#these are all rendered wow i'm so normal about them

[stillgotme]

A Moment in the Corridor Pt. I (ft. @salemsimss)

When the new girl on the ship pickpockets you and steals your black tourmaline crystal from your pants so you go find her to get it back and the both of you end up getting to know each other and now you don't want her to leave when she's needed back at security

Part 2 →

[blackkatdraws2]

1st Batch: the Inhabitants

[Blank Scripts AU (non-canonical)]

Multiple footsteps reverberated within the claustrophobic stairways of the Parable.

One strikingly beautiful old man elegantly struts up the stairs with a scowl on his face, having a heated one-sided discussion (lecture) with a poor stuttering businessman on his phone call.

The rest simply follow him, a group of special individuals who have come and now reside in this strange building for their own peculiar reasons. They don't quite understand many things about the workings of this place, but one thing is for certain.

Wherever the Narrator tells them to go, whatever he tells them to do, they comply.

BATCH LIST:

- [1st Batch: The Inhabitants] - [2nd Batch: The Janitors] - [3rd Batch: The Citizens] - [4th Batch: The Guardians]

↓ [Chatter and Credits below] ↓

-----------⟡

The first illustration is posted! [Yay!] There will be more coming soon!

I've decided to pair these characters together due to a single uniting trait they all shared. Being residents of the Parable! [Either as an NPC or as something else.]

I admit that I went in with a lot of confidence, thinking I would finish this illustration in just a day or two, and I got HUMBLED. Starting June 16th [the day after everyone's characters got submitted] I spent five days just drawing this one illustration alone. [I draw fast, I usually only spend a few hours on one drawing before moving on, so this was a challenging experience.]

There were many factors contributing to why it took me so long. Such as drawing blindly [not preparing before trying to render and failing at it], not using references, lack of experience drawing buildings from scratch, etc. [Okay, now I just sound like I'm making excuses but wow that was really hard HAHAHA I almost got art-block as a result!]

My grievances aside, I'm happy with the result!

Mell by @katkit-drops-alt

Her dress and concept are absolutely lovely!! I like how, despite how terrifying she may come off, she's ultimately still a girl with her own normal life to live [or whatever it is that's normal to her anyway.] Her silly farm boyfriend is cute too!

[unnamed character] by @rick-ety

Ahh this girl!! I'm interested in her! [I love character designs that look 'ghostly' or dead.] Her pretty long hair reminds me a lot of Sadako [that one ghost girl with long black hair covering her face...] Her poor limbs missing and the twist of her not dying simply because she's already dead ahhh!!! o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

Helena by @neat-o-things

A silly girl who died in the Parable as she was about to make it out then ended up getting reincarnated as an NPC, making maps for the Parable, not knowing why she's doing it or where she even is!!! Only that she feels like she should :). I hold her dearly.

Anika by @hyydrochloricacidd

Uwwaahh we have sisters!! Anika is so unnervingly tall and creepy, I love that seemingly doll-like look on her face. It feels very uncanny! I can't wait to draw her sister Anala soon.

Root by @therootthatquestiond

AHH a drawing in Roblox!! (p≧w≦q) I love Roblox, you did a really great job!! We appreciate our quiet guy Root. Praise Root.

[inactivewattpadauthor]

Storm Bros x Mute Child Reader

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Born into this vast world, rendered of your ability to speak, you were a unique one. You never thought of it as an obstacle or felt abnormal while everyone else has a voice.

What compensates for it is how adventurous you are. You were just all over the place, giving your own parents a little trouble supervising you. Yes, it's completely normal for a kid to be curious, but not when somehow you ended up on a tall building.

On your own time, you skipped through nature, wondering around the tall hills before stumbling across a cool looking place. Venturing around, you saw a lot of ancient statues and decorations, kinda like those museums or what you see in class.

Then you hear two voices. You peek your head around the corner and see two men. They look cool! Like those magic people in the movies!

Maybe they could be your friends!

You quietly walk out from behind the corner and stare at them longer, just taking in their appearance as they were having a serious conversation.

Soon enough, one turns his head and sees you, the other not realizing just yet.

"Is it so difficult to stand on your own?! What are you even looking at-" The other one with the funny looking hat turns his head too.

Both of them had confused looks as they stared at you. You just stared back like any child would blankly stare at strangers.

"Well, hello there!" The one with the braid greets with a warm smile. "You're quite far from home, aren't you?"

Are you? You could've sworn you were only walking around outside your home for ten minutes, eleven maybe. Now that he mentions it... Where are you again?

No matter. Too much thinking. You wave hi eagerly at them. You were confident enough to even walk to both of them.

The braided god squats down to your level. "I'm Fujin, and this is my brother, Raiden." He gestures to the stern looking man behind him.

Wow, Raiden is tall! Your dad is a tall dude, but him? He's like a titan! You looked up at him with surprise.

"Oh, don't be afraid of Raiden! He may look intimidating, but he won't hurt you. He has a nephew about your age." Fujin shares. "Anyways, what's your name, little one?"

You awkwardly blink, not being able to answer. Fujin tilts his head a bit wondering why you aren't answering. Raiden raises an eyebrow at your silence, confused as well.

The brothers exchanged glances. "Can you talk?" Fujin asks. You shake your head with a dumbfounded smile.

Fujin stands and looks at Raiden. The brothers quietly discuss something while you just observed, not a thought formulating in your adorable mind.

"I don't know how a child was able to climb up the mountains! It's rather dangerous for her to do that." You hear Raiden say. "Perhaps, I could get Liu Kang and Kung Lao to take her back to her mother."

"Or we can do it ourselves. There's nothing wrong with a mortal child just being curious about their surroundings. Don't worry too much, brother."

While Fujin had his back turned from you, your eyes examined his braid. So long and silver. You bet it's soft, reaching and tugging lightly on it just to explore.

This brought back both of their attention, Fujin chuckling on how peculiar you are. It was amusing, even so to Raiden, as the strict look on his face eased up.

The older god sighs and gently picks you up. "We should get her back to her mother as soon as possible. Any parent would be worried sick." Fujin nods in agreement and understanding.

You clung onto the god, mostly focusing in on his cone of a hat. He notices you reaching for it. Groaning, he lets you take it off and wear it for yourself as him and Fujin were about to help you get home safely.

---*Extra*---

Raiden still had you in his arms as he and Fujin walked around to find your home.

Bored, Fujin had an idea. "Hey, little one? Would you like to see what I can do?" He winks at you before summoning the wind to knock off Raiden's hat from his head. The Thunder God stops in his tracks and looks back at Fujin, offended.

Fujin looks to the side all innocently. "My, the weather is windy today, if I do say so myself."

Raiden's eyebrow twitched with irritation. Carefully shifting you in his hold so he can hold you well with one arm, he creates an electric static with his finger and zaps Fujin, making the playful Wind God's hair frizzy.

Fujin's face went into a pouted sulk and Raiden gave a grunt of satisfaction. He puts his hat back on and continues walking off with you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~

[red-water-dragon]

Raren demonstrating a suspicious spell in front of the royal court.

visual storytelling notes:

The bg was left blank until I started painting and the elements added to the bg were designed around the character. I didn't go into this with a little synopsis of what I wanted to convey. Only an abstract idea that Raren was going to be talking to someone, figure it out later. I decided he'd be presenting a new spell in front of a political chamber because he wears a crown and a blue crystal. So he has to be of some form of nobility and magical prowess. He also has blue eyes meaning he is an ice dragon and thus its a blue spell wow. The monarchs he's addressing are left dark and disapproving in the corner while Raren powers a statue beneath them. He could be demonstrating how the spell effects the world around them, maybe it freezes the stone? maybe it brings the statue to life? Either way its primed to eat Raren's opposition. Two of the bg guys are red one is blue maybe he's an arch nemesis who knows.

Art process and wips under the cut

I'm trying and failing to get better at visual story telling while keeping things simple. My long term goal is to have a frequent and consistent posting schedule. Most of the art would be stylized and simple like this and the rest could be fully rendered.

Art has been more of a "draw what's in you head and make it look pretty/ cool to hang up later" thing to me w/ the benefit of being a good source of self reflection as I create. Writing has more so been my go to for expressing that meditation. Writing I don't share because im unnecessarily cagy abt my emotions and my harshest critic lol. I want to tell stories with my art , convey tone, feeling, etc. and right now my paintings don't do that. I don't have the technical skill yet. This painting is the first of many to come that will hopefully change this.

The texture in this is chaotic and the line work is rough. Raren is the only part of this with a full sketch. All other line art was added to create the illusion of detail. There is less attention on rendering each section and more being put into the placement of characters and props. I had hoped this would make the painting go faster and...it has the potential to do so in the future. Sooo a piece that could have taken a couple hours took a whole day.

While im not overly thrilled with the final image im still happy about the process. Normally the dragon would be the only real focal point in my painting with the bg being a gradient, or a simple theme added last second. Conveying a message is more work but it gives more cool things for the eye to look at and the mind to ponder. So in theory even if the final result is aesthetically unappealing the theme can still salvage the work a bit.

what this taught me:

sketchy line work is passable in the final image

it can even add character to the art

plants are a great way of filling space without actually doing so

(hence the wip of the room looking empty af with out them)

the more clothing and eye candy you put on your character the more clutter you have to add to the bg to balance it out

the main oc was sketched the bg was painted on the fly

doing so saved time but harmed the natural flow of the piece

all of the storytelling is happening in quarters and it is almost abrasive to look at

what ill try in the next piece:

perspective guides

less shading and rendering

find a color palette to stick to

or work in greyscale first

write a little picture synopsis

or pick a theme

just find something that acts as a story guide

sketch out bg elements

toy around with the sketch more before moving to painting

[knifedog-machina]

Dogs As Narrative, Through The Lens Of Abuse Recovery

Written by Jude Rook-Machina on March 4th, 2024.

