#also the great mothers were fun to caricature

[pumpkinsouppe]

Here's my interpretations of all the OOT sages!! I have closeups of each sage and my thoughts behind their headcanon design changes below ^_^ (im alsooooo thinking of selling these as stickers if i ever figure out my silhouette)

Zelda

I headcanon Zelda is half Hylian half Sheikah with Impa being their aunt (mother’s sister, mother being full Sheikah and died when Zelda was young)

I also hc Zelda/Sheik as either transmasc or gender fluid depending on the interpretation of OOT I’m using, in this art Zelda is gender fluid and since I’m talking about sheik and Zelda a lot here I’ll just use they/them

Combined Zelda’s design with Sheik’s to make it more believable that they’re the same person this includes:

A skin color closer to Sheik’s concept art

Heterochromia, which is why sheik was hiding one of their eyes (and Zelda was forced to wear contacts or use magic to hide being half Sheikah post civil war)

Hylian pointed ears, another characteristic sheik had to hide (more info under Impa’s notes)

Lighter blond hair to be closer to Sheikah white hair

Sheik’s eye shape and eyebrows

Textured long hair, sheik would have a braid like in smash bros

Not pictured but if sheik is broad shouldered and muscular, then so is Zelda!!!!

Big forehead Zelda truther

Impa

Shares some traits with Zelda since I hc them as being related such as similar nose shape, eye shape, and skin tone

Textured hair styled into locs, tied into a short ponytail

Sheikah pointed ears, since Sheik hides their ears I thought it would be fun to have another different characteristic between the human races such as differing ear shapes. If Sheik showed their ears it would be a giveaway that they are not fully Sheikah

The rest is basically the same

Rauru

Rauru is perfect as he is all I did was give him spots on his skin to give him more accurate skin of an older person

Saria

So one thing I hc about Saria is that she was Link’s caretaker/mother figure in OOT so my main goal was to make her look childlike but have a more mature face

So I gave her rounder cheeks and made her smaller compared to everyone else and gave her larger eyes and a button nose but I also gave her some lines around her eyes to suggest age, I also gave her thinner eyebrows similar to a kid

I changed her eyes to brown bc I’m tired of all these blue eyed characters, there’s a severe drought of brown eyed characters in tloz

I gave her freckles

Her ears are also pointed upwards. I think the great deku tree did his best to make the kokiri look Hylian especially for link’s sake but he couldn’t get the ears right and they turned a little more animal-like since they live in the middle of the forest and are used to animals than humans. So kokiri look identical to Hylian children except the one difference is their ears being a different shape

Everything else is basically the same

Ruto

RUTOOOOOO ‼️‼️‼️‼️💕💕💕💕💕💕💕‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️💕💕💕💕

Her size is much larger bc why are all the royal male zora 20 stories high but not the female zora, she would be almost as tall as Darunia at this age

I changed her eyes to be like all the other zora, it’s weird all the other zora have full color eyes yet she has human eyes 😭😭 you can tell the Zelda team was terrified about being called monster fuckers by committing fully to making Ruto have all the same traits as other zora

I also gave her freckles and added more spots on her to give her more texture and bc I love the way the Majora’s mask zora look

I haven’t drawn her body so I don’t have itemized changes but I’d make a couple more changes, other than that she’s perfect. Only smaller changes were made to just make her more zora-like than the design the devs used bc they were scared of idek what. Women can be beasts and monsters!!!! Cowards

Nabooru

Nabooru had the most changes besides Zelda but technically Zelda was a mash of two designs rather than fixing all of the issues with Nabooru’s design

My goal was to make her look like an actual person rather than a caricature such as changing her over exaggerated nose to be a hooked nose, removing the white on her lips, etc. If there is anything I need to change about my new design for her please let me know, I want to keep her recognizable without using the harmful designs the devs gave her

I gave her a darker skin color and gave her moles

I toned her red hair so that it looks more natural

I haven't fully decided on her clothes but considering she's in the desert i gave her long sleeves esp bc the area you find her in has crazy sandstorms

I'm still deciding if i keep her yellow eyes or not, i like their contrast and how it matches her eyeshadow but also I want more brown eyed characters

Darunia

The one big change about Darunia is making him more animal like by giving him more of a snout and a dog-like nose. I don't like how Gorons are designed in games like twilight princess and the white lips they have in majora's mask so my main goal was for him to just seem more animalistic and non-human

i also added lighter color around his nose area to suggest age similar to a dog

nothing else changes other than that

#tloz #pumpkinsouppe #oot #the legend of zelda #ocarina of time #legend of zelda #zelda #princess zelda #zelda ocarina of time #zelda oot #ruto #ruto oot #nabooru #nabooru oot #rauru #rauru oot #saria #saria oot #darunia #darunia oot #impa #impa oot

[imaginative-joy]

Should the Great Mothers and Merrin ever cross paths, there’s going to be some… difference of opinion regarding the Jedi.

#*grabs Filoni by the collar* WHERE’S SEASON 2 #AND CAN WE PLEASE HAVE LIVE ACTION MERRIN AND CAL #also the great mothers were fun to caricature #merrical #ahsoka series #ahsoka show #ahsoka star wars #the great mothers #nightsisters of dathomir #nightsister Merrin #Merrin #cal kestis #star wars fanart #star wars doodles #star wars #sketchbook #sketch #fanart

[matchasketches]

Watching a character you love getting flanderized in real time is so painful.

Especially when it’s a character you heavily related to for specific reasons only to see them being regressed to a caricature or a joke of a character and throw away all their traits and development that made them who they are

I know it’s silly but as someone who only consumes extremely few very specific pieces of media I get attached to them and characters very heavily so it hurts more to see stuff like this happen or topics being mishandled

The first season of RA was so amazingly written, the characters and plot were so natural and appealing, and how our main character Harry was written and portrayed really struck me. He was clearly written to be autism coded by his mannerisms and speech patterns. The way he navigates society and speaks about and to humans really resonated with me as an autistic individual who always felt like I was from another planet as everyone else and couldn’t understand or relate to those around me.

Despite being weird and silly and having goofy behaviors he was still a self sufficient, independent adult character who knew what he did and didn’t want. He wanted to be respected (partially because he thought he was better than everyone else) but also as one of them. He was extremely intelligent and tech savvy, but emotionally undeveloped.

He doesn’t understand social cues to an almost extreme level but he is trying his best.

Specifically I need to mention Asta, whom he never hurts intentionally and the one scene that really stuck out with me was when he accidentally reveals to her family that she had a baby she gave up for adoption. He didn’t understand why people kept things secret from those they love and had no intention of exposing her closest secret to harm her in any way.

In the newer seasons, seeing Harry be regressed to an immature man baby is painful and sad. They are now trying to force a mother and son dynamic out of what was a beautiful mutual friendship and potentially romantic relationship. Asta is shown to be annoyed and exasperated with him while he just annoys her with a smile on his face. They’ve infantilized and reduced him to a joke and an idiot that just doesn’t sit right with me at all. Characters making fun of his neurodivergent traits when they rarely commented on his quirks before.

“He doesn’t understand” “I don’t understand.”

“He’s basically a child”. “Im Just a child.”

That hurt me so much. It’s not funny. I finally felt like I had an interesting and great semi-representation I’ve longed for without being a savant or aspergers stereotype. Cant have anything smh

#sorry for rambling #resident alien #harry vanderspeigle

[rancidpancakebatter]

It's so weird to hear people talk about euphoria when they themselves have not been directly harmed by addiction. My father was an alcoholic for most of my life (he's six years sober btw and I am so proud of him) and I also struggle with addiction (nicotine has me in a fuckin chokehold rn but there were many other substances before that).

When I watch euphoria it's almost healing for me. They show addiction in such a raw and ACCURATE way. They don't glorify or demonize it. They show how the same substance can be used casually and for fun for others but also how it can completely rule over others. (Think of the way Maddie and Cassie take molly at the fair verses every time Rue gets high).

Rue is deeply flawed. She is truly damaged.

But not irredeemable.

They show how "fun" drugs are for Rue but also the great trial of detoxing. That scene where she's practically drooling and weak and shaking so intensely that she can't even open a jolly rancher. That is so real. I cannot even fully articulate how very real that is.

They show her battle with mental illness and self-medicating. They show the complicated dynamic of loving someone while they are going through this.

I love the writing for her family so much. Her mother is objectively great but doesn't always respond "correctly". She's not always sweet and kind towards Rue and her addition. She tells Rue that she doesn't care if she wants to "kill [herself] doing drugs, go ahead" and that "If I have to choose between losing one daughter or two, I'm gonna fight to save [Gia]" and that's not a very kind, motherly thing to say. But it is so justified and a very genuine and truly exhausting thing you would (and I have) say to some. Even one you love so deeply.

Her sister looks up to Rue. She loves her sister and is her greatest enabler. She is constantly manipulated by Rue and by the end you see her truly distraught by her sister's relapse. But unlike her mother, she doesn't allow herself to be truly angry. Gia still tries to defend her sister, even to herself. Rue's mentor tries to get her to admit that she's angry, hurt, and she can't.

in Rue's ending monologue she says that she stayed sober for the rest of the school year and "I wish I could say that was a decision I made...I don't know if this feeling will last forever, but I am trying." And that's something that I felt in my bones. It's embedded within me. As is the way she describes getting into drugs. She is a very round character and not just a caricature of the classic "drugged-up cool teen."

It's odd to me when people say they love this "over-the-top drama" (which it definitely is at times I'm not even gonna lie) and then use scenes of Rue being an addict as evidence. It's crazy to me that to most people Rue's addiction is outlandish and wild when it's very...true-to-life. just not to their life.

I love Rue. I love that Zendaya loves Rue. I love that people love Rue. Because I see so much of myself in her. For better or for worse. It means so much to me that she is and can be loved. And I think it's vital when we live in a time where the "woke" majority will say that addiction is an illness but then make jokes at the expense of addicts, that we have a character that is an addict. But also a young girl, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a person.

