#she may be a relatively nice person with her qualities

[chimcharstar]

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[mmani-e]

Another post! This time featuring what the antagonists for my AU might look like. While Akane and Nekomaru are locked in the rest is up to changes in the future. Kyoko and Celestia were put on a poll but the results I believe I didn't set up properly, so now I'm amending that somewhat. I drew both sets in these sketches, and when enough time has passed I'll set up another poll, properly this time on strawpoll.

As for some design explanations and lore you can check under the cut :)

Kyoko and Makoto I believe are pretty straightforward here, I gave Kyoko a neckerchief that goes pretty far down to give her that sort of upper class educated look, while Makoto I gave a smart little jacket. There's only so far you can go with the normal boy, but I also made his hair fluffier and nicer. His ahoge is there but it's normally combed back, and only springs to full life when he's in murder mode.

Kyoko joined her dad in leaving the tradition of detective work behind and entered the business world where she used her analytical mind to be the best damn stock investor in the world, while definitely something she excels at it's not something she finds particularly fulfilling.

Makoto is a wholesome, normal dude who loves writing books about wholesome stories with good endings, while his family was and still is normal, he was captured once by unscrupulous scientists wanting to explore Despair and its mysterious qualities. Makoto never gave in, but in his suffering developed an alter ego who was grimly invested in justice above all else.

Sparkling Justice is a night haunter, who exclusively goes around killing murderers and evildoers against Makoto's wishes. Choosing to right any injustice he sees in the world, allowing for happy endings for the victims, surely?

I went hard with celes and hifumi a long time ago in previous designs, so here they are with similar designs as I gave them before. Hifumi wears a suit vest, and a button-up underneath while still keeping his bag... which may or may not be more than just a simple bag...

Celestia was born a normal kid and absolutely hated that life, so when a relative of hers from Europe visited she begged them and her family to go with them and she did. She grew up exploring Europe, and would propose money-making schemes to her family abroad and would eventually be able to fund the glamorous lifestyle she always thought she deserved.

Hifumi is just a writer-focused version of himself, though with a particular love for action-romance novels and fiction rather than strictly heart-melting novels like Touko. He's a sweet boy but very weird and horny for Celestia, so he's completely useless around her. He's basically a tool... just like...

ROBO-JUSTICE is a serial killer known for their modus operandi of targeting particularly attractive and very mean women with hammers or blunt force trauma. This alter was formed after one particularly awful night of bullying resulting in Hifumi getting thrown into an abandoned industrial park and nearly dying from exposure to wires and sharp metal. Despite this though, it is almost entirely subservient to Celestia whenever it surfaces from Hifumi's mind.

Akane and Nekomaru I've already drawn before, but I think it'd be nice to give some of the backstory I've planned for them.

Akane is a well-meaning, brash, and reckless person whose freakish natural strength pairs with a luck that does everything except help her directly. Random and unpredictable, Akane desperately tries everything she can to get into extremely unpredictable and dangerous situation for her luck to grace those around her with the best outcome from her misfortune, even if it means hurting a lot of people in the process.

Nekomaru was inspired by the nonstop hard work he saw the nurses had to do when they were treating his heart condition. So inspired that he made it his solemn vow to join them whatever it took, leading him to become the ultimate nurse. He would, however, be the first of his classmates to fall to the despair of the mastermind, as his well-meaning nature drew him into a trap he could not predict.

For Rantaro and Tenko I took inspiration from M. Bison(Dictator) and Criss Angel specifically. These are the most experimental designs I have as you can tell, but I plan on working on them a lot.

Tenko's story involves her becoming the head of her little "dojo" and straight up turning it into a cult, with her as the ultimate supreme leader and the greatest fighter in the world.

Rantaro started off doing magic for her sisters, and got so good at making them happy that one of them introduced his magic act to the world through sites like youtube, causing him to become a sensation drooled over by millions of girls around the world.

[littlemoonastrology]

All About : Juno ⚵

According to Roman Mythology,

Juno was the wife to Jupiter (also known as Hera and Zeus in Greek Mythology) - but the marriage wasn't too happy. Juno actually developed quite a reputation for being jealous and vengeful (and I don't blame her!) as Jupiter was unfaithful all throughout their marriage. There are many stories of Juno getting revenge on Jupiter's mistresses (poets such as Ovid and Homer express this) and whilst she was quite hot-tempered - the way she got revenge was always sneaky.

However, that's not just what she is known for!

Juno is the most powerful Goddess in Roman Mythology, ruling: marriage, childbirth and fertility. She was also known as the Protector of Women and Children. Her personal qualities too - very compassionate, nurturing, strong-willed and was depicted as very beautiful in artworks.

~

So, how is Juno relevant in Astrology?

The Juno Asteroid (3) explores: what we need to be fulfilled in relationships, how we react in unhealthy relationships, how we and our partner nurture a relationship and to another extent she protects our emotional space, feminine energies (such as expression of love) and children.

Juno helps us feel empowered and helps us with our personal growth when we are fulfilled in a relationship - but when this is an unhealthy relationship (or just general unfulfillment or some kind of threat) she will send signals through: gut feelings, bodily changes (with women this may be through your menstrual cycle) and you will generally just feel drained, stressed out or resentful (maybe even angry or vengeful).

~

Example:

Someone with their Juno in Taurus may need: stability, someone to depend on, reliability and someone who is either quite mentally/emotionally/physically strong (with a soft sensual side). They need to feel supported no matter what they do which will help them feel a deeper sense of belonging - feeling like they can continue moving up the ranks to reach their goals. Taurus Juno wants to be able to build something that lasts with someone and enjoy the luxuries that come with it (and with that comes a need for similar values and long-term goals!).

Taurus Juno puts a lot of effort in the relationship (as does their partner) but still both enjoy relaxing and enjoying the fun things in life to increase their bond. There may be similar tastes in food, music, movies etc (or mutual enjoyment). They may not be the kind of person to go out clubbing every night with their partner or going to a new amusement park (unless both are feeling comfortable and stable), but may instead stay inside watching Netflix (or go get some nice food!).

This placement also has a relatively calm temperament too (and appreciates those who aren't too aggressive, being uncomfortable around people with anxious attachments who tend to have a lot of emotional outbursts), feeling grounded in the relationship and may not have a lot of anxiety at all. The relationship feels comfortable (which is what Taurus Juno deeply needs!) and may find they can express whatever they want with this person without fear.

When Taurus Juno feels threatened, is in an unhealthy relationship or just isn't fulfilled, a lack of communication takes place (bodily and vocally) which creates a rift. They may not even want to communicate at all, shutting themselves off completely (perhaps there may be a lot of changes to their tone of voice too). Maybe to some extent they will become congested too or develop a runny nose - their neck or ears might ache (or some kind of lockjaw) or it just feels like there is too much (or too little) sensory information going on. This may come off as like a "test" to see if Taurus Juno can be comfortable, so then it is up to their partner to help ease the stress (or sadly in some cases abuse/neglect it).

Pushiness and control is a no-go!

Taurus Juno may also blow up at little things (even though it's not little at all!) and become quite angry and resentful towards their partner - closing off any kind of appreciation or affection. Maybe even a habit of becoming quite avoidant and avoiding situations which aren't pleasurable to them!

~

Check out my Masterlist! Paid and Free Readings Available.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Taolin Forest Wen Kexing (Handcrafted)

This beautiful figure showed up on the artist's Xianyu page as an immediately available in-stock piece, and I pounced on it. You can tell by my profile pic how much I like this costume, after all!

The artist works in ultralight clay, which has been a new medium to me, and so far I've been impressed. It is very light (as the name suggests!) and appears to be extremely flexible. I was initially very worried about her figures breaking in transport, as they all have very delicate thin little details, but everything seems surprisingly sturdy. It bends, but doesn't deform, and doesn't seem to break with careful treatment. I do baby my figs, but shipping / customs is always a wild card.

For something like this, I would normally absolutely air column wrap it to protect it from crushing damage. I don't worry about the fig breaking parts off - I worry about it getting squished! If this fig got crushed it would certainly destroy it, given all the thin, flat loops of clay making up most of this figure.

But, I didn't have to, because the artist packed it in a rigid styrofoam cooler box. This is of course deadly on the shipping fees, especially since my warehouse flags the wooden base as air freight only. But, the only thing worse than paying volumetric air freight charges is getting a crushed figure, so what can you do?

I too am deeply disappointed by my lack of quality unboxing photos. Why did I not remove this top layer of bubble wrap? NOBODY KNOWS.

This is an extremely tall figure, by far my largest figure by a wide margin. The full size, including base, is 27 cm, of which 2cm is the base. This makes the figure itself about 10 inches high for us Americans.

The fan is not clay but paper, which was a nice surprise. I would have been fine either way, but I like the paper. I'm also very appreciative that the artist included it in this rigid plastic box so keep it from getting squished inside the protective cooler. Box. Protective box.

Here he is without the fan. He's gorgeous! You can really see the detail on his belt and his long, elegant fingers.

In fact, here's a closeup of those hands and the beautiful detail on the belt. His fingers may look even a bit longer than you might expect, but that's because they need to hold the fan. You can even see the slight indent for the fingernails. This artist is just amazing. She says she puts her whole heart into crafting these figures, and you can tell.

Holding the fan as so. If you don't think I wasn't a little stressed out carefully wedging the fan in between those beautiful fingers, you have somehow (incredibly) missed all the other cases of my fig related anxiety on this blog. I'm not even a high stress person! Normally.

Alright, let's spin this beauty around, shall we?

My camera decided to focus on many things, but Wen Kexing's perfect face was not always one of them. So we'll get some closeups. But first, let's do our bottoms-up and top-down pics:

Please do note the beauty mark on the middle finger of his right hand!

For size comparison, here's Wen Kexing with his OG official fig counterpart:

You can definitely see what I mean by how big this fig is! Maybe I should call it a statue instead of a fig.

Alright, time for our close ups.

