#so designs are off whoopies

[grassyeggroll]

I’ve never been so normal than I am right now

[deathcandylove]

Gala Vanessa! I'm mad at myself. She was supposed to come after Ursula's design and I totally spaced it off! Oh well here she is.

Personally I'm starting to like dark skinned Ursula/Vanessa like in Once Upon A Time. Though I'm not much of a fan of the series. But I totally support Sea Witch Whoopie Goldberg for the win! But that's cause I love Whoopie Goldberg. I know she only did a brief moment in Descendants 2, but all you saw was a tentacle and heard her voice. Give us Sea Witch Whoopie Goldberg in person!!

Anyways, for this series I have her with slightly tan skin tone from the movies and books. Cause this is meant to be based on the original designs.

But I also have Vanessa with darker skin tone. I used the eye dropper on Uma's emoji from Disney's Emoji Blitz game to get the skin tone, so it'd look close. Just an FYI: It's my daughter who is a Disney Descendants fan. I like it, but it's not my thing.

[cloudyskydreams]

On an average day what's in those pockets? UT,UF,US

This one was interesting Edge was the one I struggled the most with but I'm pretty satisfied with it! Enjoy!

Undertale:

Sans: Ketchup packets, a miniature joke book, whoopie cushion, old trash he keeps forgetting to throw away

The ketchup is pretty self explanatory he keeps them as a little snack when he doesn't have access to a full bottle. The joke book he's read a hundred times but he keeps it more out of sentimentality at this point. He and this whoopie cushion have history besides Tori it's basically his best friend at this point. He doesn't like to litter so when he has trash and there isn't a trashcan near by he sticks it in his pockets and he just keeps forgetting to throw it away. Papyrus normally has to clean to trash out on laundry days.

Papyrus: bandaids, monster candy, his wallet, his schedule

Paps is pretty on top of everything and I have a hc that when he goes out with friends he's the mom friend that has a fanny pack with anything practical you need. On regular days he carries bandaids for his human friends and monster candy for both human and monster friends. His wallet is self explanatory he likes to have it on him in case he sees something he'd like for him or his brother while out and about during his day. He also has a bunch of photos in his wallet he likes to look at and show off to people they're of him and his brother, some of him and frisk, him and Undyne. There's even one of him and the queen, he's very proud of that one. I believe Papyrus is a very scheduled person as he likes to fit as much as possible into one day. So he carries around a schedule that has what he's up to that day written out. It has a little pocket with stickers in it that he uses to decorate the schedule and mark what's completed with little stars and emoji faces to mark how he felt about the excursion.

Underfell:

Red: hand buzzer, headphones, snack sized chocolate bars

He likes to trick people with the hand buzzer and thinks it's even more hilarious when he can get people he's gotten before with it. Red actually likes to read but he needs glasses which he is extremely embarrassed about so he refuses to really read in public unless he absolutely has to and then he struggles through. The headphones are to listen to audiobooks when he has free time. Reds a muncher and he loves chocolate so his jacket pockets are stuffed with snack sized chocolate bars, if he likes you enough he might share.

Edge: his cell phone, his reading glasses and washi tape, peppermints or something minty, a pocket knife

Edge is another scheduled person except he keeps his reminders and to do list on his phone. Edge also has poor eyesight but he doesn't care if people see him in his glasses. If he needs to read he puts them on and he thinks he looks extremely attractive in them. Mints help with improved focus and he likes to let them sit on his tongue as he goes about his day. He keeps the pocket knife for protection sure he he also like to whittle at sticks he finds and carve little designs into them to pass the time. He formed this habit when he was younger and used it alot in his traps when making spike pits underground and now just does it on a smaller level to pass the time.

Underswap:

Stretch: Lighter, a box of cigs, some form of hard candy normally lollipops,a notepad and a few pens, a dog treat or two/and edible or two

Lighter and cigs are self explanatory. The hard candy is for when he can't smoke or if he runs out of cigs and can't get some for awhile. I think he'd like to jot down notes throughout the day just stuff that catches his eye or song lyrics he thinks up. He's also a major doodler and half his notepad pages are little doodles of things he finds interesting there's a lot of his brother in there. I'm in between him smoking actual weed and smoking dog treats so I think he's half and half when carrying them around.

Blue: His cell phone, headphones, good luck charm, a special pen that has a little bone charm on it

I hc Blue as a streamer so his cell phone is important to him because he likes to update his fans and blogs throughout the day about what he's doing. He likes to have a soundtrack to his day so he wears headphones alot when he doesn't have to socialize with people (think grocery shopping or simply walking) it helps his mind stay focused and on track better. The good luck charm was a gift from his brother that he sort of started carrying around and never stopped. It's a small rock with a hole naturally worn all the way through he wears it around his neck as a necklace. Stretch found it one day when Blue forced him to go geocaching with him. The pen is in the rare case a fan spots Blue in public and wants an autograph. He likes having a special pen just for that and he carries it around because he's a hopeful person. It's only happened twice and he was so overjoyed he talked about it for weeks.

[yuckydraws]

(Click for better quality)

Finally getting around to making refs (and in some cases, updated refs) for my guys! Here’s Sans!!

Few Word Characteristics:

Observative

Intelligent

Humorous (or, heh, humerus) 

Punny

Easy-going

Patient

Secretive

Messy

Apathetic

Avoidant

Has commitment issues

Information on his design

He has sensory issues and his biggest trigger tends to be touch, so he’s always wearing something comfy to help ease that.

You will rarely catch him in jeans.

He doesn’t really like being touched, specifically by strangers, and feels as though his clothes are a barrier for that. He tends to wear lots of layers and keeps his gloves on when in public because of this, especially when pulling his usual “whoopie cushion in the hand trick”.

Because of the layers, his silly shirts rarely make themselves known in public, but most of his shirts do have some sort of pun or dumb message across it.

His gloves have those finger pads so he doesn’t have to take them off to use his phone.

He carries his things either in his inventory or his pockets and doesn’t tend to lug much around anyways so he rarely has a bag with him.

He’s plagued with nightmares and doesn’t tend to sleep well because of it. It’s not often that you’ll see him without those blue, dark circles under his sockets. 

His tail is very short, but its long enough to poke outta his clothes. When you really get him excited or happy, you might catch it doing some lil wags.

[daveinediting]

You can, I can, we can... through the sheer force of imagination, conjure from thin air music, lyrics, experience, and emotion in the service of something greater.