#rancid rambles #euphoria #rue bennett #zendaya #zendaya coleman #euphoria season two #addiction

[whewtaewoon]

2022 book recs

note: these are books which i read this year, not books which were published this year. i mainly read mysteries (be them conventional, cozy or ya) and i will try to remember any relevant trigger warnings but i may forget something. also, not all triggers i mention are going to be explicit in the book, i just want you to stay safe

the psychic cat mystery series by sm reine

quick & easy to read books adorable changling polyamory tws: none i can think of

the sloan krause mystery series by ellie alexander

sloan restarts her life and career after finding her husband cheating solves murders and the mystery of her own past tws: this story is about a brewer & beer/alcohol is pretty central just a heads up

this poison heart & this wicked fate by kalynn bayron

adoptee  queer black women  mythology & magic  supportive & loving family   tws: parental death

blue ridge library mystery series by victoria gilbert

cozy mystery about a murder solving librarian  no body shaming or fatphobia  fun story with fun & interesting characters  queer characters who aren't caricatures of queerness  tws: none i can remember

dana mcintyre must die series by sm reine

queer women (of various species!)  absolutely unhinged characters /pos  fairly short stories  tws: alcohol use & maybe gore? i think there was one scene that kinda described a gross murder

blood vines by erica spindler

why is alexandra having weird visions?  how is her mother connected to a body found buried on a vineyard?  tws: sexual assault, child death, suicide

the silence of bones by jun hur

historical fiction set in joseon era  a young woman has been tasked with helping the police solve the murder of a noblewoman  emotional  smart, capable, multidimensional main character  tws: death, murder

the forest of stolen girls by june hur

why does june want me to cry so bad?  historical ya novel set in the joseon era  a touch of romance  dads suck sometimes  tws: murder

dragon pearl by yoon ha lee

ya scifi set in the future  gumiho & other non human / occasionally human characters  the main character sets off to find her brother who joined the military and then vanished  tws: death

wicked fox & vicious spirits by kat cho

gumiho, dokkaebi, and gwishin, oh my!  set in modern day kr & features several different creatures from korean folklore  tws: murder, death, child abandonment, child endangerment

a good girl's guide to murder trilogy by holly jackson

a girl starts a podcast about a murder that happened in her hometown which in turn leads to unexpected revelations  character development is phenomenal tws: death, murder, sexual assault, drug use, abduction

the graceling series by kristin cashore

great characters  queer characters  the story of several kingdoms and countries, their leaders and their people  tws: death, murder, child abuse, sexual assault, suicide, alcohol abuse, animal cruelty

one of us is lying by karen mcmanus

savvy students solving murders  latina main characters  tws: death, suicide, drug & alcohol use, blackmail

a magic steeped in poison by judy i lin

a competition may provide ning with the chance to save her younger sister, shu, from the poison which already killed their mother  MAGIC! TEA MAGIC!  tws: death, parental death, violence

the death of innocents by helen prejean

an eyewitness account of the execution of 3 innocent men extremely eye opening and also incredibly heartbreaking  tws: descriptions of execution by lethal injections

don't kill in our names by rachel king

the families of murder victims sharing their stories and their work against the death penalty  tws: descriptions of murder and sexual assault

dead man walking by helen prejean

eyewitness account of executions  ppl in this book are guilty but prejean is an example of radical love and friendship to people who desperately need both  tws: descriptions of murder, execution, and sexual assault

cinderella is dead by kalynn bayron

cinderella was real & now her story dictated the future of all girls in her kingdom mc is a queer black teen  an amazing retelling.  sits at the same table as cinderella (1997)  tws: misogyny, murder, forced marriages

#books #bookblr #reading #book recs

[berrybears]

just finished reading magical girl site. here’s my review!

i read the manga online, and it took me a little under two days.

i’d asked about it before and got mixed responses as to whether it was worth reading. some people said it was good and got too much hate, others said it was fun to read because of how bad it was, and some said it was just miserable to read.

i agree with the last statement. although i did enjoy it at the start, magical girl site quickly became something that was not enjoyable to read, even to make fun of.

READ TAGS FOR WARNINGS

characters:

the characters are either unrealistic or forgettable. i genuinely cannot remember half of the characters’ names, and i was always confused whenever i saw a character because i hardly remembered who they were.

the author did a great job at creating horrible characters. that’s not an insult: 90% of the characters are awful people. even yatsumura, who was aya’s best friend, kept a man in her house to torture.

it was hard to root for any of the characters, because almost all of them have done incredibly terrible things. not even in the usual villain way, these are morally reprehensible acts that are just… horrible.

art:

this is one of the things i actually enjoyed about site! the art is very cute, minus the incredibly gory parts. even those are well drawn and do nice to contrast the cutesy art style.

plot:

the plot, in theory, isn’t that bad honestly! it’s a super cool concept, but the execution was pretty bad. it started out good, but there was so much jumping around and weird deus-ex-machina moments.

there were so many times i had to go back and reread a few chapters to figure out what was going on, and i’d still end up confused.

there’s a lot of jumping between past and present with little to no warning that just makes keeping up impossible.

other thoughts:

i wasn’t sure how to categorize it but it felt important to add.

for some of this, i’m not sure if this was a translation thing or if it was written into the original story, so take it with a grain of salt.

there’s some major issues with homophobia, transphobia, and racism in this series.

one of the characters in site is a trans girl, who is constantly referred to as a man by the other characters and also called the t slur multiple times. the only time she’s actually treated well is a memory from her mother where she remembers her coming out. it was a sweet moment but does not override the casual transphobia.

the only black character in the series is portrayed as a caricature. he’s a pedophile and a rapist as well.

closing:

overall, this manga has a lot of problems. i would not recommend reading it, even to make fun of. it’s a series that’s angsty for the sake of angst. any disturbing or triggering content you can think of, i can assure you is featured in this manga. if you want a dark magical girl series, there are so many are other options.

#mahou shoujo #magical girls #mahou shoujo site #magical girl site #aya asagiri #anime #anime review #tw torture #tw transphobia #tw homophobia #tw racism #tw rape #tw t slur

[naysaltysalmon]

I decided to introduce myself a little more by telling you some fun facts about myself:

Tagged by @lizard-dumbass​

Nay (Nayru Elric on my fanfic accs) | he/they/she | Pan/bi/queer | Genderfluid | Capricorn (☀️) Gemini (🌙) Scorpio (🌅)

~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~

🥮 My ancestors are primarily from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula. I think we were Second Generation Irish immigrants; some also lived in Puerto Rico more recently. It seems we never had any wealth to our name.

🥮 I have no idea what happened to my ancestors before they crossed the Atlantic to the United States. (I guess one of my surnames is a famous crest in Great Britain, though?)

🥮 Unfortunately, my father’s mother forbid her kids from learning Spanish from her husband due to Americanization / assimilation politics / racism. I’m doing my best to reconnect with my latine heritage by teaching myself and seeking out that side of my family now. I’ve also been teaching myself Japanese for a while.

🥮 I did English-style equestrian when I was 8-10 (hurdles, jumps, trotting, cantering). I was pretty good at it but never participated in any competitions. I miss barn/farm life.

🥮 I started learning piano when I was in kindergarten. That was over 17 years ago now. I haven’t been able to keep up with it as much since the start of college; my technicality has definitely suffered, but my musicality and intuition has improved greatly~

🥮 My family had a built-in pool when I was younger. I used to spend all my summers there – at least 2 hours a day, almost every day – up until I was about 10. I am the best swimmer I know. When I’m not near the ocean or some other large body of water for a while, I get very sad.

🥮 I grew up in the cold winters and sweltering humid summers of Minnesota. Some of y’all don’t know what true cold is; but I also can’t stand the heat, or being in arid climates for long. (I always get nosebleeds!)

🥮 I was that kid who used to love sitting alone laying out all my collections of rocks, books, legos, feathers, toy horses, polly pockets, littlest pet shop, small spoons, toy cars, etc. etc. just to see them in different color, size, alphabetical, numeric, thematic, etc. orders. I only just accepted that I’m autistic.

🥮 I’ve dealt with intense bouts of depression since middle school and crippling anxiety for as long as I can remember. My toxic childhood home life did not help with this.

🥮 Apparently I do a lot of different voices when I talk, imitating different caricatures of people when I quote them, something I didn’t realize until my last few partners started copying me!!

🥮 It’s always been really easy for me to connect with animals. They seem to latch onto my calm energy and immediately become interested in me and approach me. I go crazy if I’m not near nature (clear skies, clean air, wildlife) for an extended period.

🥮 I’m very interested in the connection between reality and the spiritual. I once wanted to become a scientist, until I realized that personal beliefs were deemed “irrational,” and supposed to be wiped clean from endeavors to understand observational truth. Science, desiring to perpetuate the human race, was blind to its own biases in assuming such an arrogant, detached position; but I think there is a lot that we cannot see at play in the world around us all the time. Things science can’t explain, but most of the scientists I grew up around were atheists who mocked anyone who believed in anything that couldn’t be observed in the data. It’s vomit-inducing.

🥮 I’ve always enjoyed animation over live-action media. Something about the inherent suspense of disbelief in a timeless art style, the carefully choreographed fluid and jerky movements... It invited me to go on a fantastical journey more than live-action could growing up.

~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~🪷~

I hope you’ll reblog and give a few fun facts about yourself so we can get to know each other a little better~! Open to all!

Tagging: @emiliosandozsequence @mirycactusito @stupidbluejay @mattbear-music-nz @jackshade21​ @spatialdecay

#I was tagged #tag game #tagging #tag #Nay talks #thanks for tagging me i hope y'all'll do it!!!!! #i went into way more detail than any of the ppl who wrote it before me so don't feel pressured to write small essays

[iamacolor]

HeyI have a question for my fave kdramatual 🥰 Have you ever watched a drama and noy enjoyed it? I always see you write beautiful things in the tags but I don't know if you've already had a not so fond memory about a drama.

hello anon, very happy to be called that 💜

I'm glad you're enjoying what I'm saying about the shows I love but yes that has definitely happened haha (and I'm taking this ask as an opportunity to do some complaining) Tbh there are many dramas I've watched and not talked about a lot on here because I'm often in-between watching airing dramas and watching ones that are already over and for those I don't really reblog/talk that much so if don't like them I'm more likely to just move on and not think about them again lol. And if I don't like a drama or get too bored even when I skip a lot I usually just drop it (ex: I dropped "our beloved summer" quite early on it just wasn't doing anything for me at all; I really liked the beginning of "do you liked brahms" but it felt too slow for me towards the end so I gave up (it clearly was meant to be slow and that's not a bad thing I just couldn't do it); I loved the beginning of "something in the rain", I was captivated but then it was so dark with how controlling the mother was despite the fact that the main character was grown up and all the obstacles to their relationship I just stopped and later on watched the last episode to see if they got back together lol).

But there have been a few dramas where I've really liked one or a few things about it and then disliked the rest so I've been torn because I kept watching for just one thing and skippking a lot of the rest. For example in "strong woman do bong soon" - which is the first drama I've watched - the main romance/two main characters were cute but the rest was way too much and over the top and unnecessary (what even was that mafia plot) and often offensive (her mother was hitting her father but it was turned as a joke, one of her colleague was such an awful gay caricature) so I would not recommend it; "imitation" was just weird because the main conflict of the show that really set off the characters on their present path - a trainee being brought to suicide and as a result her secret boyfriend leaving his very famous group and her trainee group's debut being delayed and how that impacted many other people and the pressures put on idols - wasn't actually the main plot which was about one of the guy from the famous group a few years later and a trainee from another company dealing with her debut and their romance so I was left with many questions and a lot of frustration; in "so I married an antifan" the main relationship was quite fun and kept surprising me positively despite the situation that the main character was in which was quite hopeless but they had one of the most annoying vilain ever I just ended up skipping his scenes he made me sooo angry and he kept getting worse - he beat up the main guy and manipulated his girlfriend as her boss and then slapped her ! - and they resolved it by him getting hit by a car as he tried to protect his girlfriend and then ending up in a wheelchair with his girlfriend taking care of him which made me so angry omg

Also amongst the shows I've giffed I really liked "dali and the cocky prince" for the two leads and their relationship and like two supporting characters and the comedy but omg did this show hate the main character she was given so much tragedy and pain and no break - and as a result not as much personality as the male lead tbh - and the vilain made me want to just turn my computer off everytime he came on screen and the male lead's family was just annoying annoying annoying and no change to be redeemed and way too much screentime ugh, "forecasting love and weather" started off sooo great omg the romance was so hot and it kept highlighting how marriage impacted women's lives and careers and independence etc but it just never lived up to its beginning and gave way too much importance to the annoying secondary characters who had cheated on the main characters and who clearly were not mature or in love enough to get married (and even less to have a baby omg and they didn't even let her go through with an abortion despite her wanting one and instead we were supposed to be happy about her working until the day she gives birth so she doesn't lose her job??) while the main couple could barely spend time together or actually communicate and they kept so much distance and kept dragging things and ugh that was a real let down I would not recommend it

I had a fun time remembering things to complain about (and there are some more) lol what about your own bad experiences with dramas?