Just beautiful. I'll need to commission a matching A-Xu in the Taolin forest costume so I can have them heading off to Siji Manor.

This figure was an incredible price - less than $50 USD. An absolute bargain. I can't even imagine the time that went into this. This was less expensive than other individual figures or pairs of this size, so perhaps I just got lucky with the artist clearing space.

I had really wanted semi-realistic figures like this when Word of Honor was released and I watched it for the first time, so getting this now makes me really happy. The artist also had a snowy mountain set that I picked up around the same time, which should be arriving here relatively shortly. Please look forward to it! I can't wait myself.

Material: Ultra-light clay

Fig Count: 386

Scene Count: 26

Rating: Pure artistry

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[sokkastyles]

And here is the link in their post.

These posts are so damn hilarious because they always try to insist that evidence we see of Zuko's kindness is either nonexistent or doesn't matter while Azula showing nothing but cruelty to everyone around her is just a teensy "mean streak."

Also, that post they linked to about teenage Zuko? Was written about Zuko as he was introduced in book 1, before it was established that he became that way because he was trying imitate what he thought he had to be to please his father, and the introduction of his sister who has those same negative qualities, such as being a bully and a bigot, except turned up to eleven. So to use this description to make Azula look better in comparison is...a choice.

I'd like them to explain where it's shown that Zuko is "pretty mean" as a child. Where he throws bread at a turtle duck because he is trying to imitate Azula? When he says he doesn't want to play with Azula because she is mean to him? Also notice how they pull the "girls are crazy" line out of the context in which it occurs, because, once again, he said it about Azula playing a mean trick on him. Funny how all of these instances of Zuko being "pretty mean," are, in fact, Zuko reacting to Azula's meanness.

On Zuko being unlikely to value something not from the Fire Nation, we actually do see kid Zuko value the Earth Kingdom dagger, while Azula is the one who burns the Earth Kingdom doll she is given. We also see Zuko as a child learn empathy and the value of hard work while Azula is self-centered and violent totally absorbs Fire Nation nationalism. It's true that Zuko as a child doesn't question his nation until he's thirteen but he's a lot closer than Azula is even as a young child because he has that base of empathy and being able to value other perspectives besides his own.

It's also pretty clear that the reason Zuko doesn't have friendships and is seen with his mother only while Azula is socialized with other girls and shown off to her grandfather is because of how Ozai treated Zuko like a pariah. It's certainly not due to Azula's winning personality, I can tell you that, since we see her push Ty Lee, play a mean prank on Mai, and say out loud that she wants her grandfather to die. Zuko is the one who is like you know, it's maybe not nice to wish death on relatives and recognize Mai's distress and try to help her.

But right, those things don't matter, and everything we are shown about Azula as a character is just Zuko's bias. Right.

This is not how stories work! You can't talk about character bias if the narrative never establishes that it's bias, never shows us any other perspective to compare it to. Saying that Azula was probably a lot nicer offscreen means nothing, because you can't establish something as part of a narrative and not show it or imply it in any way. It is never established that Zuko's negative reactions to Azula are unfounded. On the contrary, what we see of them when they are kids is Zuko being repeatedly ignored when he reacts negatively to his sister abusing him, and his father allowing and encouraging it, and his mother and uncle being unable to counteract it because they have no power in the household.

I'd also like an example of Azula "seeing value in things no one in the FN thinks are valuable." It's no mystery why Azula values Ty Lee, when Ty Lee is constantly praising her and easily shoved back in line when she doesn't do things that validate Azula. And as for Katara, these two characters are established by the narrative as direct foils! Katara being the bleeding heart of her community while Azule is adored by her militaristic nation. Katara who sacrifices herself out of love for others, and Azula who gathers minions around her who she thinks she can use to validate her sense of superiority until she ends up alone. Katara who has been marginalized by the violence done to her community and Azula who is privileged and spoiled. Katara who builds strong ties with those around her vs Azila who controls through fear. Katara who wins through kindness and love and creativity vs Azula who blames everyone else for her own destructiveness. Katara who has great respect for the other nations and Azula who has disdain for them. Katara is the girl who values learning from others who these people are looking for. Katara who is a fierce feminist and Azula who uses her privilege against other women. Katara who loved her mother fiercely vs Azula who tried to distance herself from her own because to her, love is a weakness. Katara who draws strength from her own pain and uses it to empathize with others and make sure no one else suffers the way she did, vs Azula who is so full of hatred and desire to hurt others because she was hurt. Azula is also a classist bigot and would have no respect for Katara, but the feeling would be mutual because Katara has too much self respect, and Azula would hate that the way she hates everyone she can't manipulate.

Ditto for Toph. You think Toph has any patience for Azula and her mind games? Here's what would happen there: Azula makes a blind joke. Azula now lives under ten meters of earth.

It's ironic because Toph and Katara actually form deep friendships with Zuko, lol. Who, once he is out from under his abuser's thumb, actually does form lasting relationships built on mutual love and respect.

[bookishtalkswithlii]

Hey Pookies💕, Welcome backkk!! To lighten up the atmosphere a bit from last week’s review, today we have a fantasy book by the name of, A Court of Thorn and Roses. This book was plastered all over booktok so I’m sure many of you may have heard about it or even read it. But let’s act like this is the first time you’re seeing it🤭.

Mini-Summary

A Court of Thorns and Roses follows Feyre, a skilled hunteress, who is the main provider for her impoverished family. On one of her hunts, she kills a wolf, which unbeknownst to her, was a magical creature. To atone for her doing she is taken prisoner by a High Fae Lord. Feyre soon learns that this realm is not what she thought it to be. What is this realm? Does Feyre survive? Find out by giving this book a read :)

Likes and Dislikes

-Despite not being a regular fantasy reader because of the complexity of most worldbuilding and the overall complexity of some fantasy books (I also just prefer romance or psychological type books🤭), I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. What particularly stood out to me was the book's simplicity, both in terms of language and worldbuilding. The inclusion of a visual map at the beginning was also a nice touch to break down the worldbuilding and give readers a better understanding. One of the best parts of this book was how the writer wrote the characters. She delved into their pasts and their traumas and added layers of depth that resonated throughout the entire story (and from what I’ve been told, throughout other books). Aside from a slow pacing at its start(which is relatively normal for the first book in a book series), the ending of the book was quite appealing.

-Though most of the characters were really well written, I would’ve loved to see more perspectives of the other characters because including different points of view, in my opinion, would’ve made the storytelling a lot better. However, since I've just started this book series, I'm curious to see if this changes throughout the other books. Another thing that didn’t really appeal to me was some of the development of the main character. Initially, she was portrayed as a strong huntress and provider for her family however, her choices throughout the story deviated from her established characterization and while I won't talk about specific instances (as to not give any spoilers), this inconsistency in her behavior kind of dropped the quality for me personally.

Aside from the initial slow pacing and some character choices, the author’s ability to world-build and write really complex yet understandable characters really made this an overall enjoyable read.

Age rating- 17+

Genres- Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Novel

Do I recommend?-Yes, I recommend you give it a read and don’t let the initial slow pace deter you.

Trigger Warnings- Ab*se, Violence, Death, Gore

-Set the atmosphere with the playlist below and enjoy-

[wra-1-th]

a percy/annabeth oneshot to celebrate the holidays and the nearing release of the show!

(also posted on ao3)

Camp Half-Blood was relatively quiet as most of the campers that were able had already left camp to go home for the holidays, but a number of campers had stayed behind, preferring to spend the holidays at camp for whatever reason. It was an unseasonably warm evening for the middle of December, and the snow blanketing the cabins and trees added an ethereal quality to the camp. Even though it caused a chill, the breeze was comforting as it swept through camp and tousled Annabeth’s hair. She was sitting on the roof of the Poseidon cabin with Percy, the pair of them draped in blankets. Her boyfriend was looking at her as though she had been the one to hang the stars from the night sky above them, and Annabeth knew that she was utterly in love with the boy next to her.

“You, my Wise Girl, are the epitome of all that humanity can be,” he told her. “If there is ever another person half as incredible as you, everyone that knows them will have Tyche smiling upon them.” Dramatic confessions of love were not at all out of character for Percy, and Annabeth had grown used to them. She had also grown used to the fact that her boyfriend meant each and every word. Still, she liked to tease him about it.

Annabeth grinned, putting a hand to his forehead. “Do you have a fever? What’s going on here, Percy?”

He looked at her as if she had said something insane. “Am I not allowed to appreciate my lovely girlfriend?”

She laughed. “Oh don’t get me wrong, it’s very nice.” She scooted closer to him so that they were pressed against each other and leaned her head against his shoulder. “But now I’m ever so suspicious. Did you do something that you’re trying to win me over for?”

Percy’s hand was against his chest as though Annabeth’s words had been shot into him like a bullet. “I cannot believe that you think so little of me. I would never do that. I am a responsible and mature teenager, I would never try to win you over with fancy words.

“The first time we met, I watched you drool in your sleep. You may have saved the world a couple of times now, but I need you to remember that I know every embarrassing thing that you have ever done. You’re lucky I love you anyway.” Percy’s hand had come up to wrap around her shoulder, and she felt him laugh against her. “Just in case you didn’t know, neither ‘responsible’ nor ‘mature’ describe you in the slightest.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Wise Girl.”

“You’d almost definitely have died years ago. Now come on, what did you do?”

Percy sighed, accepting defeat. “You’re too smart for me. But fine, I may or may not have done something, but you have to promise not to get mad. Okay?”

Annabeth raised an incredulous eyebrow. She was a daughter of Athena. There was no way she was going to make a promise without knowing what was about to happen. “Percy…” she warned.

“It’s a surprise, Annie. I promise you’re going to love it.” He wrapped her hand in his, his hands surprisingly warm. Annabeth was basically freezing, so she appreciated it.

“Then why did you ask me not to get mad?”

“Because. Do you want to see it or not?”

