#this is a palette cleanser from my last post

[cinderoo]

when the boyfriend is big and handsome and also very jealous

#transformers #tfp #orion pax #optimus prime #megatron #megatronus #tfp megop #megop #comic #doodle #robots #fanart #maccadam #artists on tumblr #cinderoo #they're having a cute couple's spat here #this is a palette cleanser from my last post

[snackugaki]

.... i have been so normal about wanting to draw tactical!Venus and tactical!Jennika.

hey. HEY. y’all need to go check out @donathan ‘s artwork, and if you are the proper age, go throw some money into their patreon for some... some real, real good art. 👀👀👀 ...but do not if you are a minor, that shit ain’t for you.

some IDW TMNT comic spoilers... and.... I guess... Next Mutation ssspoilers? I know some of you kids haven’t turtled up and watched my beloved childhood iteration yet.

alright, so, y’know, completely normal expenditure of my energy and skillset, amirite? big big thanks to @/donathan for allowing me to play around in their AU’s aesthetic because I have severe, terminal VenusAndJennikaDeserveEverythingoccocal SoIWillManifestItMyselfitis.

and tbh, all y’all’s fics have been, mwah, chef’s kiss. but SOME of you put LORE. delicious, tasty, appetite-inducing lore.

and i am nothing but the littlest hoebag for lore.

okay so, quick rundown for those who both A) are immune to spoilers B) also do not know Venus or Jennika’s origins-- bulletpoint time~!

So Venus de Milo, the “girl turtle”, the “fifth turtle” (not counting April’s extremely brief stint as a white-bandana’d turtle in the Archie comics run) was introduced in 1997′s Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

An episode of “The Toys That Made Us” touched upon Venus’ creation so idk it’ll cover what I won’t deign to acknowledge.

her backtory is interesting (just her show was a trashfire /affectionate)

Master Splinter’s frolicking around in the dreamscape where all the cool enlightened old people hang out away from teenagers, right?

but oh no! dragon lord, a bad dude with a widow’s peak to rival Vegeta Dragonball’s widow’s peak; is there too! stomping around, ruining shit!

Splinter’s dreamscape buddy Chung I warns Splinter to stay out of the dreamscape ‘cuz Dragon Lord’s around

And like in true old people fashion, just ignores his friend’s admonition and tries to investigate himself

bad choice, womp womp

Splinter gets trussed up and rendered “stuck” in the dreamscape

cue the catalyst for Venus to make the 10+ flight from China to the U.S

don’t worry about what the boys were doing, just literal surfing in sewer grey water, breaking their little turtle skulls on cinderblocks, and picking fights in warehouses with Foot clan goons

tl;dr Venus still has Sixth Ranger mode on, so naturally she whoops all of their asses in the dark, ties them up (like how some of y’all enjoy writing Leo does huhu nudgenudge winkwink)

venusistheoriginalshibarienthusiastandteadrinkerfightme

and then, y’know, it’s still the 90s and children’s television so blah blah the usual “oH My gOd a GiRL tURTle???/?? AWoooOOogaaa ga ga ga” 

it’s.... I mean, i’m 38 so it no longer strikes me as bad as just really fucking embarrassing... for them. to be written saying. fuck, at least they didn’t make her bandana color pink.

so fast forward to Venus teaching them to dreamwalk so they can go rescue Splinter from Dragon Lord’s clutches in the dreamscape.

unfortunately, Dragon Lord offscreen murders Chung I so Venus is narratively anchorless post-rescue, so she’s invited to stay with them. thus ensues wacky hijinks with their new pal, Venus Boom Boom de Milo.

I glossed over the urge to write a cumulative review of Next Mutation. Just, take my word as the target demographic of the show during the last gasps of 90s Turtlemania that TNM was a trashfire overall but... y’know... if you ever needed a palette cleanser after some grimdark or angsty TMNT content, give TNM a whirl. The slapstick was intentional and The Point in the show. Venus’ circumstances for coming was as serious as it would get.

... Also, yes, they made them not related in TNM, preteen snackugaki didn’t clock why because I watched a lot of wuxia as a kid so brotherhood is a term beyond blood ties to me (and if I’m being honest, martial brotherhood is fkkn metal) and later I heard tell that it was to lure more girls into the franchise with both a girl turtle and romance options. which idk whatevs man. 

