#rain world live action adaptation

[excessive-moisture]

here's five pebbles in the live action rain world movie

[tossawary]

I love when live-action adaptations (both official films and amateur cosplay) add new dimensions and texture to costumes. I love seeing that kind of effort and thought go into character creation.

Like, Ed Elric's red coat? Why couldn't that thing be covered in patch jobs where the shade of red doesn't quite match? Especially around the automail arm? (Especially if he's going to be tearing it off in dramatic fashion after letting himself get chewed on?) Is he buying new coats everywhere he goes (hilarious) or is he spending his train rides sewing (cute!) rather than writing reports? Show me that! I love to see it! It's a fun idea to have his coat obviously be wool to reflect both his rural background and the fact that this world doesn't seem to have developed plastics yet! And to be warm even in rain!

I love it when people turn away from perfectly smooth, cartoon-perfect adaptations of costumes and props in favor of exploring a more interesting reality.

[niqhtlord01]

“We believe the boat is unsinkable.” - Philip A. S. Franklin

To think a single sentence would bring about the end of the world as we knew it.

The gods of old saw the sailing of this ship, this “Titanic”, and were filled with disgust and rage. To think these mere mortals could make such boastful claims was nothing less than an insult upon themselves; an insult which dug deep into the heart of Poseidon himself.

Across the seven seas he reigned supreme and if he decreed that a boat, however magnificent or ostentatious, was to sink then it would sink to the bottom of the oceans and be forgotten forever more.

On the maiden voyage of the Titanic Poseidon went to his brother Zeus, king of the gods, and asked his permission to punish the hubris of man. He would remind them of the power of the gods and to make such brazen displays would only further incur their wrath.

For his measure, Zeus too agreed with his brother. Long had been the days since man had made offerings to the pantheon and now they had grown to see themselves the master of this tiny world. To this end he proclaimed to all the gods that none were to interfere with his brother’s actions to sink the human ship “Titanic”. No sooner had the words left his brother’s mouth then did Poseidon turn to water and rain down upon the earth once more.

Using his strength he pulled a glacier from the far north and placed it directly in the path of the Titanic. He planned for the vessel to slam itself against the glacier and be torn asunder; casting the passengers down into the cold waters of the Atlantic where they would serve as a warning to all those who thought themselves above the gods.

In the dead of night the Titanic came and just as Poseidon had planned it did indeed smash headlong into the glacier. Yet to his surprise the hull was not torn asunder. Nay, it was not even damaged in the slightest. The metal hull of the ship charged headfirst into the glacier and shattered the frozen mountain into a thousand shards that slowly sank beneath the dark waves.

 The passengers who had heard the commotion and come to the main deck to observe the event let out a great cheer and the night was soon lit by the chorus of celebratory fireworks and song.

Poseidon watched as his prey continued sailing past him unfretted in the slightest and flew into a great rage. The waters of the world swelled and shuddered at his wrath. Hundreds of other smaller ships were swept beneath the waves across the globe while those along the shores watched in horror as waves as high as the clouds themselves raced towards them.

Though the world shook and quaked under Poseidon’s wrath the Titanic continued sailing ever onward; undeterred by the ravages causing such chaos all around him.

As the vessel finally reached its destination, ahead of schedule mind you, Poseidon only further drove himself into bouts of pure rage.

He swore that for each year that ship remained afloat he would raise the levels of the sea one foot until all that was left was his all-encompassing oceans. This shocked and threw the rest of the pantheon into disorder as what few followers they had left would ultimately be wiped out by such an action. Yet to their dismay Zeus had made his degree and none were to interfere with Poseidon’s feud with the human vessel. Even Zeus himself, who now had come to know the madness now consuming his brother, could not break his own oath lest he invite civil war amongst the gods.

So as it went year by year Poseidon made true to his curse. The sea levels rose one foot each year and continued to rise with no sign of stopping.

At first the humans of the world saw little concern. Save for several island nations being swallowed up by the sea the majority of humanity went about their daily lives as if nothing was wrong. It wasn’t until the fifth year when nearly all of Europe was swallowed up did things begin to change.

Unaware of why the water levels were rising, humanity showed its greatest quality and once more adapted to face the rising challenge. Entire cities and communities transferred to living upon water craft, with the most ambitious ones lifting entire cities and creating floating islands that would rise with the oceans.

By the tenth year the planet had lost nearly 63% of its landmass to the rising oceans while the Titanic continued to sail.

Now converted into an almost religious object of worship, the Titanic had slowly been transformed into the largest floating city to sail the great ocean with new generations being born to only know the cold confines of its steel walls.

Nothing Poseidon had done had come close to sinking the Titanic and so his wrath had only deepened. Waves as tall as mountains bounced off the metal hull effortlessly while legions of sea creatures of every variety were repelled assault after assault by the human crew. With no signs of stopping the gods now grew more and more desperate to bring about an end to this matter once and for all.

It was true that while they had been forbidden from interfering, Zeus had said nothing of their offspring.

And so each god went to their demigod children and gave them one command. One command, which if carried out and fulfilled would earn them a place alongside them in the pantheon, to rule over the humans for all the days and nights of eternity.

Sink the Titanic.

[aroacedragongirl]

Get to know your mutuals Answer the questions then send this to your mutuals (at least 3)

1) What should we call you?

2) How tall are you?

3) What's your least favourite color?

4) How would you describe your clothing style?

5) Have you ever dyed your hair? And what color?

6) What is the worst movie or tv series you've recently watched?

7) What movie are you most looking forward to this upcoming year?

8) Name a fandom you are no longer part of and why

9) What's your favourite animal from the country you live in?

10) What's something you're looking forward to?

I did this in a reblog from someone else but ill answer it here too:

1. Any variation of my username is fine, my irl name is Ethan but im looking into changing it because trans, but its still fine for you to use.

2. 5 ft, 9 and 3/4 in; has not changed in a few years

3. Bright yellow, when it is used as a main color for something, especially clothing.

4. Shorts and t shirts when warm, sweatpants and oversized hoodies when cold. Hoping to eventually branch out into specifically feminine styles eventually

5. No, I have a very nice natural hair color (brown, but like under certain lighting it looks orange, coppery, or red)

6. Idk about recently, but i can say with confidence that the live action monster hunter movie is the worst movie I've ever watched (they did worse at adapting the source material than they did with the Percy jackson movies)

7. Minecraft movie. It's either going to be amazing or terrible, either way I'm in for the ride

8. Ive actually never really been actively involved in a fandom before wof and rain world lol

9. I thought about this for a very long time and i have concluded that i have no fucking clue, i want to befriend them all

10. This semester to be over, also the period of time next year where Monster hunter wilds, rain world's watcher dlc, and xenoblade x definitive edition all come out within like a month of each other, and maybe even the new nintendo system, also yeah any news on the wof show

@noodledragonsoups @fading-flames @willoillo @cactusthedragon

[iteratorsex]

I hope that when they make a live action Rain World adaptation they get Jack Black to play NSH

[jones-friend]

Lets talk about The Sky

D&D is known for its exotic locales and fantastic spaces. It is fully ready to get its hands dirty digging down to the underground, the Underdark, but what about the sky above?

After a playthrough of Elden Ring I was inspired to create a “sky biome” similar to the “underground biome” of the underdark. An alien place with its own rules and logic that are different from us grounded folk. Nothing in this post needs to be canon by any means, all this is, is a theorycraft on what you could put into a sky biome in your world and how elements could work, feel free to take what you like!

To start it off here’s some things to keep in mind about living in the sky:

The Sky is Sparse. Like the open ocean there are few landmarks and guides to tell you where you are. There’s also vast, open spaces. Our sky is usually clear, your player characters aren’t often sighting floating islands or airships. This means maps of the sky biome will have broad open spaces between major points.

Difficult to Chart, Conquer. The sky biome is changing, moving, making it hard to chart and hard to conquer. Many pieces may be moving on their own over time. Maps may not always be accurate and you might need to source information to travel. You can always descend to the ground, but it takes considerable energy to land and take off.

A Resilient People. There are people dedicated to surviving some of the harshest conditions on earth. Likely anyone living in the sky is good at it, has been doing so culturally for eons, and wouldn’t want to stop just because of a few bits from land folks.

Exotic Resources. Creatures living in the sky may resort to different ways of sustenance. Sky leviathans may have forests growing on their back that give energy from the sun, cloud fortresses may harvest special plants that can only grow in their nutrient light soil. Each region may need its own way of feeding its people.

With that in mind lets check out some ways to put people in the skies!

Floating Islands are a staple in fantasy stories, from Sonic the Hedgehog to Avatar. Floating chunks of land with their own adapted flora/fauna, floating by natural or magical means. They make great places to build more traditional ground civilizations with farms, castles, towns, etc. A familiar start in an unfamiliar land. Sky islands could be subject to the moon’s pull or other celestial actions, moved as the moon moves.

Sky leviathans! Like blue whales of the deep the sky regions may have great creatures swimming through the clouds. They may prey on flocks of birds like krill, receive energy from the sun through forests and plants growing on their backs, or be more predatory like sky sharks. You could create forest cities on their backs worshipping the sky leviathan like a diskworld turtle, or structures could be artificially constructed around the sky leviathan like some D&D cruise ship. Aboard a leviathan you’re more at the mercy of wherever it travels, along for the ride as it were.

Airships! Another classic staple of fantasy adventure. Airships as a locale in the sky could be a variety of things. They could be a singular zeppelin, some great cruiser floating through the air. They could also be a fleet or formation of airships with wire ziplines serving as transportation airship to airship. These nomadic homes can easily travel wherever they please and stock up on resources from trading posts or internal farms.

D&D is a fantastic land with dwarves and giants, so why not make a castle made of clouds? Made by cloud giants, goliaths, wizards, gods, these wispy bastions rise high as indomitable fortresses of the sky. They could be major points of control in an attempted sky war, they could be subject to weather like snow or rain.

I’m making sky ruins its own category on this list, somewhere between floating islands and airships. Mysterious in origin and purpose, possibly moving on its own volition, possibly affecting the world around it with constant tornadoes or storms. Inhabitants could be ancients displaced from time, undead, constructs, or new inhabitants who don’t understand what they perch upon. This could also loop into Bioshock Infinite style constructed cities in the sky that are very much not (yet) ruined.

If we can have cave systems so deep they lead to the Underdark as a bridge from overworld to underworld why not have a bridge to the sky? Big Mountain. This is a mountain so large it moves from the overworld to the sky, a Mt Everest sized feature in the world. It should be difficult to ascend by foot but if you do you’re rewarded with a piece of the sky biome. It could be a roost for aarakocra on their migratory routes, monastery of those devoted to the winged, or even a great lair to a benevolent dragon more interested in trade than tyranny.

The last region I have for you is open sky! A no-man’s land region of the sky biome best traversed by endurance runners of fliers. Like the open ocean these are vast open spaces that could contain any number of uncharted bits of other regions or have flocks of flying creatures interacting. The open sky is defined by what it lacks and enticing for its boundless adventure. The answer is we don’t know, and by playing we discover.

