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lutawolf · 1 year ago

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The Sign Commentary Review Ep 3

I'm saying fuck it and doing this commentary anyways, even though it's way late. (my kid got into a car accident. Fuck this year.) Anyways I think I'm hilarious so here we go.

Home dude really just let Tharn get kidnapped and looks so lost about it. Hahah! The friend group drinking at the idea of Phaya and Tharn having sex. So dead.

The way these coconuts are stirring up Phaya. And why did his brain go straight to shower. He is so obvious and doesn't even care. Then races out to call the man. Like, are you just now realizing what is going on. This is real life drunkenness, I swear. When Chalothon shows up in the camera feed, it's a total audacity of this bitch moment.

Good news, Chalothon is not having any luck controlling Tharn either. The faces Phaya makes at his phone.

HAHAHA! Phaya's face when he gets back to the table and sees all the guys. He went from being on top of the world to a no good, shitty day real fast. Poor baby, lol.

Phaya's book collection has me jealous. The music playing while he is visualizing the girl. Especially with those subs (mysterious music playing). 🤣🤣🤣 The whole scene with the sister, omg. (mysterious music) (footstep sounds) (footstep sounds) (mysterious music) Phaya's eyes shifting as if in panic. All very dramatic.

Grandma is so pretty!!! She's hilarious too.

Somebody got romance on the brain! I mean, I'm only guessing, between the closeness and the subtitles telling me that romantic music is playing. Then dreams of cuddling Tharn. Cute! I like how the lighting makes them look like they are underwater.

Boy woke up so confused. "I must have thought about him too much." Ya think?!?

Phaya is a talented artist. He has a lot of art of a boy also a side profile of a female. The one we can't see clearly makes me think of the dragon from the water. Is the cat a Cha Kla? Cha Kla is a mythological cat from Thailand. Legend says that the Ch Kla are terrified of humans and will hide from them, but if they are seen or touched, that person will eventually die. However, they are usually black, where this is white with black surrounding it.

Grandma, "Are they twins?" Then Phaya goes on to fill her in on everything. These two have a very close relationship.

"Did I do anything weird last night?" Boy, that is a loaded question. Ya'll Yai is adorable. He is for sure one of my favorite side characters.

Doc... I'm having doubts that I'm gonna like you. You've barely talked, but you have slime ball written all over you. And what is up with Tharn saying that him and Phaya aren't that close??? Clearly he isn't that close to the Doc if he is hiding stuff.

Nong Khai!!! Nong (low area like a swamp) Khai (lost) is situated on the banks of the majestic Mekong River, one of the world’s longest and most iconic rivers. It's also a very important pilgrimage for Buddhist because of a revered Buddhist stupa that dates back to the 16th century and is believed to contain relics of the Lord Buddha. You know what else it's known for?? Nagas. These mythical creatures are semidivine beings that are serpent shape-shifters. Whether it is a human form, full serpent, or half serpent, half-human form, the Nagas can take up whatever shape they prefer. They are a strong and attractive species, who are regarded as guardians of treasure which resides in the underwater kingdom of Patala-Loka or Naga-Loka, a stunning place decorated in gems.

Now I'm really excited!

💜💜💜 I'm dying. "She's gorgeous." "I know that, but she's also very scary. I'm afraid of her." This honestly makes me like him even more. NGL. They are pretty close with the Abbott. Aww, poor Yai getting ganged up on. *Snickers*

Clues! "While you’re staying here. Let me warn you about something. Make sure you often meditate and dedicate the merits to those whom you have wronged in the past. So that it would help lighten the consequences of your karma. Got it?"

"Is he still not free from them? They’ve been after him since when he was born. That’s why he had to live at the temple. What do they want from him? Why are they so vengeful?"

Shot to sad Abbott and sad Tharn.

Phaya asking the Abbott if he remembers him. Give me answers! Give me! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, Finally!!! It's come out that he is the boy that was saved by him!

And we crash again. That's so fucking sad, is this why he thinks the people he loves dies??? "Everything has already been destined. His life is written by the karma he did in his past life." This is so fucking sad. But wait! There is hope! "His destiny has been entwined with someone since his past life. That person will lead him to experience bad things. But it is also that person who would be able to free him from his karma."

Okay, so the Rocket Festival they are talking about and why the date is significant. The Rocket Festival is usually celebrated on the weekends in the middle of May, just before the start of the crop plantation period (the rainy season). This ancient festival is a merit-making ceremony which involves firing home-made rockets towards the heavens to captivate the rain gods and hope for a good monsoon season before the crop plantations take place.

"Whether you’d be free from those whom you have wronged in the past... depends on whether you’d be able to find the owner of this amulet tonight." Damn, that's not ominous. Poor fucking kid.

Ahhhhh, this is when his visions started! No thoughts, he just dives in. This boy does not deserve to have to pay for his past life! I absolve him! You live by a river, and you're just shaking him? Fucking turn him over and smack his back!

Past, Phaya is so puppy dog.

Wait! You forgot to give him the amulet!!! Dumbass kids. Always forget the important part. I mean... Well, I guess saving a person from drowning is the important part, but you know what I mean! Oh good, Phaya found him.

"So, he would probably live for a very long time. But you have to be careful though. If both of your destiny are entwined like what I think... You would eventually find each other again."

And clearly, Yai has always been the way he has been since forever.

Naga! He dreams of Nagas! Usually the festival associated with Naga is the Naga Fireball Festival. Which is celebrated in the fall or Buddhist Lent period. In this festival, people gather along a certain stretch of the Mekong River, to witness glowing red 'fireballs' shoot up into the sky. The number of fireballs sighted can range from hundreds to thousands. The local people attribute this phenomenon to the mythical 'Phaya Nak', a giant serpent that they believe resides within the river.

Okay, I'll shut up now and get back to the show.

"He doesn’t know how to swim. But he still wants to go and play near the riverbank."

"Grandma, I really heard someone calling me there last night."

That's just a great kid. We almost saw the Darwin Theory in action. The stupid shall not inherit the earth. Gee wiz, I hear disembodied voices, let's go investigate near water where I can not swim. This is like me hearing a gun shot and going to check it out. No, I don't want to die, I'm not that noisy. The unknown can stay unknown. Phaya as a kid was so soft and shy. Boy has he changed!

WTF is not wanting to take the amulet. Don't be an ungrateful asshole, kid. Tharn takes no shit, even as a kid.

"What you saw wasn’t a dream. It was your karma." "Are you saying that... they are those whom I have wronged in my past life?"

We're getting closer to answers! Ahhh, we're talking more about the Naga!!! So Tharn was a Naga in a past life??

"You both are destined to help each other Trust each other. Only then, you would be able to free yourself from your karma. Your kind hearts are your best weapon. And remember to always trust each other. Help each other. And you both would live a happy life, like you’ve always dreamt of." Sounds simple enough... (dumdumdum aka thunder sounds)

Oh snap! We got some bad weather! Okay, so Naga have different classes. From the general Nagas who have large bodies like great serpents with a crest on the head and strong poison to the celestial ones who have several heads with lethal poison and supernatural power such as disguising themselves more than just as a human being. Furthermore, certain ones can effect rain. The power to bring rain or cause drought by stop giving it. Some beliefs say they can disguise themselves as rain clouds and/or rainbows. That is why the quote for the Rocket Festival is "How much water will the Naga give this year."

Ohhh, who could this be? The king of Naga? There are a few options, so I won't hazard a guess just yet.

Can I just say that I'm loving that Phaya is chasing after scared Tharn. Yai and Phaya hugging like they didn't just get drunk together the night before. 🤣🤣🤣

"It was quite dark, so I didn't know he actually looks like this." OMG, I'm Dead. Hahaha Yai... I can see why you and your gf fit together.

Ahhhh I'm loving this so much!! You see the Naga decorations on the bridge?? This is in association with their connection to rainbows. The rainbow signifies the bridge between earth and the underworld. Sorry if this shit is boring, you guys! Like I said earlier, I'm way late, and so I'm just writing about what I find interesting. Because I refuse to force beliefs on my children, I give them books on world religions and beliefs. I read it so that I can help them as they read what they are interested in. I find all this stuff so captivating.

The way Yai looks at his girl. So sweet.

Okay, I see what they are doing here with the dream, but I'm dead. That hair and his facial expression. Like he is seconds away from laughing at himself. I would love to see BTS of this part right here.

Look at Phaya just calling Tharn out. Like Bitch, try and run from me. "Why didn't you want to tag along with us."

Isn't that where he was sitting when he had the vision? Phaya, you wish he was hitting on you, lol.

Not matching clothes!!! Tharn bitching all the time but damned if he didn't put on the matching clothes.

He left her cause she was naga! What!

Yes, he is telling you that you are the cause of his bad dreams. But he still wants you to stick around so nevermind.

I love these fools. I love grandma. Now everyone knows that Phaya is the boy that was saved.

I like Sand.

"If what you said is true, Yai and I both love you like our own brother... but we’re still safe and sound."

"Don’t let what the Abbot has predicted come true." Grandma come back! Explain this to me...

Hahah! Tharn is so sassy. "Did you use this kind of story to hit on the girls in France?"

See, no hiding for Phaya. He just straight up tells Tharn that he likes him. I think evil jellyfish is a new favorite nickname for me. I really want to read this book but it's like 15 bucks. Crazy!

AHHH! They finally kiss!!! "And this is called a goodnight kiss."

Tharn's face when Phaya says goodnight. Bless the poor boy. Well fuck, we getting stormy weather over a kiss? What the hell is gonna happen when they do more!?! I think I liked it better when the sex just woke up the evil twin, not cause destruction of humanity. Tharn is cute but I don't know that he is Noah Arc worth it kind of cute. Just saying.

Running scared! But that's okay cause Phaya is very willing to chase. Even tackle.

"Do you want to get hurt?" Phaya over here like, yes please. With a cherry on top. I love the cockiness of both of them. I adore when Phaya puts his tongue in his cheek. These two! Thank you Saint! You are a blessing amongst men. I really enjoy this kind of foreplay. No punches were pulled. Noticed Phaya is wearing the talisman.

Ahhh, it's the forcing him to submit and then telling him he is a good boy for me.

I’m Police Major Akkanee Assawawaisoon, your team leader. Yay! He is back!

I love these coconuts. Tharn going and sitting by your brother, Phaya is going to kick your ass again.

Ahhhhhh. I'm so excited for this saturday!

#the sign the series #the sign bl #phayatharn #luta talks the sign #coconuts mafia

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chronicmusicnerd · 5 months ago

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On the mediocrity of Harry Potter

*NOTE!! This is not an attack to HP fans. I also enjoy reading/watching HP, but I can simultaneously bring light to why it isn’t perfect or even very good*

enjoy and pls reblog i’d really appreciate it

I should hope we all know that JK Rowling (JKR) isn’t a very great person. She’s a blazing transphobe, borderline Holocaust denier, and she isn’t this wonderful feminist either. In fact, it’s quite clear that she dislikes women in general.

On that, the first obvious bit of evidence pointing to HP not being super duper brilliant is how JKR writes girls/women. First off, it’s clear that to JKR, the perfect role for a woman is a mother that sacrifices herself (physically or otherwise) for her child(ren). Take Narcissa Malfoy, for example. She makes the unbreakable vow with Snape to protect her son, as she’s certain Draco cannot at the moment kill Dumbledore. To refresh your memory, if the unbreakable vow is broken, the members in the vow die.

Another example is Lily Potter, Harry’s mum. While as an isolated incident, her death and protection of Harry via love would be fine and dandy, however, coupled with how nearly every other woman is written, it seems in very poor taste.

May I note now that out of the top 100 HP characters by mention, only 28 are women. Those 28 include, but are not limited to, Pansy Parkinson, Olympe Maxime, and the corpse of Bathilda Bagshot. These characters are still barely mentioned, except for influxes in singular books. Take that all in, in the top 100 characters by mention in HP, only 28 are women.

Now, we can move to the “shoving under the carpet” of our beloved MC’s trauma. It’s obvious that Harry would have loads upon loads of trauma based on his parents deaths, the literal war he fought in, one of the most evil wizards constantly hunting him down each year, witnessing his friend (Cedric) die via an unforgivable curse, living with the Dursley’s in a cabinet under the stairs, I could go on. However, Harry seems to be mostly fine. Sure, he was spooked after Cedric’s death, and sure, he has his scar pulsing and hurting whenever Voldemort is near, but he seems to have virtually no trauma expressed in the books. Now, this was the 90’s, but still. However, the next bit is truly insane.

Finally, we can get to the goblins. The goblins, that run Gringotts wizarding bank, are hook-nosed, greedy, and not to be trusted. In history, the cruel caricatures of Jewish people are also hook-nosed, greedy, gargoyles and evil creatures alike.

Many watchers of HP expressed shock when they say the goblins on screen, some thinking along the lines of, “Did they really just put these guys in the underground bank??” and the die-hard defenders simply said, “It’s fantasy. It’s wizards.”

However, being fantastical and based around wizards gives no one the right to put harmful stereotypes against the jewish people into children’s, or any, media. In fact, it was mostly adults who picked up on the antisemitic values of the goblin’s portrayal. Racism is not something one is born with, it is something one is taught. The kids who saw the HP movies may have seen the goblins and thought, “Ew, those guys suck,” and then later in life meet a jewish person who has the features of the goblins and say, “Ew, these people are real? You all suck.”

Racial stereotypes are never okay, and paired with JKR’s borderline Holocaust denial, make for a very suspicious situation.

Finally, the writing is mid at best. The most interesting character (from a writing standpoint) is Dumbledore, which is insane. He’s got the most depth, as a truly morally grey character. Most of the characters serve one purpose and then are killed off, or are just extremely flat. The plot is a copy-paste YA line, which is fine, but it makes one visualize a connection between these over-used plots in YA and the over-used tropes and characters in modern “dark romance” (which now, is mostly badly written smut).

Again, this is not an attack to anyone who likes HP or dark romance or popular tropes/character personalities/plotlines. Personally, I love the grumpy x sunshine trope, or friends to lovers. However, HP is a bit more controversial than a trope, and while I enjoy it and it is nostalgic, we have to tear down and really look at these flaws and moral wrongs in the story.

To truly eradicate these stereotypes and bring in more awareness to writing, we have to talk about them. They cannot be shoved under any rugs (like Harry’s trauma) and have to be slowly unraveled from writing and the world altogether.

