#since I was 5 years old I watched adventure time I had so much great memories;w;

[cali-kabi]

~ fav characters Adventure Time doodles :)💫🌟

I had such a blast drawing up everyone on here I’m in season 5 right now I really love Flame Princess ;w;🔥💫also Princess Bubblegum’s outfits in some episodes I love them their so pretty :D

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Jane Fonda (Barbarella, Sunday in New York, Barefoot in the Park)—Feminist icon, LGBTQ+ rights activist since the 70s, Civil Rights and Native American rights advocate, environmentalist… she really is THE woman ever

Rita Hayworth (Gilda, Cover Girl)—Absolutely, drop-dead gorgeous. She steals every movie she’s in; she was Fred Astaire’s favorite dance partner, as you can see in clips from their movies [link][link]. Born Margarita Carmen Cansino, Rita's story had its tragedies—her father was awful and had her performing in nightclubs way, way too young; the studio totally remade her look because they were afraid of her hispanic image, putting her through painful treatments and diets; she had a string of failed marriages. But beside all that, I think there's something about Rita that still glows through—an inner beauty that has nothing to do with the studio, or the men who pinned their dreams on her. Rita brings an incandescence to roles that's impossible to replicate, and was truly a great actress in that she could switch from herself—shy Margarita—into a bold and glamorous femme fatale so convincingly everyone fell in love with her as Gilda. She's my favorite movie star, and I think she was a beautiful human through and through—Rita, gorgeous and real and shining bright.

This is round 5 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Jane Fonda:

" I assume she's already been submitted but I gotta make sure. I think there's an element to movies like Barbarella or her segment of Spirit of the Dead of those having been directed by her husband, who famously made movies about her being hot, and the incredible costume design also helped, but good lord. Look at her"

"She was so pretty, dear lord! She was and still us stunning. She’s great at comedy and drama."

"Shes so hot im so gay for me i will let her hit me with hers car"

"Gorgeous and also still getting arrested at climate protests, which is sexy behavior"

"Watching her in Barefoot in the Park seriously made me, a straight woman, question things"

"PLEASE I LOVE HER SO MUCH"

"Her vibes in these movies are so interesting because she, the daughter of an Old Hollywood star, went on to make both poignant dramatic movies and the some of the silliest things you've ever seen but even in the silly space adventures and sexploitations there's always this undeniable gravitas to her. It's like she's able not to take herself very seriously but at the same time never stops having this grace and elegance and makes it all work together. And she's always been very politically active which is also sexy. Her famous mugshot is from 1970 so right at the cutoff mark but come on"

Rita Hayworth:

Do you need any other propaganda? Here’s the video.

She was not called "the love goddess" for nothing: beautiful, glamorous, despite playing sexy and provocative roles her inherent shyness somehow also would shine through sometimes, creating this contradictory and incredibly attractive image

Often played "the bad girl" who tempted the male hero away from "the good girl"; but did have roles that broke her out of that mold. She was also the inspiration for Jessica Rabbit. THE pinup girlie.

HELP

She was soo beautiful when she was young and she MAINTAINED that beauty into her later years and I think that old lady glamour is hot. bombastic sex appeal

every line she delivers in gilda is so flirty and passionate or absolutely desolate and it's so good

I just have a lot of feelings about her

[tw1l1te]

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓷𝓼- 𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙 1

These are from the FinalPromise!Au. Some will be directly from the og Linked Universe, as I don't envision my story as straying tooooo far from the original. I might add more in the future, but these are the ones that I am thinking of for now! This is part 1/3, which includes Time, Twilight, and Wild! :3

Warnings: mention of scars

⋆｡°✩

𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊

Mans in his early 30s in terms of appearance (actual age is unclear)

Speaks Hylian well but writing? Not so much. Growing up in Kokiri Forest doesn't really help in terms of school smarts, so he had Wars and Sky teach him a bit later down the line.

Has a slight Southern accent, way less prominent than Twilight's though. It comes out more when he's tired or being more flirty (Or doing it on purpose to fluster Y/n.)

Him and Malon are exes? It was a situationship, they didn't really put a word on it. She was there after his quest to support him and keep a roof over his head. They're more like family/friends now

Very tall. We're talking over 6 foot here, and he will also use that to tower over Y/n. They're into that

Also pretty muscular. He was more lean muscle when he was a teen/young adult, but he's bulked up especially since donning the armor.

Has rib tattoos, similar to the Deity markings on his face.

Only has his lobes pierced, however he wants to experiment with more piercings like Twilight.

Has some scarring on his stomach from the battle at the Water Temple, its faded over the years but its still noticeable if you look hard enough

Doesn't sleep well, so takes over night watch a lot. Twilight has to stop him from not sleeping for over 48-hours as that gets him into dangerous mental space territory.

I wanna say he's one of the first member of the chain to feel something for Y/n. I see a lot of pics placing him last usually, but I feel like he's one of the first, especially having tons of time to think about it at night and being the eldest.

Although he's one of the earliest to reveal his feelings to Y/n, he's still processing and taking it slow in terms of bringing it up to the rest of the group.

𝖙𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙

Time's his great great grandfather?? Some great, he's not quite sure

Twilight's in his early/mid 20's

His hair is a brown-gray mix, the grey becoming more prominent ever since his first time shifting into his Wolf form.

Southern drawl, need I say more

Ears are pierced, has double lobe piercings and an upper cartilage piecing

Pretty tall, close to 6 foot, maybe 5' 11"

Other than the Twili markings on his face, he has a small tattoo of a hoof to commemorate for Epona on his ankle

His markings do extend down his spine and upper arms which make a delicious sight when he's training or above Y/n

Some scarring on his legs and arms from his journey, one longer scar on his right ear from a close call with a Twilight creature once.

Senses are like tripled ever since becoming Wolfie, mr. cowboy can smell things like a mile away.

Similar to Time in terms of build, maybe slightly leaner because of his height

However his voice is the deepest of the group. Mans got the range in octaves and that sexy rasp that he will use to his advantage

Like his ancestor, one of the first to have/admit feelings toward Y/n

However, having a Wolf form also speeds up the feelings of protectiveness obsessiveness... and certain other things.

Has such a sweet tooth.

Loves chocolate so much but ever since Wolfie happened, he can barely eat any 'cause he got that dog in him

Protective of Wild too, other than Y/n, he's probably the only other person that knows what he's been through

𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖉

18-19 years old, his adventure has just recently finished

His hair is longer than in his quest to save the princess, though definitely more choppy and wolf cut-like when not in his ponytail

Definitely more lean muscle in terms of build, and is probably average in height

Has triple pieced lobes and a few cartilage piercings, plans on getting more

Left side of his body is heavily scarred, partially deaf in his left ear. Also tends to lose feeling in his left arm and leg, so he prefers to use his right side

Can actually read and speak Hylian How do you think he read everyone's diaries

As we all know, he's one of the best cooks in Hyrule and can cook almost anything, but his favorite thing to make has got to be meat curry and a simple nut cake.

After you came along and introduced him to your foods??? Oh boy he's never been so excited-

Somehow made your favorite foods better than they already were

Closer with Twilight and Legend

Takes longer to catch feelings for you, as the mere concept of feeling toward another person is still a confusing topic for him since his slumber

One of the last ones to catch feelings for you, partially in denial because his belief of not being good enough for you/being very harsh on himself

Twilight almost immediately catches onto Wild's attraction towards you, Wild's not the best at masking nervousness around you

⋆｡°✩

[hkthatgffan]

Well, today's the day! Hilda comes to an end. I figured now more than ever is time I make this post on just…how I feel about this incredible show ending and why it means so much to me…and why I'm grateful to Luke Pearson and the whole Hilda team. So, long post below ahead!

I found Hilda in 2018 via a post on the Gravity Falls sub of the trailer. Right from the start, something felt special about this show. And like many, I tuned in to watch it when it began. I didn't know what would be in store as I began it, but I was excited. This was at the end of the summer as GF hype for Lost Legends and the box set died down. So, getting in to a new show seemed like the best idea. It took literally hearing that theme song for me to instantly fall in love with Hilda. There was something so familiar and wholesome just bursting out of that opening. It was a feeling hard to really explain. By episode 3 and specifically the ending of it…I knew I had my next favourite show.

Everything about Hilda just felt perfect to me. The animation was incredible, Hilda as a character was enjoyable and full of life, the story felt fresh even if the core concept seemed familiar and all in all, I just loved the atmosphere this show radiated. It also made me so happy to see Canada have a part in Hilda. The Canadian animation industry is one I love given how much of a part of my childhood it was. And so to see it have a hand in this incredible show just made me so happy. Mercury Filmworks did amazing with Hilda. And I think that's how I began to understand why Hilda feels so familiar; it reminds me of those old cartoons I grew up on. Those Canadian Nelvana shows that were so wholesome & yet so fun to watch…while also not afraid to be bold. Hilda was that kind of show for a new generation!

I also didn't shy away from poking some nods to Gravity Falls. It was a great way to help spread Hilda's existence to more people and to this day I get messages from people who tell me they found Hilda because of my tweets, or videos or more. That means the world and I am grateful to have helped you discover this show. And like any show I fell in love with, I also bough the books and other merch for it. The Hilda graphic novels were amazing to read and see how the show grew from them, the figurine still just fits in my shelf, and the tie in books and more are always fun to collect. I'll miss it. Not to mention the memes…of which I made a few. The Hilda fandom is insane, yet so funny. Like all fandoms it has its ups and downs but I've met some amazing people because of Hilda and some who I remain great friends with. You know who you are <3

Hilda's conclusion means that the last of my holy trinity shows is now over…and with that, the end of an era. Truthfully, IDK what my plans are post Hilda. It was the last show still airing that I truly was 110% passionate about. That's not to say there aren't other shows, But there will never be another Hilda for me. Hilda is a show unlike any other I have seen. Yeah, perhaps it's not the most popular or the biggest or the best cartoon out there. But OMG, no other show since ever made me as happy and passionate as Hilda did. It's one of a kind!

I said in 2018 that Hilda is everything out of a cartoon that I wanted. I still believe that.

No cartoon is perfect and our definition of perfection is our own. If you ask me though…Hilda is the closest cartoon I have ever come across to my definition of perfection!

With that, while I am heartbroken to bid farewell to Hilda…I am happy I got to experience this show as it aired. I'm grateful for all the memories I made in the 5 years I had it. I'm grateful for the adventure and above all else…I'm grateful to have seen Hilda! ❤️

2018-2023

[dragonclaw29]

Top Ten Manga

It’s been a minute since I last uploaded a top ten of any kind, Grad school will do that to you. However, now with my studies almost over I thought I would revisit my top ten manga and see what new titles have amazed me! 

-Note I am not including Webcomics so if you want Manhwa and the like let me know and I will make a separate list. 

10. Sakamoto Days

Starting off with a bang we have Sakamoto Days. In a world of assassins even a mild mannered fat store clerk could be a tough challenge. That is definitely true for Sakamoto the former top assassin in Japan. Watch as Sakamoto is targeted by Esper's, Triad members, and old friends as he battles to protect his home and his daughter. It’s a fantastic read and great for the action lover and comedian a like. 

9. Claymore 

Claymore tells the tale of an elite class of women tasked to fight off monsters who plague the land. Clair the last member of this group must protect the peace, her new friend Rakka, and her self. However, dark secrets lurk in this world and the shadowy organization that dispatches the Claymores may not be as kind as they appear. 

8. A Story about a Droid 

I debated about including this because it is such a short read. But it is also a very good and cute read. This story is about a droid who finds a baby and decides to take care of him. In order to care for the child the droid puts on a human disguise. The story follows the droid and her child as she raises him in a post apocalyptic world. 

