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shuinami · 2 years

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Why I love Nawi and Malik...

Kay, before anyone crucifies me, I only look at 'The Woman King' as a work of fiction, not as some documentary. If you look at it as a work of art that has something to say, rather than an attempt to recreate real life events (which it's not, and that's really not its goal), you might find it is a very beautiful movie, centring empowered and beautiful dark-skin female characters.

Spoilers Under the Cut

Also, I have both bad eyesight and bad memory (I watched it twice before having these thoughts), so if this was all obvious or I got some details wrong... sorry 💀!

I'm not to take away from the many other aspects and stories of the movie, it's just that this one stood out to me as someone who loves romance in media (when it's not forced). In fact, I like that this story is relatively minor in comparison to the bigger plot-lines going on in the movie.

Whilst I made a lot of new observations on a second watch, especially about the secondary characters, the thing that clicked the most with me was why I felt like Nawi and Malik's 'bittersweet ending' was actually so feel-good, despite them not getting together. I did like them, but on a second watch, the meaning of their relationship fell together like puzzle pieces.

Put simply, looking at each other helped them look at themselves, and what they really needed, which was not and was never even close to being each other.

Malik comes to Dahomey, resigned to subordination to Santo, who he "grew up with", despite Santo being a content, enthusiastic slave-trader, who sees Africans as a means to an end, rather than as human beings. We see his views again, when he tells Malik at the auction that he is "lucky it's not [him] for sale". Santo sees Malik as beneath him, and doesn't genuinely respect his humanity or half of his identity by constantly referring to Africans as "savages".

When Nawi sees Malik, she questions his identity and reiterates his permanently liminal place in the world between whiteness and his Dahomey background (which forces him to do the same). Meanwhile, she's on her own journey, in the liminal space between suppressed daughter and empowered Agojie, where her interest in men sets her back on her journey to achieve Agojie status.

When they meet again, she gives him a symbol of "courage and strength"; Malik literally says, "I have nothing to give you".

Later, when he 'buys' Nawi's freedom, she is rightfully outraged because 'owning' or 'keeping' her is not freedom. Malik does try to give her freedom (with the key), but as he said earlier in his own words, he cannot: he doesn't have anything of value to give Nawi.

This one may be down to my bad eyesight, but I believe he tries to wash the blood from her hands and can't. He cannot take away her identity, her aspirations or her scars, including the ones on her heart, which she references.

He details his plan about going to England which, on first watch, just seemed like an odd thing to say, given that... England was not welcoming to Africans/black people, not even until more recent times. I think this just furthered emphasised how much "nothing" Malik had to give Nawi. He wanted to take her away from her people, her home (to a place that, in reality, was no safer), in attempt to 'protect' her, but she never needed his protection, especially not as an Agojie and she also never wanted it either (like when he offers to walk her home and puts out his hand for her to take and she jumps down by herself). Freedom and safety for her is the freedom to be Dahomey and to participate in her community and her culture.

As with the knife/sword and the information about the opp tribe building numbers with other tribes from their night-meeting, Nawi takes what little she sees as helpful from Malik once again; Malik bought her a European-style dress, but she only wears, what was considered, the undergarments. Nawi refuses to be slowed down ("In Brazil, women wear long sleeves, long skirts," "How do they run?" "😁😬🙂..."), particularly by the influence of a man.

In the end, the Agojie come out on top in battle.

Santo urges Malik to escape, still with slave-trading on the brain, taking Africans in bondage at gunpoint onto the boat. Here we see Malik finds what he really needed, which is exactly Nawi gave to him. It was not her that he was looking for ("My mother sent me here to find myself and I found you"), but it really was the "courage and strength" to be secure in his identity, including his Dahomey roots, and to not be silent and complicit in the oppression of Africans. As stated by King Ghezu at the end of the movie, "[to enslave a people????] you must first convince them that they are meant to be bound", and Malik has finally seen "the majesty, the beauty" of Africa/ns - more than ever, he cannot stay silent whilst he watches his people in bondage.

Whilst he doesn't polish off Santo himself, yet again, what Malik does do is help Africans empower themselves; all he does is cut a rope (?), which anyone could have done, so long as their hands were not tied by a slave-trader.

Then, in their final scene, Nawi is trekking home with her Agojie sisters, after battles where one of her best friends and her mentor, Izogie, who she aspired to be like, able to be pierced by a spear and feel nothing, who told her to "never give her power away [to a man]" were lost. Malik looks up at her from a distance, she stops to acknowledge him with a nod, as if she 'sees' him and she turns back around to walk with her people. Her power and freedom are her own, her power and freedom are bound to her culture, to her community and to her sisters, definitely not to a man from a foreign land that she met a few days ago.

As Izogie said (and the first rule is to always listen to Izogie 😉!), Nawi does not give her power away. Instead, really she shared a piece of it with Malik, who had been looking for the wrong thing but, ultimately, found right and legitimately took action to stand up to oppression.

Them parting ways was just... it just puts a smile on my face in a way I never thought something like that could.

#it's a gritty movie but it makes the ending so sweet #romance is great but self-love and solidarity... woooo #not even slightly what i usually post oops 💀🤣#the woman king #shui meta

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animebw · 2 years

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Short Reflection: Tatami Time Machine Blues

Is there a point in making a sequel to The Tatami Galaxy?

Most likely, the answer is no. Masaaki Yuasa’s seminal 2010 exploration of college life and choice paralysis was as complete and self-contained as a story could possibly be. It spent 11 episodes saying everything it needed to say and left without any loose ends to tie up. And not only are there no real narrative threads to pull on for a follow-up, there’s no real way to recreate the complex time loop gimmick that drove its structure without breaking the narrative machinery in half. Tatami Galaxy was an incredible show, but it was also a show that could only ever work once. So while this twelve-years-later sequel might be little more than a fun nostalgia trip, can you really blame it? There’s nothing that Tatami Time Machine Blues can do that Tatami Galaxy didn’t already do first and better. Might as well just make like an aging rock band and play all the old hits again, secure in the knowledge that what worked then will still work now, even if it lacks the originality and nuance that made it so special to begin with.

To be clear, I have no problem with Tatami Time Machine Blues essentially just being a victory lap reminding you of how great Tatami Galaxy was. Pointless or not, even just existing in this world again is fun enough to justify checking this six-episode OVA out. Where else would I get a visual style this bizarre and expressive, with Shingo Natsume replicating Yuasa’s aesthetics to near perfection? Where else would I get dialogue this layered and verbose and packed full of interesting trivia? Where else would I get the uniquely raucous dynamic between the cynical nameless protagonist, his cackling personal shoulder demon Ozu, and the various stand-out side characters that populate the art-deco streets? There is nothing quite like Tatami Galaxy, not even among Yuasa’s other work. So even if this OVA is just an excuse to revel in the good times again, well, they’re still some damn good times. Just don’t expect anything like a proper continuation, because you’re bound to be disappointed.

Actually, even calling Time Machine Blues a sequel feels inaccurate. We’re still at the same college campus, still going through the motions as if it’s just any other go round the time loop- and indeed, the final episode quasi-canonizes this show as just one more revolution through Watashi’s failed attempts at reaching a rose-colored college life. No, it would be more accurate to descibe Time Machine Blues as a simplified retread. It’s got all the same characters, all the same themes, a just-different-enough use of time travel (as the title implies, this plot is all about time machine shenanigans and trying not to destroy the universe with a time paradox), and ultimately comes to the same basic conclusion as its predecessor. Watching this show feels very much like someone took Tatami Galaxy and simplified it for a lower reading level, as it were. You know how a lot of works of classic literature like, say, Great Expectations have graphic novel versions made of them to make them more easily digestible to younger readers? Like, maybe you’re not ready to tackle such a dense, wordy novel on its own terms, but you can still experience the story through comic form and get most of the point? That’s what Time Machine Blues reminds me of more than anything. It’s Tatami Galaxy for audiences who feel like Tatami Galaxy is too complicated and want a version of the story that doesn’t demand so much brainpower trying to keep up with it.

And again, I don’t mean this as a criticism! There’s plenty of value in making challenging works more easily accessible to everyone. But if you are someone who’s comfortable meeting Tatami Galaxy on its own footing, then this reader’s digest version is going to feel lacking by comparison. The time machine antics are fun, but they pale in comparison to the original’s thematically brilliant time loop structure. The ultimate conclusion is fine, but it lacks the sheer catharsis of the original’s beautiful climax. Even the animation, as near-flawlessly as Natsume recreates the series style, doesn’t hit quite the same imaginative heights as Yuasa was able to reach. Which is a severe nitpick, I’m aware, but why settle for a strong A when you could have an outright flawless A+? As art, as entertainment, as a statement on the importance of making the most of your life and not waiting for someone to work things out for you, Tatami Time Machine Blues is perfectly fine on its own terms, but just a little bit weaker and more superfluous than what came before it. The only thing it really adds, instead of just repeating, is that Akashi gets a little more personality as a deadpan scatterbrain who’s intellect tends to outstrip her common sense. Which I did like: Akashi and Watashi’s romance was always the weakest part of the Tatami universe, so making her character more interesting is a very welcome addition. But it’s ultimately a drop in the ocean of a show that’s otherwise a perfect example of the “everything the same, but worse” school of sequel writing.

You know what, though? At the end of the day, all that really matters is if I had fun or not. And for all my complaints, I absolutely had fun with Time Machine Blues. It’s little more than a victory lap, but it’s a well-deserved lap, and one that still mostly captures all the things that made Tatami Galaxy so entertaining, if not what made it exceptional. And maybe someday, if I feel like re-experiencing this kooky world but don’t have much brainpower to spare, this show will be just the low-carb alternative I’m looking for. But until then, I give Time Machine Blues a score of:

7/10

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #tatami time machine blues #yojouhan time machine blues #the tatami galaxy #tatami galaxy #yojouhan shinwa taikei

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brittlefcrged · 1 year

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VERSE. ( the boys. )

general history of reese remains the same up until her adolescence when her adoptive family dropped her back into the foster care / public child services system and her records somehow finally popped up on vought’s radar. (her birth parents were part of a program similar to what vought was attempting - maybe the same compound, maybe not? her father was a member of a black ops group / mafia so he could’ve had access to who knows what - maybe she was sick and they were worried she wouldn’t survive otherwise - but she got lost / fell through the cracks altogether after her parent’s death and it wasn’t until she came back to the us after her adoptive family booted her that someone at vought or in the care system put two and two together)

she was taken in to one of their long care facilities as they worked to decipher her abilities, psychic and otherwise, test her capabilities and see what else might be unlocked; in short less overt trauma and abuse but throw in medical experimentation and torture like regime for a few years until they figured out a drug cocktail that keeps her abilities in check but able to be called up on demand as needed and keep her mellow / controllable.

she’s known as ‘oracle’ and technically she has an outfit, a public personae et al but was never really marketed as vought wanted to keep her abilities in house for their use and she wasn’t exactly a fighter / combat style package, even with her healing abilities and, eventually, her cryokinesis just wasn’t strong enough to really be useful. she also didn’t have the kind of mental stability (hahahaha) that they attempt to have in their main public faces. she resides in one of the residential halls in the lower part of the vought tower.

she’s primarily used to touch evidence such as remains, weapons or whatever else is gathered from crime scenes (supe or otherwise) and to control internal leaks and potential internal sabotage. not a lot of people know what she actually does or why she’s around the tower. that being said, she’s pretty mellow most of the time with the equivalent of basically laudanum that they keep her doped up on, throw in some weed and occasional other recreational drug use, leave her be and let her paint and do whatever (and whomever) she wants - she’s happy. she lives a relatively ‘normal’ life especially in comparison to some of her more trauma survival impacted verses.

she has a lot of vought’s secrets running around in her head from files, crime scenes, bodies, whatever that she was given to study / touch / report what she saw but those that are aware tend to believe she’s easily manageable and don’t consider her a threat. some of these secrets do include supe on supe or supe on human crimes. to her, it all just kinda bleeds into a lot of background noise that she just tries really hard to expunge via her painting and art and tries to just exist and stay out of trouble.

personal relationships with various the boys characters are up for discussion and scheming! she could probably be swayed to work against vought / to be a double agent with the right persuasion or she could be convinced to chum up with homelander given the right amount of charm or i mean really the possibilities are pretty endless so definitely feel free to come poke me if you want to plot.

