#flats in c-scheme

[virasat123]

#2 & 3 BHK Flats #Villas & Apartments #Virasat Builders jaipur #flats in c-scheme #apartment in c-scheme

[amsznn]

FOOLISH - c. sturniolo

part 2 — part 1 here part 3 here

warnings: slight cursing, toxic relationship

-

chris 🚫

hey

your phone illuminated with a text sent by the one person part of you unfortunately still loved and part of you actually despised.

you didn’t bother to answer, even though you really wanted to. you couldn’t be pulled back into the same cycle once again. it’s happened one too many times so you knew his scheme all too well.

this was the thing with chris. you’d catch him cheating, you put on a strong act for a while, then he texts, and you get roped in once again. he knew you too well. he knew how to get you back. but maybe not this time.

you laid flat on your stomach, attempting to get some sleep, before you heard a knock on your door. you groaned while laying there for a moment, hoping whoever it was would go away.

the knocks only got louder and more obnoxious. you swung your legs off the side of your bed and made your way to the front door. you unlocked it to reveal your other best friend.

nick.

“what are you doing here?”

“well hello to you too.” nick said while making his way inside. you watched as he kicked his shoes off, then your eyes traveled to the huge duffel bag he was carrying. slightly amused you crossed your arms against your chest.

“nick what are you doing here?”

nick huffed before dropping his duffel bag on the floor. “my two brothers are being fucking idiots as always,” he started before making his way to the kitchen, you followed to hear the rest of his rant. “so me, being the smart person that i am, thought ‘why not just have a sleepover with my best friend?’”

he opened one of your cabinets and pulled out a bag of chips. “hence, why ive graced you with my presence.” you could only laugh at nick, knowing full and well his brothers had to be really pissing him off for him to uber all the way here.

“better for me, i couldn’t sleep anyways.” you said while making your way towards him, to also stuff your face with sole chips.

“great, ‘cus i wanna watch a dance moms marathon.”

-

you and nick spent the whole night watching shows, making tiktoks, and eating a lot of snacks. in the end you both ended up crashing on your bed, completely exhausted.

now the sun was shining through your curtains. causing you to awake from your slumber. nick on the other hand was still knocked out so you decided not to disturb him.

you were busy doing your skin care when you heard what sounded like nick waking up from his sleep.

“y/n, i think im gonna make matt pick me up,” nick paused for a moment before yelling again. “we have a video to film.”

“okay, ill be out in a sec!” you yelled back. quickly washing your cleanser off. you made your way out of your bathroom and went to the kitchen where you found nick.

“want me to make breakfast?” you asked while looking through your fridge, looking for something to make.

“sure, but im gonna go shower.” nick rose from his seat on the kitchen island then treaded towards the bathroom.

you decided on just making acai bowls for the both of you. while chopping up some bananas you heard a knock on the door, you figured it was matt so you wiped your hands and made your way to the entrance.

cracking the door open slightly you could see matt’s figure. “hey, matt.” you smiled upon seeing your other friend. “hey y/n, is nick ready?”

you shook your head as you could hear the shower still running. “nope, he’s still in the shower.” matt sighed while checking his phone for the time.

“why don’t you come in though , i could make you breakfast too.” matt smiled at your offer and walked inside.

suddenly your eyes landed on another figure you did not know was standing there the whole time.

‘you have got to be kidding me.’ you thought. there stood chris, hands fidgeting with his phone. he was the first to speak up.

“hey, what’s up?”

you scoffed, he always did this. pretending like nothing ever happened. “are you fucking kidding me, chris?” you whisper-shouted so matt wouldn’t hear your dispute. you weren’t sure if they knew what was going on, heck you didn’t know if chris even told them you used to date. probably not since chris wanted to keep your situation ‘private.’

chris sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “lets not do this here, y/n”

“do what here?” you and chris’s attention shifted to nick who was standing in front of you two, wondering what all the whispering was about.

“nothing, are you coming in?” you quickly shifted the topic and your attention back to chris, inviting him inside. chris nodded and stepped inside.

the three of you made your way to matt who seated at the kitchen island, eating one of the acai bowls you made. you didn’t mind though, since your appetite was basically gone.

you sat on the opposite end of nick, leaving chris to sit beside matt. you caught up with 2/3 of the boys. chris was in his own world, but his eyes lingered on you whenever you spoke, which made it somewhat difficult for you to remember your train of thought as your eyes met his.

once the boys were finished, nick grabbed his duffle bag and gave you a hug as goodbye. “i’ll see you this weekend?” he asked while making sure to thank you as well. you nodded and waved goodbye to both him and matt.

“i’ll be out in a sec.” chris called out to his brothers, to which they both nodded. this only made you roll your eyes in irritation, seeing as he wasnt letting up.

chris moved forward to where you were standing, wrapping his arms around your waist. you stood there frozen, knowing if you reciprocated his action, you’d be back to being wrapped around his finger.

chris frowned at this and moved back to meet his eyes with yours. “are you really gonna stay mad at me, baby?” his voice just above a whisper as his hand caressed your face.

“i saw you chris. i saw you with that girl, i saw everything.” you said trying to keep your tears at bay, not wanting to crumble in front of him.

chris gently wrapped one arm around you, while bringing one hand to softly push your head down on his shoulder. you couldn’t help it anymore, tears started streaming down your eyes in frustration with both him, and yourself. chris listened to your sniffles and occasionally hiccups as he swayed you side to side.

“m’ sorry, baby.”

“it was a mistake.”

he pressed a kiss on the top of your head, while resting his own there. “i’ll be better for you, okay?” he pushed you back and cupped both sides of your face with his hands.

“i promise.”

you knew this was all bullshit. you knew in a matter of time he would just be with another girl, in another bed. forgetting about you. if you knew all this, then why? why was it hard for you to push him away?

chris smiled as you nodded your head, accepting his apology. he closed the gap between you two, gently planting his lips onto yours, bringing you closer with each movement of his lips.

that was when you knew,

how foolish you were.

-

A/N: sorry guys, i thought i’d be done with this earlier today but i was super busy today. hope you enjoyed this part. part 3 soon, not a set date yet tho!

#chris sturniolo #sturniolo x reader #sturniolo fluff #nick sturniolo #matt sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #christopher sturniolo #chris sturniolo headcanon #chris sturniolo x you #chris sturniolo smut #chris sturniolo x reader #chris sturniolo fluff #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo smut

[honeybcj]

@jegulus-microfic february 8 / headphones / 941 words / based off those silly videos i’ve seen where people approach others and ask what song they are listening to

The last thing Regulus anticipated for his peaceful morning walk was to be bombarded by a man with a tiny microphone asking him the silliest of questions.

The morning had been going well; headphones on, a cozy sweater hanging from his torso. He finally had a free moment to walk around campus without the impending doom of assignments on his back. So when this man—a concerningly gorgeous one, mind you—approaches him with full blown enthusiasm, Regulus’ mouth suddenly runs dry, no words coming out.

“So what song are you listening to?” The man asks, extending the tiny microphone at him.

Regulus blinks at the man, mouth opening to say something. He freezes, glancing down at the phone screen in his hand. He could lie. Come up with just about anything. Or he could just flat out ignore the infuriating man.

There’s another one of them, balancing a phone in his hands, seemingly recording the whole interaction. Frankly, Regulus has no idea where to look. Actually caught off guard by the whole situation.

Cautiously, Regulus slips the headphones from his ears, peering up at the man in front of him to get a better look. He’s got these gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, which are kinda dorky, but they actually look good framing wide hazel eyes surrounded by crinkles from smiling too hard.

“Uh, I’m listening to, um,” Regulus stutters, glancing back down at the screen. His voice comes out quiet, “Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20 in C-Sharp Minor.”

The man’s brow furrows in surprise, the corners of his mouth turning up even more. A smile that stretches miles wide revealing pearly white teeth that are blinding. Those stupid little crinkles aren’t going anywhere, and it’s making Regulus positively mad.

How does one just go about their day having a smile like that?

Infectious, even. Almost possessive in the sense that Regulus has to school his own expression, tugging the corners of his mouth down into a flat line. An attempt to remain neutral like a stick wasn’t thrown right into the middle of his morning routine.

“Wonderful. Thanks so much,” the man replies before turning to his partner behind the camera. As the camera is lowered, seemingly having gotten what it needs, the bothersome man turns back towards Regulus, cheery grin still in place.

“Is it okay if we use that for our video?” The man inquires.

Regulus just blinks, unsure of how he got himself into this predicament. Ages ago. He could have walked away ages ago, no longer caught up in whatever scheme this is.

But, no. Regulus may or may not be swooning. Too captivated by brown skin and the blinding smile. Warm, inviting eyes with those goofy glasses and unruly curls twisting along his forehead.

Feeling brave, Regulus straightens his shoulders, cocking his head to the side. With a deep breath, Regulus says, “If you tell me your name, you can.”

Like a godforsaken dog, the man’s ears perk up, a dimple popping in one of his cheeks. Regulus finds himself wanting to dig his thumb into the divot. Find out how deep it can go.

“‘M name’s James.” The man—James—extends his hand out to Regulus. A stupid handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

Hesitantly, Regulus takes his hand, giving a good, practiced handshake in return.

“James,” he tries out, getting a feel for the weight of the name on his tongue.

“Am I pushing my luck if I ask for yours?” James asks, tilting his head to the side curiously.

Regulus snorts his response, taken aback by the man’s sheer will to keep asking him questions. The audacity of this man. Absolutely, positively ridiculous.

But he takes it all back with a shake of his head, caving in and responding before he even has a chance to stop himself. “Regulus.”

“Regulus,” James repeats, still shaking Regulus’ hand. How had they not let go yet?

The two of them stand there staring at each other. Neither of them saying a word, just looking. It should feel awkward, having just met this stranger on the sidewalk, but Regulus can’t tear his eyes away from this James guy.

It’s the voice of the other man that cuts through, ending the shared moment between James and Regulus.

“Oi, James. We’ve got places to be. Gonna need you to peel your eyes away from your newfound crush for a second, so we can get going,” the other man announces, which makes Regulus breath hitch.

Apparently, it’s doing things to James as well because his cheeks go ruddy, ducking his head down to get out of view of Regulus who is feeling far too amused now. He’s pretty sure his own cheeks are dusted with a soft pink, mesmerized by the sudden shyness James is emitting.

“Seems like you have places to be, James,” Regulus comments, shifting in his place.

“Appears that I do, Regulus,” James agrees, taking one final look at the man in front of him. “See you around then?”

Regulus hums, jutting his chin out. “Maybe so.”

It all ends too soon for Regulus’ liking. Has him wondering when the next time he’ll see James will be. Hadn’t seen him before this point, so what is the likelihood Regulus will run into him again.

It’s a gamble he’s willing to take.

One thing though, he doesn’t miss the way James throws a wink in his direction as he walks away. Or when he friend whacks him over the back of the head, warm laughter falling from his mouth.