7. Berserk

RIP Muria I will always be heartbroken that you passed before finishing this wonder of a story. This manga has always been one of my favorites and for good reason. The art is fantastic, the story is gripping, and the characters are dynamic. However, this manga is shocking, cruel, and depressing- not for the faint of heart. 

6. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun

Monthly Girls Nozaki is the tale of a girl in love. Chiyo has been in love with Nozaki for a while and she finally decides that she has had enough. Working up the courage she confesses to him, only for him to give her an autograph. Turns out her class mate is world famous in the realm of shoujo manga and has never been in love. Chiyo’s confession goes right over his head leaving her dumbfounded but not hopeless. This manga is a great romantic comedy including some of my favorite characters in fiction. Definitely worth a read if you want to laugh a night away. 

5. Dungeon Meshi

Have you ever been playing DnD and been like “hmmm I wonder what a Mimic tastes like?” If so I have the manga for you! Dungeon Meshi or delicious in dungeon follows a group of adventures as they venture into a dungeon to save the main character Laos’s sister. However, with no supplies they are forced to eat their way through to survive, much to the disdain of the party except for Laos he loves it. 

4. Sousou No Frienen

We all know elves live a long time but sometimes it doesn’t hit an elf until they have seen their old comrades fade away. Frenen is old even and has wandered the world in search of rare magic, and I mean rare not necessarily useful. Only after being recruited to aid the hero’s party and defeating the demon king does she come to realize that human relationships are complex and that time is fleeting. This is a great fantasy manga with great magic and quirky characters as I write this I am rereading the manga for the fourth time. 

3. Yotsubato!

Man aren’t five year old's hectic little animals?! Yotsuba is a young girl in a new neighborhood who isn’t afraid to wander off, get into trouble, or of anything except for maybe scary statues. This manga follows her life with her dad living every day to the fullest. If you are feeling down this is a great pick me up. I reread during finals and it really helped. 

2. Tongari Boss/ Witch Hat Alter

Witches are born with the ability to use magic and normal people aren’t. At least that’s what they say but what happens when a young girl gets a glimpse at the secret of magic. What if the reason magic is solely for witches because of the great danger magic can place not only yourself but the world in. Witch hat alter is one of the best fantasy manga out there right now and I want the next chapter to come out already!!!

1. Chainsaw Man

I remember the conversation that led me to read chainsaw man years ago. It went something like 

“Hey dude you should totally read this manga it’s badass!”

“Really? What’s it about?”

Insert a few seconds of silence 

“Well.. It’s about a dude who turns into a chainsaw and kills devils” 

“That’s insane” 

“Trust me it’s sooo good you have to try it! It has a section where he rides a shark into battle while on fire!” 

And with that fateful line I decided to give it a read. All I can say is thank you for telling me to read it because I love this manga. It is so funny, and crazy, and sad, and mind bending, and so many other things. I never thought a story about a dude who literally has a chainsaw growing out of his face would make me cry but life works in funny ways. 

Well that’s my list. I hope you find some of these recommendations helpful. If you have any questions, or want more let me know!! Have a great Summer!

[littlejuicebox]

Midwinter Carol 1 (v2) / The Prologue

Pairing: Ascended Astarion x Female Elf Sorceress OC

Word Count: 3.4 K

Story navigation: [1][2][3][4] [5] [6] [7]

Summary:

Astarion completed the Ascension Ritual, and shortly after, his lover left him. Eirianwen fled from Baldur's Gate for fifteen years, only to return unexpectedly at Wyll Ravengard's Midwinter Gala with some news of her adventures. Astarion, who has not been doing as well as he'd hoped gaining control over The Gate, is forced to confront his unresolved feelings for the woman and all the horrors of his past as well as the horrors he's inflicted upon others. One thing is made certain: the elven sorceress is the key to any ounce of salvation he may have left, if only she stops slipping through his fingers like sand from an hourglass.

But old habits die hard, and old feelings are pulled to the surface for both the elves. This unanticipated meeting catalyzes a series of events which force Astarion to confront the wounds of his past and deal with the damage he's done while trying to run from himself. The Ascendant is forced to decide whether he will continue on his current path or forge a new one... perhaps one that leads him back to the love of his life.

Warnings: This will be 18+ / in game spoilers / Eventual Smut / Angst, trauma, fluff / Gore / Violence / PTSD / Astarion’s past trauma

A/N: Apologies everyone, not a new update, just a re-write of my original one shot to align more with Eirianwen/Astarion and have a 3rd person version of this for continuity purposes. :)

-----

Fifteen years. The Vampire Ascendent hadn’t seen her in fifteen years, since she’d rejected his offer to become his loyal consort for the final time.

They couldn’t reconcile their differences. She’d wanted him to trust her, to believe that her love was stronger than any desire for power – that she could remain a mortal or become a true vampire like him and still remain loyal. She didn’t want to be a spawn; she’d considered his offer a great disrespect, and ultimately, his changed behavior had driven her away.

“You’re nothing like the man I fell in love with anymore. I don’t know who you are.”

Those words had stung, though he’d never admit it.

It had been an awful, messy, seething breakup, to be sure… and the Vampire Lord almost turned her against her will anyway. But at the time, Astarion’s soft spot for the sorceress had reigned supreme, and he still thought himself better than Cazador and above such things. So, against his own wishes, he’d let her go.

Last the Vampire Ascendent heard of the woman’s movements, she was somewhere along the Sword Coast, playing valiant hero once again. So, when he walked into Duke Ravengard’s Midwinter Gala with some pretty little villain on his arm that he’d picked up for the occasion and would likely drain of blood and dispose of later, he was flabbergasted to see his ex-lover sitting at the high table.

Right. Next. To. Wyll.

Fifteen years and it still felt like the greatest betrayal, as if she’d staked him through the heart in that moment. It took every ounce of Astarion’s control to not turn into a cloud of smoke and break The Duke’s neck then and there. Oh, but how desperately he wanted to.

But he couldn’t risk such a spectacle… many of his dealings were hanging tenuously as it was, and creating a power vacuum in the city was just as bad for him as it would be for those against him. No, Wyll helped to maintain the balance… and generally tolerated Astarion with some level of old-ties respect. They had an agreement: the pale elf would keep his business private and primarily drink from criminals, and Wyll would turn a relatively blind eye. So no, as much as he wanted to, Astarion couldn’t afford such a loss of control.

The Ascendent watched as she walked about the room with Duke Ravengard, hanging on his arm like a prize and chatting with nobles and old contacts. Astarion’s date — what was their name again? — tried more than once to steal his attention away, but resigned themselves to drinking heavily and dancing with several other guests. The elf watched the sorceress join the dance floor with The Duke and his blood boiled at the sight; he even bent the stem of his golden goblet from merely witnessing the vile scene.

No. Absolutely not. This wouldn’t do. Astarion had to do something, had to interrupt whatever game this was. How dare she and Wyll disrespect him like this! So, he stood and abruptly crossed the dance floor, the other guests parting like the Red Sea before him in their shock. 

Lord Ancunin never made his way to the dance floor for anyone.

“May I interrupt and have this next dance?” 

The Ascendent’s voice is honeyed and saccharine as the music pauses and the band readies for their next ballad. Everyone around the room is clapping politely. A gentleman’s smile is plastered across the elf’s lips, but it doesn’t meet his eyes, as he extends his pale hand to the woman.

Wyll bristles and turns to look at his companion. There’s a moment of silent communication between two sets of eyes that must know one another quite well, because Astarion cannot read their nearly-imperceptible movements as he waits, his hand outstretched mid-air. Finally, the Duke relents and passes the sorceress’s hand to the Vampire Lord.

“No funny business, Astarion. My men and I will be watching your every move,” the Duke warns through a benevolent-appearing smile, a warning hand clasped on the vampire’s tensed back, before locking eyes with the woman once more and then stiffly turning and walking toward the high table.

She smiles at Astarion, as if it’s just the two of them back in the center of that clearing, draped in moonlight and barren to one another, all those years ago. 

“It’s good to see you, my old friend.”

Old friend? Old friend? The words make the Vampire Ascendent’s mouth practically fill with bile as he spins his ex-lover about the room. He can feel the steady, stable beating of her heart and smell that intoxicating, tempting bouquet of blood brimming beneath her skin that he’d never quite forgotten.

They catch up, to some small extent, as she tells the elf about her journeys along the Sword Coast and he tries to impress her with his ever-growing influence and wealth. But before long, the song is over and the Duke is, annoyingly, coming back to retrieve his prize. The sorceress smiles so sweetly at Astarion before she departs that it almost hurts; no one else looks at him with that level of love and kindness… all he ever sees anymore are eyes filled with fear, mistrust, or hate.

“I hope you’re happy, Astarion. Truly. I’m glad to see you looking so well. Now go find the date you came with… they’re owed a dance, I believe,” she says before pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek and sending an electric shock through his numb heart. He almost gives into his urges and bites her right there, in front of everyone, claiming his love and his prize. 

“Goodbye, Astarion,” she says before once again turning her back on him and walking away.

“Goodbye, Eirianwen,” he calls after the woman as her hand ghosts away from his own.

He wants to reach for her hand and pull her back to him. He wants to ask for a second dance. But again, he lets Eirianwen go, slipping through his fingers like sand through an hourglass.

Astarion cannot take any more of this. He goes to retrieve his date, rips them away from whatever conversation they were having with whatever noble, and swiftly exits the party. Back at the Palace, the poor little thing is used for mindless sex and then for sustenance and then left to be disposed of by one of the staff with nary a thought. 

The Ascendant couldn’t even remember their name.

*

A week rolls by, and gods what a terrible week it was. Astarion’s grip had severely  weakened on the city after a few poor calls. In his pride, he’d never admit they were his fault; instead, he quickly blamed his advisors and sent them to the dungeons. 

Furthermore, the meeting he’d hosted today with several of the Guilds had practically blown up in his face as the Guild Leaders came to blows in the middle of the Great Hall. Mortal creatures could be so… excitable. The entire ordeal was giving him a massive headache. If the leaders didn’t come to an agreement soon, he would lose his monopoly on the shipping industry, as well as his tenuous control over the blackmarket smuggling ring. 

The Ascendant settles into his bed, alone, after downing several goblets of wine, but sleep does not come to him. He’s awake, staring at the ceiling, and all he can think about is Eirianwen. Gods, he thought he’d moved past all this. But as he remembers her face, their nights together, the way her beautiful body felt pressed flush against his… he feels his erection growing. The elf is about to stick his hand inside his trousers to provide himself with some relief when a familiar, annoying voice travels through the room.

“I’ve been watching you, Astarion.”

Fucking Gale. The fucking God of Ambition. The Vampire Lord shoots up in bed and immediately sees the silvery form of his former campmate standing at the foot of it.

“What the hells, Gale! A God and still an absolute pervert, I see.”

The God ignores Astarion, moving to sit his ethereal form on the edge of the bed and indenting the silken, cerulean sheets with the ghosting of his form. The elf wrinkles his nose in displeasure as he rips his legs as far away from Gale as he can.

The God sighs, “Astarion, you’ve rejected my help before, and the strides you’ve made within the city are falling… it’s beginning to seem that you are headed down a path you are not going to be able to return from. A few more bad calls and you won’t come back from it. You are wasting your potential because you refuse to become the master of your own ambition rather than a slave to it. I’m beginning to wonder… is this what you truly want? I can see many lifetimes of yours, with many choices you’ve made along the way, and I’m sorry to tell you this lifetime seems to be the most miserable.”

Astarion scoffs. The fact that Gale is the only prior friend that keeps in touch with him, albeit for his own peculiar reasons, is a sad fact that the Vampire Lord refuses to acknowledge. He’d pushed everyone else away years ago. The only other person he ever saw was Wyll at obligatory balls, galas, and political events… and obviously the last time had been less than fulfilling. 

But loneliness resided deep in the Ascendant’s heart, hidden away from even his own acknowledgement, so although Gale had always been his least favorite, the pale elf still engaged in conversation.