J: so I got into the Archetropers’ Guild discord server, saw a prompt, and immediately started writing answers because wow talking about myself is fun, I need to do that more? definitely a more informal essay than the last one, I really just copied it from discord!

Content Warning: mentions of past abuse, but it’s pretty vague and has a hopeful swing to it!

I identify with dogs, as a dog, in the metaphorical sense of like - a dog as shorthand for a beloved tool? Being a bad actor's attack dog, being used and abused, biting the hand that fed and hit you. Dogs in the way they're used in vent art, as a metaphor for loving and trusting the wrong person.

But I also identify with dogs as beloved companions, as sweet and loyal and playful and loved. I know people who adore their dogs even if they came from horrible circumstances and have bad habits from abuse, and like - it's a narrative identity for me, something that ties together very different parts of my life, the before and after.

Like, yeah okay, I'm a dog. I unquestioningly love and trust people I care about. Of course an abuser took advantage of me, I didn't know better, and she promised to love me but she wouldn't even comfort me when I was scared of the rain. But also, there are way more people in the world who love me and want me to be happy, and that's good to remember as I recover and heal and grow! Calling myself a dog means accepting the way I adore people as a neutral to positive trait, instead of becoming a paranoid mess who refuses to be vulnerable again.

I don't know how much it's a species thing, because whenever I try to picture myself as a dog it's more like the shadow of a dog, pricked ears and bushy tail and all black, no detailing. I feel Wrong about picturing myself as a more realistic dog, instead of an artistic rendering of a black dog - like for dog photography to Resonate with me, it cannot be someone's candid pics of their pet German shepherd rolling around, it has to have some kind of message intended for use, otherwise it's like. That's a normal dog! I do not identify with you, normal dog, you're very cute but that's it. You’re unrelated to my life narrative!

And I don't generally feel the need to introduce myself to people as a dog when new people hear about me, because that feels like it's more personal? like hey, I’m a dog, you wanna know why? It's The Traumas! I’m open enough about it, but I don’t want to be pushed into thinking about it, and sometimes alterhuman spaces grill you about the origin of your identity too much for my comfort? I’m talking about it now because I want to, not because I’m being pressured into sharing.

I say all that, but I do really like cultivating my doggish traits, because they're kind of just things I like already - exercise, chewing and biting as a stim, play-fighting, getting scritched, curling up in a little ball to sleep. And sometimes I like giving myself phantom ears or tail or fangs for the expressiveness of them. I feel perfectly complete without them, but I like having them sometimes! They're fun!

And I don’t know if it just has to be an archetrope? I can describe it in other ways! Poppy (@aestherians) coined a term on rair website, here, about something being an alterhuman simile if you relate to it so strongly because it reflects your lived experiences, and I think I could call dogs my simile just as naturally as calling them my archetrope. It's a useful word and I haven't seen it around much!

[mandowifey]

Nora, she/her, hobbies include sewing, cooking, baking, people watching and trying to control my hoe thoughts behind my cute face🤍

I'm cheating because I know a majority of characters you like. Love you cutie 💋

I assign you: Father "Paul Hill"/ John Pruitt.

Note: This is SFW, and not edited/proofed.

X x X x X x X

Ash Wednesday was a special event on Crockett island.

Folks bore their ashen crosses and funneled out of the church to partake in a sort of potluck feast. Almost everyone brought a dish, and this being your first time participating in the festivities, you did too.

You felt out of place amidst them all, your crossless forehead made you feel like an outsider looking in. As you place the tray of cookies down, you feel the sensation of someone standing near you. A gasp caught in your throat as you jump and place a hand to your chest as you turned and saw him.

Father Paul lifted both hands and smiled uncomfortably. "Sorry about that." His breath comes out in an awkward laugh, his lips stretching into a slight grin that exposed his lovely ivory teeth.

The expression tugged your heart and caused you to gawk as blood pooled in your cheeks.

"You're Y/N, right?"

He's talking to you, idiot.

"Hm! Oh, yes!" You push some loose hair behind your ear and shake your head in a smile. "Sorry, the sun must be cooking my brain."

Paul smiles again, rendering you weak in the knees.

"Tell me about it."

Quiet settles between the two of you, and your lips press into a line as you try to scrounge up a conversation topic. The Monsignor picked up on it and began to motion with his right hand towards the tray of cookies you brought.

"Kind of you to bring something." His dark eyes soften and he nods with his head in the direction of the opposite end of the table. "I'm not much of a cook, but I did provide silverware, so that counts, I hope."

That makes you laugh. "I enjoy cooking, even though I tend to lose track of time and burn things." You admitted with a soft smile. To your delight, he laughs as well.

"Well, some of us have a different calling in life. Maybe you weren't made for cooking, but for something else?" His angular brows lift inquisitively and he smiles.

Your face slowly burns a bright pink.

"M-maybe." You try to laugh and not let your brain wander anywhere inappropriate. He's a priest, for fucks sake.

After a moment, Paul turns his attention toward the crowd. The sun reflects in his eyes, brightening the normally dark pools. Some of his hair had come loose and dangled in short, curled strands over his forehead. Bright sunshine illuminates his profile as a look of deep thought crosses him.

You cannot help staring. It was useless to lie to yourself. You had been pining for Father Hill the moment you attended the first service. Something about the way he carried himself, wise beyond his years and always looking on the verge of tears.

A weepy priest.

"Well, I think I'm gonna steal one of these cookies and head back to my flock." His lips tug into a smile as his eyes fall back on you.

You freeze.

Oh no.

Mouth agape, you watch as he extends an arm and plucks a cookie off the top to carry towards his soft lips. What you see and what Paul fails to is the very burnt underside of the cookie. It wasn't intended, you simply had gotten distracted while baking and ran out of time to make anything else.

The sound of the crunch makes your heart stop beating. You stare at his face and watch the sudden upwards jerk of his brows. He hadn't been expecting that. His other hand comes up to cover his mouth as he chews. Paul makes a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat and you watch as he makes an effort to finish the cookie in one more bite.

Your embarrassment was palpable, and you silently wished the ground would open up and swallow you.

"Wow these are-"

"Don't. Don't say a word, please." You say as you bring a hand to cover your face.

The holy man laughs. "Not as bad as you think. It has a uniqueness that suits you." His voice was sincere.

Moving your hand, you look up at Paul and feel your cheeks burn. "Are you saying I share traits with a burnt cookie, father?"

The name slipped out and you felt your heart clench.

Paul stiffens and you watch as those heavy lids of his lower and the corner of his mouth tug. He looked like he was drawing closer to you, watching you with that onyx gaze.

That was when you notice the smudge near the corner of his mouth. "Oh! You got something, here." You tap the right corner of your mouth. It snaps him out of his trance, and his eyes immediately brighten again.

"Here?" He wipes the wrong side.

"No no, other side."

"Here?"

You laugh quietly as he misses again.

"Little to the left."

Paul swipes over his mouth, smudging it worse.

"Got it?"

Was he doing it on purpose? He was grinning at you, those shapely brows lifted, making his round eyes seem even bigger than usual.

"No, jeez, here-"

Without much forethought, you lick your thumb pad and reach up. Gently, you swipe and clear the smudge off the corner of his mouth and smile as you do. Then you realize he's locked in on your eyes.

What were you doing?

You're cupping his jaw and cleaning the corner of his mouth, except your thumb moves on its own now. You drag the pad along his soft bottom lip and watch as his pupils dilate to the size of dimes. The predatorial stare knocks your breath away. Who was this looking at you?

Paul's lips part just slightly and you realize you're still touching him. Before you could begin to apologize and withdraw, you feel the curl of his cold fingers around your wrist halting you.

He offers a smile.

"Thank you."

Then, his lips kiss the pad of your thumb and you feel a wet flick, then a gentle suck as he cleans the chocolate off your digit before releasing you.

At a loss for words, you stand in awe. Had that just happened? You can see that he's about to head off and you quickly find your voice.

"Let me make you more sometime?"

Father Hill stops and looks back at you inquisitively.

"Cookies, let me show you I know what I'm doing."

Your heart felt like a wild bird trying to escape its cage, and you wonder if he's able to hear it. Or if he could smell the arousal that had begun to build within you from the short exchange between you both.

"I'd like that." He nods, and you watch him wander back into the crowd.

Leaning against the table, you look at your thumb and then smile at yourself. What you had failed to mention to the Monsignor before was you had been distracted by the handsome priest talking to your neighbors this morning. Your eyes follow his shape as it mingled in with the townsfolk.

You promise yourself this next batch of cookies would have extra chocolate in them.

[battleonthebigbridge]

Wriothesley's story quest

It's been about a day or so since I did the quest but GOD am I rotating Wriothesley around my brain at lightning speeds.

Gonna put some general thoughts under the cut but wow I didn't expect this quest to be so fucked up and dark, like I really got squeamish during some of the parts. But I mainly want to talk abt Wriothesley himself as a character.

FIRST OF ALL THIS NEW DESK SITTING ANIMATION????????????????? Hi Wriothesley :)

He's just so funny like I love his voice acting as well. He just sounds super casual and like a bro y'know? I feel like it would be really natural to have a conversation with him and his constant little one liners definitely helped to brighten up the quest a bit.

I was questioning my sexuality I don't care I'll admit it I'm NOT BACKING DOWN.

(leans into mic) Would.

THE WAY HE DELIVERED THIS LINE WAS INSANE AND THE ZOOM IN ON HIS FACE I WAS BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS LIKE GO ON WRIOTHESLEY YOU GO!!!