It’s enough for the smile to finally spill over onto Regulus’ mouth. Oh, he wants to see James again. Very much so.

#jegulus #james potter #regulus black #james x regulus #jegulus microfic #marauders #han’s microfics

[hayatheauthor]

How To Write And Create A Subplot

A subplot is an essential aspect of any book. It helps drive your story forward and hook your readers in with a compelling narrative. A good subplot raises the stakes for the main character by introducing side characters, creating plot twists, adding another dimension to the story or revealing information from the past or future. 

However, if executed incorrectly subplots can overshadow your main plot and deviate from the heart of your story. Unsure how to create and execute a subplot? Here are some helpful tips to get you started! 

Why Are Subplots Important? 

A subplot is a narrative thread that supports the elements of your main plot. They often build conflict or shed light on a secondary character’s story. Subplots help you create multilevel narrative arcs and build complexity and depth. 

Your readers certainly don’t need to know what your antagonists were doing while the protagonist underwent secluded training, but adding this subplot builds tension, heightens the stakes and easily portrays personality traits and character flaws. This is especially true for genres such as SFF or horror where your characters often don’t know their enemy’s plan until the last moment. 

Subplots are often what make your readers connect with your characters and world-building. To put it simply, if Harry Potter was written without any subplots Rowling could have wrapped up the entire series in one book. 

Types Of Subplots 

It’s important for authors to branch out and implement more than one subplot in their manuscript. Sticking to one subplot can often result in a poor portrayal of an important moment or make an interesting arc fall flat. A simple way to avoid this is by combining different subplots when working on your manuscript. 

Mirror Subplots

Mirror subplots are essentially a subplot that mirrors what your protagonist or antagonist is going through in order to illuminate their personality traits and how they dealt with said situation. A great example of a mirror subplot would be Sophie and Agatha’s dynamics during the first book of A School For Good and Evil. 

Sophie and Agatha both start off with essentially the same introduction to characters like Tedros, the faculty, their roommates, etc. but while Sophie uses a negative outlook to harm those around her Agatha focuses more on a problem-solving approach. 

Contrasting Subplot 

A contrasting subplot is when a smaller character faces the same situation as your protagonist/antagonist but handles the situation differently. For example, a protagonist allowed themselves to be injured in order to safely evacuate a nearby citizen but an antagonist in a similar position used the civilian to shield themselves from the attack. 

Contrasting subplots cannot exist unless both characters undergo the same situation, which is why it is important to plan this subplot out before executing it. 

Complicating Subplot 

Complicating subplots are the most common subplot used in literature. They’re pretty self-explanatory and involve a secondary character creating complications for the protagonist. This can be as simple as your love interest’s sister spreading gossip about the protagonist, or as complicated as a grand political scheme created to turn the protagonist’s allies against them. 

Romantic Subplot 

Romantic subplots are often confused with romance written as a subgenre. The difference between the two is simple—a book with romance as a subgenre simply includes romantic themes, however, a romantic subplot uses romance to deviate from the main plot. 

For example, if your protagonist left their usual environment to attend an event with your love interest for a couple of chapters, that counts as a romantic subplot. However, a character simply having a romantic moment does not constitute as a subplot. 

Things To Keep In Mind When Creating A Subplot 

Now that I’ve divulged all of the facts associated with writing a subplot, here are some personal tips writers should take into consideration when creating a subplot. 

A Subplot Is NOT Its Own Story 

This is an important factor many writers often forget when creating a subplot. Subplots are meant to tie into the main plot and move the story forward. They are supposed to be an arc in your story, not a story of their own. 

Subplots are a great way to foreshadow events, drop hints, reveal character traits, etc. however, you need to consider whether or not your manuscript needs to have these characters. Your deuteragonist’s tragic past with the antagonist might make for a good story, but you could probably summarise those events within one chapter. 

The same can be said for past love interests, ex-friends, training arcs and backstory arcs for minor characters. These factors would all propel your plot forward, however, incorrectly implementing them can ruin your reader’s immersion and deviate from the actual plot. 

If you’re unsure whether or not your subplot should be included in your novel, take the time to consider these few questions: 

Does your subplot help your protagonist accomplish their main goal? Or does it drastically deviate them from their initial purpose? 

Does this subplot introduce a new character, a new side to an old character, or the ‘true’ version of a seemingly good/bad character? 

Would your character be unable to attain their long-term goal without this subplot? 

Would your world-building, character development, or a certain aspect of the main plot feel confusing if not for this subplot? 

If your answer to these was yes, then you probably have a valid subplot on your hands. If not, then you should genuinely consider questions and take into account why you want to include this subplot, to begin with. If your answer is something along the lines of ‘it has so and so scene/dynamic which I really enjoyed or think the readers will like’ then your manuscript would probably do better without that subplot. 

Create Conclusive Arcs 

Unlike your main plot, subplots are supposed to have a start and finish. They need to have a complete arc and some semblance of a conclusion. 

For example, if you were writing a contrasting subplot where the side character decided to abandon another character in order to save themselves, you need to consider what happens once you write out this scene. How do the other characters react to it? Does this impact your side character’s position in the story? And most importantly, how does this impact the rest of your plot? 

You need to know where you’re going to go with your story once you have concluded your subplot, and figure out a way to tie your subplot into your main plot. 

I hope this blog on how to create and execute a sub plot will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday. 

#haya's book blog #haya blogs #hayatheauthor #writing life #writing tools #writing stuff #writing tips #writing prompt #creative writing #writing community #writing is hard #writing advice #writing a novel #writing corner #writing blog #writing description #writing inspo #writing inspiration #writing ideas #writing wip #writers block #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #writersofig #writers on tumblr #female writers #writer tag #writer tips #writer thoughts

[tulipsforvin]

Hello! May I request the Moriarthree headcanons with their spouse who has strange cravings (reason can vary, from emotional stress to period or pregnancy), like food combinations or incredible need to run and jump into heap of fallen leaves? Hope this won't be a bother 🤭 Absolutely love your writings, keep up with it, you are talented!💖

A/N: This is so cute lolol. Thank you for the kind words and for the request, anon! Hope you have a great day/night waiting for you!

PREGNANCY CRAVINGS

William J. Moriarty

Amusement and intrigue: With his calculating and intellect mind, he'd probably find it amusing and endearing to see his spouse act in such frivolous ways.

Finding humour: I believe it's probably the most often his spouse has heard his laughter with how absurd his spouse looks jumping into a pile of leaves.

Heightened protectiveness: Although the first time his love head-on jumped into a pile of fallen leaves so suddenly, he got extremely concerned thinking they'd fainted or that there was something sharp under the heap like stones or shards of glass or something. He will also make either Fred or James follow them when he's not around to avoid harm befalling you. (He doesn't trust Moran when it comes to his love.)

One to adapt and conquer: During autumn when leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off trees and are swept away into heaps — he makes sure to add something softer and plush underneath the leaves so that if his love ever decided to fall flat into them again, he won't have to worry about them getting hurt.

Patience and lenience: Whether it be sobbing over an advertisement they just saw or getting angry at him for no reason because of their hormonal imbalance, he understands that emotions are not something they can easily control during these times and thus is very soft with his darling.

Research and studies: He spends hours trying to find the most healthiest, perfect brands because he doesn't want his love to have an upset stomach. He can't control his love's weird cravings but the least he can do is atleast find a way to make goddamn anchovies and ice-cream seem like a delicacy.

Albert J. Moriarty

Calm and Collected: Like his younger brother, Albert is also known for his laid-back nature. I mean, he's literally a lieutenant colonel of the British army — he's seen all sorts of stuff.

Extravagant spending: The Moriartys have a vast wealth. Being the eldest out of all three of the brothers, the money in his bank account is off the charts. To take care of his spouse, it is evident that he would be willing to spend any amount of money on his love if it meant their comfort would be assured. Shopping spree, all kinds of warm blankets and pillows, expensive delicacies; they're all his darling's.

Attention shift: One doesn't need to crack a puzzle to know that Albert is a busy man, obvious with how less his presence is seen at their Durham residence in the anime and the manga. However, during times such as his spouse's pregnancy, period or feeling burnt out — he makes an effort to stay at home longer and takes days off so he can't take care of them and be by their side.

Heightened protectiveness: He's very protective of his love during these times. He'll tag along everywhere, following them around the house or outside - clinging on to his spouse. He has to have some sort of skin contact with them in any sort of way so he can be sure that his sweetheart is safe and sound.

Comical exasperation: Not the most resilient of men. I mean, he did scheme with his adoptive younger brothers to kill off the rest of his bloodline because he couldn't take their nonsense anymore. His spouse will find him rubbing the bridge of his nose, sighing but giving into their whims and fancies in the end.

Little endeavours: To relax his spouse's mind, he'll take little walks with them to parks, make them crème brulé, play board games with them etc, etc.

Louis J. Moriarty

Dunno about you guys but for me, this man would be the best caretaker out of the three.

Culinary Experiments: Louis takes it upon himself to experiment in the kitchen and create dishes that cater to their cravings. Together, they embark on culinary adventures and explore new flavors and enjoy the process of trying out unusual food combinations. He'll make it work, no matter how weird the cravings sound.

Emotional Support: Louis recognizes that his spouse's cravings may be linked to emotional stress, hormonal changes, or other factors like pregnancy or their menstrual cycle. He becomes their pillar of support, offering a listening ear and comforting presence whenever they need it.

Surprise Treats: He keeps a mental note of their preferences and surprises them with their desired food combinations or indulgences when they least expect it. Whether it's a late-night snack or a midday surprise, Louis enjoys seeing the joy on their face when their cravings are fulfilled.

Comfort and Relaxation: When his spouse experiences emotional stress, Louis ensures they have a comfortable and relaxing environment. He creates cozy spaces at home, complete with soft blankets, soothing music, and calming scents. He may also surprise them with spa treatments or massages to help them unwind and alleviate their stress.

Advice and Understanding: Louis takes the time to research and understand the science behind cravings, whether they are related to pregnancy or other factors. He educates himself on how to support his spouse's well-being during these times and ensures they have access to the necessary resources and information. (Read 'Louis asking all sorts of both necessary and unnecessary questions to William regarding subjects like this')

#william james moriarty #william james moriarty x reader #william james moriarty x y/n #william james moriarty x you #moriarty the patriot #x reader #yuukoku no moriarty #james moriarty #yuumori #fluff #louis james moriarty x y/n #mtp louis #louis james moriarty x you #louis james moriarty x reader #albert james moriarty x y/n #albert james moriarty x you #albert james moriarty x reader #mtp albert #albert james moriarty

[posthumanwanderings]

Internal Section (Positron / Square - PS1 - 1999)

“Often described as a twisted fusion between Tempest and S.T.U.N. Runner, this Positron game was released exclusively in Japan in 1999, at a time when the PlayStation games catalogue was already vast and varied. Dynamic and irreverent, Internal Section is essentially a complex ‘tube shooter’, an unusual angle that can be considered a welcome addition at a time when horizontal and vertical scrolling shooters were predominant. The mere sight of the initial presentation, or the bizarre imagery printed on the bizarre game manual, tells Internal Section apart from a common shooter. Instead of acquiescing to the adolescent anime characters and pseudo-plots, it evokes the same mature, impersonal and hi-tech ambience of the demoscene computer art subculture. Each of eight levels is divided into four sub stages (A, B, C, D and Boss Fight). When the level guardians are reached, game scheme switches from its tubular form to that of a circular rail drawn around the enemy, where greater shot precision is often required. Internal Section‘s gameplay is utterly unique, allowing the player to instantly choose between twelve different shot types, each of them based on a Chinese zodiac sign: apart from dodging bullets and other obstacles, the key to success lies in the use of the appropriate sign for each situation. Far from a hardcore shooting game experience, Internal Section is all about the experience and aesthetics – rather than superhuman skills – with scattered checkpoints and infinite continues that make it a short, albeit extremely enjoyable video game.

