#red is bored

[redferness]

Hi, I would like to draw something but I am not sure what...

Does anyone have any requests? My ask should be open, they can be anything as long Sonic related (ocs and such are ok too!)

[swiggity-swexual-i-am-asexual]

We all know the semi-canonical ‘all the Robins know to hide/duck inside of Batman’s cape, even as adults’ thing.

We also know that Danny ‘is LITERALLY a ghost’ Fenton sucks at remembering his own intangibility while ALSO forgetting to look ahead of him.

All I’m saying is, Danny Fenton (or Phantom, if you’d really like) would absolutely SLAM into Batman on accident while running on roof tops and Bruce ‘Brooding Instinct’ Wayne doesn’t even think twice about letting the kid hide and scanning around for danger before there’s a record scratch of ‘wait who tf is this?’ kicks in.

[fexjam]

fuck my stupid baka life

[cuntychappell]

[bellwethers]

GURIFISU

[dragonpyre]

Batfam Psych au

Duke actually has "psychic" powers but would never reveal that to the world at large. And Jason is a drama queen

Commission info / ko-fi

[elbiotipo]

Firefox should also come with a tamagotchi like extension where you take care of your own little Firefox, it's the best way to make it popular

[p1nkshield]

Bruce being just as guilty of introducing Jason to people like he is but a small little guy.

Bruce at gala supporting youth literary comprehension programs: Have you met my son Jason? As stubborn as kids can be I managed to get him to attend.

Beneficiary: oh that’s wonderful! Does your son enjoy literature?

Bruce: oh absolutely! That’s what convinced him to even come! He has so many respectable hobbies for someone his age. Kids these days rarely find value in the classics but not Jason! Honestly he reads more, and more in depth, than I do! He’s a little mechanic too! When I first saw him he was trying to take the tires off my car with a lug wrench that was bigger than him! It was quite a sight and a rather unconventional way to meet your son but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Beneficiary, blinks as they try to process all the proud dad info: …well that’s lovely, we have some activities for the children of the donors so that none of them get too bored!

Bruce: that’s great! I’ll let him know. Jason, can you come here for a moment?

A very tall, wide, and muscular man turns around and raises an eyebrow.

What a coincidence, that dude must also be named Jason.

He walks towards them

Jason: what do you want old man?

What

Bruce: there are activities at that table if you’re bored.

Huh

Jason: thanks for the memo but I’m not exactly at coloring book age anymore remember?

Bruce: I suppose you’re right :(

[kittarts]

coraline meeting an opposite version of herself that’s perfect

Caroline Janes; straight teeth and polite, shy and hates mud vs Coraline Jones; the complete opposite.

[sharksandjays]

little tim animation

[oh-theatre]

Bart: i think we should get a divorce Kon: what are you doing? Bart: just practicing Kon: why are you already planning our hypothetical divorce? Bart: i don't know. i'm getting old, i think i'm having a mid-life crisis Kon: Were not even married and youre not thirty Bart: hypothetically divorce me Kon: okay, then i'm hypothetically taking half your assets Bart: well, you didn't sign the hypothetical prenup Bart, to Tim: it's called a prenup, right? Tim: yeah, it's a prenup, and you DID hypothetically sign one Kon: who the fuck is this guy? Tim: i'm his hypothetical lawyer in this divorce case Kon: well, then, i'm taking the hypothetical kids Kon, to Cassie: right? we can get those, right? Cassie: yes, we can definitely get the hypothetical kids, don't worry about it Bart: who the fuck is this hypothetical fucking idiot? a hella fucking nerd idiot Cassie: wow, that is a lot of hypothetical insults. Kon: this is MY hypothetical lawyer, and we have been hypothetically sleeping with each other Bart: how could you hypothetically do this to me?! Kon: because you hypothetically are an alcoholic!

[bu99erfly]

IRENE Like A Flower (The 1st Mini Album), 2024

[pawfulofwaffles]

To any blue voters in a red state/swing state afraid that their vote won't matter:

Back in summer, I spent a week at my grandpa's house, and he always has Fox News on. Every day, I had to listen to bigoted babies complain their asses off over every little thing they don't like and then call anyone that doesn't agree with them sensitive. They insisted that Trump was going to win, and made fun of Kamala any chance they could get. And honestly, I was starting to lose hope.

But once I got home it was like a breath of fresh air. Every other news channel agreed that Trump was crazy and needed to be kept out of office. The thing I've come to realize is, the Trump supporters in these red/swing states are going to suffocate you with the idea that Trump will win.

