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blxetsi · 4 years ago

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armin arlert, mikasa ackerman, and eren jaeger polyamorous headcanons (modern au)

armin arlert x gn!reader, mikasa ackerman x gn!reader, eren jaeger x gn!reader, mikasa x armin x eren x gn!reader

warnings: uhh fluff, this is very long, reader has a gf b4 getting w ema,

this is like my first post since feb that isnt a request 😍😍😍 how did i pull this out of my ass

- obv eren, mikasa, and armin have been besties since childhood so its no wonder they all got together first 🤩🙏

- and theyre all hot so why wouldnt they wanna date each other

- i think armin and eren wouldve gotten together first, and then invited mikasa into their relationship

- the three of them have been officially going steady for like over a year now, and its going really well

- they didnt really expect you to drop into their lives tho

- youre an old friend of historia's and you two reconnected after you moved to the city, securing yourself a decent paying job working as a writer for the city paper

- you usually get the boring stuff, never able to get a good story to write about, focusing your time on heartwarming stories in the community or the sports column

- its boring but it pays the bills

- you were thankful when historia called you during your lunch and asked if you wanted to get drinks at a bar with her and a couple of other friends

- of course you said yes

- so historia and her girlfriend ymir picked you up after work, having dinner with them after a long week was the best, but you were a bit nervous to meet all of their friends

- thats how you met eren, mikasa and armin

- at first you were sure that mikasa and eren were dating, seeing as mikasa had her head on the taller man's shoulder, while his arm was wrapped around her

- but when armin leaned down to give mikasa a kiss before heading off to the bar you werent so sure

- ymir pulled you away to get more drinks and explained to you what the situation was, while commenting on the way you gawked at the three of them before

- you were embarassed to say the least but they didnt bring it up that night so you hoped the throuple didnt notice (they did)

- you really hit it off with all of them though, especially sasha and jean, and were constantly talked about among the friend group

- because of your demanding job dealing with writers block and deadlines you couldnt really meet up with all of them often, usually just having sleepovers at ymir and historia's apartment, the three of you drinking while you wrote on your laptop

- after a couple months of casual hangouts with historia and ymir and their friends, you kinda became one of them too which was nice

- you were added to the groupchat, you all followed each other on social media, and a certain brunet had taken a liking to you

- eren didnt know why exactly he was so attracted to you but he was, maybe it was your hair, or how pretty your skin looked even when oily or with breakouts, maybe it was your smile or your body or your sense of humor or you kindness or maybe it was all of it

- eren jaeger would always stay faithful to his boyfriend and girlfriend, but maybe they could add another person into the mix, more to love right ?

- he had only known you for a couple of months though, he didnt want to jump the gun and bring this up with his partners so soon, especially if they didnt feel the same way he did

- and it would be a bummer if you turned out to be a bad person or smth

- so summer rolls around with lots of memories being made with your new friends, as well as friends from work, and you get a girlfriend ??

- shes not really your girlfriend you two have only been out on a couple of dates and she kisses you a lot but, you havent talked about labels

- one night you, along with your friends are back at the same bar where you first met them

"so, tell us about the girl youre seeing." ymir says, smirking over her beer.

eren's ears perked up at the mention of you seeing someone. "girl ?"

historia nodded. "mhm ! y/n's been talking to someone recently, they've gone on dates and kissed and stuff."

"and stuff, jesus tori you make it sound like we've had sex." you sighed.

the blonde just laughed, leaning her body onto her freckled companion.

"well ? what about her ?" eren asks. armin slapped him on the arm, already having suspicions about eren's interest in you.

your shoulders sagged. "well, she's great and everything, truly..."

"but ? is there a but in this ?" connie asked. sasha started laughing at connie's use of the word but, while jean slapped the girl on the arm because of her reaction.

you shrugged, swirling what was left of your fruity cocktail in your glass. "well, i'm not sure. she's very lively, and sweet. but i don't know, i just don't see myself being able to be in a steady relationship with her."

"so you're gonna end it ?" eren asked. you thought he seemed a bit too eager about your failure in the love department.

"why do you care so much ? you like the thought of me being lonely ?" you shot back, before downing the rest of your drink.

"no i just-"

"i think what eren means is," mikasa intervened, her smooth voice calming you as she looked at you with a smile on her face. "is that there's no point in staying with her if you can't see yourself with her. don't lead her on."

you nodded. "you're exactly right my friend. which is the plan for tonight because i," you quickly checked the time on your phone. 8:17. "have a date with miss molly at nine, so i will be taking my leave."

the group engaged in a chorus of boos for leaving so early, while you chuckled and took the lighthearted insults thrown at you by sasha and connie with ease. grabbing all of your things you put down two twenties onto the table. "i'll see you guys later, have a goodnight." as you walked off you heard jean yell "have a good time you heartbreaker !" making you shake your head

- the date with molly went less then well. she yelled, and cried, and even tried hitting you at one point. your walk back from the park was spent blocking her on every form of social media you followed her on, and when you got back to your apartment you spent the night in a hot bath before retiring to bed

- meanwhile, armin and mikasa were trying to pry the truth out of eren, who was constantly denying his attraction to you

- finally mikasa took one for the team "eren, you aren't alone with the way you feel, i do too." this made eren more willing to open up to his partners

- armin doesnt say anything about you, only saying how youre kind. he doesnt feel the way that his girlfriend and boyfriend do, but he knows that may change

- soon enough, more time flies and christmas rolls around, with you all deciding to have a secret santa get together.

- historia invites everyone to her home on christmas eve, with ymir begrudgingly allowing it

- bertholdt and annie come too, reiner not being able to make it due to going home for christmas, while everyone else decided to stay in the city

- you picked out your secret santas at the beginning of november so you would all have enough time to find something for each other, you hoped whoever picked your name gave you something good

- after hours of games and karaoke and drinking you all decided it was time to open the presents

- ymir got socks from bertholdt, connie got an ugly beanie from ymir, historia got new pens from mikasa, mikasa got knitting needles from annie, annie got a dumbell from eren, jean got a not so appropriate t shirt from connie, jean gave sasha more comic books, armin gave new stationary paper to bertholdt, sasha gifted you that new biography you've been wanting to read and you gave armin your old copy of frankenstein by mary shelley

- he was surprised but very thankful, "how did you know i needed a new copy ?" "well i remember you said eren spilt water on your old one, and the pages just stuck together so i thought you might as well have mine"

- it warmed armin's heart that you remembered something so insignificant, and opened him up to the thought of being with you

- the rest of the night was spent with hugs and thankfulness, cheering when the clock struck 12 and it became christmas day

- after getting things cleaned up everyone decided it was time to leave, with armin, eren and mikasa offering to give you a ride home

- a ride where armin straight up kissed you in the backseat

- you stopped him of course, thinking that it was weird he would cheat on his partners right in front of them, while they were shocked all on their own for different reasons, armin who didnt have feelings for you KISSED you

- and surprisingly armin took the lead in explaining how he felt, why he kissed you, an apology for doing so, and an offer to start dating all three of them

- your heart was pounding in your ears and your entire face felt hot, it was probably the alcohol, or the way his lips felt so soft when they touched yours, so you said yes.

- its not smooth sailing from there

- youre kind of awkward

- this is your first relationship where you really feel like you could love these guys (you already do) but its also your first relationship with multiple people

- the trio start inviting you over more often, soon for sleepovers, and start inviting themselves over at your own place, mainly eren

- he just comes at random times, sometimes when youre not even there and waits for you, or stays and cleans up a bit before leaving

- armin and you share a deep love of literature, and you often find yourselves in hot debates about whatever youve read (mikasa and eren have to pry you two away before things get physical)

- mikasa likes to cook with you, she shares recipes that her mom taught her, and her and armin love to cook dinner together whereas eren is the breakfast maker of the household

- the first time you slept in the same bed as them you were so nervous your whole body thumped to the tune of your heartbeat, you were convinced armin could even hear it as he was laying beside you, but eren wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you into his large chest before whispering "youre as stiff as a board, relax honey"

- eren snores, mikasa drools, armin has those dreams where you fall and then violently wake up before you hit the ground

- slowly but surely you stop thinking about your relationship as the trio and you, but as all of you together, and that really helps you come out of your shell a bit

- you may still be in the honeymoon phase, and there may be bumps along the way, but you like being with armin, eren, and mikasa. they make you so happy, it feels like the happiest youve been in a long time

- you like watching eren and armin dance in the living room while you and mikasa cuddle on the couch, before the boys pull you two up as well

- you like when armin reads to you, his soft voice reciting the words of the great gatsby

- you like it when eren can just tell youve had a rough day, and pulls you into a hug like hes protecting you from all the bad things in the world

- you love being with them. you love them. and you think that theyre it for you

i rushed the ending bc im fucking tired but i kinda wanna do a poly!series with like sasha, connie and jean, or annie, bertholdt and reiner, or any other poly ships u guys may request !

so yeah pls give me feedback it rlly helps me figure out whether you want a polyamorous series (or just like what i write in general), and it would be my first series ever which would be super cool anyways

yeah requests open for poly!ships anyways

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misha-moose-dean-burger-lover · 5 years ago

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ABOUT A DOG!!!

Knew that would work. Now, stay.

A lot of y'all don't know this, but my elder sister's on this hellsite as @iamcharliebradburylevelperfect and she's terrific and in college, and she recently just adopted a dog!

Meet Senor Whiskey:

Aka, Vinny

(That's short for Wine, that's his petname. You know how college students are about alcohol 🤷🏻)

Isn't he adorable?

My sister and her roommate and their respective partners have adopted it, almost together, so he's getting a lot of love! I'm very happy for it, they're great people, and they all love him very much!

But, the thing's that:

Having a pet can result in a relatively larger expenditure, and they would be able to take care of him better if his page got popular, and they could get money for ads!

They aren't asking you to donate, they're just asking you to go check it out, and have an amazing time on his Instagram!

It's very new, but the more support they'd get, the better it would be!

Here's what you see on the page:

And you basically leave a follow, or a friendly word, or a comment for the cute lil doggie!

Shelley's also going to start making awesome comics, for the blog! Stay tuned for such! It's gonna be awesome. I've seen tell first drafts, guys. Minds are gonna be blown away. Mwuahahahah.

Thank you for reading! I hope you all have ~ pawfect ~ days!