#also I'm guessing even if we're mutuals you're too shy to come off anon but please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and everything 💜 #anonymous #kdrama #I've got mail

[jcmarchi]

Knuckles Show Review – A Low-Stakes Climb

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/knuckles-show-review-a-low-stakes-climb/

Knuckles Show Review – A Low-Stakes Climb

The live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie series that started in 2020 has delivered entertaining adventures starring everybody’s favorite Blue Blur and his ever-growing stable of friends. One of the highlights of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba. The fish-out-of-water gags and his strict adherence to the echidna warrior code, which is in stark contrast to Sonic’s fun-loving personality, made for an enjoyable dynamic within the cast of characters. Knuckles, the new six-episode streaming show on Paramount Plus, tries to carry forward that dynamic. However, thanks to low stakes, a palpable disconnect from the larger Sonic story, and too much emphasis on the human characters in the world, it falls short of the heights reached by the two theatrical films.

Warning: While I try to remain as spoiler-free as possible, some aspects of the narrative and characters are mentioned throughout this article.

This spin-off series follows Knuckles as he trains Wade Whipple (Adam Pally), the goofy police officer from the first two Sonic films, in the way of the echidna warrior. Though Wade is fine as comic relief in the films, I often struggled with placing so many of the emotional stakes at the feet of this character. This becomes particularly true once his family joins the show. The weakest parts of the Sonic movies are the scenes featuring the human characters. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 appeared to learn that lesson, as it sent many of the main humans away on a trip, but the inverse is true in Knuckles; on multiple occasions, I wondered why we were focusing so much on the family drama of Wade instead of what Knuckles was up to off-screen.

The family storyline that consumes much of the latter portions of the show can be compelling in bursts, but it almost feels like an entirely different show altogether. The show does very little to inform viewers why we should care about these characters aside from the fact that they’re related to Wade. The mother character (Stockard Channing) is the most likable of the bunch, particularly when the other major players feel like cartoonish caricatures of sitcom archetypes – even more so than in the movies. Thankfully, when the titular character is on screen, it’s another strong performance by Elba. I’m also happy that much of the CGI of the Knuckles character looks great, particularly when in fights.

The action sequences of Knuckles are the highlight. One scene, in particular, takes place in a kitchen and benefits from crafty camera work and a simulated single-take effect. The action scenes are well-paced throughout the six-episode season, but they do shine a light on one of the most significant shortcomings the Sonic franchise must overcome if it hopes to expand out in spin-off series such as this: Sonic’s gallery of enemies just isn’t that deep. Having the main antagonists of Knuckles be two rogue agents of GUN and a guy who used to work for Dr. Robotnik demonstrates this in irreconcilable ways. Sure, we’re promised Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and we could still get the introduction of characters like Metal Sonic or Chaos in future media, but this series shows that the pool is pretty shallow.

Installing low-profile villains for the franchise’s first streaming series could be forgiven if they made their mark, but they feel like retreads of what Dr. Robotnik was trying to accomplish in the first movie; their entire motivation is to capture Knuckles to steal his power. Ellie Taylor and Kid Cudi deliver fine performances as the rogue GUN agents, but the characters rarely serve as anything more than plot devices for the characters to progress on their personal journeys and foils in fight scenes. We do learn of their motivation later in the show, but at that point, I only cared about them because when they showed up, it usually meant an action scene was coming.

When you aren’t watching a fight sequence play out, you’re usually enduring a joke shotgun blast with a relatively low hit rate. The seasoned comedic delivery of actors like Adam Pally, Paul Scheer, and Cary Elwes do wonders for some of the jokes on offer in Knuckles, but it’s often not enough to keep the momentum up and running. Instead, in the times when Knuckles wasn’t on screen, I was more enthralled by the heartfelt moments, which, much like the humor, have a relatively low success ratio. Much of the family dynamics are framed around an absurd bowling tournament that apes the vibe and storyline of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story a little too closely, making it difficult to connect to the characters or the overarching narrative. Knuckles feels noncommittal when it comes to the tone it’s going for. While it’s not impossible to be an action-comedy series with sentimental moments, it’s a trickier line to walk than Knuckles can accomplish.

And it would all be forgiven if the story felt essential – or even consequential – to the world of the Sonic series. But instead, having not yet seen Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I can’t help but feel that Knuckles has that sitcom quality where everything ends up right where it started. Sure, there’s a journey with some sentimentality, minor character development, funny gags, small Easter eggs, and enjoyable action scenes, but if someone asked if they needed to watch Knuckles before going to see Sonic the Hedgehog 3 when it arrives in theaters this December, I’d be hard pressed to find a narrative reason to answer them in the affirmative.

That’s perhaps Knuckles‘ biggest flaw: Despite its sometimes fun and heartfelt moments, it feels entirely inessential. Video game adaptations have an outdated reputation for being bad. Knuckles isn’t outright bad, but when compared to its contemporaries like Fallout, The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and even Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it feels like a video game adaptation from a bygone era.

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#agents #Article #Blue #blur #Capture #chaos #code #december #development #devices #dynamics #echidna #emphasis #Fight #fish #Funny #Future #game #hedgehog #human #humans #it #Jokes #kitchen #Learn #Light #media #metal #Motivation #movies

[myst1calx]

Okay, this is gonna sound inconsequential... but this actually reveals how large swaths of, what I dub, "Cap-not-Steve fans" Do Not Understand Steve Rogers

I don't like September 28th (or w/e the day was) as Steve's birthday either (January 3rd winter baby born of hardship is so much more symbolic) but anyone begging for Steve's real b-day to be America ca-caw 🦅 🇺🇸 does not get him tee bee aich¡

And really it speaks to just how much Marvel has (to this day) flanderized Steve into a generic cardboard cutout Mr. Murrica Sweet Home Alabama Man that his "fans” can get mad at any time Steve finally gets humanized like a real person and not a 🇺🇸🦅 propaganda bland white bread blank slate

the name "Captain America" was in-universe just a propaganda dancing stage show persona that Steve was put into, he hated it and wanted to actually fight for real. Every "Cap" thing should be treated as a foreign imposition that Steve has to muscle past in order to be a Real Hero.

A core (but often forgotten) part of Steve's character is him being treated as a joke even after the serum at first, and this is in part of his foil-ness with Bucky, who was in the military first and given the more dangerous and bloodier missions while Cap is pushed out to look good for the military propaganda camera crew that followed them around. A huge part of the Spectre of Captain America is that the identity was superimposed onto Steve and he was forced to play a part so he can strive to be a Real Hero too, and repeatedly a lot of those Real Hero moments are of Steve being in defiance to the flag that the Cap persona was made to serve. Steve's most human moments is when we remember that he was a person before he was told to be "Cap". So, ofc July 4th ain't his birthday lmaooo.

a lot of yall onhere&twt seem more about making him a "whimsical" unironic Sat morning cartoon/caricature of unrionic 🇺🇸🦅 propaganda, but that's literally when Steve's character is most disservice and least memorable. Him being a regular person sucked into the machinations of military and propaganda to then defy & forge his own identity through it is when the character is human and compelling

I'm not sure if you're the same person from last time, but I want to say smthn rq: his birthday is July 4th because it's fun and whimsy to do so, it was just fucking silly dude it's not that deep!!

The one of reason they chose Steve was bcz his birthday landed in July 4th, not he main reason but its a key fun little tid bit that doesn't need to be changed because it's LITERALLY his birthday. (And the fact that like,, his mom told him that the fireworks were "for him?" AWH. LIKE DONT REMOVE THAT THATS KEY TIME WITH HIS MOTHER-- It doesn't contribute much other than to say "hey your birthday is in independence day you might be viable for this cap thing alongside being a generally great dude lmao" changing it to September 28th doesn't add much other then removing fun little stuff like his july 4th birthday because marvel wants dumbass MCU syndication and makes everything boring and no-fun because of how the marvel movies are set up like a weird mishmash of All the worst parts of ults and Hickmanvengers alongside removing all the fun bits.

Also Chris evens is a Zionist I don't trust that fucker as cap anyway don't bring that shit over here 😭

Plus, on the part where you said that he "hated" being cap you are WRONG. dead ass wrong. MCU!Steve hated being cap, because it was a trait copied from ults.

Normal Steve (616 Before civil war, AA, MAA, emh, ma, you get the idea, even Hickmanvengers and ults Steve) all enjoyed being cap because they were able to be a moving force for young people and as we all know if you've read the comics steve loves doig stuff as cap and teaching kids and making people say and helping people and shit! He love it! He likes helping people and he has a strict moral code he abides by!! helping people isn't a job he just wants to do it because he can and he will and it's the same reason that the avengers aren't coworkers because they desire to do these things (helping people, seeing kids, saving the city,) because they chose to be that force that could guide people out of bad situations and HELP people with the power they have. MCu!Steve acts the way he does because the people writing him don't get his character and it seems to be neither do you.

The thing is is that Cap suffers from the fact that most people can't tell the different between the mask and the man behind it and that was a clear internal thing he struggled with as he comes to terms with living in the ultra modern 21st century 😭(and even then I have alot of gripes with the fact that people still think that Steve doesn't know how to operate technology: shut the fuck up he's like in his mid 20s he can figure it out easily he not a old cretin he has good reflexes and memory it shouldn't be that hard, also: watch The Episode "Super adaptoid" from the cartoon avengers assemble , or go watch the entire show while your at it, genuinely. he's the best characterized Steve we've had in such a long time)

As much as he is the personifying thing of a flying flag and some adaptations go to that stuff as being the core of his character it is only a small part of what is a symbol for peace and I think you don't realize that because on multiple occasions he disavows his captain America identity(Sentinel of Liberty, Y'know when he handed his Cap identity to Sam???) to help people without the ties and I think that's something alot of people forgot that despite the fact that due to the entire of who Steve is it wasnt the suit that built who he was and what he represents it was his character and choices.

That man is not a blank slate. He represents more than the war he faught in and the country he faught for and saying he's just that is a misservice to his character and who he representss outside and inside of the suit, any suit.

End of Ted talk uhhh (explodes) watch avengers assemble and pick up a cap comic from like.. pre-90s idk if you want I'll give you a reading list?? Read Man out of Time first though, yeah?

#myst.txt #[ myst asks ☆ ]

[mediacinemtographyartetc]

Archetypes in media/stories

Okay, so in media or even as a writing narrative archetypes [not sterotypes, sterotypes were written either to harm or be a caricature of a group of people while an archetype can describe anyone and can be anything being a leader is a archetype that any one can be while being a bad driver is a sterotype]

So here's the ones that drive me crazy ^^;

Protagonist see's the villain do something evil like steals the declaration of independence or blows up peoples heads because their 'problematic' But the protagonist by being decides that even if they can tell local authorities decides to do the right thing.

By 'stealing' the declaration of indepence [national treasure] Or blowing peoples heads of [Kingpin when eggsy and Merlin blow up the heads of the 1% of people in their safe house bunkers when the whole world almost got killed]

Its okay when the HERO does it I guess *shrugs* The popular concept of "Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. 'Trope'

Then my next favourite 'archetype'

The two 'best friends' who are living vicariously through the main character or the 'choosen one' [weird it'd happen twice but alas I have two nickels]

So we have the choosen one whose life sucks, they have a lot on their plate but because of their friends they're able to remain a pure hearted hero.