The first impact created by Internal Section originates from the awkward graphic style. Their lack of texture mapping is properly compensated with the addition of smooth and lustrous shading, drawn in vivid colors and wonderful contrasts. Flat polygons pervade the screen as each level displays a predominant color, and each sub-stage exhibits a rich and artful array of pictorial themes. Due to its spartan aesthetics, this uncanny Squaresoft release is bound to be compared with Rez, released by SEGA two years later.

iS also aspires to a perfectly balanced blend of audiovisual and gameplay, including a carefully selected techno music playlist. While not as memorable as the licensed soundtrack from games such as WipeOut, the disk includes 16 original themes that help bring some strong sense of rhythm into the game experience. Similar to Ridge Racer, it also lets the player swap the game disk for an audio CD, essentially giving it a customizable soundtrack. Customizations also include the selection of different ambiences for the levels, a factor that dramatically increases the game’s appeal and replay value.

If carefully observed today, in light of modern shoot’em up revivalisms, iS has achieved a certain state of grace, having risen to a level that only a handful of its counterparts were able to attain. Its flat polygon graphics running smoothly on the television screen and its responsive controls prevent the game from looking or feeling obsolete. In fact, everything about iS contemplates innovation, as well as a very strong desire to evade the usual patterns that have long infected this stagnant genre. Its status as a rare and unpublicized title coming from a major company has contributed, undoubtedly, to the consecration of Internal Section as one of the most engaging and sought after titles from the recent past.“ [article source]

#internal Section #iS: Internal Section #イズ ～インターナル・セクション～ #Squaresoft #rail-on shooter #rail on shooter #Y2K #cyberwave #PS1 #PlayStation #hardcoregaming101 #hardcoregaming 101 #Positron

[relicsongmel]

hi! i was reading your pinned post and it made me think - what color(s) are each of the aa main characters' theme songs! :0

Synesthesia question yippee!!!!! Here are all main character themes from the games I’ve played <3 so far I’ve done AA1 through AA4 as well as both Investigations games~

Phoenix Wright (Objection! 2001): G minor—dark green

Phoenix Wright (Objection! 2002): F minor—gray-blue

Phoenix Wright (Objection! 2004): D minor—sea green

Maya Fey (Turnabout Sisters 2001/2002): A♭ major—purple (roughly the same shade as her haori <3)

Miles Edgeworth (Great Revival): F minor—gray-blue

Franziska von Karma (Great Revival): G minor—dark green (though it’s worth noting that the Great Revival themes despite being in minor use a lot of borrowed harmonies from the major mode that end up brightening the overall color a little)

Dick Gumshoe (It’s Detective Gumshoe/I can do it when it counts, pal!): C minor—sea blue

Ema Skye (Turnabout Sisters 2005): C major—yellow

Ema Skye (Scientific Detective): G major—pink

Pearl Fey (Pearly Questioning): F major—cerulean

Godot (The Fragrance of Black Coffee): D major—green

Larry Butz (When Something Smells, It’s Usually Me): G mixolydian—yellow (but some sections sound blue due to borrowed flat harmonies)

Apollo Justice (Objection! 2007): G# minor—dark magenta

Trucy Wright (Child of Magic): D major—green

Klavier Gavin (Guilty Love): E♭ major—royal blue

Kay Faraday (The Great Truth Burglar): A minor—light gray

Shi-Long Lang (Speak Up, Pup!): E minor—gold

Raymond Shields (Joking Motive): A minor—light gray (with additional analysis available here if you’re interested :3)

Justine Courtney (Goddess of Law): F minor—gray-blue

Gregory Edgeworth (A Defense Attorney’s Knowledge): C major -> C minor—yellow -> sea blue

Sebastian Debeste (First-Class Reasoning): C major -> F major -> G major—yellow -> cerulean -> pink

Sebastian Debeste (A First-Class Farewell): G minor—dark green

You'll notice that not all colors necessarily match the character's color schemes. This is because while sometimes a character design can influence my synesthetic experiences (which is a whole other conversation in and of itself), they are still primarily based on the key of the theme itself—so a character theme in C major, for example, will always sound yellow regardless of which character it's meant to represent. This is both a blessing and a curse as sometimes the synesthetic color/mood will match a character perfectly whereas other times it will be completely off the mark. But it is still a very fun thing regardless—thank you for the ask!

#ask #sevenyeargap #phoenix wright #maya fey #miles edgeworth #franziska von karma #dick gumshoe #ema skye #pearl fey #godot #larry butz #apollo justice #trucy wright #klavier gavin #kay faraday #shi long lang #raymond shields #justine courtney #gregory edgeworth #sebastian debeste #aa #music nerd shit #one day i ought to make a ranking list for how well each key choice matches each character. maybe when i've finished all the games #i love being autistic about music it's beautiful here

[sgiandubh]

Jottings: Season 7, Episode 3. Bloody newspapers, never get anything right

You will not need any tissues for this sort of dependable wrap-up episode, that probably packs a punch with regard to the books' timeline and helps explain some obscure points to show-only people, like me. Ice-cream is still a welcome side addition (B&J's Cookie Vermont-ster, this week), though: it is, after all, a very hot, sleepless summer in Europe.

Timeline and our attention are split between 1776 at Fraser's (f)Ridge and somewhere around 1978 in Inverness. While there is drama at the Ridge (the fire at the Big House, the Bugs, the Jacobite gold), in Scotland all the emotions of homecoming are quickly turning into a muffled affair, thanks to SS's evergreen DGAF monotony.

Spoiler: Bree's line while seated with Roger on the front steps of a -now- derelict Lallybroch ("I'm really happy right here") sounds and translates exactly like the supremely anticlimactic "I'm your daughter" (The Birds and the Bees). I will never, ever, ever forgive SS for that and I can only be relieved this time it wasn't such a big deal, in the great scheme of things. Or was it?

Unpopular opinion: Claire's Ave Maria fell a bit flat in these Catholic ears. I was expecting more, given the uber-dramatic context, and found it wanting. But this fleeting disappointment was soon enough redeemed with the soulfully subtle wink to Robert Frost's Death of a Hired Man ("Yes, what else but home?/It all depends on what you mean by home. /(...) ‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there,/They have to take you in.’). Immaculately delivered by C. - the woman does understand and feel poetry, and that, my friends, is a rare gift.

John Bell will surprise you in a very, very good way. Puck grew up. I see great things.

The J&C/S&C bubble: unsinkable. Because 'a thing of beauty is a joy forever'. And, it is my absolute conviction (along with Keats', of course) "it will never pass into nothingness".

Overall, we get all the right vibes from fizzled out Season 4 and underrated Season 5 in this episode that brings the Frasers back to Bree & Roger's humble pioneer cabin, for lack of a better solution.

For obvious reasons, I cheered and booed at the 'blood of my blood` scene, featuring C's new sgian-dubh (FYI, the handle fits perfectly in her palm). I admit, I sometimes am a vainglorious cretin (wee joke, Antis), but hey: it's been a while since we haven't seen knives and blades so prominently featured in this gunpowder, treason and plot segment of the saga.

With Vandervaart still off my radar, this rushed transition left me a bit hungry for more. Ever the optimist, I can only hope next week will be bigger, brighter, better and more. And the kilt is back (what's not to like, I wonder), because tee-hee, J&C are on their way to Scotland, too.

Little do they know, however. Onwards!

#jottings

[lasnevadaslaborunion]

I've given this spiel on Discord already but I'm thinking about it again today so here goes

The reason Las Nevadas worked as pre-recorded, highly polished lore whereas other arcs were better served by improvisation (or, especially later, fell flat in the attempt to be more "cinematic") is because that style of presentation reflected and enhanced the themes of c!Quackity's story.

c!Quackity is a very image-conscious guy. He's performing strength, coldness, and viciousness. He's performing power, wealth, and masculinity. He wants to look respectable and frightening in the ways he's seen respectability and fearsomeness modeled by others.

But in the process, he eclipsed his emotions, his better self, and his very humanity.

Las Nevadas itself is a testament to that desire. It's grand, impressive, and entirely artificial. It's a harsh contrast to the organic awkwardness of El Rapids and the ramshackle simplicity of early L'manberg and the White House. c!Quackity intended it to be unlike any country before it - an improvement, an escalation, his unique legacy.

Even the style of the streams reflects that! They become more and more elaborate as time goes on, and yes, you could say more artificial. There's no improvisation. There's no room for silly mistakes. There's no breaking character. It's flashier, grander, more impressive. It's a bunch of bright, sterile lights, all alone in a cold desert.

...okay, now I have to talk about the face cam.

On the DSMP, there are only a few characters who never streamed from their own perspective. Of these, c!Schlatt and c!Dream are best known, and this lack of first-person perspective is often cited as a reflection of their villainy. However, I would also describe this as symbolic of emotional masking. It's vulnerability, and whether the narratives and the characters allow themselves such vulnerability.

c!Schlatt may very well be the embodiment of stereotypical toxic masculinity. He is obsessed with appearances. He lifts weights, takes steroids, drinks protein shakes, and harshly belittles anyone who doesn't live up to his standards. At the same time, he is a deeply paranoid ruler, who increasingly suspects (not without reason) even those closest to him of treason. His commitment to his "tough guy" persona in spite of his faltering health ultimately kills him, as his heart gives out - alone in a crowd.

c!Dream is also a deeply paranoid man (again, not without reason) who is so afraid of coming to terms with a changing world and his own changing relationships that he cuts himself off from all but a few other people and schemes for a near-impossible reunification. He becomes a caricature of a villain and locks himself in both a literal and metaphorical black box, in which he suffers and, yet again, ultimately dies. As with c!Schlatt, what began as a means of self-protection becomes an avenue for demonization.

(As an aside: c!Techno also never uses a facecam, although he did stream his POV. His arc proceeds in a much different way from other "antagonistic" characters; c!Techno manages to overcome his mistrust of others, refine his anarchist ideals, form a community of friends who help one another, and end his story happy. He's a wonderful foil to c!Quackity, though for slightly different reasons than the other two figures mentioned.)