#dogs #love dogs #cute dogs #dogs of tumblr #dogstagram #sheya shall deliver #its gonna be amazing #come on i'm nearing 3k followers i'm hoping at least 1 % of them go follow their page #i love vinny so much #he's adorable and sleepy and stupid and happy and perfect #go love him too #animals #instagram #support #have awesome days!!!#not spn #not spoilers #i know this isnt my regular thing but here goes nothing #UwU

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tfw-no-tennis · 4 years ago

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hunty x hunty we back bitches!!!!

ok so tbh we’ve BEEN back ive just been slacking on posting my liveblogs. n e ways

ok so ngl we DID watch these eps like a month ago so bear w/me here as i try to remember things hvbhdkjfhsk

ok so they show up at heavens arena and i CALLED IT its that building thats in the opening (thats probs p obvs but still lol)

killua casually mentioning that he was here for TWO YEARS previously like jesus kid ur life is wild

ruth and i spent like this whole time trying to guess if killua knows what nen is lmao and i was like ok im sure theres nen at heavens arena how could he NOT have come across it but also WHO KNOWS

i love how easy is is for 2 twelve year olds to join Death Tower Fight Club lmao

i mean tbf killua was here when he was literally 6

seeing killua and gon dunk on people by 1 hit koing them was great lmao

the fact that killua spent all his previous earnings on snacks....king

ZUSHIIIIII hes baby and hes so precious i love him already. baby boy baby. theres like a 0% chance hes evil or something bc hes so baby and hes named ZUSHI it reminds me of zucchini for some reason

ok when zushi uses nen (im assuming?) and killua was like oh shit illumi can do that....bro i CALLED it illumi totally has nen and its MIND CONTROL NEN or something. i still dk how nen works tbh

wing is slightly sus and im worried he might be evil. but also probably not mostly cause i dont thnk this arc is that long but WHO KNOWS

wing when zushi starts nen-ing it up during Fight Club: HEY NONE OF THAT NOW [spray bottles him]

i love that gon and killua are both like well that was weird. ok guess we’ll just str8 up ask zushi abt it lmao

when the subs popped up as Ren ruth and i were like nooooo freakin way the subs mistranslated nen. but it TURNS OUT that nen has OTHER components like ten and ren and uhhh the other ones too. jesus

i mean i knew this shit was gonna b detailed but Still

ok but ren is literally just weaponized vibes. vibe check

[vibes rlly hard] GET REN’D ON

as i was watching wings explanation i was like hmmm this seems incomplete. and then immediately killua said that same thing...vindication!!

ok when wing uses nen on that book page and slices the soda and gives a big explanation abt why he wasnt totally truthful w/gon and killua and zushi is just like .....ok but that was my soda :( and i was gonna read that book :( :( or w/e hvsjdfuahbsjjfdnka i love him SO MUCH....BABYYYY

totally off-topic but lemme talk transformers rl quick ok so in the tf idw comics drift is all edgy and then he meets a guy named Wing who shows him all the spiritual/religious stuff and drift becomes a space hippy (its been a while okay) and now im like yo is that guy a hxh ref? cause wing is kind of a weird name for a transformer and the spiritual ‘aura’ stuff is similar. idk if that has any basis lmao i just made that connection. anyways moving on

i love how it took killua 2 yrs to get to the 200th floor and now he and gon get there in like 3 days or w/e

200th floor time! uhm is that receptionist lady like. Good

as soon as the rancid aura appeared i was like UUUUAHGHHGHGHGHHHH I KNOW WHO THAT IS!!!!!!!!!! TRASH CAN ASS HISOKA

i kinda figured he’d be here...im curious if gon will succeed in doin the Big Punchy here

hisoka using his rancid vibes to drive them back....fuck on outta here nasty ass

i love how gon just. loses his domestication whenever hisoka is around. gon is literally so nice to EVERYONE he meets EXCEPT for hisoka (and illumi). god i love him best boy. he has a gr8 vibe detector and can tell that hisoka is nasty and evil

wing: ok FINE ill teach you The Real Deal Nen

ITS NEN TIME BABEYYYYYY

the fact that 8 yr old killua just peaced out at floor 199 or w/e and was like Fuq the 200th floor im out. and of COURSE the 200th floor is The Nen Zone(tm) so he just left, blissfully unaware of nen LMAOOO

and now he HAS to register to fight or he’ll be banned from heavens arena...Ls

i keep wanting to call it the tower of heaven....get out of my BRAIN f*iry t*il

ok uhhhh lets stop here

PREDICTION CORNER

actally i cant rlly do this part bc its been so long so ider what i thought of ripppp. im gonna try to stay up to date on my liveblogs (we’re on like ep 45 now lol)

1 idea: so gon is gonna successfully punch hisoka and then hisoka will unfortunately NOT go away for whatever reason and will become a nuisance (even moreso than he already is) rather than an Actual Threat

tune in next time for more HUNTY x HUNTY

#lj watches hxh #im gonna skim over the next few eps to get a better idea of what happened lmao #that way my next liveblog will be more detailed #hxh

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softshelltaakos · 6 years ago

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alright, folks! if you know me you know that i 1) received the taz graphic novel for the holidays and 2) have hated the taz graphic novel since before it came out, and that 3) actually reading it in no way improved my opinion.

let’s review.

disclaimer: i love the mcelroys. i truly do. taz has gotten me through some very difficult stuff and i have a tattoo. all this to say i’m not doing this because i hate them or because i like hating things — on the contrary, i’m doing this because i care a lot about the podcast and analyzing things is what i do for fun and also because, like, it has issues that i want to talk about!

there are spoilers for the graphic novel and the whole of the podcast under the cut.

this is part 1, in which i’m talking about the actual storytelling and writing; for character design thoughts, you’re gonna have to stay tuned because i’ve been working on this for three and a half hours and i have shit to do. so!

let’s start off with the things i actually liked. there are a few!

the main characters get little intro cards, which i think are pretty cute. this isn’t all of them, but here’s a sampling (forgive my messy collaging):

[ID: four panels.

the first introduces magnus burnsides, a barrel-chested white guy with auburn hair and a fluffy beard and sideburns. he’s saying “trust me, if the law hassles us, i’m the guy you want at the front of the wagon. but look, if you want to drive so bad, i might let you spell me the next time the dwarf has to stop for a pee break.” there is a scroll with his name listed, as well as his race (human), class (fighter), and proficiencies: battle, carpentry, and “everything else... apparently”

the second introduces taako, a skinny mint-colored elf wizard. he’s blonde with pronounced lower lashes and a big pointy nose. he’s saying “hell, no! i’ve got stuff to do. i’ve read the books. adventurers are supposed to, like, forage for food and shit. bor-r-r-ring! no, thank you. not for taako.” the proficiencies on his title card are spell-casting, transmutation, and gastronomy

the third introduces merle highchurch, a brown dwarf with white hair pulled back into a bun and a big poofy beard. he’s saying “i’m studying my cantrips!” and his title card proficiencies are “healing... supposedly,” “religion stuff,” and bleeding

the fourth panel introduces griffin mcelroy, a white human man with brown hair and glasses wearing a collared shirt. he’s saying “guys! it’s me: griffin! your dm!” his title card shows his race as “actual human” and his class as “dungeon master,” while his proficiencies are podcasting, karaoke, and “weaving a rich tapestry of drama.”]

then there are a few cute references to other mcelroy stuff:

[ID: two side-by-side images. the first is a photo of justin mcelroy wearing a bib with “shrimpin’ ain’t easy” written on it in crayon. the second is a close-up of a similar bib on a goblin -- though the text is distorted, it’s the same phrase.]

[ID: magnus thoughtfully says “unless...” and the other boys echo him in traditional mcelroy fashion.]

barry also wears underwear that read “meloincloths” around the waistband, which i didn’t take a picture of because it was small and also i didn’t really want to take a picture of barry bluejeans’s underoos. but that’s cute!

as it mentions in magnus’s titlecard, there’s a running joke about him being proficient in everything. that gets some play in the podcast but it comes up a lot more here and i think it works pretty well and establishes early on that magnus is cocky and headstrong and all that. it’s actually introduced in the very first panel of the comic, where he mentions his vehicle proficiency, and then it comes up several more times.

there are some moments that shift out-of-character dialogue to in-character dialogue, and i think it works sometimes. notably, it occasionally happens with griffin’s dialogue, which i think is a good way to include his voice without constantly breaking the fourth wall. it’s done some, obviously, but it’s not to the point that it’s intrusive.

[ID: a panel featuring taako approaching the other boys, who are playing cards while they wait for him to scout the next room out. magnus asks, “would you say it is spooky... or beautiful?” and merle cuts in “or spookily beautiful?” followed by magnus finishing up with “or beautifully spooky?”

taako responds “if you were a gerblin you would actually find it a pretty chill den to, like, hang out in.”]

i also like the introduction of the voidfish static. i think it’s appropriately dramatic and does a pretty good job of emulating how it’s presented in the podcast.

[ID: a panel featuring killian, an orc woman with a crossbow. the lighting is dark gray-blue-green and she’s shouting something unintelligible marked by a cluster of consonants and a shaky, brush-strokey speech bubble distinct from the other speech bubbles stylistically.]

the scene where taako grabs the umbra staff is also appropriately dramatic, as is merle trying to talk down gundren/bogard from the gauntlet’s thrall, but those are full page images and very large, so i’m not including them.

then there’s this panel of lucretia, which slays me:

[ID: a closeup of madame director lucretia, a black woman dressed in blue with white hair, though her eyes are out of frame. she’s holding a white oak staff in her hands. she’s stopped mid-sentence and there’s a little jaggedy line near her head indicating surprise.]

this is lucretia turning around and seeing the boys for the first time since she dropped them off at their respective “homes.” she’s caught off-guard and i think this is a beautiful way of noting that without giving too much away, and this is a good moment of foreshadowing that she knows much, much more about them than she’s letting on. she catches herself quickly and gets back into the swing of things, but i think this is a very lucretia panel, and it’s probably my favorite panel in the book.

now it’s time for the negative.

first off, a nitpick: there are moments where the characterization feels very off -- at one point magnus is said to have been the kid who “always reminded the teacher that they had forgotten to hand out homework,” which... does not really match what we know of young magnus. at all. travis describes him as “a good but kind of rebellious kid, like he was probably kind of a little bit of a turd [...] who was kinda sarcastic” (ep. 60, the stolen century part one) which feels super incongruent with the homework thing.

my issues with characterization come into focus most strongly with taako. while a lot of moments get his voice down pretty well, there’s a major issue in his presentation, which is that from the very beginning, he’s bragging about his tv show.

[ID: several panels in which merle and taako are talking. the first is a wide shot with taako’s voiceover saying: “--and then the lights come up, and there i am, standing under a magnificent banner that reads:”

the second is taako posing under a spotlight, speaking in large, fanciful script: “sizzle it up with taako”

panel three is merle asking disinterestedly “so it’s a show... about cooking?” and taako replying emphatically “it’s about life!”

in panel four he adds “...told through the perspective of fine dining.”

another panel collaged in features a cookbook with taako’s face on it labeled “perfection: cook the taako way” and taako excitedly saying “i know that smell!! that’s my recipe for haunch a la taako!! it was in my very first cookbook!]

now, we all know that by the end of the show “taako -- you know, from tv?” has become a catchphrase of his, and i understand the desire to retcon that kind of thing into his personality from the start. it seems like a natural way to add character early on when in the podcast, the boys are still pretty underdeveloped at this point.

here’s the issue. neither tv nor the title “sizzle it up” are mentioned at any point during here there be gerblins. in the eleventh hour (e48, part 8 of that arc) we’re told that we’re six years out from the mass poisoning in glamour springs. while the maxfun donor bonus episodes, like the liveshows, play it a little bit fast and loose with canon, and this episode was the 2015 bonus episode (e48 didn’t come out until september 2016,) that’s the only real explicit sizzle it up development we have until the eleventh hour. i’ve transcribed some of the bonus episode below, as transcripts for it are not available via @.tazscripts.

justin: taako-- i’m sitting in a corner by myself with my hat sorta pulled down low so people don’t recognize me. and i’m just trying to eat my meal but i keep changing the items that i’m trying to eat into different substances, so every few minutes you hear from my corner of the tavern:

taako: damn it!

clint: i hate asparagus!

griffin: i turned this sandwich into wood!

[...]

justin: mainly, i’m just trying to be nondescript.