Summary, JKR bad writer don’t use racial stereotypes on characters and try not to write mid stories that don’t like women.

PS I wrote this in one go after talking about why HP is mid with a friend and it inspired me so this is just the convo with less emojis and more backstory 🤑 pls reblog or like or comment gangalang

#harry potter #jk rowling #anti jkr #hp #writing #writerscommunity #writers on tumblr #jkr is trash #antisemitism in harry potter #misogyny in harry potter #jkr hates women #please dont cancel me #pls reblog #pls like #i need engagement pls guys

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best-underrated-anime · 4 months ago

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Best Underrated Anime Group F Round 4: Akiba Maid War vs Hakumei and Mikochi

#F2: Akiba Maid War

90s maid girls with guns

#F3: Hakumei and Mikochi

Daily lives of tiny forest women

Details and poll under the cut!

#F2: Akiba Maid War (Akiba Meido Sensou)

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Summary:

The innocent Nagomi Wahira has always admired the cute girls serving at maid cafes. Hoping to fulfill her dream of becoming one, she moves to Akihabara to work at the maid cafe Ton Tokoton.

Nagomi’s first day seems completely normal—until she has to run an “errand” at a rival maid cafe along with her fellow recruit, the mature Ranko Mannen. There, things quickly go south, and Nagomi soon gets her first taste of Akihabara’s violent maid wars. As she watches Ranko calmly battle her way through a horde of gun- and knife-wielding maids, Nagomi realizes that maid cafes are drastically unlike what she had envisioned.

While struggling to reconcile her expectations with the harsh reality she finds herself in, Nagomi searches for the enjoyment she once saw in the lives of maids.

Propaganda:

It was animated by P.A. Works! As far as I know, they also worked on Buddy Daddies, Angel Beats, Ya Boy Kongming, etc. Cygames also contributed to this anime!! The story is creative as well. Who would’ve thought of a cute maid mafia anime? Keep in mind, this is a P. A. Works ORIGINAL. They went SO crazy on this anime. There’s also 12 episodes, which means that you can binge it all on one day and still be satisfied :D The OP and ED are also catchy, creative and unskippable. Despite its dark themes, it can sometimes get a little more “lighthearted” and silly, even in the most violent scenes ;P

Trigger Warnings: Flashing Lights, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore.

Just like what I explained, it’s violent. A lot of guns. And a lot of blood. Yes, they kill fellow maids in like every episode ever lol. Also, since Akiba is known to have flashy street signs, like every city ever��. And the guns, of course…that’s why I put the Flashing Lights warning.

#F3: Hakumei and Mikochi (Hakumei to Mikochi)

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Summary:

In a world inhabited by people only a few inches tall, young women Hakumei and Mikochi live together in a house built into a tree. Hakumei is an energetic and tomboyish carpenter, while Mikochi is a feminine and calm tailor. Despite their differences, they get along well and spend their days having fun living their lives in the woods. The two of them spend their time working, going on sightseeing adventures, and taking shopping trips into Tsumiki Marketplace by the ocean. They make many friends along the way, be they sentient woodland creatures like Iwashi the Weasel or fellow miniature people such as the songstress Konju and the inventor Sen. Hakumei to Mikochi is a relaxing look into the day-to-day lives of its titular characters as they explore and interact with their tiny world which seems to be straight out of a fairy tale.

Propaganda:

It really is super adorable, and the art is gorgeous. Every bit of the world is rendered lovingly with a great level of detail, from the characters to the environments. The anime has this really cool effect where they use paneling to emulate the manga’s style while also making the characters visually smaller on-screen, which works because they’re tiny.

For a slice-of-life show, there’s a good amount of continuity. They introduce the swamp necromancer Sen in one episode, and she keeps showing up later on, helping rebuild their house when it explodes, then Mikochi repays her for that by designing and making a dress for her. The show gets really into the intricacies of everything, like how dying fabric is a multistep process that is similar to chemistry, or how soap is made with aromatics.

Every character is well-realized, with their own set of quirks, profession, the tricks and tools they use in that profession, and they make pretty consistent re-appearances. And the writing is very dry and witty despite the whimsical setting. It’s cute, but it feels very adult, all the characters are adults with jobs who get drunk sometimes. Everyone is very professional and responsible, and it’s a nice change of pace from teen shounen.

Trigger Warnings: None.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form with your revisions, and I’ll consider adapting those changes.

New: Starting round 5, screenshots will be included in the poll post. You can submit screenshots through the form linked above, or through here, via ask or dm.

Guidelines in submitting screenshots:

No NSFW or spoilery images.

Pick some good images please. Don’t send any blurry or pixelated ones.

You may send up to 9 screenshots, but not all may be used.

#anime #best underrated anime #polls #poll tournament #tournament #anime tournament #animation #group stage #group stage round 4 #tournament polls #group f #akiba maid war #hakumei and mikochi #hakumei to mikochi #akiba maido sensou #akiba maid sensou

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meatsex · 2 months ago

Note

hey look i got a bunny :3

and some questions for ya (answer as many or as few as you want, no pressure!)

fav song?

fav red vox/vine song?

fav nin song?

fav nirverner song?

what's a weird piece of trivia you can't let go of?

what's something that made you smile in the past week?

if you had to compete in a sport/athletic activity, what would it be?

ik you like the meat aesthetic visually, but what other sense aesthetics do you vibe with? like, i really like the scent of coconut and the sound of metallic clanking and heat (this might be a really autistic question sorry)

do you prefer tv or movies and why?

is anime real?

do you believe love can blossom on the battlefield?

is there another light?

what's one thing in your room that's got a lot of sentimental value (story is optional but i love to read)

do you play any musical instruments?

do you have a favorite flower?

would you rather lose all your teeth once a year or all your toenails?

do you have any tips for someone about to go on t? i have an appt next week and i'm nervous...

what's one game you played as a kid that you're still fond of?

best month?

oh mein gott what a beautiful creature.. i hope you can bond with them nicely, they are so cute, they got a really interesting pattern that i dont see often but also im not that knowledgeable about rabbit breeds

im actually gonna answer a good amount of these wait

this is too hard but its probably close to meltdown/roshin yukai by irohasasaki (id say other songs but ill answer that with the next questions)

memories lie :') but also me oh well

closer (yes even after listening to so much of trents music), but also ruiner and a warm place (all from tds lol)

so far, dumb

trivia: in the game california speed one of the billboards has a strange message that says "sometimes, god takes mommies and puppies away, and sometimes, just sometimes, i do", supposedly it was just a placeholder texture but they forgot to remove it in the final release

i literally lol'ed and lmao'ed and smiled at vdub stream yesterday

i wish i could feel water more often outside of showers, its really comforting to me, i think i should incorporate it more in my art, i also miss the ghastly sounds of old crt tvs, i think all the other stuff i like is visual like rust and repetition/mirror images

movies are better because i cant commit to series anymore

anime is real as long as you keep believing in the true anime girls

yes

yes, i want to believe vinnys words

i have a postcard from the nc zoo that my friend macaulay sent me, also i keep tickets for every movie ive watched with my friends, im sure i have more stuff but a lot of it is in boxes

i dont but i wish i played bass (guitar)

i dont know flowers really other than knowing i like the yellow of sunflowers

that is scary

i sadly do not because i havent started hrt yet, however i wish you the best of luck, from what ive seen its not as scary as it may seem or sound

doom :)

september

#ask #i think i skipped like 3 #thank you tor

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scarlettroubles · 2 years ago

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Ya girl needs money again ;-;

SIGNAL BOOSTS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED!!!

GENERAL INFO

Commissions are first come first serve

I will be taking 3 slots

I have the right to deny any commission request

If interested please either contact me through my email, [email protected] or DM me here

You are free to DM me any additional questions regarding my commissions

Please include in your message the kind of commission you’d like, and as many details as you can when discussing the kind of piece you’d want i.e expression, pose, characters, picture type, clothing preference etc. as well as the email you’d like the paypal invoice sent to.

All Commissions will have a simple background

In your message/email, I will require you to provide me with a visual reference for the character(s) or creature you want me to draw.

IMPORTANT INFO

Payment is upfront and is through Paypal Invoices Only

The invoice will be sent from [email protected]

Commission will not be started until it is paid

I reserve the right to cancel & refund a commission if I cannot complete it in time

The client will be provided wip previews throughout the sketching and lining process of the commission in order for adjustments to be made if needed

All commissions will have a watermark on them and the customer is not allowed to ask for a watermark-free version

Commissions can be used and reposted by the customer but must give me proper credit.

Commissions may NOT be used by anyone else but the customer

Please remember to be patient as I work on your commission since I have school

SLOTS

taken

open

#commissions #commission #commission sheet #commission info #art commission prices #art comissions #COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN!!#creature commission #full body commission #I'm only doing these ones rn because I am too tired to render shit

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ask-sum-2ps · 1 year ago

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Awakening

That's right! guess who's finally back into the swing of things! your favorite pink haired fox thing, things have finally settled down. and i'm somewhat caught up with my collage work, but now i feel safe and mentally secure enough to start working on my blog and my boys again; if you all have noticed or not the blog has gotten some visual upgrades, mainly it is lore and that lore will be unlocked going further down the line. i want the lore to be like a fun puzzle, i will be sprinkling hints as i go. now that states this blog will still be goofy silly haha 2p hot men, but lore is still fun to have and i like making it now some more updates below

For Starters, it's been a while since i've shared about my precious cats. We'll start with my older son, Thomas (tried to be Tomato but Thomas stuck) he is a big fat boy, love him a lots and his Brother Catalina (we thought he was a girl until he grew nuts)

so those are how the cats are and of course if you guys ever want i'll happily show some more pictues of my sweet baby boys. but now to the actual star of the blog and what you really wanna see. . . . . .

Me (just kidding)

Now the 2ps, so i have made a realization that on this blog i currently have 41 2p characters for the blog and 164 characters in total for the blog. so to make it so i don't end up fucking dying from trying to ya know trying to draw and keep track of every character. i will be separating main 2ps from side 2ps, you can of course still talk and ask the side cast stuff but i will mainly be focusing on the main cast. speaking off the main cast they will be getting some outfit changes/new looks just because i wanna give them some nicer outfits, the main cast will also be getting some more Indepth information that i will be posting on the blog so you can learn more about some of the lore i have for them

Klaus and Azrail are in grey cube jail because they are so ungodly pale that they disappear on the white background so i needed a different color to help them pop out but looking at it they are still kinda pale, at least they're a little bit more visible.

of course i also have a good few asks that i need to answer from last i left the blog off, although i won't be answering all of them as i will mainly be cleaning out my inbox and answering the ones that i feel like i can answer in a way that won't be disappointing. that includes a joke one my boyfriend gave because he is silly (i love him despite his silliness) so rest assure that there will be some asks finally answered but i hope i will get some new ones seeing as i will be more active (the art will be simpilar to help me do this easier)

i will also be doing more artist adventures with my 2ps, one of those things i want to do is animation and animatics. so expect to see some of those in the future, but if you would like to see early wips and other stuff i may do i do have a youtube channel although so far it's only character playlists for some random 2ps but i will still give the link if you guys are interested

um i'm not sure what else i should mention in this update, uhhhhhhhh oh! right you might be wondering why i'm orange simple reason is that it's autumn so ya'know orange. yeah seeing as my Sona Jam is an animal like creature i made it so she changes during the seasons. mainly to reflect how i like to change during the seasons (close and hair wise) funny enough in the species i made for Jam the they only change for winter but Jam is special as she changes seasonally.

each are different flavored too, Spring: Strawberry Lemonade, Summer: Cherry lemonade, Autumn: Orange Lemonade, Winter: Blackberry Lemonade

and those should be all the updates i need to give, i'm happy to be back! i missed everyone a lot

#mun announcement #mun salt #mun talks #mun art #art #salt #salts art #update #blog updates #i'm back!!!!!#sorry it's long #i missed you guys!!!

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readingrobin · 2 years ago

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Since I was caught up in the Magical Readathon this month, it gave me the opportunity to pick up my pace a bit reading-wise. Managed to get into those sweet double digits when it came to how much I read and the majority of them were great. It started off on a high note, but I think by the end I was getting into some very lukewarm reads. Nothing too terrible, since I didn't manage to DNF anything this month, but it's always disappointing to end a month with a whimper rather than a bang.

Total Books Reads: 11

Total Pages Read: 3,520

Books Read:

Murder for the Modern Girl by Kendall Kulper (3.5/5) (Review)

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace (3/5) - A sea faring journey is just what I needed to get in the mood for a summer that feels not too far off. I will say, this book definitely lives up to its promise of adventure, due to its tense, bloody action and introduction to a world with a interesting magic system, though I did find myself constantly confused and unable to really visualize soul magic. I think the book's greatest strength is its setting, where each island holds its own kind of magic and traits. Though we didn't see every island, I'm sure the rest will be left for the sequel to explore, there was enough to sate me for this particular journey.

When it comes to our main crew, I think I have to echo some other reviews by saying Amora comes off as the least interesting. Bastian has his charm and inner turmoil that he tries to keep behind a mischievous facade, Ferrick, his foil, a bit more straight laced and focused, while also having the neat featuring of regrowing limbs, and Vataea, a mermaid with a sultry, yet scary strength. And Amora is…just there. She's the princess, our main character, the one who believes she alone can save the kingdom, which somewhat makes me feel like she views her crew as nothing more than lackeys and sidekicks who are but tools to help her get to each destination while she does the most self-sacrifical work. I know she's meant to be a stubborn royal who was most likely raised to believe so, but it still doesn't exactly put her in the best light to the reader.

The writing itself kept my attention, but the plot had the standard twists and formula one finds in most YA fantasy. Nothing wrong with a formulaic plot, but there should be some sort of window dressing or aesthetic that keeps it from fading into the background with all the rest like it. My mind was starting to expect certain plot beats, only to go "ah, there it is" when the shoe inevitably dropped.

Mage and the Endless Unknown by SJ Miller (4/5) - Not gonna lie, this graphic novel gets rough. If you're up for seeing a little mage constantly facing some sort of traumatizing event from the terrifying creatures he meets on his travels, well, this'll certainly do it for you. The artist really has a knack for drawing unnerving, rigidly detailed creatures that give off a Junji Ito vibe. The contrast of the amount of gore, violence, and disturbing visuals offset the more friendly and cartoonish looking mage, giving the idea that one of these things doesn't belong in this setting. Though upsetting at points, there is a glimmer of hope to this comic, one that offers a sense of peace and rest. The comic does have a physical release coming out, but you can read it now on the magecomic website.