I was genuinely surprised they brought up that part of his story in the quest cos like I knew about it from his profile stories but I didn't actually expect them to reveal it like that in the quest. His whole speech about it was just so good and I'm glad it makes that part of his lore more accessible and obvious cos man it's just really dark, but also a cool direction that they're taking with tackling a lot of more difficult themes. AGAIN not for everyone and I honestly think these quests should start coming with some mild content warnings AT LEAST but it was good, i enjoyed it a lot.

LIKE MAN HE WAS JUST A KID AND HE'D ALREADY COMMITTED MURDER AND WAS SENT TO THE TOP SECURITY UNDERWATER FORTRESS ALL ON HIS OWN LIKE. No matter how you look at it I feel so bad for him like idk it's hard to explain. He just deserved better, he deserved a happy childhood. And also damn with his backstory and the Lyney and Lynette backstory we really gotta look into all these noble people cos there is a pretty worrying pattern here.

It was a good quest, probably one of my fave story quests cos not only did it have a really compelling plotline but like we actually found out a lot more about Wriothesley as a character, both personality and backstory wise which is something i often find lacking in these story quests. The Fontaine story quests have been REALLY good so far like Lyney's and Neuvillette's were really good too and had the perfect balance of character exposition and also still having a focus on the NPCs that help to makeup the worldbuilding.

Also I'm just really normal about that rendered cutscene.

Shoutout to Wriothesley.

Honestly I haven't typed much because there's not too much I wanted to say outside of me just commentating about me going EWWWWW and AH FUCK every 5 minutes during this quest LMAO. I just like Wriothesley I think he's neat.

[maxrowave]

I just wanna ask if the way you purposely draw your characters hands like that. I by no means am asking this as a way to offend you or anything like that(I'm sorry if it comes across offensively, I'm admittedly not good with words). Because as I look at your drarry art I can't help but notice how the lines on their hands that are probably their knuckles/wrist look like a puppets. It's honestly really cool, it looks like they have ballpoints in their hands for it to functionally bend, and stuff. It looks like they're in a Sci-fi or like an Android world

Ok so I don't know if it's because I just pay more attention to Draco, or it's because his hand is in the frame more often than Harry's, but most of the time, it's draco that mainly has these lines on his hands. So it paints a cool unintentional portrait of android Draco, and creator harry. Which reminds me of the greek myth of Pygmalion and Galatea, which revolves around a sculptor's love for his own creation, but as I said earlier they look like they're part of a Sci-fi/Android world, so the idea of harry creating android Draco as a challenge at first, or just a simple curiousness of how high can he reach with technology, and then later on following the myths footsteps has now completely taken over my mind

P.S:I hope you don't take this in a bad way, I just have the tendency to ramble about people's art, especially on things that aren't exactly part of said characters world, like the ballpoint hand thing, which I honestly think was unintentional but it would be cool if it isn't. Speaking of the hand, please don't get offended if I pointed it out, I fully understand if you do take offense, and decide not to respond, like I said I just like rambling alotಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

THIS MADE ME START GIGGLING AND SMILING, OH MY WOW OKAY -- I'd actually been wondering if people would ever begin to question it. To begin, thank you very much for the compliments, and then to address the question as to why they have funky hands as concisely as possible: It's easy for me to draw and I'm a lazy artist I draw hands and fingers via their joints in sketches because it's anatomically easier to understand, and I just don't erase it in the rendering process. I can render hands and fingers normally, but I spend up to 5 hours per drawing (I don't know how or why) and I typically reserve the hand for last (aka when all my energy is depleted because I refuse to spread out my drawing times like a normal person). Regardless I am quite glad that I (unintentionally) reminded you of Greek Mythology, as long as it's evoking something within you (that is good), regardless of my intention, then I am satisfied. I love the idea of sci-fi Drarry and will have to take note of it for the future! Would be a nice change for my hyper fixations on the early 20th century. Also, I just happen to draw Draco frequently more and I do make sure hands are visible so that it can be a little bit more ~dynamic~ and as a mild artist flex lmao p.s some normal knuckles for the soul, maybe just for this ask I will draw them with proper hands or something sci fi....

[november-rising]

The Bear: Season One, Episode One...Part Two

I want to thank everyone for the likes they've shared! I'm not sure where this is going but even if you join me for one post, I am appreciative. It means so much to me. Let's continue!

NOTE: These posts will be a mixture of reactions, favorite moments, callbacks, and attempts to make some sense of a nuanced show.

4:38 – Watching from the last time stamp to now shows so much more about Carmen. It’s an unveiling. He’s resourceful through a trade with prize-worthy jeans (I believe they are mid-century selvedge Levi') and a plethora of quarters. The way the scenes between Carmen startled alive to him running on all cylinders to make things work harkens to, well, everything. He’s passionate. He’s single-minded and he’s scrambling. Fast cuts emphasize that sense of urgency we learn more about in season two. Heck, the instrumental playing invokes a frenetic though tightly controlled regimen. It’s a pacing. It flows. It hums. It matches what needs to be done as Carmen begins to attack the situation at hand.

5:01 – This is my first realization of the clock in the background. The clock has been ticking for a while. Initially, this observation was a “DUH” after watching season two a few times and reading metas. However, reminding myself that this is the first episode…wow. Carmen’s always been on a deadline. This restaurant is a ticking time bomb meant to implode or explode.

5:06 – Carmen takes a breath, looks at the clock and it reads approximately 10:23a. I found this lingering shot intriguing. We are shown the moments ticking away to family, to service, to starting again.

Time is of the essence. I want to review this moment and/or motif later. What I do what to share is that I said aloud, when seeing the analog clock: “What does his mirror say?” Time is a critical element throughout this series. It’s abrasive and all consuming. It’s a comfort and a purpose. It’s a suffocating expectation that renders learning/enjoyment as a punishment for the mistakes learning can create within a constraint.

I find it interesting that as the clock is showcased, zoomed in on, and emphasized that’s when Carmen calls Sugar.  We hear Carmen call Sugar for a favor. We don’t see when he asks for Sug’s help. Yet, when he describes the jacket that his brother gave him, Carmen is in focus – overwhelming the screen. Mickey is overwhelmingly important.

Though time is of the essence, and it will not allow them to acknowledge the sorrow in the restaurant, we see Carmen’s world start to take expand – to breathe. He asks. And then hangs up the phone.

5:26 – And just like that, here comes Syndey, wide-eyed and bright. There’s been plenty of fantastic observations, metas, likes, etc etc etc. concerning this brilliant moment. The look this man has when he lays eyes on Sydney at 5:31 is enough said. And I must say, damn Carmy! This is the epitome of like recognizes like! He sees her. I don’t know how but the vibe is strong. (Am I even normal enough to use the word: vibe…?)

But, like, you have someone staging, Carm. How do you forget that you have someone of culinary experience and/or education coming to intern? Initial thought: he doesn’t see support and help when it glares him in the face. He sees himself as an instrument for others to become better, to use him, learn and move on.

Sidenote: Carmen, please go drink some water, eat a sandwich and go to sleep. How did you not remember that UPS is under the category of mailing services?

6:37 – Sydney laying it all out on the line within moments of meeting this renowned chef tells us so much about her. I need to pay more attention to her. She knows her direction. She deserves to be understood. I hope I can understand her better.

[rhoeysama]

Few things are as pretentious and arrogant as putting a watermark on AI-compiled "art" and post it as your own. I see this lately on DeviantArt (an artist community/ art sharing and hosting platform I've been a part of for 15+ years). As if you made it. As if you thought it up and made 10-20+ sketches before you found a composition you actually liked. As if you spent 20, 50, 100+ hours making it. As if you lost sleep making it. As if you sat on your ass for so many hours that your ass got flat and numb and your back aches, your wrist aches, you're hungry, you have to pee, and you're running on coffee just to function, and just realized that you haven't eaten or showered or even been outside all day.

Unless you have dedicated your life and sacrificed yourself - i.e. chosen your ART for years over hanging out with friends, partying, dating & hooking up, lying on the beach, clubbing, binge-watching Netflix or gaming, etc etc - you don't get to call yourself an artist and claim you MADE anything. Sorry, not sorry. This isn't me gatekeeping art; this is me calling out art theft.

I've "made" stuff with AI too. It literally took me less than 5 minutes. All I had to do was type some words into a program and wait for it to compile some images. THAT'S. IT. It takes existing artwork from the internet and pretty much mashes it together. It's not new. It's not original. You didn't make it. Honestly, I'm so sick of seeing it. DeviantArt is almost nothing but AI art anymore, and some people are blatantly posting AI images and calling them "digital art", deliberately not tagging it or disclosing it as AI. What's even more infuriating is that some have "subscriptions" and "take commissions", as in you can pay them to type some words into a program and have it steal art from around the web so they can call themselves an artist. Wow, that was easy! So glad they didn't have to WASTE years of their lives practicing their craft and honing those skills, am I right??

What comes cheap has no value. If anyone can be an artist by the press of a button, then art has no value. True value is the sacrifice - the energy that went into creating the work. The time and attention it took, the LOVE, and YES, the SACRIFICE. I know that's not a popular word these days. Everyone wants to have everything, but nobody wants to compromise and sacrifice for it and do what it takes to get there. Do the hard work without the guarantee of success.

Yes, I am salty. No, I don't care if you're offended. This is such a big fuck you to artists like myself, who have worked our whole lives to hone our craft. It's taking narcissism to a whole new level.

I'm not making art for praise or attention and recognition. I'm making art because I'm passionate about it, I LOVE it, and because it's my way of honoring God, my creator. It gives me purpose and meaning, it's my way of prayer and meditation and healing. It's fun and makes me feel alive and like a child.

AI is fun and all, don't get me wrong. But it isn't YOUR art. It's actually other artists' work that's being stolen and used to render "your" art. Let's not forget that. Be very mindful of this when using AI.