[...]

justin: the whole time i’m talking to [the tavern owner] i’m like, keeping my face down so he doesn’t recognize me.

griffin: why would anyone recognize you?

clint: why?

justin: well, taako, uh, used to host a cooking show. it was a very, very, very popular cooking show. uh, and--

griffin: what was it called?

justin: what?

griffin: the show.

justin: sizzle it up with taako.

this episode is when the boys take the job with gundren off of craig’s list, so the time gap between this and episode 1 is negligible at best. there is a moment where the other boys recognize taako and he doesn’t lie about his identity, but:

taako: (begrudgingly) yeah, i’m taako, i’m disgraced, you might have heard about the [poisoning] thing.

so... he’s clearly not putting himself on display the way he does later in the podcast. in episode 40 (lunar interlude III: rest and relaxation) which came out in may of 2016, we get the first reference to the poisoning itself:

taako: one time i transmogrified something that, uh… i transmogrified it into something you really shouldn’t eat, ever? for life, to live, i mean? And, uh, a lot of people ate that. and that went... so sideways. um... i-- i just decided i would never again cook for people i cared about, because i couldn’t risk, um, y’know, something happening to them. until i get this under control, i guess.

so we know that even at that point this is still something that troubles taako greatly. one might even say... he’s traumatized! and doesn’t talk about it! he does not go into detail about sizzle it up with anyone over the entire course of the podcast except for june while she is literally possessed by the chalice and forcing him to relive it. So. kind of a weird character take.

to skip ahead a little bit, most of the moonbase stuff is fine, but there’s one omission that feels very weird to me.

[ID: three panels. the left is a shot of the elevator hallway leading to the voidfish’s chambers. thb follow killian towards the elevators; johann is walking away from them. he’s a black human man with natural hair dressed in a silly bard outfit with a violin strapped to his back. he’s carrying a ton of scrolls.]

these three panels are the only time we see johann in the book. in the podcast it’s johann that escorts them to the voidfish’s chambers and inoculates them. it makes sense that this has been changed to lucretia in the gn; it gives her a much stronger entrance and cuts down on scene changes. but it also cuts out a lot of establishing things about johann that are all extremely important and set up not only his character arc but several core plot points.

it’s during that scene that we hear that johann’s greatest fear is being forgotten, and that that’s exactly what will happen to him and all of the other bureau employees when they die. it’s during that scene that we learn the basic mechanics of the voidfish and the mission of the bureau. it makes sense that some of that is going to be handled at the beginning of the next book (presumably) and i’m glad that lucretia is introduced here, but the gn adjusts it so that killian takes the boys into the elevator. that’s johann in the podcast, and it easily could have been johann here. it would’ve been a good chance to establish at least johann’s fears, which would be a weird and creepy setup for the voidfish mechanics when they do get revealed.

it’s just odd to me that johann, who is the reason for the song half of story and song, gets the short shrift here.

i’m gonna wrap up with one last thing. i wanna talk about arms outstretched.

griffin: and you’re both getting pulled into the rift now, and-- but with a 20, taako, you fight against the pull and both of you are flying backwards towards the center of the room, back towards the catwalk. and merle, you’re standing in front of the two liches, one in the form of magnus and one not. lydia just is there in her spectral form. and you’re standing next to a taako who’s gone completely catatonic.

[...]

griffin: okay, then, m—magnus and taako, you two are flying back towards the center of the room. the pull of this rift is still trying to suck you in. and out of nowhere, just merle turns around—turns his back to the two liches—and just outstretches his arms and as he does, you see, like, spectral versions of his soul-wood arm sort of reach out and grab you and he’s also pulling you back in too, now. and he rips both of you towards himself.

i don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this is one of the most emotionally charged moments in the show, and it’s that because it’s a moment where we see, crystal-clear, real character development and growth.

magnus, who rushes in, who has never wanted anything as much as he wants to be reunited with julia, actively resists the pull of death to help his friends.

taako, who’s good out here, who is so selfish that an entire town died because of his ego, risks his life to help his friends.

merle, who can barely feel his holy connection, who barely ever even heals, breaks planar bounds to help his friends.

we’ve been with these characters for 56 episodes. we’ve seen their worst regrets, we know their tragic backstories, we understand why they’ve been the jackasses they’ve been, and now we see them moving past that to work as a unit. one might even say as a family!

arms outstretched is a moment that has been earned over the course of those 56 episodes.

enter the graphic novel.

[ID: a full page. flames are everywhere and panels are intentionally chaotic. dialogue reads:

merle: maybe now would be good?

magnus: i’m a hero, not an idiot.

taako: actually, you’re both idiots!

he outstretches his arm from his position safe in a well.

taako: come on!

merle and magnus reach for taako’s hands. there is a closeup on their arms: merle and magnus each hold one of taako’s with one hand. then there’s a panel showing an explosion.]

this is obviously intended as a way to foreshadow arms outstretched. and typically i’m not against foreshadowing! i think one of the benefits of the graphic novel is that it’s an opportunity to insert foreshadowing in cool ways that were not necessarily possible given the in-progress nature of the podcast -- like i said earlier, that lucretia panel is a really great example of it. you can’t foreshadow arms outstretched in episode one because you have no idea it’s going to happen.

but here’s the thing. you also can’t foreshadow arms outstretched in episode one because it hasn’t been earned. these characters are not those characters yet. they don’t know each other. taako actively shuts down the title of “friend” earlier in the book. they’re not even coworkers yet. and you could make an argument that in the face of death, taako would try to save them, but... would he? really? he’s a pragmatist, and that’s putting it nicely. during the stolen century the only person he tries to get to safety at the risk of his own neck is lup, and, uh... neither of these guys are lup. hell, he doesn’t even know about lup right now, and we see in the podcast that not remembering her leaves him colder and more self-centered. he knows people are dust, but he doesn’t know there are people that aren’t. i truly don’t buy it.

the nature of adaptation is that things are going to change, and that’s fine; but this is such a major shift that it left me really jarred and unhappy with the writing. in the podcast itself, we get this:

killian: c’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon!

clint: decision made.

justin: yeah, i follow her.

travis: i follow her.

clint: me too.

griffin: the three of you dive into the well.

it makes sense that the gn adjusts this slightly so that magnus and merle try to pull some heroics and save everyone; i don’t have a problem with that. that’s a good adaptation of character that hadn’t exactly been seen yet, but comes to be a core enough part of the characters that it makes sense to insert it earlier. but even then, they could’ve gotten to the well without taako’s help. it’s just such a weird rewrite, and i really think it weakens the impact of arms outstretched itself.

i’ve been meaning to get my thoughts on this out for nearly a month at this point so if you’ve stuck with me this whole time, wow! thanks! i appreciate it! i’m not a professional, and obviously the mcelroys signed off on this, so i don’t really have space to say “oh, taako would never do this” or “oh, magnus was never like that” on a canonical level -- i know travis says something along those lines in one of the ttazzes. but as i said at the very beginning: this story means so, so much to me, and it’s really deeply frustrating to see an adaptation that handles things so... weirdly.

#prim.txt #tazposting #tazmeta #NEW TAG BABEY

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breezy-cheezy · 6 years ago

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Mmmmmkay I have to rant about Nier: Automata for a bit; I accidentally triggered the end of the game (playthrough 2, ending B) last night and stayed up till 2:00 trying to finish the stupid “not allowed to save” phase. But y’aLL IT’S SO GOOD??????? AND 3RD PLAYTHROUGH ISN’T ANOTHER RE-RUN OF THE SAME STORY WE GET MORE STORY AAAAAAAAA

(more under the cut because there is ALOT for those who care;;;;;)

- OK SO THE MUSIC IS AMAZING??? I love LOVE that the music dynamics build in instruments and intensity as you progress towards danger/plot, but also softens again for quieter moments and just...musical storytelling is so sooooo my jam I love it. Also that the music goes 8 bit when 9S hacks stuff, it’s actually kinda cute X’D

- ON THE SUBJECT of 9S being able to hack into enemies and you getting to play that as a little teeny ship shooting down viruses and barriers and whatnot. Genius???? That added SO MUCG to the story on the second playthrough as 9S. Particularly discovering the fact that all of humanity?? Is actually extinct?? ...even BEFORE the aliens/machines attacked earth?? WH A T?????? WHAT THE HECK ARE ANDROIDS FIGHTING FOR THEN????? *every time an android salutes and says “glory to mankind” now* GLORY MY FOOT THEY ALL DEAD MOVE ON--

- I realize it probably has alot to do with the lore of previous nier games and I’ll probably have to trawl through Wiki pages soon here. Emil himself really broke my heart aaaaaah baby...his side quest is so sad. I also looked at arts and he was a really cute kid?? Before he was turned int the freaky moon skeleton thing...?? Oh my goodness......

- The secret lunar tear flower room is gorgeous. I just sat there for awhile to soak it all in...the music is so nostalgic and I’ve never heard that song bfore how do y’all DO THAT--

- Emil’s shop is pretty cute. He just drives around the ruins and sells stuff if you shoot him and he’ll stop X’’’D It did ruin alot of serious moments tho. *Engels, talking about how he’d sinned for killing so many androids and choosing death--* “S-A-L-E SAAAALLLEEE~~!! EVERY SALE’S A WIIIINNNNNN~~~~!!!! LALALaaaaaa~~~...” Me: *facepalm*

- ...I just realized the little tune he sings is a cheerful rendition of the music in the flower room. H E C K

- ANYWAY. Onto the actual game. I really really enjoyed playing as 9S for obvious reasons (bABY) but it really did add so soooo much to the pretty much surface level story when you first play as 2B. Which sums them up pretty well...2B, Battle unit 2, pushes on relentlessly, avoids thinking too hard about things and what she’s doing because oh dear, EMOTION might get in the way...9S, Scanner unit 9, on the other hand, cannot stop his curiosity. He asks questions, he sticks his nose in way further than he should to some dangerous stuff. I think he realized Machines were sentient and had feelings long before 2B, but was in denial for a good while. You learn so much more about what you’re fighting as 9S, because he scans. He observes, searches, discovers. Heck, some hacking caused him to experience empathy for the poor things, to his horror...

- Actually, there are alot of scenes where either 2B or 9S questions why a machine they’re killing is screaming for help, of crying for lost family, or loudly proclaiming loyalty to a king they’ll give their lives for...they stop for a moment, but the other quickly jumps in and reminds them that it’s just imitation. It’s not real, it’s fake, machines can’t feel, yadda yadda...it was odd to me they kept switching off on reminding, but...I think they both know, deep down, what they’re doing. But denial. Because if machines DO have feelings, if they are sentient...what does that mean for all they’ve killed...? Just...hoo BOY the moral dellimas in this game?? Scary good. The quests get that across alot.