But in reality? This is no longer just "democrat vs republican", this is a case of good vs. evil. Trump is fucking insane, and luckily, a lot of republicans and past supporters are coming to realize what's actually at stake. I'm willing to bet you have more allies in your state than you feel.

You don't know yet how much of a difference your vote will make. This is one of the most important elections in history, and every vote matters, because any of them could end up tipping the scale in favor of blue.

[flowersforfrancis]

[cuddlytogas]

So I accidentally almost got into an argument on Twitter, and now I'm thinking about bad historical costuming tropes. Specifically, Action Hero Leather Pants.

See, I was light-heartedly pointing out the inaccuracies of the costumes in Black Sails, and someone came out of the woodwork to defend the show. The misunderstanding was that they thought I was dismissing the show just for its costumes, which I wasn't - I was simply pointing out that it can't entirely care about material history (meaning specifically physical objects/culture) if it treats its clothes like that.

But this person was slightly offended on behalf of their show - especially, quote, "And from a fan of OFMD, no less!" Which got me thinking - it's true! I can abide a lot more historical costuming inaccuracy from Our Flag than I can Black Sails or Vikings. And I don't think it's just because one has my blorbos in it. But really, when it comes down to it...

What is the difference between this and this?

Here's the thing. Leather pants in period dramas isn't new. You've got your Vikings, Tudors, Outlander, Pirates of the Caribbean, Once Upon a Time, Will, The Musketeers, even Shakespeare in Love - they love to shove people in leather and call it a day. But where does this come from?

Obviously we have the modern connotations. Modern leather clothes developed in a few subcultures: cowboys drew on Native American clothing. (Allegedly. This is a little beyond my purview, I haven't seen any solid evidence, and it sounds like the kind of fact that people repeat a lot but is based on an assumption. I wouldn't know, though.) Leather was used in some WWI and II uniforms.

But the big boom came in the mid-C20th in motorcycle, punk/goth, and gay subcultures, all intertwined with each other and the above. Motorcyclists wear leather as practical protective gear, and it gets picked up by rock and punk artists as a symbol of counterculture, and transferred to movie designs. It gets wrapped up in gay and kink communities, with even more countercultural and taboo meanings. By the late C20th, leather has entered mainstream fashion, but it still carries those references to goths, punks, BDSM, and motorbike gangs, to James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Mick Jagger. This is whence we get our Spikes and Dave Listers in 1980s/90s media, bad boys and working-class punks.

And some of the above "historical" design choices clearly build on these meanings. William Shakespeare is dressed in a black leather doublet to evoke the swaggering bad boy artist heartthrob, probably down on his luck. So is Kit Marlowe.

But the associations get a little fuzzier after that. Hook, with his eyeliner and jewellery, sure. King Henry, yeah, I see it. It's hideously ahistorical, but sure. But what about Jamie and Will and Ragnar, in their browns and shabby, battle-ready chic? Well, here we get the other strain of Bad Period Drama Leather.

See, designers like to point to history, but it's just not true. Leather armour, especially in the western/European world, is very, very rare, and not just because it decays faster than metal. (Yes, even in ancient Greece/Rome, despite many articles claiming that as the start of the leather armour trend!) It simply wasn't used a lot, because it's frankly useless at defending the body compared to metal. Leather was used as a backing for some splint armour pieces, and for belts, sheathes, and buckles, but it simply wasn't worn like the costumes above. It's heavy, uncomfortable, and hard to repair - it's simply not practical for a garment when you have perfectly comfortable, insulating, and widely available linen, wool, and cotton!

As far as I can see, the real influence on leather in period dramas is fantasy. Fantasy media has proliferated the idea of leather armour as the lightweight choice for rangers, elves, and rogues, a natural, quiet, flexible material, less flashy or restrictive than metal. And it is cheaper for a costume department to make, and easier for an actor to wear on set. It's in Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, Runescape, and World of Warcraft.

And I think this is how we get to characters like Ragnar and Vane. This idea of leather as practical gear and light armour, it's fantasy, but it has this lineage, behind which sits cowboy chaps and bomber/flight jackets. It's usually brown compared to the punk bad boy's black, less shiny, and more often piecemeal or decorated. In fact, there's a great distinction between the two Period Leather Modes within the same piece of media: Robin Hood (2006)! Compare the brooding, fascist-coded villain Guy of Gisborne with the shabby, bow-wielding, forest-dwelling Robin:

So, back to the original question: What's the difference between Charles Vane in Black Sails, and Edward Teach in Our Flag Means Death?