But what happens when that friend wants to walk away? Just 'stop' and be a kid for once? And not carry the world on their shoulders anymore and the friends have issues because how dare they do that and be so 'selfish'

Its like an abuse parent system the girl 'friend' is an overbearing mother who isn't speical but wants to be the quricky girl who thinks her life is sucks [but its actually great and kinda privaleged] then the boy 'friend' who is lazy neglectful but always has an opinion.

Buffy the vampire slayer with Willow and Xander. Danny Phantom with Sam and Tucker.

Tucker asked danny what if he could control a girl for five mintues, both friends using his powers for 'their' benefit. When Sam talks about Dannys issues she suddenly makes it about her and her overbearing parents. When Danny turned himself human both friends got annoyed because he wasn't 'speical' anymore [Altho the villain was being sus, its unfair that DANNY who is fourteen has to deal with it like he's responsible when its unfair.] Same as willow, she walked one mile in buffys shoes then whined that she had to nighthunt vampires for the summer when Buffy was awol [Her boyfriend DIED willow god] yet Buffy had to nighthunt when she was younger, by herself deal with her parents divorce and DIED but sure willow lets make it ALL about YOU and YOUR problems.

Then the guys don't take anything seriously and are just the goofy comic relief but when they have just a 'tiny' bit of life not being fair they act all grouchy and judgmental.

Heck Both Ron and Hermione do the same to Harry with the 'parent' dynamic because it makes sense. Both are sucked in by the 'choosen ones' orbit. Its whimsy and adventurious to save the world. The tone changes when it turns serious. When their families are in danger when they realise they could 'die' then it looses its lustre.

Ron used to be self sacrificing when he was in his first year, because children dont realise the danger yet when he got older and realised wanted to leave but was in too deep to walk away. Which is a valid fear, but when compared to the 'choosen one' who physically cannot walk away sounds like their whinning and need to suck it up.

Also more annoying when the choosen one starts to flag with burnout and wants to end it, thats when the 'mom' type just 'nags' the main character like yeah they already feel like shit just add to it I guess. Jeez.

Not throwing around anything since I'm not a therapist etc- but it does kinda come across like narcisistic friends who kinda gaslight their friend to get something from them and when they do something they percieve as 'wrong' they make them feel like crap because of it.

...

Next is some fun archetypes which by youtubes channel [Cracked]

The four humours. aka the four temperaments;

The leader, The rival, The intellect, the heart. Or usually the comic relief.

Usually a group of four OR Five. Like Avengers, Voltron, TMNT, etc and it goes on. Going back to the group of threes would be, Katniss peter, kale. Then Percy annabeth and rover, then Harry Hermione and Ron, Then Bella Edward and jacob.

Groups of threes then you go for Groups of four > Fantastic four . Girls trip, sex and the city [again tmnt] The A- team. other comedies. Then leads to groups of fives which are prevelant in superhero movies/series like teen titans etc.

Love triangles which are prevelant with the GROUP OF THREE. But honestly? If only Character b-c like character A? Thats not a triangle thats an arrow. Personally I feel like triangle would be A likes B and B likes C and C likes A. Are ALL abcs like abcs and realising who like who and which should be endgame instead of the popular archetype of;

[Dull bland your/name brunette girl here] who has to choose between [hot boy next door who is just the sweetest and non problematic guy who is her personal simp and would let her get away with murder] OR the OTHER HOT dark edgy cool mysterious "I can fix him!" Toxic bully of a guy. Which everyone chooses dark edgy shadow the hedgehog because at least the toxicity has some SPICE to his character as the boy next door is just as bland has white bread.

Also another thing I hate about these archetypes [that turn INTO a steroytype because it harms ME personally]

Is choosen one VS Society, and do the choosen ones actually fight 'against' the issues with society? Actually dismantle the structures in place? Harry conforms and becomes an auror and doesn't fix anything [anyone can polyjuice potion as someone and infiltrate the goverment escpeicially children harry and his own son did it and yet nothing in place? huh?]

Shadow hunters, clary becomes part of it AS DOES SIMON and yet do nothing to help downworlders [even tho simon WAS an ex-downworlder] and just became shadowhunters and conform to their [very elitist] society and dont change it.

The only people who ACTUALLY tried to change anything was Katniss she literally abolished the hunger games [and even the SECOND coming of 'capital' hunger games] And Percy jackson making it where the parents actually acknolodged their kids changing and avoiding a ton of resentment after the fall of Luke?

#archetypes #just a ramble #might edit to ADD more with pictures maybe.

[nevermindirah]

Yitzhak!

is a character! who Gregadiah What-Is-Math Rucka gave us almost no information about!

I've gone through Tales Through Time #6: The Bear and #1: My Mother's Axe with several magnifying glasses and done a lot of googling and taken my copy of the Tanakh off my shelf for the first time since (well, since the last time I needed to read Torah for TOG reasons, which I think was Booker Passover headcanons) and here's the best I can come up with.

In The Bear we meet someone who goes by the name Isaac Blue:

Read on for a lot of comic panel analysis and historical research and Jewish flailing!

So what do we know about this Isaac Blue person?

He's Lorge, he's got curly hair, he's basically a taller version of Joe as drawn by Leandro Fernández (ie an antisemitic stereotype why the fuck did they approve this character design?? and then why did they double down and copy-paste it to Yitzhak??):

He's got a mezuzah on the doorpost of his house in Alaska!

I screamed about the mezuzah way back in January in this post where I (very reasonably) assumed this character was Joe and spun myself a tale about how Booker is still Joe's brother so the mezuzah stays up even though Booker isn't welcome in that house for a century. Bottom line: the mezuzah is a tradition with origins in the commandment from Deuteronomy 6:9 to "write the words of G-d on the gates and doorposts of your house" and evolved over the course of the Rabbinic period into the modern mezuzah we see here.

I did unnecessary levels of google image search to glean absolutely no useful information about Yitzhak’s origins from this panel:

I've decided the variant cover of TTT 6 is Yitzhak because of a panel in My Mother’s Axe, shown here, and what's likely an unnecessarily deep reading of Exodus, discussed further down:

The person at the right of the bottom panel is wearing the same clothes as in the TTT 6 variant cover and has the same shoulder-length curly hair and hairy forearms.

Left to right, the people in this panel are Lykon (I'll never get used to him being white in the comics), Andy, Noriko (I think? why doesn't Andy mention her by name here?), and Yitzhak. Andy's robe has a stereotypically Greek design on the sleeve cuff, and I had to stop myself 10 minutes into a Wikipedia rabbit hole because Gregorforth doesn't think that deep about this shit. The solid clues as to timeline that we get in this panel are:

Andy's iron axe

the presence of Lykon, who Andy first met in 331 BCE

So all we know is that Yitzhak is an immortal, he was a contemporary of Lykon, and he's Jewish.

Isaac is the most common Anglicization of Yitzhak (which in turn is the most common Anglophone transliteration of יִצְחָק‎), and Greg always uses the (transliterated) Hebrew when he refers to this character. Yitzhak is the long-awaited child of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis, the child who G-d commanded Abraham to sacrifice but spared at the last minute. I see what you did there, Gregory.

Why Isaac Blue? This is where I pulled out my Tanakh. According to the New JPS translation, blue is the first of three colors of yarn listed in Exodus 35:6 among the gifts requested of the Israelites to construct the priestly garments for the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Then in Numbers 15:38 the Israelites are commanded to "make themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner."

And now for sandbox timelines party! Gregadiah gave us ALMOST NOTHING to go on, so I'm gonna make my own fun.

I, like many modern Jews, think the stories in the Tanakh are foundational mythology that are valuable because of how they've shaped our people but that contain some fucked-up shit and either way aren't meant to be a record of historical facts. Modern scholarship generally agrees that the community we now call Jews emerged as a distinct group of Canaanites sometime in the late Bronze Age (cw this video's host says the Name of G-d aloud despite being a religious studies scholar who knows that is not a name anyone but the Temple priests are allowed to say). The first non-Biblical written record of the people Israel is from an Egyptian source c. 1200 BCE, and the Biblical kingdom of David and Solomon was probably an exaggeration of whatever really happened during the Bronze Age Collapse. We start getting into historical-fact territory a few centuries into the Iron Age:

588 BCE Solomon's Temple destroyed, Babylonian exile begins

538 BCE Cyrus of Persia allows Jews to return to Jerusalem

515 BCE Second Temple construction complete

332 BCE Alexander the Great At Something I Guess conquered Judea, beginning the Hellenistic period of Jewish history — 331 BCE Andy & Lykon find each other

167 BCE another jerkface Greek king desecrated the Temple and basically outlawed Judaism

164 BCE recapture of Jerusalem and Temple rededication during the Maccabean Revolt

70 CE destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans, beginning of the Rabbinic period of Jewish history that we're still in now

What if... and hear me out... what if immortals come in pairs, and the pairs are:

Andy & Quynh

Joe & Nicky

Booker & Nile

LYKON & YITZHAK

What if Yitzhak was a priest of the Second Temple? What if he and Lykon killed each other just like Joe and Nicky would in the same city around 1300 years later, but instead of enemies-to-lovers speedrun with an absurdly long happily-ever-after, when Lykon died permanently Yitzhak decided to separate from Andy and Noriko and become the hermit we later see in Alaska?

We don't know how old Yitzhak is compared to the others, only that he was a contemporary of Lykon at a time when Andy was using an Iron Age version of her mother's axe. Other plausible origins for him:

a Jew of the early Rabbinic period, maybe a child or grandchild of people who were still alive before the Second Temple was destroyed

a Judean of the Second Temple era under the Romans or Greeks or Persians, maybe a priest, maybe not

an exilee in Babylon, maybe of the generation who got to return, maybe of the generation who was exiled (he doesn't look like he was 50 at his first death but who knows, he could've been mortal for both)

an Israelite of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, maybe a priest of Solomon's Temple or again maybe not

an Israelite wandering in the desert with Moses

THEE Yitzhak, ben Avraham v'Sarah, our patriarch who was brought up for sacrifice and then spared, and then spared again, and then spared again, and again, and again...

or! he could also be a Canaanite or other Levantine who predates the people Israel, who at some point in his very long life chose to join our mixed multitude, who like Andromache before him (and like Avram and Sarai would in this case do after him) took a new name to reflect the magnitude of influence this people has had on him

Why do I keep saying Yitzhak might have been a priest? It's thanks to the one detail in the artwork I could plausibly connect to solid research without getting a PhD real quick. Take a look at the gorgeous detail on the opening of his robe in the TTT 6 cover. He's dressed in rags, holes and dirt everywhere, rough stitches probably from hasty repair work — except for the neck opening. Compare that to this description from Exodus 39:23 of the construction of the priestly garments for the Tabernacle: "The opening of the robe, in the middle of it, was like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around the opening, so that it would not tear."

The next verses describe the intricate designs for the hem of the priestly garment. Yitzhak's ragged garment looks like the hem was torn off entirely.

Am I overthinking this? Yes I am! You're welcome!

My friend and historical research hero @lady-writes​ is in a Discord server with Gregadiah and asked the man himself some questions about all this. He clearly thinks he's being sneaky?? No shit Yitzhak is Jewish, dude, I want DETAILS!