Humility is out of fashion and narcissism and hubris are the new normal. Welcome to Clownworld.

[superheroclock]

Episode 2 Part 2 Screenshots! Thoughts About Pokemon GO And Making A Video About It

-Posted on the original website on: September 10, 2016

August was the Olympics. September is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Which means.... MOONCAKES!!!

But anyway, I expected that I could finish part 2 in August (in a month) but I spent time watching the Olympics and at the end of August, I ran into a problem with the background. It's all fixed now and below are some screenshots! There are still a few more backgrounds to work on and after that I'll proceed with shading and stuff.

Since July this year, there has been a crazy fad about Pokemon GO. I heard that people all over the world, young or old, are playing it all around the clock, almost every single day. Ever since then, Youtube has been loaded with tons and tons of gameplay/let's play/fanimation etc... videos about Pokemon GO. Because of that some people, and even my brother, suggested that I did a Pokemon GO video for my Youtube channel. Well, to me Pokemon is great, especially the 1st and 2nd generation. I remember being a huge Pokefan back in the years between 1999-2001 where I played Pokemon Gold/Silver and Pokemon Pinball on the Gameboy Color emulator. Over the years after that, Pokemon got less and less popular. And then fast forward until this year, there is Pokemon GO. Although I consider myself an adult and Pokemon games are meant for kids, my brother and I thought we would wanna try it out a bit when we were free - since we were both Pokemon fans. My first impression was the game looked really beautiful. Each pokemon was rendered in 3D which made every single one of them come to life and I bet that was every pokefan's wish. However, the gameplay was a lot different from other Pokemon games. Unlike the original RPGs which have its own map, Pokemon GO uses real-life locations as its map, and you move your character in the game around the map to catch Pokemon by moving yourself in real life.

Everyone's thought of it at first would definitely be like "Wow cool.." but to me, I think it is smart of Niantic but completely foolish of players/users from a practical point of view. People are willing to drive a car to a far location at 3am in the morning, or stay under the rain waiting at a spot just to what? Catch a Charmander? Or maybe to level up/power up pokemon to beat a Gym. But after you beat a Gym or have caught your pokemon then... what? If it's for nothing but that then all that time and effort it just for... that?

Well I'm not trying to be utterly negative about Pokemon GO but it's just not a practical thing in life (and probably not fun to play after you can't seem to catch your favorite rare pokemon or reach level 20 when leveling up seems almost impossible). If you are someone who has ample free time, don't really have a home and don't need to sleep, then it could be practical for you. But for normal average people it could be a detriment to life. I've heard people quitting their jobs just to play, people trespassing just to catch a type of pokemon, people playing and driving (very common) and deaths due to playing this game.

Personally, I don't feel like playing that game anymore. My brother and I have caught a bunch of pokemon but have gotten frustrated and are fed up over the process of playing it. I could go on talking about Pokemon GO because I've realized so much about this game but this is a Super Hero Clock blog. The idea of making a Pokemon GO-related video is a good one because it's a fad but part of me is still reluctant to do that. SHC Episode 2 part 2 is coming out really well and I want to finish it and move on to the next part. Maybe I'll just stall the Pokemon GO video while I work on SHC.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

[the-firebird69]

You can see here what the old clown motorcycles look like they're kind of bulky a little bit with a big huge tank and a huge seat and look kind of funny and tires and rims and wheels is the regular size they had normal fenders but really it looked a little odd because the seats are big and the tanks are big people didn't figure it out but they would drive them from work and to work they had a lot of gas and they'd use them for the ACT and they get paid for using their own motorcycle so they change the seat for comfort cuz it's a longer ride and they put a bigger tank so they suggested we do it and we're going to do that. That's what people need and we're going to do it on the RTA stitch frame and we're going to start it up with consortiums wherever we can get people to build it were going to start now

Thor Freya

Olympus

I think we might get involved in help engineer it the frame has to be engineered and it's true it has to be engineered for a certain weight and certain live load and use and really if you put the connections together like I did and the steel you might find that it's rated for very very heavy but the design needs to be made and I'm thinking this kind of design just a simple simple bike and we're going to go ahead and do it I like the idea this is awesome I want to be part of it I'm going to see if they're going to do this clown ride around the parks down there and to fisherman's village up and down and maybe we'll just put on the little carnival of our own it's like a church fundraiser or several churches for paint facing face painting and Grandma can get into it and it's probably her influence and she knows how to do this stuff and we're stuck in the mud and Camilla and she wants to be a cat woman and that's odd it looks like your mom is back in town and she's smiling I'm going to be at war a warrior Indian they say no so he says

Ken

you got to get these bikes together and someday you do the same thing for churches and you have them down there and they're going to do like a fundraiser and give away a few bikes and have our son drive it on the park grounds it's not legal but who cares

Thor Freya

Wow that's a great idea Ken we're going to go ahead and do this and we're going to come up with renderings and designs and we're going to do the carnival and we'll have drawings and we'll do a drawing and we'll have the fundraiser stuff and food and people can buy tickets for food and it'll be raising money for the church and we'll have a clowns going up and down was dressed up bicycles we've done this before we have all the stuff

Trump

There's a damn surprise right there LOL I used to have it but I move all the time and nobody lets me keep anything

Zues Hera

Yeah that's kind of sucks

Brad I got to get into this this is a fun idea we get a few churches together and usually there are a few that do it but there's a lot and each one can have a certain thing there's some of them that have temporary tattoos and their church people and henna and face painting I got to get this going this is a great idea

We're going to try and help out and he wants his grandma to help out cuz it needs to organize her she knows how to do it and she's going to try and get people up there even Tommy F he needs to wear makeup he's laughing and he says yeah this is the thing to do and I can get a church I did going and maybe the dunk tank you can rent them and I might do that that's kind of my style

And yeah that was Tommy f but we're going to go ahead and try and do stuff too

Olympus

We have food trucks that can go there and donate part of the proceeds this is a great idea we're not doing anything and I'm there and I think we should do it and he wants us to get together with the idea is to talk about the stitch bike and what better place than down by the boats and people can't get a boat they can't afford one and he says it might work for a boat cuz you could use metal sheet oh s*** he just had an idea so we have two things to talk about we really want the motorcycle

I'm going to start to organize this with churches

Bja

Olympus

[broadwaytheanimatedseries]

I Don't Even Know Where To Start:

Okay, let's go back to the season 1 finale.

When Luz and Lilith are in the human realm, Luz attempts to use glyphs and immediately it doesn't work because she's no longer drawing power (pun unintended but damn, how bout that?) from the Titan.

On paper (ok that one was on purpose) this is very simple and straightforward, but a particular part of that scene has caught my attention, and I'm not the only one, and far from the first to point it out.

Instead of simply being an ordinary piece of paper with a drawing on it, as we'd expect from a glyph in the human realm where there's no source to draw magic from, it crumbles.

This would just be an interesting visual, maybe even a clever and slightly angsty metaphor about how Luz's dreams of being a real witch crumble at the first contact with reality, if not for what we see not long after that at the end of the same episode.

(it was hard enough to find the first gif, but if someone wants to add this one in reblogs or something you're welcome to.)

Lilith shares the curse with Eda, rendering them both unable to use magic, and to confirm that this is in fact the case, we see Eda attempt to draw a spell circle - only for it to crumble away.

The next time we see a glyph crumbling is again, when Eda uses one in Eda's Requiem. This might not be a fully consistent example because I don't remember if this happens every time she uses a glyph and I'm pretty sure it doesn't happen to Lilith, but at least with the latter we know and have been both shown and told that the curse works differently for Lilith both because it's new for her and because it's split between two people so it's not the same as it once was.

Regardless, this sets some kind of pattern which indicates that a failed connection to a magic source = faulty glyphs and spell circles that crumble away into nothing.

So Where Am I Going With This?

Glad I Asked!

You see, I don't think the connection faltering in that gif is Luz being out of range from the boiling isles. Or at least, it's not just that, because if it was then the glyphs would simply be ordinary pieces of paper once she's in a realm without a magic source.

What I'm saying is that the human realm, and specifically somewhere in Connecticut, has a magic source.

There's a Titan in Connecticut, and from it's blood the original, naturally occurring portal was made, the one the Wittabane brothers first went through.

And long, long before that happened, when said Titan was still alive, I think they played another very important role in the story, key word being played. (again, pun unintended but I'm on a roll today wow).

I believe that there's another Titan in the human realm, and that it had been distracting the collector while King's father was hiding his son from them. Or more accurately, their son.

I think there is another Titan in the human realm, and they are king's other parent.

I know I jumped several points in my explanation, but it is nearly 6 am and I have not been able to sleep normally all week, and the fact that I've been thinking about this theory nonstop ever since king's tide is only like 10th on the list of reasons why my sleep schedule is trash, at most.

[host-club-hq]

Indeed ~Beware the Physical Exam!~

➼ pairing: Kyoya Ootori x Reader

➼ summary: you've completely forgotten about physical exams. you're hoping to merely enjoy the peace of your own private doctor. but, what kind of day with the host club entails peace, anyway?

➼ word count: 6.6k

➼ what to expect: "Oh, I'm just very clumsy, is all."

➼ warnings: mentions of abuse, slight angst

➼ chapter navigation

The doors to one of Ouran Academy's many gardens swing open to reveal the Host Club, dressed in traditional waiter's uniforms and ensembles from the Heian era of Japanese history.

"Welcome, ladies." You stand wordlessly among the other members as they greet the newly arriving guests. You struggle to balance or walk in your layered clothing, but you are thankful for the warmth it provides.

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Ouran Host Club's Flower-Viewing Reception

The guests wander about the grounds and chat amongst themselves as the hosts tend to them diligently. You keep your eye out for any empty teacups that you might be able to replenish as you go.