Simply put, it's intention. There is nothing intentional about Vane's leather in Black Sails. It's not the only leather in the show, and it only says what all shabby period leather says, relying on the same tropes as fantasy armour: he's a bad boy and a fighter in workaday leather, poor, flexible, and practical. None of these connotations are based in reality or history, and they've been done countless times before. It's boring design, neither historically accurate nor particularly creative, but much the same as all the other shabby chic fighters on our screens. He has a broad lineage in Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean and such, but that's it.

In Our Flag, however, the lineage is much, much more intentional. Ed is a direct homage to Mad Max, the costuming in which is both practical (Max is an ex-cop and road warrior), and draws on punk and kink designs to evoke a counterculture gone mad to the point of social breakdown, exploiting the thrill of the taboo to frighten and titillate the audience.

In particular, Ed is styled after Max in the second movie, having lost his family, been badly injured, and watched the world turn into an apocalypse. He's a broken man, withdrawn, violent, and deliberately cutting himself off from others to avoid getting hurt again. The plot of Mad Max 2 is him learning to open up and help others, making himself vulnerable to more loss, but more human in the process.

This ties directly into the themes of Our Flag - it's a deliberate intertext. Ed's emotional journey is also one from isolation and pain to vulnerability, community, and love. Mad Max (intentionally and unintentionally) explores themes of masculinity, violence, and power, while Max has become simplified in the popular imagination as a stoic, badass action hero rather than the more complex character he is, struggling with loss and humanity. Similarly, Our Flag explores masculinity, both textually (Stede is trying to build a less abusive pirate culture) and metatextually (the show champions complex, banal, and tender masculinities, especially when we're used to only seeing pirates in either gritty action movies or childish comedies).

Our Flag also draws on the specific countercultures of motorcycles, rockers, and gay/BDSM culture in its design and themes. Naturally, in such a queer show, one can't help but make the connection between leather pirates and leather daddies, and the design certainly nods at this, with its vests and studs. I always think about this guy, with his flat cap so reminiscient of gay leather fashions.

More overtly, though, Blackbeard and his crew are styled as both violent gangsters and countercultural rockstars. They rove the seas like a bikie gang, free and violent, and are seen as icons, bad boys and celebrities. Other pirates revere Blackbeard and wish they could be on his crew, while civilians are awed by his reputation, desperate for juicy, gory details.

This isn't all of why I like the costuming in Our Flag Means Death (especially season 1). Stede's outfits are by no means accurate, but they're a lot more accurate than most pirate media, and they're bright and colourful, with accurate and delightful silks, lace, velvets, and brocades, and lovely, puffy skirts on his jackets. Many of the Revenge crew wear recognisable sailor's trousers, and practical but bright, varied gear that easily conveys personality and flair. There is a surprising dedication to little details, like changing Ed's trousers to fall-fronts for a historical feel, Izzy's puffy sleeves, the handmade fringe on Lucius's red jacket, or the increasing absurdity of navy uniform cuffs between Nigel and Chauncey.

A really big one is the fact that they don't shy away from historical footwear! In almost every example above, we see the period drama's obsession with putting men in skinny jeans and bucket-top boots, but not only does Stede wear his little red-heeled shoes with stockings, but most of his crew, and the ordinary people of Barbados, wear low boots or pumps, and even rough, masculine characters like Pete wear knee breeches and bright colours. It's inaccurate, but at least it's a new kind of inaccuracy, that builds much more on actual historical fashions, and eschews the shortcuts of other, grittier period dramas in favour of colour and personality.

But also. At least it fucking says something with its leather.

[sparkoflena]

Random Statements I think the Batfamily has said.

Dick: I'm ready to have a mental breakdown but the world's falling apart again.

Jason: Dick, your puns are worse than that time I was murdered.

Tim: Attempting to kill me is practically a rite of passage.

Cass: No kill. Only chaos.

Steph: It's like you've forgotten how to appreciate good food and that is an Arkham-worthy crime.

Damian: My sword is trying to collect your organs like they're Pokémon.

Duke: If I wasn't pretending to be the normal one, I'd have taken you all down ages ago.

Barbara: Most of my brain's impressive man-power is spent resisting the urge to throttle you.