#watching a video and was shown a picture of a person in colour

[nexus-nebulae]

thinking about how not only my brain problems but also the way i was taught history in school has just completely fucked up my sense of time

[keeper-of-gates]

i really like how chapter 3 is just literally saying that "hey, dead kids. traumatic events happened here and the effects are still here" by literally showing you the horrors through the auditory and the physicality of what chapter 3 has to offer.

Chapter 1 gave us a "yeah, something happened" but nothing substantial to grasp on other than what remains of posters and vhs tapes. Chapter 2 managed to at least expand on the orphan program by introducing the games station and it's true purpose of progression of tests on the mind through child-friendly means. Even the literal videos mob ent. gave us only a small bit of information about what happened before the Hour of Joy, such as the consent of a terminally ill worker being put into a toy.

Chapter 3 just gives us the bigger scale on everything the game gave us as snacks.

We see empty beds, empty cots, picture frames of children whose fates are left between 2-3 outcomes with one with them actually being adopted before even being pulled from the choice altogether simply because they had the ability to be good at reacting to colours. We see an actual system on how these children get treated and how everything works, from the titual nanny in Home Sweet Home, to the teachers of the school to even the scientists overviewing everything.

We know that actual adoptions do take place also, even if the potential parent/s are just the employees. But we know that Playcare's purpose isn't that straightforward, because the children are monitored as potential candidates for the experiments and are picked with the reason being that they're "sick" to whoever asks, child or otherwise.

And it appears that most of the workers in playcare are left in the dark, much like the factory workers if the woman who was left to care for a certain room of children was absolutely distraught of one child getting a nightmare to the point where the child had to be taken away and has to be interviewed by a person who seems to not be in the same emotional wave about the ordeal in the first place. Any mention of the children directly in both the interview and the report seems to call them directly, affectionately or otherwise, son or daughter, either from overattachment or as a professional act.

The experiments themselves are the unwilling second hand, created as sentient, yet obedient tools for entertainment, care and labour by any unfortunate human chosen, and it is obvious that Playtime Co, shown in teasers, aren't really picky when it comes to it. I even have doubts that they only use one singular person, child or adult, alone to create a bigger body considering how, y'know, big they are.

Playtime Co. literally died from the inside during the Hour of Joy, when the toys finally had enough. Exactly how many people died is unknown but in comparison to death in any medium, watching it in game as the toys the player faced had killed everyone who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, with no one surviving and being taken into consideration. were they considered missing? Did anyone try to investigate everything? or did it all get swept under the rug by whoever was still alive and representing the company?

Then, the decade after everything, it still continued. Soon there was no food. factions started to form between factory floors, with each territory and domain being barren of mercy and food. Any toy was fair game in consideration. Even if that fair game was who you considered your own kin or your friends.

I think Poppy Playtime is getting closer to breaking the mascot horror mould that Fnaf had set in stone for nearly a decade. Would that be good or better for the market? I'm not sure, but at least, it's going to be part of the pillar that will be looked back on.

[starwars-art-events]

Art Trade 2: Put Them In Situations/Make Them Cozy

Hello there!

This is an informal, for-fun art trade event, meant for people who enjoy drawing for others. It's a pressure-free and casual trade! No need to create a big masterpiece--just something others would happily enjoy.

The theme this time around is "Put Them In Situations OR Make Them Cozy." You can select to either participate in making art of a character/multiple characters in peril/a sticky situation/comedically painful situation, OR you can choose to give them the comfort you feel they deserve. Both of these require SCENES this time! You will create art of the whole picture. What's happening? Who is it happening to? A snapshot (or a few!) of the scenario!

(More below the cut!)

Types of art welcome:

Drawings (digital or scanned traditional)

Short comics

Short animation

Photo edits

Video edits (music or otherwise)

Music creation

Moodboards/photo collages

Quotes-and-photo collages

Other (contact moderator ASAP)

Dates to adhere to:

Deadline to join: October 1st.

Dates to post: November 4th-5th.

Rules:

Joining requires creating art. To recieve art, you must create art! Simple as that. Many types of art are allowed (see above), and all can be adapted to how you wish to conceive yours.

You don't have to be "great" at any art to join! This is an informal event with no level restrictions. The important thing is that your art absolutely must have effort. For example, a moodboard should be cohesive, and it should contain enough photos that it could be worthy of giving as a gift. Make sure you are satisfied with what you are giving out (to your abilities levels, of course--don't expect the Star Wars Mona Lisa if you aren't to par with DaVinci's skills!).

This is an anonymous event. You will know who they are creating art for, but you will not know who you are recieving from! Until posting dates, please keep your art to yourself (or a trusted non-participating friend). In the words of Gandalf the Grey: Keep it secret; keep it safe.

Art should be created for your giftee based on things/characters/ideas they enjoy. Do a bit of "pseudo-stalking" (not real stalking) of their tags. See what the person enjoys, both in terms of mediums and concepts. If they have clone trooper OC's, base something off those guys! If they are a big Ezra Bridger fan, see what types of AUs they enjoy! If the concept of the Force makes them go wild, include that in your art! If you are at a loss for ideas, send an anon message to the person to see what they are interested in OR contact the moderator.

Please sign up only ONCE. You will recieve art from only ONE artist. The artist may wish to give you more than one piece of art, but it will only be from THAT artist alone. If you wish to make more art for someone else, arrange that on your own time, please!

If you need to drop out, that is okay! Things happen. You are able to drop out at any time. Please contact the moderator ASAP if you need to drop. Please understand that the other artists are putting their own time and effort into their pieces. The artist gifting their time and effort to you is no longer obligated to do so anymore. If you drop out, they are completely allowed to drop, too.

Important note: all skin tones and disabilities MUST be accurately portrayed. No skin tone should be lighter than the actor/character's actual skin colour. Disabilities must be depicted correctly. If not, you will be dropped. This is the personal wish of the moderator, but also just basic decency. Seriously, do your research portraying someone different than you. Do not fall prey to harmful tropes. This hurts others.

Depicting clothing for characters of specific religious/cultural backgrounds MUST be done with accuracy. For example, you must properly helmet Children of the Watch as they are shown in canon. Do not depict them out of armour in public settings. Same goes for Mirialans--make sure they are dressed appropriately, as shown by Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee. There will be NO "situations" regarding them being forced out of clothing/armour. NO THEMES OF SUCH XENOPHOBIA ARE ALLOWED.

NO NON-CONSENSUAL THEMES ARE PERMITTED.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE DM THE MODERATORs. You may do so here, or at @engagemythrusters OR @darlin-djarin.

Thanks, all!

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals: Sleeping In The Cold Below

If I had a nickel for every time Voiceplay did a song from a videogame, featuring Omar Cardona and arranged by Geoff... (Well, this was actually a co-arrangement between Geoff and Rob Dietz, but my point still stands! 😝)

Voiceplay's video for Sleeping In The Cold Below was uploaded on the 17th of February, 2024 (which for me typing this, was yesterday), and the song comes from an "action role-playing third-person shooter multiplayer online game" called Warframe, originally released in 2013. I know buggerall about the game, and have never heard the original song before, but as we should all know by now, that doesn't matter when it comes to Voiceplay! I'm very excited to break this one down, so let's get into it!

Very cool mask things! (But also I'm glad they were only for the opening (and closing) shots)

Apparently this was filmed at some place called Optiview 360, and the name checks out tbh, because those are some very cool wall and floor effects, which I will be pointing out multiple times in this post!

(Also very niche little fun fact: the guys are in the exact same lineup order as they were for Dream On and Whiskey In The Jar: Geoff-Eli-Omar-Cesar-Layne!)

The contact lenses were definitely a great touch for this video, I must say

Cesar is wearing two different coloured contact lenses, because apparently he (and Omar too) couldn't decide which colour to go with (valid), and in fact Cesar and Omar are wearing one each of two pairs! (So basically their contact lenses match up)

Geoff's hair looks greyer than usual here, and I can't for the life of me figure out whether it was coloured grey for the video, or if it's just the lighting, or if this is more of his natural colour nowadays. I'm certainly not complaining though, and I'll just have to wait for more videos from him and Voiceplay this year to hopefully figure it out!

Also, even though I love his hazel eyes, whether you can actually see a tinge of green in them or whether they just look a dark-chocolate-brown colour, I'm not gonna lie, the contacts he's wearing here are really doing things for me 👀👌

(And his outfit in this video seems to fit *really well* on him and he looks fantastic in it okay bye)

Eli's wearing two different coloured contacts as well! (This Is Halloween flashbacks anybody?)

This is almost pure-white lighting, and I reckon this is his natural hair colour at the current moment. You can definitely see his grey-white streak here, and his hair does still have a notable bit of brown to it, but it's almost definitely getting greyer (embrace it! Love it! I know I sure do!)

(Actually I might do a Geoff hair study for this video, but later, and not as part of this post)

Everyone is now unmasked, and more cool background visuals!

Swear I won't point out every single background change in this video, because there seem to be a fair amount of them, but still! So many cool ones!

Notice Omar's different coloured contacts as well!

Is that a freaking black hole?

"It can hurt you, it can hold you, he can kick you or console you"

(Not shown here are Cesar's cool little head movements during the third shot pictured above)

Omar's got some moves! (Also background change yet again!)

Layne looking like he knows full well that he's just showing off at this point 😝😁

Complete and utter superstars!!!

(Also that hand next to/under the head movement is definitely on my list of "movements I mimic when (re)watching Voiceplay videos")

I mean WOW!

Also the background design changes at least 18 times, that's quicker than once every 10 seconds!

I loved this song and video so much I rewatched it almost immediately after my first watch, and then that night, I went and rewatched it again two more times! And honestly I'd have to say that out of all the videogame song covers Voiceplay has done (Enemy, Halo Theme, Dragonborn Comes, etc), this is 100% my favourite! Everything about this cover and video is so absolutely top-notch high quality, and the song absolutely slaps! Well done Voiceplay, you've knocked it out of the park again! Honestly the fact that they're just an independent acapella group on YouTube blows my mind sometimes.

So I'm finally up-to-date on all the full-length Voiceplay videos that I wanted to talk about, although by the time you're reading this, there will probably be a brand new Voiceplay video (edit from future me: there's not),But for now? Well either tomorrow or the day after (depending on whether there's a new VP video to talk about first (there ain't)), you will be seeing a handful of "Voiceplay-Adjacent Visuals" posts, where I'll be talking about the visuals of some of Geoff's solo videos! But that's all for now, and stay tuned!

[kscriba]

"That video had seven million likes, Tyrone," Harriet whispers, already detecting glances in their direction.

"That means seven million people know that I've asked them to stay out of my business," he whispers back, even as the host trips over the carpet while looking over his shoulder to ogle them as he leads them to their seats.

By the time they order drinks and appetisers, paparazzi have already shown up. Harriet waves over the owner, who decided to wait on them personally. "I was just telling Tyrone about how terribly upsetting these observers are for a private moment. It makes the food taste sour, you know. I'd hate for the news of that to travel back to my dad."