These two (three with c!Techno) figures, alongside c!Wilbur (their polar opposite, insofar as his penchant for Hamlet-esque soliloquies goes), form c!Quackity's idea of what it means to be powerful.

In the first Las Nevadas episode, Quackity uses the facecam in the same way he did previously. We see every flinch, hear every doubtful thought, feel every change of expression. Where this changes, though, is the final scene: Quackity tears apart El Rapids, the last remnant of his early life and connection to his loved ones, and returns home covered in a prisoner's blood.

Las Nevadas 3 has a much different ratio of facecam to non-facecam scenes. During the confrontations with c!Foolish and c!Purpled, those in which he is at his most expressive and physically vulnerable (as both of these characters could easily defeat him in a fight, forcing him to rely on personal appeal), we see him acting through the facecam. But during his discussion with c!Sam about potential recruits, he's all business and all masked up. In c!Fundy's nightmare, in which he is more a manifestation of insecurity than a character, we only see his smiling skin and a frosty voice.

As for the prison scene... hoooooly moly I gotta talk about the details in that scene a different time. But I think it's fair to say that while c!Quackity is undoubtedly in a position of power here, he also breaks down in a way we haven't seen in this context yet. And by the end… well, he's confident. What reason is there to hide? The only person he might hide from already knows what he's capable of. This is the most honest he's ever been about his motivations for torturing c!Dream, and his straightforwardness and undisguised hatred amplifies the horror of the scene.

Las Nevadas 4, however? This is where the pattern gets really interesting.

The first segment of the stream is made without a facecam. c!Quackity walks c!Slime through lessons on how to be successful and powerful, each of which is challenged and peeled back. c!Quackity never fully removes his mask, even around this person he trusts, because he is trying to be an example for that person to emulate.

But there are two scenes in which the facecam returns. One, during the reunion with his fiances in Kinoko Kingdom, in which c!Quackity lets himself be relaxed and affectionate for the first time in months before pivoting to an outburst of all his resentment, sorrow, and anger. Two, when c!Purpled traps him and c!Slime and he is forced to fight for his life before screaming in grief at his friend's death.

And the final scene of the episode? We see not just the facecam, but full live action. The actor showing his full image, and c!Quackity being completely open and sincere. There's hope! There's a real human person still in there! Perhaps he can trust again and change before it's too late!

And guess what happens in the End of Las Nevadas?

THAT'S RIGHT, NOT A SINGLE SECOND OF FACECAM. NOT EVEN A CRUMB. HE'S GOING MAD (SCIENTIST) WITH POWER AND TERRIBLE COPING MECHANISMS FOR GRIEF. OUR MAN IS FULLY LOST IN THE MOTHERFUCKING SAUCE.

And that persona - no, not just the persona, the very person he tried to squeeze into his own image! - is the one who kills him!

And this is why I never liked the notion that Quackity's lore being so polished set the bar too high for other storylines. Because first off, imagine trying to insult someone by literally saying they're too good. Second, c!Quackity's whole arc in Las Nevadas was about how the pursuit of power and acclaim at the expense of your ability to be sincere will fucking destroy you. This way of telling a story is neither superior nor inferior to the more naturalistic style of other arcs. It all comes down to personal taste and how the medium can enhance the creator's intention.

And if Las Nevadas rings false to you?

Good. You understood.

Learn something from its fall.

#dsmp #c!quackity #c!schlatt #c!dream #analysis #tw torture #las nevadas

[triviareads]

Maybe because I have read so many wallflower books with interesting women but Penelope has always fall flat to me

I agree. There are a few things that stop me from enjoying Penelope:

a) The fact that narratively she had to lose weight for Colin to notice her— yes I know there's a gap in time between both these things occurring but the fact that Julia Quinn wrote Penelope as fat/plus-sized initially and then backtracked by saying DON'T WORRY GUYS SHE LOST WEIGHT and basically half-assed the rep.... bothers me.

b) Unlike multiple wallflower heroines written by other authors, ultimately Penelope does nothing to actually garner Colin's attention. His attraction to her hinges on him randomly walking up to her one day and having a conversation with her after years of being around her. And even then it takes longer for him to realize she's a) and attractive woman and b) someone he's attracted to. The point of a wallflower heroine in a romance novels to me is that they need to take charge of their passivity and actually do something about it— not just losing weight and changing the colors you wear, but something more. Lisa Kleypas's Wallflowers series begins with 4 overlooked women making a pact to find each other husbands, no matter how questionable the methods. Sarah MacLean's Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake begins with Callie (who btw is also curvy and a spinster) deciding she's no longer going to be passive and she's going to do *scandalous* things in a list she creates.

c) for show fans out there who are like BUT SHE'S DOING SOMETHING GREAT with Lady Whistledown, I assure you, there are a bunch of historical romances out there where overlooked heroines (and not overlooked ones!) are going against the grain and running businesses, orphanages, writing books that educate women on sex, creating a circulating library for similar purposes, writing and illustrating scientific tracts, etc. And none of them harm other women with their carelessly repeated gossip. Book!Penelope's version of LW is a cutesy little gimmick, though the fact that all of London is applauding her after she secretly wrote shit about them for years.... is hard to believe.

d) There are books with better carriage scenes and actually existent mirror scenes out there. Which leads me to my point that I don't particularly enjoy Julia Quinn's sex scenes and her writing is very middling in the grand scheme of historical romance authors.

If you're looking for recs with heroines like Penelope but better, here it is.

#bridgerton #historical romance #ask #romance novels

[brucenorris007]

Actually I want more feral younger sibling content in general

Speaking as the youngest brother, the protective instinct absolutely runs both ways, and yet said instinct so often goes unrepresented. Why isn’t there more of that? It’s so obvious; and again, speaking as the youngest brother, the baby is the first to turn feral and commit crimes when either A) backed into a corner or B) their big sib in trouble. Or even C) for no damn reason.

Tails snapping when he sees Sonic drop to the floor and not bounce right back up—flat out biting because his tech’s broken and he rejects outright any scenario that involves him seeing his big brother’s demise a second time.

Luigi screaming a guttural war cry when Mario takes a spine or a burn or any hurt too many; his fear circles right back around to rage and he goes on tear that reminds people he’s just as strong as his brother. I wanna see Weegee headbutt Bowser’s nose. 

Kari Yagami rampaging across the digital world because someone dared to deceive her favorite person in the world and got him hurt; holy light turns to incinerating, searing oblivion because you went after Taichi.

Bulla/Bra Briefs mapping out and executing an excessively elaborate series of pranks and revenge schemes that precariously toe the line of legality because someone broke Trunks’ heart after he told them he didn’t actually want to remain the CEO of Capsule Corporation. 

Mikey doing... actually, y’know, ROTTMNT Mikey embodies feral baby sib pretty well. Good job.

#Siblings #Dragon Ball #Dragon Ball Z #DBZ #DBGT #Dragon Ball GT #Sonic the Hedgehog #Miles Tails Prower #Mario #Luigi #Mario Bros #Super Mario Bros #Digimon #Kari Yagami #Hikari Yagami #Taichi Yagami #Trunks #Trunks Briefs #Bulla #Bra #Bulla Briefs #Want baby sib content #Brothers #Sisters #ROTTMNT #Michelangelo Hamato #Bruce talks about

[thecandywrites]

Monster March 2024 Day 7- Incubus/Succubus/Concubus-

The Lotus House- Clinic Practicum

Woo, sorry, been a busy day today. But I made it! So, this is, also a continuation from this prompt from last year. So here's Part 1.

As always, thanks to @borealwrites for their Monster March 2024 prompt list. Enjoy

Monster March 2024- Day 7- Incubus/Succubus/Concubus- 

The Lotus House- Continued- 

Clinical Trials

Senora took a deep breath as she approached- what was to her- could either be- the biggest possible threat to her academic career, or could be her biggest ally. Or something in between. This was essentially a black grab bag of possibilities. Because for every approach there could be a thousand possible outcomes. She instead had tried to simplify the equation, down to two variables. Her,and the person behind that door.

Xorrax. 

This was his favorite suite. Because on the other side of the back wall was Professor's Xeneth’s office. This suite was always given to Professor Xeneth’s favorite student. He found one every 3 years. Would usually hand pick the very best incubi student, who had the most potential. And that student would go from Student, to Master in any field after the student graduated, as the student was even given credit on Professor Xeneth’s research papers and thesis papers that were always groundbreaking. But Professor Xeneth didn’t have a class where they taught regular classes, because if they did, just about every student would be in attendance. 

Xorrax was the favorite student and personal assistant to Professor Xeneth the Practicum Master who was the Head of the Clinical Committee who oversaw the Clinic as a whole. 

Professor Xeneth however, was notoriously busy and always practically buried in paperwork, reviewing students in their performance reviews and exit exams from the Clinic Practicum. Professor was rumored to be quite old, cranky and had little to no patience to deal with bureaucratic bull shit or prima donna students. And was always said to be blunt, honest but fair in his reviews, but also, close to retirement. Professor Xeneth also, used Xorrax- to give any student who dared to become predatory- a clinical hour of their worst nightmares before they were escorted off the premises and banned from returning. 

But Senora had noticed that the students who had willingly put Xorrax in their practicum curriculum early, and sought him out, usually excelled and aced through the course. Others saw him once a semester to help them make steady improvement. The ones that sought him out- practically gushed and beamed and praised that when it came to honest feedback, he was the best. But those who sought him out, hoping to bribe him into turning a blind eye to anything going on in the clinic or to take part in any scheme, was usually dealt with by Professor Xeneth himself who immediately launched investigations and used Xorrax to spearhead them and would be exposed on a school wide and community wide scale. 

However, others did all they could to avoid Xorrax in the clinic altogether because the last thing they wanted was to open themselves up to his overly harsh criticisms or were usually the students who had something to hide. Plus, Xorrax had also built a reputation that- he liked to fuck his way through every female in the school, and specialized in students in the Bride Program and especially 3 C’s. 

It was rumored that Xorrax could make even the most devout sexual abstaining nun into a whore in five minutes flat. It was also rumored that he personally investigated anyone and everyone who even hinted at one student who would have any romantic attachments to any other student. And do so, without ever having to oversee any sessions. They would just need to walk past him, and he’d practically sniff it out like a hound which is why Professor Xeneth used and protected him and basically let him have the whole clinic as his playground, until Xorrax would eventually age out, become either a doctor or a teacher in their own right.  

Xorrax’s skills as a very powerful incubus were a class all their own. And all a student needed to do was be within his presence for 15 minutes and he would narrow down their biggest obstacles and biggest points of weakness. And that if the student worked on those, they would come out and improve their Student Overal Score by at least 50- 100 points, if not more. 

Senora, didn’t need the help academically. But she did want an honest appraisal, which is why she was not surprised when- the moment her class was released to start to schedule in the clinic, all of the top students in her class had filled in Xorrax’s schedule. And she had been lucky to even get this spot the first week. And she did not want to schedule anything else until she met with him first. Xorrax, of course, always gave deference to the newest students, or the students earmarked for needed extra improvement. Which filled his schedule up. 