- I don’t like the theme of hopelessness in most of the side quests?? I do see many of them as cautionary tales though. We watch many characters lose hope and the will to live after their thing/person they’re living FOR is gone. It makes me worry alot about 2B, who is a soldier through and through. 9S actually does have hopes and dreams for things outside of the war, which I love ;7; they definitely lean on each other alot emotionally on this respect though...I don’t know quite what to make of the themes of the game this far in yet;;;;

- The love between 9S and 2B is of course my favorite thing. Familial, romantic, idk. I, being me, see it as more platonic, “You’re my rock in this storm” only friend/sister/brother vibe, but as more of a fan of platonic relationships, that is what I tend to do. But 9s following 2B around like a lost puppy and trying to do all he can to help and do his job but also getting bored with said job and trying to make the most of things, asking all the “why” questions, 2B acting irritated but also always keeps him close and makes sure he’s safe....going ballistic when someone hurts her boy ;;v;; I love...2 kids. Their operators and pods are such fun dynamics too~~

- As far as endings A and B...DANG. It hit worse because you get backstory on the giant ocean machine (that 9S just hit with a giant missle, which he also had to ride to keep it on the right path...DX NO SELF PRESERVATION) he just...wanted his mama......;;A;;

- Also it’s not fair. 9S is so injured by that missle attack, then I guess Adam finds him and is like “HM. *sticks the lil boy impaled on a wall* Perfect. *proceeds to emotionally and mentally torture said child*“ like YO ADAM THAT’S NOT HOW YOU DO THINGS. Then 2B proceeds to kick down walls for her boy and kills Adam and walks off carrying 9S bridal style into the sunset. Lovely. I have a comic idea for this part, lol.

- Oh I don’t like Adan very much, he is pretty tho?? There was alot of blood though...how do machines bleed?? How do the androids bleed?? What??? I question this alot.

- HHHHHHH THE BECOME AS GODS CHAPTER SCARED ME I DON’T EVER WANNA DO THAT AGAIN DANG SUICIDAL ROBOTS SCARED ME SO BAD

- Fighting Eve was...annoying but still heartbreaking. He misses his brother so much....even though Adam is a butthead and couldn’t care less he left his little brother behind DX just everything about that fight was Tragic. Also Eve developing more self awareness and realizing “Eve” is a girl’s name and being a bit miffed LOL that’s what y’all get when your first book is the bible kiddos...I realize they’re technically like what? 2 weeks old still???

- The ENDING. From 9S’s perspective is especially scary....the corruption transforming him, 2B coming in to kill him to stop the pain, he BEGGED her to, just....hhhhhhh babies ;;A;; 2B’s soft broken crying over him as she’s forced to strangle her only friend to death just aaaaaAAAAAAAA I DIE ;;;;;;;;~;;;;;;;;;

- I was actually able to cry over it this time coz. It was 2 am. No parent awkwardly watching over my shoulder. Because the pose for this scene is...........super awkward..........like......really........their clothes are super torn up and uh. The first time I was just hoping my parents wouldn’t mistake it for a sex scene or something hhhhhghhhhh;;;;;; I really really REALLY wish the pose was different, the game does need to give the fanservice a rest, at LEAST for a scene this serious DX I’m able to ignore it but when someone else is watching I don’t wanna have to explain;;;;

- That IS a big gripe I have with the game. The fanservice. Just. Why. How is 2B’s outfit practical?? Self destruct mode???? REALLY???? Get this girl battle shorts or something please.....I guess if I looked at it more as a ballet outfit?? I might make some edits when I draw her because GEEZ.

- 9S gets some of this too. Self destruct mode, his shorts are blown off???? WHAT THE HECK???? Welp, never using that again. also why is he the only yorha boy android??????????? X’’’’D They never explain that!!

- BACK TO ENDING STUFF why were there random data hologram girls standing there, watching 2B strangle 9S?? Just...silently there...they weren’t there in the first playthrough?? I’ve seen them a couple times but they’re NEVER mentioned?? WHAT ARE THEY-- is it a glitch?? Wha--

- Teeny 9S being able to dump his consciousness into a giant machine robot guy and cradling 2B in his hand ;;~;; he’s fine y’all I’m so GLAD (I wanna draw something for this scene.... I wanna draw alot of things)

- I love Pascal. He should adopt all the sad people to his happy peace village. He already started that...what a good egg.

- The accessories option is lovely. I’ve been running around with 9S with a blue bow in his hair forever now ;7; replaced with the flower in his hair because BOYS AND FLOWERS I LOVE but I think I might give the flower to 2B because she’d look lovely with it and....I miss the blue bow X’D

- Also the AMOUNT of things this could line up with a KH universe....as far as how androids work, hearts (black boxes), memories making you...you, being able to transfer “hearts” to new bodies when the old is destroyed, POWER OF LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP...there’s alot. I dunno what to do with this info...

Anyway, I have alOT of thoughts and feelings on this game, it’s like...a very cool book. I’ve had trouble putting down. These aren’t even all of them but idk who I can actually rant to so here it is for the Void

I’m so interested to see where it goes!

#breezy babbles #ALOT #idk where else to put this so here #for the void #this probably absolutely makes no sense I'm so sorry #nier: automata #nier #meta #????kinda #I loooove love love 9S with all my heart and soul #he's also voiced by Mob's english voice actor which is SO MUCH CUTER #they need to hang out #I love 2B so much too #their operators are cute #pascal is cute #everyone is cute

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forgettinggirlinterrpted · 6 years ago

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5/8 - 5/13/19

It’s so easy sometimes to forget why I’m here. That’s my problem- I forget things. I forget my keys, I forget to turn my car off when I get gas, once I even forgot I biked somewhere and ended up walking home.

But worse than that, I forget emotions. I forget how miserable not having AC in my car makes me until late April rolls around, I forget when I’m mad at someone, I forget how happy I felt during some of the most important moments in my life. Most importantly- I forget when I’m sad.

I have brief moments that pop up in a sea of darkness that allow me, for just a moment, to laugh and feel like a real person. These moments happen a lot. I can see light and laughter during a panic attack before the flip switches and my brain turns back into a train running off static electricity and black mold. The fog clears for just a brief stop on the tracks and the mold crawls back to its host.

But same as the the fog clears, eventually so does my forgetfulness. My ability to forget is just as weak as it is powerful. Slowly but surely those mold covered trains start moving again with no clear destination. The black creeps in as I sit in the real world, hunched over, grasping onto my surroundings- yet failing to grasp onto any sort of consistent breathing pattern. I can forget sadness, but I can just as quickly forget happiness.

So here I am, in the day room of a psychiatric hospital, surrounded by people just like me. We have become our own ragtag group of misguided grownups. When I arrived here 7 days ago almost a year after my last admission to this hospital, I felt the trains moving at full speed through a pile of sludge. I stared at the painting on the wall and began to fear that here, I may not be able to utilize my warped superpower: my ability to forget.

But slowly, the other patients and I have begun to forget together- somehow forgetting without truly forgetting. Together, we can laugh not through the pain, but alongside it. This is the place where I don't have to feel bad for my moments of forgetfulness. Moments of comic relief and simple enjoyment. I don’t need to feel like my laughter negates my 10-year-old depression diagnosis.

Here, we are embracing those moments. We embrace the moments of happiness and sadness- in whichever order they decide to arrive. In a room full of people so different it looks like the set-up to a bad joke, we can forget in a place that is simultaneously forcing us to remember.

When I got here, my doctors told me to embrace the community. “If you don’t want to talk about your anxiety and depression, then just listen.” So I listened. And then I started talking.

One night, we all gathered in the day room, attempting to avoid the loneliness of our windowless rooms. As a Die Hard sequel blasted in the background, the addicts in the room discussed their journey through meth addiction. I asked questions. They answered. We all laughed. A heroin addict around my age told me, “seriously, don’t touch meth.”

The man next to me, Nate, said through the bustle of conversation and laughter, “are you here cuz of a drug?” I said no, and in his thick, mumbled, country accent he asked me, “then why you here?”

I told him that I’m sad.

He sighed, looked down at his folded hands and said, “yeah, I’m sad too.”

Nate loves movies and reading, M&M cookies, and meth. Up until he injected 3 grams of “ice” in a suicide attempt, he has been living on the streets. I halfway listened to the ongoing conversation about how incredible and horrifying hard drugs can be as he told me about a time he was arrested after ending up inside a university dorm building thinking he lived there. We all took a brief break to laugh even more when another patient, also coming from a recent suicide attempt, tried to enter the conversation by saying he had only ever “done weed once.”

Later, in his mumbled speech, Nate told the group about when he was high and stood in the middle of park downtown for 4 hours with a knife in his hand. We asked him what the hell he was doing just standing there.

He simply replied, “lookin’.”

I think we were unable, or even unwilling to truly focus on the scary reality behind Nate standing in a public park, knife in hand, waiting for cops that neither we, or even Nate, knew for certain were even coming.

So we just kept laughing.

As the night and following day before his release passed, I kept talking to Nate. I shared my extra cookies with him, and forced him to come paint in recreational therapy with me. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how genuinely scared I would be if Nate tried to open my dorm room door in the middle of the night. Or if I saw him middle aged, 6’2”, with a bald head, tear drop tattoo, and the psychique of a retired bouncer, standing in park, knife in hand, having the time of his life.

I asked him if it scared him to be out of control like that. He said that was his favorite part; he didn’t mind losing control. Between him telling me about his attempt to end his life and the meth fueled antics that cost him both his new job in Florida and his boss’ iPad, I realized Nate was funny, knowledgeable, and vaguely socially aware.

During one of our conversations, we found ourselves trapped in a seminar about nutrition. He slapped his hands on his thighs and said, “well, time to go.” I whined and asked him to stay. My insistence on attending every activity offered was at odds with Nate’s style. A style that told me that maybe once he did have my naive enthusiasm towards recovery, but lost it somewhere along the way. He said “you want me to stay?” and plopped back into his chair. He knew I wanted him to be there, just as I had begged him earlier to attend a journaling group session- declining my invitation with a non-committal hand gesture and a “nah.”

We sat through the nutritionist explaining “My Plate,” an updated version of the food pyramid. Nate leaned sideways and quietly grumbled, “is that like MySpace,” and I chuckled quietly in a way that reminded me of my habit of exchanging bad jokes in attempts to survive a boring lecture. When the nutritionist asked what could be used as a meat substitute for protein, Nate shouted out every type of bean he could think of. She asked if anybody had eaten eggplant and he shouted, “oh hell yeah, I had an eggplant lasagna once and that shit was delicious.” His southern drawl made everything he said more melodic, and added a level of enthusiasm he often didn’t like to show- unless he is shouting expletives about his incredible experience with eggplant lasagna.

After I had completely tuned out the nutritionist and began to draw in my notebook, Nate leaned over and asked if we could be friends on Facebook. I sneakily handed him paper for him to write his name down. As he wrote, he told me he may not be able to respond for about 30 days.

It happened again. I had forgotten.

I had spent that day arguing with Nate about whether the book or movie version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is better. This was an especially unwinnable argument given that I had never seen the movie and only gotten 100 pages into the book, and Nate had only ever seen the movie.

He had given me movie suggestions, quoted Carrie, and given me shit for thinking a Pink Floyd song playing on the radio was by the B-52’s.

He ranted about the symbolism behind the music video for Another Brick in the Wall as he painted a birdhouse that he could have easily crushed by closing his fist.

So I forgot. I forgot when he interrupted my conversation with a social worker to mime towards my extra cookie I had leftover from snack time. He had already eaten the first one when I offered, and originally declined the second.

I was happy he asked for this one though, since I had only asked for the extra cookies so I could give them to him.

But he didn’t know that.

His casual mention of the 30 days made me chuckle, but also made me remember. Remember where I was, why I was here, and who I was talking to.

I remember that when we first met, Nate told me his father had been in this same hospital almost 23 years ago. He also told me he killed himself right after being discharged. He tried to tell me it didn’t bother him, but shrugged and mumbled, “I mean it prolly does but I don’t know.” I want to say he said it casually, but that wasn’t it. He wasn’t laughing, but he wasn’t crying either. Mainly, he seemed defeated. Tired, like this was just the beginning of a long list of bullshit he has tried to deal with in his own way.