And thats the sky! A region of untapped creative potential. I would love to hear other thoughts you might have for what could work as a region or landmark in the sky, or any thoughts you had reading through this! Happy exploring out there, friends!

[dasenergi]

Everybody Here Is A Cloud

Water’s Essence: Both clouds and humans are primarily made of water, the fundamental element that sustains all life. Clouds are collections of water vapor, while humans are composed of about 60% water. This shared essence reminds us of the life force that connects all living beings and the natural world.

Constant Change: Just like clouds, humans are always evolving, shaped by experiences, emotions, and circumstances. Clouds shift their forms in the sky, and humans continuously adapt to the world around them.

Interconnectedness: Clouds are formed from water vapor that comes from various sources like oceans, rivers, and lakes, connecting different parts of the planet. Similarly, humans are deeply interconnected through relationships, societies, and shared experiences.

Diversity in Form: Both clouds and humans exist in many different forms. Clouds range from fluffy cumulus to towering cumulonimbus, while humans come with unique personalities, perspectives, and appearances.

Reflective and Reactive: Clouds can reflect sunlight, cast shadows, or produce rain, reacting to environmental factors. Humans, too, reflect the energies around them—whether emotions, ideas, or actions—and can influence their surroundings.

Ephemeral Nature: Clouds are temporary, dissipating and reforming in different shapes. Human life is similarly transient, with moments that pass by, emphasizing the importance of the present.

Shared Origins: The water in clouds and in humans is ancient, cycling through Earth’s systems for millions of years. This reminds us that we are part of a greater story—connected to the same molecules that nourished life long before us, carrying the past within us and contributing to the future.

[ninapi]

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┊┊┊✧ ⁺ ⁺╚══ Water Pillar ╝

Premise: Lacking resolution was his weakest attribute, after losing his established lifestyle and many friends in battle, finding something worth living for can be challenging. But there's always a rainbow after a rainy day and he found that rainbow when his low was at its peak. A lost soul finds another.

Word count: 4563

Warning: spoilers, the story takes place after the manga’s original timeline.

Note: This is in a way linked to my previous Sanemi story, as this is what happened in the same timeline but on Giyuu’s side. In case you’re interested you can read Sanemi’s here.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The battle was finally over. It was difficult to process or to even accept that demons were a thing of the past now.

Many people lost their life to this cause, good, hardworking people.

This was the life of many, Giyuu included.

Now that there was no threat, they all needed to shift gears and find a new purpose in life, start fresh, live as normal people, finally.

That was easier said than done for a pillar.

To many, killing this creatures was just a hobby, to some a full-time job, but for the pillars it was their life.

They lived just to kill demons, to rid the world of evil, to defeat Muzan. How were they supposed to go back to a tranquil life they never had?

The easiest way out for Giyuu was to go back to his master’s hut. It was isolated enough for his liking, and he wouldn’t mind him staying for a day or two. Tanjiro would also be close by, seemed like a logic course of action.

Urokodaki was not thrilled. Unlike Giyuu, he was accepting retirement quite well. He was satisfied with the fact that not only Tanjiro became the great warrior he ended up being, but also Giyuu successfully took his place as the water pillar. He had a good life, was useful for the corps for as long as it was necessary, now it was time to find inner peace in preparations for the afterlife. Never expected having to babysit once more.

Giyuu was a wreck.

Not emotionally, but a wreck.

Adapting to a missing limb wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. He found solace in Tengen who helped him a great deal to adjust to his daily routine, he lost it first, he was proud of how quickly he got used to it and defeated the odds. He never thought much of him, but recently he became more like a role model than anything else.

Getting dressed was complicated, eating almost impossible. He thought many times of how much he wished Muzan would have ended his life along the rest of his comrades, it would have been easier on him, and he would have had an honorable death. Without a job, a house, an arm, and now a purpose to move forward, it was becoming quite taxing to wake up every day.

Bored out of his mind, he recalled his first time in the same hut he’s been sleeping in lately, his very first time experiencing his masters rough training, the very first time he was able to take in the water breathing techniques. He did it once, he can certainly learn how to do it once more. If he had to learn how to eat and do everything else with his other hand, this would only add one more thing he had to practice enough to get by. Even if there weren’t any more demons around, even if it was not necessary anymore, it was to him, he didn’t want to feel useless and unprotected. Demons might be gone, but the dark is full of dangers living deep inside human nature.

His master allowed him to stay with him for a while longer, he was worried about his depressive state and if he was being honest, it was nice to have someone home, even when Giyuu didn’t talk as much. He’s very attached to his successors and wants nothing but the best for the remaining two.

Giyuu went deep into the mountain, where he used to train with his friends a long time ago. The place was filled with good memories and it made him feel like he wasn’t alone. It’s been raining hard for the last couple of days, but he wanted nothing to do with it, he needed to practice, he needed to become one with the water once more, what a better way of doing it than training under the rain.

After a long day of failures, a defeated Giyuu sits on a rock shielded by some trees. He liked being deep in the forest on stormy days, it was so peaceful, all he could hear was how the raindrops hit different surfaces at the same time creating an alluring melody that couldn’t be replicated, it helped him meditate, find the peace he’s been looking for a while. That’s when he felt he was being watched, a feeling he couldn’t shake no matter how silly it sounded like. Who else could be there in such a heavy storm. It was consistent, making him get up from his resting spot and walk towards the source, he thought it might be an injured animal, never thought it would be a bleeding villager resting against a tree trunk.

“Are you ok? Do you need help?” she was clearly not ok, blood could be seen seeping through her kimono, her face was also littered with smaller cuts. Seeing him seemed to ease her mind, making her collapse against Giyuu’s chest. He was still not the best at handling weight with his left arm, but he had to do something, he had to take her to his master, it was the least he could do, he just couldn’t leave a woman there to bleed to death alone in the forest.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The rain was not stopping, the storm was as dense as it could be and that proved to be an issue since they didn’t have medicine in stock back in the hut. Giyuu still had some of Shinobu’s salve and thanks to that the woman seemed to be doing better, though a heavy fever was not leaving her.

“Giyuu, I need your help feeding the girl, my back is not as strong as it used to be.” he didn’t want to be involved in this any longer, but he couldn’t go out to train either, helping his master out a bit was nothing more than good manners.

“Ok.” getting her to sit was a task, but once she was up, he managed to make her rest against him, making it easier to get the soup down her throat. She was barely conscious, little whimpers were living her lips as he fed her, and he was losing his cool. “What is it? Does it taste bad? Is it too hot?” he didn’t get a reply from her making him try the soup himself, immediately burning his tongue with the intense heat.

Her eyes were now halfway open, awfully comfortable against the warm surface of Giyuu’s chest. She saw the cute face he made while getting burned and also saw him blowing onto the spoon before attempting to feed her once more. It was a heartwarming scene and she fell back to her unconscious self right after the soup was over.

Urokodaki’s back was becoming a serious problem. Even getting out of bed was painful and he started to worry for the future. Being alone at an old age had its bad side. Giyuu was a big help, even with his own problems.

He stares at his protégé with a loving gaze as he battled to clean the sweat out of the woman laying down across the room. There was nothing remaining from the Giyuu that ran out of situations like a plague. He was now fully committed to nurse her back to health under the excuse of helping his master. It was encouraging seeing him change, his aloof personality was a concern, he thought his beloved successor would end up alone after his passing, but he wasn’t so sure anymore and those were good news.

“Why is she not waking up fully?” his hand remained covering the cloth over her forehead, hoping the fever would go down fast.

“I’m not sure, son. Her wounds are healing properly, she might not want to wake up.” this felt like a kick to the gut to Giyuu, he knows exactly how that feels, not wanting to wake up ever again, not wanting to affront life and an uncertain future. She had probably lost her family in some sort of accident since there was no one else around where she was found, but there were no more demons, why are these things still happening? Rage was bubbling up in his chest when he felt a hand gripping his wrist.

Her eyes were finally open, and they were looking at him with worry. He was probably making some sort of scary looking face by the look of hers, “How are you feeling? I’m Tomioka Giyuu, I brought you to my master’s house after I found you wounded in the forest.” she was desperately trying to speak, but her voice wasn’t coming out, causing her to tremble in fear.

“It’s ok, don’t overexert yourself. You suffered from heavy trauma; your voice should get back with time. Keep resting, you can stay here until you get better.” her panicked self was trying her best to get up while Giyuu was pushing her back down onto the futon, fighting her panicked swings. “She’s so strong. Are you sure she’s still sick?” hearing Giyuu’s voice once again seemed to calm her down, obediently laying down.

“Let her rest.” Upon his master’s instructions he was about to get up and give her space, but she reached out to hold his wrist once more, placing it over her head with a content sigh and a little smile.

He was not one to spoil others, but if his hand could bring any sort of relief, he would keep it there for just a while longer. People usually want him out of their space, want him to stay quiet and not say another word. But she actually liked hearing him talk and wanted him there, it was a rare occasion, and he would indulge just because of that.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Once the fever went away, she became part of the dysfunctional Urokodaki household.

Giyuu would go and train in the mountain after helping his master with his daily tasks. She took care of cooking and also the cleaning of the house, leaving the old man to rest and enjoy his days as he pleased.

They now know your name is (Y/N), but you still haven’t been able to talk no matter how hard you tried.

You also couldn’t properly remember what happened with your family, everything was hazy, all you could remember was blood all over the place, running in the forest and then Giyuu’s face. Like a badly edited film.

You’d wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, your throat raw as voice was trying to come out with little progress, tears going down your face.

For a while now, you’ve been sleeping in between the two of them, three futons laying next to each other by the fire.

Giyuu always woke up to your thrashing and half asleep he’d look for one of your hands patting around until he felt it within his grasp, the nightmares would die on that very moment, serenity painting your face as his warmth reached your insides slowly. He would let go in the morning before anyone could notice and get up to start with his day.

Until one night.

The nightmare came back. You could see an unknown man with an axe, he was chasing your little brothers around, you could see how he would chop them up like a steak, it was gruesome, heart wrenching. You jumped in between the man and your crumbling mother; he had already assaulted her and was in pretty bad shape. And that’s how you got the gash on your stomach. Your mother made you run for your life, the rest of the children were gone, and she was inhaling her last breath, she wanted to at least be able to save one of her beloved children.

Scrambling to your feet, you ran desperately into the forest. Branches hitting you on the face as you ran with all your remaining strength, some of them cutting the flesh they graced. Your feet were naked and you could feel the little stones on the ground digging deep into the sensitive skin, it was painful, debilitating. Your stomach was severely injured, the blood loss was making your head fuzzy and when you were about to lose control of your own body, the last thing you saw were Giyuu’s beautiful eyes.

Waking up with your heart hammering against your ribs was a normal occurrence. But this time was different. You saw everything, you remembered now.

Tears were flowing down your cheeks imitating the waterfalls nearby. A choked sob left your lips, the shock of hearing your own voice made you reach for Giyuu.