Annabeth acted as though she was unsure, pretending to contemplate the offer for a moment. In truth, she had already agreed to it the moment she had realized that he was plotting something, but this was more fun. “If you insist, Seaweed Brain.”

Percy’s grin was entirely worth it. It was bright enough to light up any room, and Annabeth had decided long ago that seeing Percy smile was probably her favourite thing. He clutched a blanket around his shoulders like it was a cape as he leapt up, extending a hand to Annabeth.

She pretended to swoon as she accepted his hand. “My night in fluffy armour.”

“My damsel who could most definitely handle herself if she was ever in distress,” Percy replied, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. Annabeth smiled and blushed. She didn’t think she would ever be entirely used to the ease with which Percy loved her. It seemed to be as easy as breathing for him, making her blush with his simple compliments and stealing her breath with every kiss. Annabeth wished that she could display her love in the same way he did. It had never been as easy for her to let down her walls, but she had no doubt that Percy knew she loved him with all of her heart.

The two of them made their way down from the roof and began walking along the beaten trails through the camp. Paths had been shoveled through the snow nearly as soon as it had fallen, making it easy for campers to go through camp without having to pick their way through mounds of snow.

Percy and Annabeth walked along one of these trails, Percy leading her… well, she wasn’t entirely sure where she was being led. She was just trusting that Percy knew where he was going.

The two stopped in front of the shed by the lake, and Annabeth noticed that there was already a canoe on the shore. She looked over at Percy for confirmation and he gestured for her to go towards it. As Annabeth approached the canoe, she noticed that there was a basket on the sand beside it. Again she turned around to look at Percy, and he nodded, gesturing once more for her to keep going.

“Do we have permission to do this?” Annabeth asked, already having grabbed the basket.

“We both know that you’re not all that concerned about permission, Wise Girl. But yeah, I did talk to Chiron. C’mon, get in.”

Annabeth complied and Percy entered after her. They couldn’t exactly go out onto the water, seeing as the lake was frozen, but it seemed that Percy only intended to sit on the shore. Meanwhile, Annabeth opened the basket and pulled out a tin of Sally’s signature blue cookies, a bag of blue caramel popcorn, an assortment of blue jelly beans and gummies, and a Christmas card that Annabeth had no doubt had been decorated by Estelle, if the crayon drawing of three smiling stick figures wearing Santa hats was any indication. Estelle’s name was written rather large in the same crayon under Sally’s neat Christmas wishes for Percy and Annabeth.

“Mom wanted to send us some stuff, since we couldn’t be home for Christmas. I figured I’d make it a date.” Percy smiled sheepishly. “There should be something else in there too.”

Percy was right- at the bottom of the basket was a small velvet bag the colour of the ocean.

“What… is this?” Annabeth asked, entirely confused.

“Open it,” Percy prompted. He seemed to be holding his breath, and it was making Annabeth nervous.

Inside the bag was a silver ring with a blue gemstone. Annabeth looked up at Percy, eyes wide.

He took a breath, locking eyes with her. “I want to marry you, Annabeth. I know that we’re still young and it obviously can't happen for a long time, but one day, I want to stand at the altar with you and say, ‘I do’. I want to watch you walk towards me in a beautiful white gown- but really, you make anything look beautiful- while our parents sit in the front row and my mom is holding back tears. I want Estelle to scatter flower petals in front of you. I want your brothers to walk up with the rings. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, my Wise Girl. I love you.”

Annabeth felt as though she might cry. She didn’t think she could form a coherent sentence at the moment. She had read the dictionary for fun once, but she couldn’t recall a single word. All she could do was nod as she slipped the ring onto finger. Not the finger she would have a wedding ring on, but her right ring finger.

“Annabeth?”

“I want it too, Percy. I- gods, you’re insane. I love you, Seaweed Brain.”

Percy’s smile was blinding. He could have been a son of Apollo with how bright he was basically glowing. Annabeth was sure that her expression matched his.

“Do you want a cookie?”

Percy grabbed one before she had even finished asking the question.

“Oh, you know me so well.”

[nflstreetsanimereviews]

School Days Review

School Days is one of the most infamous anime series to ever air–from its inception, it has been considered to be one of the worst anime of all time. The finale, which had gruesome content similar to a murder that occurred the day before airing, was replaced with footage of pleasant and calming European landscapes. The early internet meme ‘Nice boat.’ would spawn out of this–it’s still synonymous with the anime to this day. There’s also this video and this video, which have stayed imprinted inside my head for more than a decade at this point. If you know, you know. Anyways, you probably already know about School Days, considering that it’s in pretty much any ‘Top 10 Worst Anime Ever’ list out there. I already watched School Days once a decade ago, giving it a 20/100. Considering that I was way more lenient on rating anime back then, that had to mean that I really hated it...which is a perfect reason to dive back in and rewatch it! 

School Days is a 2007 adaptation of the 2005 visual novel going by the same name. The anime follows Makoto Itou and his ‘relationships’ with Sekai Saionji and Kotonoha Katsura. Following the plot of a standard visual novel, Makoto’s choices advance the plot along. 

Visual novel adaptations have been some of the biggest hits this millennium–most anime fans think of either Clannad, Steins;Gate, or Fate/stay night when it comes to visual novel adaptations. Anime adapted from visual novels have also the unique option to have an omnibus format, which allows for the studio to adapt several arcs, instead of picking one and sticking with it–something that worked for Amagami SS. Of course, choosing this option forgoes almost any chance that your anime is considered a ‘classic’ in the wider anime community, but considering that Amagami SS was made to promote the Amagami visual novel, it does its job good. School Days takes the more traditional route for visual novel adaptations, choosing to adapt a single route…at least I think.

The first problem with School Days is that it seemingly doesn’t know which route to adapt. I know it’s common in a dating sim to bounce back between girls (or boys, or those in-between) until you find the one that you ‘like’ the most, but it’s jarring to see in animation. This leads to many continuality issues that disrupt the anime to the point where it’s unwatchable. Someone antagonistic towards Kotonoha in one scene acts friendly to her the next, only to be mean again in the scene after that. Makoto changes personality at will like he has multiple people controlling the thoughts (what little there are) in his head. Kotonoha is implied to be ‘popular’, but she only gets asked out by two boys, and seemingly has no friends other than Sekai, if you could call them friends. I don’t want to sound like CinemaSins too much, but for an anime that was adapted from a visual novel, it seems like they were winging it when it came to the plot. Like they wanted to include every girl that could be interested in Makoto, even if it made no sense relative to the plot. If Makoto was likable, the experience of having multiple girls like him would be at least bearable. But instead, we get stuck with what I consider one of the worst main characters of all time.

Makoto is fundamentally an unlikeable character. There are no redeeming qualities about him, with Kotonoha and Sekai having feelings for him for really no reason other than the plot demanded it so. His character is the representation of the teenage male’s id taken to its extremes. The disconnect that unsettles me (and many others) is that he seemingly gets rewarded for this behavior. While others may temporarily be disgusted by his actions, he nevertheless gets wanted more by more girls as times go on. The ‘love triangle’ between Makoto, Kotonoha, and Sekai is especially puzzling. We don’t even get to see any build-up of a relationship between the three. Makoto and Sekai are seated together and instantly become best friends. Makoto somehow attracts Kotonoha by gawking at her while on the train. Both girls recognize that Makoto is a moron, but both delude themselves into thinking that he’s a ‘good guy’. He’s a horndog and a huge loser. He has no personality, which typically would make it easier to ‘self-insert’, but who the hell would want to self-insert as Makoto? He has all of the worst traits a young man could have. It’s hard to watch someone who sucks as a person get rewarded for said suckiness. I have a feeling that Makoto can actually be a good guy if you tell him to in the School Days game, but the anime seldomly shows him being anything other than a villain–by the time I got to see him do something commendable, it was far too late in the game for me to ever change my mind on him.

There’s also the problem with Sekai–the anime starts with her pushing Makoto and Kotonoha together, but even before they ‘get together’, Sekai develops feelings for Makoto (for whatever reason). Still, even when it looks like Kotonoha has little interest, she pushes them together for seemingly no reason. Like she just wants to let herself suffer? And it’s not just a one-time thing–Makoto often puts off Kotonoha, and instead of thinking ‘maybe those two aren’t as good matches as I thought’, she thinks ‘I’ll keep pushing those two together even if it clearly isn’t going anywhere’. Then she sits and gets sad about it, like Makoto and Kotonoha, who have NO charisma together, is ‘meant to be’  That’s your own damn fault dumbass! And it’s not even like Makoto doesn’t ‘like’ her–it took him all of about five minutes of ‘practice’ with Sekai for him to cross the line and force himself on her. What I’m really mad about is that there’s no build-up to Sekai having feelings for Makoto. She just instantly does, and yet pushes him away at the same time. This whole love triangle doesn’t have to exist. It shouldn’t exist. I didn’t want to use this word, but Sekai’s ‘dilemma’ is the second most hamfisted thing about this anime (the first being Makoto’s existence). 

At times it feels like I’m watching two different shows. In the anime, no one actually knows who Makoto is dating. Apparently, to everyone in the anime, it looks like Sekai and Makoto are lovers, even when reality, Kotonoha and he were (at the time). All of this could be solved with one simple “Who are you dating?”, but that makes too much sense I guess. It doesn’t even get asked until the second half of the show. Instead, you have to watch Makoto’s classmates continuously assume who he is dating, and watch him do nothing to clear the situation up since he’s a huge piece of shit. The fundamental lack of communication skills that all characters in School Days have compounds the many other issues with it. Makoto’s non-commitment, which is in character with his lousy self, opens a myriad of issues concerning other characters. Sekai, who at least feels some guilt about her flings with Makoto, doesn’t help the cause either, insufficiently pushing Makoto to cut things off with Kotonoha. You would think that Makoto’s cowardness would turn off Sekai–it would be a huge red flag for any self-respecting person–but not for Sekai apparently! Kotonoha, for all of her timidness, does try her best…it takes her half the anime to tell other classmates about her and Makoto’s ‘relationship’ through, long after Makoto’s infidelity ramps up.

