#or i see designs that are gorgeous and i think ‘i can’t do this’ ect ect

[robertsbarbie]

during the day i live by the “you never know” can do mentality but at night im confronted with the deep pitted fear that im not trying super hard to find a job in my industry because i dont think i can do it so if i dont seriously try i cant be hurt by the actual trying and failing

[gayforplague]

Ranty time boies

So, just a warning, this is my op on the new She-ra.

OKaY, so this is mainly about character design / animation of the show. So, I did graphics, I know my shit when it comes to colour pallets and now I do fashion design in college so, hold yourself.

As a child, I watched the original She-ra, now I wasn’t and still am not the age of when She-ra and He-man first started, but it became a hyperfixation for me (ADHD and Autism).  I got the art book ect ect. I think my main problem with She-ra is just how different it is to the original show, it’s so different, in fact, I can’t actually connect the two. I’m not a big fan of the character designs either. The first section I am writing is Character design!

Firstly, lets start with the vintage characters, or rather, the originals. Catra, now in the old show, Catra was a very threatening villain, her design gave a very threatening look. That woman could and would absolutely mirk me. As a villain, although she didn’t have much of a presence in the og show, (since Hordak was like the skeletor of the show), she still had enough to make me go ‘OwO, scary cat lady’.

Now, onto Catra’s new design. I hate it. I,,, she’s just not,,, threatening anymore. There is no threat when she’s onscreen, I don’t feel threatened, rather I just sort of feel like “oop- there’s that one misunderstood edgy character uwu”. Not to mention, until very recently, there was MASSIVE queer bating, not only that, Catra as a new character (I stand by this) is just not good?? Especially when she is put in the relationship with Adora. Hordak.

WhERE do I beGin. Old Hordak, like catra, very very threatening, a scary god damn villain, I actually was scared of him as a kiddo! Seeing Adora beat this big, mean scary dude every day when I got home from school was honestly great! The chemistry of a villain and hero is very important for a good show, and although redemption arcs can be great... sometimes (cough, steven universe @ the Diamonds)... they aren’t,,, very good His new design is OK, but once again, he’s sort of been squishied. Into a kinda sad emo boy who is so soft UwU. His design does not give me danger, just edgy scene kid boy that lives down my road who skates about doing kick flips lmao. Lastly, Adora. So, I have no problem with them ageing all the characters down (I guess), but more or less, with personality I just can’t see her as Adora. I get it, she has a pretty good design! I actually kinda like her new design, but honestly, it may be because it’s the one that has changed the least.

Now, I know I haven’t spoken about all of the characters, and I won’t, these are just the ones I have the biggest grievances with. Onto animation + background. oh fuck. oh god. oh fuck. Old she-ra backgrounds > new she-ra backgrounds the same applies for animation. So, the og She-ra was all hand drawn, the backgrounds are hand painted and good Lord- if you get the chance, I highly recommend checking them out, because christ on a bike, they are gorgeous. You can really tell the time and effort that went into the shows. For a quick example,  (I know these aren’t the same scenes, but it’s an example). The top is Greyskull from the og and the bottom is from the new she-ra.

Now, animation. Once again, the original She-ra was all hand drawn (I highly recommend the official art book, it’s chef’s kiss)  and the new is flash animated. But FUCKING HELL. WHY DID THE HAND DRAWN SHOW THAT WAS MADE JUST TO SELL GOD DAMN TOYS HAVE BETTER EXPRESSIONS THAT THE ONE THAT HAS A RIDICULOUS NETFLIX BUDGET?? Like, check out some scenes from each show and just bask in it.  I will probably do a part 2 with more in depth things, but it’s 4:21am where I am,, and I am lowkey sleep deprived lmao.

[dreamstormdragon]

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc. ) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

I got tagged by @theblueskyphoenix

5.The Louis Senpai Cake

This, is still one of my favorite pieces. Looks NOTHING like what I initially saw, but I was having soooo much fun working on it. I had just bought a ton of clay and I needed SOMETHING to do, so in a fit of inspiration... I made an “aesthetic” cake, inspired by Louis since I wanted to do Beastars fanart but I can’t draw.

This entire thing, even the platter it’s on, is made of polymer clay. It was a really huge experiment as I was using mediums I wasn’t familiar with and doing things I wasn’t even comfortable with. The thing that took the longest, was actually making the antlers, I had three separate pairs until these ones. Then I had to deal with my TLS (translucent liquid sculpey) not being a very good glue initially for these suckers.

I think the thing that was the hardest, was actually though the deer skull I have on top. I made four separate deer skulls, using photo references, simplifying it for the sake of my sanity and it was a real lesson in technique in sculpting. I really enjoy it, so very much.

4. The Virus Shawl

So, I’m cheating a bit, since I made this last year, but it was such a learning curve. I actually made this one, to see how intricate I could go with a design and if you want complex, THIS shawl is the one that’s pretty difficult starting out. A LOT of chaining, a LOT of doubles but the results are so gorgeous. I’ve only ever made two (

3: Old Wounds and  It’s Childs Play

So, now we’re talking stories. This is a two for one, since it’s a two parter arc. The first part, I wanted to talk about stuff that, had left it’s mark. Show that, while Eiji and Carmen have a good marriage and a loving family, that things weren’t always rosy. That, Eiji’s profession is actually still at some extent dangerous. Talking about Carmen feeling vulnerable and scared and remembering a time where she was living her worst fear - but having the fortitude to know, that if she objects someone else could be in her position very soon.

It’s Childs Play, continued that, with Eiji’s friends who had been there for him for nearly his entire life, having his back. Doing what they could and then ultimately, making Eiji re-live something and revealing something about himself. 

It was very, very intense writing it and it’s still one of my favorite arcs.

2. In All the Waves

So, this actually holds a lot of weight to it. I wanted to show, the passing on of spirits, in a way that didn’t involve violent cleansings, or peril. Because the spirits of Aika and Daisuke weren’t malicious. They were two, perfectly normal people, with a life of their own and murdered for no good reason. They left behind their two sons, who were traumatized by the peril they lived in.

The twins’ arc, I wanted to portray, as best as I could, the effect of trauma and how they learned to live and cope with it. Everything, was about making sure they could grieve and show that, even if it got rough, even if things were hard, their parents weren’t giving up on them. 

1.”I got your back”

So, this is the only fanfict on the list. I think that’s perfectly fine, but the rundown of this was... “Can I write a believable OC again for this series?” that didn’t revolve around things I had done before. Creating Cade and Levi, expanding Markus’ family, ect, was SO much fun. This story though, was just.... cozy, in a weird way. 

I’ve always loved how Markus’ in game is good with kids. That it’s noted, he’s actually really nice and gentle with them... even the bratty ones. I wanted to show that here as well, since I always pictured Markus was probably from a big family and got that nurturing side from being the eldest sibling. It just so happened, he was the eldest of three in this case.

I also, wanted to show a set of brothers, with drastically different lives. Markus’ the super surgeon, Levi the ever patient psychiatrist... and Cade, who’s still figuring it all out but wants nothing to do with medicine at all. It was a bit tricky, as I never wanted to portray Cade as resenting Markus because of his phobia. He loves his brother, but irrationally does effect things like this. He knows his fears are irrational, but he can’t help it. 

Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever delve into WHY Cade has things like phobias of blood and needles, but for now, it’s just fun exploring the Vaughn family. Between the TC Manga and my blog, I think I became a bigger Markus stan than I was as a kid. lol

Sooo yeah. Completely outta order, but there ya go.

[tonyspep]

there’s an indentation (in the shape of you)

a/n: i went from “i don't do rpf and reader insert” to i guess i do lol. this was inspired by three taylor swift songs from her album reputation “king of my heart” “dress” and “new year's eve.” when i wrote this i had phoebe tonkin from the vampire diaries and the originals in mind as the face claim for “you” aka hayley in this fic.

~*~there is an indentation~*~

(in the shape of you)

pairing: richard madden/you

summary: made your mark on me, a golden tattoo/ or the first time his crystalline blue eyes met your deep forest green, you were done for

rating: m

all at once, you are the one i have been waiting for/king of my heart, body and soul, ooh whoa

(king of my heart)

You sigh – deep eyes scanning the gorgeous hotel lobby before you – slender fingers curling around the stem of your champagne glass.

You know why you're here, but the idea of being seen to be seen is still so foreign to you. You had your chance at a few big parts recently – from Mera in Aquaman to Jane Chapman on Big Little Lies – but that ever elusive “break through role” was still out of reach, so close but in reality so far.

You wonder, as you gulp down the expensive liquid, if it's ever going to happen, if you should just pack up your embarrassingly tiny Silver Lake apartment and crawl back to your little one horse town hometown in the middle of nowhere Iowa with your tail between your legs. Just another pretty face in a long line of pretty faces who were just that, pretty.

You reach for another glass – a waiter walking by – and just as you bring the fine crystal to your lips, you feel it, the weight of someone's gaze on you.

You've felt the stares since you stepped into the Beverly Hilton for the Golden Globes after party – the red skin-tight Calvin Kline designed to tantalize – but this feels different. Something tells you to turn to your left and it's like the whole world has literally stopped. Crystalline blue eyes – as clear as a secret woodland stream – meet yours and you know – instantly – that you're gone.

You shouldn't... Careers get derailed this way... Pretty girl ensnared by the actor on the rise and suddenly you're nothing but arm candy, and it all falls apart, but he's walking toward you – award in hand – and fuck if you aren't thinking about those elegant looking fingers twisting in your hair, tweaking your nipples, sliding along each vertebrae of your spine, being wet with your release all while it's smeared across those criminally plush lips and fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK...

“The champagne's probably,” A low chuckle while said lips twist into a bashful grin as those dangerous fingers sift through thick russet curls. “Gone to my head because I would never do this otherwise. Either that or it's this,” He raises his award, briefly. “You can't be here alone. Not in this dress,” His voice nothing more than a throaty growl, which makes your thighs clench. “But if by chance you are, I will fall gallantly on my sword and make sure you do not leave alone.”

“Fall gallantly on your sword, huh?” Your raspberry pout twists wryly, playing it far cooler than you expected. If he wants you like he seems to, you're not going to make it easy. He doesn't need to know he's had you from the moment his eyes met yours. Where's the fun in that?

inescapable/i'm not even going to try/and if i get burned, at least we were electrified

(dress)

You shouldn't be here – in his hotel room – you're a nobody, a rando he spotted across the crowded after party lobby because you're poured into some skin-tight dress. Tomorrow he'll be Mr. Golden Globe Winner and you'll be sent out to Burbank for some two bit part on Brooklyn Nine Nine or a commercial for Old Navy. He has the upper hand in every way and it won't end well for you when he leaves the room oh so handsomely disheveled while you have to slink out the back, hoping against hope the vultures aren't lingering because you can see the headlines... nobody tries to sleep her way to the top, party girl tries to glom onto shooting star, ect ect

But there are his hands – those perfect hands, rough and big but with deft and elegant fingers – sliding along your spine, vertebrae by vertebrae while those lips – plump and sensual – gliding over every inch of your neck, teeth nipping here and there before his tongue slips to soothe the bites, and it takes everything not to all out moan.