But his futon was empty.

The moon was still high up in the sky, darkness filling every corner.

Where was he? It was so late, you can’t go out this late, Urokodaki-san doesn’t let you. Where could he be?

Not thinking clearly, you stomped outside the house looking for him, but there was no sight of him, his zori were not with the others either.

Many thoughts clouded your mind.

Did he leave without even saying good bye? Would you ever see him again?

You heard him talking with his master the other day, he wasn’t even supposed to stay this long.

Panic filled your chest, your head about to burst but thankfully your feet did the job for you, running at full speed through the trees and into the heart of the forest. If he was still here, there was just one place he could be in.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Giyuu couldn’t sleep, so he decided he would put his time to good use and train for a couple of hours more, that would for sure tire him up enough to help him sleep.

He was about to head back to the hut when the trees cleared up reveling your disheveled form running in his direction.

Before he could even open his mouth, you threw yourself on him, wrapping your arms around his neck and legs around his waist, “Giyuu, Giyuu, Giyuu, Giyuu, Giyuu!” shock could be seen in his face for miles. He didn’t know what to do. Should he hold you? Should he put you down? Why were you even there? It’s dangerous to go out alone at night, he thought you understood that.

But wait- “Your voice is back?” this was the very first time he heard your voice, it felt foreign but oddly welcoming.

“GIYUU” all you could say was his name in between muffled sobs. He didn’t leave, he was just training. He didn’t leave you behind like everyone else did.

“That’s my name, yes. C’mon, lets get you back home.” shaking your head and clinging tighter onto him you didn’t let him put you down. “I thought…you left…” you could barely talk, panting heavily against his ear.

Was that why you were crying? Because you thought he left? That was no reason to cry, that wasn’t even his house to begin with, he had to leave eventually, and so do you.

“Giyuu, I saw my family’s death in my dreams. It was horrible, he, the man that did this, was like one of those demons you talk about with master, he, he cut my family down like trees.” He’s no stranger to this sort of scenes, he’s seen them firsthand, lived them through. He knows how painful and scary that can be and the scars that they can make inside someone’s heart.

His hand came to rest on your back, gently patting it, it was his way to let you know everything would be alright, he wasn’t one of many words, comforting people wasn’t his forte. “I won’t let him go near you again, don’t worry.” as usual, his voice had a calming effect on you, sobs slowly turned to whimpers, and then to little sniffs. You knew you were safe; he was there after all. He made you feel safe.

“Will you leave?”

“We can’t live in his house forever (Y/N). We both need to leave at some point.”

“Can I go with you?”

He still didn’t know why you were able to talk now, was it psychological like his master thought? Was it because you now remember the incident? Trauma has so many different ways of manifesting itself, it was concerning.

“If you must.”

He carried you back to the house, your legs were still shaky from the commotion and the long run, the last thing he wanted was your wound opening back up or another of those hell fevers. It was just the best he could come up with, the more convenient way to take you home in one piece.

But for you it meant more than that, he was worrying about you, he was willing to take you with him when he left, he was the only good memory in an entire nightmare, the beacon of light that took you to safety, the warmest hand you’ve ever held. He was slowly becoming the reason you woke up every morning.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Life was easier now a days, it’s been a couple of years since your first encounter.

Giyuu was used to handle his left hand now.

Your voice was back in its entirety, your wounds fully healed.

But Urokodaki’s health kept declining.

You were now part of his family, and he didn’t want to see you go, he’s lived his life in solitude since he retired, without the warmth a family can bring. He felt more at home now that he shared the space with you two and wanted this to be his reality to his last day.

“I have to go (Y/N). My friend is having a baby. He wants me to go meet him.”

“Then I go too.” you were pouting, clinging onto his leg. It still terrified you the thought of him leaving to never come back. It hunts your nightmares more often than the massacre you witnessed these days.

“We can’t leave the master alone, what if his condition worsens?”

“It’ll be just for a couple of days, Giyuu. Take her with you. I don’t want to see her wail until your return, might have to lock her away in a cave.”

It’s not like he didn’t want to go with you, he was honestly worried for his health, his hair was now mostly gone, his old age was showing rapidly, and you both feared the worse, it wasn’t a good time to leave him on his own.

“I will cut it short. We’ll be back by sunrise.” with a short nod, he pulled you by your wrist, running full speed down the mountain. Thankfully you had built a good amount of stamina training along side him for the last couple of years and you could actually keep up with him.

His friend’s house was…unconventional to say the least.

He had four wives, the last addition to the group was the one bearing the child.

Tengen had sent his old crow with the news, they bonded over their shattered future and were now close enough to share something of this importance.

Giyuu was the first one to hold the baby, even before Tengen did. This caused an uproar, the father mopping all over his tired wife, begging her to bring another one to this world fast so he could be the one to hold them first as his right had been stolen by a treacherous friend.

Seeing such a large man mopping like a child was a sight to behold. The baby in Giyuu’s arm though…created a whole new ecosystem in your head. He looked so soft, the way the baby’s little hand caressed Giyuu’s cheek while stretching, the small smile playing on his lips when he saw the baby yawn for the first time. It looked like a different dimension; you’ve never seen that face on him before.

“Can you please give me back my son, Tomioka? If you want one that bad, why don’t you make one with her?” pointing over to you, he took his child from Giyuu’s arm, immediately falling in love with the little clone he created with his darling wife.

“I….we- we are not- is not like that, Uzui.” the smirk on Tengen’s face was as annoying as his entire self, if it wasn’t for the baby in his arm he would have been forced to wipe it out from existence, “Yeah right. I saw the way she looked at you, seems like she wants one too. You do know how to put it in, right? Or do you need me to give you some lessons?” Giyuu’s hand was on his sword, ready to decapitate the new father, this only made Tengen cackle as he took his newborn back to his mother.

“Stay for dinner, the girls are cooking a feast to welcome the baby.”

“We can’t, master is ill.” Tengen knew how important this was, he was like a father to Giyuu, loosing him will be another big blow, he worried for his friend.

“Alright, (Y/N)-chan please come to visit us when you have time. Make sure to drag your man along when you do so!” waving your way out of the polygamist household your cheeks were burning bright red while Giyuu just let out the loudest sigh you’ve ever heard.

This Tengen guy meant troubles.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Urokodaki’s passing came unannounced. He left this world peacefully, resting on his futon after a hot cup of tea. He died a happy man, surrounded by a loving daughter-like figure and his successor, he was grateful for the life he had and left this world with a smile.

You were the one to notice it first, he was retelling one of the big adventures of his youth when he fell quiet, the teacup emptied just in time.

Giyuu found you sobbing on top of him, holding his still hand in between both of yours, shattering his heart once more.

You two were now alone in this world.

Just a night before this happened though, he called Giyuu aside, he told him to take good care of you, reminded him this house belonged to two of you and wanted to make sure Giyuu understood he would never find another woman like you, nobody could ever like him half of what you do, appreciate him as he was and accept his past the way you did, embrace his future like it was your own. He made him promise this like if he knew he had no time left.

Saying goodbye to the people you love is hard, specially when they’ve been your support for such a long time. But Giyuu was grateful and so were you.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Time skip~

It’s been six years since Urokodaki’s passing. The hut has never been this full of life before and somehow Giyuu wishes his master was there to witness it.

“Mama where are we going?” a small boy was being dressed by you while Giyuu waited patiently outside.

“We need to go to the market, love.” Winter was approaching fast and now that the child was eating larger portions, you needed to stock up with food before the snow didn’t allow you to go down the mountain.

Downtown was far from the hut, without the child it would have taken an hour, but he was too young still to run at full speed carrying him, so it took double that time to get to and from the market.

It was a beautiful fall morning, the crisp air filling up your lungs with delight, that’s when Giyuu spotted a familiar face in the crowd, one he hasn’t seen in over a decade.

Who would have thought that Shinazugawa Sanemi, the most feared demon hunter, the powerful wind pillar would end up selling vegetables in a market.

He looked way more relaxed than he did back in the day, his face used to remain in a permanent scowl, always yelling at others, the complete opposite of what he was witnessing right now, it was like seeing a different person. Made him reflect on his own life, he’s changed quite a bit too, he’s more open now, talks more. Having a three-year-old around asking questions all day forcing him to indulge him with the cutest puppy eyes the world has to offer, made him a different man, who wouldn’t change under said conditions.

Seeing an old friend felt like a breath of fresh air.

He is still in contact with Tengen and his family, Tanjiro also stops by every now and then with his children. But seeing someone that’s related to the old distant past was like going back to his youth.

They were both older now, both had a wife and children. People change, the world keeps moving forward regardless of how many lives were lost that day.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Agreeing to a night out in the Shinazugawa household was unexpected but welcomed.

Sanemi’s wife was lovely, she was as pregnant as one can be, yet she prepared the most delicious meal he’s ever tasted. Sanemi and the tiny gang went to catch some salmon and she cooked it freshly caught, accompanied with a bountiful amount of hand grown vegetables, even the tea leaves were grown in the property. Shinazugawa’s wife was a delight, he really hit the jackpot, made him wonder how he was even able to get someone like her.

“Yuki-kun, would you like to play with Remi? She’s about your age, a bit younger. Genma, take him to your sister so you can play together.” the little rascal reminded him so much of Genya, he was sure Tanjiro would cry if he ever gets to see him.

“Go with him, have fun.” the child was as shy and soft spoken as his father, but agreed nonetheless encouraged by his mother.

“So just one? I thought the old man had a big house. Or is it your salty ass the problem?” Sanemi was smirking while bringing a cup of sake to his lips, clearly enjoying the conversation.

“If someone as salty as you managed to have five….” your hand flew over instantly to slap your husband’s knee, why was he acting this way, he’s usually so well mannered, it was embarrassing.

“Oh well, my wife is irresistible what can I say.”

Yuki came wailing back into the room, crashing on his mother’s lap, “What’s wrong baby?”

“She…she bit my hand…”

Little Remi was giggling behind her brother who was visibly distraught by the situation. Sanemi burst out laughing going over to his little girl to bring her to the table, “That’s my girl.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The night ended up being one to remember, without knowing Giyuu had built many friendships over the years.

Sleep was avoiding him, his mind wondering while his wife’s little breaths hitting the side of his neck soothed his restless self. There was a point where he thought he was lost, that he had no future, that living one more day was a waste of time.

When he looks back at his life, he realizes life has been good to him.

He thinks of lost comrades, Kochou, Himejima-san, Iguro and Kanroji, Rengoku, Oyakata-sama…then thinks of himself, Shinazugawa, Uzui, even Tanjiro and Nezuko and how happy they are now. How they owe their happiness to those who gave their lives to protect their future.

He thinks of his master who groomed him to be who he is today.

Of his wife and child who would be by his side for the rest there is to live.

And he feels grateful, he feels complete and even if he went to hell and back, he would do it all over again if that brought him to this very moment.