Wait. Greater?

For example, I've been giving a considerable amount of thought to solo acts. Not bands but performances that are centered on a single individual who, through technical prowess, conjures a fully arranged and orchestrated sound. 

Unfortunately, such solo acts always feel like a DJ. When you see them on stage, you think...

DJ.

So the question is: how do you not?

If that's you on stage delivering a highly produced musical performance on your own...

How do you avoid coming across like a DJ?

The obvious answer to me is that this can't be a performance structured as if this was a band instead of a single individual. It can't be the usual audience experience because it's not the usual audience experience unless the dynamic of a full band's involved.

It also can't look like or feel like a DJ. So it can't just be someone introducing songs and then performing them.

Hmmmmmm. Isn't that the heart of a solo performance with full arrangement and orchestration?

Sure. But solo performances only work as such when one instrument's involved. Once we delve into a number of sounds and instruments that a single individual cannot produce in real time... that's when we're in DJ territory.

So then what?

Then we have to reach for something bands typically don't or can't do. We have to reach for another category of performance that makes sense. That it makes sense the experience is being guided by a lone individual.

"Guided" is a good word, by the way. "Personal", a word implied by the idea of a single individual, is also a good word.

So that's where we begin: a personal, guided tour.

Of what, though?

We'll get to that in a moment. Why? Because we've not satisfied the idea of something full band's either don't or can't do. Of course I'm sure that's a category of many possibilities for a multitude of reasons.

Here's what pops for me, though:

Spoken word.

And multimedia.

What?

Lemme reiterate. A single musician producing more sounds and instruments than is possible in real time comes off as a DJ. Or worse: someone engaged in Karaoke.

Therefore.

The challenge becomes one of elevating the reality of being a solo performer in command of a whole arsenal of instruments, sound design, vocal effects and layering... into something that can only be done by a single individual with access to actual and virtual instruments, prerecorded individual music tracks, and sound effects.

The challenge is to create a performance that should only be done but a so-equipped individual.

How?

By treating the entire performance as if it's a single performance. Stand-up comedy comes to mind here. Dramatic monologues come to mind. As do one-person shows like Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking" in 2009 or Whoopie Goldberg's "Direct from Broadway" in 1985.

Since tech makes it possible, the spoken word can play against sound design moving underneath. Of course words can also play against both still and motion imagery. As can the actual music performances. So when I said earlier "in the service of something greater", this is what I had in mind: reaching for a higher level of performance.

This isn't all about tech, though. It's guided... by the personal. The tech serves an experiential, emotional narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. Even before the actual start of show, where audience members are taking their seats, even that experience can be underscored with sound design much like Pink Floyd's 1977 tour in support of their newly released album "Animals". Which brings to mind all the sound design and dialogue baked into "The Wall" and baked into "The Final Cut".

It's a balancing act, all these elements. For sure. Definitely it's easy to be overwhelmed by the possibilities. But only those possibilities that serve the experiential and emotional story arc, the spine of the entire performance... are the ones we care about.

Everything else?

We ignore.

We absolutely ignore.

That being the case, it's natural to start easy even if it's just determining the sound design while the audience is taking their seats. It's a straight up exercise of imagination to think about what the sound design should be and why. And the ideas that arise from that thinking inevitably act as a hand-off to what comes next.

Songwriting, like many forms of writing and performance, is a merging of the fictional and non-fictional. At the very least it's a dramatization of human experience with certain liberties taken for the sake of rhythm and reason and emotion. Which means we can exert a tremendous amount of control of what happens and how it lands. Which also means that, from an audience's point of view, the measure of their experience isn't in whether a thing is fiction or non-fiction... but how it plays, how it hits, and where it hits.

Think of "Hamilton" for example.

So yeah.

There are a lot of ways to approach creative challenges. There are lots of ways to create something from nothing. Mostly, I employ variations centered on my own point of view. Recently, though, I've been thinking about the role, what role the audience should play in that process.

After all, we're crafting this experience for them.

🤔

[sethshead]

-- Are Jews White? --

This is pretty clear-headed and critical commentary. I'd say whiteness (and race in general) proved itself a very flexible construct in 1908, when John Svan and a dozen other Finns sued to be permitted naturalization in the United States. Finns, after all, speak a Uralic, not an Indo-European, language, and accordingly were classified as Mongoloid under the restrictive anti-Asian immigration policy of the time. The courts found that Finns are white based on appearance and European home, thus demolishing the concept of race being an essential characteristic.

Accordingly, where Jews are accepted as white and are granted white privilege, Jew are white. That's how constructs work: they are inherently tautological. Ashkenazim, however, are not universally regarded as white. Race, furthermore, is not the only axis of oppression, so Ashkenazim can face liabilities and disabilities from "fellow" whites that other conditional, second-tier whites (Mediterraneans, Slavs, Irish) do not experience.

This is why people like Whoopi Goldberg are so off-based when they insist that the Holocaust wasn't racial. To those who perpetrated the Holocaust it was racial, so therefore it was. Ashkenazi whiteness does not confer on Jews all the benefits associated with that designation, since we face drawbacks for simply being Jews. We certainly do not have a "Jewish privilege" above and beyond white privilege. And finally, race being a construct, that some of us are considered white in the United States of America has not bearing on our indigeneity to our Levantine place of origin.

[bombusapidae2]

War!Sans my beloved! Professional jokester and designated lazyman, Sans is the next boss who gets a ref!

The main difference with this Sans and the original is his design. As you can see, instead of the classic blue hoodie, basketball shorts and pink slippers, Sans is sporting the basic uniform of the guard/army minus the scarf. Most monsters you encounter will be wearing at least the jacket. If you thought that classic Sans was tired, then this one is even more tired and very... very traumatized.

We first meet Sans in the Outer Ring, after blocking your path with a line of bones. He introduces himself, maybe interogates you a little bit, then leads you off to meet Papyrus.

From then on he takes a sort of backseat throughout the rest of the run, watching you from afar as usual. At least, if you don't kill Papyrus. He takes you to Grillby's, pranks you once or twice, takes you to a restaurant/food place set up in the castle specifically for the royal family and high-ranking guards, and then you finally meet him at Judgment hall just before you reach the throne room.