It's been too long since you let anyone touch you like this.

You won't last long and you feel – deep in your bones, an exciting thrill racing up your spine – that this, what he's doing now, is only the beginning.

You're still wearing your dress when you come from the heady ministrations of his expert fingers, your head thrown back and your mouth open wide, his name nothing more than a breathless keen, “Richard” tumbling off your lips.

salute to me i'm your american queen/and you move to me like i'm a motown beat

(king of my heart)

You were right when you thought him making you come – still fully clothed with just his fingers – was only the beginning. When your dress ended up as a puddle of fabric on the plush carpet of the hotel room and you became pinned underneath him – nothing but a writhing mess on the luxurious sheets of the bed – you don't know. You're not even sure you could tell someone what your own name is, at this point in time, because you're in such bliss his tongue lapping at your core, tasting you like a starved man.

“God,” A growl from deep inside his chest. “You taste like heaven.”

“I bet,” A throaty burst of laughter, somehow, coming from you as you shake your head. “You say that to all the girls you pick up at all the after parties, don't you?”

Your teasing as him climbing back up your body, his lips slanting against your own in a bruising kiss, his tongue pushing past your lips without the need for permission. Yours tangles with his, desperate and wanton, as you spread your legs wider, knowing what you both want; him inside you, filling you, stretching you, and if just the thought doesn't make you wetter than you already are, his blue eyes – raging like the eye of a hurricane, drenched in lust and heady with pure heat – staring at you like he wants to devour you, does.

It's too much, too intense, too everything for what this actually is. You'll never see him again after this, but he's staring so deeply at you, you feel more than naked you feel exposed.

“Fuck me, damn it,” You grouse, bucking your hips insistently against his, your eyes narrowed and he shakes his head, drawing your lips back to his again. This kiss is slow, sensual and deep and he pulls away, only briefly, his teeth catching on your bottom lip to suckle and bite before his hips snap and he's inside of you and oh god. Your eyes can't help but roll back it's so much; he's not just big, he's long and thick and you feel every single inch and you swear you've never felt so full.

How you've lived without feeling Richard Madden inside you before tonight, you don't know.

there's glitter on the floor after the party/girls carrying their shoes down to the lobby

(new year's day)

You try to make your escape the next morning while he's in the bathroom, but you're not fast enough because the bathroom door swings open and there he is, toothbrush in mouth only wearing his black boxer briefs whose waistband fits perfectly into the grooves of his mouth-watering obliques while hugging the lean muscle of his thighs and you couldn't tear your eyes away if the room was on fire.

one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight you count in your head, your eyes tracing every single one of his prominent abdominal muscles, your thighs clenching underneath you. Your fingers – clutching the straps of the Jimmy Choos you have to return – flex, itching to actually feel all eight of those muscles along with the ones that make up his broad shoulders and toned pecs, but it's morning now the harsh sting of reality hitting you like the golden rays of California sun filtering through the large bay window.

“You don't have to leave,” His voice is so sincere and those warm baby blues so open and honest, almost make you believe him. “Yeah, I do. Last night...” You breathe in deep, the heady images of him taking you every possible way, twisting and contorting your body into positions you didn't know you were capable of, flash across your eyes and your pussy throbs, the dull ache of being empty – of not having him inside you – making your heart ache. “Was beyond great,” Your lips tick upward, briefly. “But it was just that, a night.” You emphasize the word. “One I'll never forget,” You laugh, honesty radiating in every syllable. “But still just a night.”

“Hayley,” That Scottish brogue saying your name, almost makes you stop but you push open the door, anyway and step into the hallway, not realizing you left your underwear behind until you're all the way home.

say my name and everything just stops/i don’t want you like a best friend

(dress)

The last thing you expect to hear is that low and rumbly Scottish brogue, your name “Hayley” falling off his lips like a benediction as his hand clutches at yours, making you turn to face him. Your throat bobs as you swallow thickly because of course he's here at the Paramount lot for this.

Who could possibly take on the role of Edward Lewis in the remake of Pretty Woman but him?

You know who else is up for the part of Vivian Ward – Julia Roberts's iconic, break through role – and you should just leave now, his presence only makes that more clear to you because between Jennifer Lawrence and Zoe Kravitz and Naomi Scott, you don't stand a chance. You want nothing more than to keep your hand in his – his is so warm and big, those perfectly elegant and deft fingers curling around yours in a way that both calms and terrifies you – but you pull away.

You have no business being here, this is just another in a long line of almosts and your stomach twists and drops, but he grabs for you again, pulling you into the hard lines of his body and you hate how easily you could melt into him.

“You're perfect,” His voice husky against the shell of your ear, and you hate how you believe him.

our secret moments/in a crowded room/they got no idea/about me and you

(dress)

No one knows – not the producers, the writers and the director – that you two have ever met, and why would they? You're no one and he was just voted 2020's Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine. They don't know that every inch of your body was once worshiped by his lips or that you had his perfect cock inside your mouth.

You really don't think you can do this, but this feels like your last chance, like if this doesn't happen you'll finally have to admit defeat and hope your okay high school transcripts can at least get you into a junior college or technical school. You let out a shaky breath and the director – Hailey Meyers-Shyer calls action – and everything disappears but those striking baby blues.

“I'm here for a week,” His Scottish brogue has been left behind and you fight the urge to scrunch your nose, you don't want this fake American accent you want gravel and rumbly and deep, but you're not Hayley and he isn't Richard you remind yourself. You're Vivian and he is Edward. “I have” He clears his throat, just as the script calls for. “These business functions, they're – ah – so terribly boring,” He admits, hand absently stroking at the back of his neck. “And I feel as though they would be much better with company.”

Easily you arch your brow slowly but defiantly, lips staying in a flat line, as if you'd heard all this before and then he leans in. You catch the scent of his cologne, so wonderfully him and it takes all of you, not to breathe it in. He teases, low and deep, his voice sliding over you like velvet, “I'd make it worth your while.”

You feel goosebumps rise, but you steel yourself, reminded that Vivian is supposed to remain unimpressed, even as your knees are starting to give out from underneath you. “Oh, yeah? You'll make it worth my while, huh? What have you got in mind, Cowboy?”

“From tonight to next Sunday, all day and all night,” He responds, blue eyes flaring with heat.

You give the next line and when he says how much, you nearly flub your lines, your heart crying out for you to say “nothing, absolutely nothing. since your eyes met mine, you've had me, couldn't you tell that very first night?” instead you say the line you're supposed to, looking away briefly and biting down on your lip, twisting the flesh as if you were deep in thought for a brief moment. You turn back to him and say, “Six thousand,” Confidence brimming in your tone, your eyes sparkling.

“Four,” He countered and you make your mouth drop open in total offense as you shoot back, “Seven.”

“Five”

“Fifty five hundred,” You shoot back, back arched like a puffed up cat, as if you had been insulted by such a low number. A slow smile blooms across those criminally plush lips, charming and beautiful, making your heart flutter as he says succinctly, “Deal.”

Your lips curve upward into the most blinding smile you can come up with, hoping you look proud as if you had just taken down a real shark the way it's described that Vivian looks in the script and he says smoothly, reaching up to push back a few strands of your hair, “I would have paid six,” his fingers linger along your cheek and jaw, longer than they should and you fight the urge to close your eyes, to draw him closer and breathe him in. He turns on his heel, leaving the balcony and going back into the room like Edward is supposed to, leaving Vivian on the balcony.

You read your last line, bringing your fingers to touch where his had been and you murmur, “I would have stayed for four.”

everyone thinks that they know us/but they know nothing about

(dress)

The headlines and the articles come faster than a Japanese bullet train... richard madden cozies up to pretty woman costar, scottish heartthrob romances american newcomer, is people's sexiest man off the market... You laugh, shaking your head, as you receive another text from your Mom commenting about what a handsome man Richard is.

You roll your eyes, biting down on your lip as you sink into the comfortable couch in your trailer. You're not do for hair and makeup for another twenty minutes, so you take the brief time you have to relax.

You sip at your white peach tea from Starbucks when the door to your trailer opens, you don't look up – you're sending a text to your best friend Jessica and then one to your little sister – until suddenly you feel a weight settle in your lap. You blink – once, twice – not quite believing – that without even announcing his presence – Richard just flopped onto your couch, long legs stretching and placed his head into your lap and was now looking at you with those irresistible bedroom eyes as he murmured, “I like when you play with my hair.”

You laugh, ruefully, but still your fingers sink into the thickness of his auburn tresses and card through the strands, taking special care with his grey streak, even bending to kiss that portion of his hair.

you squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi/i can tell it's gonna be a long road

(new year's day)

You feel like you're going to throw up. It's the night of the premiere in Los Angeles – and yeah, you had been to plenty of premieres, but not like this – and everything feels wrong, like this should be happening to someone else, like you're Cinderella and when you reach the end of the red carpet, you're going to be left in a tattered and torn dress with no fairy godmother in sight.

Your dress – is a deep royal blue, strapless and with a slit all the way up to your right thigh while its large skirt billows around you – feels too tight, too expensive (it's Elie Saab) and you want to tear through the organza fabric because you shouldn't be wearing this. You weren't made for dresses like this, you were still that rough and tumble tomboy from Davenport who caught frogs and played in muddy creeks and ended up with scrapes and bruises from falling out of trees.

You grab your clutch and the door to your hotel room opens, you don't have to turn to know Richard's striding through. You would know he walked into any room even if it was filled with thousands of people, that tell-tale shiver you felt that very first night, was never far behind as soon as he appeared.

His lips find your bare shoulder, kissing a sensual trail up to your neck, his hand gravitating toward the bare skin of your thigh almost instantly. His fingers slide along its seam, finding the front of your lacy royal blue thong and your knees lock together, so you don't tumble to the ground.

“So...” You murmur, your question of how do i look hanging in the air. He answers as if you spoke, “I can't,” Husky and deep against your skin. “Can't what?” Your bottom lip wobbles and you're unsteady for a whole different reason, thinking he's finally going to realize he can do better that you'll always be what you were on the first night he met you, a nobody. “I can't think,” He answers honestly, turning you so you're face to face. “You're stunning. Breathtaking. Gorgeous. Beautiful. All of that and then some. If I was a lesser man, I'd demand you change right now. But how could I deprive the world of this? Of you? On a night when you look so perfect. I must say, there is something missing, though.”

“What?” Nothing more than a shaky exhale, your mind still reeling from how you could have rendered him unable to think, from how he called you stunning, breathtaking, gorgeous and beautiful.