And while he did spend, most of his time in the clinic- the man did have a home of his own. Where? She didn’t know. And all the details of his personal life were a mystery, just the way he liked them. 

But Senora, just because she wasn’t in the Bride Program herself, she wanted Xorrax to treat her as if she was. Because she wanted to be honestly assessed, tested and proven so that she would know how best to proceed, she thought of herself as a pretty well rounded student, but she still felt she needed a fresh pair of well trained and experienced eyes to really see her and her abilities as they were to give her a better understanding of herself and something of a baseline going forward. 

She had spent the last year, both preparing for the clinic, but also doing research on her own and had tracked down any and every student she could who had had sessions with Xorrax. All with varying degrees of success and every single one having a slightly different experience, but all of them, admitting that he didn’t give them what they wanted, but what they needed. 

But Senora, also, wanted to meet this Xorrax- head on. And get the one thing she wanted more than a sexual release. She wanted an honest appraisal of herself as a student. And that could only be given if she was really seen as she was. And the one looking- really saw her as she was.  

She knocked and heard a deep, and practically velvety voice answer. 

“Enter.” Xorrax answered before she did and simply stepped into the room and closed the door and waited. She was surprised when it didn’t look all that different from any other standard room. Most students, who got released into the clinic- liked certain styles of certain wings of the clinic. Others wanted it to be as bright and colorful as they were, yet others, wanted as close to a medical clinic as it could be. 

But this was as plain and generic as it could be. The perfect canvas. 

“Correct.” Xorrax praised from the shadowy corner where he was seeing her and sensing her. 

“Why?” Senora asked as she continued to appraise the room instead of looking into the dark corner where she had heard his voice come from. 

Although, if his skills were as good as his reputation built them up to be, he could practically make a room out of nothing and have a session without ever touching his partner, for how quickly and easily he could get into his partner’s head and manipulate them. 

“However, I am curious as to how you came to the conclusion that the room is a blank canvas.” He prodded curiously from a different corner as Senora simply grinned but instead had walked around the bed in the middle of the room, as if she was appreciating an art piece in a museum. 

“You’re an artist. Every woman in Dorierra is supposed to be a work of art- either in the making or already finished. And a blank canvas is just a way for her to expand her own work of art. But in this setting. It could either show the art in all it’s glory, or have it put under a microscope and scrutinized and judged and picked apart for its flaws. Besides, the best lovers simply mirror the love of a beloved. However, a mirror only works if the art is under the right light. Too harsh- and the lighting damages the pigment, makes certain colors fade or wash out and the art itself depreciates, not enough- it’s just a blob of barely deciphered color in the shadows.” Senora offered as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror on the wall before she simply moved to the bed to appreciate the ever changing inkblot art on the wall. 

She could feel him poke and prod her mind by changing the art, trying to find something she would like, something that she would see an image of something in. As the ink itself changed colors, seemingly at random as he seemed to be dialing her in but she did what she was advised to do- keep her mind free and clear, let things flow like a gentle breeze or a small stream in a forest. Don’t hold onto anything because whatever you tried to hold onto, Xorrax would take. Whatever you tried to hide, he would find. So, she didn’t hide anything. She didn’t hold onto anything either. Not even Xorrax. 

“Interesting.” Xorrax hummed, as if pondering the merits of her theory. 

“But that is just my opinion, and not the truth. So will you tell me the truth or will you simply have me believing my own opinion as correct?” Senora asked. 

“Well your opinion is one of the better ones I’ve heard.” He mused. 

“But it’s not the truth unless you say it is or it isn’t. I’m not one of those students who always has to be right or always has to win. But I am a curious one, who believes that a single truth should outweigh any number of opinions.” Senora urged. 

“Yes you are. And it’s that quest for wanting to see everyone else for who they really are, and understanding the why- that drives you. It’s why you’re the top of your class. It’s why you’re a favorite of your teachers and among your other paired classes. Because you care about accepting your partner, as they fully are, it lulls them into a sense of vulnerability without the threat of exposure.” He seemed to recall, as if he had already done his research on her too. 

“But, I also have learned that very few people are comfortable showing, much less being who they really are. Because of things like acceptance, or fear of rejection, or social norms, or attractiveness based on appearance, specifically the symmetry of their form.” Senora offered. 

“Ah, so I see, someone has already used their cubi- powers to hide themselves from you. That’s why you’re so incessant on being truthful and getting the real and true picture of your partners. Such an approach has gotten you very far. But such an approach will burn you here in the clinic.” He predicted. 

“How so?” Senora asked as her head tilted to the side curiously. 

“In the clinic, very few are interested in being seen as they truly are. If they want such things, they go to a therapist, not to The Lotus House. The Lotus House is a proving ground, and a place for students to build their ability to change themselves to suit anyone and everyone else. The Lotus House is about teaching students to build the right illusion, while not losing themselves in their own illusion. There is a huge difference in being seen as you are, and being seen as you want to be seen as. And that’s what most truly want. And what they desire above all else. They want to slip into a fantasy where their faults don’t exist, that their flaws are minimal, that they’re attractive and that all the reasons they would ever have to be critical of themselves or loathe themselves don’t really matter.” He plainly, and rather cynically appraised. 

“And that’s why the Bride System and 3 C’s produces individuals- capable of making any number of grooms believe such things.” Senora calmly concluded. 

“Is that why you’re not in the program? Unable to swallow such things down with a smile?” He asked as Senora could almost sense him almost pacing behind her, staring into the back of her head and could almost feel his sarcastic, perhaps almost snarky smile in his almost sneering tone. 

“That’s part of it.” Senora nodded. 

“But you didn’t answer my question. Why is the room plain?” Senora redirected him as she cast a curious look over her shoulder to barely see a shadowy figure move out of her area of view as she resisted trying to follow the figure and simply turned and stared at the blank wall in front of her once the pictures on the wall seemed to settle on pretty pictures in appealing colors, which was her cue that he had already dialed her in to a degree.  

“You were right, it is a blank canvas, but not for the student’s benefit. But for mine. I do like to think of myself as something of a piece of art in progress myself, but also part mirror, and part light and artist, all in one. I learn something from each piece of art that comes through that door. And a plain room is no different than a clean and clear artist gallery. Just open space and a series of lights, switches and dimmers and candles and lanterns to provide or hide any and all light needed or wanted. Some students come in, hoping I will find and expose their faults, others come in, hoping they will be able to hide whatever they want to from me- under their own school uniform. Others try to distract with their own brazen nakedness, in order to conceal their true vulnerability.” Xorrax expounded. 

“It’s a shame that I only came in naked then. Simply wanting you to see all of me, as much or as little as you wish to see to give me an honest appraisal.” She offered with a smug smirk as she slipped the silken robe off of her shoulders to simply sit on the bed. Not sucking in, not posing, just simply sitting comfortably, even slouching a little as she simply focused on sitting comfortably. 

“A naked subject is hardly an open book.” Xorrax practically scoffed. 

“And an open book is hardly the whole story. You know as well as I do, that the writer can either add or take away as they see fit through various revisions. Or pages can be torn out, or glued together. Or the print can be faded. Or in an unknown language altogether.” Senora pointed out. 

“So you came here for a philosophical debate? You’re better off meeting Professor Xeneth for that.” He almost taunted her. Was he having a bad day or something? Was he in a bad mood? Was he tired? Exhausted from the barrage of new new students in the clinic, all of them eager to have one on one time with him?

“No. I came to be honestly appraised by you. Not by Professor Xeneth. But, if you do refer me to Professor Xeneth, I would accept such a referral, but it was not why I came to you. I applied for this session with you. I specifically put on the session notes that I wanted an honest appraisal, which you already accepted. And I came naked, just in case that appraisal needed to be more intimate than just this conversation. I simply wish to see myself as I truly am. And I’m told no one is better with honest appraisal than you. That you can make even the most obsessive perfectionist or the worst lying charlatans see the truth of themselves. Surely you can do the same for me. I requested your professional assessment.” Senora maintained. 

“So you’ve tried to do all the research you can- to prepare yourself for your session with me?” He posed. 

“Well, while I do like to be prepared, I also try not to be convoluted either. I know I’m not the smartest student in class. I know I still have a lot to learn throughout my courses here at The Lotus House. I know that I don’t know everything, or know everyone. Nor do I wish to. All I’m looking for is understanding of myself. You are the personal assistant to the Head Clinic Practicum Master himself after all and are second only to him.” Senora appraised. 

“I hear you’re working on another thesis with Professor Xeneth that will rock The Lotus House to the core once it’s eventually published, just like the last one did. That it will most likely, at the very least improve, if not- rewrite our curriculum and even change how we approach The Lotus House and sex in general. And that Professor Xeneth has used you to then use and test every student who has willingly walked through that door- as a test subject for their various theories. But while I won’t object to you testing any out on me, I am still waiting on my honest appraisal.” Senora offered. 

“Then please slip your robe back on.” Xorrax insisted before she did and only a moment later, a stool seemed to appear before her before a white cane came out of the shadows, with a blind man holding it before he sat down. He was dressed really modestly. He was actually rather thin and almost frail and looked nothing like how he was usually perceived to look like. 

“You are both surprised, yet smug in your perceived appearance of me.” He offered. 

“You are cubi, a powerful one. One who can change everything about yourself to suit anyone else’s tastes. Usually when we lose one sense, the others grow stronger. If you are either naturally blind, or are simply choosing to appear to me- to be blind, that would account for your cubi powers to be dialed in and dialed up to an unimaginable maximum. But it would also account for the bare minimalist room. Less things for you to trip over in here, and less you have to worry about manipulating for your partner’s benefit, or the less potential there is for anything to happen to you as you would move about in here to interrupt the illusion.” She offered as she slipped the robe back onto her body to re-establish her modesty. 

“Precisely.” He smiled. 

“And it’s why you can hide in the shadows in the corners, and simply let your cubi- senses- sense the person who comes in here. And once you get into someone else’s head, you can see both yourself through their eyes, but also, themselves through their own eyes. And if you’re able to do that much, you probably don’t even have to physically touch them. It’s their own minds that do the rest.” Senora boldly mused. 

“Correct.” He confirmed with another nod. 

“But then again, this all could just be an illusion you put into my head too, to satisfy my own curiosity.” Senora realized. 

“Perhaps. But you wanted honesty in your appraisal. And you wanted the truth as to why the room is plain. Which I am showing you, instead of telling you. So, since you are so ready to accept me in any form I wish to show myself to you in- even if it’s not the form you are expecting. I will do you the honor and the justice to give you what you have asked for. An honest and fair appraisal.” He began. 