#VERSES.#VERSE. ( the boys. )

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rosenongrata · 2 years

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OC: Malachy / Hadar

⋯☆ Story/World: The Great Rift ⋯☆ Sub-Stories/Worlds: Fairy Tail + Genshin Impact

⋯☆ Race/Species: Starling ⋯☆ Sex/Gender: Agender (They/Them) ⋯☆ Element: Etherkinesis

⋯☆ Sections: Backstory + Personality + (WIP) Abilities

⋯☆ Backstory:

Malachy is a Starling—a powerful humanoid born from the will of the cosmos. In essence, they are the universe's attempt to recreate a human with a core of a star as their heart. And thanks to their body and mind powered by a starry core, Malachy is millions of years old.

The humans of Earth dubbed their designated star "Hadar." And when they traveled there, they were nicknamed "Starrider" for their intimate knowledge of the universe. This compelled them to stop speaking of the universe so intently, fearing that it may intervene with natural progression.

This is also a law of their home—the Great Rift—where many other Starlings live and flourish in their utopia. This particular law that prohibits all intervention in other worlds is named the "Accord of Recession." Malachy takes this law very seriously, understanding the devastation it could cause if not followed.

Before their vast travels throughout the multiverses, they were a cosmology professor in the Great Rift. Their students often regarded them as the "cool" teacher due to their laid-back teaching style.

When the matriarch of Hadar's constellation—Centauri—disappeared, Malachy's mental state took a turn for the worse. And after losing their best friend—Delphini—they decided to illegally travel to other worlds as they could not stand the grief any longer.

Since then, Malachy has lost more than just Centauri and Delphini—they've lost friends and lovers. And have been betrayed plenty by those close to them. Each time this happens, they run from that world, hopping to a new universe to explore.

And they often ask themself,

"How much longer can I run from it all?"

⋯☆ Personality:

Malachy is a quiet and reserved person who prefers to listen to others rather than speak, this often leads to them getting stepped on in a conversation. When they do speak, they're regarded as "the kindest brutally honest person one can get". They have a knack for snark and sarcasm, which can lead them into trouble more often than they'd like to admit.

Another poor habit of theirs while speaking is being pedantic and often overexplaining their behavior. They have relatively poor social skills overall, not getting along with many people they meet. Despite this, they blend emotionality and rationality in the most ideal way, choosing to not focus on only one part of a story.

They can be very contradictory at times, their opinion and attitude changing like the tides of water. It's not intentional, but rather uncertainty. Being an anxious person, they often change their opinion to fit with everyone else's.

Around friends, they are more open—displaying their compassion and understanding more often. Although, this often leads them to ignore their own emotional needs and boundaries in favor of taking care of their friends. This often leaves them feeling numb and empty most days, causing them to come off as uncaring to strangers.

They choose to not speak about their history and feelings due to fear of abandonment and misunderstanding. This often leaves them in a precarious position of emotional unavailability and apathy. Although, they've shown to complain about mundane, smaller things rather frequently.

⋯☆ Abilities:

⨳ Etherkinesis / Fifth Element ⨳ Astrakinesis ⨳ Arts of Nebulae ⨳ Materialize

—

⋯☆ Etherkinesis / Fifth Element

Malachy's primary magic: the ability to control the one consistent element that flows through the universe. This element also binds the four Classical Elements (Fire, Water, Earth, and Air), allowing them to control each individual element. This is also a power and force that allows Malachy to completely control elemental, cosmic, spiritual, transcendental, and primordial forces.

Although, Malachy is very weak to Netherkinesis and many of its applications.

⨳ Dart: Malachy can turn into a flash of light that zigzags to the desired location, no matter how far. ⨳ Obliteration: The simple ability to allow Malachy to make something (or someone) completely disappear without a trace. This ability can also grant Malachy the choice to erase them from past, present, and future timelines. ⨳ Dominance: Malachy can possess/control any animate or inanimate entity through their aetheric contents. ⨳ Shift: Malachy can shapeshift their form via controlling the aether within their body. Although, this is considered an exceedingly painful process.

—

⋯☆ Astrakinesis:

Malachy's secondary magic: the ability to control astral energy, allowing them to project their own (and others') astral form onto the physical plane. They can also speak and interact with spirits, and by extension, make spirits visible to living beings.

⨳ Imprison: Malachy can trap/seal/restrain astral beings in specific locations, items, or another being. ⨳ Traversion: Connect/"bridge" the living plane with the astral plane.

—

⋯☆ Arts of Nebulae:

Malachy's ability to personalize a set of techniques that uses Etherkinesis.

⨳ Flux: Malachy can control someone else's magical energy, either enhancing it or weakening it. ⨳ Absolution: Malachy's ability to embody any and all types of elemental magic. ⨳ Euthymia: Personal realm. ⨳ Puppeteer: Malachy's ability to create strings from aetheric energy and tie them around any object or person.

—

⋯☆ Materialize:

Malachy's ability to materialize constructs and weapons out of etheric or astral energy.

⨳ Kingslayer: A gigantic celestial blade. ⨳ Devil Trigger: A legendary bow with a quiver full of astral arrows.

#oc profile #oc: malachy #mine

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mediaevalmusereads · 2 months

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The Unit. By Ninni Holmqvist (trans. Marlaine Delargy). Other Press, 2006 (English 2008).

Rating: 2/5 stars

Genre: science fiction, dystopia

Series: N/A

Summary: One day in early spring, Dorrit Weger is checked into the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material. She is promised a nicely furnished apartment inside the Unit, where she will make new friends, enjoy the state of the art recreation facilities, and live the few remaining days of her life in comfort with people who are just like her. Here, women over the age of fifty and men over sixty-single, childless, and without jobs in progressive industries--are sequestered for their final few years; they are considered outsiders.

In the Unit they are expected to contribute themselves for drug and psychological testing, and ultimately donate their organs, little by little, until the final donation. Despite the ruthless nature of this practice, the ethos of this near-future society and the Unit is to take care of others, and Dorrit finds herself living under very pleasant conditions: well-housed, well-fed, and well-attended. She is resigned to her fate and discovers her days there to be rather consoling and peaceful.

But when she meets a man inside the Unit and falls in love, the extraordinary becomes a reality and life suddenly turns unbearable. Dorrit is faced with compliance or escape, and...well, then what?

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: suicidal thoughts, sexual content, ableism

OVERVIEW: I don't remember how I came across this book, but it has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. I decided to pick it up and plow through it, and boy, did I need to plow. While the premise is interesting, this book was somewhat hard to read because the writing style felt inexeprienced and uninteresting. I don't know if that's because the prose in Swedish is constructed that way or because the translation doesn't capture the feeling of the original, but regardless, I struggled to enjoy this book, so it only gets 2 stars from me.

WRITING: As I mentioned above, the writing in this book feels extremely inexperienced. The sentences don't vary much in length or construction, and there's a lot of telling over showing. There's also a lot of hedging and filter words, and descriptions are so straightforward that the author fails to create any sort of emotion or atmosphere. I know that all seems very harsh, but I can't describe the writing in any other way: it doesn't feel affective.

On top of that, the style didn't quite read in a voice that I would associate with a 50 year old narrator. This is not to say that the sentences or vocabulary should be archaic, but I felt like the voice was somewhat young.

Lastly, the level of unnecessary detail was a bit hard to absorb. Holmqvist appears to flesh out her world by adding a lot of lists: the various food items on order, the plants in the garden, the tests our protagonist undergoes. These lists are inserted into scenes that seem to have little or no purpose, perhaps only existing to show what life is like in the Unit. Personally, I didn't think all this detail didn't make the world feel any more real, nor did I get the sense that the author was trying to convey a sense of being overwhelmed by luxury. It instead just felt like a poor attempt to show how much thought Holmqvist put into imagining this place, and frankly, she doesn't do a good job creating a sense of subtle threat or dark undercurrent to all that's going on.

PLOT: The plot of this book follows Dorrit Weger, a single childless woman who is whisked away to a "Unit" when she turns 50. In Dorrit's world, law states that childless, unmarried persons must submit to these Units, which use their populations to conduct "humane" scientific testing and organ donation. As Dorrit begins to settle into life on the Unit, she falls in love with a man named Johannes, and after something impossible happens, the two must decide whether to accept their fates or try to escape.

The worldbuilding of this novel is somewhat confusing. Dorrit seems to live in a world in which gender abolition has seeped into law. Gender roles, for example, seem to be illegal, and men aren't allowed to do things that "improperly" show off their strength. Dorrit is also encouraged from childhood to refuse to submit or be dependent on a man, and putting off childbearing until one's career is established is praised. At the same time, however, there are laws that designate unmarried, childless people over a certain age as unneeded, and Dorrit fetishizes being a feminine woman and submissive partner. As a result, I wasn't sure what Holmqvist was trying to critique - was it overzealous feminism? The idea of "usefulness" to society? It was never clear, and the politics seemed to contradict what I understand of feminism, leftism, and so on.

On a similar note, I felt like there was a lot of potential that simply didn't get utilized. For example, Dorrit thinks a lot about her dog, who was her closest companion before arriving at the Unit. Such a bind could have been an excellent opportunity to explore the value of relationships that aren't between married people or parents and children, but Holmqvist doesn't seize this opportunity, so Dorrit's pining feels repetitive. The same is true of the friendships Dorrit forms inside the Unit; before, Dorrit struggled to make friends because she always felt like a third wheel, but in the Unit, she finds more people like her. Again, Holmqvist doesn't seize this opportunity.

Lastly, I wasn't sure if the ending was narratively satisfying. Without spoiling anything, I will say that I can kind of see how it fits with the story. However, the author doesn't really dwell much on why Dorrit makes the decision she does, so it doesn't fully resonate with the narrative as a whole.

TL;DR: The Unit tries too hard to be a dystopia about the "usefulness" of human life but ultimately fails to be a thoughtful commentary on feminism, reproductive rights, parenthood, or any other theme it touches. Because the prose is more focused on telling than showing, it's difficult to feel invested in the protagonist and her world, and without a coherent message, it's unclear what readers are supposed to take away from the plot.

CHARACTERS: Dorrit, our protagonist, isn't exceptionally compelling, but there are some aspects to her character that make her more interesting than some. She had this strange fetish for being submissive and feminine in a world that seems to be structured against those things, but I couldn't tell what Holmqvist was trying to do with the situation. I also was never quite sure of Dorrit's beliefs. One minute, she seemed to resent being considered disposable and sneered at the concept of parenthood; the next, she seemed to fully believe that people must have a "use" for society. By the end of the book, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to get out of Dorrit's story, whether it was supposed to be a tragedy, a triumph, or something completely different.

Johannes, Dorrit's lover, was not entirely compelling either. While he was kind and gave Dorrit the sex she desired, I didn't feel like the two had an exceptionally strong emotional bond. Their relationship thus felt very surface level.

Dorrit's various friends around the Unit seemed kind, but many of them lacked depth. Elsa was probably the best written of all them, but even she was a little confusing because of her attitude towards people with children.

Even the staff at the Unit didn't make much sense to me because of the sheer number of people who were willing to bend the rules and help Dorrit. It was difficult to me that something like the Unit could exist when its own staff seemed morally opposed to its operations, and it just reinforced my belief that this story had no coherent vision.

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k00298287a · 6 months

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Disrupt - Friday 27/10/23

Today Yvonne kindly did an intro into foley sound art to cover the workshop that was cancelled on Monday. She showed us how to use the app rode recorder. She also showed us how many foley sounds are used in film for example a hot water bottle is used to make the sound of screeching tire and celery is used to mimic bones breaking. She also introduced us to an amazing Irish foley artist named Caoimhe Doyle.