He attaches a beautiful silver bracelet to your right wrist, one charm in the shape of a bow adorning the piece of jewelry and you swear – silently to yourself, mesmerized by its beauty – that you will never take it off.

The feeling that you might throw up comes rushing back as the limo comes to a stop outside of Mann's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. His hand squeezes yours and you know this won't always be easy – especially after this, your debut as a couple – but with his hand wrapped around yours, your fingers threaded together and those too honest and too beautiful blue eyes staring at you, your doubts all fall away.

@nishanki1 @bluesfortheredj if anyone else wants to be tagged in my richard stuff let me know

[coteriesrp]

– KAT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED WITH ANGEL! CONGRATULATIONS!

I am absolutely in love with how in depth you went on the character connections especially, you really nailed them so well. The rest of your app is gorgeous too, I love your vision for Angel and I’m excited to see how he plays out, but your vision of the connections were what made me the most unreasonably hype to see how he’d interact with everyone. Not only did you demonstrate a beautiful understanding of your own character, but everyone else’s too, and I can’t wait to see how that expands into some really fun dynamics.

         — KIT

Damn, well. You took this skeleton by the throat and really went, "this is mine now," huh? When I keep repeating that I love player creativity and interpretation, I mean that. I read your app and I see the potential of dynamics and situations and interpersonal shittery that can and will ensue, the dynamicism of interaction that make RPs exciting and come to life. I love your Angel. I love who you saw in him and the potential you embued in him.

        — GHOST

You’ll be sent a link to our Discord shortly and have 24 hours to accept the invite or your role will be reopened.

out of character info.

ALIAS › kat

PRONOUNS › she/her

AGE › 20+

TIMEZONE › GMT-4

in character info.

CHARACTER › angel maldonado

GENDER & PRONOUNS › cis man, he/him

APPARENT AGE › mid 30’s

DISCIPLINE › thaumaturgy, auspex, dominate

DEMEANOUR ›

A devil exists in the bones of a not-quite man, a not-quite specter, a near monster. His smile only appears as if ghostly, a turn of lips only caught in quick glances, double-takes, the perceiver unsure whether it were ever truly there at all. He’s built of feet caught slipping in blood, created of dark magic and the taste of humanity on starving lips. He’s a tempter, built of something unholy, something powerful flickering under a darkened gaze, hints of life – of unlife. He’s nothing, he’s everything. It’s so easy for him to play roles, to play parts, a stoic disposition, quiet and thoughtful. He always seems to know what’s lingering under the surface, either analyzing and understanding, breaking into minds and thoughts or just straight bullshitting, lying through the black mystique of his pupils, the permanent circles of his iris’. He’s as sharp as the blade that cuts a clean line between earth and space, heaven and hell, a patron saint of switchblade fights, so very dangerous, so very powerful and gluttonous because of it.

He’s so carefully collected, so permanently unbothered, unreachable, untouchable. He makes himself something invincible on the surface, drags it deep enough into his very being that you cannot break the glamour of it but beneath such structures lay chaos. He laid the bricks of his being with long, painful drags of stone and masonry, worked and worked and worked until you could not see the newborn behind such towers of brick. His humanity bubbled and steamed underneath it, made his fingernails look like claws, his teeth look like daggers, made his image monstrous, even to himself. This was not going to read on his face, not going to come out in his words or actions, but only perceived in the sometimes blankness of his stare, the occasional pauses in his movements. It comes out in small portions, a far away look in his eyes that shows the gore and bloodshed he’s created, that of which he himself birthed.

Do not look too closely, for you may fear what you find.

JOINING THE COTERIE ›

He sees a hierarchy, sees a chair fit for sitting, sees a staircase and glass ceilings capable of being shattered. He feigns loyalty, pretends to be a sorcerer with nothing but the Camarilla in mind but there’s something so very beautiful about a thing of history, a coterie built over so much time, so well known, well structured at least in the intentions of it. There’s something even more beautiful about reaching for the very top, about stealing something that is not rightfully yours but yours nonetheless. He doesn’t think he needs to be a piece of a larger conglomerate, doesn’t need others to ‘scratch his back’ so to speak but he knows what glory he can claim, what life he can revive in the pieces of Camarilla. He sees it the same way he sees all things, all beings, all existences – a chess piece on his board, and, oh, the things he will do to achieve greater power.

(UN)LIFE’S PHILOSOPHY ›

Victory, success. He was chosen for a reason, the Tremere’s not known for careless Embrace, the vitae flowing through him given as a gift, as a curse, to hold the power seen in him by a kindred, by his sire. From the beginning he had taken the idea of unlife in stride, had accepted his new powers and channeled everything in his being into becoming skilled, into becoming the best. He was a glutton for power, greedy for perfection and he sought it in every slice of his blade, every fiber of being. He was born first to be talented, to grow and stain the face of humanity as much as a vermin could, as much as something so delicate, designed of blood and veins, could manage. He was then reborn to overpower them, all of them, to play God in all the ways he was allowed. This was his battlefield, his warzone, his empire in the making. He thinks highly of himself because he was designed to be so, things come easy to him, skills, knowledge, people – he never has to look far, and when he does, when existing simply isn’t enough, he reaches his hungry grasp into battered rib cages and forces out what he must with palms of mess and gore.

THOUGHTS ON HUMANITY ›

Humanity was both the best and worst thing to ever happen to him. It haunted him, his own slipping mortality pooling between his fingers in bloody rivlets, pouring out of his ears at night, disappearing in his shadows when he passed by lampposts. He was blessed by the perspective it gave him, by the mind it cultivated and cursed by the weakness of it, the fleshiness that came with feelings like remorse and guilt and sympathy. These things only worked in the form manipulation, past that they ate him alive, made homes in his empty organs, his bloodless heart. There was nothing to be sought after in such emotions, in such helplessness, and yet he finds himself concerned about what will happen if he loses it, if it disappears from his frozen veins and leaves him with nothing more than hunger. Is ambition a human trait? Is winning a human sport? The very things he bases his unlife on are things he may lose with the slipping grasp of his most human parts, and that is a fate worse than death.

LIFE EVENTS ›

Angel had always had potential, had always been a smear on the existence of the world, talented in the most nefarious regards. He worked nights, worked in clubs and underground rings of torture and suffering, had never been free of sin, had never been a holy man despite how very often he had found himself in churches. The ringing of those bells woke him up each morning despite the hours of no sleep, the idea of a God knocking outside the windows of his home had sounded so much like sacrilege bleeding out from under his bed. He was designed to be killed, born to be dead, and the number of years he had survived as a human were only there to make him stronger. He hadn’t known it at the time but the meeting that ended his life made it very clear in the taste of inhuman blood; he was designed for this state of being, the power granted to him upon rebirth undeniable. It hurt like a bitch, but all good things do, all things worth time, worth effort come from open wounds and he had bled and bled until his veins ran dry.

Now his stomach remained full, now his hands cast spells and curses, made the world shift and crack to his will.

His life before all this was nothing. The family he was born into, the world he grew up in paled so easily in comparison; the people who abandoned him, the stench of human skin, of having to work twice as hard as everyone else. These things rang hollow, these things were so easily forgotten in the newness of his grip, in the permanence of his grandiose. Angel is no thing of heaven, no winged savior or child of God. He was stolen so easily by the darkness, the heavy and loud drip of wax pouring down his back from the lit wick of the burning sun – none of it could stop him. He sought greatness, sought a solar flare in the other frozen beings around, sought their sources, their energies, what made them tick, what made them burn under the skin as easily as over it. Their epidermis could not be touched by light, but he was a blazing creature.

The first life he had stolen was before the added touch of bloodlust, before precious liquids fed his abilities, and even then it was to protect himself. He had taken the soul from the body of a man who had seen too much, wrong place, wrong time in the matter of Angel’s business. It was quicker than it was now, it was the pull of a trigger in a basement in Seattle, Washington in the year 1993. He remembered it so well because the sky wouldn’t stop screaming, wouldn’t stop crying. It was as if the world was mourning the first flash of the Beast that survived within him, that lay dormant for just a year more.

Still, the church bells sound, still they ring even through the torrential downpour, the blood flooding down into the open drain of concrete.

Yes, an angel indeed.

EXPANDING CONNECTIONS › (Note: these are all written entirely from the characters perspective so comments on “being more powerful” or “more intelligent” than other canons is strictly in his POV and not a reflection on what I as a mun think because characters are generally created equal ect. ect.)

ZAKI › He can’t be read easily and that’s the first thing Angel notices about him, the first thing he sees in him. Zaki is unhinged, that much is prevalent, he contains a level of insanity, of impunity in his existence. He’s looking out for himself first and foremost, he’s a monster built of self-reliance but then again, aren’t they all? He bleeds aggression – his presence, his aura, colored so brightly despite his dark demeanor, similar to the way that poisonous beings spread rainbows in the wild to warn other creatures away. He was just that – a creature. He could rip the throats out of flies, could disembowel Gods and monsters with the nails of his fingers. He was desirable for this, was always in the corner of Angel’s eye, somewhere in his thoughts, someone he considers in every plan he makes, every move of his chess pieces on the board. In his eyes there are only two ways he sees Zaki’s future – either on his side or not at all.

DIZZY › They dance around each other like twin shadows, arms outstretched, spines bent ever-so-slightly in a constant readiness for battle, hands composed to reach towards demise, prepared to draw. They are built very different from one another, not alike in their understanding as much as their intelligence, their strategy. One wants the other to drown, the other waits for their opponent to sink. Angel wants dominance, he wants power, to invade into her pretty mind, her delicate craft of a bubbly disposition. He doesn’t buy it for a fucking minute, doesn’t indulge in the pattering of her ways, doesn’t believe the face she wears so openly – she’s a farce, she’s a liar, but so is he. He thinks manipulation is her greatest power but beyond that she’s weak. One sees into the other, built of wavering hands, unpulled triggers – they play nice because they have to, because it’s smart. Ask him how he feels about the girl and his expression remains unimpressed, almost baffled, because why the fuck would he care about her? What makes her special? The unspoken words like poison on his tongue, do not make it past sharpened teeth but if they could, if they had, they would be spit with venom and distaste, perhaps excitement if only in the demise of another, the superiority of his build he would says, “I’m capable of devouring her whole.”

GUERRA › He sees too much of himself in the other, sees too many similarities in their beings to count but one thing is stark between them – the line of selfishness, the matter of their end goals. Guerra is so very interested in his own entertainment, not nearly as ambitious as he is bored. Angel sees potential in him, sees something useful but can’t stand his presence long enough to seek it out. He hates something about him, something about his mannerisms, about his being. Perhaps it’s the challenge in him, the competition of their spirits, of their greatest talents as far as charm and manipulation, but Angel would just claim it’s because he’s fucking annoying.