While the consensus about School Days is that it’s a bad anime, the opinion on whether it’s ‘so bad it’s good’, ‘bad on purpose’, or ‘straight-up unwatchable’ is dependent on the viewer. The first two opinions pop up a lot more in the reviews of it on AniList than I originally thought–with multiple reviewers giving School Days a positive rating not despite its terrible flaws, but because of its terrible flaws. To them, School Days is a guilty pleasure. Something that is meant to be mocked at, like how people watch The Room. I don’t share this opinion, since I find that School Days lacks any charm that makes it likable. It’s hard to derive anything other than disgust while watching it. It’s more like watching your wife cheat on you for four hours rather than watching a shitty b-movie. There’s little funny about it, even unintentionally. Giving it a rating boost solely due to it being ‘so bad it’s good’ is a bit silly, but at the same time, I understand that ratings are: subjective; and based on quality AND how it makes you feel. It wasn’t intended to evoke this reaction…at least not in this fashion. This brings me to the second opinion–that School Days is the ‘deconstruction of the ecchi/harem/rom-com anime genre’. I find this observation absurd. Just because an anime is terrible enough that it enlists a negative reaction in almost every viewer doesn’t make it thought-provoking in the good sense. One reviewer that shares this view states that “You feel uncomfortable watching School Days because the anime exposes the harem genre for what it really is - a misogynistic fantasy world.” Yes, it’s common to feel uncomfortable watching School Days, but to say that it’s ‘exposing the harem genre’ is foolish. Keep in mind that School Days is an adaption of an eroge–one that contains multiple sex scenes and fanservice, just like the anime. There’s no hint of introspection in any fanservice in the anime. Hell, we see fanservice of Sekai at her worst moments. School Days ‘exposes’ the harem genre like Grandma's Boy ‘exposes’ stoner culture. Clearly, School Days does evoke much thought out of its viewers, but pretending that it was the emotion the anime was going for, and not a byproduct of it being such a mess, is naive. Sometimes a spade is just a spade.

I tried my hardest to keep this spoiler-free, but due to the nature of why the anime is known, you probably already know how School Days ends–it would be silly to pretend most people reading this didn't. With that in mind, I’m going to talk about it in the spoilers below:

School Days famously ends with Sekai killing Makoto, and then Kotonoha killing Sekai. While Makoto did have it coming, there’s little to no payoff in getting to see it. It took eleven episodes for anyone to recognize that Makoto’s not a good person…by that time, I was already sick of this show and would’ve dropped it if not for the sake of this review. Perhaps if Makoto was ever shown as a good person in the first place, it would have some pull. But Makoto was never a good person. Instead of School Days being a tale about how anyone has the potential of becoming evil, you instead just keep saying “yeah, no shit moron” to yourself for twelve episodes. Breaking Bad worked so well because Walter White was originally a do-gooder under-paid Chemistry teacher–someone that viewers could empathize with. There was never a moment in School Days where I felt any empathy for anyone (other than Kotonoha). Everything about School Days makes the viewer feel disgusted. Some praise School Days for this. I think this is nonsense. While I think adapting a bad ending is quite a cool idea, the execution results in some of the worst anime I’ve ever seen. I have no reason to care about any of the characters–even Kotonoha, who can be easy to be sympathetic to at times. Makoto is such a huge piece of shit that I believe that Kotonoha, along with every other girl in this anime, is too good for him. There’s no actual tragedy because anyone with a pair of eyeballs could have seen this coming. There was never a point where Makoto was ‘good’. There’s little comfort in knowing that Makoto gets stabbed by Sekai when it took about eleven episodes to have anyone even recognize that he’s a piece of shit. You could’ve watched The Room twice in that time!

Some may say that going through this slog is worth it for the ending–while I’m glad Makoto gets what he deserves, it isn’t worth watching 4+ hours of the absolute worst shit I’ve ever watched. It’s so much worse the second time around. I have no idea how I was able to stomach this in two days the first time I watched it. School Days is pretty much unwatchable. To say that it’s ‘so bad it’s good’ would be doing a disservice to shows that actually are. There’s no reason to watch this ever. This is the type of stuff they torture prisoners at Guantanamo Bay with. Only watch this if you want to inflict psychic damage on yourself. If you want to watch a parody of the harem rom-com genre that’s actually good (and funny), check out The World God Only Knows.

/100

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Next set of my thoughts on the NextUp livestreams, Delightful Sausage edition. Brief summary: I expected the Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill ones to be my favourite NextUp-streamed Edinburgh shows this year, and there are still a bunch I’ve not watched yet but I still feel confident in saying I expected correctly.

Wow. Watched those back-to-back today and I enjoyed that so much. It’s so cool to see them both putting on such high-quality shows separately after all the very funny stuff they’ve done together, and obviously today is a good day to be Amy Gledhill.

I paid a relatively rare visit to Instagram today to see all the people talking about Edinburgh Awards and things, and the pictures of Chris Cantrill looking very happy for her are extremely sweet, and make me feel bad for having made some jokes that getting nominated for the same award will tear apart a double act like it did to Peacock & Gamble. Peacock & Gamble had other issues, not everyone's Peacock & Gamble. Sometimes people are all right and delight in a teammate’s success. They're melting my cold competitive heart.

I watched Chris Cantrill’s show first, wasn’t really sure what to expect as it looked like a straight stand-up show, but the description also said some shit about Medieval fantasy worlds and that he’d be wearing a cape, so I thought maybe it was more in the Delightful Sausage style of fictional stuff. Maybe some weird combination. Who knows?

It was straight stand-up, stories about his life told as himself, but he did wear a cape for much of the show, which made sense in context. It hit some themes that chimed quite well with me at the moment – depression and the loneliness of old friendships deteriorating as you get older. So it got a little dark at times, but it never felt very dark, and it ended on a note so hopeful that I may have been briefly, genuinely moved.

This was one of those stand-up hours where you can feel how competent and experienced the person who put it together is. It was paced really well, everything felt like it was in the right order and it really built up and came together nicely. I love how easily he could move between whimsey (there was some stuff about Medieval fantasy lands in there), straightforward storytelling, and occasional breaks to add something like a political opinion or a fact about history. All the different types of material flowed so well that none of the seams felt jarring. It felt honest about depression without seeming overwrought or overly emotional, which is pretty impressive.

He dropped little threads early on that I’d assumed were nothing but came back unexpectedly. He had so many little ways of describing things that I’ve found myself going back to in my mind, I feel like this is going to be one of those things where a year from now I wonder why I use a certain turn of phrase when I talk about certain things, and then remember I heard it in a Chris Cantrill show.

And I love how much care he took over all the characters in his story, who were mainly his friends from university. That seems like his skills as a sketch comedian coming out, he could make all these people come to life in the stories, I ended up sympathizing with everyone and getting really invested in all the different things that were going on. This show had, you know – heart, or whatever would be a less cheesy word to describe the same thing.

Then I put on Amy Gledhill’s show, and Jesus, was that ever great. It was also straight stand-up, maybe with slightly more theatrics than Chris, as she came in wearing an ostentatious costume and had people throw underwear at her. But then she started talking and she didn’t need any gimmicks, or anything – it is amazing how compelling she can be even when it’s just her telling stories. It’s the same as the presence she has in The Delightful Sausage shows – just a way of speaking and moving and looking at the crowd that makes me want to listen to her. She’s so naturally good at this.

This show hit a number of common topics among “serious” comedy shows – body image, sexual assault, breakups, how all those things affect mental health issues. And it didn’t feel like a serious comedy show. Watching it didn’t feel tense, except for a little bit at the end when she very intentionally brought in some tension. She looked like she was having fun the whole time, so watching and listening to her was always fun, no matter what she was discussing.

But this show had more of an edge to it than the Chris Cantrill one, it felt bigger and faster-paced, and Chris Cantrill didn’t spend nearly as much time acting out the lead-up to oral sex. She threw herself entirely into every story, expressed so much with a look or a gesture, could make us laugh and sharply feel everything she described at the same time, which is tricky. Most comedians switch between the laughing and the making us feeling things, it’s hard to get both at once.

And this show came together nicely too, picked up threads that I’d not expected to come back, brought everything around to the central themes, it was all there for a reason. And finished strong on a note of complex hope and anger and all these other things. And it was funny. It made me laugh out loud repeatedly even though I was alone in my room, that’s probably enough to give it the edge over other options for winning that award.

I think her experience as a sketch comedian made a big difference here too (I’m not sure if “sketch” is the right word for those Delightful Sausage shows as they’re all in one narrative, but whatever that type of comedy show is called, that’s what I mean), as it’s how she drew us into all her stories. She’s so used to getting in character and making us believe that she’s stranded on an island or running a terrible resort or whatever – so in her regular stand-up she can easily get us on board with believing that she’s really arguing with her ex over a TV show, or whatever real-life story she’s telling. She makes it so easy to enjoy listening to her.

Both shows were strong on structure and on making me feel some emotions and making me laugh, what a wonderful way to spend a day. And I'm happy with Amy Gledhill winning Champion of Edinburgh. She had a couple of sweet stories about Chris Cantrill in her show too, they seem like lovely people. Out there being happy for each other, and once again, melting my cynical heart.

Also, I've gone and downloaded Icklewick FM, the radio thing they made together this year instead of doing a Delightful Sausage show. I meant to listen to that when it came out a few months ago, and then I forgot about it, but I've now been reminded. That's going with me on my commutes to work next week.

[grizzlyofthesea]

Imagine having your soul shipped to you in the mail.

I got distracted and accidentally bumped it off a table yesterday, so the top portion broke, but I was able to superglue it back together. (For anyone interested, this was made by WTFcharms on Etsy. It's a nice, high-quality, and affordable alternative to the out-of-production official soul gems floating around out there.)