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

Tagged Babes: @doumadono

Masterlist

[klanced]

i just finally watched the batman (2022) and need a repository for my thoughts

anyway yes i know i am the voltron blog but you all must understand. and this is key to my lore. that i am an insane batman fan. i haven't kept up with comics in recent years but i am a total sleeper agent when it comes to batman and i've been waiting literal months to watch The Batman (2022) and i finally watched it last night and have been marinating in my thoughts since. and also my parents are tired of hearing my ranting and watching me walk around in circles.

ANYWAY.

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cinematography

this is literally the best looking batman film in years, if not the best looking one ever. the color grading was like a balm to my eyes, especially after the slog fest that is some of the other superhero movies... even with the constant rain the city never looked washed out, reeves and his set designers made such awesome choices when it came to fluorescent and neon lighting... the DINER SCENE!!!!!!!!!!! also omfg the way they made battinson the Red and Black Batman like what an excellent color combination. i loved it. i need to buy some of the theatrical release posters post HASTE.

more than anything this movie was SHOT like a comic book and so many scenes looked like they were ripped straight from a comic book, like i could visualize the paneling and everything... so freaking baller.

my family wasn't super impressed but i think it's because they expected an action movie but No You Don't Get It. batman sees the world as a gritty detective noir movie but to everyone else in gotham they're living in a horror movie and that is BATMAN CINEMA!!!!

when the riddler was arrested i was like 'wait there's still 40 minutes?' and then i preceded to have my mind completely blown. i kept questioning what reeves was doing only for him to IMMEDIATELY correct me minutes later. literally, let this man cook he knows what he's doing. when bruce lit the flare i didn't immediately get it -- and then the little mayor's boy reached for batman without any hesitation. and then the crowd began to follow him, closing the distance. and then he began to lead them to higher crowd. And Then I Got It.

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2. gotham

yes i'm devoting an entire section just to the city.

gotham city is one of the hardest things to get right in any kind of batman media. like gotham is Not Normal and that should always be something hovering in the background. but many directors just don't bother because gotham architecture is so fundamentally different from normal sensibilities that building lore accurate sets would be both incredibly costly and almost impossible to do. but matt reeves tried and the movie was so unbelievably better for it.

bvs gotham was basically just new york city and don't even get me STARTED on how futuristic minimalistic modern the nolan movies were. ugh.

but when bruce and alfred were in their penthouse suite surrounded by fifty layers of gothic style trim my dad verbally said 'are they in a fucking church or something' and like YES DAD! that's the POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gotham is supposed to be borderline CAMPY GOTHIC like the city itself is not just a setting, it's a full blown supporting character. the city looking batshit is essential lore and PIVITOL to the world building that has produced a man dressed up as a bat to fight crime like you DON'T GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! batman is divorced from our reality but he is GROUNDED IN GOTHAM!!!!

actually side note i've been playing gotham knights on the PC and 1) the game is way better than critics gave it credit for and 2) GOTHAM LOOKS SO GOOD IN THIS GAME. THE LIGHTING IS CRAZYYYY. best adaptation of gotham city fr, i loved the arkham video game series but the panache. the style. it became so diluted after arkham asylum fr.

my one criticism is that reeves needed to make one more rooftop set it was so silly that all the characters kept returning to the same gcpd roof with the bat signal on it.

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3. plot

FINALLY A MOVIE WHERE BRUCE IS A DETECTIVE. i've waited literal years for this. i do wish batman had been a little bit more active/proactive in the plot, i.e. not strictly following with riddler's games, but this is also early batman so i'm more forgiving of his rookie mistakes... however in the second movie i expect him to be on his BALL GAME!!!! give me plot-armor-borderline-prescient batman PLEASE MR. REEVES I BEG OF THEE.

LOVED this adaptation of the riddler. using the zodiac killer as an inspiration for the riddler was amazing, brilliant, showstopping, spectacular. and they kept a little bit of camp in paul dano's performance which i appreciate. i don't think we'll ever go back to batman forever levels of camp, but that's okay </3

there was a nod to the character of hush in the movie (at least that's how i'm choosing to interpret it) but i don't think they could ever use hush in the future because they already adapted so much of his gimmick for the riddler... but that's okay tbh i don't think hush is that interesting anyway.

at its core the batman was a buddy cop movie and i LOVED that. jeffrey wright KILLED it as lieutenant gordon and the dynamic between batman and gordon was amazing. excellent usage of our favorite future-commissioner, you could really see they already had an established rapport but their bond was becoming even stronger... their conversation in the interrogation room was so amazing, as well as their scene with the penguin.

my one criticism is that alfred became non-existent after a certain point. also lowkey the lego batman movie did a better job at the 'bruce realizes that his trauma has made him reluctant to form bonds or deepen them because of his fear of losing anyone else' subplot. lego batman movie on top!

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4. characterizations

everyone and their mom has already talked about how this version of bruce wayne is more focused on developing his identity as the batman versus his identity as brucie wayne so i won't repeat those essays. but i will say that i have such high hopes for bruce's development in the sequel. like the way the movie ended with him emphasizing how he needs to become a 'symbol of hope for the city' reads to me as him preparing to finally re-enter gotham society as Billionaire Bruce Wayne and i am SO READY FOR IT.

but what i actually want to talk about is how amazing catwoman's development is. i love how much backstory they gave her in this movie. i will always love the nolanverse version of catwoman but you really learn almost nothing about selina in TDKR. but in the batman selina's is this fully fleshed out character. you can immediately guess what her life has been like. and her motivations in the story... the way she was prepared to run until she found annika... and then she immediately changed gears and focused on vengeance for annika and her mother... god, i love it.

cobblepot's character was also so, so good. you can intimately tell that he's a two-faced bastard who's spent years being a yes-man purely so he can climb the social ladder. i know colin farrell is going to rock the HELL out of that monocle in the sequel.

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5. hopes for the future

i know it's too late but i reallyyy don't want joker to be in the sequel. i unfortunately think that's more or less guaranteed though since they've already casted barry keoghan. and his performance was really good. i'm just tired of seeing the joker in batman media. (inb4 keoghan absolutely kills it in the sequel and makes me eat my hat). i don't really consider batman to have one arch nemesis, only that the joker has consistently ruined batman's life more often than all the other villains.

literally the one hill i will die on is that reeves NEEDS to include robin at some point. PLEASE. you can't have batman without a robin, he gets so lonely. literally that's all i want. i want battinson to become a dad so, so bad. you have no idea.

and (and this is key) robin must be a kid. a pre-teen aged 14 or younger. "oh but that's so unrealistic, child superheroes totally break the immersion" well I DON'T CARE. FULL THROTTLE ON THE CHILD ENDANGERMENT. let children fight crime, for the culture.

[okay, okay. make it a robin origin story where dick grayson is introduced and is plot-relevant but he doesn't actively patrol and fight crime and only becomes robin at the very end.]

introduce robin in batman 2, and then have robin be a participating older teen/adult in batman 3.

my incredibly indulgent ideal batman 2:

at least two years have passed (bruce is more or less settled and has finally hit his stride). he has mastered air gliding and now attacks villains from the rafters instead of just constantly walking out of the shadows. i want to see arkham-level combat So Bad.

selina is mentioned, but doesn't really appear (and there are no other love interests.

actually wait i change my mind about joker. joker can be included in the movie IF the red herring "main plot" is that he's using a circus as a base of operations (because clowns and circuses).

i say red herring "main plot" because the movie starts with a joker crime spree, so you think the movie is going to be all about the joker, but then he leads batman to his circus base and it turns out that PSYCH! THIS IS ACTUALLY A DICK GRAYSON ORIGIN STORY. because joker's base of operations is haly's circus.

batman is snooping around looking for evidence and that's when he comes across dick grayson, age 10.

kid dick grayson. PLEASE. PLEASE.

batman decides to visit the circus as bruce wayne. You Know What happens.

plot plot plot

COURT OF OWLS SUBPLOT.

bruce has to balance hunting down the joker while also protecting this little kid he pretends he isn't totally attached to.

this is incredibly indulgent because i have no idea how you would balance joker screentime with that of the court of owls. idk. that's what's fanfiction is for i guess c:

i have decided that over winter break i am going to rewatch all the batman movies from 1980s onwards so i can revise my Batman Cinema power rankings. i will create some kind of metric or spreadsheet so i can grade and quantify each movie.

hell i should also replay all my favorite batman video games. because those are basically just movies anyway. and i miss kevin conroy :(

thanks for reading. god i love batman.

[lynne-monstr]

QZGS Fanwork Rec Bingo 2022 (Roundup)

In late 2022, the QZGS fandom had a rec event. I posted each rec in its own post, and now two years later, I finally have a masterlist.

I added some new recs in addition to the original set. These were in my notes at the time, but I didn't get myself in order in time for posting. I'm very glad to be able to include them now.

Rec guidelines: I tried to limit myself to one fic per author. I did not always succeed. This list is heavily biased towards yuhuang and Blue Rain because that's where my fannish interest lies.

NSFW recs or fics with content warnings will be indicated on the rec itself.

Fanworks under the cut

Pre-canon - That Dream, Passing On by kaleidastra

Author’s summary: Fang Shijing celebrated Blue Rain's first championship; along with someone he never expect he'd meet again. Rec notes: This fic makes me so happy!! It’s chaotic and funny and emotional all at once, and manages to have a lovely emotional resolution while still sucker punching you in the face in the best way. I love all of FSJ’s internal narration. And have I mentioned it’s funny! Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Fang Shijing, Wei Chen; gen No content warning

A work from before 2020 - they're never hiking ever again please and thank by andthenabanana

Author’s summary: “This,” Zheng Xuan says between heavy breaths, “is not bonding.” Rec notes: Ahhhh this fic is so wonderful. Blue Rain goes on a hike and there are Shenanigans. Full of teasing and team bonding and Huang Shaotian being the best vice captain. This fic brings Blue Rain to life and gives great warm fuzzies. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Blue Rain; gen No content warnings

Rare Relationship focused - One big exhale (never did me no good) by UndeadRobins

Author’s summary: Different players need different incentives to help them improve. It doesn’t take long for Xiao Shiqin to figure out what Sun Xiang needs. Rec notes: The xsq/sx fic of my dreams! Their live action dynamic was begging for a fic like this, and this one delivers!I love how the dynamic between them creeps up slowly until it fills the entire page. Truly a gem of a fic. Adaptation: Live Action/Novel Characters: Xiao Shiqin/Sun Xiang Contains: light D/s, rated m

Glory focused - china's sword and curse by snoflakesun

Author’s summary: It… it could’ve been a fluke, or just a lucky moment. This was what most of the audience thought. Perhaps he had seen Yu Wenzhou’s screen, or maybe the mic didn’t pick up what he had said. But all of the pro players knew, this definitely wasn’t something that happened by chance. Rec notes: They’re partners your honor!!! Um I love everything about this. Fun banter, teamwork, and Huang Shaotian gets to trash talk as much as he wants! So much fun! I am a sucker for yuhuang synergy and fun battles and this delivers on everything. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters:/Ships: Yu Wenzhou, Huang Shaotuan, Sun Xiang, Zhou Zekai; Yuhuang No content warnings

