The Ransom of Red Chief" and the 1990's film "Home Alone" converge, driven by the urban legend of Abigail's gangster father and tales inclusion of vampire mythology. The screenwriters incorporate subtle nods to Agatha Christie, creating humorous moments in the film. They skillfully weave in references to numerous films and TV shows, including "Reservoir Dogs," "Innocent Blood," and Kevin Durand's involvement in the vampire series "The Strain." The narrative is multi-layered, as the writers creatively rework the vampire myth to suit their story. What truly captivates the audience is Abigail's character arc and the motivations behind her actions. At its core, the story delves into a child's yearning for parental attention or the lack thereof, intertwined with the guilt experienced by parents. This complex exploration of parenting, children, and vampires sets ABIGAIL apart as a refreshing take on these themes since "The Lost Boys."

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett masterfully orchestrate a symphony of tension, action, and shocks that ebbs and flows like an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. Their ability to consistently surprise and engage the viewer stems from their skillful framing and editing of sequences, coupled with the captivating performance of actress Alisha Weir, who portrayed Matilda in the 2022 adaptation of the musical. Her portrayal is simply outstanding here.

The mansion in which the characters are hiding serves as an integral character in the film. The production design is remarkable, creating a subtle yet tangible atmosphere. While there were a few scenes in the third act that raised questions about potential escape routes, my engrossment in the film at that point prevented me from giving them much thought.

The combination of practical and digital effects in the movie created some truly impressive "wow" moments, especially in the fight sequences. The dental design and contact lenses used for the vampire look were particularly well done. My favorite scenes were the visual sequences showing the destruction of the vampires—a real treat for die-hard horror fans.

The film's musical foundation is a harmonious blend of classical melodies and a gripping score composed by Brian Tyler. Tyler, a renowned composer with a rich portfolio of screen and television scores, has masterfully created musical movements that seamlessly intertwine with the classical selections, escalating the film's action and horror. In other moments, his score complements the actors' performances and heightens the suspense and tension of the scenes, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

The film features a talented cast with extensive horror experience. Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kevin Durand, Kathryn Newton, and William Catlett have each starred in multiple horror films, bringing their expertise to the project. The cast also includes Matthew Goode and Giancarlo Esposito, who add their unique talents to their characters, enhancing the film's energy. This exceptional ensemble cast delivers a thrilling viewing experience, creating captivating characters that engage and entertain the audience.

ABIGAIL offers a "fangtastic" combination of a caper story and a vampire tale. It's one of the best horror-thrill rides I've experienced in theaters this year. In fact, I haven't had this much fun with a horror movie since "The Lost Boys" or "Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn." Not since Macaulay Culkin faced off against bumbling heist men has a kid's involvement in an action film been so entertaining. Yes, it's a bloody film, but families with tweens should venture to their local cinema for a killer good time.

CAST: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud and Giancarlo Esposito. CREW: Directors - Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett; Screenplay - Stephen Shields & Guy Busick; Producers - William Sherak, Paul Neinstein, James Vanderbilt, Tripp Vinson, and Chad Villella; Cinematographer - Aaron Morton; Score - Brian Tyler; Editor - Michael P. Shawver; Production Designer - Susie Cullen; Costume Designer - Gwen Jeffares Hourie; Prosthetics Designer - Matthew Smith; Dental Prosthetics - Dominic Mombrun; Visual Effects Supervisor - Andre Bustanoby; Visual Effects Companies - NEXODUS, Crafty Apes, & DNEG. OFFICIAL: www.abigailmovie.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/AbigailMovie/ TWITTER (X): www.twitter.com/UniversalHorror TRAILER: https://youtu.be/cOHf2qUZYBs?si=Kd0YefSxfpfRGpHd RELEASE DATE: In theaters April 19th, 2024

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[kob131]

RWBY X Justice League: Superheroes and Huntsmen Part One Review (No Spoilers)

Dedicating this to @fallentitan98

So if I had to sum up the movie in a sentence, it would be-

“This should have been about 30-40 minutes longer.”

Summary:

So basic idea of the movie is ‘What if the Justice League found themselves in the world of RWBY as teenagers?’ This basic idea guides the whole movie, from the tone of the Justice League characters to how the movie is presented. 

Unforunately, both RWBY and ESPECIALLY DC are heavily dense properties with a bit of history at least behind them. So this causes some...issues.