“What do you mean by that? That you can see several of my lifetimes? I find it difficult to believe that this is the worst. Surely there is a lifetime in which I’m still under Cazador’s control.”

The God of Ambition considers this, and then turns and looks off into the distance, as if he’s examining something Astarion cannot see. 

“Hmm. Actually, there is only one lifetime in which that is still ongoing. So yes, that one may be the worst. I stand corrected, this is the second worst. You’re dead in more of them, a spawn in most of them… and your Tav, or some other version of Tav, is in several as a friend or a lover, to both the spawn and ascendant versions of you. You might be surprised to know that in more than one lifetime, you and I are coupled… it’s quite interesting.”

Astarion cringes at the thought of being in a relationship with Gale, but chooses to move past the thought and acknowledge the only bit of information he actually cares about, “My Tav– Ani–  is in several of them?”

“Of course. Would you like to see it? Let me take you on a little journey.”

Gale holds his hand out the Vampire Lord, and Astarion cannot help but feel the pull of intrigue. Gods… at least this would guarantee a more interesting night than one with his hand spent down his own pants.

The pale elf sighs and extends his hand to the God of Ambition; just as their fingers brush, he feels himself enveloped in the warmth of the Weave. Blue light swirls and spirals around the two beings before, suddenly, Astarion and Gale are standing outside a tomb. The Ascendant hears himself screaming, voice raw with anguish, from inside the tomb, as his nails scratch against the unyielding stone. 

This is from his own past, when Cazador locked him up for a year. The panic, shame, and fear pulse in Astarion’s body, unleashed from the small corner of his mind he’d locked those emotions into. 

“Why the hells have you brought me here, Gale? This isn’t what I asked to see!”

“No… but I thought it might serve as a reminder of where you came from. You seem to have forgotten… and subject others to similar fates and tortures, nowadays.”

Astarion hears the begging and pleading to the gods, the crying and scratching inside of the tomb, and his gut churns again. How something that happened years ago, that he’d shoved deep in his mind never to acknowledge again, could still rip such a reaction from an all-powerful Vampire Ascendent, he did not know. The elf begins to shake, flooded with the emotion of the memory. 

Had he really turned into an exact replica of his former master? Hadn’t he wanted to be better than Cazador?

“Had enough? Okay, onto the next one,” Gale says dryly, and then he snaps his fingers; both beings are, once again, pulled through the Weave.

Now they’re standing in The Duke’s parlor room… Astarion had been in this room just a time or two before, during some business negotiation or another. Then he sees Eirianwen, bursting through the door with one hand on her swollen belly. Gods above and below, was she carrying Wyll’s seed in this one? The thought alone made his skin crawl and his stomach churn in disgust. The Ascendant thought he might actually vomit up his dinner.

“Hurry, my love! We need to place the presents here for the others.”

Astarion’s silver eyebrows crinkle together as he listens to the voice responding to the sorceress from down the hallway, joined in by the giggles of a child. 

“We’re coming, darling. This little imp is just slowing me down a bit!”

Then, he sees himself walk through the door with a silver-haired, giggling toddler wrapped around his leg… but it’s not himself. This Astarion has pink skin, a beating heart, a wedding band on his hand, and a few more years on his face. 

Mortal… but how?

Mortal Astarion is carrying a bundle of presents that he places on the coffee table in the center of the parlor. The small child grins and puts a hand drawn card on top of the gifts. The card reads: ‘For Uncle Wyll, Auntie Euphemia, and the Ravengard Twins. Love, the Ancunins.”

Astarion feels his pulse thrumming in his ears as the scene plays out. Mortal Astarion envelopes Eirianwen in his arms and plants a soft kiss on her cheek. The child walks, on two unsteady legs, up to the sorceress and fists their hands into her dress. The version of Astarion runs his fingers along the swell of the woman’s abdomen before bending down and placing a kiss on her stomach. Then he crouches in front of the silver-haired, drooling child with a smile.

“Let’s go and join the others, shall we? Auntie Shadowheart and Auntie Lae’zel have a gift for you, my little love!” The father cheers, his arms opening to receive the child, who immediately steps into Astarion’s arms.

“Yay, daddy! Go!” The little babe cheers, as Astarion returns to standing. The child is clapping uncoordinated hands together, which causes both this version of Eirianwen and his mortal self to giggle in adoration. He watches as the sorceress takes this version of him by the hand and exits the parlor, headed towards a clamor of conversation filled with several familiar voices. 

The Vampire Lord tries to follow the little family, desperate to see how the scene continues, but he’s unexpectedly ripped from the scene and thrown back into the Weave with Gale.

“I wasn’t finished!” The Ascendent shouts in frustration, running his hands through curled hair.

Gale simply sighs and shakes his head at Astarion, before snapping his fingers and settling them into another scene entirely.

In this one, Eirianwen is a vampire. Not a vampire spawn, a true vampire. Astarion watches as she pulls her dress on, unabashedly taking in the familiar curves of the woman’s body before they’re covered up. The bedchamber door swings open, and the Ascendant turns to see another version of himself entering the room.

“My treasure, we’ve done it! We’ve secured educational and apprenticeship programs for the orphans from the Guilds as a show of good faith for our support and protection.”

Eirianwen’s vampire self runs to this better version of Ascendant Astarion, immediately enveloping him in a shockingly passionate kiss. Tongues twirl together in a familiar dance. It was enough to make even the Vampire Lord’s skin run hot as he imagined what it would feel like to have the woman on him like that again.

“I’ve just put on my clothes, my love.” she murmurs, her voice coy, as she lowers her gaze to her dress and slowly drops her shoulder out of the gown before returning her focus to her version of Astarion, “but perhaps you won’t mind helping me back out of them… I think that announcement is cause for a bit of… celebration.”

The scene quickly evolves into something overwhelmingly hot and heavy. Better Astarion pounces on the woman instantaneously, strong hands tearing at the laces of her dress in a frenzied pace. Eirianwen is giggling in delight as her version of the elf pushes her onto the bed with a sly grin. 

The Ascendant feels himself tingle with desire as he watches everything unfold. Just his other self rips off the woman’s underwear and is just about to plunge himself into the vampire version of Eirianwen, the Weave swirls around Gale and Astarion once more.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” The elf hisses as he glares at The God of Ambition.

“I know… steamy, right?” Gale responds, with a small chuckle, his eyes analyzing the strands of the Weave, “now, onto our final scene… this one is your… unfortunate future, should you continue down your same path, I’m afraid.”

The Ascendent soon sets his eyes on possibly the most gut-wrenching scene imaginable. There she is, standing before him, holding a stake that’s driven straight through his heart. Blood pools around the wound, drenching both himself and Eirianwen in splotches of scarlet. He’s trying to reach for her, to touch her face, to choke out something he cannot say. 

And then he’s gone, slumped on the floor, as Eirianwen holds him in her arms and lets out a bloodcurdling wail.  

The crying goes on forever. Her body's racking with sobs as she turns the corpse onto its back and throws herself over it, almost desperate to have his body close to hers. After what feels like an eternity, the sobs slow and her trembling hands come to his face before she plants a surprisingly tender kiss on his lips. Astarion notices, with some level of shock, bleeding wounds along the sorceress’s arms and neck. 

Bites. Had he really been the one to do that to her? 

“I really loved you, Astarion… I wish it hadn’t come to this. There was nothing between Wyll and me. Just two old friends, catching up… I’d wanted to be back home, I’d fled from my city for fifteen years after what happened between us. Wyll offered me a soft place to land and a kind transition back into society.

I was sure everything would be okay after all this time. That we could at least talk. But you didn’t come to speak to me, you ignored my scrolls, and then— why?”

Eirianwen’s voice cracks as the sobbing returns. She starts slamming her shaking fists into the corpse version of himself over and over and over and over. There is a dull thud pounding in his ears as he watches his ex-lover repeatedly drop her fists against his corpse’s chest.

The Ascendant sucks in a breath and turns back to the God, “I’ve seen enough, Gale! Take me home right now.”

“As you wish,” The God of Ambition murmurs, unbothered. With a final snap of Gale’s fingers, Astarion is back in his bed at the Palace and wrapped in silken, cerulean sheets.

“So?” Gale asks, lifting himself from where he is sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I need to talk to Ani… I need to speak with her. Tomorrow…” the Ascendant murmurs, his head still reeling as he tries to process everything he just saw. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs a slow, belabored breath.

What would he even say to her, after all this time?

“I would agree. It's far past time for you to pursue a new beginning, Astarion," the God responds as the Weave starts to swirl around him in bright, crackling flares of azure. Gale begins to turn away and then pauses at the last minute, his focus settling back on the elf still sitting in bed.

“Oh... and Astarion? I know we were once friends, if you could really call us that… but don’t think this little show and tell was for free. I’ll be asking something of you, when the time comes.”

The Vampire Lord nods. Of course. It could never be that simple, could it? And just like that, Gale disappears in a spray of light, and Astarion is left alone once more.

No. It could never be that simple. The only simple truth in Astarion’s life was this: Eirianwen was and would always be his saving grace.

[yuurei20]

Riddle Info Compilation part 2: Upbringing (pt2)

At the beginning of Book 4 we see a very subdued Riddle (Grim describes him as “kinda defeated”) in the Hall of Mirrors.

Ace explains that Riddle is not enthusiastic about going home due to “an extreme case of helicopter parenting waiting for him.”

Trey reminds Riddle that he is not allowed in Riddle’s house and thus cannot bring him any cakes, but encourages him to visit his parents’ bakery, assuring him that Chenya will probably be visiting as well.

Riddle says, “I think…I’m going to try talking with Mother some. I don’t know if she’ll listen, but even so.”

In Book 5 it is revealed that Riddle was ultimately not able to escape his home to Trey’s family’s bakery during the vacation.

We learn a little bit more about Riddle’s upbringing during Spectral Soiree when he tells Ruggie and Ortho that he has had “no exposure to the comic books and video games the rest of you enjoy.”

Riddle says that his opinion is “entirely grounded in reality” as a result, and that he has “never had much interest in watching or reading escapist fare. Ah, but I have read a great many autobiographies. By the time I was your age, Ortho, I was already reading medical dictionaries.”

Ortho comments that “there are studies that show consuming entertainment media is essential for well-rounded emotional development,” and Ruggie points out that Ortho—a robot—is worried about Riddle’s emotional growth.

Riddle accuses them of ganging up on him, saying it is none of their business.

Riddle insists that while he is not up to date on popular culture he has “read all the classics that are foundational for a literary education. Treasure hunting? Adventure? There’s no point in bothering with stories that have no lesson to learn.”

Ruggie reacts with surprise, as treasure hunting “is like solving a puzzle,” but Riddle seems confused.

We learn during Book 6 that Riddle didn’t have a TV in his home growing up, and he first tries to opt out of the video game that Ortho encourages him to play on the grounds that his mother has told him that “video games are addictive and can hurt academic performance.”

Idia mocks him for blaming games for his own lack of self control, leaving Riddle momentarily speechless.

Riddle takes offense, insisting that his grades would never drop just because he happened to play a video game, and Idia successfully provokes him into playing the game in order to prove it.

Vil comments that Riddle playing right into Idia’s hands is “embarrassing to watch” and Azul says, “Riddle’s very bright, but has zero resistance to trolling.”

Later, Riddle says that he has spent most of his time learning magic ever since he was born, receiving specialized magical training lessons at three years old.

Azul says he must have been quite the prodigy but Riddle explains that he can’t be certain if he ever had any special talent to begin with since his mother “apparently went to every possible length to ensure I’d be an exceptional mage, starting from when I was in the womb.”

Riddle says that grade skipping isn’t really done in the Queendom of Roses, and the private school he attended prior to NRC didn’t allow it,1 which is why he never did so.