The corners of the owner's lips lift, but his forehead shines under the candlelight. "Your father?"

Ty hides a smile behind a glance of wine. "Jayce Wade? Your dad wouldn't say anything bad about this place, surely. You know what they say, his pen can make or break a restaurant."

The owner smacks his lips together, nodding vigorously. He snaps his fingers and three servers come over. "Get the paparazzi out. In fact, clear out all the customers. These two have requested private dining."

"But—"

"Do it!"

Harriet watches the commotion with a smile. "I don't usually like to use my parents' names as leverage, but it's very satisfying when I do. I feel bad for the other customers, though."

"They'll figure out a way to make up for it," Ty says, as the doors lock. "I don't know if Harper's video was clear enough, but I'm leaving no room for misinterpretation, Harriet. I want to be with you. Now. If you still want me, that is."

Harriet glances around wildly. "Right here? I guess the restaurant is empty—"

"No, that's not what I meant!"

Harriet snorts, enjoying the faint colour rising to Ty's face. "I'm joking, Tyrone. Just exercising the ol' acting bone. This is all I've wanted. To go to dinner with you—you know, other than shovelling back leftovers at the restaurant after a long shift."

"Harper is planning on taking a break from social media. She's offered to pay for the four of us to go to Mount Komorebi and enjoy a vacation. Spend some time together before you head back to school. Would you like that?"

"Absolutely." A violinist and pianist begin a duet on the restaurant's small stage, and she holds out her hand. "Let's dance."

"I guess we'll have to ask Jayce to give this place a five star review," Ty laughs, pulling her into his arms.

"He wouldn't. He's the picture of honesty. But maybe I can convince him to be extra favourable in his review."

She sinks into his arms, the pair barely moving around the dance floor, until she pulls his face down for a kiss. "I can do this all I want now, right?"

He kisses her back, hard.

"And this?" She nibbles at his ear, her lips working down his neck, hand sliding up his thigh.

"I will not play a part in you losing your virginity on a restaurant floor. You know how dirty those get."

"Then should I ask the manager—hey! How do you know I'm a virgin?"

"Harper. You know, you were pretty much the only topic of conversation between Harper and I this past year. I know she's terrible at showing it, but she really loves you." 

Harriet sighs. "I was hoping you'd say you have a sixth sense for virgins."

"That too. You only gain it after impregnating one-hundred women."

"I guess you also gain the ability to kill the mood in five seconds flat."

[critical-thinking-is-mandatory]

Emilie Agreste not even a character. She just a bigger "sad point" for Adrien and Gabriel to make sure for the audience that they are "Super sad" and we need to sympthatize with them

She supposed to be super-duper important on series since she ever use peacock miraculous.... But the show didn't have effort to make a flashback dedicate about her past instead make unnecessary model and filler of Love-Scare 🙄

literally. not to keep comparing ML to atla but the situation calls for it...

let's compare Emilie Agreste, and her depiction and her personality, with the absent/dead mothers in Avatar: the last Airbender, Kya and Ursa.

With Emilie Agreste we see:

her sister and nephew

her comatose body/corpse

pictures of her (in family portraits, photos and that one movie her family produced)

her living family talking about how sad they are she's gone

and we're told she used the Peacock Miraculous

It's not a lot to go on. In fact, it's fuck all. It tells us more about Adrien and Gabriel than it does about Emilie. aka it tells us they're so sad :((( nothing else not even why her being gone would make them sad just that they're so uwu sad :(((

Comparing that with atla and the two major absent/dead mothers:

Kya (Katara and Sokka's mother):

frequently talked about, most often by Katara trying to establish a deeper connection with others over a similar trauma

depicted in a flashback in the episode the Southern Raiders

the effect of her absence is clearly seen in the mannerisms of Katara, Sokka, Hakoda and Kanna (Grangran)

the effect of her absence and the effect on Katara specifically is spoken about in-depth in the episode The Runaway between Sokka and Toph.

And moving on to Ursa (Zuko and Azula's mother):

appears in a series of flashbacks in the episode Zuko Alone

alluded to in the episode The Crossroads of Destiny (possibly The Guru not 100% certain)

spoken of in Azula's infamous line in the episode The Beach "My own mother...thought I was a monster"

we see Ursa again in Azula's hallucinations during the finale of the show

and then there's the post-series comics which we don't talk about :)))

already there's a pretty big difference between the Avatar mothers and Emilie.

for one thing? we never ever ever see Emilie do anything. no flashbacks, no quirky family photos or videos, nothing but Adrien's word on how "she was the only one who could make me laugh like that" and how terribly sad that makes poor ickle Adrikins feel.

With Kya (who is arguably my favourite of the two Avatar mums) we get to see her in one flashback which is honestly really fuckin heart-breaking to watch. link below ->

and Kya? she's on her knees, a Fire Nation soldier in her home demanding to know where the last Waterbender is so that they may be taken prisoner and have unspeakable horrors inflicted upon them, and she looks that soldier in the eye and refuses to even hint that the Waterbender is her daughter. this is a scene that's barely a minute long and we learn that Kya was: loving, brave, level-headed, selfless, intelligent, caring and I will repeat it: brave. all of this builds an image of someone the audience could care about, and does care about, even if only for the sake of Katara, Sokka and Hakoda.

Ursa on the other hand is given a slightly more delicate approach, and characterised within a small handful of flashbacks or visions, each coloured by the eyes of either Zuko or Azula and how they perceived their mother.

In Zuko's flashbacks (link below ->) we see a lot more of Zuko, Ursa and Azula interacting, which hints to the audience at Ursa's difficult situation and the different ways she felt about her children.

with Zuko, she's soft, very loving. playful, but also firm. and within 50 seconds of her first appearance we're hinted towards a plot idk if 'twist' is the right word, but basically lays the first hints that she is not only Ursa (bear) in name.

all in all, for most of it she is shown to be a fairly standard mother, encouraging her children to spend time together, to be kind and respectful to their family and to animals, even if she does seem to favour Zuko more and is rougher with Azula.

further into the flashback the situation becomes clearer. Azula is the child favoured by Ozai, Azula and Ursa's relationship is tense for a number of reasons, and of course, we see Ursa is willing to commit regicide to protect her children. so to sum up:

we see Ursa is: kind, gentle without being a pushover, unhappy, determined, loving, level-headed and willing to commit murder.

she's a full, complete person, much like Kya, whilst still only being depicted in brief flashbacks.

let's bring this back to Emilie now that the competitors are clearer:

she is only spoken about when we're required to feel sad about Adrien and/or Gabriel. she and her twin sister dress the same. she starred in a movie her family produced that no one has ever seen or heard of.

she has no substance. her effect on her family is: they're sad uwu and Gabrikins is gonna be a supervillain now. for all her personality and impact on the story she may as well have been a mannequin or perhaps a hamster.

like instead of episodes like Kuro Neko or Stormy Weather 2.0 that were basically pointless filler and love square shilling we couldn't have gotten a single itty bitty teeny tiny little scene explaining why exactly Gabe is so dedicated to getting his dead wife back or why exactly Adrien is so sad about her being gone?

like would it seriously have killed the writers to give Emilie more substance as a motivator beyond "lifeless corpse that is pretty sometimes"??? the audience couldn't give a rat's asscrack about Emilie! and we've got no reason to believe Gabriel or Adrien actually care about her either.

if your main villain's motivation is 'get dead wife back' the least you can do is show us why she was so fuckin important to him in the first place.

[lfc21]

Take my hand

This is my first imagine based on a tik tok trend! I hope you enjoy it, please leave your feedback in the comments! Tik tok trend: click here

-

Tik tok was of course the place to be everyday and every night with thousands of new trends begging to be shown every single day. You started to become slightly obsessed with watching some of the trends and funny videos which of course forced kostas into liking it just as much. Over a few days you had been seeing a huge amount of videos of girlfriends holding their hand out to their partner to see what they would do and you couldn't help but think it would be such a funny video to make. Kostas wasn't particularly clued up on everything and he was always the first person to get confused upon the simplest of things (weirdly this was something you actually loved about him).

Since you woke up you where trying to find the perfect time to do it and only now at 5 o'clock in the evening where you ready to carry out the tik tok. You where sat on the living room floor with your dogs next to you sorting threw a bunch of old pictures you had accumulated over the years whilst kostas was busy watching a film you had no interest in watching. Kostas was indulged in his own little world enjoying the scenes playing infront of his eyes and it was definitely show time. You took your phone from your hoodie pocket and quickly opened the camera proceeding to press record, you carefully sat up on your knees being careful to not mess up the neat piles of pictures and directed the phone at kostas but not to noticeable to the point he was going to ask a million and one questions as to why you where recording him.

"Kostas?" You said infront of him and the couch causing his head to look up from the arm of the couch where he was lieing. You placed your hand out infront of him with a smile and waited upon his reaction.

"What?" He asked with a confused tone sitting up from his position looking at your hand infront of him. You laughed to yourself aswell as making sure your phone was still recording. All you did was wiggle your hand at him to get his attention upon the idea that he had a relation to your hand.

"Did you get new nails or something? Wait no you can't have you got them done like last week" he reassured himself yet still grabbing your hand gently and moving your acrylics closer to him so he could have a closer look to see if anything had changed.

"Babe what?" He said with a laugh whilst looking at your nails noticing your nails still presented a baby pink colour which you had gotten done not long ago.

"My hand!" You said in a very high pitched tone wanting the attention to set in his brain.

"Well I know its your hand! But what about it?" He said running his hand through his blonde curls with a confused look spread across his face.

"What do you do with my hand?" You softly said with puppy eyes letting him know that this was something he should be aware of.

"I don't know" he laughed repeating his confused words again. He looked back at the tv completely ignoring your actions towards him as he was missing more than he would of liked to of his film. Your boyfriend layed himself back down on the couch enjoying the film showing to your camera he had nothing but grey sweat pants on.

"Fine then" you said jokingly in a mood whilst you walked back to your spot on the floor with your two dogs looking intently at you. Your phone was still recording and now you had rested it on the modern fire place under neath the huge TV giving a clear view on you, your dogs and kostas.

"If these two can do it and you can't we are over!" You laughed aiming it at your boyfriend who was now watching you with the two dogs carefully. You placed both of your hands out to both dogs causing there large paws to gently fall upon your palms.

"Oh my god! They did it!!!! Yaaaaaaaay" you shouted giving your dogs the biggest cuddles as they barked up at you aswell as giving many sloppy kisses as a result of your praise towards them.

"Oh noooo!! Nooo! I can hold your hand noo wait" he said with a needy tone jumping off the couch with a run towards you and grabbing your small hands. He held them both gently whilst pulling you up to him once your dogs had disperced from their needy moment.

"You didn't do it" you said once you where eye level with your boyfriend. He pulled your hands up to your eyes and showed you your fingers intertwined.