A fic longer than 10k - Memorable by Saxifactumterritum

Author’s summary: Huang Shaotian’s retirement is announced to the world at the last moment, right at the end of the season, but Blue Rain know about it a long time before that. Huang Shaotian retires, everyone expects him to stick around Blue Rain, but he doesn't. And then it's sad. Rec notes: Sad retirement fic 😭😭😭. My favorite thing about this fic (besides all the feelings and character stuff and friendships and OCs and everything else) is the very realistic look it takes about what happens when people move away. It’s so easy to pretend nothing will change but the truth is that it does, and it takes work to maintain those connections at a distance. The journey Huang Shaotian (and Blue Rain) take when Huang Shaotian leaves is, in turns, sad and sweet and funny and it feels like getting punched in the gut in the best way. Adaptation: Live Action Characters/Pairing: Huang Shaotian, Yu Wenzhou, Blue Rain; background yuhuang No content warnings

One of your favorite tropes - my baby brings heat like a mama does by wolframvonbielefeld

Author’s summary: GLORY FORUM POST #89566: huang shaotian is NOT in love with yu wenzhou. false alarm. Rec notes: A bit “idiots to lovers,” a bit “didn’t know they were dating,” and a whole lot of mutual pining and also friendships! This fic is just so much fun! Bonus for one of my all time favorite visual moments with huang shaotian getting caught (bewildered) holding a massive tub of lube. Brilliant, a masterpiece. The fic is unfinished, but I believe it’s just the epilogue that isn’t posted, and the existing fic delivers on emotional resolution. So even if you avoid WIPs, I still recommend this one. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters/Ships: Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian, various pros Contains: NSFW (Rated Explicit), sexually explicit, omegaverse

Free Space - Out With the Old and in With the New by smallspace 

Author’s summary: Everything is swapped! The avatars are playing a slice of life tabletop roleplaying game where they are the players and the esports pros are the characters. But not everyone wants to play the same character forever. Here is a series of snapshots of avatars changing their characters. Rec notes: What a fun idea! The way the TKA storyline is adapted for the swap is so clever, and the humor is top notch. I laughed all the way through (except for the knife part 😭😭) Adaptation: Donghua/Novel/Live Action Characters: avatar and player ensemble; gen No content warnings

Post-Canon - at the edge of a new leaf by GeniusCactus

Author’s Summary: Wang Jiexi and Yu Wenzhou bond over tactics and good quality tea Rec Notes: The power of teamwork!! This fic is such a lovely quiet moment between Wang Jiexi and Yu Wenzhou, and filled with all the things I love: friendship, introspection, parallels, the occasional pun, and people being stronger together than apart. Also tea metaphors! Bonus for both Tiny Herb and Blue Rain having a very strong presence in the fic despite not appearing in the story. Adaptation: Novel Characters: Yu Wenzhou + Wang Jiexi; gen No content warnings

Missing Scene - The Old Man and the Dream by Dayadhvam

Author’s summary: During Season 10, Wei Chen goes to All-Stars for the first and last time. Or: a brief sojourn down memory lane ft. one Troubling Brat. Rec notes: My heartttttt alksjdlksjfsd. It’s fine I’m fine (that’s a lie I am NOT fine I am drowning in feelings). I love them, I love them, I love them. I have so many emotions about Wei Chen’s conflicted feelings over Blue Rain and Glory and Swoksaar, and where he fits into it all. This fic packs so much of a punch and I love every second. Characters: Wei Chen + Huang Shaotian; gen Adaptation: Novel/Donghua No content warnings

Female character focus - lightning strikes thunder(clap) by afincf_tirwer

Author’s summary: Dai Yanqi knew they were wrong. She knew where Thunderclap’s strengths lay, and it wasn’t solely Xiao Shiqin’s burden to bear. It rested on everyone’s shoulders, everyone who played, to support each other and cover for where others lacked. And right now, they were lacking Xiao Shiqin. Rec notes: Dai Yanqi tactician fic!! Love this glimpse into Thunderclap without Xiao Shiqin, and Dai Yanqi finding herself and her place and growing up. I particularly love the balance between her as a serious player and also having a happy, shiny personality. Get a girl who can do both! Adaptation: Novel Characters: Dai Yanqi, Thunderclap; gen No content warnings

Made you laugh - my captain, my tortoise by Fayah

Author’s summary: “Sun Xiang, don’t you have any pride at all? Even a tortoise is more professional than you are! But saying that is an insult to my cute little pet tortoise!” Huang Shaotian gets a bit too carried away with his trash talk in Blue Rain’s match against Excellent Era and accidentally reveals that he is secretly raising an illegal pet tortoise. Rec notes: this didn’t just make me laugh, it made me howl, it’s so funny omg. Top notch humor, 10/10 amazing. Beautiful. The live action turtle fic of my dreams. RIP Huang Shaotian, he’s trying his best. Blue Rain, best team. Adaptation: Live Action/Novel Characters/Ship: Blue Rain, yuhuang No content warnings

Comic or Fanart - the adventures of tiny swoksaar by saxifactumterritum 

Rec notes: This isn’t a traditional comic format, rather a series of art across two tumblr posts depicting a tiny Swoksaar breaking out of his snowglobe to seek a tiny snowglobe Troubling Rain.  The art is so rich with details, I really feel like I am getting a glimpse of Huang Shaotian’s living space and all the knickknacks he owns. All the poses are so dynamic and full of motion, and the facial expressions are fun and evocative. And the story it tells is adorable! Bonus for live action-based art, which is particularly rare and brings me endless joy. Adaptation: Live Action Characters/Pairings: Swoksaar/Troubling Rain No content warnings

Art link

Alternate Universe - A Life Given, A Life Restored by NR_Red

Author’s summary: Yu Wenzhou was a cyborg, and sometimes he thought he may have forgotten what it was like to be a ‘complete human’. Rec notes: A yuhuang meet cute AND super cool worldbuilding! All the rich details make me feel like I am getting a glimpse into a much larger world. The contrast between Yu Wenzhou’s matter-of-fact acceptance and Huang Shaotian’s enthusiasm is just as wonderful here as it is in canon. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters/Pairing: Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian No content warnings

Team focused - Initial Actions (Not Initiations) by Syncogon

Author’s summary: Team Blue Rain welcomes their newest member. It’s a great time! Almost no regrets are had whatsoever. Rec notes: I admit I am biased on this one because this fic was gifted to me for secret santa but also it’s amazing so i am in fact not biased at all. Rec Notes: I love this both for the team dynamics (new player traditions! Spicy noodles! So much teasing! They’re a family!!) and how all the players get distinct personalities, and the individual character moments (Zheng Xuan!! And the tiny hints of Yu Wenzhou and Huang Shaotian’’s history glimpsed around the edges). This gives me such happy warm fuzzy feelings and I love it every time I read it. Lu Hanwen’s outsider POV on the team is a constant delight. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Blue Rain; gen No content warnings

Crossover/Fusion - Lu Hanwen and the Wizard of Oz by SeiryuuSuzaku

Author’s Summary: Lu Hanwen is now the Captain of Blue Rain and trying to do his best to lead his team. But he has his doubts and his impulsive indulgence in chicken is going to give him a very strange dream that night. Gods of Glory are everywhere; Even in your dreams (●'▽'●)ゝ Contains: no content warnings Rec notes: Whimsical and delightful but at the same time, such a lovely character study of Lu Hanwen as captain of Blue Rain. This is exactly the kind of humor/crack I love, with just the right amount of seriousness woven into the shenanigans. And so many hilariously funny visual descriptions! I snorted out loud several times!  Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Lu Hanwen; ensemble No content warnings

Made You Cry - somebody that i used to know by BlueberryAsh

Author’s Summary: “I’m not him,” she says. “Nobody can ever be him. But I’m here. Ye Xiu, I’m here. Let me help.” Set within the confines of s01e35. Rec notes: I’m starting off my recs with an easy one, because this fic came immediately to mind when I saw the prompt. There’s just so much packed into all 533 words of this fic. I love the vibe of it—so much history and emotion and nearly none of it is said out loud and it doesn’t need to be. One of my favorite parts of this is that Su Mucheng and Ye Xiu are in this together, and there’s such a heavy weight to their history that comes across in the fic. And also it’s sad pegging, which I think is great. Pairing: Su Mucheng/Ye Xiu, past Su Muqiu/Ye Xiu Adaptation: Live Action Contains: pegging, angsty pegging, nsfw, canon character death

A non-english work or translation - 夜莺 by 青山为雪 (Verdancia)

Author’s Summary: L向群星致意。(t/l: Greetings to the stars) Rec notes: i have sadly only read this via machine translation, but even with the clunky “translation” this fic is gorgeous and I love it deeply. A lot of the story is told in flashback,and follows Astronaut/explorer Huang Shaotian and his relationship with Yu Wenzhou over the years. A series of partings and reunions set against the backdrop of a mystery in the current day. There’s some cool funky stuff the author does with time and perception that eventually rips your heart out in the end, but it’s worth it. Adaptation: Novel Pairing: Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian Contains: There is major character death involved but it’s a bit of a twist that unfolds as the fic progresses. If I were to tag it as if it were my own fic, I would use “Choose Not To Warn.”

Prequel Era - This rec is a 2-for-1. Art and fic!

Fic: not yet by saxifactumterritum

Author summary: just a little moment before ywz is captain, before he and hst are in a relationship, before they've quite got to friends. anyway they're dancing in a dark room instead of doing chores. Rec notes: ASLKJSDFLKJS! One of my favorite things about this fic is how it says so much in so little. It’s a tiny slice of life moment but it’s also a silent turning point for Yu Wenzhou and Huang Shaotian, the shift from two people towards a real partnership. It’s quiet and soft, like a liminal moment made real. Characters/Ship: Yu Wenzhou, Huang Shaotian; pre-relationship Adaptation: Live Action No content warnings

Art by bienmoreau

Artist caption:  “I’m glad you found me.” “I nearly didn’t.” Rec notes: There is so much life in this art that it blows me away every time I look at it. The poses, the facial expression, the amazing use of light and dark. I feel like this art just reached into my brain and scooped out the fic and brought it to love. It’s so gorgeous and amazing and absolutely stunning.