He explains, “Besides, you have to be at least 24 to get a medical license in the Queendom of Roses. So I doubt my parents saw much point in me skipping a grade or two.”

Riddle’s education also included dance:

He explains that “social dancing is part of gentlemanly etiquette” and that he has “mastered it, of course.”

He offers to lead Ortho and Ruggie in a dance to thank them for what they taught him during Spectral Soiree, but Ruggie turns him down in favor of the buffet.

We also see Riddle waltzing with a ghost, and then with Vil.

Riddle explains, “I’ve had an interest in social dancing since I was a child. I learned it from my mother, as part of my rigorous education.”

Riddle says he knows how to behave in formal situations and will occasionally call out other characters for poor etiquette, such as when Silver falls asleep during a party and when he scolds Heartlsabyul students for holding conversations in the entrance to the dorm.

[codelyokooutofcontext]

Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog's first post!

One year ago today, I acted on a whim and made a new blog to post moments from this show that, without context, look absolutely insane. I thought it was funny, my friends thought it was funny, but I didn't really have any big plans. I thought "I'll keep this around for a little bit and then probably drop it". Like I usually do with most projects of this nature.

If you'd told me I'd still be here a year later, I wouldn't have believed you. I especially wouldn't have believed you if you told me how many followers this account would amass in that time period. Honestly even being here now and seeing all of it, it's still a little hard to believe.

Thank you all for supporting this ridiculous little blog. It means a lot.

And after all this time, perhaps it's time for a proper introduction.

Hi, I'm YoshiStack! I've been utterly obsessed with this show since I was 4 years old and I've been involved in the fandom in some capacity since I was 13. Given that I'm about to turn 24 here in a little over a month, you could say I've been here for awhile!

Aside from this blog and the other few video edits I've done, my main contribution to fannish materials is fanfiction! I mostly write gen work about the friendship between the characters, as that's always been one of my favorite parts about the show and characters. You can find my CL work (and other oddities too if you're feeling adventurous) on Ao3 also under the name YoshiStack.

I'm also on YouTube! Right now I'm wrapping up a playthrough of the original Super Mario RPG before the remake releases and in the middle of a playthrough of a childhood game of mine, Thrillville: Off The Rails. I'm still a novice when it comes to recording stuff, but I'm having a lot of fun doing it and it'd mean the world to me if you checked it out.

(And as an aside: if you have audio or video editing you need done, hit me up either on here or the email I have listed on youtube! We'll see if we can work something out!)

Zero obligation to check out either of those ventures, but it'd mean a lot to me if you did!

Now here's some answers to some basic questions for CL and this blog that you may or may not have wondered about:

Favorite Character: Definitely Aelita! I love her arc! Her development from this character the others feel very protective over to ultimate sass master is so fun to watch

Favorite Episode: Oh that's so hard. But If I had to pick just a few...[REDACTED UNTIL POLLS CONCLUDE]

Spoilsport. Favorite season then?: Oh this one is easy! Season 2 for sure! It does a great job introducing all the new elements you need to know about in the beginning of it (Franz Hopper, William, Sector 5, etc) and has well done pay off at the end. And the stuff in the middle is just downright fun! A well executed season all around

Favorite Sector: Prooooobably forest? Something about all the trees is fun to me. Honestly I like most of the sector though. Minus desert. Too much desert in S1

Favorite Monster: I used to be all about the Bloks, but after running this blog for a year now I've gained an appreciation for the comedy that the Tarantulas often pull off. From well timed devirtualizations to killing one of its buddies with their own lasers, they're unintentionally really funny!

Favorite XANA Attack: I unironically love the food monster. Also the rat army. It's absolutely horrifying but pulled off so well

Favorite relationship: Ulrich and Aelita all the way man. Platonically I mean, their friendship is so underrated in the show itself but the few times they get to interact they're just gold (I am Jerlita trash too if you want to know more in that kind of relationship sense)

How do you pick out of context moments?: Honestly most of the time I just pick a random few episodes and skim through until I find something. Sometimes I'll have a particular moment in mind, but sometimes the funniest clips come from me just mindlessly looking through some episodes

Will you ever do Evolution out of context?: I considered using a clip from it for April Fools Day but I got lazy and never got around to it lol. Aside from that idea though, I don't know Evolution well enough to pulls clips from it, and I'm just not super interested in doing so at the moment. If anyone else reading this though has a burning desire though then you absolutely have my blessing (not that you need it obviously)

What do you think about the idea of the show possibly getting a continuation?: So I’ve always been pretty set in my thought that the show doesn’t really need a continuation. While more backstory on Project Carthage would be cool, it never really mattered to the Lyoko Warriors in the end, and the idea of bringing XANA back after they fought so hard to bring it down always felt cheap to me. They had their fight, they won, let them move on in peace.

That being said, the idea of the brains largely responsible for the original show having a genuine interest in continuing does have me at least a little intrigued. It’s way too soon to say whether or not anything will come from that interest of course—TV is a complicated thing and interest from creators alone isn’t enough to make it happen. But if nothing else, it’s nice to know that even all these years later, there’s still interest in the show and these characters from them.

How long will this blog be around?: Honestly I have no idea! I never thought I'd make it this far! I have no plans on stopping any time soon at least—there's tons of episodes I haven't even touched for out of context moments, so I'm not running out of material any time soon!

For now I’m just going to letting things run their course naturally and enjoy the ride.

That’s all I can think of to put here, but my askbox is always open for more questions!

Thank you all once again for your support for this year. I hope you'll join me going into our next one and beyond.

Here's to another year out of context!

[gizkasparadise]

2023 wrapped: kdrama edition!

taking a page from @dangermousie, here's a list of all the kdramas ive watched this year, in order from least liked to most liked! because i dont have a spotify wrap-up to share :'D

cdrama one here!

and i'll do a webtoon one too /o/

overall i didnt watch too many kdramas this year, and finished less. kind of a "meh" kdrama year for me overall (with 1-2 exceptions). with that in mind, full disclosure that i didnt love a ton of what i watched this year in kdramaland:

we barely knew ye: ones i dropped only a few eps in

sweet home 2. dropped after ep 2. direction it went in is v much not my thing, my fave surviving characters were either killed off or put on the bench, and im not that motivated to see what happens next. might jump back into the franchise if word-of-mouth on s3 is good, we'll see

moon in the day. first ep was actually great and i enjoyed it a lot!! but im not doing cancer storylines rn so that killed momentum. may try this one again later

king the land. watched the first ep. simply did not vibe.

death's game. ditto ^

black knight. i LOVE a good dystopian scifi. this was not that. i was really bored after the first ep and didnt bother with the rest

my dearest. i watched the first ep and liked it, but just wasnt in the mood/wasn't immediately hooked. i'm going to give this one another try when i hit the Angsty Sageuk craving again

dramas i watched at least half of

6. twinkling watermelon.

it's pretty wild to put what i believe is the current #1 show on mydramalist as my bottom pick for the year, especially since it's written by my favorite screenwriter, but here we are. this one is far from objectively the worst drama but it's here because it made me the most mad!! the female lead and second male leads were both off-putting and selfish to me, and the whole drama i was actively rooting for ryeoun's earnest and endearing male lead and shin eun soo's underwritten second female lead to escape and have mother/son adventures on their own away from the rest of everyone else

5. arthdal chronicles: sword of aramun.

sigh. i was a big believer/supporter of this season, even with all of the recasts. but despite a few moments of brilliance, it was overall a slog to watch and just kind of joyless. too much time spent on the ago tribe, too many nonsensical victories and deus ex machina coincidences, and the bag was very much fumbled with some of the characters (particularly saya, who was to me the most interesting character in s1 and you KNOW ljk could have rocked that ruthlessness). positive standouts were kim ok bin flawlessly scene-chewing as taealha and lee joon ki working what he was dealt

4. worst of evil.

adored this drama for the first 2/3rds! it was gritty, neo-noir that reminded me a lot of the old school hong kong crime films like infernal affairs. lots of style, great acting, messy and flawed characters. but the last arc/ending was a boring dud for me. still very much enjoyed the ride up to that point though!

3. perfect marriage revenge.

so! much!! fun!!! just. full commitment to making a show as gloriously makjang/soap operay as it could get and it was a blast watching because of it. made on pocket lint for a budget but it rocked what it had and a special shoutout to lee min young's absolutely fantastically camp evil stepmother. the excitement died down a little toward the end, but still a good time overall

2. the glory, part 2.

a satisfying ending to a really excellent first half. love that the female lead just got to execute revenge and there was no moral or sanctimonious hangups about it. enjoyed the way the ending was set up as "the adventure continues," and all in all this was a really solid and enjoyable dark drama! only thing that was kind of a bummer is that the time split between airing the first and second halves killed the momentum a little, but that's entirely netflix fuckery and not the fault of the show

moving

hands-down the best kdrama i watched this year, and possibly my favorite kdrama ever. i didnt plan to watch this one because im sick of superhero everything, but the cast got me wanting to at least try it and omg im glad i did. great acting from literally everyone, wild action scenes, and just beautiful characters and dynamics across every level. the family narratives are so, so good and the whole show is expertly grounded in the concept of planting seeds so your children can see flowers. please give this one a try if you're on the fence about it!

2023 kdramas that i plan to watch (but didnt get to yet!)

my lovely liar

a good day to be a dog

my perfect stranger

revenant

mask girl

bloodhounds

my demon

AWARDS

Favorite ship: juwon and jihee from moving absolutely destroyed me in the like 3 eps they were in, so they win this one. he's a gangster who gets the shit kicked out of him for a living and loves stories with happy endings. she's a weary but always brave sex worker (coded, but still) who decides to trust a lonely man crying in the street. i never thought a motion-sensor light could wreck me the way theirs did. "you have worth to me, and i have worth to you."

Favorite FL: song hye kyo's dong eun in the glory just barely edges out han hyo joo's mihyun in moving. song hye kyo needs to play, like, all the villains and anti-heroes ASAP because that's been the most fun ive had watching her. she took on a dark character and rocked it

Favorite ML: juwon from moving, definitely. to quote my older post:

Moving really said hi this is Juwon. he has scars from gunshots all down his arm. he opened a chicken restaurant. he’s a gangster. he loves pro wrestling because the good guys win. he tried to rip out his own galbladder to prove a point. he’s a proud girl dad. he is unkillable. he stands in the street and cries.

Favorite 2FL: lee min young's incredible, over the top, villainous camp queen lee jung hye from perfect marriage revenge was just so much fun to watch and she ate every single scene she was in. 10/10 would watch her throw lawn chairs in a ballgown all day

Favorite 2ML: i would die for bongseok from moving. precious sunshine child who deserves only the best

Best Cast: im a broken record, but moving. so many characters with such great depth given to them and this was truly an ensemble show A+++

Best WTF: yura eating her paternity results in perfect marriage revenge!!

[journey-to-the-attic]

hey so WHO WAS GOINT TO TELL ME THAT A NEW VHAPETT IS OUT AND K MISSED IT !!!!!!!! HEY GUYS !!!!!! WHP WAS GPJNG TO TWLL ME IM LATE TO THE PROGRAM !!!!

hey when I tell you i've never opened Tumblr so fast in my life. one question for you please answer as honestly as possible: genuinely do you care if I live or die!!!!!!!! (/j)

the last time I cried this much over a piece of fiction was legitimately back when adventure time ended and I had been watching that show since I was 5 years old and this is more devastating than that. I am not joking !!! I am going to Find You and Get You !!!!!!