Characters:

When it comes to a crossover event, judging characters is rather different since you have to judge them based on how they are portrayed in relation to their original counterparts. I will relate the DC characters to you but my focus will have to be on RWBY as that is my specialty here.

For DC, we have the likes of Superman/Clark, Wonder Woman/Diana, Batman/Bruce, The Flash/Barry, Green Lantern, Vixen and Cyborg. ... I grew up with the 2000′s JL cartoon, I just have the names of those four stuck in me okay?

With Vixen, Cyborg, Green Lantern and Diana- they seem consistent with the popular depiction of their characters. Cyborg is a bit sarcastic but well meaning; Vixen is frustrated by the situation but also confident and upbeat; Green Lantern is having issues which becomes an arc she gets and Diana is basically a warrior poet.

Barry is...off for reasons.

Clark has two lines in the movie that seem a bit too confident for him but that could be something that pops up in certain incarnations. Otherwise, he is the same Man of Steel as always- pure, wholesome, kind, responsible and having a grounded wisdom to him. To be truthful, Clark and his interactions with Ruby were my favorite parts of the movie.

And then we have Bruce. Bruce has an arc centered around a key aspect of the Batman character and how it can conflict with the core of who Bruce is as a hero- determined to save people. It can be considered massively missing the mark OR an exploration of Bruce’s character. It’s weird, much like the movie itself. But no, he is not a joke in the movie nor is he a generic brooding man. He is a calm, cool, smart and analytical man.

As for RWBY characters...things are off with them.

Yang, Blake and Jaune are perfectly fine. They’re relatively consistent to their Beacon characterization with Jaune lacking some of his patheticness, instead using his ability to support others both figuratively and literally which works because spoilers.

Ren and Nora have a...not-love triangle thing with Cyborg (this is not a spoiler, it does nothing) that feels like 95% of it was cut. Other than that, they’re consistent too.

And Ruby has an arc that involves Clark that makes sense for her character (especially if you watch Volume 9) but because the movie is like a skeleton- the meat of the arc is a bit lacking.

Gonna be honest- The RWBY cast feels the most off between them and the DC characters. Which makes sense when you consider the writer is from DC, not RT. Still, I would say it functions as intended. Just not very smoothly.

Animation:

The animation is actually pretty damn good. The fight scenes have good flow to them, a good sense of speed and momentum for the most part, interesting action. And the more casual animation works- faces emote and move properly, movements and gestures are effective in communicating the meaning behind the characters’ words.

This is one of the best showing for the CRWBY team yet.

Humor:

Almost entirely subjective. All I can say is it’s standard RWBY fair minus 2D anime cliches. Also no, this is not MCU humor. RT was doing this in RvB in 2004.

Plot, Pacing and Tone:

Okay, it is REALLY hard to talk about this without spoiling anything because good lord, is this movie densely packed.

Character interactions and plot progression are often mashed together with each other, which can often result in very awkward lines. Fortunately for DC fans, this is almost entirely on the RWBY end. Because much of the awkwardness comes from the writing needing to explain RWBY worldbuilding to the DC characters without having enough time for exposition. For example, Weiss outright calls Dust a ‘natural resource’, which while true has NEVER been how Weiss has talked about Dust in the past.

As for tone- it’s similar to Volumes 1 and 2. Some serious moments but general light hearted fun. Both DC and RWBY characters become the butt of jokes as well as moments to have more emotional and vulnerable instances. It’s not deathly serious like many DC properties nor does it have the same gravity as something like the 2000′s JL cartoons. But it’s not Teen Titans Go. It’s a mix of plot and humor.

Conclusion:

The whole movie feels...weird. I think this is what ‘rushed’ was originally supposed to mean. At 80 minutes, this is a rather short movie and it doesn’t really work. Humor and animation are fine because time doesn’t usually affect these. But the plot and especially the characters? There’s just not enough time to go through the proper steps. Things like the reveal of the villain or Ruby and Bruce’s arcs could work. They’re not exactly failures but they have been stripped of their meat. And the meat is what you taste in a movie, not the bones that make up the structure.

Bruce’s writing might set you off- it’s the biggest risk taken here. And the RWBY parts are a bit...off. So I can’t say this was fantastic or great. But it does give some good action, the character interactions between Ruby and Bruce, Yang, Blake and Diana; and Jaune and Green Lantern are great and the rest is given a real shot, just without the time to flourish.