There he reveals just who he is and how much he's seen (it was already sort of implied during the restaurant "date" just how much he's seen but now it's been said outright). If you haven't killed anyone, he gives his usual "you gained a lot of love but didn't gain any LOVE" speech; if you only killed a few times (neutral run) he calls you an (for lack of a better word) asshole (😔) and might deplete some of your health. His dialogue here changes to reflect who you've killed and/or how many you've killed; if you've killed everyone he fights you, of course, but some of his dialogue and attack patterns have changed.

And then he's never seen again. Or, at least, until the end of the true pacifist run (he doesn't call you after the neutral run because again, asshole) and explains some changes and what's been going on.

Post-pacifist I think he gets a service dog to help with his PTSD or something. Sans is probably the most who has the most amount of trauma from the war, the other three being Undyne, Asgore, and Toriel in that order. So therapy and a service dog he gets! Whoopy!

Sans is pretty basic and likes standard, plain vanilla milkshakes, how boring. If he's feeling fancy, he'll add a dollop of whipped cream and a helping of sprinkles with a little cherry topping. It's the only food item he won't put ketchup on because it makes Papyrus really, /really/ upset if he does.

[the-firebird69]

Watch "Styx - Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" on YouTube

You want to make me into a blue collar man all of them actually these people are cheap and chintzy and stupid it's like one guy who has a plan and involves code is bad for our people the whole thing is sour as hell and I do need funding for my project which is all of our projects everybody is involved in this. Frank Castle Hardcastle chiming and say they're doing what they can but they need assistance it's like pulling teeth to get a dollar out of them when they're worth a trillion dollars a minute if I'm doing anything and I'm sick of it. It's repulsive it's motivational though and it should be sharing that these people are so damn cheap that they squeak and you can hear it all the way out to Mars. We're going to go and start this race and I'm going to offer free beer four beers they're on 6 oz it's a small plastic cup for each Patriot that's of legal age and every patroness of legal age unless you come in like Dan and your steaming drunk or Trump who's steam and drunk all the time if you're drunk can you come up to the window you're going to be removed you don't want stupid drunk people there and you definitely won't be allowed to race these are real races. What I know is they probably come to the race drunk and try and do their own race and threaten the Ferrari and do stupid stunts that don't work and it's what the movie looks like so they probably exclude themselves from the race. And women are welcome to the same race we're not discriminating we don't tell you what to wear and stuff except for the safety equipment which kind of limits you but we are accepting women's applications equally and we do encourage you to try but midler and she wants to race and she is accepted and we will if you would expect the car Whoopi Goldberg wants to race and we expect the car just like any car they bring down and we're going to send it out to them where and when and yes they'll be patrons plenty of patrons all of them but a lot of them are some are Lamborghini people and you can imagine what that's like here comes some rich people say you can't do that and it probably is Tommy f and just because he took the original design doesn't mean that he can take a copy of it.

Zues

I had a lot to do with the above too and he's saying it too meant daddy runs around tries to make it look like nobody can get him anything if they do they're in trouble and all this stuff and it doesn't happen and it's happening to these two next door because they're messing around with everybody and threatening my husband but he's doing that and a lot of people fall for it it's very annoying it's not helping matters and you don't understand basic human psychology you really don't even ask whooping soon cuz you're stupid attitude it looks like Tommy is going to do it for real and you're not our leader and you're in the way lots of times you just mobilizing your people barely cuz that's reality and you can look at it that way cuz that is what it is. We're moving on and forwards and we bought tons of his stuff too so max not happy and took it. And we are going forwards with this race

And this lady is a b**** she comes off as a b**** and she sounds like when it looks like one so you don't like the car or anything don't go to the race we don't need you there. And whooping Goldberg says he designed it and he wants to have the race it says it's revenge but it's not really it's like a parallel and has purpose and the purpose is supposed to help underprivileged people get cars that they can escape with they can do jobs with and they can stand up to Tommy f with and there's a lot of people like that even Max. But they're so cheap and they lost their whole round bitching and complaining and they're still doing it and Tommy f is right at the door he's going to try for Mars that's a very big problem that's the purpose Mars is earth size it has huge diamonds

Thor Freya

If if these ladies show up he wants to do a special intro for them for them getting in the cars ahead of time in the pit Cruise area and picture ops and and other things like that and again I'm a big huge like fruit basket and buffet thing and champagne at the end and limo rides home and stuff so they like it and even if it's a big mouth shows up. But I guess they're major enemies of Tommy f and they can't stand it and don't know what to do and they're in a lot of trouble when they opened it up we're going to Publix now

Thor Freya

Olympus

[sleepingdeath-light]

Poly toh Edric and Hunter with a fem s/o? If you're still accepting!

Poly Relationship Headcanons | Edric Blight & Hunter

thank you for requesting, anon!

reader is assumed as female but is mostly written as gender neutral

a relationship with these two young men is guaranteed to be equal parts chaotic and supportive in many different forms - including physical and verbal affirmation as well as frequent prank wars that you will inevitably be thrown into the deep end of.

edric will drag you and hunter into prank wars with emira whether you like it or not, so be prepared to stock up on whipped cream, whoopie cushions and the like to support your energetic other third

but he makes up for this chaos and mischief with all of the affection he freely gives: love letters, poems, hugs and kisses between lessons, etc.

hunter is more reluctant and guarded with his affection no matter how long you’ve all been together - but he does show he cares through being protective over and constantly fretting about your safety (usually coming off harsher than he intends out of habit)

cuddle piles are a frequent occurrence and always end up you all clinging to each other until someone is forced to leave for some reason or another

you are both hunter’s “babe” and you are edric’s “honey” whilst hunter is his “baby”

frequent self care days are a must - always scheduled and payed for by edric, of course (and occasionally joined by his sisters)

you all share a bed, too large for you all yet you’ll usually end up locked in a tight hug in the centre - more room than you’d expect at either side - with hunter in the middle (on his back) and you and edric on either side (ed messily and crookedly clinging to your shared partner’s arm)

dates are a scheduled weekly occurrence and are usually designed around hunter’s schedule, with you and edric deciding the intricacies of each

when you’re sick, hunter is more likely to take care of your needs in a more matter-of-fact way, focusing on your well-being first and your emotional needs later (partially to keep himself focused and otherwise to stop himself from fretting too much)

edric, meanwhile, will go one of two ways when you’re ill: either fretting over you and crying like you’re on your deathbed or removing himself entirely and fretting from a distance as to make sure he wouldn’t get sick

edric and hunter are pretty hopeless in the kitchen so cooking will have to be your responsibility unless you’re willing to take the time to teach them (though hunter can cook, it’s just not good)

edric tells you both terribly cheesy pick-up lines often and hunter never fails to roll his eyes at them with a half-smirk

edric is touchy and focuses of physical touch

hunter, meanwhile, shows affection through acts of service

[cloudyskydreams]

UT,UF,US Favorite Seasons

Undertale!