I will not be giving up my Jewish Booker headcanon, I've put too much thought into it by now, the internalized shame of antisemitism explains Booker's depression too well for me, and it just adds so much richness to Booker/Nile both being children of forced diasporas. Fortunately (for him, not me, bc I'd do it anyway!) Gregothy supports fan headcanons even when they're not in line with his own:

One last thing before I close like 100 research tabs and go back to writing historical fantasy and/or porn! I love that, despite that atrocious caricature of a face design, our canon Jew and our fanon Jew are both Lorge and Soft and Kind, flying the face of the antisemitic stereotype of Ashkenazi Jewish men as small and weak, but also not falling into the New Jew / Muscle Jew stereotype that Zionism created. (I am trying SO HARD not to talk about Israel/Palestine for once ughhhhhhhhhh) Anyway here's a (US-centric but very good) primer on both these stereotypes of Jewish masculinity. Is this why I'm forever projecting my transmasc diasporist feels onto Jewish Booker the service sub? 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’ll reblog a second version of this with full image descriptions so that there’s a version accessible for folks who need IDs as well as a version accessible for folks who get overwhelmed by walls of text.

#TOG POC Love Fest #yitzhak #jewish booker #tales through time spoilers #tales through time #tog meta #tog #jewish things #mine #antisemitism #hi i'm an antizionist jew no i don't really want to talk about it

[northernmariette]

A tiny tidbit about Berthier, and a portrait of his future brother-in-law

Is it possible that Berthier met his future wife as early as 1804? If he accompanied Napoleon and Josephine to Aix-la-Chapele in September of that year, which is plausible, then he certainly would have been introduced to his future in-laws, including his bride. If such a meeting occurred, I doubt Princess Elizabeth would have made much of an impression on him; not only was she not pretty, but he had eyes only for Madame Visconti.

Mademoiselle d’Avrillion was part of Josephine’s retinue from sometime during the Consulate until Josephine’s death in 1814. She wrote her memoirs, which include this anecdote, mostly about Pic (what a name!), the brother of Princess Elizabeth, Berthier’s later bride:

Parmi les étrangers qui vinrent à Aix-la-Chapelle faire leur cour à Leurs Majesté, se trouvaient le duc et la duchesse Léopold de Bavière et leur fille, qui depuis a épousé le maréchal Berthier. Le duc et la duchesse avaient aussi un fils, qui était alors une vraie caricature : il n'y avait rien de plaisant que de voir ce jeune prince, aussi fluet qu'il soit possible de se l'imaginer, ayant la poitrine presqu'entièrement recouverte d'ordres et de décorations ; ses jambes surtout étaient réellement miraculeuses par leur exigüité : je me rappelle avoir vu l'Impératrice en rire de bon coeur, et une fois , l'Empereur se mettre de la partie, bien qu'il ne fût pas moqueur ; mais le prince Pic était si plaisant qu'il n'y avait pas moyen d'y tenir.

Among the foreigners who came to Aix-la-Chapelle to pay their respects to Their Majesties were the Duke and Duchess Leopold of Bavaria and their daughter, who has since married Marshal Berthier.  The Duke and Duchess also had a son who was then a veritable caricature: there was nothing more amusing than the sight of this young prince, as spindly as can be imagined, his chest almost entirely covered with Orders and medals; his legs, above all, were indeed miraculously tiny: I remember having seen the Empress laughing heartily about it, and the Emperor once joined in the fun, although he was not prone to mockery; but Prince Pic's looks were so laughable  that it was impossible to refrain from making fun of him.

https://numelyo.bm-lyon.fr/f_view/BML:BML_00GOO0100137001103976457/IMG00000105#, pp.94-95

Prince Pic’s physique must have been extraordinary indeed for Mademoiselle d’Avrillion to make such fun of him, as she is not at all vicious in her memoirs. She, Josephine and Napoleon must have had their laughs well out of Prince Pic’s earshot, as it would not have been in the interest of diplomacy to mock that unfortunate young man in public.

Berthier was 54 when Napoleon railroaded him into marrying Princess Elizabeth. I’m not sure how old Elizabeth was, but certainly no older than 25. His great love Madame Visconti was by then 48, but he didn’t care; she was his wife in all but name, and he worshipped her. 

In spite of that, from the very start Berthier was on excellent terms with his in-laws, and there is no reason to believe that this did not extend to Prince Pic, whom Laure Junot describes in the same general terms but adds that he was of excellent character. Berthier, of course, was close in age to his father-in-law and mother-in-law, and might even have been a little older. The Bavarian princely couple must have been reassured too to realize they had not acquired some rough soldierly son-in-law, but one who was steeped from earliest childhood in the courtly manners of Versailles. 

#louis-alexandre berthier #marshal berthier #napoleonic history

[spaceorphanssecondbreakfastclub]

SO’s US Book Tour : Alabama

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café

By Fannie Flagg

When I decided to start reading my way through the United States, it seemed obvious (and perhaps boringly so) that I’d just go through the list alphabetically.  And when I started researching which book I’d like to begin with, there seemed to be a lot of good choices -- specifically, the most famous (possibly) of Alabama fiction - To Kill a Mockingbird - which I, and everyone who's been through a US high school English class has probably read.  A lot of the books I came across felt a bit heavy, and I wanted to start this journey out on a somewhat lighter note.  

The reason I kept coming back to this one was that every blurb seemed to mention that it was about fun and friendship and sometimes murder, and I’ll be honest, that last bit paired with the praise of comedy did pique my interest.  The murder ends up not being so funny, but the book ends up being far more fascinating than I originally thought it would.  I didn’t know much about it when I started -- only that I had heard of the film but being too young for it when it came out -- and no one in my life ever talking about it, I hadn’t sought any information out about it.  

The book splits its time between time periods, which sort of reminds me of Forrest Gump (another Alabama based book), with an old lady sitting on a bench telling her life story, and the story of a small town close enough to Birmingham Alabama to eventually be swallowed up by the urban sprawl; mixed with a bit of that pro-women narrative of something like a League of Their Own.  But unlike Forrest Gump, whose narrative is mostly built on nostalgia for a time long gone, Fried Green Tomatoes still has themes that can resonate today.  

Set in the present day of 1987, Evelyn Couch is a middle-aged woman who doesn’t know what to do with her life.  She’s lived her life entirely by the book, and according to how women should act and be.  But one day she goes to visit her mother-in-law at a home when she meets Mrs. Threadgoode (Ninny) who begins to tell her long tale of the town of Whistle Stop and all of its residents -- most notably the Threadgoode and Peavey families -- those closest to running the cafe.  I really loved Evelyn’s arc in the novel.  She starts out being this really sad sack of a woman who is lost and lonely.  And Ninny provides her with an actual friendship, something she’s lacking completely, and helps her turn her life around.  

It’s fascinating looking back at the late 80s, where Evelyn is slowly starting to come into her own as a woman in her late 40s, but still somewhat confined by the fact that the 80s still had their own slew of issues regarding women.  Evelyn begins to push back on all of it -- and while clearly, now in the 2020s, women are still fighting, but we’ve come a long way since 1987.  

Still, it’s nice to see Evelyn grow as a person and a woman, and the fact that a friendship - and specifically a friendship with another, older woman - is nice to see.  Too often women are portrayed as young and competing, and the fact that this novel seems to celebrate the friendship of women, especially at different ages, and especially between older women, seems like such a thing of value.  Going with the theme of age -- I also like that it portrays women over 40 having interests and hobbies, and explores the idea that women’s lives don’t end if they get married and/or have children.  

The main crux of the story, however, revolves around the Threadgoode family -- most notably Ninny’s sister-in-law Idgie, a young woman who has tomboy-ish characteristics and could give Huck Finn a run for his money.  The thing about Idgie, however, and something that I was not expecting -- at ALL -- was her relationship with Ruth Jamison.  They’re lesbians, Howard.  The relationship is not explicit in any way, but it’s not subtle either.  Idgie and Ruth both declare their love for each other in romantic terms, and end up spending their lives together running the cafe.  I was not at all expecting a story about a couple of lesbians in a book about small town Alabama in the 30s, and yet, here I am, pleasantly surprised to see it as one of the threads.  I do wish there had been more defining mentions of it in the book, but for 1987, I think it’s rather bold to have it at all be the main love story in the novel.  

For what it’s worth, doing some research, I found that Fannie Flagg is a lesbian, so it’s nice that her voice of experience was able to help create such vivid characters.  The fact that Idgie and Ruth have a lesbian relationship is somewhat known by others, but never really commented on.  The book idealizes it a little -- but it can be passed off as a great friendship well enough that it retains believability.  If anything, my one nitpick would be that it falls into the narrative of ‘kill the gays’ with death of Ruth cutting her life short, but since her death isn’t the end (it’s hinted at early on), nor does it prop up anyone else’s emotional story -- but is another part of the ‘spanning a lifetime’ part of this epic tale, I’m letting it slide a bit.  

The book does go in-depth on the whole Threadgoode family, and what life was like during The Great Depression in small town Alabama, and how small town life changes as the years tumble into the 50s, 60s, and even 70s.  People come into your life, and people leave it, and the world around you changes as you begin to romanticize the time of your youth.  

A bit of the book is also dedicated to talking about the Peavey family -- a black family who works for Idgie at the cafe.  I wasn’t sure how the race angle was going to play out, the term ‘colored’ and the n-word are used judiciously -- but used in the context of the time period.  While there were times when I could tell it was definitely a book written by a white woman, the book never shied away from the difficulties black families had (and still have) in the south.  The nice thing is that the black characters were just as complex, just as fleshed out, and just as interesting as any of the white characters.  They weren’t caricatures or stereotypes -- they were people just trying to make it through life the same way white people were, only with a lot more difficulty.  

While the book kind of acts like a slice-of-life character examination -- it does have a major set piece in the murder of Ruth’s husband Frank, and who did it.  The mystery is not anywhere near the focus of the book, but all the threads of the book seem to tie around that one incident.  This is where I really enjoy Flagg’s storytelling.  At first the book bounces around from one piece of narrative to another, but the unfolding of why and how and what of this murder mystery buried within the character study is really a thing of beauty.  

Before I forget, the heart of this book is a celebration of southern (Alabamian) culture -- and one of my favorite aspects of this book is the fact that there are over a dozen recipes for good ole fashioned southern cooking in the back.  Food is another theme throughout the novel, and it just makes me smile that like any good southern household -- they can’t let you leave still feeling hungry.  

I really enjoyed this book -- much more than I thought I would when I picked it up.  There’s a lot packed into the 250-ish page book, and handles the themes it presents rather well.  It’s an easy read, and while light in tone, doesn’t shy away from its heavier subject material.  I would very much recommend it! 

#so's us book tour #fried green tomatoes #fried green tomatoes at the whistle stop cafe

[voiceless-terror]

Ink (TMA Fanfic)

For TMA Gerry Week 2021 Day One

Pairings: Jonathan Sims/Gerry Keay/Martin Blackwood

Rating: T

Summary: Art’s how Gerry shows his love- a few snippets where he does exactly that. No powers-au, Gerry and Martin own a bookstore. Takes place in this universe but can be read alone!

He’s getting used to having people who want him around.

Gerry’s had friends, sure. Once he left the institute and began working odd jobs, he realized how much he genuinely enjoyed having company. He still isn’t the most social of creatures, but he does enjoy a night out with old coworkers who enjoy his stories and laugh at his jokes. But now, with Jon and Martin, they want him around all the time. Even after they started dating, even after he moved in, he was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It never does, though. And Gerry, in spite of himself, begins to relax. Begins to feel at home. 