Jokes aside the chapter was phenomenal as always and the pacing was brilliant- such a great way to cap off the ending

Please see my previous emotional spiel about the impact your story has had on me because I don't want to bore you repeating it but it very much needs to be said

[insert emotions here]

They mean so. so much to me ,,,,m,m

tgey are so cute. i'm going to be sick

I need to know how badly Mephisto misses her PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEA

ah at least you know now!! and ajhdsjk i feel like i've said this too much but it means so much to know i've managed to invoke Feelings.. as always thank you for keeping up with our sweet girl and for chatting with me here!!!!

as for mephisto ohh he misses that kiddo like a grandmother misses her grandkids. outside of the newspaper club that's his best friend (though to be fair, ik is many a being's best friend), so whenever he's idle he just bombards her with messages because he can't go bother the exchange students under their lunch tree anymore

sometimes he sits there under the tree on his own and 'broods' for a bit, but that generally only lasts for about half an hour before alecto finds him. one time levi joins him and they sit there in silence for a whole lunchtime

(side note i'm especially glad that the pacing worked out because that was my no.2 biggest issue after deciding what was actually going to happen! no. 3 was satan's poem, which took up a disproportionate amount of time for something that i completely spur-of-the-moment decided to include)

[differenzeartistiche]

Gavin Creel is 47 today!

It’s my yearly tradition to bring back this old post of ranked performances to celebrate the birthday of this wonderful performer, so here we go! Updated this year with Into the Woods!

Gavin Creel, 16 performances, ranked!

16. Nick Piazza in Fame

This show has some merits, although it’s definitely not one of my favorites. It’s Gavin’s professional debut, and I can forgive him some naïveté in an otherwise competent, beautifully sung performance. His rendition of “I wanna make magic” is lovely.

15. Charles Darnay in A Tale of Two Cities

Ok, so this was a concert performance, so it’s not really fair to compare it to the others, but I’ll just throw it in here. Mainly because it’s such an unusual show for Gavin. It’s something that tries very hard to be on the level of Les Miserables, without much success, and Gavin is not a huge fan of that kind of show. That said, it’s a nicely sung performance of a classic romantic hero role. Nice, nothing more.

14. Jean-Michel in La Cage Aux Folles

Great show, poor but still competent production. The role is easily the most boring in the whole play, but he gets to sing the cute “With Anne on my arm” and he nails it.

13. Troy in American Horror Stories

Oh this was a fun one, Gavin playing outside his comfort zone, far removed from his preferred genre and into an over-the-top, sexy role that is rather unique in his career. I wish the material he had to work with was better, but his scenes with Aaron Tveit were superb.

12. Hollis Bessemer in Bounce

Sadly a lesser show by Sondheim, I still love some aspects of it, and Gavin’s wide-eyed artistically-inclined dreamer is one of them. His big solo “Talent” is the best song of the show and touches me on a very personal level.

11. Matthews in Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure

Gavin voicing a Disney villain! A Disney villain with a secret! A Disney villain with a French accent! Talk about playing against type. There’s something of Kodaly here, and of Lumiere and of Pepé Le Pew. You can tell he had a blast recording this role, and the design is exquisite.

10. Cinderella’s Prince / The Wolf in Into the Woods

This is Gavin at his hammiest, and I’m here fot it. He obviously has loads of fun with the Wolf, oozing sleaziness from every pore, and as the Prince he’s perfectly balanced between superficial, phony and clueless, you can really believe that this candy-colors clothed fool was “raised to be charming, not sincere.”

9. Bill in Eloise at the Plaza / Eloise at Christmastime

Effortlessly hilarious on screen as he is on stage, he goes full-on old-time Hollywood star in the Christmas-themed sequel and I love it. A mix of Dick Powell and Fred Astaire.

8. Dr. Pomatter in Waitress

Sara Bareilles’ little gem of a musical often finds its strength in the absolute realness of its characters, flawed human beings looking for a little sparkle of happiness. Drew Gehling’s Dr. Pomatter was awkward and fun and sad-eyed, but I think Gavin wins infusing the character with tenderness and truly lived-in melancholy. A few weeks in a well-worn musical could be seen as a footnote in a great career, but it’s such a lovely performance, enhanced by the incredible chemistry he has with Bareilles.

7. Bert in Mary Poppins

My introduction to Gavin and since then I’ve come to appreciate him as heir to impossibly gangly male leads like Dick Van Dyke, so this feels like such a natural fit. I find the show a little bloated, but watch him defying gravity in that “walking on air” scene: it’s irresistible.

6. Ugly in Honk!

Having him play the ugly duckling ALSO feels like a natural fit. Gavin’s at his best when he plays lost and confused dreamers, and the fairy tale touch with the surreal setting makes for a wonderful variation on that theme.

5. Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me

Easily the odd man out of the list. The evil, scheming, suave and self-centered Kodaly is a delightful departure from all the romantic leads and clueless buffoons of Gavin’s career. The showstopper “Ilona” brings out all the manipulative nature of the character, a snake that always finds a way out and always gets what he wants. A remarkable performance that makes me want to see him branch out into even more strange territories.

4. Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Millie

Again with the old-time charm and humor. Millie is a show dominated by women, and Gavin’s male romantic lead manages not to be swallowed whole by them by being so wonderfully easy-going, hilariously aloof and occasionally sassy. It does also help that in “What do I need with love” he has one of the catchiest numbers of the show.

3. Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly!

PUDDING. That alone deserved the Tony. It’s an overwhelmingly funny turn that makes the best of the original, almost vaudevillian nature of the show. So full of tricks and ticks and winks to the audience, deliciously aware of its own absurdity, it’s the kind of scene-stealing performance that not every actor can pull off. And oh my god, has anyone ever sung Jerry Herman’s beautiful tunes so gorgeously? You almost wish he could have sung “Put on your Sunday clothes” in its entirety.

2. Elder Price in The Book of Mormon

Somewhere between the rubber-faced humor of Jim Carrey, the earnest straight man hilarity of Jack Lemmon and the physicality of Dick Van Dyke. A perfect combination that captures the sarcastic, yet disarmingly sweet nature of the show, with its hints of meanness and self-devouring doubt.

1. Claude Hooper Bukowski in Hair

Unquestionably the masterpiece of Gavin’s career. A towering performance that starts with the iconicity of the role and the visuals associated with it and finds the core of Claude’s humanity: a scared, earnest, sometimes self-centered, mostly clueless young man that has to face something so much bigger than himself, something that is so far from the made-up world of fake accents and films in space that he has created for himself and that will eventually consume him. Moments like “Where do I go” and “The Flesh Failures” are moving and brutally honest.

[novelmonger]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the Tolkien 20 questions.

If you could be the Middle Earth race you would like to be, which would it be?

There's always been something about Numenor that I've really liked - in its glory days, not its decline. And yes, I consider that a different race than what I already am, because they were much more long-lived and robust than we are today.

2. If you were the Middle Earth race that your personality most matches, which would it be?

Hobbit. I like to stay at home, stick to my routines, and eat good food. No adventures, please. Makes you late for dinner.

3. When did you first come into contact with Tolkien's work? Who or what introduced you?

My dad is entirely to blame XD One time when I was six and my brother was eight, we'd just been on a long trip and were severely jetlagged to the point that we were getting up at 3 a.m. and such. So my dad, in a desperate attempt to bore us and get us to fall asleep, started reading The Hobbit to us. I'm sure he thought the language would be so far above our heads we wouldn't understand it, but his plan backfired, and we kept begging for him to read more, poor guy.

(Secretly, it did go way over my head, but I still liked it - and would rather listen to a book being read to me than lying in bed in the darkness. I walked away with no real understanding of what had happened - all I remembered were a bunch of dwarves that I imagined like the ones in Snow White, a spooky forest with black squirrels, and the impression that Hobbits were little anthropomorphic hedgehog things with waistcoats.)

Fast-forward a few years, and in 2001 my dad decided we were old enough for him to try reading LotR to us. I'm not sure if the impetus for that was that he'd heard they were making movies of it and he wanted us to read the book first, but the timing was impeccable. At the age of 10, I was much more able to grasp the language and the story (though I labored under the mistaken impression that Merry was a girl for an embarrassingly long time), and I liked it a lot.

But then we went to see the movie...and in those three hours, my life completely and irrevocably changed. I remember staggering out of the theatre, dazzled by the normal, everyday December sunlight, and wondering how everybody could just...carry on with their lives when such ineffable beauty existed in the world. As soon as we got home, I grabbed the copy of TTT we were reading together and ran off to my room to read it myself, because I could read so much faster. My life has never been the same since ^_^

4. What passage in Tolkien's books or in any of the films/shows/media speaks to you the most?

There are so many great passages, but the one that has always stood out clear and beautiful, like the star peeking out from the clouds over Mordor, is this passage from TTT:

Sam looked at him. The early daylight was only just creeping down into the shadows under the trees, but he saw his master's face very clearly, and his hands, too, lying at rest on the ground beside him. He was reminded suddenly of Frodo as he had lain, asleep in the house of Elrond, after his deadly wound. Then as he had kept watch Sam had noticed that at times a light seemed to be shining faintly within; but now the light was even clearer and stronger. Frodo's face was peaceful, the marks of fear and care had left it; but it looked old, old and beautiful, as if the chiselling of the shaping years was now revealed in many fine lines that had before been hidden, though the identity of the face had not changed. Not that Sam Gamgee put it that way to himself. He shook his head, as if finding words useless, and murmured: 'I love him. He's like that, and sometimes it shines through, somehow. But I love him, whether or no.'

5. Ruthlessly rank the main projects of the Tolkien universe (the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power, the Silmarillion). You can break Lord of the Rings into three books for additional chaos, if you like.

Oh, I'll do you one better and also rank all the adaptations I've seen too ;) Please understand that, though I'm splitting up the three installments of LotR, I only like one marginally more or less than the others. They're all amazing, and best taken as a whole.

The Two Towers (book)

The Return of the King (book)

The Fellowship of the Ring (book)

The Fellowship of the Ring (movie)

The Return of the King (movie)

The Two Towers (movie)

The Silmarillion

The Hobbit (book)

The Lord of the Rings (BBC radio drama)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Hobbit (animated movie)

The Lord of the Rings (animated movie)

Rings of Power does not belong on this list because it has nothing to do with Tolkien except what it has plundered and then trampled underfoot. Also I haven't technically seen it, just extensive reviews that expose every last flaw for the world to see.

Tolkien Twenty Questions

[sarahtheconjurer]

@ghosttmachine tagged me in a get to know you meme thing (tyyy!!)! So. Here i am posting for oncce lez goooo

Last song:

Technical answer is post traumatic blues by corey taylor, bc ive been using the spotify dj thing and it keeps giving me metal that i o ly kinda like. The funner answer was rhe barbie movie ost since me and my friends literally just got back from it n my friend mariana had me play it in the car. Not rlly my thing was catchy (barbie movie was good btw! Posts abt it being like. Not the deepest critique of social issues and the like are correct but it was a fun time w a lot of heart + rlly great production value + honestly. Very funny. And i watched it w two of my best friends so :})

Currently reading:

For books:

When the Angels Left the Old Country

I haven't touched it in a hot sec, but its a queer, historical fantasy ya book based in jewish folklorex about an angel and a demon that leave europe, after a girl goes missing from the village they've set up shop in. It's very light and whimsical which is not my usual fare, but I'm enjoying it! Its very heartfelt and the two main leads have very good chemistry. And its always cool to see angel/demon lore outside the usual christian sphere.

For manga: steel ball run (part 7 of jojos bizarre adventure) its. A story about a cross continental horse race to find the body parts of jesus. Which is the most coherent way i can put it. Im rereading it w two of my friends rn and im enjoying it! It isnt my favorite part, but its up there, and features some of the best stuff in the series. This is. Also a story featuring a pair of ride or die protagonists with a very strong dynamic and chemistry (honestly, best 'set' of protags in the series) and so much comes from their bond. Its at the point in the series where it started getting a monthly release and it shows, w some rlly gorgeous art. Gyro and Diego are highlights artwise because the former doesnt have a stand he just. Has these steel balls he spins and throws around, so you get very dynamic shots of him just. Chucking them that the author uses in super creative ways to lead the eye and compose panels and the latter. Can turn himself and other things into dinosaurs. Have you ever seen a dinosaur ride a horse? Its fucking sick. It also has some interesting themes of american imperialism and christianity, of all things, which i think are done, well in some respects, esp given the authors track record. IT ALSO HAS SOME OF THE WORST STUFF IN THE SERIES THAT MAKES ME WANT TO KILL HIM W HAMMERS.