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (4/5) - It's odd how I went into this book having both some expectations, mostly due my friends and everyone else lauding it extensively, and no expectations at all. This pretty much happens whenever I'm 3-5 years behind reading the latest hot titles. But Elatsoe really does live up to its clout. The world has a somewhat normalized take on the paranormal, where vampires, or "cursed" individuals, magic users, and faeries are a known part of the world, interacting with society with life pretty much going on as normal. Well, aside from the string of mysterious deaths that seem to linger around a small town in the middle of Texas. It presents a setting that is both familiar and yet holds a bit of intrigue in a sort of alternate Earth containing all the history of our world with just some extra bits.

I loved the incorporation of Lipan Apache culture in the story, giving it an identity all its own and more weight to its events. The theme of oppressors actively displacing and sacrificing the oppressed to survive and further their own needs will always be haunting, especially when tied to the history between colonizers and indigenous peoples. Little Badger gives an equal amount of lamentation for the crimes of the past and present, while also celebrating the endurance of culture and its teachings that are passed down throughout the ages.

A big plus for making Ellie's asexuality just a casual feature of her character rather than making it an entire plot point. As an asexual person, I'm glad to have any normalizing representation that's more than an entire story where the protagonist has to repeatedly defend and validate their sexuality to other people. Here, it's just a part of her being, no big thing, and that's the way it should be.

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (4/5) - I've been hearing a lot of good things about T. Kingfisher and how I would really jive with her work. Well, diving into a story with a main character that has trouble really understanding the world around her while also bringing together a group that may qualify as one of the odder found families definitely wins me over.

I think what really endears me to this book is how much I appreciate Marra as a character. I love how, despite how constantly and profoundly out of her depth she is, she is still determined to do anything to protect her family. That, while she is surrounded by people who, on the surface, are more exemplary and powerful, she is capable of working marvels. What makes her stand out among other royal heroines is that her abilities are not tied to skills she earned through her title or some kind of destiny, but a certain domesticity she finds comfort in and developed all by herself. Marra is a self made woman, wanting to make herself of use to others instead of sitting around, waiting to be used as a chess piece. I think there's something amiable in depicting a sort of power in the mundane, that, with enough determination and love, could be as strong as any weapon or magic.

The writing style makes it so immersive as a dark fairy tale. Kingfisher always nails the tone of a scene, whether it be unnerving, reflective, mysterious, or tinged with a hint of humor. There were some elements I think could have been expanded upon. I wish we got a little bit more characterization from Prince Vorling other than what we got as second hand accounts. Most of the time, he never really felt like a threat, just something far away and not really tangible, despite his lingering marks on Kania. I really wanted to see more of that Goblin Market as well. So very ripe with fantastical possibilities.

The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill (3/5) - O'Neill, throughout all of their work, knows what it takes to make each of their worlds atmospheric, engaging, and magical. It's mainly through their artwork, which is just totally immaculate here. The night scenes, will covered in a dark, expansive sky, still have a certain glow about them, coming from Anya's lantern and the ethereal presence of the moths. The adding of animal characteristics to the characters also bring about a certain kind of charm, though I wonder if there was a purpose behind these designs beyond aesthetic. The art itself make it worth checking out, but I don't think it ultimately saves a story that seems somewhat empty.

I think, as I was reading, I never felt totally ingrained in the world. It seemed almost aloof in nature, not really explaining certain things or leaving other elements up to interpretation. I mentioned the story seeming somewhat empty, which kind of makes sense for one that has a desert setting and deals with feelings of loneliness in a community and isolating yourself. But there's not really much else that compensates for that space, not in depth worldbuilding or interesting character dynamics. The message is a reassuring one, that your responsibilities in your community shouldn't be a source of isolation, but rather a way to get closer to them. It's a simple, reflective story, which is fine, but I think I was expecting more out of the premise.

The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells (3/5) - Wells certainly has a penchant for emotionally aloof and antisocially prone main characters, but I'm all for it. In a world devoid of humans and populated by a slew of humanoid creatures, the story offers a setting completely alien to the reader, which leaves a lot up to the imagination. At first, it was somewhat difficult for me to properly visualize all the differences between the species. The book already has an appendix for how to differentiate between the Raksura and the Fell, so it would have been helpful to have another that focused on the other races in the world.

I don't know if this is just me, but I thought that it was somewhat odd that, despite possibly coming from a similar ancestor, the Raksura are an all sentient, rational thinking race among all their classes, but the Fell are a mostly animalistic hivemind species aside from their rulers. It kind of made for a messy parallel and I think was to make the reader empathize more with the Raksura and showcase the Fell as entirely evil with no capability for civility. I suppose it certainly helps side with the heroes as the two constantly slaughter each other, but it makes for a pretty boring antagonist that is simply evil scary monsters just because. The story seemed like it had a few opportunities to go deeper than that, as Cloud has a history with them and Wells has shown that she is capable of more nuanced storytelling, but fell off about halfway through.

I wish there had been more time set aside for Cloud to truly learn about his people and reflect on his place in their society before they thrust him into the hierarchical issues and the disputes with the Fell. Cloud has only just found his people for the first time after losing his mother and siblings as a child, wandering alone and hiding what he is from others, and I don't think we get a lot of him reflecting on what that truly means. Also, imagine going through all that, and discovering that your main purpose in that society was basically to breed. Again, may just be a personal thing, but I know that would certainly lead to an existential dilemma for me. Personally, I'm not a fan of society structures as, "you're born as this class, so obviously you must serve that role forever" seems too dystopic for my tastes. Wells subverts this with Chime in a way, but again, doesn't really tap the full ramifications or intrigue behind it.

The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country Vol 1. by James Tynion IV and Lisandro Estherran (5/5) - It's very rare that I find a Sandman-affiliated comic that I don't like really. I love this world and all the terrifying sorts of beings that live within it. I know Tynion more for his young adult Wynd series, but know that he's very capable at writing horror and Nightmare Country certainly proves it. This comic takes Sandman back to its horror roots, following the Corinthian as a being with teeth for eyes other than him has been stalking a woman in her waking life for some time now. This volume serves as a good setup to the story, getting all our main players in, bringing back some familiar faces and introducing some new ones. With how the story ended, I'm really interested to see where exactly it's going to go.

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson (4/5) (Review)

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova (3/5) - I feel very lukewarm about Labyrinth Lost. It wasn't a particularly bad book, I think it's just one where I've read similar stories before and they were told in a way that was more gripping to me. I didn't really connect with the simpler writing style, or connect with any of the characters. I think the only elements that I was really interested in was the magic system and the environments of Los Lagos. I'm always a fan of the trope of the tempting feast, the one meant to lure you in with delicious food and fascinating company, only to trick you into eating dirt and keep you there forever. It's a portal fantasy staple, really.

It may be just a me thing since I was breezing through this book so quickly, but the pacing felt a bit off at times, with the action starting and stopping so often, especially towards the end. I think what really threw me off about the group is that we don't really have a strong trio of characters between Alex, Nova, and Rishi. Usually in fantasies that usually follow a group of three characters off on a typical quest, there's some cohesion to them. They may get off to a rocky start, but eventually they really start to work well as a unit and become stronger for it. Here, the group doesn't really feel like a stable triangle, as they usually range from being incredibly snarky and antagonistic towards each other (Alex and Nova at the start, then Rishi taking over that job from Alex as the two start to get on better) or being completely devoted to each other (Nova warming up to Alex, as well as Rishi being a constant supportive force and that's it). I wish Rishi got some kind of quality that made her more of an asset to the team other than Alex's best friend and love interest. She literally just fell into the portal to Los Lagos after Alex on accident and really doesn't serve a function other than backing Alex up. It doesn't make her that memorable as a character and it's a little disappointing.

I know there's plot reasons as to why they don't really feel like a great team but the twist towards the end probably would have hit a lot harder if they were.

Other than that, the family dynamic was a great element of the story, which makes it a bummer that we don't really see more of them. I know the sequel follows Alex's sister, which would probably focus a bit more on that aspect, but I don't think I gel enough with this writer or the overall story to continue.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (2/5) - Though I may not have liked this book very much, I will say that I appreciate that it introduced me to an interesting aspect of history that I had not known before, such as the Pack Horse project and the Blue Fugates family. I'm a real big fan of pieces of history that slips through the cracks and lead the way for improvement in societies that were disadvantaged, which was one of the aims of the Pack Horse project. To know the dedication of librarians in this context, to be introduced how they would travel in dangerous conditions to bring people books and magazines that would either give them a relief for their hard lives, or help them learn new skills that would help them contribute in new ways to their families or communities was a much welcome lesson.

That's probably the only praise I can really give this book. I wasn't a fan of how this book centered on the constant sense of tragedy that lingers around Cussy May. It seems that, no matter how little good she experiences, she can't hold onto it for long or it's overshadows by the many, many horrible things that happen to her. Numerous sexual assaults, medical assault, losing so many people. At some point, it almost feels manipulative that we're constantly supposed to feel bad for Cussy, but at some point it gets to be too much to take seriously. Did I feel anger at all the injustice she faced? Sure, as any rational minded person would. But when the only thing your character experiences is constant hardship without any slack, it gets to be real repetitive and boring. And that ending was just the cherry out a cake made out of frustration and emotional exhaustion.

When it came to the author's treatment of race in the book, I'm just gonna say that it's a bit messy in certain scenarios. Framing Cussy, a person with blue skin, as someone who is somehow treated more poorly than the few black people in the community, was, I don't know, probably not a great choice. The scene with the doctor's Jamaican servant (you can tell she's Jamaican because the author makes sure to lean hard into the accent), who doesn't even let Cussy into his house or provide her a drink when he asks her to, just felt a little tone deaf.

While I'm glad this books highlights the importance of literature within a community, as well as how wealth and information disparity leads people to become more disadvantaged, misinformed, and generally have harder ways of living, its tone and content just felt a little overbearing.

Average Rating: 3.5/5

#robin's book log #reading wrap up #monthly wrap up #murder for the modern girl #all the stars and teeth #mage and the endless unknown #elatsoe #nettle and bone #the moth keeper #the cloud roads #nightmare country #vespertine #labyrinth #the book woman of troublesome creek

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heartsyncproductions · 11 months ago

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New year, new pinned!

I'm Emerson(he/they) and this is where I talk about the games I make and the things I write + share things I think are pretty neat! Everything I've released so far is free! Also this is a side blog, so if you see [keybladewieldernier] it's me!

I also have an otome/shoujo side blog: otomegamesandme

For games and written works, here's my itch: HeartSyncProductions

I tend to make whatever I want, so for a quick guide, feel free to click the read more. If not, thanks for checking me out!

Visual Novels

Memory Ghosts [otome, slice of life, paranormal]: A story about a girl starting college, haunted by both her life and the ghosts that find her.

PRETTYBOY Inc. is Hiring! [horror, surreal, short]: A 15 minute experience about having a job interview at a weird company. Available to play in browser.

WINDOWBOY Drowning: [surreal, short, O2A2]: A 5 minute experience about a young woman watching her brother's interview through a TV screen.

Disruptive Compassion [fairy tale, tragedy, short]: A short game where two people retell a fairy tale from their childhood on their last night alive. Available to play in browser.

FaithEater [otome, amare, dark fantasy] A short game about being trapped with the god of death, Muerte. Available to play in browser.

Where the Sea Foam Fades [fairy tale, fantasy, pirates, BL]: A short game about a man who saves a pirate for his own personal gain.

Spring Boy DEMO [otome, slice of life, light fantasy]: About a girl who meets a strange boy in a spring which blooms tragedy. NEW DEMO COMING SOON

Written Works

What the Trees Stole [YA, light fantasy, novella]: A girl makes a bargain with a creature in the woods, and a boy tries to fight against the terms she was given.

We are Connected [YA, short stories, hard hitting contemporary]: A collection of short stories about the worst parts of adolescence.

How to Bury Fairytales [YA, surreal fantasy]: A girl is thrust into a collection of tales which aren't her own, in an effort to protect her beloved best friend. VOLUME ONE CURRENTLY BEING EDITED

Interactive Fiction

Burning Academia [17+, contemporary fantasy, dark academia, mystery, tragedy]: You find yourself haunted in a place not meant for you. Find a way to survive under the weight of your new university, and the ghosts who wish to devour you. PROLOGUE - CHAPTER 2 AVAILABLE TO PLAY

To Taste Sweet Silver [18+, gaslamp fantasy, tragedy]: You have one goal in this world. To steal the Silver Fruit of the Old Gods, and bring the world to its end.

[For my IF specific blog, it is: Burning-Academia-if and sweetsilver-if]

#new pinned #info post #game dev #vndev #writeblr

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presentday--presenttime · 1 year ago

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Annihilation (2018)

This will be a review with spoilers, the movie is good, go watch it.

Its been a bit since I watched the movie, so some of my memories might be off.

Overall I think I was impressed. The idea of an alien "thing" crashing & slowly radiating has been done several times, but this interpretation is possibly my favorite.

It does get a bit goofy with its refraction talk, and a few other things that don't really make sense, but nothing was too crazy.

I also felt it was a bit all over the place in its symbols, it's refraction, cancer, evolution, memory loss, and mimicry. But that feeling was overall short lived, and I was always quickly immersed back into the world.

I felt the cast was a bit cookie cutter, and it being all women felt a tiny bit forced. But, it helped avoid any dumb romance subplot, or unnecessary sexual tension stuff that people would often add if there was men & women. But it was very much each person was a character I'd seen in other movies & they were all quite distinct from eachother. Very much felt like a cast for a movie instead of a collection of people.

Once we get into the "shimmer" proper, we have one time skip, and that's the only one afaik. I think they could have done a lot more with that, but I think they just wanted to avoid explaining a few things & then get on with the movie. Overall the movie was very much split into distinct "scenes" in this way, I understand why it's this way but I think it would have been better to stick to one or two ideas, instead of giving each character death its own "gimmick".

Between the initial time skip & finding the building with the video tape, is mostly just introducing the setting imo. Not much was done with this time, but I can see it feeling rushed without it.

Now, when we watch the movies, things start to ramp up. There are more creatures, and the spectacular scene of the "moving guts" & accompanying body.