He’s laying on the couch, scribbling in his notebook when Martin surprises him with a peck to the top of his head. “Whatcha drawing this time?” He was very excited when he heard Gerry liked to draw, immediately asking to see his notebook or anything he’d done. He’d only recently shown him some of his work; he knows Martin would never make him feel embarrassed, but, well. It’s another part of himself no one’s ever been interested in. Until now.

“Jon,” Gerry responds, leaning into the touch. It’s an amateurish attempt in his opinion, just a rough sketch. But he’s got the proportions down and he never forgets a face. Couldn’t forget, in Jon’s case. 

“That’s…” Martin trails off, peering closer at the page. “That’s really good. You’ve even got him smiling!” It’s not that Jon never smiles; he smirks and laughs and snarks. But he’s managed to capture that rare, bright grin that makes Gerry’s heart skip a beat.

“Mhm.” Gerry nods slightly, pen tapping against his sketchpad. He turns around, seeing the naked fondness in Martin’s eyes and has a particularly wicked thought. “Y’know, this is how he looks when he’s watching you.”

Martin sputters, turns a lovely shade of red. “W-What? Really?”

“No,” Gerry smirks. “It’s the way he looks at the Admiral.” A groan and a light smack to the shoulder prove his joke is unappreciated. “Sorry, sorry! I’m sure he also looks at you that way-”

“You’re an ass.” Martin rolls his eyes but oh-so-gently picks up his hand, pausing to inspect the ink-stained fingers. “A very talented ass.” His mind blanks as Martin kisses them one by one.

Thoroughly distracted, he never gets around to finishing that sketch.

_______

Painting, as it turns out, is a lot harder than it looks. Still quite fun, though.

They’ve just found the perfect space- a little out of their price range, but Gerry’s got savings and Jon was willing to part with a bit himself. Martin fretted over his ‘meager contribution,’ as his savings were depleted in the final months of his mother’s care. Ridiculous that he would ever think his contribution meager, considering he’s the one who scouted for locations and did all of the paperwork and stayed up late, agonizing over their finances. Some days, Martin’s the only one keeping them sane. Gerry and Jon are due to remind him of that.

Which is why they’re handling the decorating. Jon claims to have no artistic talent, but he does have a knack for making places seem like home. There are boxes filled with knick knacks and rugs and pictures, all waiting to be hung somewhere once Jon’s finally settled on a layout. Gerry’s left with painting the walls, labeling the different sections in whatever way he sees fit. He’s currently at work on the horror section, painting a stylized eye above the tarp-covered bookshelf when he hears the sound of the bell; Martin must be back from the store. They’d run out of appropriately-sized nails and after a minor freak out, he’d been on his way.

“Find what you were looking for?” he calls, listening as Martin’s footsteps grow closer, the crinkle of bags in his hand. “Here to save the day?”

“I wouldn’t call it saving,” Martin snorted, setting them down on the ground with a thump. “But it’ll certainly help. That looks nice.”

Gerry pauses, considering his work. He really needs a darker green for this. “Thanks. It’s a work in progress.”

“I’m sure it’ll turn out great,” he murmurs distractedly, and Gerry turns to look back at him. The lines of his face are more pronounced than usual, as are the shadows under his eyes. A sure sign that the stress is getting to him. Gerry understands, and he’s not much for being particularly sappy but he does what he can to help.

“Hey,” he calls down to him from his ladder. “C’mere. Need your opinion on something.”

Martin sighs, but heeds the call. “What is it? You know I’m rubbish with this art stuff-”

“It’ll only take a second. Come closer.”

“What am I supposed to be looking at-”

“Closer.”

As Martin huffs and leans towards him, Gerry darts his paintbrush out, drawing the quickest of hearts on Martin’s cheek before he can pull away. 

“Gerry!” Martin startles and his hand reaches up to wipe at his cheek.

“Don’t smear it, it’s a heart.” He pauses, going for his gravest voice. “Because I love you so much. I’ll be devastated if you ruin it.”

“I don’t appreciate that.” Martin sighs but drops his hand, his face softening already. Exasperation has never been paired with fondness, not when it’s aimed at Gerry. Another thing he’s starting to get used to.

“Shame. It looks good.”

Martin goes home with a heart on his other cheek as well. He looks ridiculous. Gerry loves it.

_________

When Jon’s particularly stressed, Gerry leaves him post-it notes.

Often he leaves before Gerry even wakes, so he’s got to do them the night before. A little cat here, a little caricature of Bouchard there. He leaves a variety, depending on his mood. Jon always gives him a kiss when he gets home, a soft ‘thank you for the note,’ and that’s all he needs, really, to keep doing it. He likes making Jon smile.

Martin’s gone grocery shopping and Jon’s pulling a late night again, so Gerry’s alone in the flat looking for something to do. There’s nothing on Netflix worth watching (or at least, worth watching by himself) and he’s not in the mood for his latest novel, so he decides he’s going to be productive, make a list of all the things he has to do this week. Jon’s always going on about lists, though he leaves them everywhere and never seems to accomplish everything on them. Maybe it’s the act of making them that’s relaxing. It’s worth a try.

He makes his way over to the second bedroom they (mostly Jon) use as an office. He’s sure Jon’s got a little notepad here that he can use, and he wants it to look as official as possible. He opens the left hand drawer but only finds Martin’s receipts, and on the right he finds a plain-looking notebook, a little worn with use. Maybe that’s what he uses-

Gerry opens it. Pauses. Blinks. Feels something heavy and thick form in his throat.

It’s his notes- his stupid little sketches, his ‘have a good day at work’s, his smiley-faces and little hearts. Each carefully placed on page after page with an accompanying date, neat and tidy, like a little scrapbook. Mum used to throw out his ‘doodles,’ as she called them, told him his time was better spent on actual art, but Jon’s kept all of them. Like they mattered. Like they were important. He sets it back down on the desk and just stands there, heart beating hard in his chest.

Gerry’s tearing up like some sort of moron so he’s distracted and doesn’t hear Jon come home, doesn’t hear his usual grumblings and sighs. Doesn’t hear him until Jon’s right behind him, startling him with a hand on his arm. “Sorry, I was just- Gerry, are you alright?”

Alright. Alright. It’s a word that doesn’t encompass everything he’s feeling. Wanted, embarrassed, a little overwhelmed. And so, so happy. 

He turns around and grabs Jon in a fierce hug, overcome with affection and eager to hide his stupid tears as he squeezes Jon to his chest. “You’re adorable, you know that?” he says, peppering kisses to the top of his head despite Jon’s weak protestations. “Real fuckin’ cute.”

Jon melts into his embrace, even as he complains. “I’ve got no idea what you’re on about, Gerry,” he says into his chest, the words muffled. “You’re being absurd.” Jon’s just about the only person he knows that uses ‘absurd’ on a daily basis. It’s insufferable. Gerry loves it.

“Just let me hug you, you little ogre.”

_________

Sometimes, Gerry’s the one who’s got to be up early. Doctors appointments are a bitch, and after a brief scare last year, it’s important that he keep up with them. Martin helps him schedule, marking the appointments on the calendar with a bold black marker that can’t be missed.

This morning’s particularly brutal, with an eight o’clock appointment an hour’s commute away. Jon went to sleep at a reasonable hour last night and he needs the rest; Gerry knows if he wakes Martin, he wakes them both. Jon’s never been good at sleeping alone. 

He’s stumbling blearily around the kitchen, about to put the kettle on when he notices it. On the table is a post-it note; he doesn’t remember leaving one for Jon last night, but he’d been rather tired, so who knows? Gerry putters around, fixing his tea and nibbling at toast when he finally spares it a glance. 

It’s not for Jon. It’s for him.

Good luck at your appointment! It reads in Martin’s familiar, neat script. Accompanying it is a small doodle that has to be Jon’s; it’s not particularly good, but it clearly shows a little Gerry, makeup and all, with a plaster on his cheek and a heart over his head. It looks like Jon spent time on it. Spent time on some stupid little post it note to make Gerry smile. 

He puts it in his pocket. Takes it out a few times in the waiting room, stares at it. Everything looks fine, the doctor says at the end of the appointment. He’s so lucky.

He’s so lucky.

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29635833

#tma #the magnus archives #tmagerryweek2021 #gerry keay #gerard keay #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #jongerrymartin #my writing

[unmaskedagain]

Raise yourselves up (We’re done)

Two prompts in one; let’s do this. I tweaked the ideas a bit though.

 It was Bustier who broke the news to Marinette and Chloe, and she did it once again the most inappropriate fashion, “-And so the class feels it would be best if both of you were excluded from the class trip at the end of the year.” She finished. The class was just about to let out and she told the two girls in front of them all.

There were mean snickers and smug looks from the other students. The ones who just avoid the girls’ gazes; Adrien, Juleka, and Rose. The three had decided to stay out of it and just side with the majority. Marinette and Chloe had become best friends after Lila had gotten her hooks into class the year before. She turned all of Marinette’s dearest friends to ex-friends and turned them into bullies. That was fine with Marinette. She was done with two-faced people; done with turn-coats, and cowards. Marinette didn’t need them. Or want them. Chloe at least had the guts to stand on her own two feet and for what she believed in. It was a new year and a new Marinette.

Neither blond nor bluenette blinked.

“That’s fine,” Marinette shrugged. “It will be a relief not to have to fundraise for the trip.”

Chloe smirked, “Ditto. A trip to New York City, completely unfunded by the school, is going to be a lot to pay for.”

“They’ll have plenty of time though,” Marinette hummed. “A little less than a year.” The two girls cast them cool looks, “Good luck!” They chimed as the bell rang.

No one understood why they didn’t react the way they thought. Alya had expected tears from Marinette. Rage from Chloe. Then apologies and promises to do better. In fact, they all did. But they didn’t get it. Instead, they were left wondering why the two girls laughed their way out of the classroom.

It would take them months to realize.

Both girls knew though. Chloe always managed to convince her parents to fund thirty percent of whatever grand trip the class took every year. Marinette managed to put together enough amazing fundraisers to raise sixty percent of the funds needed. Everyone else in class only ever managed to pull together the last ten percent. Barely.

The next day the brand new World Travelers’ Club announced their formation and invited anyone to join. A few members of the class perked up until they heard Marinette and Chloe were the presidents. Instead, the class bashed the club and joked it was the girls’ lame attempt at making friends.

That was the last they heard of the club.

To the rest of the students of Bustier’s class’s credit, they attempted right away to start fundraising plans. However, no one in the class knew just when they should start and no one had any unique ideas; they only had a car cash fundraiser, the usual bake sale, maybe a raffle. Standard stuff they were sure would work. After Marinette, the former class president, and resident bully as far as they were concerned, always started off with those. Never realizing that she only started out with them at the very beginning of the year, and never stopped there. Nor did they realize just how much planning went into each event.

 The class's first event was a car wash in November. It was a poor idea, as the weather had begun to take a turn for the worst and barely any cars showed up. They hosted it at the school figuring people would want to help out school children. Nino played music. And all the friends had a blast. But the kids made a total of 143 dollars a days’ worth of work. They vowed their next fundraiser would be better.

During the two months, Marinette and Chloe and the rest of the World Travelers’ club; Kagami, Claude, Aurore, Marc, Luka, Ondine, and a bunch of other students who always wanted to see the world fundraised like crazy. They decided that their class trip would be to six different places; Los Angeles, Star City, Central City, Metropolis, Gotham, and finally New York City. It would be a tour.  They would spend two weeks in each city, touring and visiting, before moving on to the next. Each city had its own highlights and hotels that need to be arranged and paid for. Marinette did the math; they would need to raise a little less than $35,000 to pay for everything. She made it an even $40,000 to be safe.