All in all, an honest but stumbling effort of a movie.

[k787678]

Vampires live a long time and are distrusted by the majority of the populace. In the past it might have been possible to jump town when discovered or when people start to find their lack of aging hard but now its much harder.

A vampire must choose to be either officially identified as a vampire or live consistently creating a string of fake identities or have no identification at all.

It's a no win situation. If they're identified as a vampire they will likely be discriminated against. Creating fake identities is a crime and carries all the dangers that entails (also possible contact with organized crime). Not having any identification is also considered a crime in many countries and limits access to public services and jobs.

A lot of vampires might get pushed into crime simply because it's what's expected of them and really one of their few options.

...

Also consider the government wanting to closely monitor vampires to "protect" the populace. They're expected to disclose their identity to any prospective employers and they must notify the government of any moves and where they plan to live. Failing to do so will result in an order being put out for their arrest.

...

Vampire neighborhoods end up often being a thing because many unturned humans are afraid to live near them. Landlords don't want to rent to them or charge exorbitant fees in the name of "insurance" if they do.

~~~

On the flip side: Werewolves.

Wolves are social creatures. It works great in the world of business.

If someone's "part of the pack" they can expect the rest of the pack to watch their backs. It's perfectly normal for wolf packs to cover up a members misdeeds. Werewolves are expected to put the pack above all else. Wolves who dare go against the pack or try to bring another member to justice are dealt with severely. At best they end up as outcasts, at worst... well...

Many packs are in charge of multimilion dollar corporations. They employ humans on the lower levels but if someone want to progress past a certain level they need to join the pack and become a werewolf.

There's a rivalry between bitten werewolves and born werewolves. Born werewolves trace their lines back for centuries and take pride in being far removed from "common" humans. Bitten werewolves take pride in having proved themselves worthy of the Bite.

The exception being werewolves who were turned by accident when someone was "drunk" on the full moon. Accidentally bitten werewolves are seen as lesser (something like illegitimate children).

~~~

There's a propagated narrative that werewolves are something "more" than human, something better and stronger. Meanwhile vampires are portrayed as being "less" than human, predators that are a drain on society.

(Also I'm now imagining the vampire equal rights movement)

I want to see a work of fiction that reverses the "vampires are snobby upper class, werewolves are brutish lower class" stereotypes

[kaleido-write]

I don't personally think that the title is fitting . I would've preferred seeing something symbol of solidarity and team work as they run to help Jaden. I really like the pose and their proportion I feel that rusty had a great grip on his to give them diverse body without being too extreme (reference at 13 yo shez that looks exactly like 30 yo shez)

It's unfortunate to understand the context behind the title we have to go read the synopsis of the chapter , for something that urges danger and the need of help asap . Endure is a very good title idea but I don't think it's fitting this chapter in particular, I would've preferred seeing it for the meriam/shez backstory chapter or even a Jaden one .

It's unfortunate we only see *now* a really malicious expression I truly think the agp would've been great vilains , but rusty didn't wanted to depict bad people she wanted to portray trans woman in her twisted version of what they are . If she did it well , she could've done something great about that topic but she didn't she just wanted to harm people and be mean .

On the art side of it , the neck is too long , a bit shorter would've been better but I like how rusty decided to explore expressions and emotions and give us something as interesting as that !!

I like most of it it's again somewhat well written and I like how the case are all very well fitting , I think having parniya come out of the panel like that is a good artistic choice . I don't like very much the case she come out off tho , it looks like she's running away from Jaden, instead I would've put them in front of her so it's obvious she's running towards them

On another point I'm not sure if it's internalized misogyny but I've noticed the reoccurring theme of women not being able to defend themselves against men and transwoman . I don't understand the point , isn't the comic supposed to be about lesbians ? I understand that misogyny and patriarchy is a very important plot that rusty wants to explore but she always put the woman in position where they can't defend themselves against men to the point it's becoming absurd. Strength isn't measured in chromosomes , there's plenty women stronger than men . I don't understand why she keep devaluing and making her own woman characters that she want to empower look so weak . Especially security guards ???? Plus Jaden is only fighting one of them I don't understand why she can't at least have a fair fight.

That panel is also well executed , we see very well the emotions and I like their running pose , it tells us about their characters and how they are . It's something very important to do in character design and I'm glad rusty does it this well .