Sans: Spring •He enjoys the smell of rain and the atmosphere it brings it reminds him of waterfall.

•Lazy rainy days spent cuddled up in his bed with the sound of the rain against the rooftop and a soft blanket. Sounds perfect to him. It's hard to get him out of bed on these days and even if you do he's still pretty sleepy all day even more so than usual.

•He does enjoy the scenery and likes to stop and look at the flowers on the rare occasion he goes on walks, and if he does go on a walk it's going to be on a cloudy spring day with somewhat cool temperature.

•Lets not forget about his favorite holiday April Fools day! He goes hard on this day and his brother and the others try to steer clear of him but he always ends up getting them anyways. His pranks are normally practical but he sometimes whips out elaborate pranks. Most of the time people stumble upon whoopie cushions, bubble wrap under carpets, rigged air horns, and misplaced items for days after the holiday.

Papyrus: Summer •Paps loves being out and about under the summer sun when the temperature is nice and he can show off in his cropped shirts. He owns a bunch of them, his closet is sorted by season and his summer one is mostly cropped shirts with the occasional tank top and short sleeved shirt.

•Owns atleast 15 pairs of sunglasses that he tapes to his face when going. He has a collection of different tapes for this and chooses a different one for each mood. Made the mistake of using duct tape one time and had gunk stuck to his skull for days so he uses washi tape now.

•Definitely owns a straw sun hat and on the topic of hats I feel like he would love bucket hats too.

•He doesn't have the biggest sweet tooth but he enjoys the sweet treats that come with summer too like nice cream and watermelon.

•Will get into the shallow end of the pool (skeletons sink) and splash around with Undyne until Undyne gets to excited and tosses him into the deep end making him stuck at the bottom for the next ten minutes till she stops laughing and drags him out.

Underfell!

Red: Fall •Dont tell anyone but he's a pumpkin spice enjoyer

•He loves the changing of the leaves and the crunch of the fallen ones under his boots. Plus fall is the best time to show off his leather jackets and sweaters.

•Pumpkin carving is one of his favorite activities and he gets pretty intricate with his designs. He always places them outside their door and gets blushy and sweaty over compliments he's really proud of his work just not used to recognition.

•Loves the chill in the air and let's not forget Halloween and spooky movies. He absolutely loves Halloween and he definitely goes to haunted houses. He tried to drag his brother along one time and Edge almost punched someone in the face so now he goes alone or with friends.

Edge: Fall •He's a Spider Cider drinker. He loves the warmer hot drinks and a nice cup of Spider Cider and fall itself for some reason he can't place makes him feel nostalgic and while his childhood wasn't the best he does like thinking about the good memories with his brother.

•Enjoys going for walks in the park and the crisp fall air especially at night. He has a strict sleep schedule but he extends it by a small amount to enjoy the fall night weather.

•Not big on horror movies it's not that they're scary they're just pretty boring to him. He does enjoy occasionally watching them with his brother but would never watch one by himself. He just likes spending time with his brother when he gets the chance, something he'd never admit.

•He loves Halloween decorations, skeleton ones do make him uncomfortable sometimes especially if they're naked but he finds them humerus (hehe) after a short adjustment time his first year. Red got a skeleton and changed it to Edges likeness on year. Edge rolled his eyes at it but he keeps the skeleton in his closet and thinks it's pretty funny to dress up sometimes.

Underswap!

Stretch: Spring •Stretch also enjoys April Fools day as this man is a practical pranker all the way. Often teams up with Sans to tag team the others but all's fair in love and war and the truce is often broken by Stretch himself. He just can't help it.

•Bees start becoming active in the spring and Stretch is a big fan of the little pollinators. Not only do they make honey they're adorable to him and help the ecosystem to continue functioning by spreading pollen.

•I know it's been clarified his cigarettes are not weed but as a stoner I'm making one of my favorite boys a stoner in my au. He celebrates 4/20 with a joint or two and some major munchies while watching the midnight gospel.

•Stretch enjoys the rain as well but more thunderstorm rain while sans enjoys light drizzles. He likes the lightning and can often be seen chilling outside while a thunderstorm is happening storm watching. His first thunderstorm was a mess as him and Blue had never experienced thunder before and were rightfully scared but when he saw the lightning for the first time he was mesmerized. He got over his fear by counting the seconds in between the lighting and thunder and continued to do so for the next few storms but isn't really afraid anymore.

Blue:Winter •Blue loves the snow, it reminds him of Snowdin and there's so much fun stuff you can do in it. He always builds a snow version of himself to stand proud outside their house when winter comes.

•He's a hot cocoa drinker and does enjoy having a little peppermint stick in it as well as some whip cream. He owns a few different types of hot cocoa but his favorite is the one made of real chocolate and milk. He enjoys all the cookies and sweets that come with the season as well. He likes to bake cookies to share with his neighbors.

•Always starts his Gyftmas gift list months ahead of time and does his Gyftmas shopping early as well. He likes to be prepared even though he often buys surprise little gifts he uses as stocking stuffers. Speaking of stockings he and Stretch decorated theirs themselves and Blues definitely has a lot of glitter on it.