I really liked the visual of the body in the pool, it sold the idea of rapid mutation in a body horror way very well. and obviously the scene where they cut him open is great also (if a bit nonsense)

It's not really explained why the previous team stayed in that building for so long, or why they eventually left. Not a big deal, but something I was wondering.

The next bits are a bit hazy, so I'll be jumping to the more important scenes.

The bear, was again great. The setup for them being tied up felt pretty forced, similar to the initial time skip, and the voice mimicking was also a bit nonsense. But a really spooky effect, and done well. The whole "don't tell them about my husband" thing was maybe my biggest pet peeve, cause you know exactly why it's in the story, and it never really made sense anyways.

the flower girl was probably my least favorite death, I kind of wish she was more lucid and less "ooh I'm so strange and mysterious". Like if she could rationally explain that the change to her body & mind isn't something she wants to continue living with, and she decides to "submit" to the shimmer, that would have been so much better than "look at me vaguepost and then walk away ooooOOooH". Overall wasn't really a fan of the whole flower section. Again, if they had done the "the flowers got human structure DNA stuff" as a major point, instead of a one-off, I think that would be really cool.

We get to the crystal beach, for some reason there are a bunch of bones & skeletons outside the lighthouse? I think it's implied that they are most of the previous team, but like why & how?

whatever, we get inside to the climax. the reveal that the husband is a fake! at the time I didn't really feel misled by the protag's initial interview answers, but ya. Either way, very cool twist, kind of goes back to the start of entering the shimmer, with the timeskips & mental decline.

Finally we climb in the hole, and meet the alien. I am sooo glad this wasn't a "ooh it's shiny particles, and some vague pretty 'thing'". We got an actual answer. AND it's an interesting one! there's a ton of questions to be asked about the alien, and I like how smart the protagonist is about it's behavior. It may not even be aware of it's actions, or that it's copying anything. How does the copied husband's brain work? really cool, love it conceptually.

I do think it's very separated from the effects of the shimmer, and don't really believe it's responsible for "changing" anything. It's a mimic, the shimmer is space pollution; or something like that.

The end end, is up there with my favorite endings. Him being honest, open about who he is, non-malicious. Him deciding on his own to hug her, is that because it's a human response? does he actually want to console her? The unhuman stare, I don't really know what it's supposed to mean but it invokes a lot of emotions. Again sooooo many questions about this 'person', and his future.

Overall, I think this movie took on a hard task, and did a very good job. It gave interesting answers, and didn't really fall short anywhere along the way. There were certainly spots where it was a bit less spectacular, but nowhere bad enough to leave a taste in your mouth.

I think this will be a classic. I do wish I had any chance of reading the trilogy (future quadrilogy?) books that the movie is based on.

spoilers #movie review #horror film #annihilation

#spoilers #movie review #horror film #horror #annihilation

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lizard-reads-the-world · 8 months ago

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Book Review: Lei and the Fire Goddess (🌺 Hawai'i)

[image 1: Book cover - a girl with modern clothes, backpack, and bushy ponytail runs through Hawai'ian greenery, accompanied by a bat. There are red spider-like flowers carried on the wind, and a volcano spews lava in the background; image 2: a map showing the Hawai'ian islands in the center of the Pacific Ocean; image 3: steam vents around the Kīlauea volcano on Oahu, source: wikimedia]

Lei and the Fire Goddess

Author: Malia Maunakea

YA World Challenge Review for Hawai'i

Review

Anna Leilani is having school clique problems back home in Colorado, and she's decided the fantastical stories on the Hawai'ian side of her family are making her uncool. She's decided to put her foot down with her grandmother on this year's annual trip to Oahu. Until she pisses off the fire goddess Pele, and has no choice but to believe - and fix her mistake.

This was a wonderful adventure, with strong themes of mo'olelo (Hawai'ian oral tradition) and cultural belonging. All the creatures and legends were delightful characters - I don't think I can name a favorite, I liked them all - from the bat to the mo'o to the boar, and Pele herself. I also appreciate the character development that Anna/Lei went through. It felt realistic and in character.

The writing was polished, though occasionally I had difficulty visualizing the spatial movements described. The humor was fun between Anna and Ilikea, and the pop culture references thankfully not too overdone. I loved the descriptive tour through the Hawai'ian rainforest and volcano that we got. And lava-boarding!

I recommend this for a fun, very readable mythological adventure that is lighthearted and never too dark.

The sequel comes out in June.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars

Other reps: #biracial #no romance

Genres: #adventure #mythology #contemporary fantasy #family #friendship

#book review #hawai'i #ya world challenge #books #booklr #adventure #mythology #contemporary #fantasy #contemporary fantasy #family #friendship #biracial #no romance #oceania #5 stars

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hummingbirdsaltimolockia · 2 years ago

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read more for breeze-by reviews of the books films and shows I read/watched in 2022

books

a tree grows in brooklyn (reread) - 5/5 cemented as one of my favorite books. reading it at 25 was very different from reading it at 18

lord of the flies - oof 5/5 v chilling

the neverending story - 2/5 the whole movie is in the first seven chapters and it just drags on from there and bastian was annoying

an absolutely remarkable thing - 3/5 interesting story that I wouldn’t usually read and it ended kinda ambiguously. the main character was a little annoying but it was good for the story

the curious incident of the dog in the night time - 2/5 kinda overrated in my opinion and was kinda a bummer overall

their eyes were watching god - 4/5 kinda a bummer too but v beautiful

walk two moons - 3/5 a little overly Solemn in my opinion

shadow of a bull - 2/5 a little boring and anti climatic

hooked - 5/5 sutton foster has been one of my favorite performers for years and I really enjoyed getting a closer look at her life

the women in the castle - 5/5 a very chewy read. not a book you can dismiss easily

the hearts of horses - 4/5 v unfortunately titled and covered, but v enjoyable slice of life read. actually related to the main character, and the horses were written realistically.

jack and jill - 3/5 very slice of life w Moral Lessons, and I didn’t really agree with the moral lesson

the boy who harnessed the wind -4/5 more memoir-y then I thought it would be but I liked it like that

wink: - 3/5 finished on 1/1/23 but I’m counting it. definitely worth the read but could’ve been better

films

red riding hood - 2/5 pretty silly plot but gary oldman was acting his pants off

the prestige - 3/5 v captivating but left me feeling ick

a monster calls - 4/5 almost as good as the book

atonement - 2/5 v pretty but. betrayled

gladiator - 5/5 v refreshing to see this type of movie, 2000s style

encanto - 3/5 not enough recovery time

moulin rouge - 3/5 wild but it could be deep

the caddy - 3/5 jerry lewis is the basis of my sense of humor

logan - 5/5 really liked seeing such a grounded superhero film

hanna - 3/5 underdeveloped as whole. woulda worked better as a mini series

last christmas - 3/5 liked the characters, well acted and written, didn’t like the twist

school of rock - 5/5 there is nothing wrong with this movie

to all the boys p.s i still love you - 3/5 silly conflict. girl just go to school

if I stay - 4/5 much deeper than I thought it was gonna be

sing - 3/5 loved the littel chameleon creature

the fantastic mr fox - 4/5 v strange but a little long

the exception - 1/5 left me feeling v ick

winter’s bone - 4/5 different from what I expected. v grounded and unsensational

beastly - 2/5 lol v v 2011 black cover ya book feeling. v silly

the giver - 3/5 better than I thought it would be. rushed through in favor of a more dramatic ending

the addams family - 5/5 enjoyed everything about this

the addams family values - 4/5 not as sharp as the first one but joan cusack is in it

nope - 5/5 sooo good. loved the concept of an animal like alien and everything was set up so well. does rely on the “don’t look a horse in the eye or it will go berserk” thing which is just. not true. (literally just be chill and the horse will be chill. it’s more about approaching them from the side than directly in front). but on the whole the horse portrayal was pretty good

vengeance - 3/5 got v tense after the twist. went some places. left me feeling hmm

good will hunting - 4/5 literally heard of this movie my whole life. it’s good

rampage - 2/5 I love big scary animal monsters but this got too big and silly

potc: on stranger tides - 3/5 the story was better than I thought it would be, but overall it wasn’t made with the same care as the og trilogy

potc: dead men tell no tales - 2/5 almost just stupid

spiderman: no way home - 4/5 everyone was acting their pants off and it was great

black panther: wakanda forever - 4/5 ran a little long but loved all the choices and visuals

weird - 3/5 what it says on the can. bizarre and funny

the princess switch 2 - 2/5

the princess switch 3 - 3/5 unexpected pathos???

hildago - 3/5 honestly think I would’ve liked it better if he shot the horse at the end :/ which is a horrible thing to say but

falling for christmas - 2/5 I did it for you miss lohan

disenchanted - 2/5 and one of those is solely for idina menzel singing

jojo rabbit - 5/5 tonally brilliant and surprisingly full despite being under two hours

glass onion - 5/5 v fun and v engaging from beginning to end

tv shows

attack on titan s4 pt 2 - 3/5 not enough levi. also can we just finish this dam story

stranger things s4 - 4/5 a lot of crunchy plot stuff happened, v curious to see how it will end

only murders in the building s2 - 4/5 not as strong as s1 but still v enjoyable

derry girls s3 - 5/5 no notes

kenobi - 3/5 not bad but also pretty unnecessary

this is us s6 - 3/5 pretty likely end to the series but the more I thought about it the more I didn’t like it

abbott elementary - 5/5 no notes. most enjoyable mockumentary I’ve seen

rutherford falls - haven’t finished the first season yet so reserving final judgement but so far so good

#*kazoooo*#movies #books

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imagine4000 · 3 years ago

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Hello again~! Just wanna say thanks for everyone’s support. Here to kick things off today is another fanfic. And yes, it’s all about these two: The Double-D Duo! cause’ they deserve a cover. Happy reading!

Stay safe, healthy, and in good spirits!

Plot: How Donnie and Dahlia became friends (Donnie’s POV Only)

Warning(s): Slight angst to fluff, happy ending

>>>>>>>Donnie’s POV>>>>>>>

[New York City 7:35 p.m.]

“...😶 ...”

“...Ahem...”

“...😐...”

“...So...want a soda?”

I groan and roll my eyes at Leo trying to break the ice.

My brothers and I are in the living/tv room with a human. No, not April.

“Um, no thanks. I’m good.”

[This is Dahlia Shinzo. We took her to our home. Why? Three reasons. One: We were rescued by her from certain doom in a lab incident, in an underground city full of beings called yokai.]

“Hey guys! I’m back with the pi—”

SLIP!

“AHH!”

“No/Gasp/Not the pizza!”

FWOOM!

In seconds, teal-green creatures emerge in three’s, stacked into a ladder to catch the pizza boxes. All have round features, no nose, no mouth, just big eyes, and pudgy physiques.

“Thanks, Dahlia.”

“Thank Fable. Good job, lil’ buddy.”

[Two: Dahlia happens to be half-yokai with mystical powers.]

“Here ya go, guys.”

“Thanks, April/Alright!”

“Hey, girl, hope the guys didn’t give you any trouble.”

“Hardly. Oh yeah, I made this for you and your mom.”

Dahlia reaches into her backpack and takes out a clear container of sweets.

“Ooh, fresh cookies? Thanks! Yours are way better than mom’s.”

“Don’t say that in front of her face. You know how she gets.”

“Ugh, and how...”

[And three: April is her old childhood friend (even if they now go to different schools) who got the bright idea of introducing her to us.]

“So~ what exactly is your powers,” Leo asks.

“Not sure. It’s like taking a smidge of material of any object I touch and warp it into something else.”

“I’ll say! So, what else can you make? And if you’re half-yokai, what kind are you? Which one of your parents is the yokai and the human? How did they meet? Can we meet them?”

“Woah, slow down lil’ man.”

Raph pulls Mikey back before he could suffocate with billions of questions.

“Sorry ‘bout him.”

“It’s okay, I’m used to this.”

As usual, Mikey is ever so thrilled to meet a new face as much as Leo and Raph are. I, on the other hand, have always been the more sensible terrapin. In my brothers’ case, the skeptical one. So, yes, I’m not 100% on board when meeting new people.

“Did I hear someone say pizza and cookies?”

“Splinter/Dad!”

I panic when dad comes in and notices Dahlia.

“Who is this?”

“I’m sorry for intruding, sir. I’m Dahlia, one of April’s friends.”

“She saved us from—”

“From getting flattened like a pancake when we supposedly knocked over a billboard!”

“Which was a total accident!”

Leo and Raph cover Mikey’s mouth from spilling the truth. Luckily, dad bought the story and just smiles.

“If you say so. Now, where are those cookies?”

Dahlia hands him one.

Munch-Munch-Munch!

“Mm~ now that is one good cookie.”

“Thank you. Anyway, I should get back home.”

“What~? But you just got here.”

“Yeah, stick around. It’s not like you got somewhere to be, right?”

“No, but—”

“Hey, Dahlia, y’know I’ve shown some of your work to Mikey.”

“Hold up! She’s the one who made those?”

“Uh-huh. Dahlia’s one of the star students at her visual/performing arts school.”

“That’s amazing!”

“Mikey here’s an artist like yourself.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Totally! He’s got a ton of work I think you should check out.”

I notice Mikey’s mood changing from excitement to anxious.

“Your uncle’s not coming home until tomorrow, right?”

“Well, he said it was a business trip, so...”

She gives a brief glance to the floor.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to look at a few pieces. If Mikey doesn’t mind, that is.”

“N-No, I’d love to get some pointers!”

“Is that alright with you, sir?”

“Hmm....as long as you keep this whole situation a secret...”

“Trust me.”

She uses her powers to drop a few more cookies into dad’s paws.

“Keeping my secret is a full-time job, but I think I have room for one more.”

“Then welcome to our home. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some milk.”

Once Splinter leaves, I cautiously watch as Dahlia comes up to my younger brother.

“So, where do you keep your work, Michelangelo?”

“U-Uh, over here.”

We all head for his room, seeing the clutter of canvases and graffitied walls.

“I don’t really have a place to put them. I wanna redraw a few, but I-I don’t know, it just feels like I missed something.”

“Which ones are those?”

Mikey spreads out a few he’s done in the past.

“Yeah, so they’re not like professionally good like yours are, but...”

“Hey, don’t be nervous,” she chuckles, “they all look great.”

“So...”

“Like this one, for instance...you can use the bristles of a paintbrush to show a splatter affect. For most artists, a toothbrush has better results.”