He looked at me, but never fully turned his body.

He told me the only thing he truly remembers about the day his dad died.

During checkout, his dad checked a box on his discharge forms stating yes, he did think his time there had helped him. But his father made it clear to Nate that he didn’t think it helped his depression. When he asked his dad why he lied to the doctors, Nate’s father told him, “I just want to go home.”

This all flashes back, and I remember that despite a potential Facebook friendship, this was the last time I would see him. Mainly, I was forced to remember that I have no control over his sobriety- and that 2 days of talking and painting with a depressed 24-year-old is not going to keep him from running back to the life he is used to the moment things get difficult in his new facility.

I began to think about my plan of action if I see Nate in 30 days, 3 months, or 3 years from now, standing downtown waiting for a dealer, or embarking on one of the never-ending walks he takes to kill time when the meth steals his ability to sleep.

Would I stop for him? Am I prepared to know fully and truthfully that this attempt at sobriety had failed? That the system had failed? Am I ready to accept the fact that I live in a world where kind, smart, and funny people just aren’t given the chance at life they deserve?

I asked him why he thought this shot at sobriety would work, and he said, “I’m just tired man, this ain’t no life.” So again, I remember. I remember why he is here in the first place- Nate had tried to kill himself. What happens if this doesn’t all go according to plan? What’s next?

His favorite part of the drug he wants to quit is the lack of control, and his drug-fueled delusions grant him his own ability to forget. Nate wasn’t ashamed to tell me his stories, but made it clear he wasn’t particularly proud of them either- with an ambivalence that is both inspiring and troubling.

I fear the thought of everything he hadn’t had time to tell me about. I worry about what will happen when he begins to allow himself to remember.

During our first conversation, I told Nate I was afraid to leave the hospital because I thought the real world was scary. Without fully looking at me Nate shrugged and said, “it’s only as scary as you let it be.”

Before he checked out, I gave Nate my copy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to read in rehab.

Maybe one day we can finally finish our debate on the merits of each version of the story.

Selfishly, I mostly did this so Nate would remember me. But even if he throws the book away, I just hope he remembers to take his own advice. The world really is only as scary as we let it be.

In our groups sessions this past week, we have talked a lot about forgiveness and second chances. For the past 6 months, I have struggled to handle my anxiety and depression, making my constant battle between forgetting and remembering unbearable.

I’ve learned I need to give myself a second chance, and allow myself to to let go of the things that fuel the trains in my head.

Nate and I are both giving ourselves our own second chances- ones that might end up with us both back in this hospital. Ones that will be scary.

Whether or not we crash and burn, these are second chances I think we both truly deserve.

The trains in my head will never fully stop, and that’s ok. I feel ready to go home. I feel ready to attempt to live in a world without fear.

And, for the sake of Nate and every single way our short friendship changed me- I just want to allow myself to forget, but always remember to remember.

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ra9zine · 6 years ago

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Meet Erica D’urso! An inspirational artist featured in the ra9zine!

What are the links to your social media so people can find you! https://www.facebook.com/xmangaka (more used for news and wip) https://www.instagram.com/erucchan/ (for images) https://twitter.com/Erica_Durso https://erinartb.tumblr.com/

What first inspired you to draw? I started drawing since I was a child. It was my escape from the chaos of the world. I wasn't good to speak so I used to draw to express myself

What programs do you use to to draw? I'm using Clip Studio Paint now for making comics. Photoshop for colors and I love to make traditional pieces too!

What kind of tablet do you use? have a wacom cintiq 13 hybrid for home and a Mobile studio Pro when I'm travelling!

What is your favorite thing to draw? I love dynamic poses and pinups of women. When I need to warm up, I start with them!

How long have you been drawing for? If I count my childhood sketches, I think 14 years. But I started drawing comics 8 years ago.

Are there any particular artists that have inspired you over the years? There are many! I'm a comic artist and I have a lot of artists in my mind to keep myself inspired. My "heroes" are, at the moment, Davide Gianfelice, Sara Pichelli and Mahmud Asrar. There are many other artists, but these are my top three!

Did you go to school for art or are you self taught? Would you recommend a formal education? I did Artistic High School and a School of Comic in Milan, but what really taught me something is the Master I did in Rome, at International School of Comic. My teacher was David Messina and I learned a lot of things in just one year.

I have to say it, school isn't enough. You need a lot of will and must be ready to go ahead no matter the walls you'll find in front of you.

Do you do Commissions? Are they open? do you have a link to your commission page? I've actually closes them because of my little free time. But I think I'll re-open them the next year. I still have not any commission page, but you can check my social media to stay tuned!

Do you have a website? (Patreon? Etsy? Webtoons? Youtube? Artstation? BigCartel? Tictail? etc?) Not yet. I feel kinda unknown yet ahah!

Do you sell merch or prints anywhere? Not really. Just sometimes I sell my originals. If you want you can check my facebook page!

Do you have a webcomic? whats the link to your webcomic? how did you get started? Any tips for future webcomic artists? I do not own the name of the project, but I applied as artist in one of the chapters! Midnight Roads is an Italian comic, but you can read it online on Tapas. The guys who started it were the first to ask me to draw a story for them. I'm really affectionate to them and their characters!

Do you have recommendations for networking? Not really, I'm so out of the world that I'm not a pro in net stuff ^^"

Is there anything we missed that you might want to share with your followers? I do streaming! (sometimes). I use facebook, just for my contacts, but I tried twitch too. Maybe in future I'll start again.

I'd love to share what I know on comics and livestreaming would be fun with some follower :>

Do you have any final inspirational words or tips for your followers? No matter how it's hard, never stop fighting for your dreams. Giving up would means you're lying to yourself and you don't deserve it <3

And be kind. Everything will be all right.

#erica d'urso #erica durso #ra9zine #ra9 fanzine #artist interview #artist interviews

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shiobookmark · 6 years ago

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Voltron Ending

So I binged the series and OH BOY

Point the First: Shiro

So when the whole Shiro thing came up I wasn’t too angry. It was a really shitty thing to do but if they hadn’t made all this marketing surrounding the fact Shiro had a boyfriend I wouldn’t have cared much. It’s just that they have one scene together where they’re sitting apart, Shiro on a couch and Adam at the table drinking tea. He asks Shiro whether he matters to him at all because he keeps flying off on dangerous missions and if he takes this next mission (which ends up being the one that has him captured and kickstarts the series) he won’t be there to welcome him home. That’s it. Honestly the scene didn’t so much say relationship as ‘annoyed friend.’ Like if you squint, or tweak it just a little, Adam could have been anyone to Shiro. A brother, a friend, a cousin. We don’t know what their relationship was like, why they loved each other or how long they’d been together. We don’t know what they did for fun. All we know is that Adam is called Adam, he’s a fighter pilot and Shiro was sad when he blew up while he was away. It doesn’t count as representation. We got shit like this in the 80s. Go look up Matt Baume’s discussions on different sitcoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPHBtW2-c8A The Golden Girls did queer representation a heck of a lot better. And it was in 1986. That’s pathetic Voltron.

But whatever. I could have forgiven it if they didn’t then draw attention to it with all the marketing. That’s just shitty. I can still let it slide, even then. Hey, maybe they make up for it in season 8? 13 episodes is plenty of time to introduce a side character that Shiro bonds with, even if it doesn’t develop into a full blown relationship just a hint would be- Oh.

That’s it. That’s what we get. A slide at the end. ‘He married a guy and left the battlefield.’ *Sighs into infinity* Okay let’s break this bullshit down: 1. I could write about a five page comic giving Shiro a boyfriend that could have easily slotted into season 8. There was at least two episodes of downtime. Why couldn’t they have dedicated one to Shiro’s new beau?

Seriously cut out the episode which is just found footage by some random fighter pilot we know almost nothing about and develop this guy. 2. Shiro got married and left the battlefield. Uh. No. You mean to tell me Shiro is the only character who doesn’t find a meaningful new cause to champion? He’s not that old for fucks sakes! He’s what, 27? At the oldest?? Everyone else finds something they love to carry on with. Pidge builds new defensive tech, Hunk cooks food to bring diplomats together, Lance stays with his family on earth to live a quiet life according to Allura’s principles, Keith both rebuilds a peaceful Galran empire and provides relief aid- For a moment, imagine Shiro is a woman. Everything else about him is the same, but he’s a woman. Imagine how backwards and shitty it would be for ‘her’ to then find some random man no one has heard of and abandon her career just to be a wife? Like, just a wife. Not a housewife. Not raising a family. Not being a teacher. Nothing. Because being a wife or homemaker is a worthwhile cause, I just don’t buy that it’s Shiro in particular unless you show me that! Show me the kids he has! The family he builds! What he does in his spare time! How does his arc end? Heck, Shiro should’ve been a professor at the academy. Or exploring the furthest reaches of the universe on a diplomatic mission to unite people. Or something. Boiling it down to ‘he gay’ is insulting. Your life doesn’t end when you find a spouse. Okay now that Shiro is out of the way, let’s talk about Allura. Point the Second: Allura I’m against the ending they chose for her and not just because I blubbered like a child. Allura is an empath, a strong leader, she feels the pain of others deeply and it makes complete sense for her to choose to sacrifice herself to save all of existence. But here’s the thing: Being self-sacrificial was her biggest flaw. She never stopped blaming herself for things that were beyond her control. Truly ridiculous things. She blamed herself for so much, she blamed herself for all suffering ever. I actually really liked when she took that dark entity into herself because I could see how that self-sacrificing nature could become twisted. She’d be willing to sacrifice herself to great evil in order to save everyone. I was expecting that they would defeat Honerva, only to have Allura become the new threat as she tries to remake existence to wipe out all war and pain and suffering. Then the team needs to remind her that pain and sorrow are what lead to growth and rebirth. Allura needed to learn how to distance herself from the pain of others so that she wasn’t crippled by it, instead she succumbed to it. Imagine for a moment if they stopped Honerva in say, episode 10. Allura is then drawn by the power of the entity into taking Honerva’s place, punching through the fabric of reality specifically to get to the core so that she can remake existence according to her wishes. The team has to bust through without Voltron. Get to their friend who is at the centre of the universe and can feel everything - all the pain and sorrow is overwhelming. But gradually they teach her to tune into the good things, the happiness and laughter and see how all these things are connected. True happiness is only precious because it’s fleeting, because it isn’t something you have automatically. Pain can be valuable. Pain is part of life. I think Lance would be uniquely suited to that scene. Because he values family and he’s had to be separated from them for so long. Allura misses her family so badly she wants to bring them back, but Lance helps her recognise that they can build a new family together. Hell, have him propose. Not in a ‘will you marry me’ way but a ‘please, live your life with me’ way. Think Fullmetal Alchemists ‘I’ll give you my life if you give me yours.’ Keith could help too, remind her that he was in pain from his Galra heritage but with her acceptance he reached new growth. ‘I wouldn’t have the bond I have with my mum now if it weren’t for you.’ Then perhaps they end up having to sacrifice the Lions. Return them into the flow of existence. So their physical forms are gone but their consciousness and all their knowledge still exists to be passed on somehow in the future. It doubles as a safeguard against future powers using Voltron for evil, as Zarkon did. That would have been a better ending in my eyes. Give Allura that space to grow and lead her people. She’s never had a people to lead. Instead of her becoming a martyr, who will eventually fade into a mere ideal of purity and goodness, let her be a full human being who grows and changes and helps other people to change. (It’s also always a woman sacrificing herself and c’mon) Okay. Accepted. That’s my canon now. I can let it go.