•His favorite holiday is Gyftmas and he always over decorates the house. He just gets into the spirit really easily and when he sees something in a store he likes he has to get it to decorate the house with, he's a little bit of an impulsive shopper. He has a little miniature Gyftmas village he always adds a little to each year, it's a tradition he started his first Gyftmas on the surface after Stretch made a joke about using one of the miniature trees as their actual Gyftmas tree

[ptergwen]

Hiii do you mind writing about the reader who's three years younger than tom and she's his co-star, they have a sibling-like bond and tom constantly likes to annoy her on set??

oh my goddddddddd oh my god oh my god i loved this 😭

“tom, get out!” you squeal as he chases you around your trailer. he barged in with a water gun and hasn’t stopped shooting you with it. “don’t you have, like, work to do?” you’re trying to block your face while you run. “i don’t, actually. it’s my break!” tom happily informs you. he corners you in and squirts more water, leaving you drenched.

it’s your last week on set of no way home, which you’ve learned is the designated prank week. you’re new to the group, and no one thought to prepare you. you’d found out when you caught jacob sticking a whoopie cushion on your chair. he’d told you let the pranking begin before scurrying off.

the whole cast and crew participates, especially tom. he’s the leader of it all. he usually likes to play his tricks on harry because he has the best reactions. plus, he lives for bugging his brothers. this time around, harry stayed back in london, so tom had to get himself a new target. that would be you.

it makes sense, considering the fact that you’re like a little sister to him. tom wasn’t sure how to feel about having a younger castmate at first. he’d worried you might not fit in or get along with everyone else. thankfully, the reverse happened. everyone fell in love with you the moment you’d all met. you were open to hearing any advice they had, eager to please on set, and joked around a bunch.

you’d quickly become part of the spidey fam.

tom pretty much took you under his wing, since you spend so much time together. you’re playing one of peter’s classmates. of course, most of your scenes are with him. that includes some stunt sequences, which he’s extra protective over you when you film. he constantly makes sure you’re okay, and reminds jon to go easy on you.

the only time tom isn’t caring and sweet is when he’s teasing the hell out of you. for example, right now.

“damn, it’s out,” tom huffs, tossing his empty water gun on your couch. he chuckles at the sour face you’re making. “i really got you, didn’t i?” your clothes are so wet, they’re dripping onto the floor. “no, i like my shirts see through,” you quip back. “and stop laughing! wardrobe isn’t gonna find this funny.”

tom waves his hand dismissively. “love, it’s water. they have to wash your costume anyway, right?” you roll your eyes in response, biting back a smile. “you’re just giving them a head start,” he concludes with a pat on your shoulder. you let yourself grin this time. “aw, you have an answer for everything. how about you explain this to them?”

“sure,” tom hums. “about when do you wanna pop over?” “now, i guess,” you sigh, starting to ring out the hem of your top. he checks his watch and hisses. “ooh, i can’t. i’m due back on set in a bit.“ your mouth drops open, and he earns a slap at his chest. “tom! you did this to me! the least you can-“ “relax! ‘s a joke.” he holds up his hands in defense.

“you’re literally the most annoying person i know,” you tell him lightheartedly. tom puts a hand on his heart in mock offense. “be a little nicer to the guy who’s gonna save your ass.” giving your damp shirt another ring, you scoff. “my ass wouldn’t need to be saved if the guy in question wasn’t so annoying.” “hey, i’m not that bad,” he mumbles back.

you look around the trailer for your regular clothes. you’ll change into those before giving back the ones tom ruined.

“yeah, i know. it’s a joke,” you repeat his words from before with a smirk. he points a finger at you. “touché.” “seriously, though. why am i the only one you’ve pranked?” you wonder, gathering your socks and sneakers. “tony seems pretty into this, or even z. do them.” tom watches you lace up your shoes and smiles to himself.

“the others can’t handle it like you do. they’d probably tattle on me to jon,” he jokes, finally getting a laugh from you. “and, because i love you.” “you have a weird way of showing it.” you finish tying your laces with a shake of your head. tom gives you a look. “love you, too,” you correct yourself. his look settles into a fond one, holding open his arms. “c’mere, then.”

“nah, i don’t wanna get you wet,” you decline, just to irritate him. it works, tom exhaling a frustrated breath. “so? it’s only fair. i’ll deserve it after the lashing wardrobe gives you.” “you said they wouldn’t care!” you gasp and storm back over to him. once a little giggle slips out of him, you stop in your tracks. “kidding... again,” tom clarifies. he keeps his arms out for you.

“jesus,” you mutter, but accept the hug nevertheless. you wind your arms around his neck, his going around your middle. you’re sure to bring tom in close so the water from your shirt gets on him. it’s not as successful as you’d hoped it would be. it’s still satisfying, though. tom gives you one final squeeze that makes you feel like you can’t breathe.

“happy prank week, y/n.”

[spencerspecifics]

Some cm things I know fucking happened that y’all can’t convince me otherwise of

- Spencer gets invited along to go with the girls on their annual ladies night get together, he’s the designated driver (and he doesn’t mind), but he got so caught up in talking to the innocent bartender about ethanol based energy resources that he lost the ladies

- since then he isn’t too much of a DD for them, but they still do call on him from time to time to babysit them when they get too inebriated

- Derek definitely built a fucking bookshelf for reid at some point, “Pretty boy, why do you got so many books on the floor?” “I ran out of space on my shelves, I’m thinking about ordering a new shelf set on ikea but they always forget a part when I order-“ and before Spencer can finish somehow Derek has a fucking bookshelf for reid, all set and ready to go. Cue reid swooning

-Tara definitely has used her genius doctor powers for a dumb reason “Excuse me, I’m actually a research scientist doing a study on this exact thing do you think you could discount my ticket price?” -her, at the movie theater, going to see some weird documentary. Spencer came with her, mostly to see her do that, when he tries it doesn’t work and he has to pay extra because they don’t believe him

- Penelope has definitely come over to Reid’s house to do a whole clueless style makeover on him, computer and everything. “Reid, see, if you wear that maroon sweater with those black jeans, it would really make your eyes pop!” “Garcia- I don’t think the color of my sweater really matters” “you take that back right now”

- alvez and garcia have had a full on prank war before, it starts when he takes her post it notes and forgot to return them- she saw that as a challenge. So of course, she put a whoopie cushion on his chair in the round table room. It takes her like ten minutes to stop laughing hysterically, he’s glaring at her and simultaneously making heart eyes at her. Hotch is not amused.

- the team gets so bored of the same basic food on the road they make up wacky food combinations from basic gas station stuff. “See, if you get this hot dog and then put Cheetos and on it- it’s not half bad!” “Jj, what the fuck”

- rossi definitely has made Tupperware’s full of pasta for the team when they’re out on sick leave, the first time he does it is for reid, and he doesn’t even message reid until he’s left his apartment (because he knows reid will say no if he can.) so all rossi did was put the Tupperware of carbonara outside his door, leave, and then text “check your front door. Feel better.” And now, it’s a tradition. He makes bigger batches for Jj and the boys, and they all love it.