“Miss Senora, it is clear to me, that you could have sex with every student, regardless of gender in this school. And you could get perfect scores doing so. But there is a sense of comfort and safety that one carries when their true heart is held, protected, cared for and nurtured by another. And that is what you have - and it is how you have breezed through the pairings of the class. You have your true, inner heart- so securely cared for, loved, protected and shielded that it doesn’t matter what I or anyone else says or does. Nothing will change how you feel about your beloved, or how your beloved feels about you- no monogamous relationship needed. And it’s because you trust the person whose own heart you hold, just as carefully, just as securely, just as tenderly and just as protectively, that they look at the clinic as a trial by fire, but you and your love have made them fireproof as their love for you has made you fireproof in turn.” He calmly, and if anything, rather proudly appraised. 

“That kind of love- and acceptance- is never going to be against the rules, or against anything that The Lotus House teaches and stands for. If anything, it’s what the Lotus House is geared towards. To help those who stay in Dorierra to have successful relationships, however they wish to quantify and qualify said success. It’s why you’re comfortable baring yourself as much as you are, because you have already bared yourself to your beloved and he has already accepted all of your true self and your true heart as much as you have accepted him in turn and you both wear such affections like a suit of armor. You have already understood that there can be a difference between physical, mental, emotional and psychological fidelity or infidelity. And you are simply waiting to weather the Clinical Practicum Trials, no matter how they would test you- either by a trial of fire or a trial of flower petals.” He appraised as the very fire he was speaking of seemed to alight from his staff, and the very flower petals seemed to fall about them like snow before disappearing a moment after. 

“You have already won the war, whereas others have yet to really fight their first battles, because you have been honest and humble with yourself first.” He honestly appraised with a fond grin. 

“ Is my beloved that obvious to you?” Senora asked curiously, because she thought she had done a good job of neither hiding Volron nor showing him off in her mind. 

“Oh yes. Because while you tried to hide yourself in plain sight. I still can’t help but see him when I’m looking in the background of your mind, the truth plainly plays out in your subconscious. Everyone’s inner mind is like a physical place. Different thoughts are like phantoms of either people or structures. And you hid Volron in plain sight, all around you as you would be with him both in memory and fantasy. However, to the untrained eye, he would have blended into the background perfectly and had practically been invisible. You worked very hard and were very good in making sure there was only ever one of him at a time. Never more than one at any one time, just like no one in the real world is ever in more than one physical place at a time. Some people, when they try to hide who they don’t want me to see, I see copies of them everywhere all at once and it’s like I see nothing but them, others try to lock their secrets into safes while the code is practically stamped on their foreheads.” He chuckled with a subtle shake of his head. 

“But, with you, what I see in the distance, where you imagine yourself being one day, is not your graduation, or even, your wedding day or the birth of your first child with Volron. But simply, what you imagine him and yourself being one day- a pair of old people, walking side by side, hand in hand, your tails wrapped around the other as they trail behind you. It’s adorable. And what’s even more adorable, is his version of you is the same in his own mind. It’s his fantasy that he uses to soothe himself after every clinical hour he puts in here. And it is quite adorable. And I don’t even need to be in a session with him to see it. But don’t worry. He will not get in trouble, and neither will you. If anything, he is a better man for his true loyalty to you. You want to be a counselor. And there is nothing in your way of achieving that., and all he wants is to make you happy, and there is nothing but his own fear at being found out in his own way.” He offered with a nod of approval. 

“You are otherwise, a pretty well rounded student, academically, you’re obviously, top of your class, but you are not desperate to stay at the top of the class academically, like some of your fellow students. My only caution to you is to understand that the Clinic Practicum is all about illusion and fantasy. And that others that come into the Clinic are looking to escape into any number of fantasies, and they’re coming, looking for sexual release and to blow off excess steam with you and the other students in a safe and controlled environment. And your ‘I’ll show you all of me so you can show me all of you’ approach- while has it has helped you in practice between the paired classes, especially when you’re new and young and naive and still gaining experience and it forgives awkward fumbles. The Clinic is looking for smoothness in manners and self confidence and self assuredness. Your current approach can be quite dangerous. It’s far from unique and usually, at the beginning, it can boost your clinic session score, because it’s seen as ‘new’ and ‘individual’ and ‘refreshing’. It will however, get old. And once it gets old, suddenly your clinic practicum scores will plummit because either they grow bored, or they grow hungrier for that private, intimacy with you. It’s a great way to find a husband and settle down and having to test out of The Lotus House early, if that’s what you really want. But if you want to give yourself and this part of your education justice, it’s a dangerous disservice.” He warned. 

“For one- it opens you up to the more emotionally needy clients who will drain you faster than a water hose left open on full blast. Two, you run the risk of more than just your Beloved falling in love with you and actually genuinely, romantically pursuing you and wanting to be romantically involved with you and only you because you’ve made the emotional involvement too easy to entangle yourself and themselves in. 3. It will absolutely jeopardize your relationship with your Beloved and it will be a test too far and it will break the relationship and bring out the worst in you both. And I would hate to see The Lotus House break up yet another happy couple, that could have been just fine, if no one had interfered.” He cautioned as he held up one of his hands to list them off. 

“You need to stay in control of yourself and what happens and what transpires in the Clinic Practicum. Because if that power is given to your client instead of to you- the client is going to be greedy and take and take and take until you are empty and then they’re going to give you bad scores for being used up, which is not fair at all. There should be a little give and take during the session, yes. But you should not be the only one giving. Because, as I’m sure you’ve understood in your Dominatrix and Submissive classes, it’s the Submissive who is in real control. Always stay in control of yourself and the room during the session. And the only time that control should be given up- is in private, with your Beloved. No where else.” Xorrax offered.

“But that’s it. Otherwise you’re lovely, inside and out.” Xorrax grinned. 

“Thank you Xorrax.” Senora thanked him.  

“Professor Xeneth would like to meet with you. You will find your uniform in the changing room on the other side of this door to change to meet him formerly.” Xorrax offered before he stood and touched the light switch on the wall to reveal a truly blank room. The paintings, long since revealed to be nothing more than empty frames on the wall as he went to the door before he knocked a peculiar knock before he opened the door and showed her into the dressing room as she quickly changed into her regular uniform and once she was done, there was another knock on the other door. 

“Yes?” She answered as she opened it to reveal Professor Xeneth on the other side. 

“Yes Miss Senora, a pleasure to meet you. Dr. Zellora has given me quite the glowing review. You are one of her favorite students in this year’s class.” Professor Xeneth offered as he shook her hand and then showed her to a comfy chair on the other side of his desk before he walked around and sat down, her official student file on his desk as he was looking through it and reading it before there was another knock on one of the other doors to his office before Xorrox came in and went to his own desk- that was remarkably clear except for a tray of stamps, each with braille label. 

Senora watched, rather in awe as Xorrox didn’t need a cane as he walked around the desk and sat down and used his sense of touch to find the right file in a filing cabinet next to his desk before he took the paper out and then used a special frame next to a special platform over the paper before he pressed a series of stamps into the paper before he got it back and put it onto Professor Xeneth’s desk before he touched Senora’s shoulder as she reached up and squeezed his hand over it and couldn’t help but smile fondly up at him, even though he was blind, and probably couldn’t see it but the mutual respect and fondness was still felt as she felt him fully disengage with her so he could engage with his next client in the next session. 

“Well, Xorrax is yet another who has given you a glowing review. But a fair criticism nonetheless.” Professor Xeneth noted as she smiled at the various “stamps” that while they simply looked like strange symbols, were a language and held vast meanings. 

“Xorrox has advised that you do an Accelerated Program in the Clinic Practicum.” He offered. 

“What kind of Accelerated Program?” Senora asked. 

“This kind.” Professor Xeneth said as he took the paper Xorrax had stamped and went to his own filing cabinet to get a copy of each of the worksheets and made sure he got at least two copies of each one before he put them into a neat stack on his desk before he put additional marks on Xorrax’s assessment. 

“Now, in my professional opinion, I will second everything that Xorrax has admonished to you. But I wish to add one more thing. Usually what the student does not like, or- is an acquired taste, is usually what the student needs more of- to be well rounded. So, you will find two copies of each of these assignments. One is for you to use with any other student or client at your discretion. The other- will be an assignment, given by the Clinic Managers, for they usually know each of the classes and each of the students in those classes, better than their own teachers will, because we can not escape some form of favoritism and bias but the Managers have enough distance to be objective in said assignments. You can either choose to have the assignment first, and then have the joy of choosing the second. Or, use the choice to prepare you for the assignment. I have seen many students choose either- or, and have had success with both. Once you look at these assignments, you can decide.” Professor Xeneth noted as he wrote down which of the assignments were being assigned to her. 

“Next, I want you to know that once you do these assignments, you will have satisfied the Clinic Practicum Requirements.” 

“Wait, what?” Senora blinked in shock. 

“What part of accelerated program do you not understand?” Professor Xeneth asked as he looked at her over the top of his glasses. 

“I…I….I didn’t think it would  be that accelerated.” Senora stuttered. 

“Senora, you are young and your mind is still quite the sponge. You wish to be a Student Counselor here at The Lotus House. And you show amazing aptitude for it. And your ability to sympathize and empathize, and really understand others struggles in this program should really be nurtured and developed, especially while you’re still malleable. And doing the whole- normal clinical hour requirement, would be, honestly, a waste of your time. Sometimes, the longer you are in Clinic, while you gain experience, it drains your empathy and sympathy and can jade people a very ugly shade of green. And Xorrox, and I and the other staff do not wish for that to happen to you. You will still get plenty of experience. But with you not being in the Bride Program, and instead, still have a wonderful career in front of you. I don’t feel meaningless hours and exhausting, unneeded experience in the Clinic Practicum will help you with your ambition or your career. So, I am about to do, what very, very few students get to ever earn the right to do. Since you are in the accelerated program. If you will do this half of these assignments as assigned. I don’t care if you choose to do every other single one with the same student. Or if you choose to have every homework assignment done with the same partner from here on out. It will be allowed. Your career and your future should not be impeded by The Clinic Practicum, it should be supportive of it as well. And this accelerated rate- will see to it.” He added. 

“So, allow this old man to offer a pre-emptive congratulations. Congratulations on passing the Clinical Practicum Trials.” He congratulated her as he handed her Xorrox’s assessment and the small, practically miniscule stack of assignments. 

“What?” She asked as she took it and looked at the paper. According to the special paper- she had just done two years worth of clinical trials in a single session. She was still free to partake in the clinic if she wished to after the assignments were completed. But she otherwise aced it and- at the completion of these assignments would be considered graduated from the Clinic Practicum.

“Why?” Senora asked as she just stared at the pages in awed bewilderment. 

“Because you cared enough to want to see the real Xorrax and were honest in showing him the real you. Even at great risk. The truth means everything to you, as does endurance of any and every trial. And such a noble endeavor deserves to be commended and supported.” He offered. 

“So, Xorrax, really is blind? That was really him? That was the real him?” Senora asked. 

“Yes. That was the real him. Doctor Xorrax- really is blind. But his phantoms can see just fine. And he uses his clients to be his eyes and ears for him as well. It’s what has made him an exceptional student and perfect for this role.” Professor Xeneth praised. 

“He’s a doctor?” Senora asked. 