“Okay...”

“Some of these pieces, you can use oil paint. Keeps the colors authentic and gives you time to work more hours if needed. And this one here...you have good composition, but it seems like you’re going too light on the details.”

“Then, I should push it a little further.”

“Yeah. The contrast between these two objects here...”

“I have no idea what they’re saying,” Leo whispers.

“Told ya she was good,” April whispers back.

I pay no mind to the side conversation and focus on our guest, who picks up a paintbrush.

“Hmm...these are looking a little worn.”

“I’ve had them for years, but I never got around to getting new ones. Well, mostly cause I can’t walk out in the day to buy stuff being a mutant...also I don’t have a credit card...or actual money...”

“In that case, I can buy you new ones.”

“Really?”

“Yeah...and if I don’t have enough, I can always share some of my supplies.”

“W-Wow, you mean it?”

“Now that I’ll be seeing you guys more often, I’d be happy to lend a hand to a fellow artist.”

In seconds, Mikey throws his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug.

“Thanks, Dahlia! You’re awesome!”

“You’re welcome, Michelangelo.”

“It’s just ‘Mikey’...or Michael, or Doctor Delicate Touch, or—”

“Pfft—okay, okay, I get it. So, uh...I could stay for another hour or two. Mind showing me around?”

“Thought you’d never ask, mi amiga, so vamanos!”

“Sabes espanol?”

“De hecho lo hago.”

“Oh-mi-gosh, tu acento es realmente bueno!”

“El tuyo tambien.”

“Parece que encontre otra mejor amiga.”

“I couldn’t agree more. So, what are we waiting for—we got a lair to explore!”

”Let’s hit the arcade first!”

April slides over to me.

“Did I also mention she’s fluent in Spanish?”

“Gee, I never would’ve guessed.”

“Will you lighten up,” she scoffs, “my gal just saved your sorry shells back there and you’re giving her that attitude?”

“This is how I always act,” I protest.

“Okay, I’ll level with you, Don...of course I was gonna be worried about bringing in, uh...this whole situation.”

“If that’s true, then why go through with it?”

“Don’t make me get my bat.”

“Well, what do you want me to do?”

“Uhh, I don’t know—talk to her for one thing?”

“Obviously, but...I-I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

“Uh~ you didn’t say much to me when we first met. And look at us...dorky pals for life. you trust me, so why not trust her like I do? Come on, Donnie...”

I glance at the others, then give out an exasperated sigh.

“Fine~.”

SLAP/GAH!

“Good answer!”

I rub my aching arm after that harsh blow.

“But make one wrong move, and I’ll use your shell as a cooking pot.”

“Noted.”

Thus begins the slow, but painfully awkward challenges ahead.

>>>>>>>TIMESKIP>>>>>>>

“Woah/Awesome!”

Thanks to my brilliant mind and a crystal that could reveal mystic energy, my brothers and I uncover a secret pizza place full of yokai. On the surface of New York.

“Okay. Be cool. I think...we just sit and ask for stuff.”

“Like regular people?”

“I think here, we are regular.”

By the time we find a table, it’s just me, Raph, and Mikey sitting, with my twin off to who knows where. In the meantime, we look through the menus.

“Man, this place is so cool.”

“I hope the food’s as good.”

“Judging by the populated customers and assortment of Italian cuisine, I’d say that’s a definite—”

“Donnie?”

“D-Da-Da—Dahlia?!”

I gawk in shock to find Dahlia standing before us, wearing a waitress uniform.

“I-I...you...”

“What my brother’s trying to say is: What are you doing here?”

“I work here, Raph. I’m surprised you guys found this place.”

“You can thank ol’ Donnie-boy here.”

“Is that true?”

“Uh, y-yes! As a matter of fact, I did...with science.”

“And a mystic crystal.”

“But~ I used my technological skills to uncover the mystic energy.”

“Really...”

I flinch when she taps on my specs.

“Does it come in handy when tracking the oozesquitoes?”

“That hasn’t been tested yet, but I’m 87% positive it could be possible if they—y’know—were behind thick walls and such.”

“Impressive. I’d like to look at them sometime, if that’s okay.”

“...Uh...th—”

“Yo, Dahlia, can you hook us up with some pie?”

“I knew you’d say that Mikey. So, have you decided yet?”

“Hard to choose.”

“In that case, I’ll send over a regular pizza with the works. Next time you come around I recommend the super-creepy-supreme. If you can stomach it.”

“As long as it’s pizza.”

“Brb with the pie, boys.”

After Dahlia leaves, Raph and Mikey turn to each other as I scan the menu again.

“Who would’ve thought.”

“I know, right?”

For one thing, my brothers interrupting me is rude. On another note, I can’t decide if I’m irritated or relieved. In truth, I haven’t made much progress, communication-wise. Most of the time, Dahlia is the one who approaches me first. I only do so when saying a simple ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ or asking each other questions when all of us hang out. Like I said: warming up to new people isn’t my thing.

“Hey Donnie...”

I simply hum in response, still reading the choice of food listed.

“You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“Yeah, what’s the deal?”

“Is this about the whole ‘Dahlia situation’?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea of what you’re talking about, dear brethren.”

“C’mon, dude/Seriously?”

I groan and put the menu down, rubbing my temple.

“Can’t we go somewhere without you guys interrogating me for five minutes?”

“Don, we know you’re not a, uh...touchy-feely guy, but...it’s just that—”

“Just man up already, ya softshell!”

“Shh~ Mikey!”

“What, it’s true, and let’s face it, Raph, you’re not good at being brutally honest in these things.”

“Fair enough.”

“If you’re suggesting that I’m ignoring Dahlia—”

“Are you?”

“What, n...no!”

“Aha! You hesitated!”

“I did no such thing!”

“You were for a second!”

“Guys, cool it!!”

Being a centimeter-close to tearing each other’s shells off, Raph immediately shoves us back in our seats.

“I know you’ve heard me say this before, Angelo, but not everyone is an everybody-get-along with a friendly shake and hug type.”

“Two. Weeks. Even Raph can do the math and see that you’ve got a problem.”

“Ignoring that academic remark...Mikey’s right. You gotta make time.”

“I can.”

“Alone.”

“...Uh~ alone? As in, just the two of us?”

“That’s what I said. Didn’t I just say it, Mikey?”

“Yup, you sure did.”

“But—”

“(Unison)Just talk to her!”

“Alright! I can take a hint, thank you...and sarcasm is my thing, FYI.”

“What about sarcasm?”

“Dah!”

I almost jump out of my seat when Dahlia appears again. It’s like she makes a habit out of scaring people out of their wits.

“Um...you okay?”

Clearing my throat, I sit up straight and act natural.

“Y-Yeah, yeah, just having a perfectly normal, not-at-all-awkward conversation with my beloved brothers. Yup, everything is just perfect.”

I can feel sweat drip down my face as she sends a confused look my way.

“Well...here’s your order.”

“Ooh/Finally~!”

She sets the medium-sized pizza in front of us.

“Enjoy guys.”

“Hold up, Dahlia.”

“Oh, did I forget something.”

“Actually...I think Donnie wants to tell you something. Right, bro?”

Oh~ how I wish I could bring out the torturing disposal mechanism. It’s just a touch of a button on my staff. All I have to do is give one press of my thumb. That’s all it takes. However, seeing as there’s a decent person in our presence, I’ll fight the urge.

“Yesss...I almost forgot. Thank you, Raph.”

I casually take a slice of pizza, forcing a smile to hide any signs of malice towards the two.

“Did I come at a bad time?”

“...Uhm...I just wanted to ask if...if...”

“If...?”

“Well, maybe when you come visit again, you could...if you feel like it, that is...you could help—”

✋🏼SMACK!

“HEY/What the/My salvation~!”

All of a sudden, Leo shows up and what does he do? Slaps the only food we can afford right off our hands.

“What are you doing? Don’t eat that run of the mill garbage.”

FWIP!

“Woah, Leo!?”

“Where are you taking us?!”

“Dahlia!”

I hear that skeleton man call her name from the front desk.

“Si, senor?”

“You can go home, now. I can take care of the rest.”

“Gracias Senor Hueso. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Buenas noches, senorita.”

“Sorry, guys, but I gotta go. I’ve got projects to do. I’ll see you next time!”

“Adios, mi amiga! Make sure to check the hall of fame on your next shift!”

“Oh, you’ll be on the hall of fame, alright,” she smirks, “just not sure which one.”

She gives a wink and salute before disappearing through the wall.

Again, fate has dealt its cards and I unwittingly fold.

>>>>>>>TIME-SKIP>>>>>>>

VRR~!

I storm into my lab, hearing the doors shut behind me.

CLATTER!

With a fling of the wrist, I toss my latest invention on my work desk. I slump into my chair and let out a sigh of exhaustion.

Tonight has been hectic. My brothers and I find out there’s a yokai hotel topside in the city disguised as humans. Though the establishment is five-star rating, the service was terrible.

VRRR~!

“Go away, Leo,” I holler, “I’m not in the mood for another one of your gloat-trips.”

“Does he now...”

I flinch when hearing the familiar feminine voice, but I don’t turn around.

“Dahlia...um...what brings you here?”

I grab a pencil and start drawing on a new blueprint.

“I heard everything that happened. Leo told me when I came in a few seconds ago.”

“Did he also tell you how a giant spider is a criminal overlord that almost took credit for my invention and made us slave warriors?”

“I’m sorry, I should’ve told you guys about Big Mama. She does have a powerful syndicate, so of course you’d be outmatched.”

“Is that all you had to tell me?”

“I just wanted to check on you, is all.”

“...Thanks, but I’m perfectly fine.”

“No, you’re not. I can tell by your tone of voice.”

I groan in annoyance as I flick the pencil away and cross my arms.

“What do you want me to say,” I inquire, “that I should’ve listened to Leo? That I should’ve known we were in danger? Or maybe that I was ignorant and foolish to even gain someone’s trust—is that it?”

“You didn’t know this would happen.”

“Spare me the trouble. The last thing I need is your pity.”

“Not pity...concerned. Donnie, you may not believe me, but—”

CLANG!

“I don’t believe you!”

I stand up and slam my hands down, hunched over my desk.

“Just because you’re April’s friend doesn’t mean I’ll be won over by your charms like you did to my brothers! And yeah—I’m not chummy like those dumb-dumbs, but I am nobody’s fool!”

I briefly glare at her composed look before gripping my head.

“Honestly, I-I don’t even know why I’m trying! From the start, I knew things weren’t going to work out! Even now, you’re desperately reaching out when you know that this is who I am! And it feels like you’re trying to change all that!”

“That’s not true. I just—”

“I don’t wanna hear any more of your excuses! It’s pointless to reason with me!”

“I’m fully aware of it, but that won’t stop me in the least! I’m not against you, Donnie, I want to know more about you. I choose to be your friend because I know you’re a good person. But you need to meet me halfway to clear any misunderstandings between us. That’s all I ask. If you could just talk to me—”

“Stop! I’m tired, I’m in a bad mood, and I’m done with this! I’m done with you! So why not make this easier for both of us and just leave!”

“Donnie, please, just listen—”

“I SAID GET OUT!”

WHACK!!

“...!?”

It all happened so fast. I don’t know what came over me. But the moment I felt her grab my arm, I just...snapped. All the anger suddenly thrown out by one act of aggression. What’s left is fear, shock, and sheer guilt as we drown in each other’s silence.

“...”

“Ah...I-I...”

VRR!

“Hey guys.”

We hear the doors open and see Leo striding in.

“I could hear the commotion outside the...Dahlia!”

He runs in and grabs her.

“Your cheek! W-What happened?!”

“I-I, uh...I was just...”

Unable to correspond, Leo realizes who’s at fault here, holding a vicious glare.

“You little...did you seriously hit her?!”

“Leo, stop!”

Dahlia tries to push my brother away.

“What’s your problem, man!? What did she ever do—hah?! Do you really hate her that much?!”

“It was an accident, Leo! Calm down!”

“Don’t speak for him! He’s the one who—”

SHAA!

“Hey!”

Dahlia uses her powers to summon Fable.

“Please, take him outside.”

“Wait, no! Fable, let go!”

The familiar multiplies into five and drags Leo out of the room. Dahlia turns around, making me take a step back. My mouth is open. I try to say something, anything at all...but nothing. I could say nothing. For once, I’m speechless.

“Donnie...”

"Tsk!”

Seeing her lift her hand, I look down at myself. I knew the first thing she’d do would be to reach out to me. But I’m not...

“...I’m sorry things got out of hand.”

Clack-Clack-Clack

I jerk my head up as she walks to the door.

“...Da—"

“Y’know I would slice you into pieces if you didn’t split in two every time! Now c’mon~ put me down!”

Hearing my twin’s complaints, Dahlia sighs.

“I’ll calm him down before I leave.”

“Wa—”

“I’ll be back when I can, okay? I promise.”

“...”

“Goodnight, Donatello.”

VRR~...CLANG

The last thing I see is her profile as the doors close. I’m now left stunned, still standing even as I feel my legs tremble. I thought for sure she would react the same as Leo did, but I saw no signs of resentment. Dahlia just sends a sincere smile my way. A smile of all things. Even after what I did. As if she was silently telling me that all is forgiven. So why...

‘Why don’t I believe it?’

“DONNIE!”

Coming back to my senses, I look back to April as we keep running up the stairs.

“Please tell me were near the top!”

“Just a smidge!”

“Ugh—whatever, just—”

“There!”

I point to the floor on the next flight of stairs.

CLANK—CLANK!

Finally reaching the top, I see those hacking thieves and yell despite my lungs aching for air.

“Okay nerds—I want my stuff back!”

“I got the code! Let’s go!”

WHIRL!

THUD/OOF/OW!

SHOOM~!!

Through all the chaos, we take those bozos down and corner Kendra through an ally. With the exception of crashing the jet and us into a pile of garbage.

“I think I broke your jetpack.”

“No probbles, I got this!”

“Not so fast, Von Ryan.”

CLANKING!

“Whu—ack! No! Hey, no stop! Override! Override! Alpha-Bootyshaker9000! Three Y’s!”

That little punk hacks into my spider pack as it turns against me.

“Well, Von Rayn, looks like you’re out of luck. I’d love to spend all night beating you up with your own tech, but I got a global bank to hack. Buh bye.”

Kendra taunts with a wave as she flies off with my flight-shell.