After this workshop I looked into Childlike Art again as it’s something I wanted to try. This time having a look into my own art as a child.

This is art that I made mainly at a very young age. I find the way that I depict people very strange.

After looking at my childhood art I wanted to create something inspired by it

I wasn’t happy with the result of these drawings. I was attempting to recreate my art but in a different more informed way but I feel like I tried more to replicate childhood pieces instead of trying to create something new. I think that with this style I would need to try it for longer and with different materials to yield the result I want.

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pansyfemme · 2 years

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hii i sent u an ask a couple of days ago for an ask game! i mentioned im a beginner artist and u said i could reach out if i needed some tips :)

my style is still really cartoony and i’d like my drawings to look more realistic! like not 100% but not as cartoony as a kids show u know? i have no idea where to start and i struggle a lot w faces, so i was wondering if u have any tips on how to improve on that?

btw sorry if this sounds confusing english isnt my first language!

(sorry for the delay in a response!!!)

Hi! It’s not confusing at all dont worry!

I struggled with the same thing when i was first starting out- something i forgot a lot is as simple as it sounds- faces always have volume no matter what angle you’re looking at them from. If you look at a face from the front, even though the curves of the face arent as obvious as from the side, they’re still there. The nose still comes out forward, and the eyes still sink back a little. What I used to do is draw a lot of these 'flat' faces, as opposed to ones with actual curves and shapes. This is a stylistic choice, and not something everyone does but it find it makes my art feel a lot more interesting and is easier for me to vary face shapes!

[ID: A chart showing examples of my art with flat and simple faces versus curved and complex faces.]

Also! use refrences as much as possible. I collect these in a few ways, if you use tiktok its surprisingly a good way to find refs, I usually search 'art ref' or 'pose ideas' and it works great. I also use Pinterest, here's my account, tho I dont have much experience using it, but I have this board of exclusively art refrecnces of people with disabilities, and its very organized!

Dont shy away from doing artist studies, or tracing over your own photographs and finding shapes. I often trace an image into simple shapes, and then try to recreate those shapes on a separate piece of paper as an exercise.

The Face Is made up of shapes, so attempting to figure how those shapes interact is the biggest part of this! Drawing the face from different angles seems scary, but is truly important to learning how it works.

I hope this helps a little!

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michatmdx · 2 years

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Research project 1.0 - Zdzisław Beksiński’s legacy

Image 1: Zdzisław Beksiński

Zdzisław Beksiński, a surrealist who created incredible dystopian art, is one of the most renowned polish artists to have lived through the 20th century. Inspired by French surrealism and his eclectic taste in music, he was able to bring to life a vast amount of distorted dream-like scenarios. Painting wasn’t the only art form Zdzisław focused on, he also dabbled in others such as photography, sculpture, and music. This multifaceted artist was able to recreate this abstract imagery in all forms of art that engaged him. Even after his tragic death in 2005, the world still stands captivated by his creations.

Zdzisław was born the 24th of February 1929 in the town of Sanok, which is in the south of Poland. Shortly after leaving high school, it was time for him to decide his next big move. Due to communism most people disapproved of any forms of creativity and craft, so fine art was no longer an option for him. After a while of deliberating, he opted for a more formal approach and decided to study Architecture in the University of Technology, Krakow. Even though architecture wasn’t his initial first choice he continued his studies and ended up completing a masters degree at the same university. After concluding his studies, for his first job he moved back to his hometown and took on the role of a construction site supervisor. This was another thing that wasn’t exactly a desire of his but led him to develop an interest in making sculptures. Made with plaster and other materials found around the construction sites, he created various abstract pieces inspired by Henry Moore. These sculptures were consisted of duplicated eyes and other humanoid features that created an eerie tone. Even though the sculptures have quite a simple appearance, I feel that it doesn’t take away from the feeling it evokes. Despite only a few were known to be made, these uncanny sculptures were the key to kickstarting his creative journey.

Image 2: Zdzisław Beksiński, unknown, untitled

Image 3: Zdzisław Beksiński, unknown, untitled

Image 4: Zdzisław Beksiński, 1980, Untitled

Earlier in his life he received his very first camera from his father, however, he only took average photos of friends, soldiers, and even social situations. It was later in his life where he started to really explore his creative ability, which led his photography to gain quite a bit of attention. During the 50s Zdzisław began to take photos of landscapes and architecture, possibly taking inspiration from his days studying in university. Eventually he moved on to take a series of monochromatic portraits, which he further experimented with using avant-garde methods to manipulate the photos. His focus was never to use photography to record life during that time, but rather to bring forward underlying emotions and to offer his personal perspective.

After deciding he couldn’t take photography any further, he started to delve into the art of painting. This Is where his true expertise came in to play. Music had a strong influence over the way Zdzisław produced his paintings, classical being the main source with Jazz and Rock to follow. It was not a question of what genre was his favourite but more so what would give him that emotional charge, constantly chasing different sounds to inspire him. Set on finding a new source of inspiration, he even tried his hand at creating his own musical compositions, but to no avail. It was unsuccessful. Blaring all kinds of music from his apartment in Sanok, he used oil paints on self-prepared hardboard panels. He attempted using acrylic paint but decided it wasn’t to his taste. Zdzisław filled his canvas with gaunt figures and apocalyptic environments, which became his trademark style. All his paintings were left untitled as it is said he didn’t believe they needed an explanation or description. He purely painted what he felt when listening to the music. He stated, “I wish to paint in such a manner as if I were photographing dreams”. As he was quite a shy and introverted person, he wasn’t too keen on visiting exhibitions that marked his success, and so interviews were often turned down. In the late 70s him and his family moved to Warsaw, but before doing so he burned a collection of paintings that he deemed not worthy. Some even too personal to be seen. Unfortunately, after producing many masterpieces, it was then when dark times became of him. Zdzisław’s wife, Zofia, sadly passed away in 1998 from cancer, then a year later his son committed suicide. After these events he made himself scarce, hidden away he created even more dystopian art. 6 years later Zdzisław Beksiński was brutally stabbed to death 17 times, found alone in his apartment. The killer, who he knew, murdered him after he refused to loan him some money.

Image 6: Zdzisław Beksiński, unknown, untitled

Image 7: Tetsuya Ishida, 1999, Prisoner

The structure of the tall figure in image 6, architectural in nature, seems to be made from masses of intertwining bones. Some would say that the warm reds and yellows create an unsettling apocalyptic tone, however, I would say that it is quite calming overall. I find it resembles a resting warrior, adorning their finest armour. Or does the painting show a figure slowly being consumed by a skeletal creature? Either way as the painting is untitled and no description is provided, it is completely up to the viewers interpretation. Figure 7 shows another painting by a fellow surrealist artist, Tetsuya Ishida. The straight lines make it seem that the painting is more serious and formal, compared to the smooth curves and rounded edges in image 6. The title ‘Prisoners’ combined with the striking imagery, gives me the impression that this piece is about the education system being like a factory. It puts children on a metaphorical conveyer belt, expecting them to fit in to the same mould. Unlike image 6, Tetsuya uses a more natural colour palette, which I think he used to show a clearer blend of imagination and reality. Although image 6 may not have a narrative like image 7, they both consist of bodies that merge with their surroundings. Both also sadly died in horrific ways and had difficult pasts, it makes me wonder if their paintings were a subconscious representation of their psyche.

17 years later, Zdzisław Beksiński’s art still has a massive impact over art culture today. This can be seen in films like Pans Labyrinth and Crimson peak, Directed by Guillermo del toro. Not only is his use of colour similar, but he also uses dark dystopian environments with unconventional looking characters. Although he may not have been known by his name, his legacy will continue to grow and inspire creatives across the world.

Bibliography

Beksiński, Z. (Unknown) untitled. Available at: http://muzeum.sanok.pl/en/zbiory/zdzislaw-beksinski/rzezba (Accessed: 14 December 2021)

Beksiński, Z. (Unknown) untitled. Available at: http://muzeum.sanok.pl/en/zbiory/zdzislaw-beksinski/fotografia (Accessed: 14 December 2021)

Beksiński, Z. (1980) untitled. Available at: https://www.wikiart.org/en/zdzislaw-beksinski/untitled-1980 (Accessed: 14 December 2021)

Beksiński, Z. (1984) untitled. Available at: https://www.wikiart.org/en/zdzislaw-beksinski/untitled-351 (Accessed: 30 December 2021)

Ishida, T. (1999) Prisoner. Available at: https://www.wikiart.org/en/tetsuya-ishida/prisoner-1999

(Accessed: 30 December 2021)

Culture.pl (2015) The cursed paintings of Zdzisław Beksiński. Available at: https://culture.pl/en/article/the-cursed-paintings-of-zdzislaw-beksinski (Accessed: 14 December 2021)

Zdzisław Beksiński’s passion for music (2021) Available at: https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/beksinski-music/ (Accessed: 15 December 2021)

NeoText (no date) The wonders of Zdzisław Beksiński. Available at: https://neotextcorp.com/culture/the-wonders-of-zdzislaw-beksinski/ (Accessed: 15 December 2021)

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rexalogy · 4 months

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feel free to not answer if you dont feel like it OR if youve answered or talked about this in some form somewhere else already (though please direct me to where lol), but im extremely curious: how do you, as the writer, feel about skitty and pikachu in explorerz? not "how do you feel about how they are executed in the writing" (though i understand that may be inextricable, so if that is part of your answer, i get it), but what do you personally think of them as characters (or "as people") from the perspective of the writer?

reasoning for my question: i have many deeply important stories that i work on with myself where every character is, in some way, an extension of myself, or playing out a conflict i experience internally. because of this i feel like not only do my stories come out a bit more didactic than i intend, but that the messages get distorted slightly as well by the way the other person perceives it- normal for art, but an interesting feeling for the way i write. i was curious about the "discrepancy" in what the story means to me as the reader compared to what it means to you as the writer, since the story and the relationship between the two characters feels extremely profound and the things explored deeply relevant to my life.

again i get this could be a really heavy question depending on your process so if you dont feel like answering, its okay. just a bit of my curiosity and i thought theres a chance you may enjoy talking about your work, or at least knowing im extremely interested in it

thank you for your very lovely question! it took me awhile to get to it because i wanted to answer it meaningfully...

especially because pikachu and skitty are a significant deviation from the way i used to create characters. rather than being current expanded pieces of myself (how i used to do) they are attempts to recreate the experience of being a child, something that has become impenetrable to me recently? they are not necessarily me, but rather a set of patterns ive noticed in myself and others.

because i can't fully access what it was to be a child, i chose to embody and intensify the behaviors i remember being most ashamed of, all based in wanting to be loved. that would be the aggressive defensiveness and anxious clinging - traits that are "embarrassing" because desperation underlies both of them. those behaviors lead to more social rejection, which is what causes those behaviors to develop in the first place.

i was also bad queer representation (read: the isolated circumstances, feeling misunderstood, slim pickings of friends lead to pretty destructive relationships that follow the model of theirs closely). I didn’t know when to step away, i almost COULDNT step away

i've described their personalities in the past as "survival/defense mechanisms gone awry", which upon further consideration is pretty accurate to what the development of a child is like in an abusive household. they can't meaningfully grow outside of that because are constantly being forced to survive.

but their respective "attachment styles" (I GUESS LOL i dont really want to reduce it to that) results in them occupying a push/pull (and also a dominant submissive which both of them also perceive as a victim / abuser dichotomy ?) dynamic that can almost satisfy what they need but also inhibits meaningful growth. one example would be: skitty's attempts to acclimate to what they think pikachu's desires from them <--> pikachu's refusal to give skitty that approval in that behavior, which emboldens skitty even more. they form a closed system that will devour itself eventually.

i want to be endlessly empathetic about their respective halves in the relationship. a big thing for me, is avoiding placing either above the other in some supposed moral virtue. i think navigating personal dynamics that way is deeply unhelpful.

personally, i love them very much. even when they act in ways that humans find shameful about themselves, because those behaviors indicate the need for empathy from others.