#spoilers #Voltron

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blogdrink103 · 4 years ago

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clevercatchphrase · 7 years ago

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2017 in review, and goals for 2018

If I had to describe 2017 in one word it would be... monotonous. Sure, there were plenty of ups and downs, but for the most part, especially the latter 6 months, I just felt like I was going through the motions, holding my nose to the grind stone, doing work and paying off student loans. 2017 blew by me, and I remember thinking each month passed by with unusal quickness. There's a strange sense of disociation with that, like I wasn't really connected to reality for most of the year, and instead watched it pass me by from a seperate temporal window. In a weird way it may have been a bit of a godsend as well. I hear 2017 was hard for a lot of people, but feeling so disonnected from the year may have protected me and cushioned the blow in a sense.

I lost a family member this year in early june. I knew it was coming ever since january as I hated having to watch them deteriorate and get worse and worse until they finally passed. The three months leading up to it and the three months after were particularly hard and left me feeling unable to write or draw or do anything productive. I still miss them terribly. I always will. But I hope I won't let it immobilize me as much this year as it did last year.

Anyway, Let's review my goals for last year and see what I've accomplished. I’ve a lot to say, so for brevity’s sake I’ve put it all under the cut.

GOALS FOR 2017 1) Finish my 50 billion fan fictions so I can get back to drawing Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha. HAHAHAHAHA. The depression I got halfway through the year throughly put a halt on this. I haven't even finished one of the fics I've started in 2016. I got close, seeing as i participated in NaNoWriMo this year to try and force myself to finish, but I still need to revise and edit all that I've written and the motivation is non existant. GOD, I have so many stories too, all of them still undertale fan fiction because I'm still not over that game. I'll list them all when I share my goals for this year later below. 2)Draw in 2 pages of my sketch book each week so I'll finish a sketch book in a year. I was SO CLOSE with this one! I filled out 95 pages! But you know what i discovered in august? I realized that my 100 page sketch book.... was actually 150 pages! Oh well! I drew more this year than I thought i would! Just because i didn't hit 100 pages, doesn't mean I didn't accomplish something! 3) Finish 14 out of the remaining 27 lessons on my duolingo course I went fucking above and beyond with this one. I hit this goal back in may, and then I completely finished up the danish duolingo course by november. I also passed my 1095 day streak which translates to doing duolingo daily for OVER 3 YEARS STRAIGHT. I still practice daily to build my vocabulary, and I know I can't speak it for the life of me, or follow along with fast speakers, but give me a few minutes and I can probably read it for you. Funny how that works, where I can understand danish if it's written out, but ask me to translate from english to danish and I struggle like a butterfly in a tumble dryer. 4) Become passibly fluent in ASL I have this box of 600 ASL flash cards, and this year I practiced two of them a day until I got through the entire box. I certainly learned a bunch of new words but I wouldn't say I was fluent yet. I certainly don't know all the grammar rules yet. I HAVE been able to sign with people at my job, though I do rely heavily on fingerspelling still. Most everyone I talked with seemed to know I was trying and they seemed really excited that I could understand them if they were patient with me. I put more of my focus on Danish last year, but now that I'm done with Danish, maybe I can focust more on ASL. My sister told me about this site similar to duolingo called "memrise" that actually has an ASL course, so you can bet I'll be looking into that. 5) Read the entire dictionary I did this! I kept two spiral note books and wrote down any words I thought were cool or interesting! I haven't gone back and re-read the words I wrote down, but maybe I will this year! It was exhausting. It was weird. I still can't believe I spent about 200 hours last year doing this. 6) Read one new book every month Much like my sketch book goal, I almost completed this one. I kept it up every month until October, and then I just... stopped. I read more than I thought this year, though I ended up usually waiting until the last week of each month to read, and I also cheated by counting the dictionary as one of the things I read (hey, it's a book, ain't it?) I also re-read old books that I know I like, so not entirely 10 new books were read this year. Reading 1 new book a month isn't one of my goals this year, but I hope to read more new stuff reguardless, 7) Actually use the tutorials and references I reblog Seeing as I barely did any digitial art this year, I can't say I did this one. 8) Do more art streams I think my goal was to stream once a month. I clearly didn't do this. I DID stream in 2017, I just didn't tell anyone. Idk why, I just... went live for people to see but didn't let anyone know I did. I also only streamed like... twice? sigh... So... out of the 8 goals I set, I would say I accomplished close to half. I read the dictionary, I finished my danish language course (which I'm counting as two completed goals) and combining the "read 1 new book a month" and "draw 100 pages in a sketch book" I'll count that as one completed goal. I went through all my ASL cards, though I'm not fluent, OH! I also wanted to pay off 6k loan that I had. I want to count this one as a success because I DID FUCKING PAY OVER 6 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN LOANS THIS YEAR. I got a surprise loan I had no idea about in june that was 1500 dollars, which threw me off. I managed to pay it off in 2 months, BUT IF THAT LOAN HAD NEVER EXISTED I TOTALLY WOULD HAVE FINISHED PAYING OFF THE 6K ONE. I've got a little over a thousand left to pay on the 6k loan now, which I will complete by the end of January. I'm so close to being under 10k in debt... GOALS FOR 2018 1)Go from being 5 figures in student loan debt down to 4 figures in debt (pay off 2 out of 4 loans) If everything goes according to Keikaku I'll achieve this by the end of June. This has to factor in things like updating my car registration in april, oil changes, tune ups, tire rotation, gas and food expenses, but as long as I don't get fired I should be fine! 2) Stretch Daily Not exercise. I never exercise. But it would be nice to increase my flexibility. 3) STOP TOUCHING YOUR GODDAMN FACE/ find an effective acne treatment I also want to try washing my face daily. Im fucking 25. I shouldn't have this many pimples. 4) Do another song comic I made A lyrictale for Undertale at the end of 2015 in ten days. I want to make another. I already have it scripted, now I just need to do it. 5) Do at least one art stream a month. Hey, maybe I can stream the next song comic I do. Sure, it'd spoil the song and story for everyone, but doesn't that sound fun? 6)Practice ASL I just started looking into Memrise and their ASL courses. They actually have A LOT, AND! THEY HAVE SIGN LANGUAGE COURSES FOR OTHER COUNTRIES! This year is gonna be fun. (Also, the only reason I want to learn ASL because of Undertale. I'll let you figure out how they are connected) 7) Sew 4 stuffed animals I started sewwing a Hobbes plush in the middle of last year. His body is finished. I just never did the head. The other three stuffed animals I want to make I will keep a secret because I love to keep people guessing. 8) Make two AMVs There are two songs I want to put to Avatar; The Last Airbender, and Avatar; The Legend of Korra. I have about half the footage... I just... need to rewatch the shows and put the clips together. Hey, maybe after I find all the clips I can do a stream of that as well. 9) Last but not least, finish my many, MANY Undertale Fan Fics. a. You Monster (34 out of 37 chapters are written, but only 29 are posted) b. Finish the "Of Two Minds" series (it's explicit don't look) c. Color Theory (A chasriel one shot) d. Something Left Behind (Terrible AU Idea #647) e. Let's Get Real (Self insert, joke, parody thing that will also be explicit) f. Game Day! (something about soccer games with Mettaton along the same vain as Field Trip!) g. Would You Like Fries With That (Nicepants because there's not enough of it in the world) h. Science Fair! (something with Undyne and school projects along the same vain as Field Trip!) i. One that is so horribly dark and fucked that I won't even describe it here. Welp! Those are my goals for 2018! What are your goals for 2018? Whatever they are, I wish you success and improvement, health and wealth! Stay safe this year! I love you all~

#new year's resolutions #long post

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sowk-fic-archive · 7 years ago

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SOWK ch.8/35

Summary:

A song is somewhere to begin...

(notes and translations at the end of the chapter)

[[Notes from blog owner: If you are not yet aware... I, in my first read through of this fic, did not listen to the song of the same name of this fic until I got all the way through to the end- even the epilogue- and it was SO moving. Please, just try it that way. I beg you, for your own experience’s sake.]]

Chapter 8 : ensemble

“You’re early,” were the first surprised words out of Matthew Bellamy’s mouth as he passed his employee at the bottom of the staircase. Dominic turned around to see Matthew stop, mutter something to himself and then turn around to face him fully. “I mean... I’m sorry for your loss, Dominic.” It sounded like he was saying the name through his teeth, just like his pathetic excuse for a father did. Nodding, the glouglou shrugged his bag higher up on his shoulder and began to make his way to his father’s old office. Unlocking the small room under the stairs with a shaking hand, Dominic pushed the door open and shut it promptly behind him, his back pressing against the cool wood and his knees giving way below him. The room smelt like his father. Closing his eyes, he could see his father with a pencil tucked behind his ear, tongue sticking out as he tried to work out a particular melody or phrasing. Where a Voix composer would sing to check the tune, Fleck would turn to the old half-size piano pushed up against the far wall, sometimes needing Dominic to join him in playing both the melody, chords and bass together. Dominic opened his eyes to an empty office. He realised two things, with a quiet, defeated sigh. The first was that he’d be doing it all alone now. The second was that Matthew needed new songs, and sitting on the floor in his own office wouldn’t write them. Unless, of course, Matthew joined him in this tiny, cramped space. That would certainly put Dominic’s plan into action. He stood up, walking over to his desk and sitting down heavily on his father’s old chair. Pulling a sheet of pre-printed note paper towards him, he picked up a pencil and stared blankly down at it, unsure of what to write. He didn’t know how his father had done it, written songs like he did. He always had something to write, no matter how he felt. Dominic had never asked. He’d never asked his father a lot of things, and now he never would. Taking a bitter breath, he carefully drew a treble clef at the side of the first stave, followed by the time signature. It was going to be a long day.