I also have to clear that, actually no, Donatello and Venus did not fight EVERY episode. Donatello, despite sprinkling a little too much barely disguised snobbery, did defer to Venus’ expertise in “the supernatural” when the situation called for it, and Venus would commend Donnie on his scientific ingenuity. They even teamed up skillsets to create surveillance drones! She essentially casted Calm Emotions on him while he tried to hack the controls of the Astro Megaship back for the In Space Rangers. They breached the divide between STEM and Humanities! They only had one “real fight" near the end of the season-- because Donnie was playing his containment breach elevator mid trash copyright strike immune proto-EDM too loud while she was trying to meditate. and that’s just being bad roommates tbh.

...christ I know it’s gonna come up too, but also NO, there was not constant advances made toward Venus during the show. At most was Mikey pulling his ol’ “I work out every day~!” schtick for like 2 episodes of the 5 spent to introduce Venus. And then after? A shipper’s desert, you’d have to dig and peer behind like 8 curtains for any viable fodder. 

...OKAY NOW FOR JENNIKA’S ORIGINS: Jennika is an IDW character specifically so, naturally why she isn’t in (or would’ve been, AHEM) a lot of iterations yet (or at all, COUGH) (but to continue in honesty there’s a lot of legal tape to cut through since Jennika is IDW’s while TMNT overall is Nick’s) Introduced as a Foot Assassin, her place in the Foot Clan shifts when Splinter takes over from Shredder (Saki), eventually she forms actual bonds with both the turtles and Splinter to where it’s implied she also saw him as an important figure to her if not an outright surrogate father figure. And because TMNT is mess and drama the other 50% of the time, Karai takes over the Foot from Splinter and shenanigans compounded by Karai’s then-current machinations for the Foot-- results in Jennika getting shanked in the stomach by Karai during a clandestine meeting to resolve clan rivalry. She’s losing blood fast, Donnie works to save her and it’s Leo who volunteers for blood transfusion to keep her stable mid-transit. 

SURPRISE!

Leo’s blood mutates Jennika into a mutant turtle. And then Casey ghosts/dumps her. My poor daughter. She has a real rough time of it before fully integrating with the boys. Raph falls in with Old Hob, gets hoodwinked, and now they live in Mutant Town. Jennika slowly finds herself again, as a mutant turtle, a Splinter clan ninja, a girlfriend, a guitarist in a band she started, a sister in a found family, and a constable to a very little town.

okay! we’re all marginally informed about my two wonderfull daughters, Venus and Jennika~!

so if I can indulge further, I’m going to use my cognizance and make it everyone’s problem because I have beem quietly foaming with ideas for bg lore for tactical!J&V, more bullet points!

ok so, donathan mentioned a bit about their tac! Leo and Donnie being the snipers, Mikey and Raph spotting for them while also being demolitions and heavy ordinance specialists respectively

I would think, then for Vee and Jen, they’d be classified as close quarters combat specialists, complicated extraction? compromised area? call them to clean up and clear out~

give or take “magic” being a thing used in donathan’s AU, or anyone’s AU of this AU, Vee would probably be a close combat specialist along with Jen.

Vee, I feel, would, barring a ...”tactical fan”, (even though in TNM it was just her fists and her little wizard components but her toy came with a fan so.) probably use batons, Jen in lieu of her tekagi-shuko would... most likely use tactical karambit. not that large of a leap really.

for my personal lulz, Vee and Jen are... accurate, height-wise. Raph gets to be the biggest brother since alligator snapping turtles are, in fact, the largest motherfucking freshwater turtles on the north american continent. no getting around it.

my Vee in all Rise AUs is a softshell since the messy hanzi used to write her first given name, Mei Pieh Chi (美鱉气) has the hanzi that’s most commonly translated as softshell turtle (鱉). eh ‘di wow talaga

snacku what do you mean ‘accurate’???? tl;dr female turtles are usually the larger ones in most species.