It's another very good panel !!! My only critique would be the cracking noise , parniya isn't facing them to put emphasis on "she didn't see , she doesn't know" It would've been more interesting to put it behind her , also I would've added movement line to ginger to show she's still going at it and doesn't care about harming Jaden.

Not a lot make sense in that panel , where does shez come from ?? Why put her in the cover if she isn't going to be there to help Jaden sooner ??? The shadows are well done and I like how experimental yet control rusty style was in that chapter but her writting lacked a lot , I wish she took the time to write something that truly reflected *her* experience as a lesbian woman . She visibly has a very hard time portraying anything she didn't live herself . So until she practice more I think sticking to slice of life romance is what she excels at .

Another very well drawn panel !! I like that she finally added more movements lines making us feel more her panel . And she did very good with the expressions . And the poses and I like how the anatomy stayed consistent in that chapter so far !!

I like a lot of this panel is drawn , everything feels very different from one character to another no one feels the same the shadows where well done through the chapter so far

I just don't get why is ginger so far already ?? I would've liked her to be a bit closer to parniya because here it just looks like ginger is sonic wich is pretty ridicule-

[mi5017harviejosephjackson]

For my next animation I want to try and create body language and emotion through a quote from a live action, animated movie or TV series. To fully understand how to portray body language through animation I did some research on some website and YouTube videos on how I can achieve this.

Master the Art of Character Animation: Tips, Techniques, and Tools for Creating Lifelike and Compelling Animated Characters | by Debashree Roy | Medium

There are 4 things I need to understand if I want to successfully create body language and emotion through animation.

Timing and Spacing: the timing and spacing of movements between frames in animation is key to creating emotion and showing it to the viewer, using the techniques squash and stretch in my animation can help maintaining consistent timing.

Exaggeration: To show emotions in live action can be hard as you need a high level of acting to be able to show these emotions through body language to the viewer, with animation you can exaggerate the characters body language and expressions to portray these emotions, these can help show a characters feelings and intentions.

Anticipation and Follow-Through: creating a realistic animation needs anticipation before following through with a action, showing this can help show the characters weight and believability to their movements.

Appeal: the character in the animation needs to look visually appealing to relate to the audience watching, this can include the characters visual appearance or the emotions they express through what they are saying making it more relatable.

Meet Riley's Emotions (youtube.com)

A good example of using body language to portray a character can be shown in the 2015 movie Inside out, in this scene each one of Riley's emotion are introduced, their visual appearance and body language show what emotion they are, for example anger is shown to be the colour red, the colour most associated with anger, his visual appearance is wearing a shirt and tie, this could be insinuating that office jobs can be stressful with the deadlines and paperwork and if you don't meet the deadlines, your boss will be angry.

After researching on body language and emotion, learning what techniques I need to use, I think the best way to test my knowledge is to pick a quote from a movie or TV series and create my own animation mimicking that quote.

The quote I chose is from the Amazon Prime TV series The Boys where the main antagonist Homelander is shown having a outburst on stage after he has been humbled and humiliated by someone from the opposite sex, He shouts "I'm smarter, I'm stronger, I'm better, I am better!" this shows how evil and arrogant he is.

Homelander "I'm the real hero." The Boys 3x2 (youtube.com)

[moeshachare]

FAS3003 - Final Evaluation

My Signature Project is called ‘Personal Evolution through Caribbean Carnival’. This project is about how I overcame many obstacles and negative situations during my life and becoming the best version of myself. I have prayed, manifested and worked hard for things to get better. Now that this has happened, I want to dedicate this project to celebrating my personal growth and achievements One of my personal outlets that helped me to cope and build my confidence was dancing in Caribbean carnival parades with my carnival troupe during my teen years. As this is something I enjoy taking part in, I wanted to learn more about the history and significance of the Caribbean carnival and what it means to people of Caribbean descent. I have chosen these ideas because I have continued to grow into my own person over the years, despite my trials and tribulation.  I want to achieve a final outcome that portrays the story of my personal evolution and has a contemporary approach based on the elements of the traditional carnival costume to showcase the beauty of Caribbean culture.

Throughout the last eight weeks, I have been developing my concept through surface and digital prints with embroidery samples, to produce a sculptural bodywear garment that displays innovation and the development of my textile skills and techniques.