"But I have now" he giggled letting go quickly and pulling you up onto his waist letting you wrap your arms and legs around his waist. He kissed your lips softly feeling your lips move in sync with one another.

Although kostas lacked in romance when it came to the trend you had fell into and posted all of your fans had become obsessed with it and begged for more of you both and your gorgeous dogs.

I really hope you enjoyed this! Please feel free to leave feedback! Favourite accounts at the moment: @prettylittletrent @mrs-henderson @daddyhendo @hnrfc @travellvogue @weddingdisco @avenirdelight

[rjsenvs3000w22]

Blog 10: Reflecting as an interpreter

Throughout this course, it’s been amazing to read all the different backgrounds each person brings from all over the world, that each brought us here, writing these blogs. I think it goes to show how strongly nature can really bring people together. Whether you're in a science major or not we all feel some sort of bond with the outdoors we’d like to extend to others. In a month I’ll be graduating with a degree in Environmental Biology and I'm excited to see where it will take me. I think the writing and personal reflecting I’ve done throughout this course will surely help me in the future. I believe that the ethics and beliefs a person carries with them constantly evolve throughout life the more you learn, which has happened even to me during this last semester.

First off, I really enjoyed watching the video of David Susuki and Richard Louv discussing the importance of connecting with nature. A takeaway from the video is that it’s important to remember that nature can be found even in the most urban areas. We don't have to travel to national or provincial parks to believe we are more connected than other people, it all depends on your perception of what's around you. They said to think of what you can do in your own yard and neighborhood to appreciate what's there. This could be starting your own little garden or collecting indoor plants, putting out bird seed or attracting pollinators etc. Even in a concrete jungle there are always ways to connect.

This is a picture of the greenhouse thats actually on uog campus attached the the Bovey Building! I’ve gone here many times this semester just to take in the beauty of all the plants. Its open to anyone I highly recommend taking a look if you havent.

This is another spot affiliated with uog on college ave across from the arboretum. The trial gardens in the summer and early fall are a beautiful place to see the colours of nature. 

I believe that nature truly has healing abilities and that everyone should have access to it. Studies have shown that spending just 20 minutes outside in nature can decrease stress hormones (Loria, 2019). This can range from a variety of things like a walk to just tending to your garden or plants (I think this is why I accumulated so many house plants during covid lockdowns). Nature can heal both mentally and physically by improving sleep, reducing depression, cardiovascular disease and obesity (Loria, 2019). I’ve become aware though that not everyone has the privilege to access nature for many reasons. I am very grateful for the fact I grew up with easy access to fun outdoor experiences, but I will agree it created a sort of ignorance to those with the opposite. Thats why its important as an interpreter to consider this. Each person brings along a personal set of experiences, interests, knowledge, ability and personality (Beck et al., 2018). I think to be a successful interpreter this must be acknowledged on the job, and to treat everyone the same regardless of past experiences.

I also believe that we should leave nature just as pristine as when we found it.

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” -Robin Wall Kimmerer

I think this is also a responsibility we have as a nature interpreter. While nature is there for us to enjoy, it is also there for the next people. This is why many parks have the “leave no trace principle” when camping or being a tourist. Interpretation involves the individual seeing the beauty or understanding the significance of the resource (Beck et al., 2018). Understanding the significance of all nature's resources means we must develop a sustainable relationship in order to properly respect them. From a consumer level in our lives this can mean only buying essentials at the grocery store to reduce extra waste, and living a less materialistic life. As I’ve gotten older I’ve learned the importance of only buying what I really need, as everything requires energy and resources to produce. Being a good interpreter means practicing what you preach on or off the job.

The approaches that are most suitable to me as an interpreter would be through art or technology, since both of these can come in so many different forms. With digital advances, interpretation occurs via websites, blogs and social media among other technologies” (Beck et al., 2018), and has become a much easier way to interpret information across large scales. As I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, my favorite way of sharing nature is through photography, which is a combination of both technology and art. This is a way of sharing to people that may have physical, temporal or economic barriers that may prevent them from ever seeing what’s in the photos. I’ve learned and remembered more from watching online nature documentaries and photos than I have from what’s around me. Although, there is a dark side to technology that pulls us away from nature. As mentioned in the notes, children spend more time inside on their devices than they used to in the past. Richard Louv mentioned that the more high tech our lives become the more nature we need. Using technology to connect with each other and nature is a way we can utilize it in a positive way. As interpreters, we have the responsibility to use these tools in a way that is enthusiastic and engaging. Not only this, but we must consider that everyone learns different ways, so using these to adhere to visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners creates the most successful approach.

Thanks to everyone I’ve connected with through these blogs!

-Reilly

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., & Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World (1st ed.). Sagamore Publishing

Loria, K. (2019). The Healing Power of Nature. Consumer Reports. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.consumerreports.org/health-wellness/healing-power-nature-outdoors/

[sailorfailures]

I fell in love with these postcards from the Girl’s Night Out popup cafe the moment I saw them! I knew I had to get my hands on them, and the lovely @blaze-rocket was able to help that happen.

I cannot get over how perfect these postcards are. To me, this is what Sailor Moon is; a testament to the little moments from the series that made us fall in love with the characters, especially how their personal preferences were reflected in their fashion choices. In a world of merch where it’s easy to just slap a random crescent moon on something pink and say “look, it’s Usagi,” the designer responsible for these graphics went the extra mile to take imagery from the show itself that needles its way deep into our nostalgia-cortexes.

How many references do you recognise? Quiz yourself against this comprehensive (image-heavy) list! 👇

The inners’ postcards all reference the eye-catching sign for Game Center Crown, the iconic arcade where Motoki Furuhata worked and the gang would all congregate to play games and share information.

Starting in R they switched to hanging out at Fruits Parlor Crown, a cafe attached to the arcade staffed by Motoki’s sister Unazuki, which the Inners’ postcards all also reference. They would often get brightly-coloured drinks there, but the drinks pictured on these postcards seem to specifically line up with the real drinks available at the Girls Night Out popup cafe.

Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto’s postcards all reference “Café Étrangère,” which was the name of the cafe they were seen dining at in the Sailor Moon S movie. Even the logo is replicated faithfully from a scene only a few seconds long.

All the girls’ clothes are hanging on coat hangers shaped like Luna/Artemis/Diana.

Ami / Sailor Mercury’s references:

Ami’s casual outfit is an unusual choice since she only wore it a handful of times over the entire series, and half the times she wore it, it was given a different colour scheme with a green jacket instead of the yellow version pictured here.

Her “mini data computer” is her most iconic tool/weapon/accessory, revealed in episode 009, directly after her introduction.

The pink package is how Usagi and the other girls wrapped up her transformation stick and communicator watch as Ami’s going-away present in episode 062.

The ice cream may be a reference to the same episode, as she shared a cone with Chibi-Usa before she left, and returned to the store to protect her friends from the Droid Nihpasu.

The flash cards are a method Ami commonly used to help her study, and are particularly similar to the ones shown in the SuperS short “Ami’s First Love”.

Rei / Sailor Mars’s References:

Rei wore her casual outfit fairly frequently, starting and most notably in the beginning of the Sailor Moon R movie.

The small red o-mamori charm is from Hikawa Shrine, seen frequently but introduced in episode 010.

The paper ofuda ward was used frequently by Rei to fight evil, even before she could transform, but most notably in the attack sequence for “Akuryou, Taisan” (“Foul Spirit, Begone”).

To my knowledge the purple bag isn’t a specific reference, but Rei did throw a similar purse at a Cardian as a makeshift weapon in episode 048 before she got her Guardian memories back.

The gift-wrapped shopping boxes are the exact same ones as carried by Rei in the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars opening sequence before she trips and falls, right down to the patterns on the paper...

... which in itself may be a reference/callback to Rei’s tendency to make Yuuichirou carry her shopping (maybe so she doesn’t trip).

The phoenix-shaped pendant is a reference to episode 183; it’s made of glazed ceramic, crafted by Rei’s cousin Kengo Ibuki, given to her as a child after she convinced him not to smash it even though he his pottery a “failure”.

Makoto / Sailor Jupiter’s References:

Makoto didn’t start wearing her casual outfit until around S, but she wore it frequently after that, especially as she became more confident wearing “feminine” clothing. They even remembered her iconic gold wrist watch worn over her sleeve!

Her uniquely decorated bento bag debuted in episode 026, her introductory episode, along with the rounded green cutlery. The pouch has been featured a few more times since and its design is a mainstay in almost every Sailor Moon canon.

The teal hairtie and the rose-shaped earrings are two of Makoto’s iconic accessories, some of the only non-magical fashion accessories in the entire series to stay the same whether the character is transformed or not (the other being Minako’s infamous red bow). Her earrings also served a dual purpose as makeshift projectile weapons in episode 025.

The blue book is 月夜の天馬 (Tsukiyo no Tenma, “The Moonlit Pegasus”), a novel which was written by Tomoko Takase and introduced in epsode 134. Makoto knew Tomoko from her old middle school, before she transferred, and was the first one to read her first draft after retrieving it from bullies. She encouraged Tomoko to try and get it published. Makoto meets with her again and helps her overcome her writer’s block to finish her sequel, 天馬幻想 (Tenma Gensou, “Pegasus Fantasy”).

Minako / Sailor Venus’s References:

This is one of Minako’s most-worn casual outfits, especially if you consider the additional outfits based off it. Despite its prevalence, she didn’t start wearing it until the beginning of S.

Minako’s red hair ribbon is her most iconic accessory, but did you know why she started wearing it? The Codename: Sailor V prequel manga explains that she started wearing the ribbon instead of her usual red hairtie on the suggestion of her “first crush” Higashi. But when he turns out to be an enemy in disguise, she decides she looks good with a ribbon anyway, and keeps wearing it for her own benefit.

The red mask is a reference to Minako’s role as Sailor V before joining the team as Sailor Venus. Sailor V was known as a mysterious vigilante superhero and a fictional video game character as early as episode 001, but in episode 033 Minako revealed herself to the rest of the Sailor Team, dramatically removing her mask one final time.

Minako was known to be a skilled volleyball player, especially in the manga, and it was especially relevant in episode 100 where she had to delicately return the serve of an energy sphere containing the Pure Heart of her old volleyball crush, Asai.

The sign with Minako’s name can be seen hanging off the front of her bedroom door in episode 192.

[Manga scan courtesy of Miss Dream.]

Usagi / Sailor Moon’s References:

Usagi wore this outfit in the Sailor Moon R movie, making it a memorable choice. Although the movie aired roughly midway through R, Usagi didn’t start to wear this outfit casually again until the S season.

Usagi is shown eating a lot of food, especially sweets, but she seems to have a particular fondness for crepes, snacking on them in several different episodes.

In episode 143 we can see that Usagi is very technologically trendy - for the times. She’s carrying that blue-and-pink pager which she and Mamoru use to contact each other by way of goroawase, that is, deciphering messages based on the different pronunciations of numbers, a precursor to modern texting. Mamoru pages her the numbers 84 51, which could be read as hachi yon go ichi; reading only the first syllables, and substituting go for the related sound ko, Usagi would interpret the message as hayo koi, which sounds a bit like “come quick” - she’s late for their date. Oops!