- Whenever Hotch has to work late, the team trades off on who picks up jack and watches him. Whenever it’s with Derek, he lets jack help him destroy old houses. Whenever it’s reid, jack gets homework help. Whenever its with Jj, he gets to hang out with henry, and jack always likes that. Whenever it’s with garcia, they watch Disney movies and draw and paint and dance. Whenever it’s with emily, she talks to him about the deeper stuff he thinks about- she’s really good at introspective stuff. Whenever it’s with Tara, she teaches him a bit about good old music. Whenever it’s with rossi, they go to the park and practice soccer or drive around and do a little bit of shopping. Whenever it’s matt, he hangs out with his kids, and whenever it’s luke, they play video games together. Hotchner doesn’t feel so alone as a father whenever he picks jack up afterwards. It’s not just hotch raising this kid, jack has the whole team on his side.

- Simmons accidentally takes Reid’s coffee one day, Reid is heartbroken. Penelope gives him her unicorn cup to make him feel better. It sort of works

- prentiss and garcia now go on more frequent coffee dates before work. It’s just fun to hang out before having to talk beauracratic nonsense and murder all day. Penelope hates waking up early, and emily hates the extra long drive it takes for her to get there. But neither of them ever complain when they see each other

[anotheruserwithnoname]

A few thoughts on Picard Season 2

This post contains spoilers for the first few episodes of Picard Season 2 and for Season 1. You have been warned.

This post will be unusual as I’m going to be commenting on a show I’m technically not watching. As I’ve posted before, I’ve pretty much given up on the live action Treks. Discovery I totally ignored this year, and while I did post having liked Picard Season 1 (even as other Trek fans lambasted it), the first season did not age well for me, from retconning certain characters to painting an unnecessarily bleak “near-future” for the federation, to other factors that have some Trek commentators saying outright that nothing set after Season 1 (including the recent seasons of Discovery) can be canon because Season 1 destroyed the universe.

So I decided to give Picard a pass this year. However, many clips from the show have appeared online and some interesting comments about the new season have been made. I plan now on waiting until the season is over, to see if the wheels fall off the bus first, before deciding to commit to watching the thing.

But there are still a few things worth commenting on, including some aspects that might make me watch the show in full - depending on how Season 2 plays out. A lot of it has to do with this character:

I’ll put a spoiler break here mainly because of length...

The fact the show has made direct references to past time-travel adventures such as Voyage Home and City on the Edge of Forever (and I saw the scene where Kirk is name-dropped in that regard) is a nice touch. And I have seen the scene where Kirk Thatcher reprises his role as the “ghetto blaster-listening bus punk” from Voyage Home. The “City” Easter eggs (set design and locations taken from the original episode) would have worked better if the episode was set in New York instead of Los Angeles, though. I am hoping to hear that Sarah Silverman makes a cameo playing the character she played in the Voyager two-parter that saw the crew travel to 1996 Los Angeles.

Some Easter Eggs don’t work. The whole implication that Guinan named Ten-Forward on the Enterprise-D after the 10 Forward Avenue location of her bar in 2024 LA doesn’t work because it’s made explicit in TNG that Ten-Forward refers to coordinates on the ship. So that was sloppy (the review site TrekCulture called this out too). 

As far as characters go, the older Q is great to see (if John De Lancie played a bigger role I might have started watching in full). But, while a brief bit of (presumably expensive) deaging effects allowed us to briefly see Q as we last saw him Voyager (remembering that Janeway is the godmother to his son), they decided to recast a younger Guinan for 2024 - though Whoopi does make a return too. There’s been a potential canon stumble here as Guinan is supposed to have first met Picard in the late 19th century per the Time’s Arrow two-parter yet she’s apparently ignorant of him in 2024. That may be resolved in the story.

One aspect I find very surprising (and why I’m writing this) is the implication of a halting romance between Picard and his Romulan winery assistant/housekeeper, Laris (played by Orla Brady who will be remembered as Tasha Lem in The Time of the Doctor).

First off I refuse to believe Orla turns 61 next week! But that aside, seeing the potential of a romance for 80-something Picard with Laris seems to have created an emotional underpinning for this season. And I can’t help but recall the romance between the Twelfth Doctor and Clara (and for those who aren’t familiar, yes it was a love story - that was confirmed by the showrunner and both lead actors years ago even if entertainment media keep finding new days to downplay it). I should also note that, while I am critical of how Seven was retconned literally in the final minute of Season 1, I am not in the camp that thinks Picard x Laris came out of left field. She was only in Season 1 for a relatively brief time, but most of her scenes firmly fell into the “space married” category. So I don’t consider this ship to have come out of nowhere, but rather it simply flew under the radar.

For me it doesn’t matter if Orla is 61 or 41 (as a veteran of the Whouffaldi Wars I know full well how age differences between cast members can make it difficult for some to see a canonical romance being presented), I think there are some exciting prospects here. My only concern is the recent twist - that for some reason the time-observing “Watcher” in 2024 looks like Laris sans pointed ears - might undermine this. Ignoring the fact the “Watcher” aspect feels close to what Legends of Tomorrow just did in its recent story arc, never mind sounding familiar to Doctor Who fans.

But I hope they manage to make something concrete happen between Picard and Laris. Star Trek, despite recent attempts to the contrary, is meant to be about optimism for the future. It was Roddenberry’s core concept. That doesn’t just include humanity’s survival or the development of cool spaceships and the ability to travel through space and time. It also should give some optimism along the lines of “it’s never too late to...” - whether it’s to have great accomplishments or to find love. As Trek’s long-term fanbase ages - anyone who was a teenager when TNG debuted is in their 50s now, and if you were 20 when TOS debuted you’re fast approaching Patrick Stewart’s age bracket - it’s the type of messaging that I think may resonate more than anything else Picard Season 2 might offer.

Indeed, that’s the sort of thing I’ll be looking for before deciding on watching Picard Season 2 in full, not commentary on 2024 climate change or the retconning of Seven of Nine or clever Easter Eggs to Voyage Home.

[cauldronofmorning]

hi char :) feel free to answer (or not) whenever, but I was just wondering about what your favorite parts/the parts that you're drawn to of star trek are? but really this is just me coming into your inbox asking you to talk about something that excites you, so also really any answer goes. <3

Ooh! One thing I really love is all Treks are a sign of the times. Like as much as I complain about Enterprise and JJ Abrams, those are heavily based on 9/11 and the response, DS9 and TOS are various cold wars, Picard is both American imperialism and discussing previous Trek’s own issues with that, etc. Obviously you can enjoy without those contexts, but it’s always *trying* to say something. Even Lower Decks!