“Yes, he just pretends to be a student. But that first thesis we put out? That was his doctorate thesis. And he is a scientist. It’s because he is blind that his cubi powers were enhanced to such a great degree that his work on a person’s subconscious- is how we can test to see if a student is really mentally mature enough for the Lotus House. It’s how he can investigate everything that he does. Because his cubi powers are practically superpowers, he is able to do everything that he does and more. You will actually be working quite closely with him from now on for he is instrumental in helping pair the right students to the right counselors and vice versa.” Professor Xeneth explained. 

“You are an exceptional student Miss Senora. And you will make an excellent counselor. If you wish to continue to use the clinic you may- if you feel you need the experience, but otherwise, the sessions will not add to your already impeccable score. However, I suggest, having one last session outside of these assigned ones, with Volron. Using this. If he can do all that is specified on this paper in a single session, it will be his own exit exam from the clinic and he can be your only homework companion if you both wish him to be. He came into the Clinic Practicum, expecting it to be a trial by fire, he should leave it as a trial by flower petals, don’t you think?” Professor Xeneth offered one last piece of paper with Volron’s name and student number already written by Professor Xeneth on it. 

“Thank you. Can I hug you?” She asked as she took it and couldn’t help but start crying tears of relief as both pieces of paper were more precious than anything she had ever held before. 

“Of course.” He held out an arm as she came around and hugged him on the side and kissed the top of his head. 

“Sorry.” She offered as she tried to wipe her tears from his hair. 

“It’s ok. You’re not the first, nor will be the last to cry on me today. Go and enjoy the rest of your day, and leave out that door, you leave from this door and you’ll intrude on Xorrax. And I do not wish to court his ire.” He chuckled. 

“Thank you!” She thanked him before she took the precious papers and left and she felt like she practically floated all the way up to front desk before she handed all the papers to the Clinic Manager for that wing who readily handed her the copies of her own private assignments back while earmarking the others that would need to be assigned as Dr. Oresha immediately knew who Senora should have for the assignments. 

“Congratulations Senora.” The Clinic Manager- Dr. Oresha cooed as she happily hugged Senora once she was done and showed the students names written in pencil first to Senora who nodded her agreement to the assignments before Dr. Oresha wrote over them in ink to make them more permanent. 

“Thank you.” Senora smiled and couldn’t stop smiling, or crying more tears of happiness. Most of her classmates, much less the other students, hadn’t even gotten through half of their sessions yet. But Senora happily flipped through the book and found Volron’s last open day and scheduled herself for the session with him. And knew it was going to be his exit exam from the clinc practicum. She got the other paperwork back and practically skipped through the halls to leave the clinic and practically floated back to her classroom where Dr. Zellora was in her classroom, grading papers in the school, so she didn’t have to bring them home and risk grading them there, and having any of her grandkids accidentally make a mess of them. 

“Knock knock.” Senora said as she knocked on the door frame.

“Miss Senora! Hi! Come in, come in, tell me, how was Xorrax?” Dr. Zellora invited as she invited her student to come and pull up a chair next to her desk. 

“You mean Dr. Xorrax don’t you?” Senora beamed with a bright smile before Dr. Zellora practically squealed in delight as her tail whipped and wiggled excitedly as Senora’s did as well. 

“Oh you aced it! You aced it! I knew it! I’m so proud of you!” Dr. Zellora practically bounced her seat over to Senora to hug her tightly. 

“Tell. Me. Everything. Right now!” Dr. Zellora gushed as she immediately put her papers to the side to turn to Senora so they could talk and gush about the experience. 

“Holy shit, he showed you the real him? He showed you the cane? Aw, you really must have made him feel safe and secure enough for him to show you that. He’s so sweet and so nice. I mean, he can be a hard ass too. But that’s only to the students who try to pull a fast one. But to the truly meek, mild and humble? Oh he’s a dream. And his honest appraisal of you as a student is exactly what I was hoping for. It’s good but honest and fair. Now I do agree with Professor Zeneth’s advice as well. But once you go through the assignments, these choice ones will be not only a breeze, but a pleasure and a joy. And I agree, having you do the entire Clinic Practicum is not only- unwarranted but would be a waste of your time, but mostly a waste of your sympathy and empathy too. And you need to save as much of that for your future students as you can. You will still be getting all the Clinic Practicum you need to stay well rounded and stay well informed and well experienced. You should absolutely keep your focus on your studies and your career. And I know this will be one less thing for you to worry about in class. And one less distraction from your chosen career path. I’m so happy for you. Ok, so, tell me, do you have any ideas about this?” Dr. Zellora asked once she held up what was going to be Volron’s exit exam. 

“Oh gosh, well it was encouraged that his clinic practicum has been a trial by fire so far, and it should end as a trial of flower petals.” Senora grinned. 

“Well ok, so, how far do you want to take that?” Dr. Zellora asked. 

“How far am I allowed to take it?” Senora asked. 

“Oh Honey, I have had some students make their room a damn honeymoon suite. If it’s going to be both of your guys’ last time in the clinic. Make it the best session ever. Make it the best- last time together as students. Make it yours, make it his. Make it memorable. And a day and possibly night, he will never forget. But most importantly. Use any number of these room numbers.” She offered before she wrote down a series of room numbers. 

“But that’s Dr. Xorrax’s wing.” 

“Exactly. Dr. Xorrax only assigns those rooms to who he is watching and who he is investigating, or I’ve seen him use that whole wing, each with a phantom of himself in each one and able to keep all 12 rooms occupied and to the point that none of them knew they were ever in those rooms alone. And I know for a certainty that these, are otherwise, unused. Most students don’t even want to go down this hallway. So you’ll be able to make all kinds of noise and make all kinds of racket without an audience which is what the final practicum exit exam room has. And without interference. And the rooms are purposefully just as plain as his is. Make any of those rooms, your perfect canvas to create your perfect final piece of art. Enter that room as a student, and leave it as Volron’s beloved, loud and proud. Hell, you have my permission to leave it as his fiance if he is so inclined.” Dr. Zellora cooed schemingly as that seemed to make Senora blush and giggle and practically vibrate with happiness. 

“Really?” Senora asked. 

“Hey, the minute you check these check marks and sign here, he’s done. Make sure you sign before he proposes though.” Dr. Zellora urged. 

“Ok.” Senora nodded in understanding. 

“I have some shopping to do to prepare for this then.” Senora happily and giddily offered as she took it, carefully slipped them into a protective folder and into her backpack. 

Off to tell her Beloved The Best News Ever.

#Monster March #Monster March 2024 #Monster March 2024 - Day 7- Incubus/Concubus/Succubus #The Lotus House

[columboscreens]

Hey I love your blog and I’m a huge Columbo fan! Haven’t gotten too much into the series yet I’m only on season 3 and I wanted to know if you have a definitive ranking of the seasons in your opinion?

thank you! my personal ranking of the individual seasons is as follows:

S TIER - APEX LITTLE GUY

season 3 - absolute all-star season. peter falk was in his prime and columbo's personality was fully developed. he's serious but in good humor, highly competent but still human (as opposed to the omniscience he gains in later seasons). the murderers are fantastic, the plots are interesting, the humor hit its stride, the writing and pacing is artful. even the filler is subtly whimiscal and entertaining. peak, peak columbo.

season favorite: any old port in a storm

A TIER - UPPER ECHELON

season 2 - all of the above, just a very close second in my eyes as i find the episodes overall slightly duller and character of columbo in the process of developing, rather than fully solidified.

season favorite: a stitch in crime

season 1 - a close third. the mysteries are tight and fresh from the minds of levinson and link, and it shows. the photography/editing is very experimental, very cutting edge. the only caveat is that early columbo is, in retrospect, just a bit too flat/stodgy. the characterization that can only cultivate with time just wasn't there yet.

season favorite: suitable for framing

season 4 - still superb columbo but trails behind season one just a little bit more. i find it not quite as genius, not as tight. i always firmly suspend my disbelief with columbo, but some of the plots start getting a little wavery. what this season really has going for it is that columbo steps out of his comfort zone more often and hits a pitch perfect balance of whimsical and serious. thus, even when the plot suffers, the character still shines. a delightful season to watch.

season favorite: by dawn's early light

(continued under the cut)

B TIER - QUITE GOOD

season 5 - solid columbo, but the discerning viewer finds the show begins to miss more often and is perhaps past its prime. i respect the risk-taking, but by the very nature of taking risk, things don't always quite pan out. that said, this season had some very important bits that pushed the character and, coupled with patrick mcgoohan's influence, had really some of the most fantastic and unique outings of the series. however, nbc's frustration with falk at this point is palpable--season five is the final full installment of the original series.

season favorite: now you see him

C TIER - MERELY GOOD

season 6 - with only three episodes, not much of a season to begin with. some parts are fantastic, some of the best in the series, and some parts start getting hard to watch. the episodes feel mishandled because they were. between logistical conflicts involving writing, directing, producing, and falk trying new ways of playing columbo, this season is a little bit all over the place. overall merely just good in the grand scheme of things.

season favorite: the iq murder case. no, you are not getting me to say the whole thing.

season 7 - still good, but even more mishandled than season 6 and boy is the flanderization in full swing. columbo starts to feel like a different character, and combined with overhauls in showrunning, it begins to feel at some points like a different show. people responded well to columbo's subtle comedic facets, so instead of simply iterating upon them, they immediately blew them out of proportion. columbo was no longer a mystery show with comedic elements, it was a comedy with mystery elements, which mucks up the whole tone of the show. it's handled with less care and comes off as less organic and more hammy than previous seasons. i kind of want to love most of season 7 more than i actually do.

season favorite: the conspirators

season 9 - believe it or not, a more distant third here lies this stretch of 90s era columbos. aside from the abominations that are murder in malibu and murder: a self portrait, i think they actually sort of hit a stride here. stronger outings like columbo cries wolf, agenda for murder, rip mrs. columbo, and even uneasy lies the crown feature prominently. no glory days by any means but still nearly as watchable as the aforementioned seasons.

season favorite: columbo cries wolf

D TIER - HOLDING MY NOSE

season 8 - i no longer consider these episodes "good" in the way columbo is magically good. any good moments are good in spite of what they are, not because of it.

the first reboot season had no idea what it wanted to be. aside from sex and the married detective and occasionally a scene or two from the other episodes, i almost never revisit these. these episodes commit common but fatal columbo sins: columbo goes to the guillotine is so hackneyed it hurts, murder smoke and shadows goes on for entirely too long AND has a villain who is utterly obnoxious to the viewer, and grand deceptions isn't bad per se but an absolute snoozefest. married detective DOES have the awful tuba scene, but it's something you can fast-forward through, rather than fast-forwarding through the entire episode.

season favorite: sex and the married detective

season 10 - these are on their way to the garbage bag. i lump these in with most of the specials and such. when people talk shit about latter-day columbo, they mean a lot of the stinkers in this pile. aside from columbo goes to college (the best reboot outing) and columbo likes the nightlife (the final columbo outing which happened to be weirdly really good), i very seldom revisit these episodes. again, aside from isolated scenes, performances, or moments, you can safely walk away from these or just watch them in passing. they are watchable tv, but rarely have any of the columbo sparkle.

season favorite: columbo goes to college

F TIER, GARBAGE BAG

murder in malibu can suck an egg

#sorry this took so long OP i am broke brained #columbo #ask #text #longpost

[wonderfulworldofdarklords]

Welcome to Wonderful World of Darklords! In this episode, we tackle Disney's most terrifying setting to date, as explored in a horror movie that was absolutely not a soulless cash grab: the Hundred Acre Wood. Topics discussed include:

The surprising connections between Winnie the Pooh, a darklord ruled by his basest appetites, and another darklord from a recent episode;

The rich narrative possibility of an uneasy alliance with Heffalumps and Woozles, and the pitfalls of teaming up with such untrustworthy creatures even when they're the only things the darklord fears;

The horror potential of the source material, from Rabbit's heartless kidnapping scheme to a survival-horror frozen expotition to the North Pole;

Ideas to integrate Tigger with a certain other rakshasa, and how Kalakeri's themes intersect with those from the Hundred Acre Wood;

and more!