At just past lunchtime, Dominic was already back in the office, with a solid page of his song completed. Contrary to what he had expected, the work he was forcing upon himself was doing an excellent job of stemming the thoughts about his father. When he concentrated, the music he was carefully inscribing on the paper was clouding his brain of all other thoughts. He had eaten little at lunch, however. The people who worked alongside him, and who had worked with his father, were slowly making their individual condolences. He didn’t want to hear it. He had heard the words “I’m sorry,” so many times that they had been echoing around his head as he sat in silence and chewed on his sandwich. He had left most of his food, and taken only a sip of his coffee, before he had packed his things away and headed back into the office, ignoring the questions from his coworkers. And now he sat back at the table, scribbling down chord progressions that matched his melody. Taking a deep breath, he sat back and scanned over his work, before standing up and moving towards the old piano that had been carefully placed in the corner of the room. He sat in front of it, pushing the cover out of the way and resting his fingers on the keys. The last time he had sat at this piano, it had been running through a song with his father. His fingers touched the keys lightly in the first chord, the sound ringing through the room. He swallowed, looking up at his notes and beginning to play the melody, softly at first, then with growing confidence. “Is that my song?” He jumped, fingers smashing on the keys. A loud discord sounded throughout the room. He turned to the doorway, where a small, slim figure dressed in a navy blue shirt and white jeans was standing, his blond hair reflecting the light. Dom nodded numbly in Matthew Bellamy’s direction, watching as the Voix walked slowly into the room and stood a few feet away from him, watching intently. “Start again,” Matthew said, and though his voice was quiet, there was a commanding tone to it. “I want to hear it properly.” Dominic turned back to the piano, swallowing the coarse words that he was desperate to say and glancing back up at his sheet to remind himself of the melody. He took a deep breath and began to play the song again, Matthew’s eyes fixed on him, burning into the back of his head. His nervous fingers missed a couple of the chords, however the blond behind him remained silent as his left foot began tapping a rhythm, his right working the pedals. The stool creaked as Dominic leaned forward, finding himself falling into the melody and unable to stop himself. Music had been his passion, and to create something even half as beautiful as his father’s would make him a happy man. Somewhere, he thought, his father would be looking down on him, and Dominic wanted nothing more than to make Fleck proud. His fingers came to a sudden stop. “That’s all I’ve written so far,” he said, blinking away thoughts of his father. Matthew hummed, deep in thought. “How long have you been working on this?” “Only this morning.” Humming again, Matthew stayed silent. Dominic looked back over his shoulder to see what the Voix was doing, but found him looking at a stack of papers in the corner of the room. “What’s it about? The theme?” he asked eventually. “It’s your choice, sir,” Dominic said, the respectful term slipping off his tongue from years of habit, although it left a bitter taste. After seeing Matthew’s reaction to it, however, the glouglou decided he should start using it more if he wanted his plan to work. Dominic, too lost in his own thoughts, almost missed Matthew’s statement. “I want to sit down.” Matthew had never written songs with his father in the office, Dominic knew that much. They would go to the dining room, or one of the many other rooms in the palace-like mansion. Never had Matthew even set foot in the cramped little music office, until that morning. Maybe everything was changing. “Yes, of course,” Dominic said, scooting along the piano stool and gesturing to a dusty chair in the corner of the room simultaneously. In an almost comical gesture, Matthew looked between the chair, his white jeans and the chair once again before sitting primly at the edge of the stool cushion with a huff, still only a few inches from Dominic. “What would you like the song to be about, then?” Dominic asked, fingers quietly picking out the main melody on the keyboard. Matthew watched, fascinated, and it dawned on Dominic that in his world, he probably didn’t get to watch many people play piano, save for his accompanists. He’d probably never been this close to a piano in his life. He ignored Dominic’s question in favour of his own. “Can you teach me?” Matthew asked, voice quiet and barely there. Dominic turned to look at Matthew properly, the Voix actually looking shy for once. His blue eyes were sparkling, and he cleared his throat. “I asked my father and he said that I couldn’t. Told him that it might make me a better Unique, and he said I should lie about it to the press. I don’t want to, though; my mother raised me to tell the truth.” Dominic swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat when Matthew mentioned his own father. The two men stared at each other for seconds, minutes - Matthew didn’t know what had compelled him to tell Dominic such personal information about his private life; he wouldn’t tell one of his cooks, so why his songwriter? Looking away, Matthew pulled a face to himself. “I’m not very good,” Dominic blurted, finding himself having to explain when Matthew raised one eyebrow in a condescending manner. “I mean, I’ve never had any training. Your pianist would be better than me; my father taught me everything I know.” A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between them, Matthew’s slender fingers reaching out to brush the ivories without actually pressing them. “Is that a lot, then?” Matthew asked, distracted. When Dominic didn’t reply, he looked up from his hands to see the other man scowling. “What?” Matthew asked. He stared at Dominic for another beat before continuing. “Oh, yes, your father, of course.” Dominic snapped his jaw shut, teeth biting together. “And I was just starting to think that you’re not a complete bastard.” Matthew’s eyes looked dangerous, his fingers pressing down on the piano and sending an out-of-place harmony through the room. “What did you just call me?” he spat through gritted teeth. “Does it matter? What will you do to me this time, hey? Dance with me then get my mother killed off instead? Add to the family tomb while you’re at it?!” Dominic screamed, fists clenching at his sides. He’d long ago stood up and was looking down at Matthew like he was the worst person in the world. Well, second worst, in Dominic’s opinion. Matthew paled, if that was even possible given his already snow-white complexion. He looked away, unable to watch the storms rage in Dominic’s eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said somewhat quietly, the atmosphere in the room thick and heavy on their heads. “I was only trying to be nice, given the circumstances.” “Well, you’ve just proved that Voix are incapable of being nice,” Dominic started, continuing when he saw Matthew’s mouth pop open to argue back. “You saw us cassés last week; the people you call ‘broken’ actually have a stronger sense of goodwill than you snobs do!” Dominic moved away from the stool to stand at the opposite end of the small room, unable to be near to the man at his piano. A tiny voice in the back of his head reminded him that this wouldn’t help his plan, but it didn’t matter right now. The Voix’s head dipped downwards, and as Dominic watched, his chest rising and falling heavily, he noticed a faint blush tinting the pale cheeks. “I...” he subsided into silence for a moment, and Dom held his breath, wondering just what pitiful excuse Matthew was going to come up with now. “You’re...” “I’m what?” Dom sneered, extending his fingers and curling them back into fists repeatedly. “Please, do continue.” Matthew slowly stood up from the piano, back straight and eyes burning. “You are an insolent brat,” he spat out. “You talk to me with absolutely no respect--” “Is it really necessary?” “--and you have absolutely no idea of how insignificantly small you are. You think that because your father is dead, you can talk to me with that kind of attitude and get away with it!” “Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Dom said with a nod. “You’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you?” Matthew’s mouth opened then closed several times in a row, before he finally folded his arms across his tiny chest and declared, “You make me sick.” “Je m’en branle,” Dominic replied, his face expressionless. The Voix stood dumbfounded for at least a minute; apparently it was rare that glouglous spoke the language that had been presided over by the Voix for so long. He watched with silent glee as Matthew summed himself up, taking in a breath and turning abruptly on his heel. He marched from the room, leaving Dom to listen quietly to the sounds of his angered footsteps. He stood, holding back a snort of laughter as Matthew’s voice rose to a shrill yell while addressing a glouglou. “Don’t just stand there, woman! Move out of the way or so help me I’ll...” The threat faded into silence; it sounded as if Matthew had walked away. Despite the fact that what had just happened was entirely the opposite of what he had wanted, it gave him more than a little pleasure in angering Matthew. Sitting back down at his desk, he marveled over how easily he could make Matthew’s emotions skyrocket. So far, he had only managed to infuriate the Voix, but it wouldn’t take him long before Matthew snapped. And when Matthew snapped, Dominic would finally get what he wanted.

Revenge.

Notes:

"Je m'en branle" - I don't give a fuck

[[Notes from blog owner: DON’T LISTEN TO THE SONG YET, but it’s a piano and vocal version of “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane. If you are not yet aware, I, in my first read through of this fic, did not listen to the song until I got all the way through to the end- even the epilogue- and it was SO moving. Please, just try it that way. I beg you, for your own experience’s sake.]]

2 notes · View notes

mk1comics · 6 years ago

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Our School Holiday tradition is on again - we have a table full of Promotional Posters up for grabs - visit the shop and choose a free poster!

--- JULY BARGAINS!

We have added a heap of IMAGE COMICS graphic novels and comic volumes to our SALE section - the selection is viewable here https://mark1.vendecommerce.com/collections/graphic-novel-sale . Our Cheap Comic bins have also made a July School Holiday return (lots of 2000ad progs in the $2 pile!) Be sure to check out our COMIC PACK rack in store too (they have a new home in the SALE alcove down the back of the shop - if you can't find them ask a friendly MK1 staff member). Lots of new packs have been listed in the webstore - find them all here.. https://mark1.vendecommerce.com/collections/comic-packs-1

I'm hoping everybody knows by now to keep a close eye on the MARK TEN Page https://mark1.vendecommerce.com/collections/mark-ten-ten-cool-things-ten-cheap-prices - home to Ten cool things with Ten hot prices .. the page has been going a year now and it is really doing well - took a bit of time to build an audience but is now clocking up lots of orders with happy MK1 people grabbing a bargain (or ten!)

Looking ahead to the rest of the month with lots of big releases rolling in soon - have you got your preorders sorted? The NZ Dollar vs US Dollar has been a bit wobbly of late.. The uncertainty this creates around cost of comics make us a little more cautious than usual and we dial back our sell through target (meaning we order less trying to sell out sooner). With this in mind we strongly recommend getting your preorders in early. FULL JULY HIGHLIGHTS can be viewed here https://blog.mk1.co.nz/post/185221461782/mk1-july-2019-preorder-form-is-up-lots-of or jump straight to the full JULY preorder form here and place an order https://blog.mk1.co.nz/july2019

August highligts can be viewed here and the full AUGUST preorder form is here https://blog.mk1.co.nz/AUGUST2019 . I won't have the MK1 preorder form for September up till early next month but you can get a headstart over at the Previews World site https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog?batch=JUL19 Reminder Previews World has the release date in US format -month-day-year (add a day for NZ release) and price is in US$ (add FX, GST and a sizeable contribution to the Freight cartels!).

HIGHLIGHTS: COMICS

UNEARTH #1 CVR A RIVAS (MR) $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190025 REAVER #1 (MR) $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190027 BATMAN CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #1 (OF 8) $10.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190356 HOUSE OF X #1 (OF 6) $11.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190690 POWERS OF X #1 (OF 6) $11.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190703 HISTORY OF MARVEL UNIVERSE #1 (OF 6) $10.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190714 WAR OF REALMS OMEGA #1 $10.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190724 SECOND COMING #1 (MR) $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY191323 BLADE RUNNER 2019 #1 $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY191932

HIGHLIGHTS: Volumes, Books, Graphic Novels, Collected Editions BAD WEEKEND HC https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190040 - new BRUBAKER and PHILLIPS volume! DIE DIE DIE VOL 01 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190041 - latest Robert Kirkman series. PRODIGY TP VOL 01 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190043 - latest Mark Millar series. ADVENTURE ZONE GN VOL 02 MURDER ON ROCKPORT LIMITED $39.90 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY191698

These hit picks have hit the shelf already - available from the MK1 website now.

SEA OF STARS #1 $9.00 http://www.mk1.co.nz/products/sea-of-stars-1-cvr-a-green

(W) Jason Aaron, Dennis Hallum (A/CA) Stephen Green "LOST IN THE WILDS OF HEAVEN," Part One: Being a space trucker sounds like a cool job, but in reality, it can be boring as hell. So when recently widowed Gil gets a long-haul gig across the universe, he figures it's safe enough to bring his young son Kadyn along for the ride-that is, until their "big rig" gets bitten in half by a gigantic Space Leviathan! Now separated from his son-with a breached suit that's venting oxygen at an alarming rate-Gil must defy the odds and stay alive long enough to rescue Kadyn. But meanwhile, Kadyn seems to be getting all the help he needs from a talking Space Monkey riding a Space Dolphin... or maybe it's the strange powers he's suddenly manifesting?! From the writing duo of JASON AARON (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Thor) and DENNIS HALLUM (Cloak & Dagger, Vader: Dark Visions), with dazzling art by STEPHEN GREEN (Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.) and cosmic colors by RICO RENZI (Spider-Gwen), comes a brand-new science fiction series with all the scope and heart of the The Neverending Story crossed with the imaginative weirdness of Miyazaki-an intense, galaxy-spanning adventure that's suitable for fans of all ages!

SPACE BANDITS #1 (OF 5) $9.00 http://www.mk1.co.nz/search?q=SPACE%20BANDITS%20#1*&type=product

(W) Mark Millar (A/CA) Matteo Scalera MINISERIES PREMIERE! Thena Khole and Cody Blue are among the universe's most wanted felons. Each the leader of their own criminal ops, they run heists across the galaxies-hopping from ship to ship to fleece everyone inside. But when both women are betrayed by their crews, the bandits only have one thing on their minds: REVENGE.