"So, in which cup would my princess like her tea?" Tamaki addresses his current guest with a soft, comforting voice.

"The Folly, the Wurster, or perhaps the Suzie Cooper Gardenia?"

"Beautiful, these are English antiques, aren't they? Which one do you like, Tamaki?"

Tamaki grasps the guest's hand in his own and adjusts her head to gaze into her eyes. "Which one? Well, none of these compare to my princess." Tamaki's princely facade makes an appearance for the first time today, but it certainly won't be the last

"Oh, wow, I don't really know what to say." Once again, Tamaki renders a guest speechless with his charm and handsome looks.

You simper fondly at the scene and decide to tune into the twins and their guests as Tamaki and his guest seem indefinitely occupied.

"You mean you've never been to Covent Garden?" Kaoru seems shocked at his guest's statement.

"No, all of our antiques are from Portobello Road." the guests responds timidly.

"I think you'd like Covent Garden. Most of our Victorian pieces are from there." Hikaru elbows a teacup and it spills over, the scalding hot tea spilling in a tidal wave over Kaoru's hand. Kaoru yells out in anguish and turns away, cradling his burnt hand against his chest. Hikaru turns abruptly.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru doesn't hesitate to bring Kaoru's injured hand to his mouth and encloses his lips over his finger, lingering. The guests watch intently with curiosity.

"Honestly, Kaoru, you have to be more careful. From now on, keep your eyes on me, okay?"

"Yes... Hikaru."

The guests swoon in earnest with an audible sigh. "I can't take it, it's overwhelming!" "You have to watch this, we may not get another change, who knows when it will happen again!"

"You're absolutely right, Mademoiselle." Kyoya materializes out of thin air and peers down at the guests.

Coincidentally, he appears at your side, and nearly scares you out of your skin, almost enough to scream. You place a startled hand over your heart and breathe out deeply, willing your heart to return to a normal rate of beats per minute.

Kyoya's eyes become hooded as he gazes at the cherry blossom branch he has in hand, deep in thought. "All beauty is fleeting. Just take a look at these cherry blossoms; you'll never be able to see them this vibrant again."

You become lost in your own little world as you stare unrelenting at Kyoya's side profile. Although, you know this facade of his won't be kept for long, this has to be some kind of promotional tactic-

"And that's why..." Kyoya produces a paper-back book with candid photos of the Hikaru and Kaoru from behind his back and presents them to the guests. "I've compiled this picture book that contains photos that capture the beauty of each passing day. Incidentally, I've prepared similar books of the other hosts as well. And if you ladies are interested in collecting all four of them, I'll discount the full set for you." Kyoya smiles politely and somewhat intimidatingly.

"I'll take them!"

"Me too, please!"

How on earth did you guess that? It wasn't hard to infer.

"Well, now we know how the club makes extra money." Hikaru and Kaoru's act has come to a finish with their hands on their hips. The girls do seem thoroughly distracted by the new development.

"But I have to wonder-"

"-when did he take pictures of us?"

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You're seated close by, watching over Honey's shoulder as your brows furrow in concern.

Should you... say something to him?

The silence continues, but Mori places a hand on Honey's shoulder

"Mitsukuni... you overdid it."

A collective gasp ripples through the girls, you, and Haruhi at the assessment.

He told him!

Their guests look on in worry, watching carefully to decipher Honey's reaction. He removes the whisk to reveal that, in fact, there is only a drop or so of matcha left. His face is emotionless for a moment, but quickly morphs into embarrassment as tears begin to form on his waterline.

The guests are quick to react, "Honey, I'll take it! It looks so yummy!" a client tosses her head back with the bowl to her lips, wasting no time in letting the matcha slide down her throat.

"It's just the right amount for both of us, any more would be too much. How did you know? You never cease to amaze me!"

There is a moment of silence before Honey breaks out into a wide smile, "Really?" He gasps.

Haruhi lets out a sigh.

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"Haruhi." Tamaki calls gently, gaining Haruhi's attention almost immediately.

"Huh?" Haruhi glances back at him with wide, curious eyes.

"How are you doing? Are you having a good time?" Tamaki inquires with a soft smile. You allow your arms to fall back at your sides when you realize that you have no part in this conversation between the two of them, and aim to wander off in a different direction.

"Tamaki-Senpai..." Haruhi marvels at Tamaki's appearance beneath the cherry blossom blooms.

Suddenly, the twins sweep you up and hook both of their arms with either one of yours, taking you by surprise, devious grins on their faces.

They're up to something.

"So, y/n, have you decided your elective courses for this term? How about Conversational French?" Each twin places a chin on either of your shoulders. Obliviously, you blink at them.

"I don't know... French seems hard." You furrow your eyebrows.

"I think the three of us should take it together." Kaoru suggests. You give him a confused look.

"We're not even in the same class-"

"But it makes perfect sense, we're such good friends." Both twins peek behind them and glare mischievously at Kyoya, who's seemingly nonchalant.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, is that really necessary?" Kyoya hums. You tilt your head.

"Let the poor girl do her job." He grabs your upper arm, which his entire hand wraps around (conveniently) and pulls you away from them in one swift motion.

You peer up at him, his gaze stone-coldly set on the twins.

"Kyo-"

"Say, Mommy dear?"

Kyoya's attention is gained by Tamaki, sulking with his knees drawn up to his chest bear the trunk of a large, looming tree.

You turn his way as well, peeking at him over your shoulder as Kyoya releases his grip on you, standing with his clipboard in hand.

"What is it now... Daddy?" you can detect the hint of amusement in Kyoya's tone, smiling as you move to join him.

"I have a new theory. I mean, it's just my hypothesis, but it seems that by being in the same class, Hikaru and Kaoru are able to spend more time with Haruhi than I get to here at the club! This gives them the chance to get close to her and if that happens-!"

"Tamaki... you're only just now realizing this?" You grin teasingly. Tamaki yells in anguish and you chuckle despite yourself.

Suddenly, a whiteboard appears with two very different pie-charts, and Kyoya materializes next to it with a pointer, ready to present.

"According to my research, in a single day, the twins spend roughly 9 hours of class time with Haruhi. Meanwhile, your contact with her is limited to a couple hours of club activities. In other words, your involvement in Haruhi's life each day amounts to no more than a mere 3%-"

"AHHHH I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT, I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!" Tamaki screeches, hands covering his ears and tears spilling from his eyes.

"Listen, Haruhi. I want you to stop hanging out with those shady twins from now on!"

"Who're you calling shady!?"

"Yeah, take a good look at yourself, Boss!"

Tamaki gasps in horror and staggers back from Haruhi, looking terrified, "Yes... that's it! Alright, then! We can't go on hiding the fact that you're a girl from everyone in the school any longer! All Daddy wants is for you to go back to being the girl you used to be! For you to surround yourself girl friends and start leading wholesome lives~!"

"Who're you calling Daddy-?"

"So do it, change back now, change back now!" Tamaki shakes Haruhi desperately, who remains emotionless.

The twins step in with pointed fingers in perfect unison, "You don't have to rush things, she's going to be found out, soon enough." Hikaru points out.

"Physical exams are the day after tomorrow." Kaoru finishes.

"Physical exams?" Haruhi cranes her neck to address the twins' assessment.

"That's right... I forgot all about that." You chew your nails out of anxiety, shifting your weight onto one foot.

"So that means... there's no doubt." Haruhi realizes.

"They're gonna know you're a girl." you affirm when she pauses.

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Beware the Physical Exam!

"He must be having a great daydream!"

The host club observes Tamaki seated comfortably in an elegant chair, chin propped up on his hand and legs crossed, a pleased, yet disturbing look spread on his features.

"He's kind of creeping me out..." you grimace, watching his mouth hang open in a dizzy daydream.

"Envious, y/n? This is all part of my strategy. While you've wasted time, blinded by your jealousy, I've foreseen the outcome of this charade." Tamaki smirks

Your cheeks heat up mildly. "Jealousy?" you scoff. Kyoya places his hand on your head and you slouch.

"Pay him no mind." he encourages.

"Ah~ this anime is obviously a romantic school comedy! Haruhi and I are the main characters, so that means we are love-interests." Tamaki places his hand under his chin, practically sparkling.

"Yeah, then what are we?" Hikaru and Kaoru's faces are extremely unamused.

"You boys... are the homosexual supporting cast." Tamaki somehow draws a line in the granite floor to separate him from the others.

"So please make sure that you don't step across this line."

You burst out laughing bending over to hold your stomach as you point to the boys comically.

"Homo-... homosexual supporting cast! If that isn't the most accurate thing I've ever heard, I don't know what is!" you snicker loudly.

Kyoya shoves you slightly in the shoulder, and although you don't stop laughing, you look up at him.

"Pipe down." He rolls his eyes at you.

"Oh no, Kyoya, I think it's you who most perfectly fits the description." You giggle jokingly.

"And what makes you say that?" his eyes slide over to you.

"The supporting cast part." You snort. Kyoya's eyes narrow, but a small smirk befalls his lips.

"We'll see who's supporting cast."

"Huh-?"

"Hey, listen, Boss."

"I don't think you get it."

"If word gets out that Haru-chan is really a girl, then she won't be able to be in the host club anymore." Honey's worried voice strikes a strong chord with Tamaki.

He freezes, looking defeated at the realization.

"But if Haruhi started wearing girls' clothes, I bet she'd be even cuter than she is now." You smirk knowingly.

"She dressed like a regular girl when she was in middle school, right? She must have been pretty popular with all the boys." Hikaru wonders.

"Yeah. According my investigative reports, someone would declare their undying love to her at least once a month." Kyoya flips through his notebook.

"Oh, I see. So the Boss wouldn't even be able to get close to her." Kaoru points out. "But we'd be able to because we're in class with her all day long." Hikaru finishes quickly.