By the way, pagers were often called “pocket bells” (pokeberu) in Japan, and became so rapidly popular they even found their way into the lyrics of Rashiku Ikimasho, the ending song for the SuperS season; 「泣きたい時には ポケベルならしてよんで、戦士の休息」 [Nakitai toki ni wa POKEBELL narashite yonde, senshi no kyuusoku] “If you feel like crying, send a page thru the Pocket Bell, take a break from [being a] Guardian”

Chibi-Usa / Sailor Chibi Moon’s References:

Chibi-Usa doesn’t technically have a school uniform, but her casual clothes are often styled after sailor suits as a reflection of both her idolisation of the figure of “Sailor Moon” and of her desire to be seen as older and more mature than she appears. She changes “uniforms” every season, and this pinafore outfit is the version she wears in SuperS. She wore the other outfit in the SuperS premiere episode.

The handgun is from episode 060, Chibi-Usa’s introduction to the series and arguably one of the most iconic absurdist scenes in all of Sailor Moon. The gun itself is actually a toy, probably a transformation of the Luna-P sphere, which Chibi-Usa uses to try and threaten Usagi into giving her the Legendary Silver Crystal. When she “shoots” Usagi, the bullet is revealed to be nothing but a suction-cup flower, also pictured. (By the way, if you were wondering, Chibi-Usa’s fake gun is based on a real Colt M1911A1.) She transforms the Luna-P into a toy gun to shoot Sailor Moon again in the Sailor Moon R movie, this time as a way to motivate Usagi to fight.

The Luna-P sphere was a mysterious gadget Chibi-Usa kept with her for the duration of R and parts of S. It’s unknown where it came from, but it could be assumed to have been created from advanced 30th century technology. It was a combination toy and tool which could transform itself into a variety of objects, formulas, and even weapons, though none were shown to be particularly powerful. It could also be used to communicate with Sailor Pluto at the Time-Space Door. When Chibi-Usa was manipulated into becoming Wicked Lady in episode 085, the Luna-P sphere also transformed into an “evil” and much more dangerous version.

The Space-Time Key was a special tool given to her by Sailor Pluto that allowed her to travel between the past and the future, though it was difficult for her to wield effectively.

The sunhat was given to Chibi-Usa by Ikuko, so she treasured it greatly. In episode 112 it got blown away and was retrieved by Hotaru Tomoe, which allowed her to meet Chibi-Usa and marked the beginning of their close friendship.

The blue-and-red package was a gift containing two manga books (”Drop Drop” vol. 1 & 2 by Ukon Katakuri) which Chibi-Usa intended to give to her new friend Hotaru in episode 113.

In episode 127, Chibi-Usa returned home to the future, and the girls all made her some going-away gifts. Ami made her a floppy disk (lol) to help her study, Rei made her a casette tape (double lol) of her music, Makoto packed her a lunch, and Minako made her a photo album of their time together. Usagi hand-sewed Chibi-Usa the rabbit-shaped backpack using a real outfit she used to love when she was a child.

Michiru / Sailor Neptune’s References:

This is a somewhat unusual choice for Michiru’s casual outfit, as she only wore it for two episodes, and that’s only because they made up a two-part story. But perhaps because the episodes were so pivotal - with Haruka and Michiru almost learning Usagi’s true identity - the outfit itself became more memorable.

Not only do they include Michiru’s violin, but they included the lemon she bounced off the instrument as she played to show off her skills in episode 093.

The teacup, teaspoon and saucer are the same set Michiru was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Michiru and Haruka both reference episode 095, where they had to enter a “true love” contest as part of their investigation. The contestants were asked to find their partner’s hand in an anonymous lineup, and Haruka was able to identify Michiru’s hand immediately.

Michiru used Haruka as a model for an illustration in her green sketchbook in episode 106.

Michiru’s Talisman is the Deep Aqua Mirror, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Submarine Reflection. She could also use it to receive prophetic visions. Visually, it was based on real-life art nouveau hand mirrors, and symbolically represented the mirror from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Haruka / Sailor Uranus’s References:

Conversely, Haruka wore this outfit a lot. Maybe more than she should’ve.

The teacup and saucer is the same set Haruka was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Haruka’s postcard also references the lovers contest in episode 095 (see above).

The purple scarf is from episode 096; Haruka was wearing it as a necktie when she almost ran into Makoto on her motorcycle. Haruka used the scarf to bandage Makoto’s road rash, which she returned later, though now smitten.

Not only is Haruka’s motorcycle included, they also referenced (one of) her car(s), the 1968 Toyota 2000GT.

Haruka’s Talisman is the Space Sword, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Space Sword Blaster. Symbolically it represented the sword from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Setsuna / Sailor Pluto’s References:

Setsuna didn’t have a school uniform, since she wasn’t a student, so she got to double-up on her casual outfits. Her mauve outfit is her most recognisable, wearing it so often it may as well have been her uniform. In fact, she was rarely seen wearing anything else until Sailor Stars, where she started experimenting with other outfits, including the Time Lord-esque suit on the right.

The potted plant is a Tellun, the energy-draining plant created by Tellu in episode 121. Setsuna was investigating it when it attempted to attack her, but she was protected by her Talisman, the Garnet Orb (also pictured, representing the jewel in the Three Sacred Treasures). She then went on to destroy the remaining Tellun plants and defeat Tellu with the help of Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Moon, and Tuxedo Mask.

The teacup and saucer are the same set Setsuna is seen drinking from at Cafe Etranger in the Sailor Moon S movie.

In episode 182, the girls are discussing the mysterious arrival of Chibi Chibi while eating ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Setsuna appears out of nowhere to confirm their suspicions... carrying that popsicle of her own.

Hotaru / Sailor Saturn’s References:

Hotaru tended to wear the same thing, mostly all-black, but she did occasionally adventure into rich colours like this bottle green two-piece outfit and iconic raspberry beret.

The sunhat belonged to Chibi-Usa; it symbolises the beginning of their friendship, when Hotaru caught it after it blew away in episode 112.

Chibi-Usa gave Hotaru the rabbit backpack in episode 116, using it to pass a note inviting her on a picnic.

Hotaru collects lamps, and the two referenced here are seen in her bedroom, which she keeps dimly lit to manage her pain.

The window might seem random, but it was random in the series, too - it’s one of the curtained window which looks out from Hotaru’s bedroom, and when a Daimon experiment goes terribly wrong in episode 118 and transforms her house into a Bamboozled-like inter-dimensional maze, one window overlooks a vast ocean while the other overlooks a strange jungle.

Hotaru’s weapon as Sailor Saturn is the Silence Glaive. It’s said that she possesses enough power to destroy the world with a single drop of her scythe.

That’s it! You made it! How many references did YOU know? 🌙

[mk-wizard]

The Missing Mothers of Transformers Part 3

Hello, friends. This is a bonus part of a series based on a question that was asked by me a while ago. I warn you in advance that it is a sad topic and if you’re from a family where affairs and possible children through them happened, I will keep it sensitive. I am also not discussing this to tarnish the image of Rescue Bots nor do I mean to make the Burns family look bad. Anyway, here it goes and I’m sorry in advance if I make people sad.

A while ago, I did an analysis of the Burns family on why Mrs. Burns (the mother) is missing from the series. To sum it up in a recap, after noting that Chief Burns is as traditional as they come, it is shown that he has had way too much experience caring for his family alone even with so many kids with big age differences, he doesn’t wear his wedding band and no one talks about the missing mom and there are never even pictures of her. To me, this is all some rather dark evidence that it is likely that Chief and Mrs. Burns had a pretty rocky marriage and that she was in fact in a “problem child” of a wife who left all responsibility including raising the kids to Charlie and eventually either ditched them or Charlie had enough so he kicked her to the curb for the family’s own good. I should also note as someone who is married and knows other married couples; when someone doesn’t wear their wedding band yet highly values marriage and family, it is either because they do a lot of work with their hands or their own marriage was awful. In the case of Charlie Burns, other than cooking, his hands don’t get all that dirty with any hobbies or his work, so it is very likely that the latter is the case.

Anyway, as I have been rewatching the show because I like it and good shows are worth watching again, the analysis stayed with me and something began to not sit well with me. I didn’t know it at first until I paid close attention to the family group shots. I noticed something that took even more of my innocence towards the show away. The Burns kids don’t look like their dad. And what’s even more unsettling is that... each of them looks different. I mean, look at their hair! Each one of them has different coloured or shaded hair!

Even in the episode where Cody temporarily grows up, he doesn’t look like his dad. Sure they both have moustaches, but any man has facial hair.

Let me explain all of this further. Chief Burns is a blonde with hair that was once the same shade and is the same texture as Graham’s, but what about the other three kids? Cody’s the wrong kind of blonde with the wrong kind of texture while Dani and Kade are both redheads. And not even the same kinds. Also, if I saw these four kids together and didn’t know them, the only two who look related are Graham and Cody. Kade and Dani look like they came from different families and even Cody doesn’t look like his dad.

For those of you who don’t know genetics, refer to this chart;

After taking a good look and recalling that Charlie Burns is a blonde who went gray with age, in order for him and his wife to have had redheads, she would have had to have been a brunette at least. However, even with that said, would Dani and Kade have the same type of red hair? And isn’t just their hair that’s different, Cody and Kade’s faces are different from their dad’s and from each other. And as for Dani, she doesn’t look a thing like any of her brothers. In fact, recalling that only Graham looks like the Chief, Cody, Dani and Kade all don’t look like their dad or like each other.

I am putting together a picture in my mind that is making me flinch, but I have to point it out. It is not possible for three of the kids to not look like each other and yet for all of them to have come from the same two parents. I think Cody clearly took after his mother and his dad, Dani took after her dad and Kade took after his dad. Yes, I am phrasing it that way on purpose because I think Kade, Dani and Cody... each had different fathers and none of them were Charlie. I know it’s a pretty dark conclusion especially for a kid’s show, but the evidence is just too compelling. It explains why they don’t look related and also why their age differences are all over the place. I can understand them having kids back to back with the first three, but Cody is still a kid indicating that he wasn’t planned. And suppose Mrs. Burns was fooling around with other men and getting pregnant by them, it would explain why she only left the picture after Cody was born. Charlie isn’t gullible or dumb, but for a person who was still in the beginning of his marriage, he might have just chalked up Kade and Dani’s red hair to coming from ancestors on their mother’s side and I can tell you as someone who has seen tons of babies, sometimes, who they take after is hard to read. I think it was only as the kids got older and their features matured, and Mrs. Burns’ true nature revealed itself, that Charlie became suspicious. And if at this point, things between them were that rocky, it is very likely that they became physically distant too. This means that Mrs. Burns fourth pregnancy which resulted in Cody could have only come from an affair which also gave away that she was having one because how else did she get pregnant if she wasn’t getting any from her husband?