Also just how much of it there is? Fandom is like Who fandom in that they’re very boring and hate the new stuff (I keep saying this, TOS was deemed dumb sci fi with cute boys when it first aired) no matter what, but whether celebrating or deconstructing, there’s always a slew of content and a million connections you can make.

I know people focus too much on shipping in general but I genuinely do enjoy all the queercoding. You have Jadzia Dax who had a male host before and her close friends don’t make any big deal over it, obviously Kirk and Spock started slash as we know it (and it’s always funny when people are like “they had no idea and it was just innocent”, Roddenberry thought it was free advertising, and Shatner/Nimoy worked with slash fans for content), Garak and Bashir were an intentional middle finger to Berman, Frakes was disappointed that Riker couldn’t get with male aliens, and so on and so on. I think young ones tend to forget that even in 2000s, you had to fly under the radar for this stuff.

The designs! Enterprise(s) my beloved, Discovery is gorgeous and spinny, and DS9 the space station is a (grubby but lived in) gender in itself.

This is getting so long, so I’ll end off with characters. Kirk, Spock and Bones all admit they’ve never been happy but cling together, Uhura inspired so many more black actresses like Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Burnham is allowed to be impulsive and traumatised, called out for it but never squashed out by the show, Kira Nerys fought in a war and is so angry, Sisko has the best speech of all time (and most damning of all, I think I can live with it) and I could go on forever with this. Sorry Christian!

[squarecarousel]

Interview with Elizabeth Beals

Here we are at the end, our final interview! Fittingly, we're capping it off with Elizabeth Beals, the other long standing member who has stuck around since Square Carousel's very beginning. While Elizabeth's signature style has remained instantly recognizable from Challenge 1 through Challenge 143 and counting, her skills have undoubtedly blossomed over the past decade. Today, we're catching up with our resident long haul Square Carousel member, admin, and comics professional, Elizabeth Beals!

Emma Frost

Q: Even though your art style is beautifully consistent, your work still stays fresh with each new challenge. What are the biggest aesthetic changes you notice in your work when you compare your most recent pieces to your graduation portfolio?

A: I haven’t looked at my graduation portfolio in a hot minute, it’s pretty wild seeing how far I have come. I’ve gotten better at compositions/ I’ve leaned into cooler, more saturated palettes/ have a better use of textures/ and I also don’t force myself to create a full bleed illustration if it’s not completely necessary to get the story across.

Elizabeth’s workspace

Q: Has your art making process changed at all during your post college years?

 A: Oh yeah, definitely!

In college I would thumbnail/ flesh out the comp at scale with normal mechanical pencil/ ink with a 005 micron/ erase the under drawing/ scan in the piece/ clean up in Photoshop/ then color until completion. 

Whereas I now thumbnail/ scan in the one I like/ format and print it out at a larger scale (in light blue)/ go back over the print with a blue pencil to refine details/ ‘ink’ it with a extra fine mechanical pencil/ scan it back in/ clean up in photoshop/ and then color until completion. 

And if we want to do an even deeper dive we can look at the ‘Color until Completion’ portion.

In college I would create a top layer, which was always the scan/line art set to multiply, and then I would place the coloring layers beneath it. I was just getting into textures and color holds so they were pretty crude but it was nice that I was still fussing with them.

I currently use the same process as a base but I’ve also started painting on top of the line art (like, A LOT), using overlays, adjustments, effects, and more.

Glitter Hearts

Q: What's been your favorite professional project to work on?

A: Mmmmm, I think this one’s a tie for me, the first one would be my cover run on Star Trek: TNG - Terra Incognita. It was my first cover run and the writers/ editors I got to work with were a complete and total dream. They whipped up some pretty fun concepts and I really got to stretch my art muscles for it. Plus the Ice cream I designed for issue one got worked into the story, so having a cannon ice cream design is pretty dang neat. The second would be my first OGN, Virtually Yours, with writer Jeremy Holt! It’s been a project that we’ve had waiting in the wings since 2015 and got to revamp for ComiXology Originals in 2020. It was the largest project I’ve ever worked on and it was such a tough/ joyous/ and complete learning experience for me. I was glad to have an amazing team of people to work with and you should deff check it out if you haven’t already ;D
  [Link to Virtually Yours on Comixology]

Virtually Yours cover

Q: Any non-art hobbies?

A: Baking / Cooking/ Trying out new recipes! *Chef’s Kiss* Just chilling outside in general/ soaking up some sun ( as a former So. Cal girl I miss the high/ dry heat.) Binge watching trash T.V.

Q: Tea, coffee, or hot chocolate?

A: I love all three dearly but coffee wins, hands down.

Q: What's a career goal you have for the next decade?

A: Pretty broad but I would love to get to a place where I become less dependent on private/ personal commissions and focus more on Comic Covers and Pin-up work. 

She Hulk

Q: Do you have a favorite superhero? A: Short answer, no.
 However, I can provide a short list of some of my faves: Jubilee, Storm, Rogue, Spider-Man, Anya Corazon (Spider-Girl), Spider-Gwen, Mystique, and I’m gunna end it there before I just keep rambling.

Q: What's one thing you wish more people knew about you or your work?

A: One fun thing about me/ my work is that my love of drawing hair came from wanting to create Cammy White (Street Fighter) fan art. With braids as long as her’s you gotta take your time and learn to draw them right! XD

Q: While working, do you prefer to watch tv, movies, listen to music, or sit in silence? Any recommendations for background media?

A: Definitely a TV series or movie, preferably something I’ve already seen (less potential to distract me). I always end up falling back on older shows like Murder She Wrote or Midsomer Murders, basically anything with a long syndication. When I was working on Virtually Yours though I would have HBO’s Gentleman Jack on. It’s a newer series with only one season but it served as a good timer/ work schedule for me.

Star Trek TNG: Terra Incognita (issue 6)

Q: If you could choose one character from the Star Trek universe to befriend, who would it be and why? A: To avoid getting too crazy, I think I’m gunna limit myself to TNG (plus I have the most knowledge of that series) and go with Guinan. She’s wise beyond her years (if you could believe that), funny, empathetic, resourceful, and makes a mean drink! And not to break the 4th wall or anything, but it’s freakin’ Whoopi Goldberg!!! ;D

Elizabeth herself

Q: Excellent choice! Anything else you would like the readers to know?