You glare up at Kyoya. "When do you not have investigative reports?" You grumble in annoyance. Kyoya shrugs.

"No way!" Tamaki whimpers pathetically. Emphasis on pathetically.

The door opens a crack, the creak drawing your attention towards Haruhi, who pokes her head in the door.

"Hey, guys. Sorry I'm so late-"

"Don't you worry, Haruhi. We're determined to keep your secret, no one will find out that you're really a girl during tomorrow's physical exams! So please, promise you'll stay our beloved secret princess!"

Haruhi blinks. "Sure."

You yank Haruhi from Tamaki's grip and she stumbles, gazing up at you gratefully. "Thanks." She sighs. You nod.

"You know, I think both of us would be a little peeved if we had to watch all the guys flirt with her." Hikaru turns to Kaoru, who resonates, "Then that settles it." Kaoru affirms.

"Listen up, squad members! At tomorrow's physical exams, position yourselves in formation A, and then, wait for your orders." Tamaki points at, yet another, whiteboard that's mysteriously appeared out of thin air. The twins salute him, Honey marvels at his leadership. You shake your head.

"No, no, no, I'm going to be absent tomorrow." You wave your hands in an X formation and begin to wander away.

"Absent?" Kyoya flips through his notebook, "But you're not scheduled to have anything until... this weekend." He hums.

"Wait- you have a copy of my schedule in there? What else are you-"

"That's beside the point, what are you doing tomorrow?" Kyoya insists.

You blink owlishly. "Um..." You cough into your fist unconvincingly, "I'm, uh, actually not feeling to well, so I might... take the day off... tomorrow." You grin sheepishly.

Kyoya only stares at you, then speaks calmly, "All the more reason to attend physical exams." He shrugs.

Your face falls, "... right." You grumble.

"I've got it!" Haruhi pounds her fist into her other hand, an idea forming.

"You guys are worried because if they find out I'm a girl, I can't be a host and therefore can't repay my debt." she turns to a window and thinks carefully, "My balance is 5 million, 333 thousand, 332 yen... well, guess I'll have to come up with another way to pay you back." Haruhi shrugs.

"Wow... she's really not convinced to stay, is she? Can't say I blame her." You toss your hands in the air with a shrug.

"You don't have to." Kyoya informs you. You shove him, but it only manages to shake him gently.

"Are you saying that you hate being a host?! That you hate this club?!" Tamaki tries.

Haruhi remains unfazed, "To be honest, I'd have to say yes."

Tamaki gasps offensively. You choke, "Oh, man!" you cross your arms and continue to watch in fascination.

Tamaki appears in his sulking corner, distraught.

"I mean, you guys aren't bad, but if it gets out I'm a girl, there's nothing I can do, ya know?" Haruhi's gaze falls upon you.

"No offense, Senpai..." she chuckles apprehensively. You pat her on the shoulder and shake your head. "Absolutely none taken. I completely agree." She smiles at your approval.

"She doesn't seem to care one way or the other." Hikaru watches the two of you.

"Well, before we do anything else, we have to find a way to motivate her." Kaoru announces. Mori's eyes become trained on the pair of you, determined.

"Fancy tuna."

Haruhi's entire body seizes up, and so does yours, but for different reasons.

Tamaki also seizes this opportunity. "Oh, that's right~ You didn't get the chance to eat any during last episode's party, did you~?" Tamaki's voice sounds like it's straight out of a horror film, evoking shivers down your entire spine.

"Haruhi, you don't have to-"

"Did you hear that, she's never eaten fancy tuna before, isn't that awful?" Hikaru's expression is devilish, mirroring Kaoru's, "Talk about a difficult childhood." he finishes.

"If only Haru-chan could stay in the host club, she'd have a chance to eat all kinds of yummy things whenever she wants." Honey plays gently with Usa-chan with an exaggerated sigh.

"What are you talking about? Don't be silly. Just cause I'm poor and I've never had it doesn't mean that I'm so much of a glutton that I'd go on fooling everyone about my gender just to try some fancy tuna." Haruhi laughs unconvincingly, waving the club off, who all smirk knowingly.

...

"Am I really gonna get to try it?"

You panic, seizing Haruhi by the shoulders.

"Haruhi, I will give you fancy tuna, escape while you can-"

"Now, y/n, you know you can't find fancy tuna on your own. You can't tell fish apart." Kyoya reminds gently. You scowl, releasing Haruhi, who's eyes are wide with confusion.

"No matter, I'll just have one of my maids-"

"And I also know that your father doesn't employ servants."

You growl, anger rising.

"Fuck you."

"Language, y/n."

He really irks you sometimes.

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The Next Morning...

"We will begin conducting physical examinations shortly, all students please proceed to the clinic in your respective school building."

The hosts file out of their classrooms and down the hall with the rest of the students in the direction of the clinic.

You sit alone in the library. Strategically so, because there aren't any teachers around to tell you to get up and make your way to the clinic.

Not teachers at least.

"Alright, let's go." You hear someone sigh.

Your head slowly lifts to find Kyoya, one hand on his hip and the other hanging limply at his side.

"No thanks." You smile innocently, returning to your work and disregarding him completely.

Kyoya remains silent, but only for a moment before he snatches your pen directly from your hand.

"Hey-!"

"We're going, now." Kyoya slides your papers across the table and offers you his hand to rise from your seat.

You huff and grumpily allow him to pull you from your seat and shove you towards the door. "I thought you were going to be sick today."

You and Kyoya walk side by side, finding the hallway of students and joining the host club.

"I was... but then I had too much homework due." You grumble, arms crossed and a frown etched upon your face.

"Understandable." Kyoya smiles. It manages to make your frown twitch upwards slightly, biting your lip to prevent a grin.

The pair of you approach the twins and Haruhi, as Haruhi reaches for the door handle to the clinic.

She pushes it open to reveal dozens upon dozens of nurses and doctors lining the entrance way, smiling widely and welcomingly.

"Welcome, students!"

Haruhi's body freezes, a dumbstruck smile across her face as the hosts file in beside her.

"W-what... what is all this?" she stammers.

"Just another physical exam." Hikaru strides in, hands shoved in his pockets.

"The usual." Kaoru mirrors him.

"The usual?"

You appear behind Haruhi and take her slightly by the shoulders, prompting her to move forward. "When your students' parents are some of the most influential in the country, you'll try most anything to keep them in high spirits." You enlighten as you follow the club.

"Excuse me, Hitachiin brothers, please, follow me this way to have your height measured." A nurse instructs and the twins follow nonchalantly. "Sure thing."

"Mr. Fujioka? I'm your nurse for the physical exams this afternoon." another nurse materializes at Haruhi's side, taking her by the wrist.

"O-okay-"

"Please, come this way."

As she goes, she catches a glimpse of two very out-of-place doctors- Honey and Mori.

"Why are Honey and Mori dressed as doctors?" a group of girls gawk from behind them, but they remain motionless, serious.

"Honey-Senpai? Mori-Senpai?" they hush Haruhi hurriedly, effectively cutting her off.

"You're so obvious." she smiles slightly.

"I've got those two for backup just in case something happens." Kyoya emerges from behind you.

"But why are they in doctor disguises?" Haruhi inquires.

"It makes our operation feel like a real espionage mission." you giggle, balling your fists excitedly.

Kyoya chuckles fondly and ruffles your hair. You whine and swat his hand, shoving at him playfully. "Careful, I'm a lot bigger than you." Kyoya warns. "And?" You tease. He gives you an undecipherable look, but pairs it with a simper.

"Don't you think it's weird that these doctors are all so jovial and nice?" Haruhi observes a doctor encourage an heavy-set student on the scale.

"They're chosen by the school's chairman. This may be a school but it's also a business. Therefore, he wants to keep the students happy. After all, most of the students that attend Ouran Academy come from prominent families that have their own private doctors at home. So this... is just a formality."

"I already told her that." You cross your arms.

Just as you were going to follow Haruhi in the direction she wandered off in, a man in a slightly informal lab coat shoves into your shoulder, almost knocking you to the floor with the force.

"Uhn- I'm... terribly sorry."

The doctor's gaze lingers on your for far longer than Kyoya would like to tolerate, so he seizes you forcefully by the shoulder and shoves you behind him. Out of reflex, your fingers grip his blazer, and you peek at the doctor from your position.

"No problem." you can tell his teeth are grinding from the way his statement comes out, and you move to look up at him, watching as his jaw muscles clench and his eyes narrow.

You notice he's not cleanly shaven as the male doctors should be, and under his lab coat isn't a formal suit, just trousers and a sweater. His face seems crestfallen, not jovial nor polite.

He definitely doesn't belong here.

The doctor finally averts his gaze from you and continues on his way. You make eye contact with Kyoya, then you both watch the doctor move along.

"Huh."

"Huh indeed."

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"Hitachiin brothers, would you please come with me? We're ready to do your chest measurements."

A group of female students wait anxiously in anticipation with bated breath, eyes trained on the twins.

"You can use the area behind this curtain to undress." the nurse gestures vaguely to a curtain, beaming.

Hikaru and Kaoru have a very different idea.

"Doesn't matter to me." Hikaru sheds his button-down, shrugging it off his shoulders.

Kaoru mimics him, a small smirk adorning his features, "We're not shy, who needs a curtain?"

Both brothers stand shirtless, presenting themselves for the group as the students wail with adoration.

"See, Haruhi, a rather impressive turnout today." Kyoya smiles in approval of how many new customers they might bring in from this display.

"Physical exam day is quite popular with the ladies."

You can feel your cheeks heat up, seeing as you can't seem to tear your eyes away from their bare chests.

You might be a composed and collected person, but you're still a girl, only an idiot wouldn't be entranced.