Currently watching:

Nothing in particular, but ive got a p big to watch list (Trigun, mob psycho, etc) and i just watched the barbie movie, like i said.

Current obsession:

Guess. Take a guess.

Jfc jojos bizarre adventure is holding me at gunpoint. Its not good its not bad (besides when it is) it its own tier of media. I forgot how much 15 year old me was obsessed w it and so i foolishly rewatched it thinking id be. Normal. I was wrong. God. I've never seen anything like it! It's so clearly a passion project from someone who's very eccentric and so it goes from absurd and stupid and comedic to circling right back to being very human and poignant. Like, it's about love! And familial trauma! And prevailing in the face of great tragedy! And also killing the president because jesus told you so! It's got a myriad of flaws from technical writing issues to genuinely tasteless/bigoted content, so its not some untouchable media, but ive been enjoying it a lot.

Part 5 and 8 are my favorites for very different reasons.

Part 5, Golden Wind, is abt a bunch of weird mobsters on a roadtrip through italy to kill their boss. It has a very charming supporting cast who are a sort of found family of societal rejects, brought together by this guy named Bruno who acts as a leader + mentor + sort of dad? To them. They're all surprisingly fleshed out characters, esp for this early on in the series, and their group dynamic, combined w some of the best fights in the entire show, really sell this part. The main character and main villain are. Not good. Sans a few aspects. Tho. Like i forget giorno is there half the time. (Giorno is my beloved stale cracker of a character but hes MY stale cracke, tho)

Part 8, Jojolion, is uh. Hm. It follows this amnesiac dude who wakes up in the dirt, as he tries to piece together the person he was. It's set in an au version of the town from part 4, w some characters being spins on old ones. Its the most recent part, and it shows. Its a lot better structured, paced, and developed compared to earlier parts. The mystery running through it has a lot of fun twists and turns, the themes are coherent, and the pace is slow, but not meandering. The supporting cast is fun (the lead's romantic interest is an actually decent jojo woman and they have a very cute relationship, and the family the main character is sort of adopted into are all fucking insane) but the real draw for me was the main character. Josuke (the second. Theres another josuke from an alternate universe in part 4, anyway) is probably my favorite jojo. I could go on about him, but compared to the others, he feels the most real? Theres this very grounded sense of frustration abt him as he tries and fails to piece together who he is, while everyone around him seems to have somethimg they need from him, or an idea of who he SHOULD be. He isnt a hero, he isnt even all that noble, hes just trying to find himself and if anyone out there loves him. He's blunt, one track minded, and is doing the jojo equivalent of spamming x to skip through all the dialogue bc hes not here for anyones shit beside his own. Jojolion somehow captures the feeling of being a weird, displaced pseudo adult trying to piece yourself together, while everything Keeps Fucking Happening. I love it so much. But by god does the ending suck hoooooly shit oh my god dude jesus christ. Fucking. I hate tohru i hate tohru i hate tohru fjcjendnxzlzm. Anyway jobin sweep

OTHER OBSESSIONS INCLUDE OCS AND DND.

Im currently running a csm tabletop n curse of strahd game, and am in a ravenloft game. They're all very different but i love them all.

Ravenloft game is a sort of sequel to the curse of strahd game i was in a while bsck

I play pageturn (kenku paladin) and coda (changeling flavored as fallen angel, bard). Ones a 13 year old w a kill drive going through a double crisis of faith while somehow being the heart of the group and the others a shapeshifting corrupted celestial, whos trying to find themself. we are currently exploring the fomain the latter was imprisoned in and have found the eye of vecna and. I am. Excited and concerned for what our wonderful dm has cooked up.

Chainsaw Man game is a high stakes office drama following the worst group of devil hunters youve ever seen. Its more episodic and light than my other games which is a nice change of pace, and i rlly like the energy our group brings to the table. I am always horrified and surprised by whatever new government supplied human rights violation they commit next! Every character is uniquely sad, while still maintaining the token csm dark comedy abt them. We are currently revisiting a mystery allll the way back from our first session and im stoked for some stuff i have planned.

Sippy Crew (curse of strahd game) is drawing to a close and ahh i could make a whole post abt how much these guys mean to me. Its been a joy dming for this group of freaks and watching as they come together not into a found family, but a group of distinctly doomed, but fiercely loyal individuals. They've had two pc deaths, even more close calls, and have lost so much, but they're pushing through like dandelions in concrete. Its genuinely the most emotionally invested ive been in a ttrpg, and am so excited, to see their journey come to a close, and will miss them dearly.

Both jojo and ttrrpgs have been a way to reconnect with friends i dont usually talk to as much, and strengthen the bonds of the friends that i do, which is why theyve hit so hard, haha.

anwyaY this turned out way longer than it needed to be bUt.

@turtleslothart @500sunstone you. Do this.

[popculturebuffet]

It's Not the Years It's the Mileage: An Indiana Jones Retrospective: Raiders of the Lost Arc (Comission for WeirdKev27)

Hello all you happy people! And welcome to the first part of a grand adventure. I welcome you all to It's Not the Years , It's the Mileage: An Indiana Jones Retrospective. For the next few months i'll be taking a look at all 5 indiana jones films, revisting the first four just in time for the fifth, all courtsey of good ole Weird Kev and yours truly.

This is also going to be an intresting trip as i've watched most of the films a grand total of .. once

This film's the exception, but yeah, i'll be watching these with mostly fresh eyes. While I LIKE this franchise quite a bit, I simply didn't grow up with it the way other young nerds did. Part of it is the times: the late 90's was full of great franchises for kids, and Star Wars and Marvel Films of the time appealed more to my sense of nerdy wonder. Indy isn't bad, but younger me just wasn't intrested in mostly realistic locations and nazi punching.

That's changed though: Since becoming a fan of Scrooge McDuck and TinTin (Though I REALLY need to read all those at some point, I own em all, and the movie is a guaranteed review at some point and honestly feels like a fifth indy movie simply with the protagonist swapped), I really love a good globetrotting adventure story with lots of love to history, big set pieces and likeable heroes with interesting flaws… okay the last one's more Scrooge but while I covered the Seven Cities of Cibola, it's clear in hindsight just how much Stephen and George were inspired by those comics. So i'm curious to revisit a franchise in a genre I now love to see how it holds up , to see if the low points are really as low as people say, the highs are as high, and the creamy middles as creamy and your welcome to join me under the cut as I take it from the top.

Constructing the Arc

Raiders of the Lost Arc was the brainchild of George Lucas, who had the idea in college, being a fan of old adventure serials and deciding to make a b-movie based on that, though it kept getting shelved for certain space things.

It was said certain space things that ended up bringing Lucas and Speilberg together on this. Nervous about bad reviews for Star Wars, lucas decided to spend his vacation with his wife away from it all for his own mental health's sake and invited Senior Speilbergo along. Lucas pitched the project to him and when his first director choice fell through, Lucas asked Stevie to direct, something he gladly did and it's clear the two really jelled as they came up with a lot of great set pieces… but being busy with pre production, other films and stuff they needed someone to glue it all together with an actual plot. That's where Lawrence Kasdan came in. Kasdan had just started his career but if the name isn't familiar he's the man who'd go on to write Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and co-write the force awakens so with Speilbergs help they hammered out the full plot of the script including a few key set pieces like the bolder scene which as discussed in our prequel look at the seven cities of cibola wa cripped. Raiders is one of those cases where it took a lot of hands but the resulting script was great.

The problem was.. no studio would bite. Knowing what he had Lucas wanted control of both the lisecne and any sequels while the Studio would get no say. Most studios .. had the reaction you'd expect

It wasn't helped by the fact that while Speilberg is known as a creative visionary to this day, his recent oscar noms proof he's still got it, back then… stuidos more saw his last few films had come in over budget and in the case of 1941 performed badly in the box office on top of that. Lucas rightfully stuck by his friend though, and ended up coming up with a compromise for paramount: everything he asked, but in exchange Paramount got exclusive rights for a sequel and any going over budget or production time would result in harsh fines.

So with that the film went ahead and for the lead Lucas wanted.. a complete unknown. Yeah while Ford was always considered, Lucas wanted to avoid being pidgenholded as a director who just used the same actors over and over again. Hence king of all mustaches Tom Selleck was the frontrunner and even had an indy costume built for him.. but this backfired as the intense intrest for him in this role meant the producers of his star making role magnum pi could up their offer and lock him in. They went with ford and the rest was history.. and a lot of dysnetary. Seriously so much dysentary, to the poitn one of the most iconic scenes in cinema exists entirely because Harrison Ford could barely move.

Otherwise the shoot went decent, and with expert modelwork, effects and stunts the film was a GIANT success both critcially and comercially.. something that's nice to see for a change. Usually films i cover on this blog are good.. but have to get their revulation AFTER the fact like A Goofy Movie or Muppets Christmas Carol. But this film was seen for what it was by most, though looking at wikipedia Pauline Kael apparently did not like it and Lucas maturely responded by naming a villian after her in Willow.

So with a singed but ultimately triumphant history out of the way we can talk about the film itself.

The Find of a Lifetime

Raider's story is simple yet excellent: it moves fast, not a moment's wasted and it gets you from set piece to set piece while still letting the characters breathe and really feel alive, and has plenty of neat setup.

Raiders follows Indiana Jones, a down on his luck archeology professor and adventuerer whose latest mission, a raid of a culture's sacred temple in Chile, goes bad with both his guides trying to kill him, him barely escaping a certain boulder and the whole thing being made moot when his oldest ally Rene Belloc shows up with the indigenous people Indy's screwing over to screw them over himself and pit both his enemies against one another, stealing the idol because there's nothing jones possess that he cannot take away.

Indy does have a plan to bounce back though, a dig to find the Arc of the Covenant, the artifact the ten commandments was kept in. I did some digging, which is my fancy way of saying I looked up it's wikipedia entry and found it's specifications were given to Noah by god, made by artisans and naturally something like this was shuffled all around till being lost after the bible. It's the perfect kind of artifact for a big adventure like this. Granted it opens up some thorny religious questions, but given the sequel shows Kali is also real to a degree, it comes off as less "HEY GOD FEARING RELIGIONS YOUR RIGHT AND EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG" and more as simply a cool historical artifact with a lot of mystique around it to build a story on that a lot of people would know of and those who didn't, the film explains it for you. Seriously the exposition scene where Indy explains the arc to some government agents sent to talk to him is incredibly well done, showing off both his sheer excitement for this find, and contrasting Indy's usually gruff demeanor in the film with some wide eyed dorky wonder, and you can tell Lucas' own love of archelogy is peaking through it.

Said goverment agents are here because naturally this being the 30's, Hitler is after any mystic artifact he can get his genocidal racist bastard mits on, and have gone after Abner Ravenwood, Indy's mentor who he had a falling out with after he slept with Ravenwood's at the time teenage daughter Marion.