#okay long post ! also first draft ! i have so much to say about this! i had it verbalized better in my head! thank you for reading!#and thank you for asking!!#asks

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1dmonthlyficroundup · 3 years

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1D Monthly Fic Roundup

Hi, and welcome to the 1D Monthly Fic Roundup for August 2021! Below you’ll find 23 One Direction fics that were all published this month in the order they were submitted to the blog. We hope you’ll check out these new fics! If you would like to submit your own fic, please check this post on how to submit or visit our blog @1dmonthlyficroundup.

Happy reading!

He Carries The Key by @lululawrence

[Niall/Louis, OT5, 8k, Not Rated, tumblr post]

Niall was mostly home, ready for a shower and a chat with Louis, when suddenly Niall was flooded with emotions from the pack bond.Shock. Surprise. Confusion.But mostly fear.Something was wrong with Louis.

Plus One by mynameispiaivy / @missrefridgefreetorator

[Louis/Luke Malak, 3k, Mature, tumblr post]

Louis is invited to an event and he has to bring a "plus one".

Better Mistakes by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10

[Harry/Louis, 117k, Explicit, tumblr post]

“Look, this doesn’t have to be the end of the world-”

“Oh but it fucking is,” Louis said, shaking his head. “How the fuck am I going to tell Matt I’m pregnant with a baby when we’ve not had sex in months? He might be a bit thick sometimes, but he is gonna know there’s no chance this baby is his.”

“You don’t have to, uh, tell him it’s mine, right?”

Louis scoffed. “Why, are you scared he’s gonna come and kick the shit out of you?”

“He wishes,” Harry laughed, looking back down at the test. “Shit, I … I can’t believe this. Louis, I didn’t mean for this. Honestly. It was just sex for me. We have great sex, and I didn’t see why I should have to turn that down, not when you clearly wanted it as much as I did. I didn’t want this to end in a baby.”

Louis knows he shouldn’t be sleeping with his boyfriend’s enemy. He knows that. But there’s something that draws him back to Harry over and over again. Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan...

Thou, Sun, Art Half As Happy by @lululawrence

[Louis/Harry/Nick Grimshaw, 7k, Not Rated, tumblr post]

Hello, I’m sorry if this isn’t a post that is allowed on this channel, but I was hoping for the best since it is regarding a photography project I’m working on at the moment. I’m working on a set of sunrise kiss photos and therefore am needing a willing kissing partner. I’d hoped to be able to provide one for myself, but it hasn’t panned out, so here I am! I was hoping to find someone here, since I know most of you (at least peripherally) and can generally vouch for you not being creeps. Plus this way I know you will understand needing to continue to tweak the camera settings and reshoots etc that others might not.

Anyway, I’m looking for someone who identifies as male or male-ish (sorry, ladies) who is between the ages of 18 and 40. I’m a 29 year old male-ish myself, for those who would like to know before replying.

If you’re interested and are free the early morning of August 7th and would like to kiss in the sunrise with me for the sake of some (hopefully) interesting and fun photos, let me know via DM and I’ll give you the location.

OR the one where Louis needs a kissing partner, two show up, and it all might turn out for the best that way.

call my name and save me from the dark by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed / we_are_the_same

[Louis/Harry, 4k, Teen & Up, tumblr post]

“I don’t know if it was a nightmare,” he confesses to the ceiling, the darkness making it easier to speak up even when he still has to close his eyes to stop himself from tearing up. “It feels more like a memory. But it can’t be.”

Harry shifts, and Louis can feel his chin perched on his chest, doesn’t need to look at him to know that Harry’s studying him. “Why?” He prompts, when Louis doesn’t immediately continue, and Louis swallows, tries to shrug off the apprehension, the fear that Harry will think that he’s gone mad.

“Because I heard them pronounce me dead.”

Feels like home by @neondiamond

[Louis/Harry, 2k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Louis comes home from work with an exciting surprise. Daydreaming and celebrations ensue.

this is my jam by @disgruntledkittenface

[Harry/Louis, 4k, Mature, tumblr post]

The guy’s eyes are so blue that Harry can’t tear his gaze away, even as he moves to the beat. The searing light shade is magnetic; he finds himself leaning in and yelling, “This is my jam!” only to earn a laugh from thin pink lips that Harry’s definitely going to be dreaming about tonight.

“Your jam?”

When the guy yells back over the music, his blue eyes sparkling and his lips twisted in a smirk, Harry’s chest literally puffs out with pride at earning his attention. His obvious approval. Tongue-tied, Harry nods and closes his eyes as he lets go, the music reverberating around them. All of the usual inhibitions that keep him in the corner at parties fall away and he bounces around the center of the dance floor, waving his arms above his head. Somehow his towel stays on, even as he starts to think he wouldn’t mind if it fell off. Fuck it. He finally made it here, he’s damn well going to enjoy it.

Harry goes to a gay bathhouse for the first time. 90s AU.

I Know My Arithmedick (2 + 2 = 4sum) by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

[Harry/Louis + Louis/multiple partners, 3k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Harry wants to watch Louis fuck someone else. Louis loves giving Harry what he wants. It’s simple math, really.

doG…and his friend by @uhoh-but-yeah-alright / yeah_alright

[Louis/Harry, 3k, Teen & Up, tumblr post]

When Joan has to move out of her small, nice home and in with a random roommate, she obviously brings her dog/boyfriend, Doug, with her.

Doug makes a friend. And maybe more.

I Heard You Talking by @lululawrence

[Louis/Harry, 10k, Not Rated, tumblr post]

It had been an hour of their noise that Louis had been dealing with, and for some reason the fact that these grown men were being this rowdy in the quiet carriage over a game of Uno was the breaking point for him. He stood up and turned around, making his way down to where the group of five were somehow gathered around a table.

Louis stopped at the table and cleared his throat, mouth open and ready to politely request they keep it down when the man who was sitting with his back to Louis turned.

He was stunningly gorgeous.

Blinking a ridiculous number of times in an attempt to pull himself together, Louis coughed and spit out, “This is the quiet carriage.”

God, he was nearly forty and that was the best he could do in front of a set of pretty, green eyes?

Or the one where Harry is famous and Louis doesn't have a clue. Good thing his son is able to help him out.

All That You Need by @haztobegood

[Louis/Harry, 2k, Explicit, tumblr post]

Pre-heat was always one of Harry’s favorite times to spend with Louis. It was a time to rest up and indulge in extra cuddles, like basking in a ray of sunshine before having to dive off the deep end. Louis lavishes him with tender touches and soft kisses. Harry wants to savor this time as long as possible. The unquenchable need will come later, but for now, his desires are simple. He just needed to be closer to his alpha. As close as possible.

sickly sweet fonding by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose

[Louis/Harry, 1k, General, tumblr post]

A few members of their crew start piling up the dirty dishes and taking them over to the sink. Harry walks around the cameras, and smiles brightly at Louis.

“What do you think, Lou? Do I have it in the bag?”

Louis eyes a bowl of bright pink lumpy batter being cleaned from Harry’s side. “Of course you do.” He wraps an arm around Harry’s waist and steers him away, all while ignoring the dramatic gagging Niall is doing. He doesn’t think it’s just the batter making Niall gag.

or the one where Louis fonds over Harry's horrible baking skills

Fractured Moonlight by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose

[Louis/Harry, 1k, Mature, tumblr post]

Louis huffs because he doesn’t want to deal with this. “Listen, I appreciate your concern.” He doesn’t. “But it’s not your duty to look after the sad man at the bar. Okay?”

'Ere comes the milk by stretchmybones / @onlyfor-thegays

[Harry/Louis, 1k, Explicit]

Louis is obsessed with Harry's mommy milkers.

everything comes back to you by stretchmybones / @onlyfor-thegays

[Louis/Harry, 8k, Explicit]

Harry and Louis are childhood best friends. What happens when Harry has to move towns just as they are starting their secondary gender presentations? What happens when fate brings them back together years later in the most unexpected of ways?

He Still Takes My Breath Away by @parmahamlarrie

[Harry/Louis, 32k, Teen & Up, tumblr post]

Camp Infinity is the perfect place for a lot of things; hiking, swimming, sports, eating, and falling in love. Harry Styles is a bit too familiar with the last one from his years of being a camper. This year things will be different. He’s 21, a grown man now, and ready to see Camp Infinity from a different point of view; working as a lifeguard. However, his whole summer turns upside down when a familiar British lad makes his return into Harry's life.Or the one where Harry is a lifeguard and Louis is the head of recreation. And, sometimes, you just need a little push to realize what was right in front of you the whole time.

Also known as – The Summer Camp Fic

tread lightly on my ground by fairytalelights / @lookslikefairytale

[Louis/Harry, 20k, Explicit, tumblr post]

No, that's the tragic part of this, the part that makes Harry feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke on him. The father of his baby is exactly right, exactly who he always imagined himself having kids with. He just imagined them married, bonded. Happy. He didn't imagine them barely talking, tip-toeing around each other because neither of them is brave enough to talk about what happened between them. He didn't imagine the father of his child not loving him back.

or, the one where Harry is having Louis' baby, but Louis doesn't know it's his.

Getting a Head for Heights by @ladyaj-13 / LadyAJ_13

[Louis/Greg James, 3k, Teen & Up, tumblr post]

The problem is, Louis thinks Greg would be quite good to date, so it would really help if everyone would stop reminding him of that fact so he could unthink it. He’d be a gentleman, at least until Louis talked him out of it, and he’s funny and nice and hot and they’re both into music and football and drama. He’s also a freakish giant of a human, and the problem with dating is that sooner or later you have to stand next to each other.

We Go Together (series) by @beelou / cherrylarry

[Louis/Harry, 3k, General, tumblr post]

A grease au

Hot Boy Summer (series) by @louisandtheaquarian / zita17

[Harry/Louis, 35k, Teen & Up, tumblr post]

Louis is an overworked bartender hoping to save up enough extra tips to buy a new air conditioner before he literally melts during a scorching NYC heat wave. Harry is the new neighbor that wakes him up by moving in his sole day off at 6am. An NYC enemies to neighbors to lovers AU featuring a rickety fire escape, the 2021 Euros, Lirry bickering like a divorced couple, and enough OT5 clichés to rot your teeth. (If Harry's pastries don't get them first.)

across the river is where my heart is by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

[Louis/Harry, 8k, General, tumblr post]

The first time they see each other is when they are toddlers, playing out in the yard. Louis remembers sitting on the perfectly trimmed lawn and getting yelled at for picking at the soft blades of grass; she remembers looking over, across the narrow but deep and wild river, and watching another little girl, out in a different garden, picking flowers for her mother.

She remembers carefully raising her hand and waving—her little heart beating hard in her chest, as if she had done something dangerous, something forbidden, even though back then she could not understand the true divide the River made amongst them.

bright eyes, blue denim by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

[Louis/Harry, 2k, General, tumblr post]

Louis' favourite jeans have suddenly disappeared from where he always got them. Harry is a store manager with an affinity for customer care, particularly when the customer has bright blue eyes and happens to be very flirty.

whatever you feel like doing in this moment by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

[Harry/Louis, 2k, General, tumblr post]

Louis gets all that he's ever wanted during his favourite game at their group's weekly improv show.

#28th appreciation #tracksintheam #trackinghome #trackinghappily #1dsource #one direction fan fic

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sugar-petals · 3 years

Text

Baekhyun Doms You: Ending Up Laughing

↳⎡NOTE.⎦thought this’d be an interesting concept & a different side to smut: what if you try things out and it’s both not your thing? w/ a humorous twist and subby bf moments sprinkled in 😄

♡ words. 4k

+ tags ⚠️ pwp hc, bondage, throatfucking, graphic, cum play, unsafe/clumsy practice: do not recreate, degradation, biting, masochist bbh, domme!reader switches unsuccessfully, whips, hair-pulling

imagine that. a wide-eyed baekhyun pacing and tiptoeing in front of your toy shelf, trying to pick a riding crop he fancies. it takes five minutes and several ‘uhh, ohh’ confused puppy noises until he’s able to decide which one he’s taking.