HAREL › He’s going to break and destroy the city from the inside out, he’s going to let his ghosts catch him and then he’s going to unleash them like hellfire from the bases of his being, the very center of his chest. He’s not nearly as stable as he is powerful and that’s what’s going to consume him, his humanity too potent, his demons too strong for leashes or chains made of steel and gold. Angel is cautious of him, is interested in him, and wants so very badly to manipulate him to his will, to befriend him, to own him. He wants to be the wick that sets light to the molotov of his very being, wants the Beast hidden under those delicate emotions of his to be on his side, to be a part of his plans. To control the assassin, he first must understand him.

DIVYA › She thinks they’re friends, he considers it more of a partnership, more of a game as most things are. She’s entertaining, she’s promising – she’s not as strong as he is. There’s something almost endearing about her, about her youth, about her fire. She wants so badly to be taken seriously, he sees it in the straightness of her spine, the clenching of her jaw. She’s not ready for all the things she wants, she’s not seasoned enough to know how to get them, but he is. She’s not as powerful as she can be yet, but she will be. All these things can so easily fit together and become a bigger picture, a stronger bond, and so he helps with what he can, mirth hidden in advice and made examples of.

PEACH › Chaos in its purest form, uncontrollable and wild. He has no use for her, knows he couldn’t manipulate her, but still he finds her to be one of the more interesting creatures he’s laid eyes on in recent memory. He’s fascinated by her if nothing else, drawn to her for reasons he can’t quite explain considering she tended to embody all the things he should hate, all the things he can’t corrupt, can’t touch. It looks good on her, looks intoxicating, and while he isn’t one for mortal desires she brings out something unique in him, something worth pondering.

JAZIRI › There’s no denying how valuable the seer can be, how useful their abilities can become but even beyond that Angel finds something of interest in them. Jaziri is one of the few he delves further than the skin, deeper than the chess piece. He finds her calming, finds her interesting, ironically, behind the eyes. She’s much more than what’s on the surface, her thin-blood perhaps stirring something more intoxicating in her being. He wants to know more about her, wants to indulge her beyond the collected mask. He feels as if she knows something, as if she’s hiding, and he wants to know what it is. To gain trust you must give it, to learn secrets you must spill some of your own.

miscellaneous info.

EXTRAS ›

I made a sideblog here!

https://angelofcamarilla.tumblr.com/

[lululawrence]

Hi, i know that not many people like it but.. i really like the fics like enemies to lovers, something with bullying and ect. I just enjoy sad stuff that as time goes on it gets better. Like with the bullying, one is bullied, the other saves the day. Enemies to lovers, they hurt each other at first but then they heal the wounds. Lol this was long. I'm asking for those kind of fics.. if you don't want to answer i completely understand! Have a great day!

oh darling. listen. you are NOT alone. you are not. i love these fics and so does @londonfoginacup! i sent a screenshot of this ask to a gc when you first sent it talking about how i felt bad i wasn’t able to answer it right away, and emmu immediately said she could help. i didn’t look up anything myself from this rec, these are all ones emmu sent and outside of the...three maybe?...that i haven’t read, i cosign it! she even found some i read when i first joined the fandom and didn’t have an ao3 to save them to OR i had an ao3 and didn’t understand bookmarks yet. so basically, thank you for sending this, and here are the fics emmu recs and i say AMEN! i hope there’s some in here that are what you’re looking for that possibly you haven’t read yet.

they are kind of divided by enemies to lovers that ease into bullying fics as you go down the list, but to be honest i’m just sending them to you in the order that emmu sent them to me haha enjoy!!

Through a Mirror Dimly by @londonfoginacup / LadyLondonderry

Louis Tomlinson, in his third year at university, does not expect nor want the roommate that is being assigned to his room.

Harry Styles, in his first year at university, has just been kicked out of one dorm and doesn't want to deal with yet another snobby, rich roommate.

They don't get along, and that's just how it is, until circumstances force them to reevaluate.

Driving On The Wrong Side, Thinking Of You by @dinosaursmate / dinosaursmate

“Marcel, darling, why don’t you take Louis to your room and play on your computer?”

Louis’ heart sunk. He would defend Marcel from an infinite amount of gay jokes but it didn’t mean he wanted to spend time with him. They didn’t exactly have anything in common.

“Um, okay,” Marcel said, sounding as reluctant as Louis and slightly miserable.

“If- if you want to.”

“Sure.”---Louis is the most popular guy in sixth form. Don't get the wrong idea, he's a good guy, and he absolutely won't stand for his friends teasing his neighbour, Marcel.

Love Is A Rebellious Bird by @100percentsassy and @gloriaandrews / 100percentsassy and gloria_andrews

AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.

Don't hum Bolero.

feel so foolish by @juliusschmidt / juliusschmidt

Louis and his friends keep laughing at Harry; he's sure of it. But he's not sure why.

Pour Your Heart Out by @hrrytomlinson / hrrytomlinson

Louis is his soulmate. Or at least Harry thinks he is. Louis feels the same as Louis. But there are a lot of people named Louis in the world and this Louis might not be the Louis. It’s besides the point though, because Harry knows he can’t allow himself to get close to any boys. He just can’t and he’s told himself this multiple times. He has to simply stay away from Louis Tomlinson. But he can’t. Harry Styles can never stay away from Louis Tomlinson. It’s physically impossible for him to.

Love Is a Kitten from Hell by youbeyou

Louis Tomlinson passes himself off as an arrogant prick at his new school to hide the fact that he's terrified of being bullied again. Just when he's getting tired of putting up walls, he finds himself in a local pet shop where he finds a sanctuary playing with the kittens in the front window.

Harry Styles is the popular football player who works at the pet shop, secretly watching the boy he thought was utterly unlikable prove him wrong.

Partnered together for a class project, Harry gets more and more hints that Louis is actually someone worth getting to know. But the real question is, will Louis let Harry in?

Loner or Lover? by @oops-lt / Vanniebean

An AU in which Harry is a junior who just moved to Doncaster and on his first day of school he makes the schools most popular and loved boy spill coffee on himself. Harry planned on going through high school under the radar, but that quickly changes when he bumps into Louis. Harry gets known to everyone else as the annoying kid who was "rude" to Louis, but to Louis himself, he's stuck on one question. Should he leave the boy as a loner, or become his lover?

Love is like this; not a heartbeat, but a moan by @angelichl /angelichl

"He hates this, more than anything in the world he hates this. His title, his rank, his DNA. Unchangeable. Fated.

And then there’s Harry, born to be unobjectively superior to Louis and all other O’s. Unlike other A’s, Harry doesn’t wear his alpha-ness very well. He’s clumsy with it, like walking around in a pair of shoes a size too big. His life is defined by uncertainty and tentativeness, and those are definitely not qualities alphas should have.

Sometimes, when Louis ponders it for too long, he thinks that maybe Harry resents being an A just as much as Louis resents being an O."

In which Harry loves Louis, but Louis has been cold to him ever since he presented as an omega at age fifteen. Eight years later, Louis approaches Harry with a request, and who is Harry to deny him?

Make It Work by fanshae

Prompt: Arranged marriage AU. Harry is an omega who has reached the age where he must be married due to his family's income status. Only the aristocratic omegas are exempt. His parents try to hide him but eventually the government gets word and in punishment, gives the omega to a spoiled aristocrat son of a lord, Louis. Louis is more than thrilled to have his own omega and once Harry goes into heat, he explores the boy with fascination and unintentionally impregnates him. This leads to a boy used to living carefree and drinking the day away with other nobles to having to face fatherhood.

Be with me so happily by @briannamarguerite / BriaMaria

Harry Styles may have had his doubts at first, but by the time the gates to the elephant sanctuary came into view he was one hundred percent positive. Louis Tomlinson hated his guts. Like hated, hated. Like loathed-him-on-sight hated.

From what Harry could tell, he hadn’t even done anything close to insulting enough to warrant the disdain that was Louis Tomlinson’s default expression whenever he looked at Harry. It really wasn’t fair. Especially since he’d been lusting after the man from the second he’d laid eyes on that pretty, pretty face with those pretty, pretty eyes.

Or ... the one where Harry Styles has a bad reputation and a heart of gold, and Louis Tomlinson wishes he wasn't so enchanted by boys who looked like Disney characters and wore shirts with bumble bees on them.

[aka Louis is the director of the Styles Elephant Sanctuary and really doesn't want to babysit his funder's spoiled lay-about son for two months]

say i hate you but i always stay by @liltinylouis / clicheanna

It was a nice thought, and he must have dozed off to it, because the next thing he was aware of was wet and cold.

Harry shot up in the bed. His hair was dripping, soaked curls hanging in front of his eyes. Droplets of water ran down his bare chest. The sheets and blanket were damp.

Louis stood next to the bed with a smug grin. In one hand he was holding an empty glass.

About thirty minutes later, Harry was parked outside the football pitch. Louis climbed out of the car, duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

He waved at Harry and blew him a kiss as he walked away. Harry flipped him off.

Or the one where Harry hates Louis, he's almost sure Louis hates him, and they live together. Driving him to football practice everyday is not apart of Harry's plans, but Louis is pretty adamant if it means annoying Harry.

don’t believe me just watch by ariadne_odair

The thing is, Louis knows Harry’s name. Harry knows he does. Harry corrects him every time. Repeatedly. Politely. Slightly hysterically that time he’d walked in on Louis sucking a boy off in the toilets.

Uni AU were Harry strongly dislikes the footie captain that calls him Henry no matter how many times Harry corrects him and is unfairly gorgeous. Friends meet friends and somehow they end up alone at Niall's New Years Eve party. Louis says things he wouldn't sober. And do things.

Violets and Paper Airplanes by b0yfriendsinl0ve

Harry likes Louis very much a lot and Louis’ a bit of an arsehole.

Leave Your Mark On Me by @fullonlarrie / FullOnLarrie

When Chef Harry Styles’ unbonded Omega designation threatens to derail his career, he does the only thing he can, and goes in search of a black market bond.

just you wait and see by Orphan Account

In which Harry mistakes Louis' flirting as an attempt to steal his job.

a fully armed battalion (to remind you of my love) by @mediawhorefics / MediaWhore

“He was flirting with you by the way,” Niall says casually once he’s finished saying goodbye to Louis and he’s joined Harry outside.

“No he wasn’t,” Harry replies automatically, feeling his heart clench at the thought. Was he?

Niall simply raises a mocking eyebrow in response before wrapping his scarf twice around his neck.

“Not that it matters!” Harry says quickly, eyes widening. “I wouldn’t care even if he did because he’s awful and the worst.”

Everyone at Hogwarts knows that Professor Styles and Professor Tomlinson absolutely despise each other. It's too bad that they're in love.

[techietheshit]

A list of Beetlejuice The Musical things that I loved

(Based off one of the pre-broadway performances in October, 2018 at the National Theater in Washington DC!!!)