The picture I draw after this is that after Cody was born, Charlie found out the truth about his other two kids not really being his either so he divorced his cheating wife. I don’t know if he threw her out and kept Cody out of compassion because he knew he was in for a bad life with such a sleazy woman or if Mrs. Burns just left and abandoned the family. I am also not sure if any of the kids are aware that Charlie isn’t really their dad if what I’m saying is true though judging by the way they act, I would have to say none of them know.

I know this fan theory is very, very sad, but in a way it also highlights to what extent Charlie is a good man and a hero. Most men would have been broken upon finding out that the majority of their kids weren’t theirs and would have even abandoned them. Charlie did no such thing. He stepped up and clearly loves all four of those kids as his own.

I also want to point out to anyone who says “well, it’s a cartoon so it’s going to have character design goofs”, all of the other characters who are family look related at least. Frankie is hinted to be the spitting image of her biological mother though her lips are that of her dad’s and her half-sister baby CeCe is a blend of her dad and stepmother.

And even mayor Luskey and his brother look related at least. Same nose, chin, eyebrows, face shape and hair. Their dimples even fall in the same places. Only the heights, body types, weights and skin tones are difference. If these two men can be so different yet can still easily pass off as brother yet the Burns kids are not so easy to pass off as family, you know something is up. And it wasn’t bad character design.

Once again, I am sorry if I made you sad and I hope I was sensitive towards people who have walked in these shoes. It is not a pleasant topic, but in a way, it is a good thing that Transformers represents people in these situations and shows us that it doesn’t matter where you came from. What matters is that you’re a good and kind person, and that love is what makes a family.

I would love to hear what people think of this theory I drew up or rather, the expansion on an existing theory. Hats off to the REAL dads and REAL moms who step up to the plate when other cowardly leave.

If you have a Transformers theory or character analysis you want explored, please let me know in my ask box. And please, support me through Patreon or Ko-fi if you want me to make Transformers merch and videos. Or if you want a commission of your favourite bot, let me know in my shop. All links are on my profile page.

Thanks for reading and please, stay safe. And please, take time to tell your parents how much you love them especially during this time of the year.

[bokutok]

[Loser has to cosplay] Competition with Pio House! Betting our pride on this cooking battle! [MxH Channel]

I don’t think I’ve ever posted translations on here but here we go I guess. This is a translation of part of the Otomate 2021 April’s Fools event where characters from several games function as streamers/content creators for a video streaming site and basically fun AU just things. This one is basically a made-up collaboration between characters from the games Piofiore and Lover Pretend. (if you find any mistakes in the translation or typos please feel free to message me and point them out so i can correct them!)

Harumi: "H-Hello.  I'm the one responsible for Cosplay tutorials at the Manken x Henshin Channel. In this video I'm working alongside my colleague Kazuma, who's responsible for Hair and Makeup tutorials in our channel. Usually we do cosplay & hair and makeup styling tutorials aimed towards beginners together on our channel."

Kazuma: "Hey-ho! I'm Kazuma! Ah as always Haru-san forgot to introduce himself while doing the introduction. Today we have some super amazing guests who are gracing us with their presence!!"

Harumi: "Yes, today we are working together with Pio House's Gilbert and Yang.. if you would like to..."

Gil: "Oi, Yang, Introduce yourself."

Yang: *huffs*

Gil: "Geez. Yo, everyone watching MxH Channel. My name is Gilbert. The one huffing and puffing over there is Yang. Let's have fun together today."

Harumi: "L-L-L-Let's work hard together. Usually Pio House does Mukbang videos and eh? Disputes..?...As-Assasination........?"

Kazuma: "Yep! They usually do Food-related videos so today we are doing this~!"

Title Card: Cooking Competition

Kazuma: "Super easy to understand right? Buuuut, a normal cooking competition would be super boring so we are letting these boxes decide what we are making today!"

Three boxes "Theme", "Dish", "Cooking Person"

Kazuma: "They are gonna decide the Theme and... uh..."

Harumi: "Theme, Dish and Cook."

Kazuma: "Yes! That! In there are cards with said words on them. So we pull one card out of each box to decide who's gonna make what."

Gil: "I see, this competition is quite luck based, isn't it?"

Harumi: "Yes. At the end everyone here is going to have a taste test and we will vote on which dish is going to win. And... whoever loses is going to have to face a punishment game!"

Yang: ".....Punishment Game?"

Harumi: *shreeks*

Kazuma: "You're just gonna have to watch to find out! A Hint: It's related to what we do on this channel. You know, that thing~"

Harumi: "It's already kind of been shown but whatever"

Yukito: "Well then! Kaaay~ everyone pay attention now~ I'll be directing stuff from here on out~"

Kazuma: "Ha! Aren't you that certain ikemen model that appears on here quite frequently? Is it okay for you to show your face just like that?"

Yukito: "Oh, well, today is a special video so it's fine right?"

Harumi: "Ehh?? Is it okay to be that sloppy about it?"

Yukito: "I asked my manager so it's fiiiiine~ Well let's check the boxes and see who's gonna do what!"

Harumi: "Geez, ultimately you're still doing this really half-minded."

~Wait a moment please~

Yukito: "Done! The result of the card draw is this~!"

Harumi: "Eh? M-Me?"

Kazuma: "Do your best, Haru-san! If you try hard you can do it!"

Yang: "Who came up with these topics...?"

Gil: "Oi, calm down, Yang! This is alright, isn't it? Even if you can't make a fancy hot pot it will serve as good content for the video!"

Yang: "...Alright, I'll show you how to do it."

~Cooking Time~

Gil: "Woah."

Kazuma: "Aaaaa Haru-san, you have to season it, too!"

Gil: "Who's going to eat that?"

Kazuma: "Ah! Ah!"

~Cooking done~

Yukito: "First, let's start with MxH Channel's dish!"

Harumi: "Y-Yes! I tried to do my best!"

Kazuma: "T-This is! Yes this really looks like you did your best! Barely can't believe you tried this for the first time!"

Yukito: "Well, this certainly has a super cute feel to it, but how did the cooking aspect turn out? First of all, is it even deep fried...?"

Harumi: "You don't have to point it out like that..."

Yukito: "Oh well, let's look at what Pioz House came up with!"

 Yang: "I made Mala Hot Pot."

Gil: "It's super red ???"

Yang: "Are you happy, Redford? Red is a colour that makes your neighbourhood shine, isn't it?"

Gil: "But it isn't a colour you should find in cooking... Also, is this really something humans can eat?? My eyes already hurt from standing next to it."

Yukito: "And where did the fancy aspect go??"

Yang: "It's Hot Pot so it's fancy right? If you put something in a pot it's immediately fancy."

Gil: "What kind of master of ridiculous logic are you?? You idiot.."

Kazuma: "Eh? I don't get it? How is it fancy?"

Yukito: "Nono there is definitely no master to be found here."

Harumi: "Well it's okay isn't it! Compared to what I made."

Yukito: "Now that you say it, we still have to do the taste test! Well, both look like they aren't safe to eat... and I have a photoshoot tomorrow so an upset stomach wouldn't work for me, please excuse me."

Kazuma: "I have work tomorrow morning.. if i even touch on the topic of taking off work I swear my senpai is going to kill me."

Yukito: "Looking at the food it looks like it's gonna be a draw anyway because both look absolutely indigestible! So be good boys and both do the punishment game~!"

Yang: "Huh...?  Don't you think it's cowardly to suddenly change the rules at the end?"

Gil: "Well you both completely missed the topic and failed so it's a fair loss.."

Yukito: "Anyway the punishment game is gonna be doing cosplay and doing a photoshoot for the thumbnail of this video!"

Kazuma: "The cosplay is gonna be decided by card draw again! Pick whatever card speaks to you!"

Harumi: "Haa, I guess I was kind of already expecting it while cooking..."

Yang: "How idiotic. Not like I have to draw a card."

Gil: "Well, then I'm gonna draw for you! The 2nd one from the right!"

Yang: "....Ha?"

Kazuma: "Thanks Mr. Gilbert! Ehh 2nd card from the left iiis..."

~Please wait a moment~

Yukito: huffing and puffing "We finally somehow managed to get both of them changed..."

Kazuma: "I did the makeup of course. I thought i was gonna be killed for sure while doing it, but I was brave and went through with it completely anyway!"

Gil: "Oh? I'm looking forward to the result."

Yukito: "Now, now, you two, come out!"

Yang: "................................................."

Harumi: "Mr. Yang... please... maybe you can smile a bit?"

Yang: "Huh?"

Gil: "Woaaah, almost looks like you came out of a dreamworld."

Yukito: "Looks good you two! Mr. Yang, could you lean a bit more to the side? Oh and Haru can you twist your arm a little more? Yes, like that!"

Kazuma: "This turned out to be a masterpiece! This is gonna be the raddest thumbnail!"

Yang: "I've had enough."

Harumi: "Eh? You're leaving already?? We still have to take individual pictures, too-"

Gil: "I'm moved, Yang! You endured this really well for once."

Yang: "..............................."

Gil: "Well then, thanks for having us. It was fun! We're gonna leave before Yang explodes, sorry for making you clean up!" 

Kazuma: "Eh? Did they really just leave just like that?"

Harumi: "Ah... but it suited him really well... and i even crossdressed this prettily..."

Yukito: "Oh well, don't cry, Harumi-chan. You're gonna ruin your cute face."

Kazuma: "Yukito, are you really gonna flirt with anyone who looks like a girl?"

Yukito: "Huh? But Harumi-chan is always cute."

Harumi: "As if hearing you say that would make me happy!"

Kazuma: "Well seeing that those two already left, let's say our closing words for this one!"

Harumi: "*whining noises* If you think this video was funny please leave a like!"

Kazuma: "And don't forget to subscribe to our channels!"

[tiramisiyu]

【未定事件簿】 Tears of Themis: “Romantic Rail Getaway” Zuo Ran Route, Day 5

Translation Masterlist | Themis Event Masterlist

Zuo Ran Route: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Videos, where applicable, are hyperlinked on the headings in the post.

See under cut!

Part 1 – Forenlo Commerce Street – “Trailing Forenlo Palace”

A warm late-spring wind blew over from the lake surfaces of Forenlo Palace’s banks, brushing over the tips of my hair and bringing a fresh and clear breeze.

The deep green trees shaded the groups of classic buildings, like a romantic picture scroll, making it impossible to look away.

MC: Forenlo Palace is so beautiful… it’s over, I kind of don’t know what I should take a picture of.

Zuo Ran: We can look for a staff member to ask what places nearby are suitable for picture-taking.

MC: Mhmm, I was thinking this too!

--

Tourist Inquiry Booth

Staff: Hello, how may I be of service?

MC: Could you please introduce us to sceneries nearby that are suitable for picture-taking?

Staff: There are lots of gorgeous scenery locations near Forenlo Palace.