The full writeup for the Hundred Acre Wood s is available for free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/darklord-of-very-101391105?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

All music recordings are in the public domain (mark 1.0) and are licensed through https://musopen.org:

Chopin Nocturne in B-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.1 (main theme), performed by Eduardo Vinuela

Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 12 in C Minor: “Ocean” (darklord theme), performed by Edward Neeman

Chopin Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1 (land theme), performed by Luke Faulkner

Chopin Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1 (parting thoughts), performed by Luke Faulkner

Dialog for Yensid was written by Azalin Rex himself @darklordazalin

The Wonderful World of Darklords logo was designed by Halite Jones, whom you can find @halite-jones or on  Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/insta_halite

Contact us on:

Gmail: [email protected]

Facebook: @wonderfulworldofdarklords

Tumblr: @wonderfulworldofdarklords

Patreon: www.patreon.com/WonderfulWorldofDarklords

#wonderful world of darklords #ravenloft #dnd #podcast #disney movies #curse of strahd #disney #animation #winnie the pooh #april fool's day #i could have sworn i saw a picture of pooh as strahd somewhere but now i can't find it

[richardsphere]

Leverage Redemption Log: The Pyramid Job

Well either we're going to Egypt (not in the budget) the louvre (not in the budget) or a Bass Pro Shop (in the budget, unlikely). That or its an MLM. --- Woman is telling her MLM bosses about how she needs to leave the MLM. They tell her success is definitly on the way.

Huh an MLM that has a return policy. (i mean its definitely a shit policy that scams them but thats better then most MLM's)

And they reverse psychology the woman back into the pyramidcult. --- Scene opens with a person in an old london flat-cap getting thrown into a container of hay by Elliot. (this guy is so london that i'd be suprised if this doesnt somehow tie into the "Sophie Backstory" that is being slowly woven into the season-arc.)

Pick London Tweeds pocket full of diamonds, fund a school, pay off debts. Denouement for an off-screen adventure.

Huh, im right. Its just not the same guy but this "Billie the Gent" fellow is also wearing a flatcap (and this guy is even wearing something tweed-like) So i assume this scene is taking place in a London warehouse (the beautiful thing about warehouses, they're pretty standard regardless of geographical location. No need for expensive on-location shots)

Billy is worried about his daughter (she was a baby when Sophie sent him and Arthur to prison)

Elliot dated someone who bought the product.

Billie is doing a bit of a guilt trip, and Elliot doesnt trust him. So expect a third-act betrayal of some sort. --- Con starts in-medias-res. Breanna is an accountant. She does not like how much firewalls they've put around comic sans slideshows of babies.

The point of the Con (at least for now): Get a virus on the server. Automated "return true" to all attempts at a refund.

I dont think that the people working at the datacenters of an MLM are usually in the "level"-based structure. So we need a Diamond key... well if they're all on the funky little wristwatch-drives like Saphire here has? Thats a simple Parker Pickpocket. (seems that she's thinking along the same lines).

Also daily, streams from the boss bitch? Thats gonna make a return, and knowing the standard Leverage MO: That is gonna be her Confession Cam

Sophies scheme for Richard: Divide and conquer by convincing him he needs some more Toxic Masculinity in his life. But like, only a smidgen. So its a Harry job, not an Elliot.

--- Sophie arrives at the cult-fundraiser thing. (Parker is in situ as waitstaff) Thank god this show is willing to drop the C word. (Cult. Though though the other one might be apropriate as well) Ok so apparently the company just steals downlines whenever they want?

Richard exists stage to let Debra shine. Do some pseudo-inspirational brainwashing. We have found Billies daughter Miranda. Parker offers up the Venezuela Protocol. --- Operation Bromcom is initiated. I do not like the Tom Selleck stache on Harry.

Bromcom makes it into Phase 2 no problem. --- Debra reads through Sophies accent and really puts her on the spot, also she puts the spots on her. Cut for comercial as if Sophie doesnt have an earpiece. --- Ok we're not even bothering with the earpiece, Sophie is just gonna StageCultBS her way out of this.

But yeah Debra is onto Sophie. Which isnt really a problem? (Sophie is only here to keep an eye on Miranda and create an opening for Parker to do her thing. Being in the spotlight is kind of the point) --- Back with Breanna, Saphire very much is starting to see the dawning light Re:Pyramids. It's far from noon yet but its definitly twilight.

Ronald has a real "they've got skulls on them" moment when he sees the Teletubbies sunbaby on a giant pyramid in the logo. --- Sophie has Parker feign a pregnancy. (she named the kid after Hardison)

And we've just (temporarily) screwed over Miranda. (look there are no stakes here)

Seriously how many glass pyramids are on this table Miranda is standing at?

"I dont have a tissue but you can use my sleeve". 10/10. Well looks like Parker has succesfully convinced Miranda to leave. --- Meanwhile Billy is talking on the phone with someone in a foreign language. Meanwhile Elliot, not involved in our Con, is keeping tabs on Billy. Turns out Elliot can see a narrative throughline when its in his face and is gonna punch it out of Billy before the concequences of Sophies past come to blow our heroes' faces off. --- Back with Harry, Parker tells him to play the "manly emotional insecurity card". ("If only my dad had been able to tell me he was proud of me when he was still alive") Richard has a safe and Parker is ready to go. (so we're switching Diamond-bracelet targets from Debra to Richard) --- Back with Elliot, Billy is remniscing about old times. (turns out food works just as well as punches)

He doesnt trust Sophie, but also he doesnt have any grudges against her. (he understands that she didnt sell him out, he was going down anyway and he doesnt resent her, unlike Arthur) --- Back at Cultcon, Sophie is being politely interogated by Debra. (Debra sees a kinship/rivalry i think?)

Oh i see. (perhaps a bit late). its a maternity cult, about parenthood. And Sophie was always very maternal basically taking all of 2 episodes before becoming an all-out mom to Parker in the OG run. We're about to drop the "you abandoned your child" revelation aren't we? The narrative throughline of the season isnt the Duke she married, its the current duke/duchess that's gonna be the season finale. --- Back to Breanna and Robert, turns out the cheap bracelets cost 200 USD. Also he wants to play Jazz. Breanna knows where the Yes Virus needs to go (penthouse computer) --- Parker tells Harry to move it like a madagaskan lemur. Gold bars, land title deeds in Uzbek... (close enough to russia that it might have been a something Billy was covering up. Except then a reveal that Elliot knows he wasnt speaking russian cause Elliot speaks Russian.)

Oh god he's working with Billy. Thats our 3rd act complication isnt it? (yes a "sophie had a child" reveal would be a twist but it wouldnt be a complication to the con. But a betrayal by Billy...)

Richard challenges Harry to a duel. (who has spotted the bracelet. its in the mancave.) --- Oh Sophie is doing exposition about Nate, i thought we were gonna get into the Duke. (Or it could be both)

Richard just knocked Harry's earpiece out (quick, tell him its a hearing aid. You've spent too much time around loud cars and payed the price. He'll fall for it!) --- Back from commercial, It seems Harry is going for the lie i came up with (im starting to really get feel these writers)

Parker is compromised with her fake belly, and unfortunately Richard isnt buying the hearing aid story (worth a try) --- Breanna is so pissed that Harry's sword-fighting a viking and she's stuck as an accountant. (Ronald has gone home, grabbed his trumpet, returned to tell Breanna and now he's off again) --- "your brandy is watered down and your cubans are fake" hitting him where it hurts him most.

Harry gets to catch punch out a guy with a sword and catch a thrown axe with his shield. He's really getting into Phase 4. --- Meanwhile back at Sophie, we're she's stalling for time with expositiondumps to Debra. And the clock strikes (i think it was 4?) and Sophie turns the tide from reluctant admisions of past trauma to goading and baiting Debra into a confession. Oh she's calling for security after she just confessed to her actions on her own daily livestream? I do wonder what'll happen when we get back from commercials --- So yeah she was on broadcast (cause of course)

Breanna used Harry as a distraction to put her virus on Richards Wristband (man, if only Debra hadnt insisted on a Nuclear Missile-type 2-key situation she could've stopped all the returns from happening right now)

Harry runs into the Denouement looking like a fool because someone has to explain the logistics of the financial fallout (also he put in a call, the repoman works fast) --- Back at the theatre the Selleck Stache has been glued to a mixer. Parker is keeping the baby, and Harry is keeping the armor (it reeks but its probably expensive)

Richard spilled some beer in the car (which, is anticlimactic as far as "you ruined my car for the mission" jokes go), and Richard is playing jazz outside the theatre. ---

YES I KNEW THAT IT WASNT RUSSIA! It was the Uzbek deed after all! So our next mark is presumably this Ramsey guy. (if he's into runways, he's probably a plane-based smuggler) Final camera pan upwards to a devil-like statue. (not a Gargoyle as it isnt a waterfeature, and its mouthes and orifices are closed so it also isnt a grotesque)

#leverage #leverage redemption #leverage redemption season 2 #the pyramid job

[nightmaretheif]

Done another Character Mix with @the-slender-doll

We agreed to use her baby Connor, her White Hare Proxy, and my baby Tefnut, the Possessed Proxy

i wanted to post this as ive had it in my phone for a while, and this time i went with a spicey looking, tom boy/pinkish look. whikst originaly i was going to go a bjt mire flat chested, the mix had more of Connors atrobutes so i went with boobas xD some Virtaligo to mix the skin tones and made their hair gose from white to brown, like a trauma kinda style, kept the cloathing mostly connors and then some of the colour scheme and jewelry that belonged to Tef.

Those tallons are also used to cut, and, along with the Hetrochomia show possesion

Connor (c) @the-slender-doll

Tefnut (c) Nightmaretheif

#oc #anime #digital art #friends oc #clipstudiopaint #oc mix #tsundere hare #shy cat #slender proxy ocs #proxy ocs