A: Just that y’all are fantastic and we appreciate all the love and support you’ve shown us over that last 10 years! Thanks for letting us go out on a high note!

P.S. Stay safe. Stay healthy. And get vaccinated <3

You heard her folks! Thanks so much to Elizabeth for sharing her answers, and to you, dear readers, for getting to know us all at the Square Carousel Collective these past years.  Check out Elizabeth’s website, and follow her on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram for fresh art as soon as it drops!

[iwannaban0nym0us]

Women in Star Trek Art

I found this amazing link from this post and couldn’t resist going through and pulling out a few(maybe more than a few) of my favorite pieces. I pulled out my favorites, but I encourage you to check out the rest and find your own!

Rico JR | Nyota Uhura “Star Trek”

“I love the character of Uhura, already since the TV series and this unforgettable kiss with Captain Kirk which is the first interracial kiss on television. That is something important. But I even more adored the interpretation of Zoe Saldana in recent movies. He strength of character and her relationship with Spock was, to me, one of the highlights of JJ Abrams films.”

— Rico JR

Tom Ralston | Guinan “Star Trek: The Next Generation”

“If the recurring character of Guinan appeared in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation you knew you were in for several things. First-off you would be in store for a thought-provoking episode, often with a profoundly moving payoff. Many episodes of TNG accomplished this, but Guinan’s character guaranteed a certain level of emotional engagement, as she allowed us to learn about the deeper issues of the crew of the Enterprise; their fears, desires, hopes and dreams. You would glean insight into the inner narrative of one her fellow shipmates, as she offered them her guidance and wisdom. A Guinan appearance also meant rich costume designs and the possibility of one of her enormous hats. Who doesn’t want to see Whoopi Goldberg in a giant hat?! Guinan’s character is over 600 years old and a refugee of an endangered race scattered across the universe. She has a sixth sense and there is a tonne of mystery surrounding her back story. But despite her elaborate origins, her role on the enterprise is designed upon a simple and age-old trope of the of the bartender / therapist. Yet Guinan transcends any tired cliches through Whoopi Goldberg’s masterful performance in which she exudes kindness, compassion and a good balance of strength and vulnerability. Guinan was supposedly the final character Gene Roddenberry created, and as such, seems appropriately emblematic of the entire franchise — emphasizing kindness, compassion, strength and vulnerability and the willingness to listen and support those around her.”

— Tom Ralston

Alan Fore | Tasha Yar “Star Trek: The Next Generation”

“I’ve always been drawn to Tasha because she was an early example in my life of a strong female character. The glimpses we got of her backstory were so compelling and I’ve always felt there was so much more to the character than we got.”

— Alan Fore

Laz Marquez | Warship Yar “Star Trek: The Next Generation”

“I remember watching “Star Trek: TNG” for the first time & seeing the character of Tasha Yar represent strength and an important role as Chief of Security on the bridge. This was enough to make me immediately enamored with the character and her story. Then, the spectacular episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise” was released and we saw shades to Yar that weren’t truly explored. The character is strong but she’s also driven by doing what’s right, even if it means sacrifice and facing grim circumstances. Her backstory, explored in bits in Season 1, tells the story of a survivor who joined Starfleet to create a better world. While she was on the Enterprise-D, she did just that and helped each of her fellow team members & friends grow as a result.”

— Laz Marquez

Scott Saslow | Rachel Garrett “Star Trek: The Next Generation”

“I chose Rachel Garrett, captain of the Enterprise-C, portrayed by Tricia O'Neil in the classic TNG episode "Yesterday's Enterprise." While we don't get to know a lot about her in those 44 minutes, she proves to be a charismatic and capable leader. When faced with the horrible truth of her situation, she finally decides to take her ship back in time in order to restore the timeline and save billions of lives.”

— Scott Saslow

Jamie Fay | Kathryn Janeway “Star Trek: Voyager”

André Barnett | Seven of Nine “Star Trek: Voyager”

“I grew up with the original Star Trek series, and I was, at first, a little leery of the later series. But, my daughter Christa was a big fan of “The Next Generation” and “Voyager” and we watched them together, and doing so helped me to appreciate the actors, writing, and character development of these new shows. The Seven of Nine character of course was visually stunning and brought with her the drama of the Borg back story, but at the same time, the writing and character development explored the meaning of being human as the Seven of Nine character attempted to regain back her humanity. It was a storyline that was compelling to me and is why I chose to illustrate this female character.”

— André Barnett

Kristin Wilkinson | Seven of Nine “Star Trek: Picard”

“There are many characters in the Star Trek universe that I am fond of and have created fanart of. One character I’ve always loved was Seven of Nine. Watching her journey/story has been one of my favourites. Seeing her over the years accept and try to rediscover her humanity after her rescue from the Borg has been one of my favourite story lines. She’s strong, and, well, cool, but also has a vulnerability. She has always been an outsider, trying to fit in, which is something that is so very relatable.”

— Kristin Wilkinson

Andrea Davies | Raffi Musiker “Star Trek: Picard”

“I have chosen Raffi from the wonderful and almost overwhelming list of choices. My day job is Assistant Head in a special school for teenagers with social, emotional and mental health needs. Many of our kids have challenging and chaotic homelives. Pupils, and often their parents and siblings are fighting circumstance and often addiction. My message is always that our demons, mistakes and bad choices don't have to define us. Raffi is fighting that fight on screen. She shows us that it isn't easy, and most importantly flawed people can still do amazing things. Michelle Hurd gave us an imperfect, but inspiring character. 'The wreckage of a good person' is a line I have adopted. I see that wreckage every day, and know it can be fixed.”

— Andrea Davies

Phil Dunne | Michael Burnham “Star Trek: Discovery”

Jeanne Delage | Tilly “Star Trek: Discovery”

“Tilly is my favorite character from Star trek: Disco because she is highly intelligent but seems just like a normal and flawed person, like you and me. She cares about others, is funny, also silly and dorky. A good friend you can have a great and fun time with. In serious situations, she came up with smart solutions and takes charges when needed. Overall an awesome character wonderfully portrayed by Mary Wiseman.”

— Jeanne Delagenote