Staff: Are you interested in cultural attractions, or natural sceneries?

--

INTERROGATION START

Cultural Attractions

MC: Hm… could you recommend some cultural attractions?

Staff: For cultural building attractions, I recommend you go visit the Noblewoman’s Embankment and Cari Temple.

Noblewoman’s Embankment

MC: Where is the Noblewoman’s Embankment?

Staff: The Noblewoman’s Embankment is on the left side of Forenlo Palace. You can head straight there after walking out the inquiry booth and boarding a tour bus.

Staff: This embankment was built at the time of Rumbaliya’s old nobility and is an example of the combination of classic and artistic design amid the group of Forenlo buildings.

Staff: You could say that it’s an embankment that’s witnessed the historical development of Rumbaliya.

MC: (Hm, taking a picture of buildings with history in their structures… would be an excellent choice.)

Cari Temple

MC: Hm… is Cari Temple the place on the right side of Forenlo Palace that looks a little like an art gallery?

Staff: Yes, that was a Gothic-style palace built by old aristocracy. Now, it’s been converted into an art gallery.

Staff: Cari Temple’s external wall is very particular – it’s one of the popular trip photo targets.

Staff: Right, they often host some art exhibition and cultural exchange events there, and it’s very popular with tourists.

Staff: You might as well go see – I’m sure you’ll get something out of it.

MC: I feel like I’ll be able to take great pictures in Cari Temple.

Zuo Ran: Then let’s go see Cari Temple first in a moment.

MC: Sure, so it’s decided.

Natural Sceneries

MC: I’m somewhat interested in natural scenery.

Staff: Then I think… Angel Garden and St. Nove Flower Garden are the best choices for you.

St. Nove Flower Garden

Zuo Ran: I remember that St. Nove Flower Garden… was originally a private garden that wasn’t open to the general public. Is it now open to the public?

Staff: Yes, it was once the private garden of a duke.

Staff: Before the duke passed, he donated the garden, and after renovation, St. Nove Flower Garden was officially opened to the public.

Staff: There are lots of rare flowers planted in the garden. I’m sure it’ll be a feast for your eyes.

MC: (A romantic flower garden theme… hm, I’ll definitely be able to take lots of beautiful pictures!)

Angel Garden

MC: Angel Garden?

Staff: Though Angel Garden is called a garden, it’s actually the largest arboretum in Forenlo City.

Staff: The most well-known within the park is the tulip sea and the flower tree waterfall attractions within the arboretum area.

Staff: Right now, it just happens to be tulip blooming season. I’m sure that if you go see it, you’ll definitely be shocked by the gorgeousness of the fresh flowers.

MC: (A tulip sea… it sounds really dreamy…)

MC: Lawyer Zuo, I want to take photos at the Angel Garden!

Zuo Ran: Okay, I’ll look up the route.

INTERROGATION END

--

Staff: Esteemed guests, are there any other things you’d like to ask?

MC: No need, I’ve pretty much got my targets set. Thank you.

Staff: No problem, I am very pleased to be of service for you. Then, I hope you have fun.

 Part 2 – Noblewoman’s Embankment

[Gameplay]

Part 3 – Bridge of Angels

[Gameplay]

 Part 4 – Cari Temple

[Gameplay]

 Part 5 – St. Nove Plaza

[Gameplay]

 Part 6 – The Most Beautiful Scenery

Forenlo Palace Cultural Street

On the last day of the trip, Zuo Ran and I checked out all the popular attractions near Forenlo Palace.

The gorgeous Forenlo Palace, the old-style art corridor, the elegant sculpture park… I recorded each view with my camera lens.

MC: Lawyer Zuo, help me see – which set of photos should I pick?

It may be easy taking pictures, but it’s very hard to pick them. After struggling back and forth on the camera preview screen…

I decided to directly seek external assistance from Zuo Ran to help pick photos that I would be sending to Yao Yu soon.

Zuo Ran: Hm…

Zuo Ran tapped at the camera touchscreen and pointed towards a set of scenic photos of Forenlo Palace taken with a wide-angle lens.

Zuo Ran: The view of these photos gives an open feeling.

MC: Our aesthetics really are similar. I actually really like this set too!

MC: Only…

I personally also liked this set of pictures, but I simultaneously had some concerns.

MC: Lawyer Zuo, do you feel like this photoset isn’t all that different from the ones from before?

Zuo Ran: Why do you say so?

MC: Because when we were touring Rumba City, I’ve taken photos from similar angles… but Yao Yu…

Zuo Ran: You’re worried that after sending this set of scenic photos, your friend will still be dissatisfied?

MC: Mhmm…

Zuo Ran: I feel like you don’t have to worry too much. What your friend wants is “the most beautiful scenery that you experience during your trip”.

Zuo Ran: If you see this group to be the most beautiful sceneries, then it is the most beautiful.

MC: (My experience?)

I unconsciously flapped my hand beside my cheeks, trying to calm down and think.

Zuo Ran: MC, let’s find a place to sit and relax.

Zuo Ran: If you can’t decide right now, you might as well let yourself relax. Perhaps you’ll have new ideas later.

MC: Mhmm, sure.

Zuo Ran was right. Struggling the whole time was not a good method. I might as well do something else first and enjoy the vacation.

--

We found a long bench on the roadside and sat down to rest.

The cool, gentle wind increased the feeling of contentment slightly as it delivered a sweet scent into my nose.

Following the sweet scent, I saw an ice cream truck on the other side of the road, with “Only Hand-made Ice Cream for a Hundred Years” written on its billboard.

MC: Ice cream that’s been handmade for a hundred years? What would that taste like?

Zuo Ran: Want to taste it?

MC: Yes!

That billboard really did catch my interest, making me want to see exactly what ice cream with a hundred years of handmaking history would taste like.

Zuo Ran: You can stay seated, I’ll go buy it.

After speaking, Zuo Ran got up and stepped over the road, walking towards that ice cream truck.

I watched Zuo Ran from far away…

Watching him interact politely with the truck booth owner, watching him take the cone, watching him heading back with an ice cream cone in each hand.

The retro-style camel-coloured windbreaker on Zuo Ran’s body cut straight lines, clean and neat, adding a few more touches of outstanding handsomeness to him.

MC: (This piece of clothing really makes Lawyer Zuo look handsome. Weird… how come I didn’t notice a few days ago?)

While I faced him in a trance, Zuo Ran had already walked up to me…

The retro buildings on the two sides of the road served as a background for him, reflecting a peaceful moment.

That was a landscape painting, frozen before me.

MC: (What your friend wants is “the most beautiful scenery that you experience during your trip”.)

Thinking back on what Zuo Ran had said, something murky in my mind became clear, with a distinct silhouette.

I held up my camera and waved at him.

MC: Zuo Ran, look here!

Zuo Ran: Hm?

Through the camera lens, his line of sight collided with mine, the faint smile on his thin lips frozen in this moment.

Zuo Ran: Why did you… suddenly…

MC: Because this shot is excellent. I’ve decided – I’m sending this photo to Yao Yu!

I held up the camera with both hands for him to see. He glanced at the photo, then looked at me.

Zuo Ran: You…

MC: What each person sees and thinks is different. I feel like a happy me should be courageously shown for others to see.

The “most beautiful” was a matter of individual opinion. The sceneries seen by each person are different, so what they see as beautiful will be different.

So, the answer is very obvious.

What Yao Yu wanted was my appreciation in the trip, and what I got during this trip was the bit of happiness with Zuo Ran.

MC: I think the most beautiful scenery…

MC: Is you.

Zuo Ran smiled, looking at me, serious and sincere.

Zuo Ran: In my eyes, you’ve always been that.

His calm voice created ripples in my heart, complicated and surging.

Warmth emerged on my cheeks, and the air right then seemed to become somewhat sweet, intoxicating me…

Zuo Ran: Alright, how about putting away the camera for now – the ice cream is going to melt.

MC: Ah! My ice cream!

I’d only been focusing on taking pictures, and the ice cream Zuo Ran had bought was already starting to melt. A few droplets were dripping down from the softened edges…

I rushed to put away the camera and take the ice cream cone.

MC: Delicious – as expected, a hundred-years’ worth of craftsmanship is superior.

Zuo Ran: It’s very sweet.

Though it was slightly embarrassing to eat the melting ice cream, the rich taste of milkiness brought a wonderful feeling between the lips.

Just like this moment, with the gentleness and warmth flowing between his and my eyes.

That was an indescribable yet true feeling that saturated the depths of the heart.

I was very convinced that that was the most beautiful scenery I had found in this journey…

[obsidian-aurora]

Why you should stop sharing the animated gif about measuring Yibo’s waist

I wanted to provide a bit more context about why I’m upset about people sharing the images of Yibo’s waist being measured when he was 17.  

Context

First of all, you can watch a full video of the TV show he was on with Uniq when this happened.  Context makes it slightly less offensive as the people who are measuring his waist are his friends, his band members from Uniq.  But the way the post was shared made it look like random people that didn’t know him were feeling Yibo up. Which is appalling. Look at Yibo on that day.  Does he look old enough for you to be ogling his waist?

Age

Yibo was not yet 18 when he went on this show.  Personally, I wish they had never measured his waist on the show in the first place.  But as a young person just starting out as an idol, he had no clout with which to have right of refusal.  You can’t ask a child of 17 to be mature enough to disallow others from doing this to him on TV.  I wish his older bandmates had protected him but they thought it was funny and probably didn’t think that years and years later people would still be sharing this clip.  The gif below was literally taken on the same day.

Yibo is uncomfortable with people talking about his waist

I have almost never seen Yibo look more uncomfortable or unhappy than when Yu Bin was asked to “measure his waist” with his arms.

We know from other instances, namely this time he went to a fanmeeting with the cast of The Untamed, that he is uncomfortable with people discussing their waist sizes.  In Yibo’s own words, “Normally we look at faces not waists!”

Yibo is so uncomfortable when being asked about his eating habits that he starts to stutter and then Xiao Zhan slides in to try to control Yibo and the conversation.

Body Image

Yibo is not like idols like Lay who are doing underwear commercials with their whole body on display.  Something that you will notice about him if you’re paying attention is that for years Yibo has never gratuitously shown off his body unless it’s in a scene for a role, such as the latest bathtub scene from Legend of Fei.  Even when he performed EOEO at the last Yuehua Family Concert in 2019, he didn’t do the move where he pulled up his shirt to show his abs.

Yibo clearly doesn’t want people looking at his body this way anymore.

Even when he went on Summer Surf Shop, when all the other people there were topless Yibo kept his shirt on.  Why?  Maybe he didn’t want people looking at him that way.  He said himself that he needed to put on some colour for his role as Chen Yu, so sunburning was not the reason.

So I beg of you.  Have a little respect.  Stop sharing pictures of underage Yibo’s waist. If you were one of the 500+ people that retweeted that tweet, go and delete it for the love of Yibo.