*** List is LONG and might have a few spoilers for jokes***

(List might be out of order and missing things because I’m reciting from pure memory hours afterwards)

- First off: this is what the crowd stared at until everyone was in their seats, actors in their places, and the show started. Accompanied by pretty cool drums. Set my expectations high, set the tone of the show, and it only got so much better. (Not a screen btw!! It’s the actual curtain and a sign that blinked!! It’s the only photo I have from the show and that’s because I got there twenty minutes early!)

Now:

- Alex Brightman??? GLORIOUS BEETLEJUICE.

- Actually the whole cast was amazing and I love them.

-The music. The music. THE MUSIC.

- At the time of making this post there is no cast album out and I’m sad.

- “THIS IS A SHOW ABOUT DEATH!”

- Beetlejuice makes a joke about lube in the first three minutes complete with hand gestures

- The adult jokes are cranked up to eleven in the entire show and it’s great

- Beetlejuice flips people off so many times and I love it

- “I’m more invisible than a gay republican.”

- There’s this one part in the opening number where Beetlejuice is playing a banjo- breaks it to sing the next line in a death metal voice- and a new banjo pops up from the ground. This repeats twice.

- “Carrots aren’t a replacement for babies! Hahaha...haaaaaa.” -Barbara

- Beetlejuice talking to the audience multiple times

- Lydia. Just- wonderfully played. Wonderful voice. I adore it.

- Before I go on- the Ensemble were amazing and all of them were so- idk. GREAT.

- “We can hear you” “Uh. This is a soliloquy. Now who’s being rude.”

- Beetlejuice repeatedly calling Adam sexy to the point it’s a running joke the entire show

- Ass slapping happens... mostly to Adam

- THE. SAND. WORM. WAS. PULLED. OFF. SO. FUCKING. WELL.

- Charles and Delia making out on the dining table

- “Does this couch make me look dead?”

- “Lydia, what have I told you about this whole dead thing?” “That I need to stop being weird because you needed to keep this job?”

- Delia trying to be friends with Lydia and fucking D A B S ONSTAGE.

- “Oh Charles! You have a ring picked out and everything!” “No I just carry a pocket of diamond rings everywhere. Cash is so volatile.” 

-  “Beetlejuice... that’s your name?” “Actually it’s my middle name. My first name is Laurence.”

- Maxie: “Jeez Charles it’s almost like you want me to marry [Lydia]!” Delia: “Oh uh- you wouldn’t-” Maxine(Maxie’s wife): *climbs halfway on the table and slams hands down, completely serious* “HE WOULD.”

- I know what you’re thinking. The Dinner Table Scene from the movie. Did they do it? Did they have the song? Well the answer?

Y E S. AND THEY DID IT SO WELL. THE FIRST LINE OF THE SONG STARTED AND HALF THE AUDIENCE APPLAUDED FOR THAT ALONE. IT WAS WELL BLOCKED, CHOREOGRAPHED. SO MUCH CRAZY SHIT HAPPENED. THERE WAS A PIG DICK. BEETLEJUICE CRAWLED OUT OF THE PASTA. LYDIA WAS STANDING TRIUMPHANT ON THE TABLE. TWO OF THE BUSINESS PEOPLE IN THE BACKGROUND WERE GETTING ODDLY SEXUAL WITH EACH OTHER. SO MUCH SHIT HAPPENED. WONDERFUL. I’D PAY FULL PRICE TICKETS AGAIN TO SEE THAT SCENE AGAIN. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS I WAS MADMAN GRINNING THE WHOLE TIME. 

- Beetlejuice chasing a Girl Scout through the house starts Act Two off on a good note

- The Netherworld scene. Background characters there payed such a good homage to the source film I almost cried. It was great. Good job makeup and costume crews for making all of them so- so amazing. Ily.

- “And because I activity refuse to fix either of those things. Famous Boy Band Sensation Boy Inferno will explain.”

- “Life in the Netherworld is Lame!” “SO LAME!” “SO LAME~!”

 - B O Y I N F E R N O

- “I’m the rapper of this group!” “I’m 36 so I stay in the back!”

- “I’m Bisexual! Huh, I just figured that out!!”

- “We can’t have breathers here. Boy Inferno?” *Members of Boy Inferno hold up various threatening weapons*

- Otho. Just- Otho. I get vibrant gay vibes off him and it’s so great.

- *ten people enter the room before Otho* “Delia who are they?” “Those are Otho’s. They prepare the room for Otho’s presence. They follow him everywhere.” “Huh...” “they all have sex together.” “what.”

- Otho: “I’m afraid I don’t do skin on skin contact.” Charles: “oh. okay.” Delia: “oh! then i should too. I’m sorry Charles.” Charles: “Now wait just a second.”

- “Now go my disciples! I will meet you at the Red Roof Inn! Where we will share! A room!” *Otho’s ten disciples leave the room screaming... excitedly*

- Adam: “I want you Beetlejuice” *passionate kissing*. Barbara: “NO!” *pushes Adam away* “I want him.”

- “Now now- as much as I love an orgy, none of you seem like the orgy type. Except maybe you. Yeah you’ve done some weird shit.”

- And entire song (probably called “Creepy Old Man”) where Lydia is attempting to convince Beetlejuice to actually marry her to make him alive. the main chorus is something along the lines of “i want to marry by own creepy old man”. 

- Hey. no one said this was a kids’ show. Don’t take your kids to see it unless you wanna answer some big kid questions.

- There’s a reference to Lolita almost parallelling Lydia’s “marriage” to Beetlejuice (I didn’t hear it all that well it was mid-song)

- “Can you believe some cultures find this sort of thing okay~?” [Child marriage and the line is sung awkwardly]

- There’s actually a few comments about politics/hard topics but they aren’t stated as politics. It’s interesting and well executed.

- I can’t remember a whole lot without spoiling the ending so a few out of context points:

  - Cowboy Beetlejuice

  - “Hey Lydia! Now we both have dead moms!”

 -  *Hands dismembered leg off after being shut down*

 - “eehhh we didn’t hang out much.”

  - “Never change!” “I already have *looks happily at another character*” “Then fuck you.”

Sets and Other things:

- Tim Burton’s presence was everywhere. It was amazing to see how much of his style was still there. yeah Beetlejuice was originally his movie BUT! To see the elements on stage and moving and working all together like that? The designers and the Directors did such an amazing job on visuals alone.

- OKay so- the biggest set piece was a house behind a screen. The screen was used to show different backgrounds or even the setting (I.E The Netherworld, the opening funeral, ect.) The house stayed the same in shape but the walls! Kept changing!! I think it might’ve been changeable panels but it was great. So well done.

- Set changes were so smooth and worked pretty damn well.

-Lots of flashing lights but it was well done.

- There were a few pyrotechnic stuffs happening around Beetlejuice and I don’t know how they fucking did it but holy shit. Good job. 

- Used a lot of special effects and it was amazing. I couldn’t imagine working a show like that and having to reset props and effects and all that multiple times a night. It would be both a dream and a nightmare. Kudos to the run crews.

- The mid-song costume changes were great.

- Costumes in general were great

- makeup was great

- I can’t say enough good things about this show I love it so. so. so much. I can’t wait for the cast album to drop and maybe a bootleg idk.

But yeah. I’m missing things but that was what I remember!!! Can’t wait for the Broadway run!!

[bootlickerhawks]

I just watched Madoka Magica Rebellion, and now I finally get why it was such a big deal lol

first i'll go over the non spoiler stuff and then i'll put the important spoiler stuff under the read-more. (btw this isn't a review i finished watching it an hour ago and i've barely gotten the time to fully process it but i wanted to give my "raw" impressions)

- First off, the animation is fucking gorgeous and I'm really happy they brought back the original "aesthetic". At the end of the series when I saw the designs of the wraiths I was worried that this movie would use those, imo, boring designs, but thankfully they brought back the cool aesthetic. Overall the visuals were stunning and the movie was chock-full of interesting visual metaphors which helped grab viewer attention (like the Owls with Homura, ect).

- It was really nice to see all 5 girls interacting with one another and not trying to kill each other. Despite it being very clear from the get go that something is wrong I really appreciated that we got to see them relax, have fun and kicking ass together as friends.

- The transformation sequence and the opening song really captured the iconic Madoka vibe which is cutesy shit with a dash of dark and disturbing visuals lol. Something I noticed in the transformation sequence (notably Mami and Kyoko/Sayaka(?)) was the imagery of ripping > Mami rips her body apart to fully transform and Kyoko/Sayaka rip apart the "screen" during their sequence. The opening song does a great job of both subverting our expectations (much like the opening in the anime) and foreshadowing the upcoming events.

- Bebe was fucking adorable, too bad my subtitles stopped working halfway through the movie, so I didn't know what Bebe was saying during some key scenes ^^'.

Now it's time for the fun stuff and the meat of the discussion. /!\ Turn back now if you don't want to get spoiled, Rebellion is a movie that I really recommend watching without knowing any spoilers /!\

- not gonna lie that lil fucker Kyubey had me in the first half. It was acting so cute and then of course it had to open its stupid mouth again and i wanted to choke it all over again.

- The Mami and Homura fight was stunning. And it was really moving when Mami jumped to stop Homura from shooting herself (only for it to turn out that she had kinda predicted that Homura would trick her)

- Sayaka and Homura's conversation was sooooo good. By that point it was kinda obvious that Homura was the one behind the fake world but seeing Homura's internal conflict and Sayaka unknowingly(?) calling her out on her hypocrisy was so fucking good.

- Sayaka and Kyoko's moment of closure was great and I'm really glad both characters got a chance to let the other know how much they mean to each other.

- Homura's transformation into a witch was predictable but it still broke my heart. And it was during the fight when everyone tries to save Homura that I started crying (btw Sayaka and Bebe turning into witches too during the fight was so badass)

And now for the ultimate gut punch, the emotional bitch slap that was the plot twist of the movie. The story did a great job of making it seem like the (predictable) plot twist was Homura being a witch and the mastermind behind the labyrinth. And despite me knowing beforehand that this movie was controversial I really believed we were gonna get a happy ending and a nice implicit message abt the value of moving on and learning to accept help from loved ones BUT NOPE.

Noooooo nono no what we get instead is Homura giving a giant Fuck You to both the universe and everyone else around her and rewrites the entire universe for her own selfish desire. Homura became the anti-Madoka in this scene.

Honestly I can understand why fans would be pissed by this ending but personally I think I really loved it. Gen Urobuchi is known for writing nihilistic and tragic stories so I can't say I'm surprised he chose to end it this way. And as sad as it is to say Homura's devotion to Madoka was already unhealthy in the og anime I'm not surprised her love became so toxic and lead to this tragic turn of events.