...literally even if he knows exactly which one does what. you’ve used all of them on him.

meanwhile, you take three seconds flat to pull out one that fits your mood and proceed to edge the living shit out of him. yes, without literal further ado. teasing his dick and marking his thighs and doing all kinds of delicious things.

he’s still going back and forth in his head without having even started out. cutely tapping and swaying from one foot to the other.

it’s like he’s back to school. priceless.

what’s even more hilarious: baekhyun practices random mean facial expressions while trying to decide. he doesn’t seem to be sure what character he’s going for. it feels like he’s rehearsing for a concert or photoshoot, even. absolutely fascinating to watch.

i mean he’s absolutely photogenic no doubt about that but

you’re sitting on the bed waiting naked like okay is this gonna be william shakespeare deluxe or what is kyoong channelling over there

“um... i think i got it! this one, okay? i’m ready!”

finally he walks over, strutting with his nose in the air and his eyes glaring, muscles tense, a mysterious bad boy charm about him, whip ready to sting, lips tight and punitive...

....and hits his pinky toe on the bed

oh the pain

great master baekhyun flops headfirst into the sheets processing the existential cruelty of bedpost pinewood and needs head pats to recover

lots of head pats

at least twenty of them

so many head pats

more time passes until kyoong is back in character i guess

you probably could have listened to exo’s whole discography in the meantime

and knitted a rug for taemin’s new flat

anyway

baekhyun tries to act very confidently finally getting into it

adopting a sharp ‘hmph’ kind of tone

endlessly teasing your back and thighs with the riding crop

so far so good sir pinky toe

but he just goes on and on

you could actually crochet a pair of socks for chen’s daughter now that you think about it

it’s you who has to tell him to get to the point and it’s clear he’s more nervous than he pretends to show

to be fair he’s not the only one

you try to get yourself mentally ready but you find yourself giving him actual orders and even correcting his stance five times cuz he’s so wobbly on the mattress like a pupper indeed

baekhyun mumbles to himself and has a hard time fully implementing the advice on posture but tries to aim well regardless. it seems to work at first

but tragically

he ends up with a miss, hitting his own thigh rather than your ass and moans out loud

now you’re the one confused because you were waiting for the whip to come down

but nope it went elsewhere did it

you wonder how he managed to do all that furious fencing in the obsession mv with an aim like that

looks like he’s so submissive, he straight up whips himself

taking matters into his own hands is he. subs these days.

baekhyun keeps on being wobbly on the bed and looks like he ran a marathon already

may i remind you that this guy does 3-hour long concerts and can practice throughout an entire night

... you both agree to immediately scratch that completely after his next flailing strike sends the riding crop flying into his unsuspecting, non-consenting plushie collection

animal cruelty

moving on

you figure that a change of location might be a good idea

baekhyun sits you down on a chair and bashfully stores away the yeeted whip

he vows to never use a riding crop again already and his teddy bears are thankful for it

now the whole plushie village and whole china knows how you don’t do it

next up is rope

what could possibly go wrong

he practiced wrist bondage on his own ankles for five days straight, you really prepared a lot of things to test out together today

and he’s seen you tie him up over and over and over

but whatever it is that he manages to install on your arms

looks like a piece of very experimental modern art that just sold for half a million at sotheby’s

what’s supposed to be a column tie is nothing but a mere... ball

chaotic like baekhyun’s personality. not surprising at all

wait that rhymed

anyhow

even alexander the great couldn’t have cut this gordian knot of a tangly masterpiece

ironically: while baekhyun’s roughly grabbing your chin for an intense kiss... the rope casually falls apart harder than the soviet union in 1991 my loves, you ain’t ready

baekhyun takes ages to notice while he’s teasing and kissing you and ends up sweating bullets when he realizes that the sublime art fell to pieces.

sorry comrade

the fantasy knots and artistic freedom increases even more when it comes to putting a collar and leash on you

and his guy is supposed to be a dog owner? mongryong, instruct your man

baekhyun is a flustered mess trying to fasten it on you even if he tries very hard to be concentrated

maybe it’s because you’re watching him with literal hawk eyes checking every move (...hoping he learned something from you oh my). you’re not really melting into your role either, huh. the only thing melting is your pussy because baekhyun is acting so embarrassed which is the actual turn-on

if that doesn’t give you away

the leash comes off in two minutes time after baekhyun miraculously ties his own hands together with it

how the fuck did that happen

how do you even manage to do that

eager are we

after whipping his own thigh, self-domination 2.0 i guess

so whipping and bondage are off the programme

this has been the most chaotic and hazardous attempt at topping in the history of sm entertainment

and they’re literally called s and m

...humiliation is next

when you planned your session you both figured hey he’s tested and tried by exo’s lively debate culture and he might be able to pull that off

and there are no props involved so he’ll have an easy time right

life is an illusion

you find out he can’t pronounce degrading names clearly because he keeps on stuttering them. which in return makes baekhyun crack up.

carrying on the joke, you correct him every time.

“i want you to repeat after me: stupid, slutty, bitch.”

it ends up as you doing what you always do

teaching and training him while baekhyun either shyly or brattily obliges. you don’t even notice how you’re doing it but from the outside, it’s blatantly obvious.

because your brain is still feeling in domme mode, you also find yourself saying the usual things to him without thinking, even when he grabs you and gives orders. “now bend over! i’m gonna fuck your brains out.” — “okay, cutie!”

which causes baekhyun’s mean face to collapse and he snap out of his command tone immediately, snorting because it’s the last thing he expected

he tries to carry on by punishing you with an actual mouth gag and a harness he can hold onto while fucking you from behind, i mean your pussy is already wet why not

guess what’s gonna ensue

wearing a harness feels kind of strange and new so you wiggle back and forth and all over the place. like what is this, what’s happening. baekhyun’s dick is going into all kinds of directions my friends, the amusement park carousel surely inspired this fucking style right here.

and wearing a gag — there’s a way different person who needs to have this in his chatty mouth.

kai and kyungsoo’s dream would come true and yet you’re the one gagged

something ain’t right

if you’re honest. you’re feeling so weird being on the other end of punishment tonight and not being able to give him any directions. your dom brain is worrying he’s all left to his own devices trying to drive that confused dick home left and right and above and below and diagonal and crosswise.

the fuck

your poor guts my god

what’s worse: his stamina is gonna sneak up behind him and tap on his shoulder like... bro that’s enough pounding for a whole month please spare these balls from deflating please do not break this device

to which your pussy agrees in unison

how are you gonna love your bub day in day out if you’re that sore

there’s nothing more frustrating than being sore and horny with byun baekhyun at your disposal

or a knocked out boyfriend trying to generate at least a sprinkle of semen after getting completely emptied in one go

probably sleeping for three days straight

alright so the harness and gag come off fast oh dear baekhyun clears those away in a heartbeat

that’s another point off the list

the more you know

carousel cringe dicking down type of dominance... bizarre, disorderly, totally erratic, not on the agenda, worst rated on bing

comrade baekhyun keeps on apologizing for making things so messy even if he tries and tries

you’re both so puzzled because you’re used to something so different and need a water chugging pause

baekhyun hasn’t sweated this hard since doing the MAMA choreography

and your pussy has never had to provide this much lubrication at once

where on earth is both of your usual stamina what happened

if a type of sex exhausts you fast and even baekhyun’s balls are suddenly moody you just know you’re wired in the opposite way

safe to say you’re better at giving and baekhyun is better at taking

leave the multidirectional powerfucking to kai or something

and being orderly to xiumin

another rug could have been knitted my friends

moving on dot org

so, you both figure to take it easier and try to go with something he usually does in passing. you know, turning a typical baekhyun habit into something you can try out casually in bed so he can tease you.

that one should work out right?

proceed: teeth action. you seated, him positioning himself above you. after your approval baekhyun pulls your hair back to expose your neck — so he can deliciously bite into it (or so was the plan).

reality: his hand gets tangled up completely.

while he’s busy nibbling and giggling about like a lil’ bunny chomping at a carrot that turns out to be extremely ticklish herself.

in fact, you start squeaking out a wonky high pitch, startling baekhyun’s fine musical ear to the bone by the obvious atonality. did she just try to outsing my vocal range with a creaking whistle note?

mariah carey would cancel you on twitter over this one

that’s how you turn a vicious, possessive bite into an eternal meme

every time either of you go for a neck kiss, you end up imitating each other. baekhyun has immortalized himself as a nervous chomping bunny and you as the vocalist anti-christ

lord have mercy

you miss your old sex life already and it’s only been two hours

cause you see... if baekhyun gives you the chance to bite him? he needs a set of long sleeves, scarves, and an extra soft pillow to sit down on for the next two days

like, no mercy bitch

you get right down to business and ravage him and do it properly until he cums in his pants

sure, the way he uses his tongue now is definitely kinda hot mind you

baekhyun is always good with his singing equipment that doesn’t suddenly change aye

and you keep your eyes closed

but with time you notice that he starts drooling and whimpering. baekhyun’s wet mouth is out there betraying him, huh.

same with your body. your reactions give you away, body language just won’t lie. you have a damn hard time staying still. you wanna do something, you wanna touch and guide baekhyun all over.

and vice versa baekhyun keeps on glitching and doing the same thing he really became a living tumblr gif now

this whole session is just so confusing and laced with all these moments of awkwardness it’s really telling you something about yourself and mister pinky toe’s ideal dynamic

baekhyun can’t even get himself to even lightly slap you properly. and when he does, his delicate hands are just so cute. it’s as if legolas came along, scented in jasmine, elegant and fabulous like it’s a l’oreal commercial

he immediately looks concerned after he manages to do it cleanly and you admit it wasn’t really that exciting a feeling yourself. it felt more like, “um ouch, and?”

needless to say, you’re weirded out if anything, baekhyun smacking and dragging you around as a cold-as-ice dom is just a strange thing to do for both of you

like even exo’s wolf era fashion was more coherent than this carrot fuckery

and those were some of the most intense turtlenecks ever

is there really nothing dominant baekhyun can pull off. come on he’s the genius idol

actually

there’s something that does work out for once

because no rule without exceptions indeed

because hey, you can learn something anyway, it’s the whole point of you going through a list of things to try as a couple

baekhyun is good at doing the more hardcore, faster kind of fingering. who would have thought, totally surprising, revolutionary i know. but that’s where you’re both agreeing hey, there’s some untapped potential you can use for the steamier evenings you have going.

cuz wow, he can get you off with flying colors.