Naturally Indy is forced to rely on Marion who while pissed at him, figures she's safer on his side than without him, especially when said Nazi's show up and try to torture her for info, lead by the truly chilling Major Arnold Toht end up burning down her bar. The two make their way to Cairo and team up with Indy's good Egyptian pal Sallah, played by the wonderful Jonathan Rhys Davis. He really SHOUDLN'T havfe as while Rhys Davies is great.. he's also you know.. white and the film has a very bad penchant for brown face that has aged like wet cheese left in a sunbaked canoe for 87 years. The two deal with the Nazi's at every turn and Marion apparently dies, leaving Indy despondant.. and if that wasn't enough finding out Belloq is naturally working for them, with Indy only surviving thankst o a cloud of children

Thankfully Sallah encourages him and while the Nazi's are digging thanks to a copy built from the original being burned into Tohts hand, it turns out their digging in the wrong place, allowing Indy and Sallah to sneak in.. and Indy to abandon marion when he finds her, not out of malice but because he reallyc an't free her without blowing his cover and endgangering her both which she takes well

He ends up in the well of Souls which is full of snakes, it had to be snakes, and finds the arc.. btu the Nazi's flank him,s teal it and throw marion down. Thankfully INdy and Marion are both able to escape and rekindle things while on a boat. Unforutnately marion ends up kidnapped and while Indy is able to follow them to the island Belloq is going to demonstrate the arc on, his threat to blow up the fucking thing.. end sup ringing hollow as Belloq succesfully plays on Indy's love of history: even with Marion at stake and him fully WANTING to destroy the thing if it means sh'es okay.. he just can't.

Thankfully for our heroes while they end up tied up , Belloq DOSEN'T kill them himself and Indy is smart enough to tell her DON'T LOOK MARION DON'T LOOK, saving them both as we get one hell of a climax with great ghost effect sfor the time, some truly haunting music.. and of course Belloq and the nazi's melting, barring Toht who just.. fucking explodes!

So our heroes bring the arc back.. but sadly for Indy the Goverment is being a bit cautious about God's faviorite doomsday weapon and have it examined by "top men"… aka shuttled off to a warehouse. but while bummed Marion gets Indy to cheer up and while he lost the treasure really, he still also lost a rival, got the girl, and got his spirit back.

Setting the Pieces

As you can tell the plot of Raiders is decent and well set up.. but what really makes it fantastic.. is the presentation. The opening alone is so iconic because it just has so many moments crammed into 15 minutes: the fade in from the paramount logo to an actual m ountain, the slow build up to indy, him easily deflecting an attempt to shoot him in the back with his trademark whip, the MOTHERFUCKING GIANT AMOUNT OF SPIDERS ON ALFRED MOLINAS BACK GOD DAMN WHY, Indy compensating for the idols' weight slowly and carefully and of coures the finale as Indy runs for his life from a boulder, has to "throw him the idol and i'll throw you the whip". All just great adventure stuff. This one set piece alone really sets the tone, who indy is , gruff and graverobbery but still smart, charasmatic and resourceful, without much dialogue. There's a reason just about every part of this scene has been homaged to hell and back.

And it's not the only one: there's a LOT of great set pieces, with Kasdan REALLY having done his job well: there's a nice flow of big set piece, some smaller moments to break it up , and then another set piece without it ever felling like that. I only see it because i know the behind the scenes stuff and while you coudl spot it it dosen't really hurt the film: you get plenty of nice slow character stuff and nice slow methodical archelogly mystery solving. It's just the right pace for an adventure story: plenty of mystery, character development and brain work from our heroes, but also plenty of big flash adventure stuff to keep you invested and on the edge of your seat, as you dont know WHEN the next set piece will happen. One Minute Indy is simply tensely talking to an ex, the next Nazi's attack her and her bar is soon ablaze. A simple plane right segues into the two having to dart around the streets of Cairo through tons of nazi's following them, and into a tense jeep chase and one hell of a hangar battle. There's always something fucking awesome just waiting around the corner with the smaller moments being just as good: the "bad dates", marion's drinking contest where Belloq out manuvers her, the scene on the boat which while romantic also shows the sheer damage Indy's taken in this line of work. It's a really beautifulyl paced film Directing wise.. I mean it's one of the most iconic films out there from a director who has gotten TEN best picture nods all for films that were dearly loved and also Lincoln. It's no shock it's good but there's really a sense of grandeure, backed up by John Williams iconic score. Every shot feels delberate, every set piece epic, every moment useful and the result is a film you just can't hep but enjoy. Even if you know all the steps, as I did as I saw a stunt show for this film as a kid so a lot of the set pieces stuck in my head, you can't help but groove to the rythym of the film. But while the directing, writing and pacing is good there's one last piece that really brigns it all together.. the characters. And of course before we get to the others.. we have to start with our star of the show

Indiana Jones: How You Write an Anti-Hero

So during my little Seven Cities of Cibola prologue for this retrospective, I noted how the treasure hunting aspect of these stories hasn't exactly aged the best: going into ancient ruins to pilfer a culture's history makes "it belongs in a museum" less the big heroic statement it once was as said museum is likely an American one far from where this should be displayed, if at all. So going into these movies I was both curious and worried just HOW indy would come off. It dosen't help the iconic opening when you get down to it and strip away all the cool shit… is two white idiots fighting over an idol that really belongs to neither. And as it turns out that was always the point. While Indy was made to be a LIKEABLE character, he was never supposed to be uber sympathetic: when you get down to the core of it Indy is a throughly interesting hero and one of the best examples of an anti hero i've seen in fiction

Making a protaganist whose an anti hero, or unsympathetic in general is .. tricky. You have to make them charming enough you actually like spending time with them, but still enough of a bastard you don't forget their not exactly a great person. When it goes wrong.. you get stuff like this

When it goes right.. you get Indiana Motherfucking Jones. From the getgo we see Indy is badass: he easily deflects an assasination attempt, dodges the traps through his smarts and experince, and even tries to trick the weight trap for the idol. He's a super cool dude.. but the second he leaves the temple.. we see the mask slip and see the human underneath. He put in all the hard work.. but not only was it for something he really shoudln't be doing, it was all for nothing. We see him run, panickly asking for Jock to START THE PLANE nd finally see him scared of a snake. What makes Indy work is the same thing that made Scrooge work for a young George and Stevie as kids: He's a total badass and fun to watch.. but he's also a throughly flawed man with sketchy morals, and his humanity is what makes him intresting.

When we see Indy at college… it's not going great. It's made clear from his sell of what he could ge tfrom the temple that this adventure wasn't some grand endeavour but simply keeping the lights on, and his class is just filled with people who want to bang harrison ford. Which.. I mean I get. This is prime harrison ford. But it's not what he got a degree for.

That said can we just.. take a moment for the whole class scene? While I like how it shows Indy's intellectual and dorky sides… has anyone else ever noticed how.. weird this is? I mean for starters even for the early 80's the joke of "OH ALL THE WOMEN SIGNED UP BECAUSE THEY THINK INDY'S SEXY' is really dated and corny and while I get Indy is aping old pulp adventure serials did you really have to leave in the dated sexisim George? Did you? Or Stephen? Also the writing stuff on the eyelids… it just comes off like a VERY dated archie comics gag from the 30's and not a scene about the 30's from the 80's and i'ts weird and I hate it.

But the larger point is that we see the good again when the Feds arrive and Indy lights up about the arc: the idol may of just been to pay the bills.. but the ark is something he TRULY cares about, and WANTS to find, to share with the world. Sure he dosen't belivie in it's power.. but he belives in it's value. it's what makes him not shooting it later work: he's a guy who will bring a pistol to a swordfight.. but he's also someone who just can't destroy history even if it'd save his own life and the life of someone he loves. Indy may be gruff, not at all worried abotu doing a murder and a graverobber.. but he DOES care about history and wants to save it from those who'd abuse it. It's what makes him better than Belloq: both sank to the same low but for Indy, doing so is just a stop over and something he had to do for a second. For Rene tha'ts who he is: selling these things just to make a buck he dosen't need. We'll get more into him in a moment, but having that evil window into what Indy could be magnifies the good of what he is.

That said he's still a man with faults and we see those most with Marion: he's sexist at times, dismissive and most grossly brushes off her trauma. Yeah something that gets glossed over and that I didn't notice till this run thougH: Indy dated Marion at 16 when he was 20 at the least. And it's clear Speiblerg WASN'T defending indy either: while Karen Allen came up with the backstory for Marion, Speilberg put it in the film and could've cut the line "I was only a child" if he wanted to. He abused her trust, left her, and genuinely hurt her and while it's clear INdy genuinely cares for her, as we see over the film, it's also clear he wasn't sorry at least at first. I do interpet his "you knew what you were doing" as les shim being a TOTAL prick who undervalues her trauma.. and more him seeing so much of her capablities he forgets the age diffrence and the deep trust meant him hurting her emotoinally cut way deeper than he likely thinks. Just because she can take care of herself… dosen't mean she can't be hurt.

It's what makes the romance over the film work as character development: we don't see Indy soften entirely.. but ove rthe trip we see him open up: while he's still snarky with marion he goes form being openly hostile and entitled to her father's research, to seeing her as a MOSTLY equal partner. While the two end up teaming up because her bar got burend down, it's clear during the Cairo chase he sees her as an equal and even with her getting captured a lot he values her.. and when he thinks she died he's utterly broken. To him the adventure wasn't worth her life and nothing's worth living for. He ONLY goes on because Sallah encourages him to. To me his "you knew what you were doing" and other dismissive crap are the macho front he puts up. It's not OKAY mind you, but it's clear Indy puts up walls because he assumes that's how he's supposed to act and because it's hard for him to actually open up to other people. What I know of his later backstory helps support that: he was in the first world war at a young age, had a dad who wasn't exactly the most supportive or helpful and his mom, the one parent he liked, is gone at this point. Othe rthan Brody at the museum an da few contacts Indy really is alone and it's likely how he wants it. He could've apologized to Marion or her father way sooner, but it's just easier for his life to go on alone, take a few artifacts and move on. It's why later hwne Marion is in danger rather than sneak her out he leaves her kidnapped where she's ostensibly safer. He's afraid of actually getting close to her. It's pragmatic sure it also keeps it.. but in reality he's just scared of someone who can actually keep up with hima nd what that might mean. It's not a huge shock that by the next film Marion is gone and the two don't reconnect till indy is a good few decades older and can realize what he's lost. It's telling that when the two are alone his reaction to al lthe damage he's taken is a quip and yet the two only start really romantically connecting when he drops the front, is honest with her and the two hav ea sweet moment. It's sad it again takes a while for them to go anywehre, but the romance shows his human side.

Indy.. is a flawed man.. but he's ultimately a good one: he priortizes Marion over the artifacts and probably woudl've shot the arc had Belloq not appealed to his hisotrian nature and even when captured makes sure she lives. Indy is a man who simply dosen't WANT to care.. but despite himself will. It's also telling for his weakness he really.. dosen't get much out of htis. He gets marion back but he fucks that up. He gets the arc but the goverment hides it. And while it is a bummer for him he dosen't ge tot study it, and as much as I hate goverment coverups their not exactly wrong humanity, and especially other parts of the goverment probably woudln't handle the arc with care and tha tmaybe something tha tmurders on opening is best left in a box. But he keeps going because i'ts who he is. Like his inspriation.. ther'es always another rainbow and by the end while things aren't great for him he has what matters back: his love of the craft. It never truly left but it's telling after this as far as I can tell none of his future adventures are about treasure pilfering. Each of the sequels is about something important. He apparently takes osme work from a mobster next time, but it's clear he likely took it simply to get the remains and study them instead of actually hand em over to the guy. Indy may not leave this film 100%.. but he leaves it with the spirit of adventure and sense of purpose he was missin gat the start. I look forward to seeing where he goes and what he becomes.