I do think there's probably some fair criticism to make about the kind of message Urobuchi is sending given that his writing can be pretty sexist (*cough* looking at you Fate/Zero novel) and he seems to find great enjoyment in making female characters suffer. And I think it's fair to have skepticism about how he chose to portray a queer/wlw romance as extremely toxic.

But yeah to conclude while I did have a whirlwind of emotions after watching this movie I can pretty confidently say that I liked the ending and I kinda wish there was a sequel exploring the aftermath, but I doubt we'll get one 😔

[miniwolfsbane]

Copied from @andalite-angel post. Edited slightly.

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, etc. are allowed.

Biospecialist, Marco/Rachel, Sam/Rahne, all cannon Disney Princess pairings, the two young kids Pacific Rim Uprising,  Lancitty, Evo Kurt/ Amanda,  Jott in Evo. Skyward??

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or ***** that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

Fanfic writers and Evo romy, adult Jubilee x Gambit, others.

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Never gonna be big on Evo Romy ever again, will forever hate Rahne x Roberto, Sam and Rahne with anyone but each other!!

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Evo Romy...somtimes. Because it does sorta make sense IN FANNON, but not in cannon. And Jean x Scott, because it’s so iconic, but I only like them in Evo, so...yah.

E - Have you added anything cracky crazy/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what? 

See my fan fiction.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

The Little Mermaid and Star Trek have been there for 95% of my life.

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, Sam/Rahne, Ariel and Eric (first when I was 5, even though I wanted to be Ariel), Rachel Tobias (first when I was actually gettin into fandom), Jake/Cassie (Animorphs), Clark/Lana, Clark/Lois (I think??) and Chloe/Ollie, Romy (even in Evo at a point!), and now Eliza and Goliath in Gargoyles. I keep saying I’m not a shipper, but I think I’m just a subtle one that pines and doesn’t read a lot of fanfic, but my heart swells over seeing my OTP on screen

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

TV Shows and Western (superhero) Animation mostly, but also a few animes.

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

I was annoyed by the Agents Of Shield fandoms behavior for a while, but I’ve never stopped liking any fandoms because of Tumblr. 

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

SuperWhoLock, Riverdale...some other popular teen shows.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Tie between Sailor Moon and Gambit I guess, but I’m sure there are lots of others. Sailor Jupiter has a good arc as well, even though she doesn’t have a lot of character development TBH.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Roberto Dacosta’s super strength power is pretty cool and he’s a chill guy. And rich. (I just realized that a lot of X-Men characters are rich, actually. Gambit, Xavier, Warren and him. Holy crap.)

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon. TAS Rogue too, because she seems fun to hang with, and who wouldn’t like to be called “Sugah” all the time?

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

MORE GAMBIT (and comic Nightcrawler) IMAGINES!! And just more love and less fan wars across all fandoms, really.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

Hero by Chad Kroger. Ship: Romy or Mollyx Remy. Character: Gambit or Angel.

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

For any fandom? A mad scientist and a famous baker get together after the scientist contacts aliens, resulting in a warring invasion on earth.

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

To be perfectly honest, The Smurfs because we’re a Christain household and we found it had stuff in it we didn’t agree with. I was three.  Other than that, I’ve only given up one other fandom permenantly that wasn’t what I thought it was and chosen at a bad time. 

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Kurt and Kitty in Evo, and Logan and Kurt is cool, but I don’t actually pay much attention to it.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Hmmm. One that isn’t too boring? Remy isn’t (wasn’t? He is married now) particular about a woman’s height and is comfortable enough with himself to date a woman much taller or shorter than he is. (Remember, Frenzy was freaking 6′7 before she got rebooted to a normal height and it was implied they had history.) For a while it was a wish of mine they’d pair him with a short gal, because all X-women are physically clones of each other, minus Rahne, Kitty and Jubilee. Blargh. Oooh, just had an idea for a new art project to make the girls look individual! ^_^

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

Besides the above? Uh...headcannon that Remy smells good and his hair is silky to the touch and yes I’m a sick, weird little person, I know. Haha, not really. I’m not much of a headcannon person. 

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

* Gambit: Hot, suave, lit, accent, good cook, romantic, my fictional ideal man (told you, I’m sick and weird). * Sailor Jupiter: Sweet, loyal, living on her own at bloody 14 years old, strong physically and emotionally, had trouble believing/finding her feminity like me, tall (not like me!), brunette character, thunder powers. * Tuvok (Star Trek): My second crush ever, calm, reflective, hot grandpa, sarcasm galore, strong, suffers emotionally and physically, POC and like the only black vulcan that I know of, cute little boy chest, that butt (XD), frakin’ hot.

V - Which character do you relate to most?

Surprisingly, one I haven’t talked about yet and that I’m not really fandom-y about. Rapunzel from Tangled. When I saw the movie, I was attached to her immediately. I’d grown up homeschooled and at that point I’d been caregiving for one of my parents for six years at that point, unable to move out and get married and have much of a life, so I was always metaphorically in a tower too. I have childish interests, am artistic and creative, have done LOTS of self-insert art like her, and am a generally happy person (even if I don’t always show it and don’t smile enough). So, out of every character in my many fandoms, I relate to Rapunzel the most. Also, I have only 2 things of Tangled merch-the movie, the soundtrack, and a gorgeous bedspread that’s actually based on the show, but doesn’t look like it. (I don’t like it’s animation/character designs, so it’s been hard to get into it.)

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

OMG, do we have to go here? Anything over-sexualized or kinky or just plain gross/weird. (v***, gore, ect.) There’s this one X-Men:Evo artist on DA that would be brilliant, but I can’t stomach their gallery because they feel the need to do a few  v*** and bondage pics amongst otherwise G-rated pictures. *throws up* IT’S A SHOW FOR 7-YEAR OLDS!! 

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Huge guy, Tiny girl! (but it looks...weird...in live action. *Good Luck Charlie flashbacks*.) Also age differences. Some people are put off by Usagi and Mamo’s age difference in Classic, but I think it’s cute and they were really chaste about it. Specifically, I liked the part where he told her to do well in school for some reason. 

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)? Holy crap, Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. No one on my dash is into them though, it’s a real life thing. Long story.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

I have written more self-inserts than is probably healthy, but at least I’ve mostly gotten past my teenage phase of thinking anime guys are hot and it’s extended to Gambit as well. I’d much rather see him be portrayed by a living, breathing actor semi-bringing my fantasies to life than as a drawn character. Well, not that I’m not happy seeing him animated and his voice in Evo is still super hot, but that’s another thing. Anyway, on that note, I wish XM:E weren’t a dead fandom and I could get more reviews instead of just faves/follows. I get so frustrated, because I’m not writing my fics for myself, I’m writing them to finish the story and for the fans. I know OCs/SI aren’t everyones bread and butter, but when you work hard on something, you want people to enjoy and appreciate it on it’s own merits. My regulars dropped off the planet and the fandom is just not that active online. (It’s still kind of active though, otherwise the Gambit and other prints on Steven Gordon’s online store wouldn’t have sold out so fast.) I wish it had been as creative as the MLP fandom, but even that wouldn’t have saved it. Thankfully, there are a few people “keeping the faith”, like Coldfusion180 and some others. They haven’t abandoned it and people have made AMVs for it in recent years, long after the shows cancellation. I know we’ve all moved on in one way or another, but it’s still nice to see the love for the show and it’s characters going strong, even if we’re now a niche fandom, tiny, but there. And even if I don’t get another single review up until the last in the series, at least I can say I finished it, if nothing else. Even if your fandom is dead, keep supporting it. If we don’t keep the characters alive, they die and are forgotten. They need us.

https://fanfiction.net/~miniwolfsbane

[putschki1969]

For the Kalafina ask meme ^w^: 1, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, 38, 39, 47, 48 and 54. Those are some of my favorites lol

youturnitintolight said: For the Kalafina meme, everything you have not been asked to answer!

auctumnitas said: 24, 27, 17, 8

Ughhh, my entire post just got deleted because I accidentally pressed some keys T_T Oh well, here we go again.Thanks so much to @sharkafina, @auctumnitas and especially @youturnitintolight for sending me all these questions.Also, a quick shoutout to @sharkafina aka @kalafinaquips for creating this awesome meme!!It’s gonna be a long post so I better put everything under a cut ^_^

Basic Kalafina questions:

1) First Kalafina song? I had watched some FictionJunction performances before I came across Kalafina so I was slightly familiar with Wakana’s and Keiko’s voices. One day, the PV of Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni Wa appeared on Youtube and I was immediately intrigued. The music, the lyrics, their voices, their dresses, the overall aesthetics, the drama. I fell for it, hook, line and sinker. There was no going back after that. 2) First Kalafina album? I think it was 「Red Moon」. 3) Favorite Kalafina song? Still Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Iku, I’ll love this song till my dying day. 4) Favorite Kalafina album? Probably 「Red Moon」 since it doesn’t have a single song on it that I actually dislike. 5) Favorite Kalafina single? Probably 「Magia」. I love Magia to death, it’s very high up on my list of favourite Kalafina songs and I really love the B-Side snow falling too. 6) Favorite Kalafina B-side? Koibito no Mukashigatari no Yuugure no7) Tough question: Favorite member? It’s gotta be Keiko. I know, no surprise there. Her voice is just the most perfect thing in the world. And I just love her, I can’t help it XD But Wakana and Hikaru are incredibly precious to me as well. I love and appreciate Kalafina as a whole and I wouldn’t have it any othe way.8) Favorite Kalafina look/attire? That’s quite hard. I can’t pick one. I really love their black/gold dresses from the LIVE TOUR 2014 (which they also wore for their CDJ appearance that year as well as their Mexico fotw concert in 2016). Then I am a big fan of fancy Consolation dresses, those were just gorgeous! Also really liked their dresses on Blue Day at Nippon Budoukan. Their After Eden live performance dresses were quite pretty too, very flattering (but I only like Hikaru’s dress the way she wore it during the Type Moon 10th Anniversary Festival).

Do you…

9) Own any piece of merch? By now, I own so much that it would be quite hard to list it all. I don’t really have any clothes (I don’t like buying shirts of concerts I haven’t attended. Doesn’t feel right somehow >_signed white shirt that was given away by Tokyo Girls’ Update but I am not sure that counts as merch. Other than that, I mostly collect their pamphlets, live photo books, posters, postcards and clearfiles. I also own a few odd pieces here and there, things that caught my interest and that weren’t too expensive e.g. a pink Consolation drinking bottle, the FOTW water bottle, Keiko’s Arena Live candy box, a keyholder from one of the recent X-Mas lives, ect…10) Own any physical albums/singles? I own all albums including their two BEST collections, their two Live albums and the most recent Winter Acoustic one. Okay, no, I just realised that I don’t own the Re/Oblivious album but meh, I don’t feel that counts. I have currently eight singles (most of which I bought for around 3 bucks in Japan in either BOOK・OFF or K-Books who both sell second-hand products). I don’t like paying full price for singles unless I know that the song won’t appear on any album.