...only to succumb to a malfunctioning bobohu wrist

even baekhyun’s boner for your legs in latex isn’t that stiff

it’s another pause until his hand loosens up again

this poor man just can’t win

and if you’re asking oi hard domming isn’t the only thing you can do

baekhyun trying to summon his inner soft dom: surprise, same old tale. here we go again.

your boyfriend thinks he generally looks way too puppy-like to be your big ole buff daddy taking care of you. oversized sweater, fluffy hair and all.

you say to him well, it’s not that doms can’t wear casual things. but it’s true that you have to feel your role and find yourself believable. regardless of your looks, in fact.

unless your partner really enjoys you dressing up as some kind of dominant hyper-archetype? looking the part is relatively unimportant if you’re absolutely made for dominance you say

pretty eye-opening moment for him

in your roleplay, he caresses and kisses you to the point, he can approach and lead you to do this or that position, don’t be mistaken. and he’s good at making presents, he’s indulging you perfectly well and actually likes doing it. but... it still ends up being more vanilla than not a few hours in. the d/s is out the door almost automatically the longer you do it.

at the end, it leaves you with a feeling of “but err, what now? give the maid outfit to charity?”

baekhyun rubs his neck in search for something else to do, both of you staring at each other with expressions blanker than kyungsoo when a prancing chanyeol is acting up.

how did the quote go again. if you scramble for inspiration, let it be?

it’s exactly that situation when baekhyun soft doms. he can hold you tight and do his thing for a while, but the chemistry of your roles is dwindling into a question mark.

in fact. there’s an uneasy silence as if great mother suho was sitting right beside you critiquing baekhyun’s sugar daddy skills

baekhyun is rich like a motherfucker and can’t even call you ‘my innocent lil’ baby girl’ without looking like he just learned a first grade tonguetwister by heart

you did play your parts with less cracking up, but you clearly tell him that there’s still something strangely clueless and “ah, awkward” (baekhyun’s verdict in response, verbatim) in between the two of you.

when you take care of baekhyun and tuck him in, you hardly run out of ideas. it just goes on and on. even when you played through an entire scene, you both come up with things to extend the scenario because it’s so much fun. you make him a hot chocolate, massage his feet, brush his hair, do some extra light bondage with a silk ribbon around his ankles to make him feel pretty, feed him pizza, have him cuddle up in your lap, pinch his ass, and do some rimming if he’s feeling a bit hornier.

the spoiling is nice at the start, but there’s something missing. you want to lead his hands and really treat him, and do it all the time, and baekhyun really finds himself craving it as well.

baekhyun soft domming quickly turns into — well just normal loving makeouts and gestures. you kiss and touch, there’s nothing hierarchical about it, nothing mega juicy or exciting.

you just don’t get into the groove, you know. there’s nothing particular happening if you try to get into those roles. it doesn’t titillate both of you for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make you curious for more. it’s like... shrug. what about it.

when you usually dominate, you know something hits home when you think about it all day. baekhyun screaming and crying with his legs twitching pops up whenever you close your freaking eyes goddamn.

you make a note to observe whether you’re going about your daily business thinking about how you could be his innocent good girl. following his every whim, making big eyes at him or something.

result: more shaky, ruined baekhyun moaning his soul out in the highest of notes and leaking cum everywhere from getting choked and his face sat on.

daddy baekhyun has simply not crossed your mind. in fact, poor guy no chance to fit in there from the get-go. his particularly whorish, extra subby counterpart is all over your brain cells with his tongue out. and you’re very tempted to grab it between your thumb and index and spit in his mouth for some very good measure. maybe cum in it as well.

um. so there’s that. the more you know.

baekhyun figures as much himself and you try the other side of the equation. oh, oh. here comes hard dom baekhyun.

who gets you on your knees and starts a wild deepthroat session while calling you names. that’s all well and good... nope. your gag reflex decides to yeet some weird coughing facial expressions and reflex cock bites at poor baekhyun who doesn’t know what’s happening. to finish him off completely, you sneeze while having a hiccup and his dick slips out.

... you both safeword at the same time.

that cleanup has scarred you both for life. what the everloving fuck. no more impulse throatfucking in this pure christian household, then.

you’ll stick to lazy, twirling, indulgent blowjobs and the usual ruined orgasms for him — the actually planned ones, jesus christ.

like seriously. you invented a whole new language with those confused gargling noises and that wasn’t french, it was advanced level klingon. baekhyun repeats asking if you’re okay and you’re still stuck realizing oh hell, that was not pretty. off the bucket list, you like sucking him off but this style just doesn’t come natural to you.

the popsicles you could train yourself with are usually gone from the freezer within a day after getting the groceries. baekhyun is wholeheartedly addicted to them.

he loves cheating on his diet since you told him his fully cheeks are your emotional support squish and kiss pillows, so.

baekhyun rightfully insists he’s better at eating pussy the wild way in the first place — and that you have no business choking on his dick like you’re on hot ones eating the world’s spiciest whatever is trending now.

or actually... baekhyun’s dick can’t be compared to a chili pepper if we’re doing a choking analogy alright. that just doesn’t fit his promotion concept. cinnamon stick is more like it.

ever saw one of these terrible cinnamon spoon videos where reckless people try to defeat god by— anyway, you’ve seen them. that’s how you looked like trying to get your mouth fucked. i think god would actually be defeated by how far away from divine elegance that was and you’re so sorry for subjecting baekhyun to this artless display.

cinnamon is still best used in small doses. say, for garnishing a creamy cake or pie y’know.

anyway. you dished up the most butchered attempt at sexy gagging in history and so, baekhyun will preach for days how he’s the one chosen by fate to push down seven big fat inches of your strap still half asleep without even blinking.

... and that his world-class operatic breath control would probably enable him to bury his face in your pussy on mount everest. baekhyun knows that every domme would sell her soul to get a sub as skilled with breathing as him.

...and that he has the official copyright for giving quality slobbery oral with quality smudged tears. as he will demonstrate to you almost daily from then on. king of messy head and going stupid with the tongue acrobatics. ugh, the noises are amazing, too. give him a grammy for his oral sounds.

gotta leave the heavy-duty work to the experts innit.

at dinner, he also poutingly brags how he can make his spit run out of his nose while he’s sucking himself through your entire dildo collection. and blow spit bubbles. and snort his own semen off his thighs and let it drop off his tongue if he’s in a particularly slutty mood. or a creampie. jeez, baekhyun, the wolf of wallstreet is strong in him. you literally have to stop him from showing off because “hey boy, i already know! i’ve seen it last week bro it was good!”

needless to say he’s talking in essays all day because he wants things go back to normal and he doesn’t have to ask twice.

for real, your candy man with the cinnamon stick has been suffering from the love bites and has to retire his cock for two days from the bruising.

mind you. the pain he can deal with. that ain’t the problem. by all means, man. he’s a fucking masochist.

it’s actually more like... submissive you has deactivated his boner and he can’t help it. it’s not you that makes him limp, it’s more like, the klingon choking and the ton of mishaps that just don’t sit right.

baekhyun feels bad about not doing well enough to make both of you have a good time as well which is lowkey heartbreaking. you have to cheer him up with ‘now repeat after me: stupid, slutty bitch’ jokes to make him chuckle at least a bit.

cuz you gotta understand, baekhyun is very ambitious to develop his talents in all areas of life. if there’s a skill he gets stuck with and he can’t work with his potential, that’s so unusual to him.

and you say man, imagine if you were some kind of uber-talented dom. that’d still not make me sneeze any less.

if you dominate him, it feels easy to do. nothing can really ruin the mood, not even when the lube runs out (baekhyun drools enough to make anything slippery okay).

except maybe when xiumin rings on landline because he left his favorite fluffy sweater in the subway and needs to vent about it. my god that’s such a tear-jerking story i’m close to sobbing. this shit could kill literally any boner.

or when your hand cramps up after shoving your fingers down his throat and in his ass for like half an hour which should be ranked first as the saddest anime betrayal of all time but it’s justifiable and you had a lot of fun beforehand.

in other words. only the things outside of your control tend to mess with your femdom business. in and of itself, nothing can kill your vibe except a dying battery obviously.

whereas you trying submission oddly spoils the atmosphere from the inside out and provides a free cringe compilation. like without even doing much, it happens automatically.

baekhyun relishes in dramatically recounting how you both looked like true clowns attempting a rendition of overexpensive, extra tangly contemporary art bondage. hell, not even employed clowns, completely retired ones, struggling to regain their tightrope tricks from summer 1912 when harry houdini was still hot shit in town.

you say oh god, that wasn’t even worth a retired clown’s skillset, clowns work damn hard man. you’d be hardpressed to find any circus artist capable of cracking a whip onto themselves baekhyun-style and moaning out loud because it was this good. seriously. that was one for the books.

if baekhyun tried to set foot in some willy-nilly maledom porn, he’d be capable of firing himself on the first day.

at the end, you just have a good laugh, man. you agree — hey, this ain’t it, but it’s good to know at least. tried and tested, been there, done that. self-whipping and carrot-nibbling and blowjob hiccups.

if you’re both so hopeless and living up to the challenge managed to upset poor mariah carey instead of giving you a hot and steamy time, you very well know where you belong. that’s a good feeling. assuring and a confidence boost for your skills. it makes up for all the clumsiness actually.

exactly because the try-out part was an entire disaster, domming baekhyun will be even more fun, you can’t see it becoming anywhere near boring. it never really was, but now you know where your strong suits are even more so. and — what to avoid, anyway.

no more unsafe practice and teddy whipping under this roof my friend

and something to incorporate more often which is baekhyun unleashing his very creative, pianoesque fingering skills on you.

you have lots of anecdotes to rile each other up as well. or, at least, tease another a bit. your high note was too legendary not to be remembered.

baekhyun will use all of these things against you in a positive way if you get what i mean. he’ll say how you being so strangely vocal made him realize just how commanding and compelling your sexy time voice is when you tell him how to kneel, how to kiss, how to revere.

and you teasing him how clumsy a dom he is makes baekhyun more self-assured in his subbing abilities. he knows for a fact you’ve not once roasted him about how well he can use his pretty mouth. cuz it’s the real deal. sloppy, skilled, and eager to please. he’s damn right about that.

hitting his toes has ruined baekhyun’s whole career as a dom and he was mad at first but he did realize that beside the clumsiness, subbing just suits him well as a principle

your experience gives you even more anticipation for all the sex you will have in the future.

you already knew what you both liked. you know it even more now, it’s underlined, it’s a big relieved yes. no more cringey “daddy, daddy, choke me please!” worship. time to make his day and sit on baekhyun’s perfect face to fuck the shit out of it.

or you know, actually land a whip on his juicy boyfriend thighs and listen to those heavenly loud reactions in a dead-on pitch (he usually moans in C minor).

long story short and cinnamon sticks aside. it’s even more fun now. you just love your cute subby boy just as he is. he doesn’t have to try to be anything else or step up his game. he’s so ideal just doing what he does like a real angel.

more subby stuff: m.list + ao3

↳⎡FINAL NOTE⎦i love writing crack lmao i hope you were rolling on the floor like i did 😂 write me your favorite part in the comments so we can laugh again and buy me a ko-fi if you wanna 👍

#baekhyun smut #baekhyun #exo smut #exo #baekhyun x reader #baekhyun hc #sub!baekhyun #baekhyun crack #exo crack #dom!baekhyun #baekhyun headcanon #sub!exo #baekhyun bullet points #exo hc #exo headcanons

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all-or-nothing-baby · 3 years

Note

hiiiii 💫 content creator appreciation!! list five favourite sets/gifs/creations/graphics/art things/etc. you've made and send this ask to five other content creators!

hiiiii 💫 right back at you, you lovely hooman! tysm for thinking of me bestie!? *hugs you* and what a fantastic creator ask game btw! (we all love talking about our work, even if we pretend vehemently not too eheheh).

okies, seeing as this ask is from a (tip-top, go follow) TEEN WOLF blog, imma start with some sterek stuff...

1. YOU NEED ME TO SURVIVE. This piece of artwork is still my favourite stiles/derek piece and, imo, one of my best pieces in general. the amount of times i've tried to recreate... whatever it is i captured... yeah, no! seems to be a one off lol. but i strive! maybe one day i'll do something i like better :)

2. DRAW YOUR SWORDS is probably the personal favourite of my sterek fics. it doesn't have the most kudos/hits etc and certainly isn't a groundbreaking piece of writing, but i just... like it. it's an under 10k one-shot getting together fic w lots of UST which is then resolved. it has lots of feels. like, lots. look, it's basically emo porn and i like emo porn, okay? and i like them in this (sti and der-bear kinda wrote it really, not me).

3. MAGIC IS MAGIC IS MAGIC is maybe my favourite piece from my (quite extensive!) sterek poetry collection. listen, there's a few bloody wonderful people on here who seem to appreciate my humble attempts at verse AND I LOVE THEM LIKE I LOVE BREATHING... but generally speaking, my poetry doesn't really get much attention, which is fine; i adore writing poetry and will continue to pour out my thoughts into stanzas regardless. so, regardless of that, i love this piece. it's definitely not my best work but it's a derek POV almost stream of consciousness that kinda rhymes a bit and I just really, really enjoyed writing it and really, really enjoy reading it back, when i remember it's existence, lol.

and now some other stuff:

4. LAZARUS RISING is a destiel/spn quite recent piece of mine i really like. it's based on s04e01, same title, and it's one of those pieces where i set out to achieve something... and DID! as in, in turned out (pretty much, it's almost never exactly, you know?) the way i wanted it to.