With all that said, I'd like to take this time to gush about the magical girl designs in Madoka Magica. I will be focusing primarily on the original five magical girls; as much as I love what Magia Record introduced to the franchise, there are so many characters. I will share my favorite Magia Record design at the end, though.

Let's get stared with...

Mami Tomoe!

I've always really liked Mami's design. I don't know if I've ever articulated the specific reasons why, but that's what I'm here to do now.

The influences from historical Western fashion, like her corset and boots. They make Mami look classy and fashionable, yet noticeably older than the others.

The plume on her hat. It's a cool detail in general, but it also makes me think of pre-20th century soldiers' uniforms.

The feminine yet down-to-earth feel. She's girly and optimistic at heart like Madoka, but the relative lack of frills makes her feel more mature and veteran-like in comparison.

The purplish coloring to her hat and stockings. It's just a bit of complementary color goodness.

The very slight change in her hair color. For Mami specifically, she gets a slightly brighter, more saturated shade of yellow. All the original girls have this characteristic, which I think is pretty cool.

Now, on to my favorite character...

Sayaka Miki!

The cape. Whether you want to compare her to a superhero or a knight, it's fitting for her heroic ideals.

The multilayered gloves. They're unique, and the deep navy blue of the longer gloves varies the color scheme a bit.

The armor-like breastplate on her otherwise soft cloth corset. It's another point for the knightly aesthetic, but it also plays into her personality. Her heart (emotions, not actual blood-pumping heart) is vulnerable. She's expressive, but she keeps her true feelings well-guarded no matter how much it ends up hurting her.

The gold trim on various clothing pieces. It's cool, it's flashy, and it reflects Sayaka's pride in being a magical girl who fights for justice.

The angled skirt. Even if it doesn't prove to be especially practical, it looks athletic and good for combat.

The belts holding up her stockings. I just think they're neat.

The fortissimo hairpin (shown in the gif). It ties into her wish and reflects her bombastic emotions.

Sayaka's hair shifts from a muted cerulean to a bright sky blue. This is pretty in-line with her cheeriness and idealism.

Here, we have (arguably) one of the sanest members of the cast...

Kyoko Sakura!

Though somewhat simple at a first glance, Kyoko's outfit has quite a bit going on.

The fleur-de-lis like pattern under her soul gem. The fleur-de-lis is often used to represent Christian saints; Kyoko grew up in a Christian family.

The long dress/coat over a shorter skirt. One may compare the coat to a priest's robes.

The boots. Kyoko is the only one of the main cast to not fight in heels, complementing her pragmatic nature.

The detached sleeves exposing her shoulders. They make her look powerful and tough.

The white accents on her otherwise dark outfit. It adds variety, but it also alludes to the selfless reasoning behind her wish.

Kyoko's hair changes from a crimson shade to a lighter, brighter burgundy. Where civilian Kyoko lives in the shadows, magical girl Kyoko fights openly and aggressively.

Now, let's look at the ever-popular...

Homura Akemi!

Homura's design may not be super flashy, but it's still super cool in lots of ways.

The stockings. Solid black stockings would have worked well enough, but the purple diamond print going down the sides adds some flair.

The practicality. Ignoring the fact that she's sprinting around in stilettos, Homura's magical girl outfit looks pretty comfortable and easy to move in.

The subtlety. Whether we're discussing the past or the present, Homura was never one to desire the spotlight. Her subdued design and color scheme reflect this aspect of her personality.

The resemblance to a school uniform. She's got the classic bow and sailor collar, but she also borrows a unique element from the Mitakihara uniform specifically: the cut of the shirt. It has two downward points in the front and one in the back, though it is more exaggerated on her magical girl outfit.

Homura's hair changes to a darker shade of gray/black. It's incredibly minute, but it plays up her "dark, mysterious transfer student" persona.

Of course, we can't forget the one and only...

Madoka Kaname!

She has a lot in common with your stereotypical magical girls (think Sailor Moon and Mew Ichigo), but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to admire about her design.

The yellow on her dress' bodice. It breaks up all the pink and white while still looking good in the overall color scheme.

The points on her overskirt. They look like flower petals, specifically those of a cherry blossom.

The frills and bows everywhere. Super genre-typical, super cutesy, super Madoka.

The darker pink ribbons on her gloves. They add a bit of pizzazz to what would otherwise be one of her plainer accessories.

The crossed laces on her shoes. It isn't that important of a detail, but it's a unique approach to making her already-detailed outfit even fancier.

Madoka's hair changes from a watermelon pink to more of a bubblegum pink. This just adds to her sugary cuteness and makes you feel even worse when she suffers.

And finally, as promised, my favorite Magia Record design...

Kanoko Yayoi!

I couldn't find a good, clean design sheet for Kanoko, so I chose to use some of her card artwork--one that offers a look at the front detailing (3-star), and one that gives us a good look at her shoes (5-star). So, what exactly do I love so much about her design?

The Victorian influences, like her top hat and corset. I'm a sucker for mid-to-late Victorian Era aesthetics.

The overall "cute but classy" vibe. The gold and emerald green accents on her accessories, the black-and-white color scheme, and the long gloves make her look quite a bit fancier than some other magical girls; but her frilly shorts, Mary Jane-like shoes, and cropped jacket balance everything out so she still looks like a magical girl rather than, say, a lost Black Butler OC.

The stitched detailing on most of her accessories. It really fits her fashion designer theme.

She wears shorts instead of a skirt. This isn't a horribly rare thing in the genre, especially when accounting for other Magia Record characters, but it's still pretty unique.

The holes in her cuffs. They look like the eyes of sewing needles, looping back to her wish/theme.

Aaaaaaand she may or may not look quite a bit like me. Not identical, but enough to make me do a double-take when I first saw her. That gave me the happy brain tingles. :)

Also, can we just talk about how sick her Doppel is?

Her name is Broderie, and she's the witch of torn seams. She can destroy anything, even concepts...but she's only really interested in destroying Kanoko's work. And of course, despite being labeled as a thread trimmer, she looks like a mushroom. ^^' But yeah. My girl finally got a Doppel. I'm so proud of her. :')

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[maidstew]

thinking about "being unable to see people as just evil." imo it's a useful quality, and with thg/tbosas i like that that perspective is kinda baked into the narrative. that's part of why the mentors are so interesting to me -- most of them are probably doomed to become tools of a terrible system (they're destined for brilliant careers in the capitol, after all) but for now they're all 18-year-olds doing their best and probably hiding what they really believe. if they even know what they believe. AND on top of all that, they survived the dark days together? god

btw i got lysistrata on your uquiz and she's great so i appreciate it lol. her being childhood friends with snow is something i think about a lot because i feel like she actually sees his potential to do good. which is nice but tragic because he doesn't see that potential in himself. like she can Tell that he also hates the games and the many ways that the mentors are being manipulated, but he'll never admit it. just too much of a risk. (he also sees *her* potential to do good, and unlike with sejanus, he respects it, since she generally tries to do the right thing in calculated ways rather than impulsively challenging the status quo. he still finds her strange and disorienting to be around since she clearly doesn't *want* to conform and be accepted nearly as much as he does.) anyway my main hc for her is that she ends up in bioengineering (NOT working for dr. gaul lmao) and is extremely good at what she does. she experiences various ethical dilemmas because she creates something that both can save lives in a unique way And is likely to be used in the games/could have military applications(?), so. idk. she struggles with that a lot because she refuses to turn away from the harm her project could cause

i also hc that lyssie stays friends with snow longer than one might expect -- i think she's surprisingly open to feeling (and acting on) compassion for people she knows she can never fully trust. and she's often been viewed as, like, adjacent to capitol high society without the possibility of being genuinely accepted into its ranks, so she doesn't tend to trust a lot of people. she tends to like or at least be curious about a lot of people, though, and she doesn't see that as contradictory. she keeps her distance when it's necessary, and tbh sometimes when it's unnecessary. i feel like she would be one of (young politician) snow's few positive influences -- even convincing him to make good public health decisions that benefit the districts. something like that. she'd be good at laying it all out as strategically useful, etc. and then their friendship eventually falls apart as it becomes clear that snow really isn't trying to change things from the inside (while lyssie definitely is)

bonus: it seems possible that lyssie's parents know some ravinstill family secrets since they're max's doctors. make of this what you will. dr. and dr. vickers, what do you know?? whatever's going on with them and max could also have Parallels with lyssie being relatively close to snow as he gains power. much to think about

oh coryo, this is such a wonderful ask to receive! genuinely, i am so excited to dive into this (under the cut because this turned into a small novel!)

i completely 100% agree with what you’re saying about the mentors and i think you’ve brought up such an amazing point with this. i think it’s easy to dismiss the mentors as being evil/terrible people, but i truly don’t believe there’s such a thing as a fully naturally evil person (not even urban canville).

the mentors get a lot of hate and i definitely get why (and enjoy participating!) but i think a lot of people forget just how young these mentors are. of course, that may be because so many tbosas fans are so young- but 18/19 is barely an adult. it’s so easy to dismiss them as horrible because of how they acted (and definitely they deserve the criticism) but i think in doing so, we really overlook the situation they’re in. of course this bunch of elite kids who have been spoon fed propaganda aren’t perfectly ready to overthrow the entire system they know at 18 years old. especially considering they’re all traumatized from living through a literal war as children.

not to mention how dangerous it is to speak out or mess with the wrong person as a citizen in panem.

they may not have handled things perfectly or ideally, but that doesn’t mean we need to dismiss them completely. i firmly believe that all people have a capacity for change- especially when the versions we see of them are so young!

imagine being in that position! you’re barely 18 and facing graduation (which is such a difficult phase of life as it is!). you’ve lived through a war and have had to cope with the trauma of that and you’ve been fed your whole life that the reason you suffered was because of these people. then you’re told out of no where that you’re going to be assigned one of the children from the place that caused your, and everyone you know’s, suffering. you get this kid in front of you and your forced to get to know them. looking from the perspective of the mentors view (and i’m not saying i agree!), a lot of these kids prove you right by being violent and harsh because these mentors aren’t able to put themselves in the shoes of the people they view as ‘bad’.