Marinette set up a go fund me page an hour later. It wouldn’t be easy but Marinette knew they could do it if they worked hard and fast. (She only half-heartedly glared at Chloe when two grand mysteriously was donated to the club’s go-fund-me five minutes after she announced it the class. She did glare when Jagged and Clara both gave five grand each to their favorite designer and faux-niece. But stopped when Kagami said her mother was also donating $3,000 to the club.)

A week after the club’s formation, they had their first fundraiser. A car wash. Marinette knew it was best to get that one done as soon as possible while the summer heat was still around. It went great. They had it at a local park. Chloe played music off her phone. During the event, they sold ice cream and other cold sweets. Ondine had the great idea of selling full water balloons to children so they could run around. Marc sold quick funny Caricatures of customers. They raised a total of $2752, minus the two hundred for expenses that Chloe and Mariette fronted themselves.

The second fundraiser Bustier’s class held was a bake sale. It was in the middle of December and more or less a last-minute idea. Alya spearheaded the event, remembering how much money they pulled in from the last bake sale. She had the smart idea of doing it during a pep rally. Only to remember at the last minute that Marinette usually supplied all the best goods freely given from the bakery. Or made them herself. It didn’t take a genius to know that Alya nor any of the class would be welcome in the bakery based on the cold looks Tom and Sabine had given Alya last time she went in with her mother. So Alya declared all the kids would make their own goods.

…Four people got food poisoning; one of them was Kim. Most of the baked goods were dry and hard and virtually unappealing. Rose’s sugar cookies sold well but mostly because they were one of the few things that tasted and looked good. The class made a total of 128 bucks. They were lucky they weren’t sued.

The World Travelers’ club’s second fundraiser was actually a pool party at Chloe’s. She had led the entire event. The weather was still hot. They got Luka and his new band My Shadow’s Wonderland to play; Kitty section had sadly broken up due to Lila’s schemes months before. The club members sold tickets to get in. They also sold food: hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, ice cream, and funnel cakes. Kagami sold Balloon which caused her friends to do double-takes. Because Kagami knew how to make balloon animals, what in the world? Marinette and Marc did face paint and temp tattoos. Nearly everyone from school showed up. Even Bustier’s class, though they hadn’t seemed to realize The World travelers’ club was hosting. They earned a total of $3101. Marinette had long since learned the greatest trick of the fundraiser; don’t let make it obvious it’s a fundraiser. Make it fun and people would come.

Their third fundraiser happened two weeks later just at the beginning of October. It was Claude’s idea and he called it; “Can you Arcade it?” No laughed but he thought it was hilarious. They had got permission to use the gym to set up a video Gamers’ paradise. He got this idea when he heard the old arcade had finally shut down after Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone had opted to retire. He got the couple to donate the old game machine for a day to help them out. Claude only had to babysit their pet Parakeet for two weeks while they were out of town. Old arcade games line the walls. New games with TV borrowed from the club members were set up with the new game systems. They sold food and anything they thought a gamer would want. Aurore somehow got the local Taco Bell to sponsor the event so ever twenty minutes or so they had a deal with commercial playing in the background. This fundraiser attracted most parents with younger children; though a good percent was just nostalgic dads who ended up playing the games as much as the kids. $1700 was earned; most of it in quarters.

 Their next fundraiser happened at the end of October and it was a haunted house; or rather a haunted school. They teamed up with a few other clubs to put the event together. They didn’t earn that much money; $300 after it was split between the clubs. However, all the kids had a ton of fun.

When November hit, and the weather turned cold, and everyone wanted everything pumpkin spice. (And Bustier’s class first fundraiser was about to happen) Marinette held did her bake sale. She with the help of the other members of the club made all the sweets; for once she didn’t have to get her parents to donate the baked goods. In additional, Marinette and the gang sold handmade little dolls of Ladybug and Chat Noir and the new miraculous heroes that had replaced the last team. The dolls were a big hit. Such a hit that Chloe got the idea of marketing them online for a much better price. The fundraiser earned about $600 bucks which weren’t bad.

Chloe and Marinette started selling the dolls for $10 bucks each plus shipping and handling. Chloe and Marinette made the dolls. The others took care of the shipping part. The

dolls only cost 2 bucks to make, as they were mostly yarn, so they profited 8. Chloe said that was how the business made money.

By the time December hit, they were had raised more half of their overall target goal.

During the fundraisers, each kid used their own influence via social media to get people to go their Go-Fund-me page. Luka and his band, all of who members of the club anyway, used Youtube and Instagram to promote their bands also asked fans to make a donation. Aurore used her Ladybug site Bugout to ask her fans. Ondine did swim training videos did the same. Marc who did drawing tutorial asked too. They didn’t get a lot from; a dollar here, three there, maybe a five if they were lucky but every bit count.

Their next fundraiser was a raffle in one of the empty unsure ballrooms of Chloe’s hotel, and it happened not long before Christmas break. This was spearheaded by Aurore. The strategy was sound; most people were still rushing to get presents. All they have to do was bid on the item they want. She got local businesses to donate. A fancy dinner from one restaurant, a bouquet of roses, expensive perfumes, a massage chair; a bunch of gift cards of various stores. Chloe got her dad to donate two items a spa day and a luxury Spa weekend. Marc offered art lessons. He also auctioned off some of his portraits. Ondine offered swim lessons. Aurore got offered a meet-and-greet with Ladybug, who even showed up to make an appearance. Kagami offered sword fighting lessons. Luka offers guitar lessons. His bandmate, Naomi, offered drum lessons. Another girl, Bridgette offered piano lessons. Marinette offered her usually big-ticket item; a custom design by MDC. The night was a hit. Once again, Marinette’s item was one of the highest bid items of the night. All in all, the kids brought in a total of $4728.

January came and Bustier’s class decided it was time for another fundraiser. Just as the World’s traveler’s club decided it was time for a break. Though they still sold the dolls; which had brought in $1800 since they had started selling them; Ladybug and her crew apparent had fans all over the world. This meant by the time February hit, they had just over $10,000 left to raise and five months to do it. They would leave at the beginning of June. They already paid for all of their plane tickets and paid for their hotel rooms. All their tours booked and paid for. All reservations made. And then reconfirmed by a rather stern Chloe. Passports were bought.

Bustier’s fundraiser idea was once again headed by Alya, the new class president after Lila decline the role as she would be far too busy. Alya decided a raffle would be perfect. The one they did the year before had been amazing. Again, Alya forgot that Marinette and Chloe handled nearly everything which was why it was such a big hit. Alya had to use the school gym.

“It’s not like I’d ask Chloe,” Alya huffed to her boyfriend. “I’m just glad I won’t have to deal with her or Marinette on our trip.”

“You said it, babe,” Nino leaned back in his desk. “No need for that kind of drama.”

The raffle was their most successful fundraiser so far much to Alya smug face when Marinette and Chloe walked into class on Monday.  All the kids in the class participated and offered their own talents for use; offering lessons or gift cards from their parents' businesses. Their biggest hit was a picture and an autograph from Adrien Agreste.

“We raised over a thousand dollars,” Alya crossed her arms. A satisfied look on her face. She had worked hard. They had all worked hard. “Beat that!”

Marinette and Chloe shared a look before they literally fell to the ground laughing. “I can’t!” Chloe gasped for air. “I can’t breathe!”

Marinette struggled to contain herself, “This! I!” She couldn’t even get out the words. She was laughing so hard.

They didn’t even bother to pay the glares they received any attention. It was just too funny.

For the rest of the week, it was the running joke between them. Every now and then, the other students in the class would “Beat that!” And laughter from the back of the room.

February came and the kids decided in anticipation for Valentine ’s Day. They would do a Date Auction. It was Ondine’s idea and it was a huge success. Surprising considering it, it was supposed to be simple and easy and something to get them back into the fundraiser's mood after a month's breath. Most of the kids now had a strong online following and become popular among the youth of Paris for their awesome parties. So when word spread that the World Travelers’ Club was doing a date auction; a lot of students from school showed up. A lot of students from other schools showed up. One girl traveled from England specifically for Luka.

Marinette, followed by Chloe, Then Luka, then Kagami, then Aurore was the highest auctioned date of the night. Claude and Felix were both a little put out. Marc didn’t mind. Mostly because of the best looking guy at the auction bid on him.

All in all, they raised $2100.

The next fundraiser was in March. The spring warm weather had hit in full. Flowers were blooming. The fundraiser was a carnival Luka planned. Everyone set up carnival booths and games and fun prizes. Live music. They had it in on the school soccer field. A lot of parents with their kids showed up, looking for a family-friendly event to enjoy. Total they raised $2421.

Marinette’s dolls brought in an additional $900. Then it was official they only needed 5,000 more.

Bustier’s class tried another fundraiser; a dance party in the school gymnasium; hosted by Nino. They sold tickets to get in, snacks and drinks. They put off filers everywhere and did everything they could to promote the event. They made $750 dollars. And were proud.

 In April, the World travelers’ club did another bake sale and another car wash and a ping pong tournament was a really big hit for some reason. By the end of April, they had met their goals. All loose ends tied up. All the tickets bought. Permissions slip signed.  Four teachers, who were more than excited to volunteer to spend near all-expense-paid vacation in the most popular cities in the world, would be chaperoning. They were done.

By the first Monday of May, Chloe and Marinette breathed a sigh a relief as the stress had finally left their shoulders. The only thing they had to worry about was packing, and they had a month to do it.

The two girls once again arrived to see the smug grins of the classmates' faces. Bustier’s class had been fundraisers like crazy so much so that even the teacher was looking over her students proudly.

“We’ve raised $5,829,” Lila announced. The Italian girl looked smug as she had done al the work. “Fundraising was hard but we did what we had to.”

“Way better then we did under the last class president,” Alya hissed.

Marinette and Chloe looked at each other again. It was Chloe who spoke, “So you’re not going to New York?”

The question caught everyone off guard.

“What?” Alya hissed. “Of course we’re going to New York!”

Marinette sighed, “No, WE” She pointed between her and Chloe, “And the World Traveler’s club is going to New York and a bunch of other places. We raised over $40,000.” Most of the students turned green.

“$40- $40,000,” Nino stuttered. “What? how?”

“We worked hard, like we always,” Chloe flipped her hair. “That was our goal since September. Its how much it would cost to pay for the entire trip. For every member and required chaperones to go. Why? What was your goal?”

It went quiet. Alya spoke next, “Goal?”

           Again, Chloe and Marinette

“Goal,” Marinette nodded. “The amount you needed to fund the entire trip to New York?”

“We didn’t have a goal,” Rose answered.

The two girls stared at them.

“What airline are you using?” Chloe asked. “How much do the tickets cost?”

No answer.

“What hotel are you staying at?”

No answer.

“Did you get your passports yet?”

Nothing.

“Have you made any reservations?” Marinette asked. “Any down payments?” No answered. Just pale faces.

           Chloe just shook her head, “Did you at least get approval from the school board to clear the trip?”

“We need them to approve it?” Kim asked. “Why it’s our trip?”

“Safety and legal concerns,” Marinette said slowly. “It takes weeks to get approved. Permissions slips have to be signed and turned in. Chaperones found.”

“Miss Bustier’s our chaperone,” Mylene said brightly, and the teacher nodded eagerly.