As an extra tiny bonus, I will link the podfic I did for this fic. Advance apologies for my pronunciation. I can only hope it doesn’t overshadow the vibe of the fic. (Is it tacky to link my own podfic? Perhaps, but this fic is so great that I want people to be able to read it in multiple forms)

A fic shorter than 1k - Curse or gift by UndeadRobins

Author’s Summary: Swoksaar knows curses. After all, he’s a warlock and there’s no one knows curses better than a warlock. Rec Notes: Short and sweet and right in the feels. I love the matter-of-fact tone that gently eases from statements of facts and into feelings. And bonus for avatar fic <3 Adaptation: Novel Characters/Pairings: Swoksaar/Troubling Rain No content warnings

Meta - Raindrops to a Downpour by TheDefenestrator

Author’s Summary: How could two people so different ever make an effective combination? Rec Notes: While not technically meta, this fic gives me cool meta vibes so I'm going with it. Meta in a fanfic hat, perhaps. Anyway, I love the thread of mirroring and parallel that runs through the fic. Under the surface of fast vs slow lies something much deeper and more complex Adaptations: Novel/Donghua Characters/Pairings: Yu Wenzhou + Huang Shaotian; Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian No content warnings

A “Comfort Food” work -  What do you want? By Saxifactumterritum

Author’s Summary: Huang Shaotian meets Sun Zheping by accident. He's a little bit overwhelmed by how cool Sun Zheping is. This is going to be very fun.  Rec Notes: This fic is so fun! Huang Shaotian swooning over Sun Zheping is so adorable. And huge bonus for all of Huang Shaotian’s other friendships in the background - with Ye Xiu, with Zhang Xinjie, his relationship with Yu Wenzhou that’s mostly in the background but no less strong for it. At it’s heart, this is a getting together fic but all the various friendships breathe so much life into the story. Also, Sun Zheping’s jacket is super cool. Adaptation: Live Action/Donghua Characters/Pairings: Huang Shaotian/Sun Zheping; Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian (polyamorous relationship) No Content Warnings

Minor Character Focused - I (don’t) wanna be the very best by jellysunfish

Author’s Summary: Zheng Xuan's season 8 quest to find Zhang Jiale and make him un-retire himself so Zheng Xuan doesn't have to carry the burden of being the GPA'S #1 Spitfire. How stressful. Rec Notes: Another fic where I’m maybe cheating because this fic was gifted to me. But is it not in the spirit of a gift exchange to love your gift? So perhaps it’s not cheating after all. This fic is such a delight, I reread it all the time and it never fails to make me laugh. Zheng Xuan is so relatable in his search to not work too hard or get too much of the spotlight. And I appreciate him gleefully throwing his teammates under the bus in his efforts. I cackle so much at all the shenanigans! Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Zheng Xuan, Zhang Jiale No content warnings

And that's a wrap! If you made it this far, please give the fic authors and artists some love <3

[janasrdhr]

Salvation - Simon “Ghost” Riley

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Warning(s): Slight NSFW, Explicit Language

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The rain hammered against the roof of the safe house like an incessant drum, a reminder of the storm both outside and within its walls. The room was stark, illuminated only by the intermittent flicker of an old lamp, casting long shadows that danced across the walls. You sat opposite Simon Riley, the man who was as much your nemesis as he was your ally in this precarious mission. The Ghost.

You had been on opposite sides more often than not, each encounter a chess game where moves were calculated and every gesture could be a feint; two operatives with a common goal but divergent methods.

Maps and documents were strewn across the table, but they were momentarily forgotten as the tension between you and Ghost reached a boiling point.

“For fuck's sake, Ghost, can you not see you're compromising the whole operation with your damn recklessness?” you hissed, your voice low and fierce.

He slammed his hand down on the table, leaning closer, his expression hard. “I get the job done, dove. I always do. Maybe if ya' weren't so bloody rigid, you’d see that.”

The space between you was electric, the air thick with every harsh word and challenging stare you had ever exchanged. It was as if all the years of rivalry and grudging respect had built up to this singular, explosive moment.

“You're being reckless, Ghost!” you snapped, your voice sharp as a whip. “This isn't some solo mission where you can play the hero. We have protocols for a reason.”

Ghost's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward, his hands flat on the table. “And ya' think playin' it safe is goin' to get us out'a this? We're not in some bloody trainin' exercise, dove. This is real, and it's dirty, and sometimes ya' have to adapt!”

“Adapt? Is that what you call compromising the entire operation?” Your voice rose, each word laced with accusation. “You think you're the only one who wants to get the job done? I'm not here to clean up your messes, Ghost.”

He stood abruptly, his chair scraping back violently. “Maybe if ya' stepped out from behind yer' manuals and protocols, you'd see that. Ya' think you're always right, but you're blind, dove. Blind to the fact that this world doesn't play by yer' rules.”

The room seemed to shrink, the air charged with your mutual frustration and anger. You stood as well, meeting him eye to eye, neither willing to back down. “And you're blind to the consequences of your actions! It's not just about us, Ghost. There are lives at stake—”

“Lives are always at stake!” he cut you off, his voice booming over the sound of the rain. “'nd I do what I have to, to protect them. Ya' think I don't know the cost? Ya' think I don't carry it w'me, every damn day?”

His words hung heavy, laden with an emotion you hadn't expected to see. It was a glimpse into the burden he bore, a side of him he rarely showed. But the moment of vulnerability was fleeting, quickly masked by his frustration.

“You're not the only one with scars, Ghost,” you said quietly, your anger giving way to a pained understanding. “We all have them. But that doesn't give you the right to be a martyr. Not at the expense of the mission, not at the expense of our team.”

Ghost's expression hardened, the brief flicker of vulnerability vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. He stepped closer, his posture rigid, the intensity in his eyes almost palpable. “Martyr?” he scoffed, his voice laced with disdain. “Ya' think this is about martyrdom? You're so wrapped up in yer' rules and yer' protocols that you've lost sight of what's at stake here.”

He leaned in, his face inches from yours, his words punctuated by the fierceness of his conviction. “I make the hard calls, dove, the ones you're too scared to make. Ya' hide behind yer' guidelines, thinkin' they'll save ya', but out here, in the real world, it's adapt or die. And I'm not ready to die, 'specially not for yer' idealism.”

You felt a surge of anger at his accusation, your hands balling into fists at your sides. “Idealism? Is that what you call valuing human lives? Because I call it humanity, Ghost. Something you might have forgotten in your 'my way or die' philosophy.”

Ghost's smirk was cold, unyielding. “Humanity? In our line'a work? You're delusional if ya' think that's what keeps us alive. It's about making the tough decisions, doin' the dirty work so others don't have to. If that makes me reckless in yer' eyes, so be it.”

The tension between you was explosive, a live wire sparking in the damp air of the safe house. Neither of you moved, the space between you charged with a volatile mix of anger and unresolved tension.

Finally, Ghost straightened, his expression set into a mask of determination. “We're wastin' time here, dove. Ya' can either get on board or get out of my way. But I'm finishin' this mission, with or without yer' approval.”

Your frustration boiled over as you watched Ghost dismissively turn his attention back to the maps. His words echoed in your mind, each one a spark igniting your temper further. He was so certain, so infuriatingly resolute in his methods, and his dismissal felt like a direct challenge to your convictions.

Stepping forward, you snatched a map from the table, crumpling it slightly in your grip. “Just because you're ready to die for this mission doesn't mean you have to drag the rest of us down with your god complex,” you spat out, your voice sharp and biting.

Ghost paused, his back still turned to you. The muscles in his shoulders tensed, and for a moment, you thought he might continue ignoring you, but then he slowly turned around. His eyes were a storm themselves, dark and intense.

“Ya' think y'know better? You think yer' way is the only way?” His voice was low, a dangerous calm that contrasted with the fury in his eyes. He stepped towards you, closing the space with a few determined strides.

“Yes, because my way doesn’t get people killed!” you retorted, your voice rising to match the intensity of the storm outside.

Ghost stopped just inches away, his gaze fixed on you. “You're so damn stubborn,” he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration and something else you couldn't quite place.

“And you're so damn reckless,” you shot back, unwilling to back down, your breaths mingling in the charged air between you.

Suddenly, Ghost's demeanor shifted, the anger in his eyes giving way to a different kind of fire. Before you could react, he closed the gap, his hands gripping your arms as he pulled you into him.

Ghost's grip on your arms wasn't just firm; it was electrifying, sending a jolt of unexpected energy through your body. His eyes, dark and intense, searched yours for a moment that stretched endlessly. Then, without a word, he pulled you harshly against him, erasing the space and the lingering traces of your argument with one swift motion.

His lips met yours with a force that spoke volumes, silencing your protests and melting your resolve. The kiss was not gentle; it was a clash, fierce and demanding, as if he was determined to prove a point. Ghost's mouth moved against yours with a desperate urgency, his frustration and pent-up energy translating into a passion that caught you off guard.

You gasped into the kiss, and he took advantage, his tongue sliding against yours, exploring and asserting dominance. The world around you—the maps, the storm, the mission—faded into a blur of sensations. All that mattered was the overwhelming feel of his lips on yours, the stubble of his jaw scratching at your skin, heightening the raw intensity of the moment.

Your hands, initially caught in the moment of surprise, now roved over his body, tracing the hard lines of his back through his shirt, pulling him even closer. Ghost responded with equal fervor, his hands moving from your back to your waist, gripping you tightly, his fingers pressing into your skin as if he couldn't get close enough.

The intensity escalated as his hands roamed further, exploring the contours of your body with a boldness that fueled the heat between you. One hand slid up to tangle in your hair, tilting your head back to deepen the kiss, while the other traced down to the small of your back, pulling you flush against him. Every touch was electric, sparking a fire that threatened to consume you both.

You responded to his urgency, your own hands exploring his shoulders, feeling the muscles tense under your touch. Your fingers dug into his hair, pulling slightly, eliciting a low groan from him that vibrated through your lips. The sound only added to the intensity, driving you to explore further, your hands slipping under his shirt to feel the warmth of his skin against your palms.

When the need for air finally forced you apart, you were both panting, foreheads pressed together, the storm outside echoing the tumultuous rush of your heartbeats. Ghost's eyes were still closed, his breaths heavy and uneven against your face. His hands still rested on your waist, not ready to let go, as if breaking the contact would shatter the connection you had just forged.

The room thick with the heat of your encounter, the earlier chill replaced by an undeniable warmth.

“We really shouldn’t keep doin' this,” he whispered, his voice rough with desire, but his grip on you contradicted his words.

“No, we shouldn’t,” you agreed, your voice breathy, but like him, you made no move to step back, to break the spell that the intense, touch-filled encounter had cast.

The silence that hung between you and Ghost was thick, charged with the aftermath of the intense connection you'd just shared. The storm outside had dwindled to a soft drizzle, mirroring the quieting of the tumultuous energy inside the safe house.

Suddenly, Ghost broke the silence with a muttered, “Fuckin' hell,” his voice a blend of wonder and frustration as he ran a hand through his hair, looking at you with a complex expression.

You simply nodded, understanding the multitude of emotions behind his words. The air was still heavy with the unsaid, the future uncertain.

Ghost looked at you, his eyes searching. “The hell we do now?” he asked, the raw honesty in his voice stripping away any remnants of his usual composure.

“We'll figure it out,” you responded, your voice calm and sure despite the chaos that seemed to always be at the edge of your lives. “Whatever this is, we'll figure it out together.”

Ghost stepped closer, his presence enveloping you in a sense of security that contrasted sharply with the uncertainty of his words. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a comforting embrace that felt like a safe harbor in the midst of the storm. Leaning down, he placed a gentle kiss on the top of your head, a tender gesture that felt like a promise. With a heavy sigh, he murmured,

“We always do.”