You move your hand up to your face and cover your cheeks the best you can, wrapping your other arm around yourself and averting eye contact with Hikaru as soon as he winks at you.

You know you're a beet red color, you can feel your ears heating up as you speak.

Kyoya catches you red handed, taking hold of your wrist and removing it from your face. You let out a noise of surprise, blushing harder at your revelation.

"Ah, I see even a proper lady like yourself can't resist the Hitachiin brothers." He smirks wittingly. You shake your head.

"No! Not at all... they're just so..." you can't help your eyes wandering over to them again, "... sculpted." your eyes soften.

Kyoya's grip tightens ever-so-slightly and he pulls you gently, effectively tearing your gaze from the twins.

"Blush any harder and you might get a nose-bleed." Kyoya seems less than happy as he releases you. You feel self consciously under your nose and breath a sigh of relief when you feel your perfectly dry upper lip.

You barely distract yourself in time to watch Honey and Mori shove Haruhi behind a curtain.

"Mr. Fujioka? It's time for us to take your chest measurements. Once you finish disrobing, would you please come with me?" A nurse approaches the curtain.

"Miss l/n?"

You turn at a soft voice calling your name. It's not a nurse in a frilly pink dress, rather a female doctor, her hair tightly pulled back into a neat updo and glasses sitting upon her nose.

"Yes, ma'am?" you move your body to face her.

"If you would come with me, your examination will begin shortly." she smiles politely. You observe your surroundings before lowering your voice.

"Have you, um...-"

"I've received your special request, your examination will commence in the private wing, if you'll follow me." her smile turns warm and her eyes are soft, and you feel your anxiety melt away.

"Sure." You move to follow behind her.

Honey, Mori, and Kyoya watch as you disappear in the hallway leading to the private clinics.

"Hm." Kyoya hums, bringing his fingers up to his chin, deep in thought.

You arrive in a small room with only a desk and an area closed off with a curtain.

"If you wouldn't mind disrobing for me over there, we'll begin your bosom measurements. You may leave your undergarments on." the doctor takes a seat at the desk and you nod subtly.

You step behind the curtain and remove your blazer, loosening your tie and unbuttoning your fitted button-down.

You leave on your undergarments and peek out from behind the curtain. The doctor turns, "Ready?" She grins warmly. You nod and step fully out from the curtain, grasping at each arm, only wearing your skirt.

"Alright." she brings out a tape measure, bringing it gently around your back and securing it around your front, reading the numbers.

"Good, little to no growth since last year." she smiles. She notices your confusion.

"That's perfectly normal." she assures. You nod. She puts her tape measure away and faces you again.

"Now, you know I will have to inquire- pardon my intrusion, but, where ever did you get those bruises?"

You're taken aback by her question, looking down at your arms. Bruises are scarcely littered along your upper and forearms. You rub at them sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm just very clumsy, is all." you laugh unconvincingly. The doctor raises an eyebrow.

"Now, Miss l/n, I've had the pleasure of meeting your father before. He's not exactly a gentle man, is he?"

You remain silent, speechless. You bring your hands back up to cover your arms, your eyes trained on her intently.

She stands and steps closer to you. "I don't mean to impose, not at all, but I had a certain feeling that with your request would come a situation like the one you so happen to find yourself in."

You still refuse to speak, turning to return to the curtained area when she places a hand on your shoulder. You stiffen.

"Miss l/n, I'm not here to take you from your father, but only to help. You may contact me if you would ever need to." She hands you a card with nothing but her name and number printed on it. You take it, examining it, and fold your arms again.

"Thank you, ma'am." You bow respectfully and meet her eyes.

"Now, shall we continue with the examination? You may dress behind the curtain, now." She returns to her desk. You scurry behind the curtain and jerk them shut, exhaling deeply.

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Meanwhile...

"I'm telling the truth!"

A sudden exclamation draws the attention of the hosts, who stop in their tracks to listen.

A girl kneels with a nurse at her side, a few other students surrounding her.

"One of the doctors grabbed me by my shoulder, he was trying to make a pass at me! I've never been so terrified!"

"Wow, how scary!"

"Do you think it was a pervert?"

"I had a feeling this might happen." Kyoya sighs in exasperation.

"What do you mean?" Honey tilts his head.

"A bit earlier today, y/n and I saw a strange man wearing a white lab coat but clearly not one of our hospital's doctors. And I thought he was a little odd."

"Shouldn't you have said something sooner?" The twins seem peeved.

"Well, it's no big deal, I'm sure the security guard will catch him." Kyoya assures.

"Tell me, Miss, did you happen to notice where the pervert doctor was headed?"

"Yes, sir. He ran off towards the private clinics."

The hosts freeze as they realize the gravity of the situation.

Haruhi pales. "Isn't... y/n-Senpai in there?" her voice shakes.

"Why would she be in there?!" The twins panic with raised voices.

"I saw her head off in that direction, but I had no idea anyone would follow her." Tamaki gasps.

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You bend over to pick up your button-down behind the curtains when you hear your curtains move. Assuming it was your doctor, you peek behind you, still bent over.

When you realize it wasn't her, your heart rate picks up.

"E-excuse me-"

The doctor turns abruptly, and you realize him to be the man who'd shoved into you before, and before you can call for help, he lunges at you, covering your mouth and grabbing you tightly by the shoulder.

You gasp behind his hand, your other arm moving to cover yourself as you were only wearing your undergarment and a skirt, pushing at the doctor to shove yourself away from him.

"No, it's not what you think, please just keep quiet!" he begs.

You squeal under his hand and use both hands to push him away.

"Y/n!"

Your eyes flick towards the urgent voice and you find Kyoya, thrusting himself between the doctor and yourself, shedding his blazer and wrapping it around your shoulders, then wrapping his own arms around your frame, shielding you.

"Tama-chan kick!" Tamaki round-house kicks the doctor and sends him hurdling toward the wall, knocking him clean out and leaving a large dent in the wall.

"Tamaki!" You shriek, clutching at Kyoya's blazer around your shoulders. You stare wide eyed at the man on the floor, surely he would have endured at the very least a severe concussion from that kind of impact.

"One. Good looks that attract the public eye." the twins are deadly grave in their statement, you don't think that you've ever witnessed this attitude from them. You push yourself back into Kyoya's body and his grip tightens.

"Two. More wealth than you can imagine." You can feel Kyoya's dark aura radiating off of him, looking up at him behind you as he speaks.

"Three. Chivalry that will never be able to overlook-

"-the hideous wickedness of this world." Both Mori and Honey are also deadly serious. Your breath catches in your throat.

"That's what makes up the Ouran Host Club." Tamaki announces, standing front and center.

"We're here. Watch out." He, the twins, and Honey chorus.

"Please don't hurt me! Spare me my life!" the pervert doctor bows to the floor, desperate.

You gaze up at the hosts surrounding you, realizing Haruhi is among them. You quickly remove yourself from Kyoya's grip with a whimper, pulling the blazer over your body and straightening. He seems to realize himself and dusts himself off. You catch Haruhi's gaze, trained upon you, and your cheeks dust pink in color. You almost can't bare the thought of her seeing you vulnerable like this, needing to be protected. As her Senpai, you're supposed to seem courageous. What would she think of you now?

"I'm a doctor, I have a small emergency medical clinic that I run in the next town over. My name is Yabu." the man begins solemnly, suddenly feeling the urge to proclaim his life story.

"Did he say his name was Yabu?" Hikaru seems more calm now, having neutralized the threat.

"That's crazy, what a terrible name for a doctor."

"Unless you're a quack!"

You suppress the urge to snicker at their antics, but push it down nonetheless.

"I'm here because I was hoping to see my daughter. My wife left me last month and took my daughter with her but I know that she attends school here." Yabu's head is hanging in shame.

"I don't mean to pry or anything but why did your wife and daughter leave you?"

Yabu explains with great detail and questionable impressions about the moment his wife and daughter left him and his clinic because of his poor behavior.

"And that was it. They left me forever. I know I'm terrible at managing our money and I can't say no to anybody. I don't blame them for being tired of constantly living in debt. But I wanted to see my daughter one more time, so I came here. After being pelted by rain and wandering the streets I finally made it to your school. Once I entered, I was mistaken for a doctor here students."

"Well of course, you're wearing a lab coat." Hikaru acknowledges plainly. "Anyone would mistake you." Kaoru's tone mirrors his brother's.

"And then it happened..."

Yabu gently takes a girl by the shoulder and bends slightly to her level, "Excuse me, Miss, I'm looking for my-"

The girl screams bloody murder and Yabu is petrified.

"When I tried to ask her about my daughter, the girl started screaming, and before I knew it, there were all kinds of people chasing me!" Yabu sobs loudly, making you cringe at the sudden volume.

Tamaki kneels down in front of him, a river a tears streaming down his face, "That's so tragic!" he sobs.

Kyoya sighs tiredly, "Dr. Yabu, I think you may have the wrong place. Are you looking for Ouran Public High School?" Kyoya looks up at the doctor from his notebook.

"Yeah, that's right." Yabu sniffles as he acknowledges Kyoya briefly.

"I figured that might be the case. This is Ouran Academy, a private institution." Kyoya informs plainly.

"Your daughter doesn't go here." you shake your head gently to finish his assessment.

Yabu's face drains and he goes pale.

"Man, that's pretty sad, you don't even know what school your daughter goes to?" Hikaru scoffs.

"I'd bet your relationship is messed up because you don't pay attention to her, not because of some stupid debt." Kaoru snickers.

"Wow, Kyo-Chan, I'm impressed that you figure out he had the wrong school!" Honey marvels.

"Well, there's no way the daughter of such a small time doctor, would ever be able to get into Ouran Academy." Kyoya shrugs like he hasn't just said something incredibly offensive.

"Pleasant as ever." you grumble.