[muchymozzarella]

I just watched the Cuties /  Mignonnes movie on Netflix and honestly, I loved it. It isn’t for everyone though. I also have a feeling that a lot of the controversy comes from whatever baggage you bring with you to the film. 

It’s not the most comfortable movie to watch, first of all, but it’s not exactly vague about its message. In fact, it paints a fairly clear picture of what happens when you take a girl going through a difficult situation and tell her she has to pick between Religious Womanly Purity and being Sexy And Desired and force her to choose when she’s way too young to be making any sort of choice in either direction. 

More of my thoughts below - spoilers for the film, and content warning for personal experience with childhood sexuality and how that plays into the film’s content and themes. 

I think Americans will have a hard time taking this movie’s message as it is presented, because American media is so polarising - 

it’s either you’re watching two adults pretend to be teenagers fucking all over the place or you pretend kids are 10000% non-sexual entities who will only magically become so at age 18, instead of realising that kids and teens are doing their own growing up and it’s deeply uncomfortable and awkward to observe how they try to copy overtly sexual content they get access to without fully understanding what it entails or why they shouldn’t be doing it.

But I think that international films can present something more nuanced, especially when it comes to sexuality - since America’s puritanical culture and overly sexual counterculture has fucked it up so thoroughly.  

Cuties reminds me a bit of how I was as a kid. I got my period when I was 11. I got my first bra when I was 8. I started masturbating when I was 10. I started accessing porn when I was 12 - though to be fair it was all doujin and fanfic lol. 

The movie itself happens as follows: 

Main character Amy is 11 and Muslim Senegalese, and she’s shown to largely be bored with the religious proceedings, and is explicitly told in the beginning by an Auntie in the religious group about how women should be pure and modest. She’s close with her mother, but the relationship is fraught. Her father has taken on another wife, and Amy is feeling resentful and angry toward him, but Amy’s mom has to help host the wedding even though she’s clearly pained by his decision. 

In their apartment, Amy meets Angelica, who’s part of a clique of girls who dress sexy and want to take part in a dance competition. Amy does everything she can to be accepted by the girls, and eventually starts dressing more sexually, learning how to twerk and dance, and essentially rebelling against the ideals that are bringing herself and her mom so much pain. 

The movie alternates between showing Amy and Angelica and the other girls being sweet kids and having fun and actually being kids, and them trying to learn from adult dances and being obsessed with trying to date older boys, take pictures of a guy’s dick at school, pretending to be older than they are, etc. It’s generally not fun to see, but also kinda reminded me of being 11 and acting like I knew better when it came to Sex but definitely talking out of my ass. 

Eventually Amy goes too far when the day of the wedding comes nearer, she gets her period, more expectation is placed on her by the Auntie, who kind of represents the tight knit religious community, and her place in the clique is put at risk. She steals from her mom, she tries to bribe her cousin with nudity, and posts a genital pic in a moment of desperation - all explicitly framed as awful and painful within the movie, in case you’re wondering. Her mother shouts at her, her friends reject her, and they even have a whole uncomfortable cleansing scene and bring in an exorcist to see what’s wrong with her - though the exorcist, who is a sensible man, tells them it’s definitely not a bad spirit and heavily implies that they should think about the psychological toll her family pressures have put on her. 

She eventually gets onstage to dance, but stops halfway and starts to cry and runs away. It’s a fantastic and painful sequence, because you get them dancing with these bright glamorous lights and then when she realises exactly what she’s become and everything becomes dark and grey and the colours muted and ugly. 

She comes home to everyone about to go to the wedding, crying for her mom. Her mom defends her the Auntie saying she was dressing like a whore and hugs her. The two reconcile, and her mom tells her it’s okay if she doesn’t want to go to the wedding - since obviously it’s been hurting her so much. The mom is going, since she’s already made that decision, but Amy changes out of her overly sexual dance clothes and puts on some regular ones, goes outside, and starts skipping rope with some kids - finally enjoying herself like a kid should. 

That’s a fairly long description, but I want to emphasise that at no point does the movie say that “girls dancing sexy is good, actually”. It does, however, portray how these girls have glamourised overtly sexual media, and how Amy is particularly susceptible to it because of the pressures partly caused by her more conservative religious upbringing. 

I’ve seen some people say that it puts Islam or Muslim religiousness in a bad light, but I didn’t really think that either. I’m Catholic, not Muslim, and I related deeply with Amy. She was bored and pressured by religion, but it never showed her mother to be bad for being religious, nor the rest of the women. The Auntie pressured her and made her feel bad, but it didn’t really feel any different from literally any other religion where modesty and purity is part of the teaching. 

I also see people saying it demonises sexual liberation, but that’s not really it either. I think the main message is clear when you think about what that deep feeling of discomfort you feel seeing kids dress like adult women in sexy dance videos. Both Angelica and Amy were feeling pressured by stuff at home, which pushed them to try to be wanted and loved, and to rebel, and that’s how they went about it. With Angelica, her parents worked all day and were barely ever home, so she felt neglected. With Amy, her family pressures made her feel like she needed an escape, and she wanted to be accepted by the clique. 

Kids with difficult situations are most susceptible to growing up too fast, whether that be having to parent your own siblings (which Amy does throughout the movie) or trying to copy adults without understanding the implications. The kids were trying to chat up teenage boys but some of them didn’t even know what a condom was. 

It’s not a fun movie - though to be fair, it has its fun moments, ie the parts where the kids are actually enjoying themselves like kids do. The movie consistently reminds you that these are kids, in case you forget somewhere while watching, and that what they’re doing is fucked up, actually. 

I certainly think the movie can be uncomfortable to watch and you don’t need to watch it if it’s beyond your viewing limits. I just think that the ridiculous culture war surrounding it is so tainted by bad faith. I watched this movie and saw parts of my own childhood, and a tragedy with a hopeful ending where a young girl is forced into situations she shouldn’t even be in because she felt like she couldn’t rely on anybody. 

I think it’s an amazing film and I think you should watch it with an open mind, instead of acting like your only two settings are “enjoying child porn” and “children do not know what sex is and I will pretend that is true”. I think that if the movie is making you uncomfortable, you understand the movie. 

And I think that the message of the movie is “Let kids be kids, stop trying to push them into decisions they’re too young to make, whether it be insisting on their womanly purity or making them think they have to be sexy to be liked.”

But that’s just my take on it. 

[captainshazamerica]

APPLAUSE FOR OLD MAN BRUCE 👏👏👏 I'm glad bruce actually did it. Jason my son he's lost his shit entirely and ahem episode 3 don't wanna say too much in case you haven't watched that one yet but boy my fave excuse me jason! F*ckk. Okay but I feel kinda robbed like we coulda had a backflash of batgirl and jason as robin and bruce mildly scolding him for his choice of language while babs pisses herself laughing love to have seen him go off on mad hatter and hatter being like batman you have instilled absolutely zero manners into your little cape wearing child. this guy as jason/robin plus the characterization is perfect this redhood on the other hand is very interesting very heartbreaking and I very much wanna whack him with something although that's what started this mess sooo maybe not btw thanks for the not link lol I managed to get an app thingy to avoid pop up shit but the freakin audio is a couple secs out on the video and it stops and starts kinda but at least it works so, I had to use Yt to rewatch the fight scenes DUDE dick smiling and kinda teasing the bad guys before he eskrima's the shit out of them and electrifying the stair case was yooo Gar fanboying in wayne manor and the bat cave is EVERYTHING and and gar watching nature docs and talking to jason as if he's there😢 and oh my gosh mama kory telling gar and kon what happened and trying to make sure they don't end up that way 😢 I f*cking love her and her suit! starfire looks the best outta everyone's suits, nightwings suit is okay aside from the ken doll situation at this point I feel like they were trying to make a dick joke with that cuz like why 😅 Inside wayne manor is mostly green like what's up with the decor bruce, isn't green jokers colour? It feels weird to sign this but hi it's batanon you could probably tell that anyway

RIGHT! I WAS THINKING OF YOU WHEN BRUCE DID THE THING! i was like OMG BATANON WAS RIGHTTTTTT! I can't believe dc actually did it! Proud of them, even tho this bruce is even more emotionally constipated than usual xD

OMG RIGHT! Gosh I wished they would have actually shown that jason cussing out the mad hatter scene omg, that was pure GOLD and SOOO in character omg, I can picture it soo well though!

Speaking of, JASONNN, boy, like it was just as much angst as I was expecting omg. And right, isnt his acting amazing?! Gosh that kid is killing it, you can just see he is putting his heart and soul into the role! and they absolutely NAILED Red Hood's intro scene, like he even said some of the exact lines from Under The Hood! And yes, Im so glad you also like the characterization cause the opinions seemed very mixed. I personally like the route they are taking and keeping us guessing by not making it exactly the same and having stuff be revealed in time and us just having to guess and pick up clues! Like I DEF think Scarecrow is behind it/him/is apart of it. That gas he took before he died reminded me so much of fear toxin in looks and reaction (the way his pupils dilated), like it seems like anti fear toxin.

"I very much wanna whack him with something although that's what started this mess" OMG I literally laughed out loud omg nooo xD

And Im sooo glad you were able to watch it!!! aw man, sucks that it keeps glitching tho :(

Omg i LOVED Dick's little smirk and the constant swinging of the eskrima's and teasing and ahh, its so in character! I love where they are taking Dick this season and how he is trying to save Jason and called him his brother and ahhhh

GAR IS SO PURE!!!! I love that boy so freaking much, him watching those nature docs was too cute, and narrating for them omg. And yes, I knew Gar would be dying inside to see the batcave xD

RIGHT, I loved Mama Kory in this!!! She has always had that relationship with Gar but now with Conner and its even stronger ahhh. And that protective mamma bear hug she gave Gar at the end of episode 3 omg, my heart. And yaaass, her suit looks SO GOOOOOD!!

"nightwings suit is okay aside from the ken doll situation at this point I feel like they were trying to make a dick joke" LMAO, I didnt even notice that ahahahahaha.

I didnt notice the green decor either, that is super interesting hmmm.

What did you think of Tim?! I know we only saw him for like 5 mins BUT I ALREADY LOVE HIM SO MUCH OMG

[dramaticlester]

Miles of skin

summary: there’s so much dan loves, it’s hard to list it all

genre: fluff, 

warnings:swearing, sexual scenes (not too detailed), lots of body imagery

hair

When Dan was 18 and dreaming up his ideal partner, it never started with black, straight hair. It was usually blonde, maybe slightly ginger, and swept away from their face. his ideal man was a model. he thought of them stood on a beach, perhaps, their hair blowing in the wind. jaw strong and chiselled, Dan much smaller, nestled in their arms like a prize.