FWOOM!

“Gasp!”

Suddenly, I see the impossible.

“Hey-yah~ been a long time.”

I thought I was dreaming, but there she is, hovering right in Kendra’s path with magnetic rings attached to the soles and heels of her shoes.

“Dahlia?! How did—”

“Pu-lease~ tracking your whereabouts is child’s play compared to your little late-night shopping spree.”

“Tch...nice footwear. What junkyard did you go to get those scrapheaps?”

“You’d be surprised what simple material can produce. Still embezzling on other peoples’ success, I see...and here I thought you actually invented something original.”

“You always were a pain in my neck.”

“Aww, did I make whittle Kenny-wenny mad?”

“Don’t call me that!”

“What...Kenny-wenny?”

“That’s it!”

FWOOM!

Kendra charges, but Dahlia dodges to the left like she’s doing the slide-step.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk...sloppy maneuver. Then again, the first thing you flunked in grade school was the jungle gym.”

“Grr~!”

FWOOM/FWIP/SHOOM/WHIRL!

I can’t decide whether to be shocked that Dahlia’s here or astounded by her flying-acrobatic performance. That’s when I take notice of my fight-shell’s components.

“The rotors! The reason I never wear a jacket is that I’m terrified it would be caught in them.”

“How ‘bout using a jacket to block those rotors?”

“Exactly, give me yours.”

“What~? No! Use your own jacket!”

“You know, even though this whole thing is your fault, I guess it’s up to me to solve it.”

“Ooh~ we gonna have a talk...”

I quickly take my silky-smooth hoodie off, rolled into a ball, and gently caress it to my face.

“Fare thee well, my synthetic darling. I hardly knew ye, but parting is such sweet—”

“Just do it!”

“Okay.”

FWOOM!

I throw as far as I could, watching it gracefully fly towards its final stand.

“Hahaha—”

💥BOOM/SHATTER!

“AAAHHH!”

BLAM/AHH!

“Dahlia!”

I dive over Kendra and catch Dahlia in the nick of time.

THUMP!

We land in a pile of furniture. Which isn’t as comfortable as I thought it’d be. I groan and rub my aching cranium.

“Ugh...that could’ve gone better—"

Boop!

I feel my brain shutting down screaming in panic. Cause looking down, my snout and her nose inadvertently press together. I’ve never made this kind of close physical contact with anyone outside of my family! Yet alone another girl!

💓Ba-Dump!

And is that...is my heart...thumping? What is happening to me?!

I jerk back before she could notice anything.

“S-Sorry, I wasn’t l—"

Glomp!

I’m cut off when she hugs me, making my body stone-cold as a gargoyle statue.

“It’s so good to see you, Donnie.”

“Wait, really? I-I thought that...you weren’t...coming back.”

“April didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“That I was put in charge working on a group project for an arts festival at my school. That’s why I was gone for so long. I told her to tell you right after I got the assignment.”

I deadpan towards April, who equally shares the same expression.

“Hey, don’t blame me for wanting some payback for my girl, here.”

“Anyway, I’m really sorry that I couldn’t make time to visit you and your brothers.”

“No, it’s...I got so caught up in the heat of it all that I just...Dahlia...I’m...”

Boink

Out of nowhere, she pokes my forehead.

“You dummy...I know you are.”

“... ...”

SHIMMER~

Just then, I witness the glittering pieces that decorate the sky.

“Alas...a classic tale of a well-meaning loner who just couldn’t fit in with a band of well-dressed crooks.”

“That’s okay, Donnie,” April says, patting my shoulder, “you’ll always be in the April O-Neil Dorky-Pals-for-Life-Club.”

“Thanks, April.”

“No matter how stupid you dress.”

WHEE-WHOO—WHEE-WHOO!

Suddenly, sirens blare down the street.

“Hey, you wanna help me get this stuff back to the lair?”

“(Sighs)I say yes to you—way too often.”

We hightail it out with the tech, leaving Kendra to deal with the authorities.

[Moments Later...]

By the time we reach a manhole, April rides off with her bike while Dahlia helps me get my gear to the lair. Luckily, the guys aren’t around as we quietly sneak into my lab and dump everything on my desk.

“Look at what those pilfering geeks did to my babies. It’s gonna take me weeks of repair.”

“Well, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll just head on home.”

“Wait!”

Clasp!

Not just Dahlia, but I’m also surprised when I stop her from leaving. That’s now the second closest I’ve ever come into her personal space. Seriously, why is karma giving me such a hard time?

“Ahem.”

My eyes widen as I quickly yank my hand away. At the door is Mikey, expressing a smug look while dressed in his orange pajamas.

“Sorry to cut in on this touching reunion, but some of us are trying to sleep.”

“Oh, sorry. I should get—”

“Ah-tut-tut!”

Mikey shushes her and comes in-between us.

“You’re staying over tonight.”

“(Unison)Say what?”

“Lucky for you, we have an extra room for emergencies like this.”

“Wait, that’s why you asked me to help you build one this whole time?”

“And I thought you asked me to bring pajama clothes for you to wear.”

“C’mon, check it out. You’re gonna love it.”

‘That little...I’ve been outsmarted by a fox in a turtle’s shell!’

Dragging us through the third-floor, we come across the new room. Simple furniture and accessories, decorated in lights hanging above and graffiti art on the walls.

“Oh, Mikey, it’s beautiful.”

“Why, thank you. Did you call your uncle?”

“I told him I’d be at April’s over the weekend. Plus, he’s on another business trip. The poor guy’s been getting pulled left and right.”

“Well~ I’m heading back to bed. Continue where you left off, Donnie-boy and uh...don’t screw up this time.”

“Mikey!”

“Sweet dreams!”

ZIP!

He dashes off before I could scold him.

“So, uh...”

I turn to Dahlia.

“This has been one heck of a night.”

“In a matter of speaking, yes.”

An awkward pause comes between us.

“...Hey, um...”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not ready to hit the hay just yet, so...mind if I have a word with you?”

I lead her to the kitchen and serve us some warm tea. We sit across from each other and sip our drink. I sigh in content.

“Normally, I’m a coffee-guy but this hits the spot.”

“Aren’t you a little young to be drinking coffee, anyways?”

“Don’t you drink it, too?”

“Only if I feel like it. Unlike someone who practically needs an IV-tube to keep himself active 24/7.”

“Touché.”

I pull my cup away, but still holding onto it as my thumb runs across the rim.

“Listen...I meant what I said. When you left, I calculated every possible way to make it up to you, but I couldn’t seem to go through with it all.”

“Donnie, it’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.”

“Yes, I do. Look, I’ll be frank...I’m intelligent, cautious, skeptical, and disapprove any source of magic, even after witnessing an unexplainable phenomenon. You’re the complete opposite of me. So, yes, I didn’t know how to deal with—this whole situation at first...but not having the courage to face you...after what I did...it terrified me. I didn’t want things to end like that. Leo was right. I was acting like an ignorant hard-shell, but I...I don’t hate you. I never meant for it to appear that way. If I had just settled things calmly like you said, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time regretting my actions.”

“... ...”

C-Clink

I look up at the sound of putting her cup down. Just then, she grabs my hand, making me flinch.

“It’s okay...trust me.”

I thought of pulling back, but I cave in and let her bring my hand up to her cheek. The very same place I harmed her.

“You see?”

“...See what?”

“Exactly. It’s perfectly fine. There’s nothing to worry about anymore.”

Dahlia reads me like a book, knowing exactly what I’m thinking before I could even speak. I retract my hand, still feeling the gentle warmth from her touch.

“Donnie...you may seem like an emotionless, pass-aggressive turtle...”

“Again, sorry, but all true.”

“But I admire that you’re compassionate with what you do and not afraid to speak your mind.”

“...You really mean that?”

“Mhm...and let’s face it: besides April, you’re the most adorkable friend I’d definitely want to hang out with.”

I can feel my cheeks warming up to that compliment, but I immediately hide it behind my cup. I’m starting to think I’m losing my bad-boy image.

“Hey, since tomorrow is Saturday, I can help you rebuild your battle shells if you’d like.”

“You would? I-I mean, sure, cause clearly you know what you’re doing. Especially when I saw those puppies in action.”

I point at her matching-colored shoes.

“Are they made of pure minerals?”

“Hematite and magnetite, to be precise. And since dad taught me the ropes of mystic blacksmithing, I modified them to attract and repel myself in any direction, no matter how far or high I hover...above ground in...any...environment...?”

“😶...”

“...What?”

“Even your mind is beautiful.”

CLANK!

My drink slips out of my hand the same way my thoughts slip out from my tongue.

“Um...(chuckles)thanks?”

“Daahhh, I-I, uh...let me rephrase that! What I meant to say was...is that...gahh~ why is it so hard to say a full sentence in front of you?! Is this the work of a magic spell!? Have I been cursed to make a fool of myself or—”

“Pfft~ hahaha!”

“Oh great, just what I need: more humiliation.”

“That’s not it, silly. Sure, I’ve been called ‘cute’ or ‘pretty’, but hardly beautiful.”

“Really? I mean...really?”

“Hehe...y’know, for someone who’s socially awkward at times, you sure know what to say to make a girl feel good about herself. Thank you, Donnie. I really am glad that I got to meet you.”

Not sure what kind of face I’m making now, but hearing her laughter and seeing her smile like that...how could I be so blind to not see what great a person she really is?

“...Me too.”

“Hm...you say something?”

I chuckle, shaking my head as I reclaim my tea.

“So, for tomorrow, I was thinking of upgrading the jetpack.”

“Sounds good. I could give you some pointers on how to make the wings more flexible for aerial combat. That is...if your ego can take a step back.”

“Heh...no promises.”

“We’ll see about that.”

It’s gonna be challenging. Maybe even chaotic at times. But I think I’m willing to take a chance in something new.

>>>>>>>BONUS>>>>>>>

“Hey, move over.”

“I can’t see.”

“Quit shoving.”

Outside the kitchen, Raph, Leo, and Mikey hide behind the open tunnel while spying on the others.

“He’s tapping into his inner emotions,” Mikey praises, “I’m so proud of him.”

“Shh~ trying to capture the moment.”

“Leo, stop plotting against your twin.”

“Don’t worry, big-guy, I’ll send you a pic. As soon as April blows it up on a poster.”

“Ugh...”

“Ooh, I’ve got the perfect name for this: The Double-D Duo.”

“The, what now?”

“For Donnie and Dahlia, duh. Gotta call ‘em something if we ever face off the usual baddies in town. I think it’s a pretty good name.”

Leo turns back, seeing his twin and new best friend enjoying each other’s company.

“Y’know what,” he smiles, “they would make a great team.”

“That’s what I’m sayin’.”

“C’mon fellas, let’s book it before—”

“BOYS!”

“AAHHH!”

THUMP!

Out of nowhere, Splinter surprises them from behind, causing the trio to fall into the room, startling Donnie, and Dahlia.

“I’m having my late-night sandwich run and I need the mustard.”

“GUUUYS~!”

“Oooh boy.”

“Now, Donnie/Donnie, take it easy...”

SWING!

“WOAH! Donnie?!”

“YOU’RE DEAD!”

“Run for it!”

DASH!

“I’m gonna use your shells to replace my battle tech!”

“Not the face! It’s my one true beauty!”

While the purple-clad terrapin relentlessly swings a skillet in each hand at the intruders, Splinter had already made a sandwich cut in two and sits beside Dahlia.

“Should we...”

“Ahh, they’ll be fine. Sandwich?”

“Ooh, don’t mind if I do.”

She takes the other half, and they tip their share with a smile.

“Good to see you, again, Dahlia.”

“You too, Splinter.”

Dahlia and Splinter eat while the chaotic chase scene entertains them the rest of the night.

[THE END]

#rise of the tmnt #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt fanfic #my art #rottmnt oc character #Donnie x OC character #donnie #raph #leo #mikey #rottmnt splinter #rottmnt april #imagine4000 collection #imagine4000 art #rottmnt fanfiction

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strayen-fx · 4 years ago

Text

Doubtless

》 Lee Minho x Reader

》 Angst, Fluffy end

》 Pangs of jealousy could still hit an established relationship, or where Minho is a choreographer and Y/N can't help but feel jealous because of a certain idol Minho is teaching.

》 Wordcount: 2.5k

》 Warnings: mention of overwork, insecurity

》 a/n: I'm back, hi! hihi

°°°

Being in a relationship with Minho hasn't been the easiest thing, but for you, it has been the bestest decision you have ever made.

You were college sweethearts, both of you meeting at an audition for the school's official dance group. After graduating, Minho decided to join a famous dance studio as one of its choreographers while you chose to focus on your professional field.

Adulting didn't come easy, as the two of you were bombarded with busy schedules for almost every week on end. It hasn't been the easiest thing, but after some time, the both of you have learned to adjust and manage your time. You have also decided to move in together, because 1.) you wanted to spend as much of your free time with each other as possible, and 2.) let's be honest, rent is expensive af.

Despite that, it was still difficult for you to spend quality time together because of Minho's hectic and jam-packed sched. Even in weekends, he would be busy coming up with dance moves for the kpop groups assigned to him. Hence, you usually make up to this by visiting him in the studio and bringing him your homecooked meals. You would bring a portion for you as well so you could eat with him. This is something that he adored so much, it eventually became a regular routine for weekends.

That Saturday was no exception. Wearing your favorite casual clothes plus Minho's purple hoodie, you drove to the dance studio with packed lunch for the both of you. You greeted the other dancers you met in the building, and there you met Momo, another buddy in your college dance group.

"Y/nnieeee!!!" Momo said, approaching you into a tight hug. "I've missed you!"

You returned the hug and giggled. "We only met like last week though?"

"That is forever ago. You should just work with us here so I could always hang out with you," Momo complained.

"Once I get fired in my current job, I'll be sure to send you my resume."

"Should I use my connections to get you fired, then?"

You talked with Momo for a while, until she remembered that she left her students unsupervised and she was only supposed to get some water.

"Minho is in Studio E," Momo said. "He's assigned to teach a rookie girl group, my forte, while I'm assigned to a dorky and loud boy group. Where's justice in that?" She sighed deeply. "Anyway. I'll get going. Let's grab coffee some time!"

You waved and watched as Momo begrudgingly trudged towards Studio A. You laughed a bit to yourself before heading to the opposite direction.