Tamaki stands, suddenly solemn, "Kyoya, would you please find a map of all the public schools in this area? I'd like to help this man find his daughter."

His tone is sincere and caring, and you smile fondly, as does Kyoya.

"Whatever you say." Kyoya easily obeys to Tamaki's whim, as anyone would.

♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡ Yabu strolls along a set path between rows of cherry blossom trees leading to the exit of the school. He turns back and bows gratefully to you and the hosts from the window you're watching him from.

"Are you sure about all this?" Hikaru raises an eyebrow.

"After all, even if he does manage to find his daughter, there's no guarantee she'll wanna speak to him." Kaoru finishes.

"Well then, that's something he'll have to find out for himself." Tamaki smiles warmly.

A kite soars into the sky and the lot of you watch from the window as it floats effortlessly.

Your cheeks heat up ever so slightly when you acknowledge the fact that you're wearing nothing under Kyoya's blazer but your undergarments and a skirt. You glance up at the hosts as they continue to gaze out the window.

"I'm sorry about this, but... can you guys please leave?" you make eye contact with your physical exam doctor.

The hosts make noises of surprise as they all turn to stare down at you.

"I still have to finish my physical exam." you tilt your head at them as you watch them gawk at you.

"Come on, guys." Haruhi urges, pulling the twins by their wrists towards the door when they don't budge.

"But what if another pervert doctor comes in here!" They panic, stumbling along behind Haruhi. You snicker at them as they go.

"That's probably not gonna happen." Haruhi deadpans, yanking them along.

"I'll lock the door, this time." your doctor assures with a calming tone, and you not curtly.

The rest of the hosts follow in suit but you call out once more.

"Oh, Kyoya." You swiftly move to remove the blazer but then realize that you're wearing little to nothing under it and hesitate.

Kyoya comes to a halt near the doorway and glances back at you, wondering what the dilemma is.

"I can take it back later, don't worry."

"B-but I don't want you to get dress-coded..." you tighten your grip on the blazer nervously.

"If you insist." Kyoya presents his open palm for you to return to blazer. You train your eyes on it a moment, slowly sliding the blazer off your shoulders and shutting your eyes tightly, thrusting the blazer in his direction blindly.

It seems like hours pass and he still hasn't taken it from you. You thrust it again, "Take it, I gotta change." You beg pathetically.

You crack open an eye to find him staring at you in disbelief. He moves before you can react, grabbing you securely by the wrist and pulling you closer to him in a swift, abrupt movement.

"What are these?" His tone is deadly and intimidating.

You open both your eyes to find him staring at the bruises on your arm.

You exclaim and wrench your arm from his grip, quickly hiding yourself behind the curtains of the changing area.

"Nothing! Just clumsy, thank you for the blazer!" You squeak as you rush to redress yourself, struggling to find the arm-hole in your button-down in your haste.

Kyoya stands motionless, his blazer in hand as he stares where you'd disappeared.

He can feel his chest ache painfully, his eyes softening as he can hear you struggling to dress yourself.

"Hm."

🎵I run and run a thousand miles, and I am barely breathing. Only the fuel of a passionate heart keeps this body strong and moving forward. Could it be I found a place to rest? How far until I’m OK? Trees of the town reveal the time has come once again to shift our shade and colors. 🎵 🎵The world always changes around us but weakness will always remain; Through all the pain, believe in who we are right here and now! 🎵 🎵Raise one hand to the sky; raise them both lift them high!! And you’ll cut through the darkness make it go! The time to start is now! And I can show you how. Start with me, and the world will be even bigger than ever before. 🎵

♡Next time, on Indeed...♡

An insufferable little pest worms her way into your position at the club. After a heated argument with the pain in your side, Kyoya might need to take you a bit more seriously...

♡We'll see you then!! ♡

want to read more? here's my ouran masterlist ����

and here's my bts blog 💜

want me to write something you want to see? request something 💌

have any questions? talk to my characters! 🙏🏻

Adieu~ 🌹🌹🌹

[chameleocoonj]

IM SORRY NOT SORRY FOR MASS LIKING UR POSTS BUT OMG BESTIE???

Dude.

Dude dude dude dude dude dude dude dude DUDE.

Okay. So. So um. Some context here.

I have a pretty bad phobia of bugs.

A couple of summers ago, a bad mix of new meds and some awful ocd behaviors spiked me into the red zone where I would cry over an ant on my ceiling and be unable to sleep out of pure fear. I would check over every corner in every room I entered so that I wouldn’t be surprised by bugs. I was a wreck, and it was taking up a huge amount of my days to do all of this.

After going to therapy, I slowly learned to manage my fears, and slowly but surely I went back to a better version of myself; with coping mechanisms and a newfound respect for bugs. (Even if I fear them, still.)

Now, years later, I’ve discovered your blog and your content, and I have to say that your artwork makes me smile so much. I love the way that you draw bugs and insects and arachnids and the like; especially with the shape language and the way that you render your pieces in such a cute style.

This year I’ve actually been getting better at letting spiders go, even if they’re too close for comfort; I feel too bad not to, they’re funky little fellas and they’re great for the environment. And your blog is introducing me to so many cute little fellas we don’t get here… Its awesome!

I just wanted to thank you for making such amazing art of lil creatures that don’t get a lot of love irl. Im giving you a follow since not only is it awesome; but you’re giving me a lot of inspiration to maybe go and search up some critters for myself— or at least practice character design again with some more unique concepts in mind. What’s great is it gives me the chance to face my fears and look up images that I normally wouldn’t, that would give me the heebie jeebies; mainly to gain more respect and love for these guys— maybe even hop over a hurdle or two in terms of my fear of them.

So…

Thank you. Thank you so much. :D /gen /pos

Keep up the great work! 💖

(Will find some cute images off of Google dot com and send you them via a second ask so that I don’t lose this one adhsjdhs)

Wow, thank you so much! It's wonderful to know my bug art is helping people feel more comfortable with bugs, that's one of my goals!! I've been trying really hard to balance cuteness and realism in my bug art for just that reason. I think a fear of bugs is perfectly rational- they are mysterious, alien in appearance, and sometimes genuinely dangerous- what I find irrational is a hatred of bugs. I'm no mental health expert, but there is definitely a level of healthy fear and respect to have for our creepy crawly pals, and I'm glad it sounds like you're there! I've gotten the occasional weird and cruel comment on my work about spiders or wasps, but it's all overshadowed by things like your writing here. Thank you for your kindness! <3

Here are some doodlies of a few of the bugs you sent me in your other ask, really good choices in the cute department :>

[lucianalight]

I'm reading an article on why the person doesn't like JoJo Rabbit and WOW does the ending quote sound familiar:

"Waititi—a talented, well-intentioned director—makes the mistake of thinking that by not taking Hitler seriously, we somehow diminish his power. That by rendering him into a dopey, insecure crybaby, we can expose the emptiness of his beliefs. That we can just… write it all off, and come up with a new ending. Jews, Nazis—we’re all human, right?"

And even a much older Jewish person reviewed it as well and had this to say:

"So when the opening credits of Jojo Rabbit played over archival footage of wide-eyed Nazis shouting with ecstasy in the streets to the tune of The Beatles' I Wanna Hold Your Hand (in German of course) I felt a bit sick."

"Footage of real Nazi rallies without any of the shouting was uncanny, to say the least, and nauseating. What Waititi wanted to accomplish, he accomplished. You want to sing along, you want to tap your feet to the familiar tune but to do so equates you with the countless people who followed Hitler's final solution and the murder of millions of Jews, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, Romani and others.

The screen version of Hitler, played by Waititi himself in terrible blue contact lenses as the imaginary friend of young Jojo, is exactly as a ten-year-old might imagine him: petulant and fickle. Not the man who inspired The Beatlemania-like fervour on crowded German streets.

We're meant to laugh at all the other Nazis, as we laugh at Charlie Chaplin, but they are a much bigger part of the Nazi machine than Waititi gives them credit for. I found myself chuckling out loud with the other 29 likely-gentile movie-goers at Sam Rockwell's expertly performed, drink-sodden commander.

But looking back on it, that rests uneasily in my stomach, especially given the character's arc and the ringing in my ears of the recent death-knell statement from one of the highest authorities in the US that 'there are very fine people on both sides' of white supremacy."

What I'm trying to point out is that tonka COULD be a great director, as long as there isn't source material. As long as he creates the world and characters, it would be fine but he keeps going after already made characters (Marvel, What We Do In The Shadows, JoJo Rabbit) and it just doesn't work.

Fine if he wants to take serious stuff and make them silly but there needs to be a line drawn

"Despite its nominal message about turning hate into love, Jojo Rabbit is a work that normalizes Nazis, and thus Nazism, and thus intolerance in general, by alternately saying that it either doesn’t exist, or is cute and amusing and powerless in the face of aw-shucks kiddie compassion. That makes it astoundingly wrong about WWII, about humanity, and also, of course, about today’s alt-right-infested climate upon which the film has been designed to comment. Putting it in the same company as the rest of this year’s Best Picture candidates—especially the epic The Irishman, the revealing Marriage Story, and the vivacious Little Women—is absurd"

This was such an interesting read. Thanks for sharing it with me. I haven’t seen the movie and therefore I can’t have an opinion about it. But as someone living under totalitarianism that is promoting a certain ideology, this is not the way I would want a movie to represent the hate and cruelty my people are experiencing. The brain washing, the propaganda, the othering, the sheer viciousness people are experiencing is much more complicated and serious than a bunch of idiots doing funny and nonsensical stuff. Their idiocy sometimes is laughable, but a laugh born out of helplessness to do anything else. Not the way you find Charlie Chaplin funny. Yes there needs to be a line drawn. The more I read about TW’s movies and humor, the more I get certain that they are really not for me.