in other cases, the mentors realize that the children really are just children and don’t deserve what’s happening. but what can they do other than offer food and try to help them the best they can? speak out? we see how things like that go in the capitol. sejanus is punished for the way he lashed out and the feed was cut when he tried to do something.

i’m not saying they shouldn’t have done more- i’m just saying it’s not as black and white as people like to think.

i’m sorry- i’ve already rambled so much but i also really want to touch on the part of lyssie! i loved what you said about her seeing coriolanus’s ability to do good- because coriolanus did have the ability to do a lot of good. he ultimately chose a different path- but the option was there. he wasn’t born an evil dictator.

i think think it’s interesting your point about why he respected lysistrata vs sejanus! i also really liked your bioengineering headcanon. i think that’s so spot on!

i’ve never thought about it- but now that you say you think she stayed friends with coriolanus longer than one might expect i completely agree! she has that compassion inside of her and she’s grown up with this person. this was one of her best friends and she cares about him- it’s not easy to just give that up. i can absolutely see her trying to hold on and hold out hope that the coryo she loved will push through and stop the madness- or that she’ll be able to influence better things in the situation. she’s aware that she’s between a rock and a hard place and does the best she can with what she’s got.

and AH that last paragraph! i had a conversation with a friend recently about a hc with the heavensbees & the phipps and all their dark family secrets and how they’re sort of forced to remain close because of all the dirt they have on each other. i could see a very similar situation for the ravinstills & the vickers!! oh that’s such an interesting point but this is already so long…but trust i am thinking!

[lesless]

glowing, growing 🔮 🍀

It is gently dropping small, delicate flakes of white outside & the air is so still, quiet, like a whisper. My love took the dog & headed out to a town 2 hours away to meet his father so he can spend tomorrow working on an initiative that may prove to be a wonderful investment of time/energy/etc., but not without quite a lot of work first. I am proud of him in a lot of ways, but I will miss him. I do enjoy my down time though, so I will make the most of it.

I had planned on meeting up with a friend tonight after she had dinner with her sister, but neither of us wanted to do much once the sky grew grey & it began to snow. I wrote a list of what I want to do solo tomorrow--tea (I need to reign back my coffee consumption, again), journal, breakfast, eat, go to yoga, get a juice from the place next door to the studio, a bath with the bath bomb I bought at the botanical gardens. Then, get some work done on the photo and/or writing project, buy some yarn to make gifts, write xmas cards, then maybe meet up with that friend I missed today. It sounds like a great solo day, exactly the kind of thing I like to do! A little chill, a little activity/movement in the A.M., a little productivity, a little shopping, a little fun.

It is funny that since I sorted through my clothes & replaced them with quality items I enjoy wearing that I feel like I have SO many options but I have SUCH a small number of items now compared to when I started weeding out synthetics. I have reflected that life is funny like that, sometimes when we lack quality we go for quantity, don't we?

Being deliberate in purchasing/replacing items has been a years-long thing & lately I do feel surprised that interacting with quality on a regular basis is satisfying, though I have kind of always held the idea that spending extra $ on things you interact with daily will make your daily experience more enjoyable. A nice face wash, comfortable bedsheets, decent rubber gloves to wash dishes in. I suppose I will just never stop appreciating little things in life.

Sunday bb will return, we will relax & play BG3, spend our last little bit of solo time together until next year, quite literally. Tuesday our friend arrives, I visit the allergist, then Thursday my cousin arrives, then Sunday we fly to Texas, then it's holiday madness & remote work, then we fly to Mexico, the new year blooms, more remote work, & we return to life & a new semester.

In more mundane news, I told myself that I would learn how to french braid my hair while it's short so I can become accustomed to it as it grows out & I have stuck to my word! 3 successful braids so far, though my arms do get exhausted & I feel feeble every time I braid it. Just as I feel weak every time I do core exercises (2 down this week! pretty good considering I spent 3 full & exhausting days in the office today) at least I'm doing it! I will get better! I can't expect myself to be good at something right off the bat, as much as I want to be for my ego's sake.

I still always feel at least a little anxious after socializing with people I am not intimately close with, & I have done an assload of socializing over the last 3 days, BUT I feel relatively unscathed after this week. 2 fumbles, which I felt I saved, & maybe I shouldn't be cataloging my social blunders mentally but also maybe mentally I'm a little left of center & I should just be OK with that, too, instead of self-monitoring so heavily. Anyway, I think the level of comfort I DO feel has a lot to do with the fact that I really just feel delightful about the people I work with; I really genuinely like them all. They are all such characters, so knowledgeable, incredibly well-intentioned, & most of them are as sassy & quippy as I enjoy in a person without the malicious undertone that often accompanies that trait.

Anyway I am trying to remind myself that bettering is incremental & when I look back at how far I have come I am proud of myself, too. Lastly, perhaps, I must shake the scolding I want to give myself at every imperfection.

It is a beautiful night & I am comfortable, listening to music & watching everything collect a thin layer of white outside of my window. I have things to look forward to, people to love, people to love me back, humble goals, & a deep appreciation for the now. I hope you, too, find a quiet sort of peace as the year wraps itself in darkness & cold. I hope spring makes you feel like you can start over if you need to. I hope you treat yourself gently tomorrow.

[firstdivisiongirl]

Hello!

Sorry if this isn't where you post for matchups. I wrote alot and wanted to submit it as one post for you.

Can I have a One Piece Perfect Match Male please?

I'm a 24-year-old Hispanic straight female who uses she/her. My physical appearance is a short, fair-skinned, slightly chubby woman with brown eyes and curly dirty blonde hair. I mainly wear jeans, reading glasses, and a comfy top to go with my enamel-pinned cardigan. However, I always wear a CGM and insulin pump for my diabetes.

I’m an INFP Libra with a 9w1 enneagram. I’m a very spacey and forgetful individual who tends to stay more indoors but tries to welcome new experiences wherever I go. I’m a nice person, though, as I usually get on the good side of everyone I meet. I’m the kind of person who remains quiet until I become close with someone then I’m free to be a dork and swear alot. Building relationships with others isn’t something I pursue unless it occurs naturally.

When it comes to my health, sometimes I view myself as limited and weak, even when that is not true. I sometimes worry that I’m too much for people when it comes to my passions. I try to make jokes or sassy comebacks, but I'm not that clever when it comes to that, so it usually results in an awkward audience.

As a result, I get teased a lot which makes me feel stupid despite being relatively smart. I second-guess myself a lot too, but I usually push that aside and dive into whatever my choice was. I’ve also been described as generous, childish, excitable, playful, mischievous, stubborn, and imaginative. I may not know how bad situations can get but I always try to bring comfort to other people. Plus, I want to improve my health by getting physically fit. Currently, I'm working as a librarian. My love language is a tie between physical touch and quality time! I love the idea of cuddling in bed with my partner as we exchange kisses. I might also like words of affirmation, but I have a hard time accepting praise. As for my giving love language, I think it would be acts of service because I want to be both a strong partner for them and do little things to ease their mind.

Likes: Drawing, painting, designing costumes, walking, animals, soft blankets, notebooks, the smell of home-baked food and a campfire, going somewhere new, the supernatural, true crime, thrillers, animated movies, cosplay, anime/cartoons, sweets, working in archives, libraries, friends, and family.

Dislikes: Rude disrespectful people, loud noises like fireworks, my personal space being invaded, narcissists. People who don’t value others.

I hope this is enough information, and thank you for your time!

Hey! I will really take anywhere you post it/send it. Ask me anything is usually easier. But it doesn’t matter to me 😊. So let’s see the results!

You got…

Trafalgar D Water Law!!!

If you having health issues and wanting to get fit, he would make sure you are healthy because he loves you and doesn’t want to see you suffer like him

I feel like the boy likes true crime and the supernatural (though he won’t admit it), so ghost hunting dates are a definite!

He’s a cuddle lover (we see him with Bepo). So lots of cuddles for you!!!!! But I’m private, he has a reputation to uphold

He hates and loves all the same things as you

You and him could dork out together. We all know he’s a comic book nerd!

He may seem annoyed by your goofy, childish personality, but he loves it!

He’d love to exchange and read books together.

I hope you like it!

[ash-soka]

Truth serum!

Orph—how’d you meet your man? What drew you to him?

Aqua—Favorite doll and favorite ghost investigation!

"Orph—how’d you meet your man? What drew you to him?"

A question about my beloved Sol ☀️💚

I wish I had a more romantic tale to tell, the first time I laid eyes on him was when I first performed for the Pythian Royal Court. My old dance troupe was hired to entertain the king and his court, and during the performance the sun glinted off the Crown Prince's iridescent scales, catching my eye.

But our first conversation was far from idyllic.

Some weeks after this initial sighting, he requested a private meeting with me, though "requested" may be too light of a word. I met with him and his personal guard in his quarters, I can't say it wasn't intimidating.

He had put together that I was working for his father as an informant, but he wasn't angry, he gave me the benefit of the doubt. And in truth I was ignorant of his father's tryanny, which Sol laid out quite plainly, before giving me the opportunity to work with him instead, to feed the king false information.

I accepted, and this lead quite naturally into the second part of your question, — what drew me to him. We met many times while working against the king, and I saw his kindness, the strength of his convictions and his morals, his determination to be different to his father.

I had a front row seat to the strength of his character, and the full force of his determination to do right by his people. I don't feel there was a single aspect that drew me too him, it was a mix of these qualities that had me falling in love with him while we worked together.

Thank you for asking, I love few things more than discussing my beloved. However, I would have preferred to spin a more romantic fable than the truth that these feelings bloomed as we planned a coupe.

"Aqua—Favorite doll and favorite ghost investigation!"

Hello!