How You Use It

Looking at the cast for Raiders while it has a large cast on paper from tratorious guides, to helpful and charasmatic ship captains, to children clouds, to giant dig sites , to lots and lots and LOTS of nazis', to men who get shot real easy and so on, the film's character focus is really on four people, with Sallah being a loose fifth. It's not uncommon for the genre: most scrooge stories generally have the freudian trio of him, donald and the triplets, Tintin mostly just him, Haddock, Calclus and the Thompsons off in the side doing something wacky, it's best to just focus on a few characters and let the story and set pieces and grandeaur of the adventure flow. So to cap off this look at the film let's explore the non indy cast and how they also are incredibly well detailed and thought out

Starting off we have Marion Ravenwood whose just spectacular. Karen Allen does a fantastic job, portraying her as giving no fucks, drinking men under the table and fairly compitent. The last part would normally be entirely hobbled by the fact she gets kidnapped or put in deadly danger with no way out a booker t amount of times and said cheap use of her for a constant hostage gets tiresome. It's easily the film's biggest weakness.. but it speaks to both Allens performance and the quality of the writing that even cliche sexist garbage like that.. dosen't undermine marion. She tries to escape as much as she can, contributes well to the quest with the head piece when she is around, and DOES try to outwit belloq with a drinking contest… and ONLY fails at that because of something she coudln't possibly know, i.e. that his family owned a winery. At the end of the day Marion simply dosen't badass her way out because sh'e's a normal non combatant: she's able to easily take bar bullies and what not, but she's up against throngs of soldiers, an experinced manipulative treasure hutner, and a relentless nigh inhuman nazi. She can only do so much. It's still not.. perfect. Marion should have more agency and more ot do and like I said using her as a hostage is just super lazy, but it speaks to the character that despite the film sexistly working against her she ends up awesome anyway and i'ts a suprise she didn't come back SOONER.

We then have Belloq who might be my faviorite character in the film. Belloq is neatly composed to be everything Indy isn't: Indy comes from a working class background as we find out later, works a day job, genuinely cares about preserving things and his default mode is "gruff dick". Belloq in contrast comes from money, always wears fancy classy clothes, and while good at being an arcy, does it mostly for the money. Belloq is as I said who Indy could be if he lost his soul: a monsterous treasure hunter who will gladly work with the Nazis if it means a nice payday.

What makes him work is that he's just.. damn chaarming> He's a total bastard, that was never in question, but he just has a smooth air about him: from his first line he's charming and he always feels like he has control of the situation. Really the entire film he's playing just about everybody: He outflanks indy at the start, NEARLY kills him in Cairo and is only thwarted by the children cloud, succesfuly keeps his nazi bosses off his back, and nicely plays marion for info, not only using her undestimation of her to his advantage. IT's easy to see why originally there was a love triangle between her indy and belloq: he's a monster.. but he's just so effortlessly smart and charming he's fun to watch. He's a great villian and Paul Freeman deserves more credit. He also contrasts Indy in that he's not really a fighter: indy gets in there with his whip and gun while Belloq simply throws minons at him.

What weakens him though.. is his own ego: if you look at every encounter with indy and his tent talk with marion you notice that Belloq could've gotten rid of both sooner.. but just dosen't. With Marion he WANTS to woo her, only throwing her in the well of souls because he has to, and is fine dicking around with flirting with her. With indy though it's clear it's more just ego.. hec an't just KILL his arch enemy no no, he has to make a meal of it: he has to both humilate him and have him WATCH Belloq win. It shows in the first scene. He could've just shot indy the second he had the idol.. but just HAS to have indy chased by the tribe to die ironically. He just has to throw marion in the well of souls to twist the knife on his being trapped, just has to brag in the cafe long enough for the child cloud to come in. And of course.. he just HAS to show off that HE found the arc and open it first. While he has a pragmatic reason, he's absoltuely right hitler woudln't be happy if nothing was inside, the real reason is he just has to satisfy his own ego.

Finally we have Toht the film's othe rmain villian. Toht is pretty one note: he's evil, pure and relentless and i'ts very noticable next to belloq. He's also not subtle going into creepy laughs and being very fond of a good strangling. What makes him work is simple: Toht is nazisim in it's purest most creepy form: an unrelnting force tha tcan loose pieces, can stumbled, but is very dangerous if not stopped. Toht has set backs but it's that drive to dominate, to subjigate people he's deemed "lesser", to keep going tha tmakes him scary and it's what makes facisim itself scary: you can stop itk you can kill it's leaders.. but it just keeps coming back and creeping in again and again. You simply can't stop some people's need for power. It also makes the arc that impactful as someone who indy and co barely held off.. dies by fucking exploding. An unstoppable force an da genius creep.. are simply no match against the power of a god.

Wrapup

So that was Raiders of the Lost Arc and it IS everything it's hype to be. It has some dated bits, some shit that was acceptable at the time others that really never should've been, but it's ultimately a well done globetrotter with intresting laired characters, iconic set pieces, and a killer soundtrack. If you've never seen it. i'm shocked your here but go.. go do that. It's well worth it.

Next Time: We visit a less.. shall we say universally loved intry as an oscar winner becomes a mildly racist kid sidekick, Speilberg's wife screams a lot and a man's heart is ripped out of his chest baby! See you next month for temple of doom and thanks for reading.

[ashthewaterghoul]

Ash’s Fics Master Post

Basically just anything with more than one chapter. All posted to ao3.

Vengeance Is Hers For As Long As She Stands By Him

Where do you go when you need shelter and sanctuary? Why a Satanic Ministry of course! Or, A woman leaves her old life behind and moves to a new country. A bit of adventuring leads her to a glorious Church and a Skull-painted Anti-Pope with a flair for the dramatics. Soon enough she is delighted by the peculiar and unorthodox situation filled with rituals, hellspawn and great music. Through her time of great turmoil, she finds comfort in her unlikely Ghoulish family, discovering love in its many forms. And she is granted a most brutal revenge against the man that caused her so much pain.

The Dreams That You Dreamt Can Become Just As Real (wip)

Rain and Storm had been very happy together in the almost 5 years since Storm’s tumultuous arrival to the Ministry, but they found that they just wanted one more thing to make their family of Ghouls whole. Through threats, magic untold and unwelcome surprises a-plenty, they defend their family with everything they have. They can only hope to be able to save what they love from the deep-rooted corruption within the Abbey they call home.

The Way That They Were

Dewdrop hated being a Water Ghoul and hated playing bass, and Sister Imperator hated the whining. Her threats drive him to despair, and the only solution Dew can see is one that is very permanent. Zephyr likes fresh air, especially up in the mountains. They love when others join them as well, however Dew’s appearance one night is particularly tragic as he makes a haunting decision. One that Zephyr’s already weak body will never let them forget.

Metamorphosis

‘Fuck.’ It was the only word that could dance around Rain’s head at the moment. He had thought that something was wrong. His stomach had been hurting for weeks, he was emotional, dizzy, throwing up. He just thought he just had the flu, despite a Ghoul’s inability to contract such an illness, but he could never have thought it to have been this. Or, Rain is trans and after loosing his luggage on the way home from the previous tour, finds out the hard way that Ghoul’s react differently to HRT compared to humans. Not to mention the secret he’s been hiding from his pack of what he’s been through in the Pits just adding insult to injury.

Even The Brightest Stars Burn Out (wip)

Phantom and Aether are two of the closest brothers Hell had ever seen. They had relied on each other in all the years it had been just them two and loved each other more than anything. But Phantom watches as Aether gets summoned and suddenly they are forced to live without their brother, praying for the day they can join him. When Phantom feels that telltale ache begin to form in their chest, they give into the summoning willingly. However Phantom would never imagine what lay for them on the other side when they land on that altar…

“Good” - A Mountain/Rain Two Shot

“Your little innocence act doesn’t work on me, Rain.” Mountain said, his voice finding residence low his throat. “S- sorry, sir, I didn’t-“ “Didn’t what? Didn’t meant to drag yourself to my kit and start playing? I thought you were going to be good for me?” Mountain taunted, standing behind Rain and encasing him in his shadow. “No! I am! I am good! Please, I’ll show you-“ Rain went to spin around, but Mountain’s hand locked firmly around his throat and stopped him from moving.

A Cosmic Collision (wip)

What happens to Dewdrop when his beloved Aether is sent back to the Pits without so much as a proper farewell? What will he make of the new Quint and how will all of his relationships change with him as his world seems to fall apart around him? Phantom isn't quite sure what a life on the surface should entail, but he didn't expect his first interaction with a fellow Ghoul to be quite so dramatic. How will Phantom adjust to life topside, and just what role will this Fire Ghoul play in his new life? Because right now, he can't imagine it will be anything pleasant...

Phanter Cuddle Buddies (wip)

All of the posts and subsequent asks I got for my hc of Phantom and Copia being cuddle buddies and then being forcibly separated after Copia becomes Frater. Posting it all here because I said so. Phanter = Phantom + Frater

Will update as I write more. Last updated 17th October 2024

[greensparty]

2023 Northeast Comic Con Fall Edition Wrap-Up

For a few years now I’ve been lucky enough to cover the Northeast Comic Con (read my coverage here), a fun cool convention for lovers of comics, pop culture, and collectibles. I attended the Spring edition in March and over the Summer I also attended their spin-off MusicCon Collectibles Extravaganza.

Here are some of the highlights of the guests I got to speak with at this season's NECC:

Actress Heather Matarazzo gave one of the great breakout performances of the 90s when she was only about 13 in Welcome to the Dollhouse. Such an impressive performance as teen outcast Dawn Wiener. She's popped up in loads of films since then, including Randy's sister in Scream 3. I asked her what it was like returning as Martha Meeks 20+ years later in last year's Scream (5). She said "It was like getting to put on a very comfortable pair of shoes. I got to slip right in and Jamie [Vanderbilt] and Guy [Busick], the writers of Scream 5, did a really excellent job of capturing the essence of the legacy characters and establishing the new horror film." Heather was super nice and cool and spoke to my son for a few minutes as well!

The 5-piece Canadian group The Kids in the Hall came to prominence with their sketch comedy TV series that ran in the U.S. from 1988-1995 on HBO and later CBS. The series slowly garnered a cult following. I was just getting interested in comedy at the time and became a big fan. I’d stay up late to watch it on CBS on Friday nights. So many LOL skits and they were a team that played so well off each other. After the series ended, they made the 1996 movie Brain Candy, reunited for a few comedy tours and a limited series in 2010 that ran on IFC and last year's limited series on Amazon Prime Video. 2 of the 5 Kids in the Hall were at the NECC: Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald! They did a panel moderated by my friend Ken Reid. I got to speak to them briefly. I asked them both, outside of Kids in the Hall they have both done a great deal of voiceover work, so I was curious what their favorite was? Kevin said "Invader Zim and Lilo & Stitch were fun, but I also enjoyed playing Waffle in Catscratch and a new one, I haven't seen it yet but it seems pretty good is the Scott Pilgrim cartoon [Scott Pilgrim Takes Off]." Dave said "That would be Bug's Life." I replied that it was so cool that years later he did an episode of Veep with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, where it was like a live action reunion of A Bug's Life! Dave said "Well I had also been on her show The New Adventures of Old Christine, I was on about three episodes. But it was fun on Veep getting to be the creepy Finnish Prime Minister's husband who gets to hold her breast. And the half-hour rehearsal we did to prepare for it."

After seeing last year's documentary The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, which showed the ups and downs of the group as well as Scott Thompson's health issues, it made their reunion on the limited Amazon series that much more special. I asked them both if they had plans for another reunion, whether it's a tour or a special or a film? Kevin said "We have plans to make plans. It could be a tour, it could be a movie, it could be a tour and a movie. But we're meeting next week for some celebratory thing, so we're going to meet the day before to talk about what our next plan is." Dave added "There's plans to at least fight about making plans!" [Laughs] I could literally listen to them talk all day and they could not have been any cooler!

Last but not least we Liz Puleo, a recent contestant on Lego Masters. My son is a big fan of Legos and enjoys that show, so we went up to her booth. She was so nice, she signed a photo and gave it to him before he even asked for it, she just asked his name and she gave it to him. Thanks Liz!

For info on Northeast Comic Con and their other events: https://necomiccons.com/