Have you ever…

11) Attended a Kalafina live? (If so, how many?) Yes, I have attended both mini concerts in Germany at Animagic. I’ve also been to the live in France at Japan Expo (which I found less-enjoyable because everything was so crowded and there were people everywhere pushing against me from all sides. I HATE those kinds of concerts!). My best experience so far was attending both FOTW Special Finals. The concert on Sunday was beyond amazing, @erza-shidae and I were pretty much right in front of the girls.12) Watched any of the shows/movies they have performed for? No, I don’t really watch anime13) Met them (in a greet-and-meet)? I met them twice at Animagic!! And I saw them up-close at Japan Expo. Sadly, I couldn’t attend the signing session at Japan Expo.14) Gotten their autograph? Yup, I own a Madoka poster signed by the girls (and some other artists), I also got their first three albums at Animagic which they signed for me and I have that Tokyo Girls’ Update T-shirt I mentioned earlier. Really can’t complain XD15) Traveled out of your country for a Kalafina concert? Yup, I traveled to Germany, France and Japan. I wish my trips to Germany and France would have been longer but back then I was working so it was quite hard to get time off. Which is also why I missed a lot of their stuff while they were at the conventions. 16) Talked about Kalafina with someone else (other than the fans)?I sometimes talk to my mum and sis about them. But I keep it to a limit because I know they are not really interested.

Random Kalafina questions:

17) What’s your favorite fact about Kalafina? The fact that they love each other and how they are so grateful they get to do what they are doing. Makes me forget about all the fan-hate. 18) Do you have any ships? (Which one if so) WaKei 19) Is there any random, non-Kalafina related thing that for some reason reminds you of Kalafina? Pretty much everything reminds me of Kalafina. I have a great memory when it comes to Kalafina related things, everything they do or say is branded into my mind. So yeah, when I take a walk, I think of Keiko because I know she loves taking walks, when I watch my favourite show TWD, I think of Wakana because I know she likes it too, if I have an egg, I think of Hikaru because I know she is really into all kinds of egg-dishes. The most basic things really. 20) Is there any food that remind you of Kalafina? Chicken and egg for Hikaru, dumplings for Wakana and mint-chocolate for Keiko.

Name a Kalafina song that…

21) You love Red Moon22) You never get tired of Tsuioku23) Makes you cry I hardly ever cry but maybe Seventh Heaven or Hikari Furu24) Makes your day a whole lot better Jingle Bells25) You used to dislike but now love to death Seventh Heaven and snow falling26) You listened to over and over until you got fed up Can’t think of one. 27) Can transport you to another different world with its beauty symphonia28) Inspires you to be creative Magia

What Kalafina member would you choose to:

29) Go shopping? Keiko, because I love her style and I feel like she would be a great judge on whether something suits me or not. And we’d totally buy matching outfits ^_^30) Make pizza? With both Wakana and Keiko because they really enjoy cooking and all of their stuff has looked delicious so far. Hikaru would be invited of course because I know she loves junk food. 31) Show her around your hometown? All three of them. I wanna share everything with them 32) Go to the movie theater? Duh, Wakana of course. No one appreciates a good movie like Wakana. And I feel we have very similar tastes when it comes to movies and TV shows. 33) Play videogames? Hikaru. Keiko is too competetive for my tastes, I couldn’t handle it. I feel like it would be fun to play with Hikaru. 34) Go karaoke? All of them XD35) Go bungee jumping? I’d never go but I think if there was anyone who could make me do it, it would be Keiko. 36) Go fishing? Hikaru. 37) Go to a museum? Wakana because she knows her way around all kinds of museums and art galleries. 38) Rob a bank? I don’t think I’d ever do it but probably with Keiko. 39) Do a prank call? I’d certainly never do that and I hope the girls wouldn’t either >_40) Make a garage band? All three of them41) Go to a picnic? All three of them42) Bake a cake? Duh, with Cakey of course ^_^43) Go to Disneyland/world? All three of them!! 44) Backpacking another country? Another thing I wouldn’t do but Keiko could make me :P45) Re-design your home? I feel like Wakana has a great sense for interior design. I don’t know why, I just think she does. 46) Go to a library? Hikaru or Wakana because both love books47) Help you with homework/tests? I’d never take help from someone when it comes to homeworks/tests (those things are long in the past anyways) but I think I’d accept Hikaru’s help. 48) Vandalize a building? I’d NEVER EVER do that and I hope the girls wouldn’t either. 49) Go to a concert? All three of them ^_^50) Go jogging? I wanan say Keiko because she would motivate me but then I would die so maybe I should go with Hikaru. :P I51) Kill that hideous spider in your room? (Before you blow up your house :p)?Probably Keiko although I feel like Keiko wouldn’t kill it. Knowing her, she would hold it in my face T_T52) Go to a zoo? Hikaru53) Hide a corpse? Keiko, she seems smart with stuff like that XD54) Use a ouija board? I don’t even know what that is. Had to look it up. Ohhh! I see. Hmmm, maybe Keiko.55) Go to a party? I don’t go to parties. So probably Hikaru because she is also not the party-type. We could sit in a corner and talk :P

[extraquarterblog]

Reflecting on Gears of War series

Epic Games and Microsoft biggest Xbox franchise 

Gears of War is a landmark success for Epic Games and Microsoft. The two companies have a rich history together based around this series. It's a bit astonishing to think, that Gears of War was originally pitched to be nothing more than a Tech Demo to display the Unreal 3 Engine and who can forget, Epic Games convinced Microsoft to increase the 360 RAM size from 256mb to 512mb, all to achieve the beautiful visuals that Gears displays. 

When you think of the Xbox 360 and its legacy, Gears is without argument, one of the top titles of the 360 library. Over the 360 lifespan, 4 Gears of War titles have been released. But the icing on the cake is that they're actually good, just not a pretty painting with no substance. Despite its rock solid gameplay and Cole Train rap song, Gears is not without flaws. The story is what ultimately becomes its more controversial point. Even with a confusing and conflicting story, Gears success is undeniable, spawning numerous copycats as well as giving inspirations for other Studios. 

While the Gears Saga began with Epic games, Microsoft is continuing on its legacy by having Black Tusk Studios build the next chapter. But before we can begin to fathom a next-gen Gears, we need to go back where it all started. 

Gears of War

When Epic Games officially unveiled Gears of War for the Xbox 360 in 2005, it was a shocker. The visuals were so unbelievable, at the time, It made the rest of the Industry look lazy. And who could forget the stunning trailer "Mad World". The song titled "Mad World" - by Gary Jules for the film Donnie Darko (a cult classic) playing softly in the background, while you see Marcus running through the rain, alone and hopeless. 

During the start of the 360 release, countless arguments swirled around the debate if gaming visuals have peaked, can more polygons make a better picture? I still remember the 360 launch titles being compared to PS2 games, like Metal Gear Solid 3 for example.  With any new console release, consumers want that instant justification. An enormous leap in visuals, sound, gameplay, ect. While the 360 did have some promising titles like Dead or Alive 4, Kameo: Elements of Power, Project Gotham Racing 3. All looked good, but I wouldn't call a leap over the previous gen. 

No, nothing was truly Next-Gen at that point, until you popped in Gears of War. I will never forget that moment, All the debates and arguments over the visuals, if Gears of War was just smoke and mirrors. But when I sat back on the sofa, watching the opening scene unfold then started to play. Oh shit, the hype was real. Epic Games delivered and next-gen just begun. 

"Look at all that Juice! "  -- Cole Train

But it wasn't only the visuals that made Gears so appealing. From the start Gears of War had this unique atmosphere, a world ravaged by a species called the Locust that lived deep within the earths core. For whatever the reason, they were pissed and started to conquer the earth, despite the military's best efforts. The Locust, were winning. The entire game had this beautiful yet dark vibe. You would walk through gorgeous decaying chapels, abandoned streets surrounded by stunning detailed buildings. The entire Gears world was covered with this rich lore. Early concept art work showed a world where Mankind was slowly falling apart and nature was taking back its land.

The scary part, is when Nightfall happened, that's when everything gets worse. Epic nailed the feeling of hopelessness when the last sun rays dipped behind the horizon and swarms of Locust start to fly out. Right when that happened, you knew, you were in some deep shit. The Locust without a doubt ruled the night. There was no winning against that, only running. 

However - this is where Gears gets following for. On paper, it appears to be a survival horror game, well, besides one little bit...You happen to be a giant 800lb armor gorilla, bad ass, wielding a chainsaw attached to a machine gun. Accompanied with a wrecking crew of fellow gears, that's all out of bubble gum. Where no one dared to step out into the dark, You did. When the action gets hot, you charged towards your opponent revving that chainsaw, and once you got close enough, you saw a spectacular animation of sawing, blood spraying, body parts flying, all while your character screams as blood splatters across his face. 

It was satisfying, every time. 

Now say what you will about the boss fights, Yes, the big lead up for the opportunity to fight with a Crawler was disappointing, however, seeing people deal with the Beserker for the first time always made me laugh. Not to mention the oh shit moment when the Train you're on also happens to have a Berserker on it. I still wonder how or why a Berserker was on a train in the first place....

The first Gears of War is without a doubt my personal favorite. Few games capture that dark atmosphere, that let you go wild. You didn't care about saving ammo, or running from the larger opponents. You just grabbed for a bigger gun and went to town. You also get the opportunity to explore a few parts of the world too, from a run down factory, to touring through the ghetto, while civilians cheer on for Cole Train. 

The Cheery on top was the fact you could still system link up two systems and have 4 player competitive play, which made it a big hit for late night bashes. No need for Xbox Live, just plug'em in and grab the sticks. 

Gears of War 2, took a slightly different approach. Instead of playing defense, we take the fight to them, on their own turf. Gears 2 was taking everything up a notch. More fights, more explosions, more things to drive. The vibe for Gears 2 really is payback, for years mankind has been on the ropes, but now we are digging deep through the earths crust and invading on their backyard. 

The excitement for Gears of war 2 was through the roof, as Epic teased a lot more expansion for multiplayer. Sure, the campaign was fun and a friend can even join in, but at this time of release, Xbox Live was hot. Who didn't want to be on Xbox live killing each other or surviving wave after wave of the Locust in the new Horde mode. 

However, what really surprised most about Gears of War 2, wasn't the better graphics or the aggressive multiplayer. It was the story. Epic Games went all out in the story, expanding its background for each of the characters, including a few new plot twists, and adding the Lambert to the fray. Its story, while larger, didn't really raise the bar past the previous game, much like how each Expendables film, you watch to see your favorite Actors, you really don't care what they're doing.