           Marinette fought the urge to scoff. Bustier couldn’t chaperone a ping pong tournament. “Fine but with a class this size, you need at least two more. Maybe three.”

           Chloe crossed her arms, “How were you getting to New York? What were your plans? Did you book any tours? What were you going to do in New York?”

           No one said a word.

           Marinette smirked, “Good on you, I guess. You must have some killer fundraising ideas with only a month and a half until summer break.” She sighed. “I couldn’t do it myself. Way too much stress. The World Traveler’s club was killing ourselves since September to get everything done.”

“September,” Rose gasped. “Really.” She deflated. “We didn’t start till November, and the car wash was pretty bad.” There were nods.

“Yep,” Chloe said. “I think we did about fifteen or more fundraisers. Little ones and big ones. How many did you guys do?”

           Nino frowned, “Five.”

“We worked really hard, though!” Alix slammed her fist on the desk. “Nothing worked.”

           Marinette and Chloe shared another look.

“Shame,” Marinette said as they glided to their seats.

“Last year, the class did so well,” Chloe smirked. “Wonder what changed?”

“Nothing!” Alya shouted. “We did the same thing we do every year. Bake Sale, car wash, Raffle, Dance Party; everything!

           There were nods.

“It’s not fair!”

“We didn’t do anything wrong.”

           There more shouts and complaints.

           Bustier calmed everyone down, “Now class, let’s not give up hope. Our trip last year was a success. And I know we can pull it off again. What did we do then that we aren’t doing now?”

           The class went silent as they thought up what they were doing wrong. Surprisingly, it was Juleka who answered, “Marinette did most of the organizing,” She whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear; one of the few brave things she did all year. “Her and Chloe come up with all the fundraiser ideas and they plan them out too. They always did; every year.”

“This year they didn’t,” Rose frowned.

           And just like that, it was like that, it was like a balloon burst inside the students.

“They always plan the best fundraisers,” Kim frowned. “And we always met our goals.”

           Lila glared. She didn’t think that when she convinced the class to kick the girls off the trip that they’d be getting rid of anyone who did any real work. However, the glare quickly turned into a frown with a few crocodile tears, “Then we didn’t they help us? We needed them obviously.”

           Before any of the other students could direct their anger to the girls at their betrayal, Nino shrugged, “Because we told them they couldn’t come with us, remember? So they didn’t help out. They told us they wouldn’t. Why should they? It wasn’t their trip.”

           Frustration and rage built inside Alya. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The class should’ve been headed to a glamorous trip to New York, with Marinette and Chloe left to suffer alone in Paris wishing they had been invited. Where was justice?

“I bet you're happy!” Alya growled at her ex-friend. “Our trip is ruined thanks to you.”

           Marinette smirked, “No. I didn’t do anything. I was and am in no way involved with your class trip. Just like you wanted.”

“You could’ve helped us!” Alix yelled.

“Why?” Chloe asked.

           Silence.

“You made it clear we couldn’t go to New York with you,” Chloe said. “Why would we help you? It’s not like we’re friends with you.”

           Angry eyes and red faces filled the classroom. No one wanted to admit that they got themselves into trouble.

           Alya had to be held back in her chair by Nino, “You could’ve warned me how hard being class president was. Or what we needed to do to go on the trip. But you didn’t care about us. You don’t think about us at all.”

           Marinette leaned back in her seat, an easy smile on her face, with frost in her eyes, “Sweetie, I haven’t thought any of you for months.”

           Before anyone could say anything else. Bustier decided to try to take control again, “Marinette, Chloe; there must be something you can do. Maybe the class can tag along on your trip.”

           Hopeful expressions overtook the students' faces.

           Both girls looked at the teacher like she was stupid.

“Even if that was possible,” Chloe narrowed her eyes. “And it’s not. We had everything booked for months, reservations made. How will they pay for it? We only raised enough for the World Travelers’ Club.”

           It was Adrien who answered, “Can’t you do something?” He said with hopeful eyes. “Our friends are really looking forward to it.”

“No.” Marinette snapped. “They are not my friends. And even if they were, it would take another 40 grand to get everyone in class on the trip. There’s no time to get that type of cash. Even if there was, it would still be weeks to get School board approval. The World Travelers’ leave on the first. There’s nothing to do.”

“We’re not risking our trip for yours,” Chloe and Marinette chimed together, looking very much like the Ice Queens the students had called them behind their backs.

           That was that. Alya and the other students would shoot glares at the two girls, and make mean comments for the next month; mostly about them being selfish. The girls didn’t pay them any mind. Lila tried to join the World Travelers’ club at the last minute, only to be unanimously told to come back in September. Damocles, at the urgency of Lila and Alya, tried to intervene and stop the trip the ground, it wouldn’t be safe. Boy, was he surprised when the school board called him into a meet to speak about his future employment and the rampant bullying and oversight that had been going on in the school.

           Bustier’s class ended up going to Disney World Paris for the weekend, before the end of May. And posted tons of videos, most of which had comments about getting away from bullies and the drama of the class.

           The World Travelers’ Club left on schedule on June 1st. They would return for two months.

           The pictures they posted was the talk of the school. Which was saying something since the school wasn’t even in session. The first pictures were of the grand hotels they stayed at, the amazing strange American food they ate. Carne Asada fries, yum!

           In Los Angelus, the club toured Warner Brothers studios and ran into the cast of the new Star Trek movies. They attended the world premiere of the Joss Weadon Superhero movie. They got all the classic tourist pictures of Los Angeles. Though Marinette and Chloe, when they had explored by themselves, ended up running into the Rock and had a picture of themselves hanging from his biceps as he posed.

           Their next stop was Star City. They toured the local museum, toured Queen Industries, met Oliver Queen himself. Then they even got to meet the Green Arrow.

           Alya nearly broke her phone when she saw Aurore and the superhero.

           After that, the Club went to Central city where they visited Star Labs.  It was Aurore’s idea. It was the most meta-filled city in the world; known for the most outrageous heroes and rogues in the world.

           It didn’t take long for the club to run into the flash, in this case, he was fighting against Captain Cold, Heatwave, and the rest of the rogues.

           The fight wasn’t favoring either side. But the class watched eagerly from where they stood on the sidewalk.

           They had to duck quickly when Captain cold was blasted into the wall next to them.

           Leonard Snart was surprised when a young girl helped him up. He looked and saw a bunch of kids standing there, torn between watching him and watching the fight.

“Are you okay, Mr. Cold?” She asked, with a heavy French accent, her blue eyes big with worry.

“…Fine, kid,” He answered. “Shouldn’t you lot being running off.”

           The bluenette and the blond girl next to her shared a look.

“Can we get a picture?” The Bluenette asked.

           Leonard Snart paused, “…Sure.” There was, in fact, a first time for everything.

           The kids cheered. And each one started scrambled with their phones to get their picture. It wasn’t long before Heatwave showed up to see what was wrong, only to be pulled in by a push blond to take pictures as well.

           That was when the flash Showed up but Aurore quickly pulled him into an interview. Slowly but surely, the rogues and the team flash found themselves entertaining and signing autographs for a bunch of French kids; answering all their questions and telling stories.

           Later when Aurore and the rest posted their pictures, and the interview with the Flash and his rogues, Alya did break her phone. As far as she was concerned life was fair.

           In metropolis, They met Superman, Supergirl, Krypton (the former superboy), and the new Superboy. Superman had heard from the other league members of the French class touring different cities and how great they were.

           They toured the Daily Planet and Aurore got one on one time with Lois Lane. They got to see LexCorp and had a tour given by Lex Luthor himself. Lex had heard about the class from Queen and Wells, the CEOs of Star Labs and Queen industries, and decided one-up his competition in any way he could

           Then the kids' wen to Gotham. The pictures from that trip made half the kids in Bustiers’ class cry. The best pictures were of Marinette sitting in the Batmobile; Batman looking stern next to her. The ones of the club with Bruce Wayne and his kids were pretty epic too.

           Finally, their lasts destination was New York City. And the kids saw everything. They did the entire tourist thing; The statue of liberty, times Square, New York Times. Everything. However, the highlight was the tour of Stark Tower/Industries; led by Tony Stark, with Pepper to manage him.  Because Tony Stark didn’t get one-upped by Lex Luthor or Bruce Wayne. Then the kids took a surprise trip to the Avengers compound.

           Marinette and Chloe decided walking into the training room only to see Captain America, Thor, and Bucky Barnes working out with their shirts off was the best part of the entire trip.

           Pictures and videos were taken of each member of the club holding various Avenger weapons. Chloe refused to admit her hand trembled when she was given over Captain America’s shield.

           The funniest video was supposed to be each member of the World Travels’ club struggling to pick up Thor’s hammer. It was pretty funny. Until Marinette lift it like it weighed nothing. Mouths dropped. The Avengers were stunned. Who was this small bluenette worthy of Thor’s hammer?

Then Thor shouted that Marinette would come to Asgard with him.

           Then Tony had to tell Thor that he couldn’t kidnap kids.

           To which Thor said, “What about Peter? Where did he come from?”

“I’m his mentor,” Tony groaned.

           Thor nodded, “Then I shall be the girl’s mentor. The Captain shall train young Chloe. Natasha will have Kagami as they are suited for each other; mostly because they strike fear in hearts everyone. Pepper will get Aurore; as they were meant to rule. Hawkeye will get Claude. The Soldier of Winter will get young Luka. You shall have Peter. The rest will be divided among the rest of the avengers. There. All done.”

           A moment of silence, and then Tony yelled, “That’s not how this works.”

           It was all on video.

           It went viral in an hour.

           Marinette had to portal back to Paris to deal with several different Akumas several different times; most were just about jealousy.

           When the kids returned to Paris. They wasted no time relaying the stories of their adventures.

           When September came and school started. Marinette and Chloe once again walked into class together, with smiles on their faces, only to meet glum looks on the students' faces. They paid no mind as they headed back to their seats in the back.

           Before class could begin, Rose approached them, a hopeful smile on her face, “Marinette, Chloe; we were hoping you’d come with us on your next trip.” Her smile widened “And Marinette, maybe you’d like to be class president again.”

           None of the other students looked happy at the idea but all of them could admit that the World Travelers’ club had been amazing. And if they ever wanted another great trip, they had no choice but to deal with the Ice Queens.

           Marinette and Chloe shared a look and then shot the class cold smirks, “No!”

“We’ll be far too busy,” Chloe smiled, coolness in her tone. “We decided we can no longer want to go on any more class trips. With you.”

“The World Travelers’ club takes a lot of work,” Marinette added.

“Good Luck though,” The two girls chimed together. “You have plenty of time to fundraise though.”

“A little less than a year,” Chloe said. “Our club starts planning in about two weeks. We’ll start fundraising right after. We’re thinking about Japan. Luckily this trip won’t be as expensive as our last.”

“Good luck with your trip though,” Marinette leaned back in her seat. “Who knows? If your lucky, it’ll be as fun as your last one. We know you worked so hard. Earned over $5,000 right?”

“Beat that!” Chloe added.

Then both girls burst into laughter.

Marinette wiped her eyes, “Besides you don’t want us there on your trip.”

“Too much Drama, right?” Chloe offered.

           The bell rang. And the class’ resident ice queens sat in back with smiles on their faces and ice in their eyes.

#ml salt #ml salt fic #Marinette deserves better #marinette dupen chang #chloe bourgeois #chloe deserves better #class salt #adrien salt