My favourite doll is Mildred! She's been with me the longest! She was given to me by a relative as a child, and I was fascinated by her. She's been a friend to me for most of my life. For as long as I've had her I've felt watched over, and comforted. She just wants somewhere nice to hang out with her friends, she's been really welcoming of new additions to the family as well!

Millie's not the most active physically, but she has an undeniable presence! Even people who aren't very sensitive to spirits get the feeling that someone's there with them around her. Her big brown eyes really make it look like she can see you, as well! Some people find her unsettling because of this, but she's a sweetheart 💗

I don't know if it would count as an investigation, as I already knew about the spirit in question, but favourite ghost experience is actually one that wasn't associated with Wraith Watch.

As you may know, my boyfriend is afraid of ghosts. I don't blame him, it's unknown, and it's something that can have scary connotations. Also, because of his job, he's only available at night, which can add to the frightening atmosphere! So he's only accompanied me a handful of times.

But one night he agreed to accompany me to observe a phenomenon I find fascinating! Sometimes a spirit will stay somewhere not because it's associated with their death, but simply because it's somewhere they loved in life. I tend to leave these spirits alone, they're doing no harm and I trust them to move on when they feel ready.

There's such a spirit who hangs out only a short drive from our city. The location is a beautiful outlook in the desert, especially at night, when the scorching sun is replaced by a blanket of stars.

I was honest with Leo, so he was tense to start with, holding tight to my hand, but the beautiful location helped him calm down, and we sat on the hood of his car. It took barely half an hour for the apparition to show up. They knew were there, but didn't acknowledge us, nor did we do anything to disturb them.

The three of us hung out in silence, enjoying the beautiful scenery and watching the stars, until it got into the early hours of the morning, and Leo became tired. It was the first time he's wanted to leave somewhere haunted because he was tired, rather than scared!

It was really special to share one of my interests with him, and see him so comfortable with it! It's also one of my favourite supernatural phenomenons to observe. I struggle to think of something more beautiful than the fact that you can love something so much that your love will outlast death itself. Thanks for asking!

thought I'd include these nice picrews of them, orph on the left, aqua on the right!

(picrew by caramael)

link to the truth serum post!

[pooma-today]

Mother, You are beautiful and a blessing

May 12, 2024

Sunday

The National UN Volunteers-India

TIPS for the celebration

❄️ MOTHER'S DAY CELEBRATION ❄️

May 12, 2024 SUNDAY

Celebrated on the second Sunday in May, Mother's Day is one of the most special holidays of the year.

It's hard to deny that the moms in our lives do so much, and because of that, they deserve both recognition and appreciation for showing up, time and time again.

Looking for something for the whole family? You're in luck — there activities for the kids, both big and small, on the list, as well as ideas for extended family and friends.

Pick one of these suggestions or use them to inspire your own Mother's Day celebration. Either way, what likely matters most to the special woman in your life is time with you, which is truly the best gift of all.

FLOWER-ARRANGING

It's Mother's Day so, naturally, you're probably thinking of giving her a bouquet of flowers in honor of the occasion. Instead of buying a premade arrangement, grab various packages of blooms and greens, then spend the afternoon arranging them into custom arrangements together. You'll not only make memories, but you'll each have a pretty keepsake of the activity.

ATTEND AN ART EXHIBITION

Whether it's a gallery opening, museum exhibit, sculpture garden or local show, use Mother's Day as an opportunity to infuse a bit of culture into your lives. Depending on where you go, you just might come home with a new masterpiece to hang that'll remind you of the experience for years to come.

TAKE A BIKE RIDE

When was the last time you went on a bike ride with your mom or other special woman in your life? If it's been awhile, consider putting on the helmets and going for a spin. Choose a fun destination and head out, or, better yet, book a local bike tour and explore new sights.

GO ON A PICNIC

Choose a sunny or seaside spot, pack a checkered tablecloth and take your mom (and the whole family) for a picnic in honor of Mother's Day. Or stay close to home and host lunch alfresco in the backyard. Invite friends and relatives to stop by or keep it simple with just you and Mom. Either way, don't forget the potato salad and rosé.

DO YOGA

It's always nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. If both you and Mom could use a bit of a break, take time out to either take a local yoga class or freestyle at home with YouTube yoga. Elevate the experience by adding quiet music, scented candles and a special luncheon after.

BRUNCH IN BED (or anywhere else)

Delicious breakfast on a light table.

Serve her brunch in bed or take her out to eat. We all know Mom will be up and awake long before anyone else, which certainly can make breakfast in bed a bit of a challenge. Why not make it brunch in bed instead? At this point in the day, she’ll have all her chores done (not that she should be doing them on Mother’s Day anyway), so she’ll have plenty of time to indulge in a leisurely meal of her choice. If going out is more her speed, make reservations at her favorite restaurant.

ATTEND A CONCERT

Plan a musical outing. Pick up tickets to see her favorite band or attend a local concert or performance together. When you're done, create a playlist of all the tunes you listened to to ensure that the memory of your shared experience is preserved forever.

VOLUNTEER TOGETHER

Mother and daughter volunteer to serve hungry food bank clients. Spend an afternoon volunteering together with the entire family.

Spend quality time with your mom or other special person this Mother's Day by volunteering or donating your time to a worthy cause. Whether you volunteer at a food bank, animal shelter, make care packages for the military at home or other activity, you'll enjoy time together and bond over doing something meaningful for someone else.

TAKE A CLASS TOGETHER

Does your mom like to hike, box, or make pasta from scratch? Whatever her preferred pastime, consider signing up to do a class together. It can be in-person, or, if you live miles apart, you can both join online instead. It doesn't have to be a shared interest —your agreed-upon class can be doing completely new, like learning a language, painting or photography.

VISIT FRIENDS OR RELATIVES

Is there a close friend or relative you haven't seen in a while? Use Mother's Day as an excuse to arrange a drop-by or meetup. After all, there's never a bad time to get together with loved ones. Even if it's just a virtual date, talk to attendees ahead of time, then coordinate a plan for your long-overdue catch-up.

PREPARE A SPECIAL DESSERT

Woman decorating chocolate sponge cake

Whip up something sweet together for a gift she'll remember. Whether she loves ice cream or apple pie, make your mom a special dessert in honor of Mother’s Day. Not to worry, she’ll be just as happy if you take her out for ice cream.

HOST A SCAVENGER HUNT

If Mom has an adventurous spirit, plan a scavenger hunt. Print out a treasure map or clues for her to find. Have the kids or the whole family join in on the game. Hide trinkets, gifts or make it a competition to see who can find a list of household items first, and have prizes on hand for the winner.

MAKE PLANS FOR NEXT MOTHER'S DAY

Whether you're spending this Mother's Day together or are separated by miles this year, there's no time like the present to make plans for the next Mother's Day. Start planning now for a special bucket list trip or book a reservation for that restaurant she's been wanting to try.

START A NEW TRADITION

Whether it's watching a favorite movie or making a beloved family recipe, establish an annual Mother's Day tradition. Invite everyone to participate or offer suggestions on what to do. Then, carry it out each and every year. It'll be something to look forward to and help create lasting memories.

TRY A NEW HOBBY

Mom and daughter knitting. Attempting a new hobby together can boost your bond.

Whether it’s knitting, rock climbing or starting a family book club, Mother’s Day is a great time to try a new hobby together. Whatever the skill or endeavor, it’s better attempted as a team of two (or more) than alone. Even if you end up knitting a sock instead of a scarf, the memories you make will be worth it.

MAKE CUSTOM MOTHER'S DAY T-SHIRTS

Show her that you are totally Team Mom by making a special t-shirt to wear in honor of Mother's Day. Surprise her and have the family all wear matching t's with her photograph or a funny saying written on them. Or, include her in on the fun. Make tie-dye t-shirts together or other commemorative shirt that'll be a treasured keepsake after the holiday is over.

CREATE A TIME CAPSULE

Preserve the moment forever by creating a time capsule in honor of Mother's Day. Add sentimental items, handwritten letters, photos, craft projects or anything else you can think of to document this time in your life and, of course, your mom's.

MAKE A GRATITUDE JAR

You can always just tell your mom all the things you're thankful for, but putting them down on paper means that she'll have them forever. Write or print off all the reasons you appreciate your mom or other special lady in your life. Fold them up and tuck them into a jar or any other container you see fit. Have her read them all in one shot or spread it out over days or weeks.

FLY A KITE

Since Mother's Day falls in May, head outdoors and go old-school by flying a kite. If it's been awhile, you may have forgotten what a fun activity it is. Better yet, it's something everyone in the family can participate in.

HOST A MOVIE MARATHON

Get a list of your mom's favorite movies and settle in for a film festival that pays homage to whatever genre she loves best. Whether it's a line-up of thrillers, rom coms, weepers or comedies, she's bound to love a day (or evening) rewatching old movies. Don't forget the popcorn and Junior Mints.

PLAN A GETAWAY

Level up your Mother's Day plans this year by taking your mom someplace special. While a day trip is always fun, an overnight or two is even better. Pamper her at a fancy hotel, plan a family camping trip or go all out and book a cruise. Given that she works so hard every day of the year, a vacation might be just the gift she's been waiting for.

INDULGE IN AFTERNOON TEA

Shot of a young woman having coffee with her relative on the sofa at home. Head to your local tea parlor or serve scones, finger sandwiches, tiny treats and tea right at home. Or if you want to include something hot in your spread, take a note from the Scottish and opt for high tea instead.

GO TO THE ZOO OR AQUARIUM

If your mom is an animal-lover, plan an outing at the zoo, local aquarium or nature preserve. In fact, make an entire day of it. Find other local landmarks nearby or a restaurant to enjoy a meal together. Better yet, pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the day.

GO SHOPPING

Enjoy the day browsing through her favorite stores and offer to pay for that one-of-a-kind item she falls in love with (if you're able to, of course). Throw in lunch or dinner and, voila, you’ve just planned the perfect day.