When you peered through the door of Studio E, you noticed at least six ladies sitting on the floor, talking and fanning themselves. You knocked twice before opening the door. Few of the girls looked up and bowed awkwardly. They probably thought you were just a staff bringing Minho some food.

The man in question, however, failed to notice you. He was busy giving a one-on-one lesson to another girl, them being the only ones standing. It probably shouldn't have irked you so much, seeing that Minho is a choreographer and it is, indeed, his job to teach idols their choreography. However, being a dancer yourself and watching them there for a solid minute, you know that the girl was just goofing around and pretending not to understand the moves. She even laughed and slapped Minho's chest jokingly as if they were close friends. You couldn't see your boyfriend's reaction from where you stood, but what you witnessed was enough to dampen your mood.

You fake-coughed, causing Minho to finally notice you. His eyes lit up, and that was almost enough to rebrighten your mood. Almost, for you could still see the girl he was teaching earlier, with her eyebrows shot up like she was annoyed for the interference.

Minho jogged to where you stood and you gave him a quick peck on the lips. This took him by surprise--you weren't usually the type of person to show skinship when there are strangers around. This made Minho smile, though, thinking that you just missed him too much.

"Lunch break, everyone," Minho told the girls. He then took your hand and led you out of the room towards the staff's pantry.

When you got there, Minho excitedly opened the lunch you prepared, asking you about your day as he did so. You tried to act normal--afterall, you have no reason to be jealous, right? Plus, this is Minho you're talking about. You've known each other for years, he's not gonna dump you for an idol he just met.

Right?

"Baby?"

Your head shot up, realizing that Minho was talking to you. "Yeah?"

He chuckled. "What's wrong? Stunned by my visuals yet again?"

You rolled your eyes, used to his teasing antics. "Just tired, I guess. Eat your meal before it gets cold."

His gaze softened. He reached for your hand, squeezing it a bit. "I told you, you could take some rest during weekends. You don't have to force yourself to drive all the way here to bring me lunch. You took overtime last night, I'm sure you've been busy in the office."

You smiled at him, reaching out to squish his cheeks. "And I told you, bringing you lunch would never be tiring for me if it means that I could spend time with this lovely face."

Minho grinned. "I'm irresistible, I know."

You playfully pinched his cheek. "Just eat, you handsome creature."

You watch Minho as he ate, admiring how he looked food-deprived by the way he gobbled his meal. For the nth time in your long relationship, you wondered how you got so lucky to have someone like him. At the same time, you wondered how long you would be this lucky--wondered how long you would be able to watch him up close like this. You wondered: did you really deserve him? And what will happen if he realizes that, no, he doesn't want you after all?

"Uhh.. Min?"

"Ggnnmm?" he grumbled in a mouthful of food.

You stifled your laughter, finding the moment too cute to be destroyed by your depressing thoughts. "Have I ever told you that you look like a cat when you eat like that?"

°°°

It has been days since you visited Minho's studio. He was still teaching the girls you saw last weekend, due to the fact that "the choreo was too complicated" and a certain someone named Ahra was "finding certain parts difficult and needed to be trained personally by a professional choreographer." So of course, Minho can't say no. You visited once during the week, dropping off a change of clothes Minho forgot to bring, and you saw the girl again laughing and talking with Minho comfortably. Minho didn't seem annoyed. If anything, you felt like he was enjoying her company.

It was Friday when Minho came home and told you that he had to come with the girls to Gwangju where they would hold the music fest the following week.

"But why, though?" you asked Minho, genuinely confused. "You are a choreographer, not a manager."

"I know," Minho said. He looked tired, and part of you was feeling bad for questioning him like this. But you just can't help yourself--not after seeing that Ahra's body language towards your boyfriend. "But baby, their company pleaded for me to come with them to guide the group. They're rookies. They need as much help as they can."

A part of you understood. You wanted this relationship to be rational and matured. You promised to understand each other's line of work. So you just nodded, trying your best not to show your sadness... disappointment? Jealousy? All of the above?

°°°

Weekend came. You told Minho you were going to hangout with Momo for lunch. It was one reason, but the other main reason was that you didn't want to see Ahra flirting with your man right in front of you.

Momo chose a Japanese restaurant for your weekend hangout, saying she missed the dishes she had back home. Right after you've placed your order, your friend made a show of placing her elbows on the table with her chin on her fingers, looking straight into your eyes. "Now spill the tea."

You chuckled. "What?"

"While I know that you value our friendship more than most of everything else, I know that you won't ditch Minho for a simple lunch opportunity. Now spill."

"Uhh... maybe I'm making time with you because you're gonna be away for three days in Gwangju?"

"Oh, that music fest? I'm not coming with them though," she said, casually sipping water. "I have whipped my group into magnificent perfection, they don't need me to tag along. Plus, what would I do there? Chaperone their asses on the bus? Teach them the choreo while they're sightseeing? Please."

You sighed. Yeah, it doesn't make sense for an outsourced choreographer to tag along an idol group. They have their own trainors. And the trip was for three days to allow the idols some time for broadcasted sightseeing. They won't have time for heavy dance practices.

"But Minho is coming with the group assigned to him," you mentioned.

Momo almost choked on her mineral water. "What? Why? And why haven't I heard of this?"

Oh.

You shrugged. "Maybe my boyfriend is onto something--someone--else."

Momo's gaze softened. "Y/n..."

"I mean, the way that Ahra flirted with him? I wouldn't be surprised."

"C'mon y/nnie, do you really think Min would cheat on you? After, what, your five-year relationship?"

"When faced with a beautiful idol, why not?" Your eyes were starting to get watery. You weren't much of an emotional person, but right at that moment, you just wanted to bawl your eyes out. "I mean, Ahra is beautiful, right? You've seen her. Tall, flawless, gorgeous. And talented, too. I've searched about her group, and turns out she's the main vocal." You pointed at yourself. "And what do we have here?"

"YA! Don't you ever look down on yourself like that!" Momo said, slapping the table. "Have you forgotten that you're the main dancer of our dance group? That you were scouted by the leading agencies and you turned them all down? That if you decided not to focus on your academics, you would have been one of the leading dancers in the whole country? Y/N!"

"But--"

"I'M NOT YET DONE. And even without considering those, do you really think Minho is only looking at a person's outward appearance? Do you really think that, y/n?"

"No..." you whispered. "Momo, I understand now, please tone your voice down a little."

Momo discreetly looked around and noticed a few people staring. She sighed, composed herself, and spoke in a calmer voice, "Do you remember when Minho courted you? He was so shy, he can't even look you in the eyes without turning beet red. Literally the entire dance group had to help him express his feelings for you."

You smiled at the memory, remembering a slightly younger Minho flushing red while holding out a bunch of flowers.

"And even months prior to that. He was so dense, his hyungs in the group literally had to smack his head for him to realize that he likes you, even when the entire campus could already notice his heart-shaped eyes whenever he's with you." Momo sighed. "My point is, do you really think a guy like Minho could cheat on you?"

You reminisced about all those years you have been together. Minho is a sweet, understanding person. He sees beauty in everything around him. He sees beauty in you even when you yourself couldn't see it. He was there through the happy and ugly times, and he never once let go of your hand. He has been patient with you through everything. He is the best man you have ever met.

Momo sighed again for the umpteenth time that day. "The biggest flaw on him though is that he's way, waaaay too dense. Remember that one time before you got together, a girl was obviously making a move on him and he didn't even know until the girl walked out calling him a jerk."

You laughed at that. "He's flirty at times but he's too numb when he's on the receiving end."

The two of you laughed at that.

°°°

Later that day, Momo texted you. She checked in with the studio staff and apparently, Minho tagging along to the music fest was a special request by the higher ups of the girls' agencies, and it was a sort of rushed request. You thanked her for the information, mentally punching yourself for ever doubting Minho like that.

The following day was Minho's trip to Gwangju. You couldn't drive him to the station due to an urgent meeting, so you just gave him a hasty farewell kiss on the lips while he was preparing his breakfast. He just smiled up at you without saying a word. That small gesture made your heart clench, feeling guilty for doubting him and not spending time with him the day prior. You made a mental note to welcome him properly upon his return.

But for now, you have to survive those three incoming days alone in your apartment.

The whole day, you couldn't concentrate at work. You kept on worrying if Minho had arrived safely in his destination, if he had eaten enough, if he was warm and hydrated enough. When you asked him all these through text, he only replied with a short "don't worry too much 💝" You didn't know what to feel about it. He certainly felt that something was off, you thought. He was probably mad at me.

When you got home, a plastic of takeout on one hand and a heavy burden on your chest, you were prepared to be welcomed by the saddening darkness and silence of the night. But instead, what welcomed you was a candle-lit dining table filled with all your favorite food, complete with wine plus smooth music.

Minho stepped out from your shared room, a bouquet of roses in hand, smiling shyly while scratching his neck.

"This isn't really my thing..." he whispered.

Meanwhile you stood there, frozen in place, your jaw slack. "W-why... Min... but you're supposed to be...?"

Minho laughed. "I asked Felix to take my place. He gladly accepted." He walked closer to you, handing you the roses. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice if my one and only jealous baby has been acting weirdly?"

Your eyes widened. You dropped your gaze to the floor, embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Minho stepped closer, caging you in a hug. "I'm the one who should be sorry for making you feel like that. I should never allow you to feel like you're lacking in any way. I should never give you a reason to doubt my love for you."

"But there was no reason. I was just reaching when I assumed you--"

"Sshh." Minho tightened the hug and kissed the top of your head. The two of you stayed like that for a while, swaying gently with the soft music.

"I love you, y/n. Longer than forever, I'm yours."

"I love you, too, Minho. I will love you longer than forever."

°°°

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shimmershae · 3 years ago

Text

My thoughts on Episode 3--Hunted.

Most of you lovelies already realize this, but my thoughts tend to zig and zag quite a bit, lol. So. To save some of you the headache and spare you from seeing spoilers you’d rather not see yet, I’m again placing them behind a cut.

First things first. I have totally turned into Yvette Nicole Brown with her TWD notebooks, lol, and I’m not even sorry. I just felt like it would be fun to go back when the final episode is in the books and see how well my thoughts from these early episodes line up with what I’m feeling when we say our (not-so) final goodbyes.

But that’s enough about that. Let’s get to this thing.

It really is insane how very much I love Melissa McBride. Just hearing her doing the previously on TWD recap voiceover makes me ridiculously happy.

Cole! Dude! We hardly knew ya.

Not gonna lie. That first shot of Maggie in all the chaos reminded of a shirt I’ve seen. It says--”Well, well, well. If it isn’t the consequences of my actions.”

I have to hand it to Angela and the rest of her team. These opening scenes--on all 3 episodes--have been BOMB so far. They really hook you in right away. At least IMHO.

I realize I’m behind the game on this little tidbit, but how much do I adore the fact that Dog is now in the opening credits?

Okay. Alexandria might look like it’s been on some kind of post-apocalyptic bender but all our girls are looking beautiful as ever. Maybe it’s Maybelline, lol.

I love to see Kelly and Carol still gravitating toward each other. It really speaks to each woman’s heart. Carol wants to make amends so badly and Kelly just has the most lovely, warm, forgiving heart.

Carol’s point about Alexandria still needing the horses to help with the heavy lifting and pointing out the walls and rebuilding won’t matter quite as much if they’re limited by their hunger and what they can physically lift on their own isn’t wrong. But I’m sure the same viewers that were okay with Daryl and Co. going out on Maggie’s suicide mission (using the same reasoning) and saying it made sense for the bigger picture will pretend not to recognize that the same element is there in Carol’s desire to go out there and look for the horses. You know. Because it was Carol’s idea and not that of their fave(s).

Aaron, Man. Or maybe I should say Angela. You just had to put a pit of dread in my belly mentioning Buttons like that. RIP, Buttons. You deserved better. I’m still traumatized.

Look at all the babies bonding. Look at RJ getting to sit at the big kid table.

“My mom always comes back.” She damn well better. Those babies need her. Until she does, though, Uncle Daryl and Aunt Carol (and Aunt Rosita and everybody else) are going to be there.

Anyway. Poor RJ. He barely ever gets any lines, lol.

Hershel and Judith are obviously the mini-adults in this group and baby Rhee is already more cynical and jaded than his sweet daddy was until they reached Alexandria and the wheels started to come off.

So. Does Maggie just think everybody’s already dead here or what? Hmm.

You know. Any building can be creepy AF when the lights are off and it’s dark, lol. Any building.

So much darkness so far this season. I’m going to have to invest in some blackout curtains. I just know it.

Where are all those stairs leading? Why am I thinking of Hitchcock? Am I mixing up my scary, suspenseful movies? Probably.

Of fucking course, Maggie dropped her flashlight. Thank goodness she had that lighter at the ready just before Ghost Face Reaper took a swipe at her.

Is that Father G with a screwdriver impaled in his thigh? Listen. These people deserve a Mega Bottle of pain killers and a week just vegging out in a soft, luxurious bed.

All these horror movie tropes. Some of them are cheesy, yes. But I’m totally here for it.

LMAO. That’s it, Maggie. A good old punch in the nuts works every time.

Alden really is having a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day.

Negan is still Negan. Self-serving and looking out for number one. But I believe the man really does feel the group is his group too. He’s like that long lost, sketchy uncle nobody wants to acknowledge much less invite to the dinner table, but that bond? However thin? Is there.

I am both hating that Maggie is being forced to work with the man that murdered her husband (my baby Glenn) and finding it fascinating the lengths she’s willing to go to survive. This your plan, Angela?

Rosita and Carol! How sad is it that the last really significant scene I can remember the two of these women sharing was way back? Before Rick and Co. attacked Negan’s outpost and Maggie and Carol were subsequently taken? If only the show had done more of these kind of scenes.

How much do I love all the girls working together? Gimps would never. They’d all be stuck back at Alexandria minding the kids and the community.

Shallow aside--Rosita is so pretty in this scene.

Rosita being worried about Carol honestly makes my heart hurt, because it’s about damn time more of them actually did. Her saying Abraham is trying to tell her something in her dreams is interesting. Angela sure loves her dreams, doesn’t she?

Where are Daryl’s dreams, hmm? No. Seriously. I guess they want to give some viewers plausible deniability until the bitter end.

“Really? We’re just gonna go toward the screaming? Cool.” Hahaha. You know. Even the smart people in horror movies sometimes bite it, Negan. Just saying. Maggie really does need to “stop running up the staircase” when she could just run out the front door though, lol.