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masterlist - cod masterlist

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[excessive-moisture]

omg the concept art for the rain world live action adaptation leaked :0

[miastjames]

❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { AMELIA "MIA" ST. JAMES } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { SHE } is/are ? they kind of look like { HANNAH DODD } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { TWENTY EIGHT } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { TWENTY EIGHT YEARS }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { MIA THERMOPOLIS } from { THE PRINCESS DIARIES }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { FREELANCE } as a { AUTHOR }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { THE LOVABLE ROGUE } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty { KLUTZY} at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { PASSIONATE } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { 1 ROOM LOFT } apartment beside me over in { MANGO BAY }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you! 

►GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Amelia Cosette St. James Beaumont Daventry NICKNAME(S): Mia, Milly LABEL: The Lovable Rogue AGE: 28 DATE OF BIRTH: September 25, 1996 ZODIAC: Libra Sun, Virgo Rising, Pisces Moon GENDER & PRONOUNS: Female; She/Her HERITAGE: English, Gharandrian SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): English OCCUPATION: Author SEXUALITY & ROMANCE: Bisexual; Biromantic PET(S): Siamese cat named Caesar

► APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Hannah Dodd HEIGHT: 5'6" WEIGHT: 110 lbs. DOMINANT HAND: Right HAIR COLOR: Auburn EYE COLOR: Brown SCARS: None notable. TATTOOS: None.

►PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: Authentic, Adaptable, Passionate, Romantic. NEGATIVE TRAITS: Self-critical, Clumsy, Introverted, Naive. LIKES: Writing, hanging out with friends, trying new things/learning something new, sunshine rain, dancing. DISLIKES: Liars, people who put others down.

►MENTALITY

PHOBIAS: None. DISORDERS: Anxiety ALLERGIES: Seasonal (Pollen)

►BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: Palview Grove, FL CURRENT RESIDENCE: Palmview Grove, FL EDUCATION LEVEL: MA in Art History FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS: - Poppy St. James - 55, Mother, In Contact - Sylvester Beaumont Daventry - 54, Father, Deceased

►FAVORITES

FOOD: Egg rolls / Chinese Food DRINK: English Breakfast Tea MOVIE: Serendipity TV SHOW: The Great British Bake Off, Bridgerton BAND/ARTIST: Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams SONG: Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift

► EXTRA INFORMATION

JUNG TYPE: INFP ENNEAGRAM: The Advisor (9w8) TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good SIN: Pride VIRTUE: Charity ELEMENT: Water CHARACTER PLAYLIST

► BIOGRAPHY

TW; Death mention, Bullying mention

Gharandy is a small country nestled in the corner of France and Italy. The country is mostly English speaking with French and Italian also being notable languages spoken amongst the people. They usually don’t even make the map because of how small they are. At least, that’s what Sylvester told Poppy. Did she believe him? The answer changes every time the whirlwind summer romance story is told. The product of such a thing? None other than Amelia Cosette St. James Beaumont Daventry. The Beaumont Daventry portion of Mia’s name was always dropped as she grew up. Never being able to know her dad due to his death, and no one else around them knew he was the supposed next king of a European country - Mia’s mother thought this made Mia safe. More importantly, this meant Mia could live a normal life. And a normal life Mia, in fact, did lead. She was the awkward kid who always reminded the teachers about homework. Her head was always in a book, her head in the clouds. She got bullied, but who didn’t besides those doing the bullying? Never good at sports, Mia was always picked last in gym class. It wasn’t until her paternal grandmother came to visit, that Mia’s world was flipped upside down. “Me? A princess? Shut up!” She remembers so clearly standing there in the hallway, her mother halfway down the stairs looking on. There was a face of guilt there, and Mia couldn’t take it. She went up to her room and shut everyone else out. That was, until school the next day when she was bombarded with cameras. Now aware of her royal status, Mia is still in Palmview Grove. Why? Well, the land of Gharandy isn’t safe and hasn’t been safe for her since her birth. With people wanting nothing more than the crown, her grandmother advised her to stay in Palmview until further notice. Mia is indifferent to it. She doesn’t mind not having the responsibilities she knows she one day will have to step up to. On the other hand, she finds herself coming up with plans to aid the orphanages and school programs from her balcony window.

► PERSONALITY (DEEP DIVE)

Mia is always rebelling against her princess title, ever since it was bestowed upon her. She used to be very reluctant as a kid, but now she loves to go out and get into a little trouble to try to disconnect herself from her title. She's a romantic at heart, which is probably why her journalling turned into a romance series for all to read. Though, she isn't lucky in love. Usually, people just attempt to use her for their own selfish gain - whether that's fame or fortune for having their faces splashed across magazine articles with her. She loves art and some of her fondest moments are when her mother and her would throw paint-filled water balloons at huge canvases in her mother's studio. It was her mother that influenced Mia to get an Art History degree. To this day, she still loves to wander and get lost in art museums. Kind to a default, Mia tends to give people numerous chances - even if they don't deserve it. It's a great fault of hers and makes her come off as naive to some. You can usually catch her at home attempting to bake a new recipe she finds online, or at the local book store. She loves hanging out with friends, but also values her alone time. Mia stumbles over her words very easily. She mostly gets stuck in her head and gets caught up on not ruining moments, but then ruins them cause she's so caught up on it. In the end, she's a very clumsy but lovable person who means well - she just doesn't agree with the cards she was dealt.

► HEADCANONS

Mia has a locket that was given to her by her father before he passed away. It's a heart with a cursive 'G' on it (for Gharandy). It is also a key for her journal that was given to her by her paternal grandmother.

When super anxious, Mia plays with her hair. It's a habit her grandmother doesn't approve of, but she just can't help it.

She collects snow-globes. She just loves how beautiful they are, and keeps all hers in a china cabinet.

Mia is the ultimate double-texter. It makes her want to run and hide sometimes, but she can't help but to text multiple times in a row.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil Floods Highlight the Challenges of Climate Action

Rio Grande do Sul, a state in the south of Brazil, is experiencing the worst flooding the country has seen in 80 years, the result of heavy rains last week. The floods have left 20,000 people homeless, 115,000 people displaced and more than half a million people without drinking water. Authorities say the conditions are unlikely to improve for several weeks.

Much like in the rest of the world, Brazil has grappled in recent years with increasingly frequent and intense extreme climate events as a result of climate change. The trend highlights the challenges presented by climate action on both a micro and macro level.

On the micro level, Brazil has struggled to enact measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change that can withstand the shifting winds of politics. In the early 21st century, the country was considered a leader on climate policy, but former President Jair Bolsonaro, who took office in 2019, undid much of the progress that gave Brazil that credibility. Most notably, he weakened environmental protections, fueling a nearly 60 percent increase in deforestation in the country.

When President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took over last year, he promised to undo the damage Bolsonaro had done and once again make Brazil a climate leader. In some ways, he has lived up to that promise. Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest did decrease by 50 percent last year. But Lula has been hampered by a lack of political will in Brazil’s Congress, preventing him from passing legislation that could withstand another government led by a leader like Bolsonaro. Lula has also been criticized for his fossil fuel policies. Petrobras, Brazil’s state-controlled oil and gas company, continues to expand its operations, for example.

Continue reading.

[deke-rivers-1957]

Rock-a-Doodle Review

Don Bluth channels a fable from the Middle Ages and combines it with Glen Campbell's Elvis inspired vocals. The intent to adapt the fable Chanticleer and the Fox into an animated movie goes back all the way to the early days of the Walt Disney Studios. Unfortunately, it never saw the light of day as Walt Disney himself rejected the project in favor of The Sword in the Stone. It wasn't until 1982 when Disney animator Don Bluth left the company, that the project was revived under his own name. It faced a lot of development issues and it wasn't until 1988 that the project officially got off the ground.

Somewhere along the way the story became very messy but one thing was made clear. Don Bluth intended for Chanticleer to be similar to Elvis Presley as confirmed in a 1990 magazine article found at this link: https://web.archive.org/web/20170106230513/http://www.cataroo.com/DBrock.html. To make it absolutely clear that it was meant to be Elvis inspired if not an alternate version of Elvis, they had The Jordanaires to do the backing vocals for their soundtrack. Even with the release date being pushed back to avoid competing against the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, the movie was seen as a complete failure. Are there redeemable factors that showcase that hand drawn animation died too soon, or did this film completely lay an egg? Let's find out.

So we get opening narration that explains how the sun rises everyday because a rooster named Chanticleer crows. Chanticleer's song very much reminds me of Elvis up until 1956. He was known for having a twang but also a bluesy sound when he sings.

There's a confrontation between Chanticleer and the Grand Duke's henchmen that prevented Chanticleer from crowing in time. The sun comes up anyway and everyone hates him. They label him a fraud and Chanticleer runs away from the farm. Again it reminds of me Elvis' beginnings where even though he liked singing and never claimed to be bigger than he was, he was heavily judged by his peers.

In a very weird twist, this movie isn't entirely animated. In fact I have no idea if this is a real story since this is now being narrated by a live action mother. I guess this is where Who Framed Roger Rabbit meets Wizard of Oz as the lines of what reality is supposed to be is blurred. We still get the disembodied narration over the live action scenes. I guess it's supposed to explain that this is all Edmond's imagination as the real life storm rages but again I have no idea.

The storm scene is tense since I'm sure a lot of farmers can relate to the real world struggles of potential flooding. The addition of the Grand Duke meeting the live action Edmond is also understandably scary if you're a child. The Grand Duke is no longer just a fictional character but also someone who could exist in this world. In fact him saying he despises rock and roll is a parallel to how Elvis had so many sophisticated people criticize his type of music. They viewed it as something that was loud and obnoxious.

So to transition back to animation, the Grand Duke transforms Edmond into an animated kitten. Because he had full intentions of eating him, I guess it makes sense within the story. Edmond of course freaks out about this since he's basically a 5 year old. With the help of Patoo, an old hound dog who I guess is the narrator, they scare the Grand Duke off. I do admit that if it isn't for subtitles I wouldn't be able to understand a word this kid says. I get that they needed a child for this role, but it's a double edged sword to try to be as realistic as possible. Edmond is written to be a little kid so it's a step up from contemporary movies that try to make kids talk like adults. The problem is that he doesn't have much of a personality outside of being a cutesy kid who's very hard to understand.

We get introduced to the other animals on Chanticleer's farm. Everyone's afraid of the rain and the Grand Duke so they need help to find Chanticleer in the city. Before they can set off on their journey, Edmond's room starts to flood. The main characters manage to find a toy box to float their way out. I have no idea why Chanticleer is the solution since he was already revealed to have no effect on the sun rise. Maybe it's meant to be symbolic where him leaving eventually lead to everything going wrong, so bringing him back could lead to things getting better. Or it could be very literal where the animals saw him as a leader, so him leaving meant no one was strong enough to stand up to the Grand Duke.