COOK SOMETHING TOGETHER

Pick up the ingredients necessary for a joint food venture, then spend the day working on it together. Whatever you settle on, make enough for both of you to bring some home and share with the rest of the family.

VISIT A BOTANICAL GARDEN

Remind Mom to stop and smell the roses this Mother's Day. Find serenity among the blooms by taking your mom to a botanical garden or nature conservancy.

OFFER TO DO A CHORE (or two)

One of the best things you can do for your mom on Mother’s Day is to do something she doesn’t want to do. Because there’s no greater gift than your time, which, if we’re being honest right now, is the one thing she probably wishes she had more of.

GO ON A NATURE WALK

Whether it's a stroll or meander, get outside and enjoy a day doing something in the great outdoors. It doesn't have to be high-octane. In fact, just sitting in the backyard or a local park and listening to the sound of the birds is a peaceful way to enjoy the day. If she's an adventurer, pack a picnic and take a hike.

PLAN A SURPRISE

Surprises are sweet. And while not everyone is a fan, your mom certainly won’t mind if you show up with tickets to see her favorite sport, Broadway show or an unexpected visit from a long-distance loved one.

TRACE YOUR FAMILY TREE

Cheerful three generation family. Grandmother, mother, and daughter. Trace your family tree to learn more about your family history. It's never been easier to learn about past relatives and family members. Discover where you came from on a genealogy site or simply by looking at old photos, and asking her to share stories about her parents, siblings and other important people in her life.

GO TO A FLEA MARKET OR FARMERS MARKET

Depending on your mom’s preference, take her to a flea or farmer’s market, antiques show or art festival. Do your homework ahead of time to find out what events are being held on Mother’s Day weekend, then plan your shopping date.

SING KARAOKE

Family singing karaoke laughing and enjoying all together in the living room of his house. Pass her the mic and listen to her belt it out. Belt out show tunes. Take her to a club or rent a machine and invite the family to come along so everyone can get in on the act. Taking video of this momentous occasion is mandatory.

REDECORATE A ROOM

Is she tired of looking at the same-old, same-old? Help your mom spruce up her least favorite space. Take her shopping for new throw pillows, paint for the bathroom or, if the budget is tight, rearrange the furniture for a fresh new perspective that doesn’t cost a dime.

MAKE A COOKBOOK

Track down your family's most treasured recipes and put them all in one place.

Track down your family's most treasured recipes and put them all in one place.

Recipes are how families pass on traditions. Don't let yours get lost in the shuffle of life. Spend the day learning about your family's special meals. When you're through, preserve them all in a cookbook either through an online service or simply make one of your own.

PLAY TRIVIA

Get to know the person behind the parent by asking your mom trivia questions about her childhood, life, interests and just about everything else. Follow it up with a game of regular trivia questions and answers on everything from movies to music and get the whole family in on the fun.

POT FLOWERS OR GARDEN

Plant some flowers this Mother's Day, then watch them bloom in all the years to follow.

Plant some flowers this Mother's Day, then watch them bloom in all the years to follow.

Instead of buying Mom a bouquet or having flowers delivered, head over to the garden center and let her pick out some blooms of her choice. Grab some pots, soil, gardening gloves and anything else you might need, then pot or plant them together.

TAKE A BOAT CRUISE

No need to book a vacation to enjoy a cruise on Mother’s Day. Every state has some kind of scenic waterway, river or lake, many of which offer daily boat cruises lasting an hour or two, which is just the right amount of time to take in the sights together.

ORGANIZE A FAMILY PORTRAIT

Portrait of happy family sitting at table

Because Mom knows that a picture's worth a thousand words. Getting the entire family together is no easy feat. If you can manage it, then preserve the moment by asking a neighbor, friend or passerby to snap a few pictures of the whole crew. Share your favorites with the group or post on social media with a sweet Mother's Day caption.

ORGANIZE A VIRTUAL CELEBRATION

If everyone is scattered in different locations, coordinate a virtual Mother's Day celebration. Text or email loved ones ahead of time, then schedule a time to meet. Take this moment to catch up, share memories, play games or plan your next in-person adventure.

PICK OUT MATCHING SETS OF ANYTHING

Everything's better in two, so make it your mission to find matching necklaces, t-shirts, garden gnomes or whatever else you think of to share as a pair. No matter what you settle on, it's sure to — wait for it — double the Mother's Day fun.

TAKE A LOCAL FIELD TRIP

The more time we give the more we get back. A new adventure awaits in your own backyard. Sometimes we overlook the destinations closest to home. Head to a local spot that's yet to be discovered to see your area in a whole new way. It's a fun adventure — sans the long commute.

MAKE A PLAYLIST

You've probably listened to a thousand songs together over the years, but that doesn't mean you know which ones are her favorite. Find out which tunes she loved as a child, a teen and now. Make a playlist, then listen to it together.

PLAN A CULTURAL OUTING

Visit a museum or art gallery for Mother's Day.

Does she appreciate art? Love the theatre? Enjoy wandering through exhibits at a museum? Whatever cultural activity she enjoys doing in her free time, make a date to do it with her. The only thing better than doing something you love is doing it with someone you love.

PAINT A PICTURE OR MAKE POTTERY

Schedule a time to create an original masterpiece with your mom. Follow in the footsteps of Picasso and bring home an abstract or get your hands dirty making a lopsided coffee mug. No matter how your skills stack up, it's the time you spent together that really matters.

RECREATE A FAVORITE MEMORY

Take Mom down memory lane this Mother's Day. Nothing can take the place of a special moment or memory, but that doesn't mean you can't try. Ask your mom which of them she cherishes the most and if possible, do your best to recreate it. Whether it's the time the family watched movies in the backyard or ate ice cream sundaes for dinner, let the good times roll again.

MAKE A CRAFT

Over the shoulder view of a child painting a terracotta plant pot with bright coloured paints on a dining table in springtime.

Get your creative juices flowing on Mother's Day. Kids of all ages love making crafts and, no surprise, Mom does, too. Pick up a kit at the craft store or come up with one of your own like making handprint coasters or a one-of-a-kind flower pot.

DETAIL HER CAR

Is she driving a Messy Mom car? Don’t judge because her car is bound to be littered with snack wrappers, water bottles and other cast-offs. Even if the kids have long-since left home, there’s no way your mother will turn down an offer to detail her car and make it shine like new.

VISIT AN AMUSEMENT PARK

Just because she's a mom doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy thrill rides. If she has an adventurous spirit, plan a trip to the nearest theme park and spend the day riding the rides. With cotton candy in one hand and a giant stuffed dinosaur in the other (from winning the bean bag toss, naturally), she's bound to have a blast.

MAKE HER FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEAL

She's spent a lifetime making you all your favorite meals. Return the favor by whipping up one of her cherished childhood recipes. Not handy in the kitchen? No problem. Do some research to see if a nearby restaurant prepares something similar or enlist the help of someone who knows their way around a kitchen.

(Proceedings: Share your event's photos/short videos/films with some details at 9944313953 for further publications)

Mother, You are beautiful and a blessing

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Showing Up (Reichardt, 2022)

I watched this on a flight, which is probably not the ideal way to enjoy this movie. I normally opt for something relatively mindless and action packed so I can zone out during and doze off after, and this is the kind of movie that expects a bare minimum of concentration to get anything out of. But alas, the in-flight entertainment system was malfunctioning, and all of the other movies I picked seemed to cause the system to freeze or crap out soon after starting, while this one seemed to play without any hitches. I do not know if there is an in-flight entertainment cabal pulling the strings behind the scenes, but as their actions resulted in me watching an actual good movie instead of the crap I would have otherwise picked, perhaps their intentions are not entirely malevolent.

The movie itself depicts an artist trying to work on some pieces and managing an assortment of life… issues during the process. I just turned 32 and while that may be a bit early for a mid-life crisis, I’ve been taking stock of what I have and haven’t done, and while there’s a lot that I have… not great feelings about not having accomplished, one thing I think I’ve made some peace with is that any artistic endeavour I’ve attempted since my school days has been a non-starter. Through some combination of embarrassment, artistic block and lack of effort, I’ve given up on these things too readily to the point that I’ve probably lost most of the artistic muscles I supposedly had when I was younger. In fact, the closest thing I have to a creative pursuit at this point is writing these reviews, where the exercise of thinking about and expressing my feelings about the movie or even in general is arguably as rewarding to me as the experience of watching the movie itself. If you’ve caught me getting personal and vulnerable in my writing, now you know why. I've been bad at showing my appreciation in other parts of my life so I hope this comes off as genuine, but I want to take a moment to thank you for reading what I’ve been writing, it actually does mean a lot to me.

But what I mean to get at with respect to the movie is that while I don’t have firsthand experience with the small town art world and artist life that the movie depicts, there are things in this that resonated with me. I don’t know what it says that anytime I get personal in a review I’m reacting to depictions of insecurities, but the way this captures a subtle, possibly perceived condescension towards the heroine by those around her and the nagging feeling that she’s not as important to those close to her as they are to her probably hit closer to home than I’d like to admit. As did the feeling of dealing with mounting, escalating distractions when you’re trying to concentrate on getting something done, and the sense of finding something difficult when it seems so easy to those around you.

And perhaps I’m coming from a place where it holds a slight mystique for me, but I do find depictions of the artistic process fascinating when captured with sufficient attention, and I think this movie subtly lets us grasp what might be beautiful about the heroine’s art without hitting us over the head with it. And there is plenty of humour in the film, thanks in large part to Michelle Williams’ ostentatiously cranky and glum performance, abetted by a permanent scowl and gloomy makeup. This is only the second Kelly Reichardt movie I’ve seen after Wendy and Lucy, and like that movie it pays special attention to the relationship between people and their pets, although the ones here are coloured not by pathos but by sly humour. And while the screen on the plane wasn’t the best way to appreciate the movie’s visual qualities, there is a nice amount of texture to the look of the film, which is best grasped when you get a look at the heroine’s sculptures or the fur of her cat.