The reason why this project is very important to me is because I am continuing to grow and heal as a person; I am always finding ways to improve my well-being, educate myself and focus on becoming a better person. Over the last year, I have accomplished many things, especially applying to university all on my way. This project is all about celebration and embracing positivity.

During my research journey, I have collated primary images of trees, flowers, feathers and fireworks, which has helped my design journey because one of the inspirations behind carnival costumes are nature and the environment, which resonates with my narrative of personal evolution as it exhibits growth.

I have also included images of myself and my carnival troupe to show my experiences in carnival celebrations and why the project is meaningful to me. I use these images to include the elements of dance and movement in my sketchbook.

For my secondary research, I have gathered contextual research on the history and psychology of Caribbean carnival as well as looking into the work of carnival costume designers. I have also attended talks and workshops with local artists and designers to learn new textile techniques and how to develop our own designs. All my research has helped me to develop my final outcome because it has made me critically think about what processes and techniques I will be using throughout this project.

I have interpreted my primary research images into my samples through surface and digital print, embroidery, and mixed media techniques. I have mainly used my image to draw intricate designs that will be used as templates for my printed and embroidered samples. My primary images link to my project as they are representing celebration, growth, freedom and expression. My practical responses to my primary research have consisted of producing disperse dye feathers, Procion dye transfer prints for quilted feather and sequins, embroidered lace sequins and wire sculpting.

I have learned new skills such as exposing my design onto a screen for screen printing, how to make macrame samples and wire bending to create my sculptural base. Also, I have developed my current skills in hand free machine embroidery, disperse dye printing and quilting.

My successes were doing stand work on the mannequin with my samples and completing the design of my final outcome. By doing the Sculptural Fashion Task in the second week, this has helped to develop my designs from an earlier stage and has motivated me throughout this project.

My weaknesses were during this project was producing embroidered samples to a higher standard. As much as I enjoy doing embroidery, I had struggled to complete my samples because I found it hard to stay focused and some samples didn’t turn out as great. My potential improvements were my time management. Although I had planned time for my samples, I did not assess how long it would take me to complete particular samples. My other weaknesses involve doing sketchbook layout and researching artists and designers. With my sketchbook layout, I was worried about the presentation and samples being too overwhelming. I have resolved this by using negative space and keeping a panoramic style on every page. Regarding my artist research I have looked into costume that strongly links to my narrative however I could have look into more textile designers for inspiration.

My experimentation was successful because I was able to develop my samples further by blending colours and combining techniques together. This has shown how my confidence and critical thinking has increased, and I am able to make decisions and resolve any problems or issues I have come across. However, my experiment could have been refined by completing some samples more neatly, for example: my lace sequins had paper trapped in the stitching from the design template and it is harder to remove. However, I have resolved this by soaking the sequins in warm water and lightly scrubbing the paper out.

For my planning, I have continuously been making to do lists every week for producing samples, sketchbook layout and blog writing. Once I had tried and tested my strongest samples through my experimentation stages, I have selected my final samples. I have produced a plan of the quantity and scale of my chosen samples. Regarding the production of my samples, I have allocated certain days for each technique I am using to ensure that I am making enough samples for my sketchbook and final outcome.

There have been moments where I have come across problems such as assembling my final outcome because the weight of the wire causes the wire to slip off the mannequin. I have resolved this by wrapping the wires in gold embroidery threads so I can hand stitch them together to keep the garment stable. Another problem was the quantity of samples – I was worried there would not be enough of each sample to use on my garment, for example: my feather prints. To resolve this problem, I made multiples of one sample to expand my range to decorate my garment.

My progress during the project has gone very well during this project. I have continued to try and put things together spontaneously and it has worked well in my favor. Despite how well everything is going, I have procrastinated doubted and lost faith in myself many times because I still fear my efforts will turn out bad. Now at this point, I have realized that I have done really well. For my final outcome, I have produced a sculptural bodywear garment consisting of wire wrapped in gold embroidery threads and hand stitched together to resemble branches of a tree to symbolize personal growth. I then decorated the garment with my printed and embroidered samples. I am very pleased with my final outcome as it exemplifies all my skills and techniques used in this project and clearly defines my narrative of personal evolution and Caribbean carnival. From finalizing my sculptural garment, I have learnt that this can always be further developed by altering the shape and adding more samples, but I am satisfied with the final look which displays all elements that are significant to my narrative. This was a very successful piece, and I would definitely try this again.