I like the organ music. It gives a unique style to the traditional villain song. It adds to the Grand Duke's character of preferring classical music over "lowbrow" genres. Since Chanticleer apparently is the only way the rain will stop, the Grand Duke has plans on making sure he never comes back to the farm. So he sends his henchmen and his nephew out to find Edmond et al.

I got to admit, I like how tension is made because of character flaws that naturally exist. For instance, the toy box the main characters are in is starting to flood because Snipes is claustrophobic. To try to get air, he starts to peck holes in the box, allowing water to rush inside. Even though they survive that, the box just as quickly gets destroyed when it pops out of the aqueduct pipe. Fortunately they make it to the city safely.

When the Grand Duke's nephew comes back to tell him the news, he's not happy. Turns out the "adequate" pipe was really a pipe that sends water right to the city. So he sends his nephew to the city, giving him sunglasses in the process.

The main characters start their search for Chanticleer and it's very obvious this is all a reference to Elvis' stint in Vegas. Heck they even show him in a pink Cadillac with his stage name being "The King". That's when the gang realize that Chanticleer was hiding right under their noses so they go to his show.

If this scene doesn't make it anymore obvious that this is Elvis, I don't know what to say. They make it a point to give him a harsh manager. Anyone who knows about the Colonel could tell that Chanticleer's manager is meant to be him. Heck Chanticleer even uses the cliche "thank you, thank you very much."

Even though Chanticleer isn't the main character, you can't help but feel bad for him. Despite being at the top of the world and having the world in his hands, Chanticleer feels lonely. That's something we know Elvis struggled with himself according to private conversations with various people he knew.

The Grand Duke contacts his manager and makes it clear that the main characters can't succeed in their plan. Despite following Chanticleer from show to show, they couldn't contact him. This is the most Elvis reference to have ever Elvised. When the average person thinks about Elvis this is what they see. It also doesn't help that his music number references Tupelo, his real life birthplace. Even the song sounds like something that Elvis would sing.

They succeed to give Chanticleer their letter, but it's all for nothing as Goldie is sent on stage. She kisses Chanticleer and that's all she wrote. He falls in love with her and completely forgets about the letter. I don't hate Goldie for doing this since she does have issues with manipulating Chanticleer. Also it's usually bad taste to blame a young starlet for doing favors to appease a man of power in exchange for a possible advancement in career. Goldie's involvement in this plot if anything reminds me of Ann Margaret. Ann Margaret and Elvis had undeniable chemistry in the mega hit movie, Viva Las Vegas. Even though their relationship in real life isn't at all like how it's portrayed in this movie, you understand that this is meant to be a play on Ann Margaret. She's the young starlet that really takes off once she got involved with Elvis/Chanticleer.

They eventually find Chanticleer or rather Goldie's trailer at the movie studio. Despite Edmond trying to explain the situation, Goldie doesn't believe him and screams. This seems to alert Chanticleer's manager as the main characters get trapped. Don't ask me how a mouse could possibly be trapped by a net with giant holes in it. Heck she literally has most of her body out of it just to sneer. I get they needed to capture all of them, but it's still an annoying aspect of cartoons where a character is trapped despite having the means to escape relatively easily.

Seeing Goldie regret what happened is exactly why I don't blame her. Once she saw the full story, she knew this was terrible for Chanticleer. We get a comedic scene of the Grand Duke's nephew trying to take out the gang while Goldie tries to tell Chanticleer what happened. She gives him the letter and I'm glad we don't have this dramatic irony last too long.

I'm also glad that Chanticleer is fully aware that he isn't powerless in this situation. He knows that what his manager is doing is blackmail and understands he has to game the system long enough to make a plan. In fact, it doesn't take him long at all to figure out how to break them free. It's honestly incredible how Chanticleer was able to understand the toxic environment he was in and was able to get out of it.

Edmond's finally given something important to do as he has to act as the get away driver. No idea why they couldn't have Patoo do this since he's bigger and it doesn't matter anyway since Edmond's quickly taken off the wheel when Peepers tries to reconnect the trailer to the car. Edmond has this flashback sequence where he realizes he can't be afraid.

Despite this being a cartoon, you feel the tension when the gang's stuck on that water tower. Just as they're about to fall to their deaths, Peepers saves them. I have no idea how she managed to get access to that helicopter and time it exactly right but we'll just call it a Deus Ex Peepina.

Meanwhile, the Grand Duke finds the farm animals with the full intent of eating them. Somehow a pig is smaller than an owl but whatever, the Grand Duke's magic. Fortunately for the animals, Edmond and the gang make it in time. Unfortunately, the helicopter crashes in the water forcing them to get stranded on island of grass.

Even though Chanticleer tries to crow he can't. Somehow it's because he has no confidence. Yeah that's a bit contrived. They should've just had it where the Grand Duke used his magic to prevent him from crowing. But Edmond interferes causing the Grand Duke to literally choke him unconscious. That's insanely dark for a relatively harmless kids movie. Like the Grand Duke by himself is menacing but watching him choke a kid is wild.

In fact it's what's actually his undoing. The animals see his act of violence and encourage Chanticleer to crow. The Grand Duke turns into a literal cyclone but because Chanticleer now has confidence, he crows. The sunlight causes the Grand Duke to lose his powers. I know it's something he's afraid of but causing him to shrink? Yeah the magic makes no sense in this movie. We get the fake out of Edmond dying but no. He just turns back into a real boy. But even then we get yet another twist. It was apparently all a dream.

In the live action world, everyone thinks it was just a fictional story. That Chanticleer had nothing to do with it. I don't know what happened with the audio, but there's a weird sound to it that makes me think it's an echo. The mom assures Edmond it was just a dream, but I'm just not sure. We see a live action Edmond interact with the cartoon farm animals. It's obvious this is meant to be like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Unlike that movie, Edmond is obviously superimposed on the animated footage. I think they're trying to show that this really is Edmond's imagination, but I have no idea.

At least the reprise of the opening song is just as good. In fact all the songs are pretty decent. Chanticleer's songs in particular are pretty entertaining and really respect Elvis' sound. Chanticleer in general is a good tribute to Elvis. He's not meant to be a joke as when he was made fun of, we're supposed to feel bad for him. He gives kids a good introduction of elements from Elvis' life. It isn't at all meant to be biographically accurate, but it's a kid friendly way of explaining the struggles he faced.

Compared to other bad kids movies, this film has actual merit. Being based on a fable gives it some credit as it's a unique story. I can also say that this movie is not at all predictable. While it does take elements from Wizard of Oz by trying to spin it as being only a dream, the movie does blur the line of reality. Was it a dream? I have no idea. That at least makes it a step above modern kids movies where you know exactly what's going to happen and doesn't try to give you something beyond the bare bone cliched characters and plot elements.

Did it deserve all the hate? Not really. It's underwhelming sure, but again compared to the content we have now directed towards children, this is harmless. As someone with no childhood attachment to this movie, I actually thought it was pretty enjoyable. If you're an Elvis fan, I would recommend watching it just to see how many parallels exist. Even if you're not an Elvis fan, it's still worth showing it to children. It's innocent fun that isn't pandering or relying on the cliched potty humor that seems to be copy pasted into a lot of children movies. Therefore, I'm giving this movie a 7/10 since it doesn't blow me away by any means but it also isn't an abomination with terrible jokes that make the audience feel uncomfortable.

AN: Shout out to the discord besties for watching this movie with me and suggesting I make a review.

Tagging: @hooked-on-elvis, and @atleastpleasetelephone.

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Cactus Leshy

CR 2

Neutral Small Plant

Adventure Path: Ironfang Invasion: Trail of the Hunted, pg. 86

This, I believe, is the first of the Leshy species we’re looking at on this blog, so I wanted to make sure I chose the best one. Leshy are the result of Druids tampering with the world in beneficial ways, giving bodies and voices to the spirits of nature that permeate every environment but cannot express themselves in ways races as short-lived as humans can notice, let alone understand. While nowhere near as powerful as spirits who can form material bodies of their own will, such spirits tend only to do so when driven to violence and rage by the actions of man and elf. Leshy, thus, tend to be significantly more chill, spending the majority of their life tending to plants and rearranging stones and other small items in their territory, while keeping it free of invasive pests. Simple lives as gardeners and stewards of nature. Most of them don’t want to fight. Some of them can’t.

A Cactus Leshy is not either of those. Cantankerous and prone to hurling insults first and asking questions later, Cactus Leshy are noted to be ‘bitingly sarcastic’ and difficult to be around, prickly in personality as they are in body. Their Needly Body, in fact, deals 1d3 damage to anything attacking them with a natural weapon or unarmed strike, and anyone who has the bright idea to grapple one of them (and the worse idea of being grappled by them) takes 1d3 damage every round. They can even hurl those needles a surprising distance away to cause sickening pain in anyone they don’t like. So, it’s REALLY saying something when listening to them is harder than touching them!

Immediately backpedaling for your intrusion and apologizing to the diminutive spirit--who you may not even see, as all Leshy have excellent Stealth in their natural environments and can freely shapeshift into a mundane plant  as well---is the correct answer to suddenly being yelled at by a cactus. No Leshy wants to stir up trouble that could end up causing significant damage to the surrounds, and this is true even of the ornery Cactus Leshy. Easily accepting apologies from people who mean it, anyone who can put up with a Cactus Leshy finds out they’re eager to make fast friends with anyone who’s braving the desert, and they’re easily swayed towards helping those who seem like they’re struggling to make it. Knowing the desert is harsh even for creatures adapted to live in it, Cactus Leshy keep mental maps of their terrain to point travelers to oasis’, shaded caverns, and other such respite if only to give them a moment’s rest.

To those who’ve bonded with the prickly pears, or those who are in dire need of assistance, Cactus Leshy can sacrifice small parts of themselves to grow un-prickly pears. Over the course of a minute they can focus their vitality to grow a single, delicious, hydrating fruit, which acts as a Goodberry that also blesses the eater with a 24-hour shield of Endure Elements. While a literal godsend that allows travelers to, at the very least, sustain and protect themselves from the desert’s ravages for a day, it’s not without cost; each fruit pulls 1d4 Con from the Leshy, putting a limit to how many times they can provide a bite for a passing traveler. The fruits don’t keep long in the desert sun, preventing the Leshy from hoarding them as panic buttons, so they tend to only have--at most--one or two available at a given time, the rest needing to be freshly made.

Adorably, their temperament does a complete 180 whenever the deserts are blessed with rain. Ballooning in size as they soak everything in and becoming softer in both body and personality, the Leshy turn from cantankerous old men into friendly, cheerful, open, and welcoming neighbors, and greet every traveler as if they were old friends. Travelers met during rainfall are told not where to hide from the sun, but where they may shelter from the rain, and more importantly are told where the rain will linger in refreshing puddles for the next few days.

I, personally, think it’s funny that visitors are welcome to stay for a few days while it pours... and then swiftly told to leave once the rain stops and the Cactus Leshy’s true personality comes back to the foreground.

You can read more about them here.