Poor Duncan. I think you could have been another Tyreese, Jerry type for me.

WTF does this show have against horses? Those poor creatures.

Kelly is totally me right now. I’d be freaking inconsolable.

Carol needed that hug. Thank you, Magna. From the bottom of this tired fangirl’s heart, thank you.

Why give us that beautiful, golden shot with the horses when you’re planning to stab us through the heart later and twist the knife. Oh. Yeah. That’s exactly why.

Oh snap! Father G’s delivery when he tells that Reaper “I’m not. God isn’t here anymore.” Cold as ice.

Judas. That the Reapers’ work. Or. Damn. Either way, that’s harsh.

Back to what Alden was saying. All these oprhaned children. Who’s going to take on Adam if he dies? That poor kid has had a rough go of it. Knowing that, makes you wonder what Alden was thinking volunteering for the suicide mission.

Omigosh. There went Agatha. Terrible way to go. Right, Beatrice?

I’m sobbing. Carol with the horse. That hurt my baby so much but she hurt herself for her family the same way she has been doing since the Prison. Melissa Mcbride? When she cries, I cry. Every effin’ time. Aaron being there just made it hurt more. But at least someone was there to see how and really take in how she continues to break pieces of herself off to keep her family as whole and safe and happy as she can.

Rewinding a minute--that Magna and Carol conversation. I get Magna’s reasoning too. I do. But Angela is just making everything so dire right now so that the sun when Connie is ultimate found shines a ltitle brighter.

Those babies know they’re eating horse. I could never.

That’s got to be a different Coco. She’s even smaller. But she’s gorgeous.

Fucking finally. Angela having the other characters notice after an eternity of being blind to it, just how much Carol sacrifices of herself for them. It’s so long overdue and I imagine Rosita’s even more worried for Carol now. It’s a shame it’s taken 11 seasons. My baby’s had blood on her hands trying to keep her family safe and whole and happy and fed for a long damn time. So heartbreaking watching her try to scrub the blood away.

Sweet, sweet hug that Kelly gave Magna. She’s such a sweetheart kid sis to all of them, isn’t she?

Interesting place of refuge. A gutted church. A visual symbol, Angela, of where Maggie and the rest of our people are now perhaps?

“It’s easy for you, isn’t it? Being reckless with sombody’s life...” Maggie. Maggie. Those words would have hit so much harder if we hadn’t spent the majority of the last 2.5 episodes watching you ignore sound advice just because it came out of the mouth of somebody you (justifiably) hate.

But will Alden be there when Maggie and Negan get back? That is the question. Or will he eventually Lucille himself?

That little bit of lineup Negan music to remind the audience of Negan lovers and sympathizers that he once took great pleasure in murderously swinging a bag at people’s heads was a nice, subtle touch there. Like agree with her or not, Maggie is literally left to rely on the hope, however small it is, that Negan has changed just enough that he won’t try to finish a job he taken on years before--killing what’s left of her.

Oh lawd. Next episode sees the return of a character literally nobody asked for. How excited am I not?

Dog better not be harmed or so help me.

Now for Angela’s weekly explanations of WTF she/there were thinking because they been doing this plausible deniability thing so long some people out there watching with biased, muddy stan glasses can no longer separate head canon from canon.

Is Maggie worried at all about Daryl or does she just assume his superhero powers are in full effect in this episode?

“You can’t really say it wasn’t going to happen anyway.” Not Angela pointing out that simply laying the blame for literally everything bad that ever happens at Carol’s feet isn’t the answer. Say it louder for those in the back. Alpha was going to do what Alpha wanted to do.

“There is love there. There is respect there. However, there’s also frustration...” You damn skippy. Friendships and human relationships are complex AF. Like Carol. She’s honestly one of the most complicated characters on this show and any show, IMHO. That’s what makes her so memorable and such a lightning rod for discussion.

I know I might be in a minority, but I really feel like they need more of those little scenes between the kids to keep things real.

Kang saying she always feels like she’s going to get murdered in a staircase or parking lot is relatable, funny, and sad all at the same time. It’s a girl thing.

Why is Carol’s story giving me Dark Knight vibes? Like I feel like she’ll gladly shoulder the burden of their distrust, their hate, or their judgment as long as the hard choices she makes keeps them safe. And she’s still ultimately going to come back to save their asses even when they forsake her. Just like Bruce Wayne/Batman. Am I reaching too far, lol? Because sometimes I do that.

Anyway. This is the third episode of the season and the third episode in a row that I mostly enjoyed. I don’t know if I’m just so relieved and happy to have all the characters and my show back or what, but overall? I’ve been pleased with the episodes and found something to love in all of them.

There’s a much stronger horror vibe woven throughout Season 11 so far. I feel like it’s a return to the roots of the show and I like that. Literally none of the characters are making perfect choices and this viewer is here for it. My only complaint so far is there hasn’t been enough Carol but what we’ve been given has felt like a gift and significant in a way that Gimps’ version was not. Also? I really hope the trend of the ladies working together and supporting each other continues because they rule the TWD world, lol.

Hope you enjoyed at least some of my TWD word vomit.

Until next episode.

#The Walking Dead #Season 11 #TWD spoilers #things that make me smile and cry #for reasons #my heart

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bookcoversalt · 5 years ago

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Have you noticed the latest edition of Charlie Bowater can only draw one (1) face? She did The Princess Will Save You and Cast In Firelight both YA Fantasy set to be released this year. And they are how you say... the same fucking cover

Ah yes so you saw the same tweet I did

I know I literally just posted that we cannot outlaw book covers from looking like each other, but ! Oof!

The only thing that softens the blow here is that Charlie has improved at representing nonwhite features such that characters look like POC rather than tan white people, although,, that bar was low. Anybody remember the ACOTAR coloring book.

(Would you have guessed that 2/3 of these people are nonwhite? Or even that they’re supposed to be three different men? I guess all the men in Prythian have the same haircut?)

But that minor victory is mostly lost in the quagmires of the fact that Charlie’s style is to give everyone instagram face:

I wouldn’t even call this “Sameface” necessarily: that implies limitation, that an artist is only capable of drawing a single facial structure competently. Bowater is incredibly technically talented, she just chooses to give everyone catlike fae eyes and the cheekbones of a starving nymph. (My previous post on this here.)

But I don’t really blame her for that, or for these hilariously identical, nearly devoid of personality covers. Artists are allowed to do whatever they want. Artists who make art for covers are being art directed by designers and marketing teams who bear responsibility for how the finished pieces turn out.

No, this is our fault, as a community and an industry and..... society, kind of, for valuing character portraits that are “pretty” (“pretty” being an extremely loaded, culturally subjective concept) over art that actually Says Something About The Story. Bowater’s style happens to dovetail perfectly with what we currently collectively find pretty, and so we’ve put her art on a pedestal at the cost of everything else art can or should do for our stories.

And this is understandable: in contemporary western culture, pretty is a value unto itself. Seeing our characters portrayed as pretty denotes them as special, as smart, as powerful. It’s almost impossible to de-program ourselves from that reaction. There are approximately five kajillion studies on how beautiful people are at personal and professional advantages; how they’re perceived to be happier, healthier, more successful, and how those perceptions can translate into realities. (Nevermind how thinness and whiteness enter that equation, see above note about “pretty”.) I would love to see more “average” or weird- looking characters abound (and be accurately visually represented) in the YA/ Genre lit sphere, but for now... everyone is pretty.

Which sometimes means everyone is pretty boring.

But that’s just the specific, "What’s the deal with Bowater’s success in book circles and her style and all the sameiness” part of this equation. What if we backed up and asked: why character art at all? Beyond a question of “pretty”-ness (and general obvious Artistic Quality), why do we gravitate towards it, what's the purpose of it, how does it fall flat in a general sense, and how can it be utilized more effectively?

This is something I think about all the time. I follow writers on social media (because..... I am a writer on social media, regrettably), and we have an enormous collective boner for character art. “Getting fanart [of the characters]” is one of the achievement pinnacles constantly cited when people get or want to get published. Commissioning character art is something we reward ourselves with, or save up for (WHICH IS GOOD AND CORRECT. FREE ART IS GREAT BUT DO NOT SOLICIT IT. PAY YOUR ARTISTS). And like???? Same????? We love our stories because we’re invested in our characters. Most humans, even prose writers, are visual creatures to some extent, and no matter how happy we are with our text-based art, it’s exciting to see our creations exist in that form. So we turn that art into promo material and we advocate for it on our covers-- because it’s so meaningful to us! It goes with the story perfectly!! Look at my dumb beautiful children!!!!!

But on an emotional level, it’s hard to grasp that it only means something to us. Particularly when you take into account the aforementioned vast landscape of beautiful visual blandness of many characters (in the YA/ genre lit sphere, that’s pretty much all I’m ever talking about), character art can be like baby photos. If you know the baby, if that baby is your new niece or your friend’s kid, if you’ve held them and their parent texts you updates when they do cute shit, you’re probably excited to see that baby photo. But unless it’s exceptionally cute, a random stranger’s baby photo isn’t likely to invoke an emotional reaction other than “this is why I don’t get on facebook.”

Seeing art of characters they don’t know might intrigue a reader, but especially if the characters or art are unremarkable-looking, it’s doing a hell of a lot more for the people who already have an emotional attachment to that character than anybody else. And that’s fine. Art for a small, invested audience is incredibly rewarding. But like the parent who cannot see why you don’t think their baby is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BABY IN THE WORLD???? I think we have trouble divesting our emotional reaction to character art from its actual marketing value, which.... is often pretty minimal. This is my hill to die on #143:

Character portraits, even beautiful ones, are meaningless as a marketing tool without additional context or imagery.

I love character art! I’m not saying it should not exist or that it’s worthless! Even art that appeals to only the one single person who made it has value and the right to exist. And part of this conversation is how important for POC to see themselves on covers, whether illustrations or stock imagery, particularly in YA/kidlit. I’m not saying character portrait covers are “bad”.

I am saying that I have seen dozens and dozens of sets of character art for characters who look interchangeable, and it has never driven me to preorder a book. (Also one character portrait for a high-profile 2019 debut that was clearly just a painting of Amanda Seyfriend. You know the one. There’s nothing wrong with faceclaims but lmfao, girl,,,,)

I’m sure that’s not true for everyone! I am incredibly picky about art. It’s my job. There’s nothing wrong with your card deck of cell-shaded boys of ambiguous age and ethnicity who all have the same button nose and smirk if it Sparks Joy for you.

But if your goal is not only to delight yourself, but to sell books, it’s in your best interest to remember that art, like writing, is a form of communication. The publishing industry runs on pitches: querys, blurbs, proposals, self-promo tweets. What if we applied that logic to our visuals? How can we utilize our character design and art to communicate as much about our stories as possible, in the most enticing way?

Social media has already driven the embrace of this concept in a very general sense. Authors are now supposed to have ~ aesthetics. “Picspams” or graphics, modular collages that function as mini moodboards, are commonplace. But the labor intensity and relative scarcity of character art visible in bookish circles, even on covers, means that application of marketing sensibility to it is less intuitive than throwing together a pinterest board.

Since we were talking about it earlier, WICKED SAINTS, as a case study of a recent “successful” fantasy YA debut, arguably owed a lot of its early social media momentum to fanart.

(Early fanart by @warickaart)

The most frequently drawn character, Malachiasz, has long hair, claws, and distinctive face tattoos. WS has a strong aesthetic in general, but those features clearly marked his fanart as him in a way even someone unfamiliar with the book could clearly track across different styles. Different interpretations of his tattoos from different artists even became a point of interest.

(Art by Jaria Rambaran, also super early days of WS Being A Thing)

Aside from distinctiveness, it's a clear visual representation of his history as a cult member, his monstrous powers, and the story’s dark, medieval tone. The above image is also a great example of character interaction, something missing from straightforward portraits, that communicates a dynamic. Character dynamics draw people into stories: enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, childhood rivals, platonic life partners, love triangles, devoted siblings, exes who still carry the flame-- there’s a reason we codify these into tropes, and integrate that language and shared knowledge into our marketing. For another example in that vein, I really love this art by @MabyMin, commissioned by Gina Chen:

The wrist grip! The fancy outfits! These are two nobles who hate each other and want to bone and I am sold.

In terms of true portraits, the best recent example I can think of is the set @NicoleDeal did for Roshani Chokshi’s GILDED WOLVES (I believe as a preorder incentive of some kind?):

They showcase settings, props, and poses that all communicate the characters’ interests, skills, and personality, as well as the glamorous, elaborate aesthetic of the overall story. Even elements in the gold borders change, alluding to other plot points and symbology.

For painterly accuracy in character portraits on covers, I love SPIN THE DAWN. The heroine looks like a beautiful badass, yes, but the thoughtful, detailed rendering of every element, soft textures, and dynamic, fluid composition form a really cohesive, stunning illustration that presents an intriguing collection of story elements.

The devil isn’t always in the details, though: stark, moody, highly stylized or graphic art with an emphasis on textural contrast and bold color and shape rather than representational accuracy can communicate a lot (emotionally and tonally) while pretty much foregoing realism.

The new Lunar Chronicles covers are actually the best examples I found of this (Trying to stay within the realm of existing bookish art rather than branch into All Art Of Human Figures Forever):

Taking cues from styles more typical of the comics and video game industries. (Games and comics, as visual mediums, are sources of incredible character art and I highly recommend following artists in those industries if you want to See More Cool Art On Your Timeline.)

TL;DR: Character art and design, as a marketing tool (even an incidental one) should be as unique to your story and your characters as possible, and tell us about the story in ways that make us want to read it. I tried to give examples because there are so many ways to do this, and so many different kinds of art, and I could give many more! But I’m bored now. So to circle all the way back:

These are not just bad because they look like each other, although that is embarrassing and illuminating. These are bad covers (although,,,,, PRINCESS is the far worse offender, at least FIRELIGHT suggests a thoughtful cultural analogue) because a desire for Pretty Character Art overrode the basic cover function to tell us about the story. We get no sense of who these people are, what their relationships are, what these books are about beyond the most general genre, or why we might care. The expressions are vague, the characters generic-looking, the compositions uninteresting and the colors failing to be indicative of anything in particular.

They’re somebody else’s baby pictures.

(And yes, that’s the CRUEL PRINCE font on PRINCESS. I better not have to do a roundup post but it’s on thin fucking ice.)

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