The story answered a few questions, gave some new ones, and your favorite crew of Gears continued to lay down one liners when they can. And there's nothing a good chainsaw action can't solve. Giant Worm sinking an entire cities? No problem, I got a chainsaw.

The campaign mode was perfect in length, the diversity and boss fights always kept you engaged. Gears of War 2 is anything but boring and thankfully it has a decent balance of combat and exploration. There's a fine point in game design, where the players enjoyment and challenge are in a perfect harmony. In some games you find yourself endlessly continuing the same motion, by the time you reach halfway, you don't care anymore. Gears 2 always makes sure to keep that perfect balance. You won't find yourself running throughout same place time and time again, nor do you constantly deal with the same headaches. Sure, you'll shoot the same Locust pains through the game, it's how the game presents it that makes the difference.

At the time, Gears of War 2 had a lot of praise and mixed emotions. People were sad to see the whole afraid of the dark vibe missing and some of the story plots were shallow with little interest but now, being 2015 and looking back. Gears of War 2 is amazing. After years of playing so many shooters, it makes you really appreciate Gears of War 2 and what it accomplishes. 

I still remember how pumped I was when I got to control that Brumak for the first time. Oh, how sweet it was. 

Gears of War 3, where do you go when the world is in ruins while Lambent is running rapid, and the Locust continues their obsession on killing everyone? Gears 3 early on gives you the sensation of isolation and how do you pick up the pieces to start again? What pieces are left and is it worth doing? 

The third installment, without argument, is the largest of the three. With almost everything being grander and more intense than before. Multiplayer continued to expand with Beast mode and updated improvement for Horde mode continued to feed the habit for Gears fans, not to mention the campaign now allowed 4 player co-op. This time, it's for real.

Over the top is a subtle way describe Gears 3. The Lambent at first, add an interesting level of diversity for your fights. Locust turned Lambert is like being on steroids, charging on stop towards you. Puking imulsion and exploding on death. Not to mention all the mutating and tentacles that seem to sprout out from anywhere, can take the action from odd to straight up bizarre. 

Love or Hate Gears 3, there's no denying its sense of scale. The game feels large, from the places you'll visit and even the different means of traveling,all feel large. With constant barrage of attacks from the Lambert each step of the way. Gears of War 3, much like the previous in their series attempts to continue laying the story for your characters. From depressing to downright laughable. In my view, this is what ultimately was the Achilles heel for Gears 3. If I had to relate the story to a film, it would be X-men 3. After all the destruction, death and odd plot twist. You reach the end point without feeling truly connected or involved. Just grab this gun and blast some more shit. It also didn't help that some of Gears 3 Pre-rendered cut scenes looked  painfully low res due to compression. Compared to the in-game cut scenes that looked crisp and sharp. It's obviously due to disk size that the pre-rendered scenes had to be compressed to fit all on one disk.

Though that should also be a testament to just how large this game really is. Gears 3, again as I said before, was a Love or Hate for fans. However, it was also one of the best bang for your buck too. The game had so much content to explore but the multiplayer was becoming its bread and butter,  sadly it was subject to a lot of heated debate in its prime. I think the reason for it was simply because the Gears series had picked up so many fans over the years, all having their own personal taste, eventually clash. Also at the time of Gears of War 3 release, Call of Duty was king of the multiplayer world, so fans expecting a similar competitive experience, quickly frowned on the slower, larger, duck n cover mechanics that the Gears series is known for. 

Looking back at each of the 3 main titles developed from Epic games, its remarkable at how different Gears 1 is to Gears 3. You could call that a true complex progression or completely going off the rails. That's really up to each person's taste. While I enjoyed Gears 3, it didnt have that same flair I loved so much of 1 and 2. Everything just felt so over the top, even more so from a series like this. 

So now what? Marcus saved the day, the planet still exists and mankind is slowly, rebuilding the world. What can you do next? We'll that's where former studio People Can Fly (now Epic Poland) comes into the picture and decided to do a prequel to the Gears of War series, Judgement. Now if you recall when I spoke about all the backstory and details they put into the first Gears of War.  I wasn't stretching the truth, the Gears series often talks about several events preceding the series start. The Pendulum Wars, Emergence Day, and Judgement Day, for example, are re-told often through each game. Gears of War Judgement, puts gamers in the events around Emergence Day.

People Can Fly previously worked with Epic Games on several Gears titles, developing on Gears of War Judgement should be a perfect fit and it shows. Gears of War Judgement has some of the best visuals out of the entire series, and often remarked to have the widest range of colors from a series that's known for its dark and gray visual theme.

Judgement also changes up the formula in many different ways. Starting off, there's no Marcus, there's no Dom. You find yourself playing as Damon Baird, joined with Cole Train and a few new members. But not to worry, Clayton Carmine also makes an appearance. No Gears game is complete without a Carmine brother. 

The game combat also makes various subtle changes. While the previous Gear titles are known for the duck n cover system. Judgement gives Gamers more of a chance to stick their neck out, favoring the bold. Only need to cover in the extremest of times. Judgement you could say was seeing how far the Developers could push the boundaries for what Gears is known for. Just what can they change to freshen up the series.

Sadly, Judgement was greeted with poor reactions. Many, felt why have the need to rock the boat, for a series that's been known for its stable features and character. While others loved the game and gave it praise for pushing the envelope for what Gears is known for. 

Gears of War Judgement also came out late in the 360 lifespan. Talk about next-gen systems were heavy and many gamers were already setting their sights on what comes next. While Judgement might be considered to be canon for the series, the talk of next-gen shadowed it, making it the most overlooked title for the Gears series. 

With Cliff Bleszinski leaving Epic Games and Epic showing interest in other projects. It would seem that the Gears Saga has come to a close. No more Locust popping up from the ground, no more chainsaw grinding action, and no more arguments from Cole Train and Baird. Or is it..All that changed when Microsoft announced the purchase of the Gears of War franchise in early 2014. All the sudden, you could hear a chainsaw softly in the background starting up. The Gears Saga lives on. So just what do we know? Microsoft revealed one of their new first party studios, Black Tusk will be developing the next Gears of War game. Microsoft ensured that the studio was up to the task, claiming that Black Tusk has some of the best veteran Game Developers around and to further ensure the next gears success Microsoft also hired on Rod Fergusson, the former director of production for the Gears series at Epic Games.

At this time, details are pretty slim, Rod and the rest of the Black Tusk team have been pretty quiet. Could the next Gears title be a reboot? Or will we continue on with a Gears of War 4? Will Marcus return and will Gears continue to change itself as we seen in Gears 3 and Judgement? Also, does Black Tusk even have the chops to deliver a true next-gen Gears title? 

What subtle hints that have been given. There appears to be a strong chance of seeing Gears return back to its roots, going back to what made Gears unique. I would expect a reboot, but not starting at Gears 1, but even further back. Really exploring the background of this world. Could we start off at the Pendulum Wars? Events leading to Emergence day? 

Who know's, your guess is good as mine. But I do know this...

E3 gonna be good. 

[scarredbyxhellfire-blog]

does dean have any favorite articles of clothes? does he gel his hair? favorite model car other than impala? does he watch antiques roadshow? favorite snack on the road? any hidden talents? would he ever get a piercing? what's in his suitcase when he's on the road, aside from a fuckton of weapons? favorite model gun? what creature does he especially hate to hunt? what does he do on father's day?

i’m very late to answering these but it’s happening now. 

favorite clothing?

for a while, dean’s favorite article of clothing was his father’s old leather jacket. it was always a little too big, even after he’d “grown into” it. the sleeves always went nearly down to his knuckles. it fit but it always seemed just a tad too big and he loved it. he really did. for years, he watched his dad wear it and hunt with that on and dean kind of considered it a good luck charm while hunting once it was finally given to him. so packing it away and getting rid of it was a clear representation of dean feeling his luck at run out.these days, he doesn’t really have a favorite article of clothing. i headcanon the boys share a lot of clothes, mostly the flannels and hoodies every once in a while. so, basically, there’s probably a couple shirts that dean bogarts and doesn’t let sam wear as often.

hair gel?

nope. dean doesn’t really care enough about himself or his appearance to bother doing anything with his hair. the most he does, honestly, is run his fingers through it and calling it good.

favorite model of car, besides the impala?

he really likes a nice 1970 dodge charger.

antiques roadshow?

honestly i’d be lying if i said no. sometimes when you’re stuck in a motel room for a few nights in a tiny town you start channel flipping so, yes, dean has spent time watching antiques roadshow. and with a cold beer and some fast food dinner, it’s a pretty fun time when he tries to call out the prices before they’re revealed.

favorite snack on the road?

probably like chips or beef jerky. you know, the classic roadtrip foods. if he can get his hands on a pack of hostess ding dongs, though, the ding dongs might be his absolute favorite. he just doesn’t have them very often.

any hidden talents?

nothing amazing. he can’t sing incredibly well, he can’t play any instruments (even though, as a kid, he wanted to grow up and be a rockstar), or any of the usual “hidden talents.” and we know he’s not super great at impressions but dean can do a pretty decent sean connery impression. so there’s your hidden talent.

yes or no on piercings?

probably not. though i can almost guarantee he wanted one when he was younger because harrison ford was his goddamn idol.

what’s in his duffle bag aside from weapons?

clothes are the main things: an extra pair of jeans, some t-shirts, flannels, socks, ect. other toiletries like a toothbrush and toothpaste. he keeps a small first aid kit in his duffle (although he has another one in the car). he has a stash of extra money in a hidden pocket of his duffle, just in case. but that’s about it, maybe. he’s a simple guy for the most part. he packs pretty light when he travels.

favorite gun model?

dean’s pretty biased. his favorite gun is definitely his own pistol, which is a .45 caliber Colt (MK IV, Series 80 1911). it has these really gorgeous designs on the stainless steel since it was custom engraved, and also the ivory grips. it’s definitely the prettiest thing dean owns and it was actually john’s for a time before it was given to dean.

least favorite creature?

witches. dean really hates them. he can handle everything else. werewolves, shapeshifters, kitsune–you name it. he’s 100% fine with those because he considers them “predictable.” but witches are almost always totally human and people are crazy so it’s hard to find out what they’re going to do next. which makes them a big pain in his ass.

what does he do on father’s day?

he doesn’t really recognize father’s day. not that he doesn’t think it’s holiday or anything, but just because he doesn’t see a point in celebrating. he loved his dad a lot and he looked up to john a lot, but father’s day was never really celebrated when dean was growing up. he never bought his father a card or anything like that so, at this point, he figures there’s no point in starting now.the only time he’s probably really recognized the holiday was during the year he lived with ben and lisa. i can imagine ben got him a father’s day card as dean was kind of an acting father for ben during that time. dean definitely got a little choked up and didn’t know what to say other than, “Thanks, kid.” he doesn’t see himself as a father figure, although he has a lot of paternal instincts, so receiving something like that from ben, especially, would be very special to him.