5. BEAUTY & THE BEAST is my last choice. it's something new and us creators tend to like the new stuff we've made (until the next piece!). it's pynch art, my magical bois adam parrish and ronan lynch from the raven cycle/dreamers trilogy book series. i love using colour in my art... but also adore a monochromatic piece! i love love love the styles of artists like AUBREY BEARDSLEY and HARRY CLARKE and always try to capture just a little of the atmosphere they create (try being the operative word there) when i make black and white pieces, while still making the piece my own.

asdfhjkljjjjsksk i thoroughly enjoyed this! a hundred thousand thank yous for giving me the opportunity to show off @ohhalefire!!! imma get on sending this to some other content creators! <333

#content creators #sterek #teen wolf #destiel #spn #pynch #trc #asks #wonderful asks #wonderful people #art #fanfic #poetry

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whentheynameyoujoy · 3 years

Text

So the ATLA Movie Is... Good, Actually?

Just kidding, of course it’s not, it’s so bad it sucked the paint off my walls. But after ten years of people pointing out its glaring flaws, why would anyone bother talking about this garbage heap if not to go the other direction? So here’s a very brief and very superficial list of things the movie does get kinda... not atrociously wrong.

And they won’t be fake hipster pokes, like “It’s fun to laugh at”, “The Rifftrax for this is OK”, or “Kudos to the actress for managing to say we believe in our beliefs as much as they believe in theirs with a straight face”.

(though now that I mentioned it, it is fun to laugh at, the Rifftrax for this is OK, and massive props indeed.)

Rasta Iroh

Yes, I know it’s not exactly the aesthetic of the real Iroh or that it makes no cultural sense for him to sport this do when no one else in the racebended Indian “OMFG what were you thinking Shyamalan” Nation does but goddamn, long-haired dudes are my one mortal weakness and I will ogle the hell out of him.

Jesus is that a man bun I see that’s it mum I’ve been deaded

Yue’s hair

No.

Now we’re talking. Yue’s hair turned white when the Moon spirit gave her life, so it makes sense for it to go black again when she sacrifices herself to revive the koi fish. It’s a neat detail I find myself expecting whenever I rewatch the scene in the show. Yes, I realize it’d be a pointless hassle to animate since she, unlike in the movie, immediately goes on to become the Moon herself but still. I like.

The Blue Spirit’s mop

Zuko, hun, what’s with the dance-off?

First of all, I want to imagine that Zuko the Theatre Nerd was about to leave his ship with just the mask like in the show but then stuck his head into the cleaning cupboard and went, “Yeah, more coverage might be good, even though it do seem mighty fried to shit”.

Which makes me giggle. I like to giggle.

And secondly, the hair’s movement is what makes the static mess of the Blue Spirit’s solo fight scene appear at least bit more dynamic because God knows the cinematography isn’t doing it.

Any particular reason why it’s at the edge of the action, shot all boring-like?

Now, I get why circular shots would be reserved for Aang while he’s in the practice area and then used once the two join forces. What I don’t get is why Aang’s part of the action scene has a defined visual style while Zuko’s delegated to a few stationary wide shots from afar as though he’s a tertiary goon, meaning that when the time comes to combine the respective pieces of cinema language and visually convey collaboration, there’s not really much to combine.

But as long as Zuko is stuck in this static mess, it’s that awesome disaster on his head flopping about that draws the eye, helping me understand that something even is going on over there.

It also prevents me from paying much attention to how the extras are mostly just staying put and a lot of the hits don’t land, so that’s good.

The music slaps

James Newton Howard is too good for this.

youtube

Pls ignore that the word “gods” is used in the ATLA universe

I can’t be the only one who constantly uses this piece to daydream about writing specific fanfic scenes instead of, you know, actually sitting down and writing them. It’s just so good at communicating a sense of sorrow while speaking of rebirth that I find myself getting misty-eyed whenever I listen to it. Unfailingly, the soundtrack as a whole manages to break through the mile-thick crust of horrible acting, confusing writing, and uninspired cinematography and make me feel things. And considering how everything on screen is working against it, that’s no small feat.

Imagine what a powerful experience it would be if the score was used in service of an actual movie.

Dev Patel

No wonder since he’s the only one in the film occupying that crucial intersection between “is a good actor” and “was given something to work with”. It also doesn’t hurt that he breaks with the trend of actors starring in martial arts flicks despite never having done any martial art.

And all EIP-jokes about “stiff and humorless” aside, he’s a pretty decent Zuko considering how abridged this version of the character is. A while ago, I remember hearing a reviewer say that with his comedic chops, Patel should have been cast as Sokka. And on one hand, yes, god, absolutely, I need to see that asap. But on the other? He captures all layers of Book 1!Zuko, the desperate obsession, rage, and self-loathing, and at the same time gives you a peek at the soft momma’s boy dork that’s buried underneath. For Christ sakes, he exudes intensity and ambivalence even when acting against an emotionless hunk of wood that’s giving him nothing in return.

Oh, and I guess there’s a tree in the frame.

Ba dum tss

What can I say, the guy’s good.

Showing vs telling

OK, so this movie is all tell and no show, except for one single moment. And it’s the exact moment where the original goes in the other direction in terms of how information is conveyed.

See, I never liked this. The revelation is preceded by Iroh giving advice to Zuko who scolds him for nagging. Iroh then apologizes, moves in to say the line above, and is interrupted by Zuko who seems rather uncomfortable with Iroh laying his feelings out like this. And once they’re out, Zuko verbally confirms that he knew already and Iroh didn’t need to bother.

All this extraneous information and pussyfooting ends up weakening what should be a profound scene that reveals to us, the viewers, how deep the relationship between these two in fact runs.

Compare to the movie where Dadroh acts like a parent by fussing and worrying, with Sonion needing a single look to tell him and us that he understands what it’s all really about.

It’s genuinely efficient and just good.

No Cataang

Fine, a bit mean-girl bitchy from me since I only start minding the ship in Book 3. And probably unintentional on the part of the creators since there are moments where I think they’re trying to set the romance up? There’s a, well, an attempt to recreate the famous introductory shot of fateful meaningful destiny of meaningness, there’s some slight note of saving each other’s bacon going on, I’m pretty sure they’re the only ones in the film who smile, and oh, right, Katara’s shoved into her post-canon useless role where she doesn’t ever do anything, and is all about Aang right from the get go.

Yes, I will blame the “executive producers” because a) I’m incredibly petty, and b) it’s perfectly in line with their vision of the character so why the hell not.

Hilariously, none of it reads on screen because the actors are just... yeah. These poor kids are struggling so much with delivering their own lines and portraying their own characters they don’t seem to have any strength left to create something between them. To be fair, the bare-bones shot-reverse shot style of their scenes doesn’t exactly lend itself to the idea they occupy the same universe, let alone are friends or each other’s crushes.

And I enjoy this immensely because it allows me to forget the depressing horror show Katara’s life turns into post ATLA.

Yes Zutara

I need to delve into this because it’s fucking hilarious. So in a movie which fails to establish the original’s central romance so spectacularly that if Aang got lost in a crowd I don’t believe Katara would notice, SomEOnE thought it’d be a good idea to add an utterly unnecessary non-canon moment where Zuko for some reason feels the need to pause his character-defining hunt for the Avatar which otherwise has him ignore everything and snap at everyone, and explain his central conflict to an unconscious peasant he doesn’t know, complete with gently pushing the hair from the pretty girl’s the soulmate’s the Water Tribe Ambassador’s the Fire Lady’s the love of his life’s her face away, AFTER his uncle nagged him twice to find a girl and settle down.

I just wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page and this is what we really saw.

Celibate Avatars

I have no idea why the decision was made, if TPTB thought expecting viewers to understand the story through the lens of Buddhism would be too much, or if the “executive producers” already worked their retconny magic. What I do know, however, is that there’s a big shift in worldbuilding and Aang’s struggle with his role as the Avatar stops being a personal conflict defined by a) his grief for Air Nomads, b) his notion of being robbed of the loved ones in his life, and c) the selfish attachment to Katara he confuses with true love. Instead, what he has a difficulty to accept is apparently a general notion of who Avatars are supposed to be, i.e. a fantasy version of Catholic monks, no family and worldly relations, period.

I guess either someone understood the original’s portrayal of de/attachment as “hermit no freaky”, or thought the audience would so why not go there outright.

Now, do I like this on its own? No, God no, it makes the world infinitely poorer and changes the story from an exploration of ideas which aren’t all that ingrained in the West, to a cliché tropester about a Catholic priest going Protestant so that he could be with a girl.

At least I assume that’s where they were going to take this eventually.

I mean, I think the direction was “look conflicted, this isn’t the final stage of your journey”?

But consider this—the show went there, it built on the concepts of Eastern philosophy and touched upon the ideas of spiritual awakening, only to swerve in the end and strongly imply they’re bullshit and Aang should have never wasted his time with them.

So honestly, I much prefer scanty worldbuilding to an insulting retcon by a damn rock.

Multiracial Air Nomads

Probably the most substantial “no hint of irony” point on this list and a genuinely good addition to the universe’s worldbuilding.

See, the notion of the elemental nations being perfectly separate and never mingling before Sozin has always been sketchy but it’s especially ridiculous in the case of airbenders. It never made sense to me for all airbenders to be Air Nomads and for all Air Nomads to be monks and for all monks to be chilling at the temples all the time to facilitate a quick everyone-dies genocide should an imperialistic warlord ever decide to commit one.

Because committing everyone to a single way of life at a handful of places kinda goes against the central philosophy behind airbending. Like the freedom and nomadism part.

Instead, there should be more variety to the airbending culture, with some staying at the temples as monks, hermits, and teachers while others live as nomads, travelling the world and creating more airbenders, with the resulting children in turn being influenced by the non-airbending cultures they grew up in.

And thus, not only should airbenders not be modeled after a single culture to create a one-size-fits-all lifestyle, but they should have the most diverse and dynamic culture out of the four nations.

And it’d be precisely this diversity which would pave way for an eventual reveal that some of them survived, that their complete extermination is impossible.

Because they’re everywhere.

You know.

Like air.

#atla #atla movie #zutara #anti bryke #dev patel #the last airbender #anti-kataang

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fiddlepickdouglas · 3 years

Text

Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 10 - Clean This Up

Summary: Sunset Curve Alive AU, Willex, who is he really?, 2.9k

@trevor-wilson-covington is the bestie who makes these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

WARNINGS: abuse, mild violence

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9

Alex had said to check the diner, so Victoria opted to have dinner there and asked to see the owner. She was aware of the vigilante-style work she was doing, but with everything else going on in her life, this couldn’t possibly hurt any worse. Folding her hands, she breathed calmly as she peeked at the menu. It was important not to act as authoritative as she usually did, she reminded herself. A portly man with short gray hair and a mustache came over and took the seat across from her.

“Hi there,” the man said, shaking Victoria’s hand. “What can I do for you?”

“Hi, I’m Victoria Molina,” she introduced herself. “I was actually trying to find someone and I was told you could help me.”

The man raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Oh, alright. Who are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for a young man of about seventeen, he goes by Willie? I was told he works here. I just have some questions for him. Would he happen to be in at all today?”

“We don’t have anyone named Willie here anymore,” the man told her. “I actually just bought this establishment along with the hotel about two weeks ago and a few of the staff followed the previous owner to a different business. You might want to talk to him instead.”

“Oh,” Victoria sat back in slight disappointment. “I take it you’re not Caleb Covington?”

“No, he’s the guy I bought it from. I’m Frank Wolfe. I can give you his contact information, though.”

Nodding, she smiled politely.

“I would appreciate that. Sorry I had to come bother you, though.”

“Not at all,” he said. “I apologize that I can’t be any more useful. If you like, I can take your order.”

“Oh, thank you. I’ll actually have the carne asada.”