But Phil, he wasn’t like that. Phil had hair as black as anything, in a straight fringe across his forehead. he wasn’t a chiselled model, and he certainly wasn’t much taller than Dan. when he stood on the beach, he squinted and complained that his glasses were going to blow away, and took time to swipe his hair away from said glasses. Dan couldn’t stand nestled under his arm, more like the other way round. but Phil was special. As Dan got older, he realised that the perfect guy wasn’t perfect. His Phil wasn’t perfect, either. But he was the closest, he thinks, he could ever get. He didn’t want perfect, anymore, he wanted his Phil. His Phil with the stupid straight emo hair that, when he got older, started being pushed into a quiff. Phil looked sexy with a quiff.

eyes

Dan had never been one for beautiful eyes. he didn’t look into someone’s eyes and feel taken away by their colour, or shape, or size. when he was younger, he struggled to look into people’s eyes, anyway, preferring to cast his gaze between their eyebrows or down at the floor. he struggled to feel any connections and he certainly did not believe eyes could hold pain or happiness. he just didn’t believe it. he hated his own eyes, too. he hated their colour and the almond shape, his obnoxiously long eyelashes that curled into his eyes sometimes and hurt. but, then he met Phil.

it was when Dan saw a picture of Phil that he started to doubt his own intuition. you could go swimming in those eyes he thought. in fact, he commented it, right there on the very photo. the camera he used for YouTube did no justice. when they met, it was the first pair of eyes Dan could look straight into. the first pair he could see love brimming in, focused solely on him. Dan was elated. it was the first pair he saw the pain in, shown by shed tears as they hugged goodbye at the train station. it was the first he saw untainted happiness in when Dan agreed to move in with him after announcing he would be attending Manchester university. they were, undoubtedly, just eyes. but my god, they were the most beautiful pair Dan had ever seen. though, Phil.s favourite activity was to argue that Dan's were, in fact, the “most beautiful plus 1.”

lips

Dan always thought lips were just lips. he didn’t understand why he was so chapped, he didn’t understand why people got injections to plump them up, he didn’t understand at all. the only time he really concentrated on people’s lips was when he couldn’t be bothered listening to what they were saying, so he’d lip-read instead, albeit rather unsuccessfully. he never looked at someone and thought fuck, they should do something about that or wow I wish I could kiss them. well, until he met Phil, of course.

after he’d noticed Phil's eyes, his gaze wandered down to his lips. plump and inviting, pink and so smooth. Dan suddenly felt the need to apply five tubs of Vaseline. he stared at Phil’s lips the day they met, and not just to lip read. Phil didn’t really hint at much, but Dan saw how his lips curved into a smirk, obviously. they’d gotten on the Manchester eye, hands clasped between them. Dan thought he’d been subtle. Phil had bitten his lip, Dan had reciprocated without thinking. that’s when he was kissed. soft and gentle, unsure yet so passionately. it was wonderful, chapped against smooth. Dan reiterated his apologies for his chapped lips. Phil laughed and stroked his thumb along the bottom one, pulling it and watching it ping back into place. another gentle kiss. you’re perfect.

neck

Dan didn’t have a neck kink, he told himself, he just found it really fucking arousing when someone kissed his neck. or if he was indulging himself alone, or perhaps on Skype to Phil, he swiped his thumb along the side now and then, gasping at the spark of unadulterated pleasure. but he didn’t have a neck kink. Phil changed things for him, though.

the first time they made love was wonderful. Dan experienced things he’d never felt, just taking and taking from Phil's body, only able to emit the smallest gasps of love. Phil gave it all to him, never held back. he showed Dan what he’d been missing.

they were moulded together, one entity. Phil buried deep inside him, his head tugged into his neck as he whispered encouraging words. Dan’s eyes were squeezed shut, alleviating his senses most deliciously. that’s when Phil had whimpered against his neck, the blow of hot hair making Dan tip his head back and let out an almost scream. a quiet scream, no doubt. Phil had smirked, pulling back to look at Dan’s face (which was turning more crimson by the second.)

“you’re beautiful,” Phil had whispered, kissing the corner of Dan’s mouth before moving back to his neck. he started kissing at first, barely applying much pressure, revelling in the short intake of breath from Dan’s mouth. then he applied more pressure before he was nibbling at Dan’s neck, moving along until he found the place that made Dan tense up, letting out a shrill moan and a large breath of air. Phil kept at this spot, sucking and sucking until the mark bloomed up against the pale skin of Dan’s neck. 

Dan had come with a shout and then a whisper of Phil's name, Phil's mouth against his neck and his tip pressing against the most sensitive place inside of him. Dan vowed to never let anyone love him the way Phil did ever again.

shoulders

shoulders were never something Dan thought about. they usually resided underneath someone's clothes, occasionally flexing when the person lifted something or wrote. it was never anything special, nothing that made Dan want to strike up a conversation with a person or beg them to pin him down to a mattress. they were shoulders. 

when he met Phil, he noticed that Phil's shoulders were broad. they were the type of shoulders you would associate with a man, though stereotypical. when Dan hugged him for the first time, he allowed himself to notice the muscle under his shirt, allowing his hands to find a home on top of them when they pulled away, not-so-discretely squeezing. Phil was his boyfriend, his man. he was the one Dan cuddled up to, a hand placed over his heart, head bracketed between Phil's chin and his shoulders, loved and protected from the whole world. dan felt pretty damn undefeatable with his head nestled there. he was the one who let Dan throw his arms around his neck when he was happy or encased him when he cried or screamed. he was the one who used the strength within those shoulders and arms to carry Dan to bed when he fell asleep on the sofa. he was nothing less than the love of dance life and his shoulders, though minor, were strong. they were Dan’s favourite place to sleep and his favourite place to wake up. 

tummy

Phil always joked over messenger about actually having a dad bod hidden beneath the camera.

“id love you all the same,” Dan insisted every time, fondness twinkling in his eyes. Phil would smirk, leaning closer to the camera with his tongue caught between his teeth. Dan longed to be with him. 

when Dan saw the first full body picture of Phil, his jaw literally dropped. Phil was beautiful, Dan had known that even just from looking at his face, but seeing his whole body was something Dan kept locked in his mind all the time. Phil was hot. not just hot, but hot. he was something Dan would've never dreamed of because his mind wasn't capable of conjuring something so wonderful. Phil had sent it to him shyly, telling Dan to check his messages whilst they were on Skype. Dan had stared at the picture for too long, only remembering he was on a video call when he heard Phil cough. he looked up just in time to see Phil cast his eyes down, blushing and his lip pulled between his teeth.

“you're fucking beautiful, Phil Lester,” Dan had whimpered, tears in his eyes. “I want to be with you so bad right now.”

“what, you don't think I'm too fat, hm?” Phil had whispered. Dan suddenly realised all of his jokes, were actually issues. Dan had stared at the screen, not quite sure what to say, not quite sure how to articulate what a fucking masterpiece Phil Lester was.

“I say this with all the love I can muster,” Dan had said. “shut the fuck up.”

Phil had giggled, finally looking back at Dan.

“Phil, how’d I get so lucky?” Dan settled on, shaking his head in disbelief.

Phil had never needed to complain about his appearance after that, because every day, Dan told him he was beautiful.

to this day in 2020, Dan tells him he's beautiful. whether its when Dan wakes up first and watches Phil for a while before carding a hand through his hair and muttering a “you're pretty, Lester,” or whether it's after a shower when Phil's skin is dry and flaky, and he's squinting trying to see through the fog without his glasses (Dan will usually slip his glasses back on, kiss the tip of his nose, unravel the towel from around his waist, and drop to his knees. Phil doesn't need words at times like this.)

legs

growing up, Dan had always had little stumpy legs that kept him below shoulder height of everyone. people made jokes about how his little legs couldn’t keep up in the playground, or his mother would tell him his legs were too little to climb the trees, and the workers at the fair told him he could ride when he grew a few more inches. it was frustrating for Dan... well until he hit 14. it was as if overnight, he became a lanky 6-foot-something lad, who didn’t quite know how to control his long limbs, constantly carving his shin off the coffee table and walking into open doors because he couldn’t see them at eye level. Dan hated long legs. well... his own.

Phil was also 6-foot-something. if Dan thought he was tall when he met Phil he was the short one. he had to look up at Phil and when they hugged, Dan's head just about reached his shoulder. Dan loved to run his hands up and down Phil’s legs when they were lying together on the bed, Phil giggling and tugging at Dan’s fringe with a “get back up here.” Dan wasn’t sure what it was, but Phil’s legs set off some kind of primal, animalistic urge within him. he wanted to cover every inch with his lips, kiss and nip his shins till they were red, suck on his thighs and leave bruises that still wouldn’t be faded by the time he got back to Manchester. he loved to hang behind Phil so he could watch how his legs moved, long and lean as he took clumsy steps downstairs or long strides down the streets of London. he loved to watch Phil try to fold his legs up in the bathtub, insisting that they could both fit. even when Dan's legs length surpassed Phi’ls, he was never quite as mesmerised. Phil's favourite part of Dan's body was probably his thighs, as he spent most of his time caressing them and squeezing and kissing them, but Dan didn’t understand how he could love Dan's so much, but hate his own. it was something they could argue about though when they lay sated and naked, curled up together.

“I love your thighs,” Phil would mutter.

“Yeah, well, I love yours more,” Dan would grin, kissing the top of his head.

“in this essay, I will explain why yours are better...” Phil would joke. they never took it much further though, just silently knowing that they were right.

bum

Dan kind of understands this one. he wouldn’t date someone based off their ass, but it didn’t hurt to feel the appeal. Dan's own wasn’t too flat until he crammed it into his obnoxiously tight skinny jeans that pushed it down so much that it looked like nothing. he didn't mind though, anything for fashion. Phil would usually pout quite a bit though, pulling Dan forward by the belt loops and kissing him, trying to sneakily undo the button and tug them back down.

“looser ones,” Phil always murmured against Dan's lips, crossing his arms when Dan would roll his eyes at him.

“what do I do for you?” Dan would sigh dramatically, kicking them off and putting Phil's favourite pair on.

but Phil's ass was perfect. it was impossible to crush as, even when he’d wear a pair of Dan's jeans, it was still there. Dan usually always slapped his ass when he bent over as a joke, giggling as Phil would jump and whine “Dan!” Dan couldn’t help it though.

when they kissed, his hands usually started on the small of Phil’s back. ever since he’d grown, Phil’s go to was to stand on tippy toes so he could reach around Dan's neck, insisting it brought them closer together when Dan would complain that his back hurt. he was only joking really though, as this way, when it got heated, Dan could move his hands down over the curve of Phil's ass, pulling him closer to press flush against each other, or even grind their bodies together if things got especially heated. it was just a wonderful part of Phil that Dan loved so much (especially whenever he was big spoon at night time and he could feel it pushed up against his body)

everything

Before they met, Dan never appreciated the beauty of the human body. with Phil, he appreciated it. because contained within that body, was the most beautiful soul, the funniest personality and the most gentle, loving giant he’d ever known. It was the perfect body for Dan’s favourite person in the whole world. He wouldn’t change a thing about it, ever. from his brilliant blue eyes down to the tips of his toes, Phil was beautiful, inside and out. 

and Dan never tried to stop himself from falling deeper in love every day..