MK1 Stocks Rising Report:

Preorders have exceeded expectations - a list of incoming and recent buzz worthy titles where we have gone back to publisher to increase our orders - don't miss out preorder now..

BLADE RUNNER 2019 #1 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY191932 - look for a special MK1 WONDER HORSE team up for the launch of the new BLADE RUNNER series.

2000 AD SCI-FI SPECIAL 2019 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/APR191909

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190815

ARCHIE VS PREDATOR 2 #1 (OF 5) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY191404

BATMAN LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #2 (OF 3) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190360 - 2nd printing of #1 is on shelf now

BLACK CAT #2 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190834

BLACK WIDOW TP NO RESTRAINTS PLAY https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/APR190966

CHAMPIONS BY JIM ZUB TP VOL 01 BEAT THE DEVIL https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/APR190963

GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190415

HG WELLS THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU #1 (OF 2) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190548

IMMORTAL HULK DIRECTORS CUT #1 (OF 6) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JUN190908

INVADERS TP VOL 01 WAR GHOSTS https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190966

MARVELS EPILOGUE #1 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190681

MILES MORALES TP VOL 01 STRAIGHT OUT OF BROOKLYN https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/APR190958

NO ONE LEFT TO FIGHT #1 (OF 5) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190237

SILVER SURFER BLACK #1 (OF 5) SOLD out 2nd printing due soon - but we did manage to get some of the Blank cover first printings back https://mark1.vendecommerce.com/products/silver-surfer-black-1-of-5-blank-variant (underneath the white cardstock cover is the original cover - nice and protected!)

SILVER SURFER BLACK #2 (OF 5) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190858

SONATA #2 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190103 (2nd printings of #1 due back soon)

SPAWN #299 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190105

SWORD MASTER #1 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190757

WAR OF REALMS TP https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/MAY190956

Ordering Options:

Email Method: 1.Let us know the title(s) you want.. 2. Choose Hold In Store or Delivery. 3. If Delivery choose when you want them sent. That’s it! We’ll handle the rest and fine tune the order once we are under way. Contact us by reply or here to set a standing order up http://blog.mk1.co.nz/contact .

MK1 Comic Club Method. Place orders via our PREORDER FORMS - Latest forms are JULY 2019https://blog.mk1.co.nz/july2019 and AUGUST 2019 https://blog.mk1.co.nz/AUGUST2019

Handy Links & Email Newsletters

Latest Comic Shipment - this web collection showcases just the current week's arrivals https://mark1.vendecommerce.com/collections/latest-comics

Check our COUNTER STATUS tag for the right here right now MK1 announcements https://blog.mk1.co.nz/tagged/counter-status

So that’s a lot to keep up with - yeah? Easiest way to do that is to follow the right MK1 newsletters - here is a summary of the regular MK1 emails we send out:

THIS WEEK/NEXT WEEK Preview :Start the week with a preview of incoming expected comic titles COMICS ARE GO! A weekly email sent out when the new comics are unpacked and online - great for customers wanting early notification when the new Variant covers are online. MONTHLY ORDER FORM : a heads up notification when the latest Monthly preorder form is available MK1 GAME NEWS - a once a month (sometimes more) email out containing all the latest arrivals and expectations. The MARK TEN newsletter - a summary of out latest discounts, deals and offers! MK1 NEWS: The main monthly newsletter featuring all the latest MK1 news. Send us an email listing the newsletters you would like to subscribe to .

Happy July from Chris, Rach and Team Mk1!

#Mk1July2019 #comics #coming soon

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guideseeder67-blog · 6 years ago

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Kids Holiday Gift Guide 2017

It's time to get this holiday party started! I've had several emails and IG messages inquiring about gift guides for the holiday season. I decided that it would be easiest to focus on one gift guide at a time, so today we're talking all about the kids.

I only have boys, so my girl gift knowledge is pretty limited. However, each of the items listed would be great for both boys AND girls. My kids are 8 & 10, so the gifts reflect the interests of that age range(ish)...give or take a few years. If nothing else, hopefully these lists will give you a starting point.

I can't believe it's already time to start shopping. And by shopping I mean cozying up in my warmest robe with a big cup of coffee and adding things to my cart :)

Online shopping is my favorite way to shop. We travel during the holiday season and it's so much easier for us to shop online and send Santa's gifts straight to grandma's (where we'll be celebrating Christmas this year). Then all we have to worry about is shipping them back home to us. Amazon is my favorite because they're fast and reliable and they've got a great return policy. Please note that this post does contain affiliate links for some of the items listed!

I tried to make it as easy for you as I could, so all you need to do is click on the items pictured to shop.

Let's start with stocking stuffers. These items are $15 and below. For me, the cheaper, the better. In addition to a random pair of socks, new undies, and a favorite candy bar, we usually add 3-4 different small items to their stockings. Several of these will be making appearance inside the boy's stockings this year.

1. Snap Petz are little picture taking animals. Super cute and great for kids who enjoy taking pictures and the photos automatically upload to the smart device to which they're connected.

2. Letters To Me When I Grow Up - both of my boys are really sentimental and stuff like this is their jam. This little booklet provides different prompts for the kids to write about and spaces for them to draw pictures that accompany their writing. I plan on having them fill these out and then tucking them away to give to them when they're older!

3. Rock, Paper, Scissors is what it implies. Our favorite game in card form.

4. The Yo-Yo Ball is an upgraded twist on the original yo-yo. These are a blast!

5. Mr. Food Face Plates - I've always loved these. And if they're going to play with their food, they might as well make the most of it ;)

6 Kanoodle is a hand-held puzzle game complete with a book and carrying case. With over 100 puzzle challenges, this is a gift that keeps on giving.

7. This Hovering UFO Ball is just the coolest thing! We saw these in action at market this year and fell in love. This is an "every kid" kind of gadget!

8. I think these Art Dice are my most favorite find. I love ANY kind of gift that encourages creativity. My boys love to draw and they often ask me to give them ideas about what to draw. With a roll of the art dice, they have unlimited possibilities of things to draw!

9. If you love nostalgic gifts, this Handheld Pac Man Arcade game is the way to go.

10. For the kid who loves to laugh...and make others laugh, too...the Knock-Knock & Laugh Out Loud Joke Books are a no-brainer!

11. Scratch Art Mini Notes are a perfect find for kids and if I'm being honest, I'd like a set for myself, too :)

12. These Fidget Balls are handheld 3D puzzles similar to a Rubik's Cube and come two to a pack.

13. The WowWee Fingerlings are the cutest stocking stuffers on the market! These little monkeys are interactive and will hold on to your finger, blow kisses, swing their tails, blink their eyes, and MORE. Adorable!

14. Rock Pets are the pet that every parent wants for their child. This is a great alternative for the child who is begging for a pet this holiday season ;)

15. The teacher in me LOVES this Digital Timer Bookmark. It records the amount of time spent reading. A great tool to have on hand to keep your kids accountable for the amount of time they read each night.

Now let's move on to the "big" stuff. As you can see, I LOVE gifts that foster thinking and creativity while being fun at the same time. These gift ideas are really great for both boys and girls alike!

1. Quadrillion is a magnetic puzzle game with thousands of challenges so play can always be varied. LOVE games like these!

2. My Geek Box is a really cool subscription box perfect for our smallest heroes and princesses. The boxes can be curated to your child's franchise preference and they're stuffed to the brim with all sorts of cool items like t-shirts, toys, shirts, and franchised merchandise. Subscriptions are offered in 1, 3, 6, & 12 month deliveries, so this makes this a great one-time or year-round gift.

3. The Audio Pet is a great gift for kids who love to listen to music or audiobooks. It's a bluetooth wireless speaker that connects to your smart device & streams sound. It's also equipped with a little camera. With a selection of 6 different animals, you're sure to find one your kid would love. My boys will go CRAZY over the pug speaker!!!

4. The Osmo is an iPad compatible game system. Not only is it a wonderful learning tool, but it's fun, too!

5. These Bumper Balls CRACK me up! I can see hours of fun being had with these. Great for partner play and perfect for parties, too! Just inflate to play.

6 Playstix are perfect for kids who love to build. These are a great alternative to Lincoln Logs and provide tons of opportunities to create many different structures.

7. Operation Escape Room is a must have for the kid who loves a challenge. My mom is getting this one for my oldest who absolutely LOVES escape rooms. After visiting two escape rooms this past summer, he is going to LOVE opening this one!

8. Electric Light Blocks are like Legos on steroids. Again, little ones who love to build will love the ability to let their creations glow!

9. Rock Painting is all the rage right now and this Rock Painting Kit is amazing. It comes with everything you need to paint, decorate, and hide 10 rocks. Stickers are also provided so that your kids can keep track of where the rocks are found.

10. A little art, a little construction. This build-your-own Kaliedescope Kit includes everything needed for kids to make their own.

11. Telestrations is the visual form of the "telephone game"...perfect for kids and families to enjoy!

12. Slammo is a great addition to your outdoor games and keeps kids entertained for hours! (Also known as "spikeball")

13. The Lego Boost Building & Coding Kit is the priciest item on the list. If you're looking for a "big ticket" item, consider this one. This kit provides your kids with the option of building one of five different multi-functional robots that can be controlled with a little coding. This is a great gift idea for kids who are into coding!

14. My Comic Book Kit - my oldest absolutely LOVES graphic novels and has recently taken an interest in creating his own comics. This comic book kit would be right up his alley. It comes with pre-formatted blank pages for kids to create their own stories. When the story is complete, send it back to the retailer in a pre-paid packaged envelope and it will return to your child as a professionally bound copy of their original work!

15. Crayola Story By Me is another option for budding authors. Kids can write their own story, send it off, and receive it back as a professionally bound hardcover book complete with an "all about the author" page and everything!

16. Cubetastic is pretty fantastic! This 3D puzzle cube pairs with an augmented reality app that teaches kids how to solve the cube step-by-step. This is a more interactive version of the Rubik's Cube and perfect for kids who love solving puzzles.

17. The Build-a-Bear Workshop Station brings the store into your home. Kids who love this franchise will get everything they need to stuff & dress two bears in their very own home!

18. The Razor Ripstik Electric Casterboard is an electric version of the original. This amped up version comes complete with a remote control, too.

19. The Mega Prank Kit comes complete with 35 different pranks and jokes and is perfect for kids who love to make themselves laugh, LOL. I used to love these as a kid!!!

20. The Ozobot is a robot that has optical sensors that respond to the commands of your coding and comes with 20 different games and activities. I absolutely LOVE this little device and think it's an amazing gift for fostering creativity and engineering skills!

WHEW!

Hopefully these stocking stuffers and gift ideas are helpful. Stay tuned for MORE gift guides coming this week! On deck...gift guides for women, men, families, teachers, cheese lovers, travelers, hostesses, and MORE!

Source: http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com/2017/11/kids-holiday-gift-guide-2017.html

0 notes

markclutch2-blog · 6 years ago

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Kids Holiday Gift Guide 2017

I can't believe it's already time to start shopping. And by shopping I mean cozying up in my warmest robe with a big cup of coffee and adding things to my cart :)

I tried to make it as easy for you as I could, so all you need to do is click on the items pictured to shop.