“Perfect,” he smiled as he took her menu away. “I’ll have that information for you in just a minute, too.”

Taking a gulp of water, Victoria sighed. It certainly felt just like any regular case. The fact the business had recently changed hands made her want to be suspicious, but she fought to remain level-headed. It was enough that she was going off the word of a teenage boy and an old poster. If it was a dud, if this trip led nowhere, she would buy Carlos a gift and head home safe and sound.

After finishing her meal, she returned to her hotel room and pulled out the business card Frank Wolfe had given her. Something about the dark purple design and the old-fashioned lettering he’d chosen made her feel like Caleb Covington was at least a little pretentious, if not flashy about his business. Picking up the phone and dialing the number, she held her breath waiting for an answer.

“Caleb Covington, who may I be speaking to?” a baritone voice chimed on the other end. The touch of sing-song in his tone was unexpected.

“Hi, my name is Victoria,” she introduced herself for the second time that night. “I was told you were the guardian of a young man named Willie?”

“Are you with social services?” he asked.

She furrowed her brow. “I’m sorry?”

“I usually only get a call when we have a hearing scheduled, but our last one was just a couple months ago.” His tone had gone from happy to serious at such a jarring speed it took Victoria a moment to process his words.

“No,” she said finally. “No, I’m not with them. I didn’t mean to confuse you. I’m actually reaching out on a personal favor. See another young man I know says they met a while back.”

“Oh, is it the band that came through a few weeks ago?” Caleb immediately picked the cheer back up.

“Yes, I’m glad you remember,” she responded, surprised.

“How are those boys doing?”

“Oh, they’re just fine. I think they’re gonna be a success.”

“Good to hear it,” he said. “Listen, no harm done. I own a swanky little club just in the south of town. I would be delighted if you gave me a visit, and I’d be happy to chat.”

“Sounds great, thank you,” Victoria smiled, unable to believe how easy that felt. “I can stop by tomorrow evening.”

“Wonderful. If it isn’t too much, I’ll make you a reservation.”

“Well, I can’t say no to such generosity!” It had been a long time since Victoria had gone on a night out. This was a much needed vacation, and if it killed two birds with one stone, all the better. She said goodbye and decided since she was practically getting everything she needed at the club, the rest of the day would be spent treating herself for once.

Willie skateboarded up the driveway and only just remembered Caleb’s rule about the pool in time to hop off before pulling off his helmet and going around the back. He took the back route into the house and dropped a number of grocery bags on the counter. One of these days he would age out of the foster system and not spend the morning being Caleb’s errand boy, but for now he just laid Caleb’s credit card on the table and went outside toward his shed.

Opening the door, he saw Caleb standing in the middle of the room, looking around at all of his drawings. Paper covered most of the walls now. Faces with no names to them, locations with no map to their destination - only snippets of a past life. Willie couldn’t stop drawing them. There still weren’t many memories returning to him, but any detail was an important one. He hadn’t drawn this much in ages, since before he found Sheldon. The backwards dream had become a recurring one by now, and there was still very little that he understood about it. Still, he had so many scenes made out of it that he could almost recreate the dream in a very rough animation.

“Hi C-Caleb,” Willie stammered. This never happened. It made him immediately nervous.

“What a collection, William,” Caleb said, not exactly sounding like an awed patron in a museum. “I mean, the sheer volume of work that went into these is absolutely mind-blowing.”

A small pebble of pride rose in Willie’s chest.

“Really?.... Um, thank you.” He couldn’t suppress his smile.

Caleb held up a hand and looked down at his well-manicured nails, and then back up.

“I just don’t understand why I look so hostile in this one,” he said, pointing to the picture in question. “And that one. And all of these in this corner.” His gaze returned to Willie with unprecedented menace.

Willie immediately shrank away, his mouth gaping open.

“Well...I..they’re from a dream.”

“A dream?” Caleb repeated, not liking what he was hearing.

“Yeah, I think it was a memory.”

Willie watched the man straighten his posture, a calculating expression on his face.

“Are these all memories?” Caleb asked after a tense moment, casting his eyes about the room.

“I think so,” Willie said hesitantly.

Caleb lifted a hand and grabbed the bottom of one. It was the first one WIllie had done of his dad sitting inside the truck and smiling at him.

“Hm,” was all that he said for a second.

And then he tore it in half.

Willie made toward the picture in alarm, feeling a part of him inside being torn just the same, but was stopped as Caleb held a hand out.

“Ah ah,” he said. “What have I told you about becoming your own person regardless of the past?” He took a handful of another drawing and ripped that one too.

Ignoring what Caleb said, Willie lunged forward to try stopping him anyway. Caleb was faster, grabbing his shirt and tossing him backward into the wall. He couldn’t help but begin crying.

“But these are my memories, why would you - ” he sputtered, lost for words.

“Because, William,” Caleb continued loudly, pulling as many as he could off the wall and shredding them into smaller pieces. “Your history? The one full of loss and being shuffled here and there? That is all that awaits you. You know it’s the truth; that’s how you ended up here. I offer you the opportunity to become a new person, and I can’t allow you to spoil yourself with reminders. And besides, those little friends you not-so-secretly made a few weeks ago have started snooping around in my business, and I can’t have that.”

He didn’t even pick anything up, he just left paper strewn all over the floor and walked all over it. As he made for the last wall, Willie made one more attempt to overpower him. He leapt onto Caleb’s shoulders and tried to pull him back with all his weight. A fist landed in his eye and he slacked his grip. Caleb wrestled him onto the bed and held him down, a crazed look in his eye that Willie swore he’d never seen no matter how familiar it felt.

“I don’t understand, what do they have to do with it? Why can’t I have friends?”

“I’m doing this for your own good,” Caleb hissed at him. “You” - he reached up and touched the scar on Willie’s head with his finger - “You got a reboot and you know how many people are lucky enough for that? You should thank me. Unfortunately, you can’t have friends when they send someone asking me questions about that little past of yours. That’s just asking for trouble.”

All Willie could do was hold his eye and lay back as Caleb tore up the last of the drawings. Once he finished, Caleb patted himself off and made his way out the door.

“Clean this up,” he told Willie. “And don’t bother doing any more art.”

As the door shut behind him, Willie scrambled onto the floor to search for just one of the drawings. Shuffling through smudged pieces of paper, he saw a few tears drop onto his ruined work. Eventually, he held the picture of his father in two pieces in his hands. Sobbing, he tried to hold them together evenly, but Caleb’s work had made that hard to do. His only hope was to try drawing it again, but he was already terrified of what Caleb’s reaction to that would be if his first one had been this.

A piece of another drawing caught Willie’s eye from underneath. He recognized Caleb’s snarling face from the dream and was surprised at how well it captured what he’d just witnessed. His mind went back to the way he knew the look in Caleb’s eyes. Suddenly, the awful realization dawned on him: he finally understood the dream.

Victoria walked into the club that evening, glad she had taken the time to look and feel fresh. This place was clearly up to snuff and then some. A live band played with dancers scattered throughout, all in bright, sparkly, feathery getup. A tall man with neatly styled dark hair was mesmerizing the crowd as he sang, keeping the energy high. As she was led to a table, Victoria simply sat and watched, greatly impressed with the talent.

Once the man’s solo finished, he bowed, gestured at the band to play on without him, and exited the stage. To Victoria’s surprise, he took the seat directly across from her.

“Ms. Victoria, you look so lovely, how are we this evening?” he asked with a charming smile. “I’m Caleb Covington.”

“Are you kidding me?” she started. “That was you up there? You’re a man of many talents; I’m already dazzled.”

“Oh, well, I hope that remains a constant while you’re here,” he said. "But you came to ask me about some other things, what were they?”

“Yes, I had some questions about Willie.”

Willie sat outside the bodega, unwilling to move for a while. He felt like everything inside of him was empty, as if Caleb had possessed claws and dug everything out until he was left hollow. The many ideas that had risen in his mind in the past few hours were all too much, all at once. If he dared, was he sure he could handle everything that might come his way? Every time he’d heard that ridiculous speech about starting over, becoming his own, yada-yada, he hadn’t considered any of the options he was now contemplating.

He’d already done some things. Already bought some things. Now he got up to collect Sheldon and held him tightly as he nodded to Escobar, who saluted him back. The man had said he didn’t want a dramatic thank you. Stuffing the items he purchased in his bag, he kept a hold of Sheldon as he skated off into the darkness.

“So, you see, Willie isn’t missing. He was abandoned,” Caleb was saying to Victoria. “Poor thing has struggled to adjust. I’ve dealt with some handfuls in the past, but I really have been doing the most for him, and he’s been with me for more than three years. I think it’s really sweet of those boys to raise a concern, and I hate to be a dead end, but that’s the truth of it.”

Victoria sat, nodding in acceptance.

“That makes a lot of sense, Mr. Covington, thank you for providing that for me.”

“Oh, call me Caleb. We’re all friends in here.”

“Okay, then, Caleb,” she corrected. “What got you into foster care?”

He put a hand over his heart and a fond look came over him.

“The youth are just full of so much magic, and I hate to see that their parents have chosen to lay it to waste. I’m the one who takes some of the tougher cases so I can bring out the best in them. You see that young man over there, Dante?” Caleb pointed at one of the dancers. “Classic rebel when he was young. You wouldn’t even know, he’s turned into such a gentleman. There’s a few more here and there in the club. I call them my graduates.”

“Well, I will tell you,” Victoria said. “When I first talked to you on the phone I wasn’t expecting you to be so generous. But now I can see that it’s just how you are.”

Caleb shot her a playful smile.

“Victoria, no need to butter me up. I do have some tight business practices to keep up.”

Fluid poured over every inch of the shed. Willie had made sure it was more than enough to get things going. He’d made sure to get the essentials: food for himself and Sheldon, a few changes of clothes, and a stash of money he’d taken from the safe in Caleb’s bedroom. The man shouldn’t have given him the combination in the first place.

Stepping out of the shed he looked at it one last time. What a sad, lousy existence. Living to perform for this man who shut him up inside this little thing and he had actually called it home? The further he was into his plan, the bolder he began to feel. He remembered when he had missed getting into the Pearl and that feeling of wrongness that had made him so frustrated. This feeling he had right now? It was so right. It was so right it drowned out anything scary about this whole idea.

He looked back at where he had put Sheldon on a small leash and tied him along the fence around Caleb’s backyard. It was definitely a safe distance. Then Willie pulled a box of matches out of his pocket, lit one, and looked at the flame for a minute. He held it just over the threshold of the doorway so it would land inside. It was so weak, like he had been ever since his accident. But he knew it was going to become so powerful, and he desperately hoped that he could retain some of that power for himself.

“Clean this up, Caleb,” he said, and he let his fingers go.

Victoria had stayed just a little longer to enjoy more food and music before standing up and heading toward the door. Caleb saw her on her way out and made her stop for a moment.

“It’s been a lovely night, and I’m grateful for everything you told me,” she said to him.

“Well I’m glad you took the opportunity to see what I have here,” he replied. “If you’re ever in the city again, please stop by. We’re always partying and putting on the best show.”

“Oh, I most certainly will,” she said, smiling as she made her way outside.

Someone tapped on Caleb’s shoulder from behind. Wordlessly, he turned to see who it was and why it was important.

“Sir,” one of his servers said. “You have a phone call. It’s the fire department.”

“What?” Caleb spat as he went to pick it up.

Willie sped along on his board the best that he could with Sheldon in his arms. He carefully made it down the ramp onto the freeway, controlling his speed as well as he could. He could picture Caleb now, just getting back to his home, eyes wide as he came upon the blaze. It was a very strange feeling, but right now Willie chose to focus on his newfound freedom. The cost wasn’t the matter right now. Freedom was all that was going to take him and his cat as far as they could go. The destination for now was Los Angeles.

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #fanfic #jatp fanfic #willex #alive au #alex mercer #willie #luke patterson #reggie peters #bobby wilson #aunt victoria #caleb covington #tw abuse #tw mild violence #viva las vegas #clean this up #fiddlepickdouglas

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