and listen, I love and I mean LOVE, how some of y’all have written the tac!boys, mwah; but god I’m a professional turtle bully. I need to see them get dunked on. for nutritional value. and if it comes to it, I will provide that food for myself. brb laughing at eventually drawing Venus just offhandedly tossing Donnie into the air to skeet shoot his ass for fun brings me the greatest joy.

they absolutely dote on Mikey, as is the natural order of things. 

and even tho I stated TNM Donnie and Venus got along in the show, and depending on the existence of magic in this AU; I just really love dichotomous rivalries (in as much “science” and “magic” exist as a dichotomy, much less as “diametrically oppose” fields-- just, opposites man. i’m a simple girl with simple trope needs)

Vee’s arms (and legs) are absolutely covered in burns, scars, and missing flesh divots, just as close to swiss cheese limbs as you can be

Jen and Donnie debate tracks that go into their joint “On Our Way To Commit Murder” playlist

if Vee’s tactical look seem very familiar, and you’re wondering if-- yes, you’re correct. and you can “call her ms. de milo if ya nasty”

Vee was actually pretty calm and rational in TNM... but for this AU, she can be a little unhinged, as a well-deserved treat. (and ‘cuz that specific anime unhinged facial expression is fun as fuck to draw, which is my treat)

#giving me cognizance was a mistake #letting me learn to draw was another #I love Venus and Jennika #a HEALTHY amount I'd say #totally healthy & normal #:) #fuckin' turtles man #3 months into this new year #and it's turtles all the way back #this is why I trained for visdev #just chewing on things absently #and wondering how things would work In This World #figuring out how to fit something into an environment #a context #a situation #is my enrichment activity #not unlike #giving tigers huge slabs of meat in 3 feet of ice on a hot day #just sitting there gnawing away #until I get to the meat of it #both literally and figuratively #it's like a puzzle #that you can design the pieces themselves #but have I updated my visdev portfolio? #HAHAHA NO #TOO BUSY DRAWING FKKN TURTLES MAN #h elp #i listened to so many baddie playlists drawing this #i needa start a fight #get this extra energy out of my system

[evermore-fashion]

Met Gala 2023: My Top 5 Men’s Looks

I’ve had a few messages asking for my favourite men’s look from the Met Gala 2023, despite the fact I wasn’t overly enamoured by what I saw from the men this year. So I thought I’d share with you all my top 5 men’s looks as there were a few that I did like even though I feel like the women shined a lot brighter when it came to their outfits. 

Like before this post is just my opinions on fashion, it’s not absolute and you’re all welcome to either agree or disagree with me.

1. Conan Gray wearing Balmain I won’t lie. I roasted Conan for his 2022 Met Gala look so I was really surprised to see he had stepped it up with this amazing outfit from Balmain. Every time I look at it I fall more in love with it because it’s both masculine and feminine from head to toe. Plus I love how the pearls are placed throughout his outfit as well the fan that just adds that touch of flamboyance thats needed for an outstanding Met Gala look.

2. Brian Tyree Henry wearing Karl Largerfield Just like Conan, Brian nailed his look which was obviously helped by the fact he was wearing an outfit from the late designer. Regardless though, I felt it suited Brian to tee even with the large ruffle coat that oddly didn’t overwhelm him nor did it detract from twist on an the classic men’s suit thats become a trend in recent years.

3. Eddie Redmayne wearing Alexander McQueen Eddie seems to be a spokesperson for the McQueen brand these days as I don’t think I’ve ever seen him wear another designer when it comes to public events. The suit itself is a classic suit but I love the silver broaches and how they are placed from shoulder to shoulder with a drop on his chest and connected by chains. It looks like expensive raindrops and I love it. Also I love Hannah's classic McQueen gown, they compliment each other perfectly.

4. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs wearing Sean John Whilst I’m not a fan of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs I can’t help but love his look, even if it’s from his own fashion house. The look compliments the theme perfectly whilst still being a haute couture look that you can tell is more about Sean than Karl Lagerfield. Overall it screams modern vampire who’s there to steal the limelight (and probably your blood) and I’m honestly here for it. 

5. Pedro Pascal wearing Valentino I don’t know why but I really love the whole look on Pedro. Perhaps it’s the vibrant red that just like Salma Hayek’s gown, was actually palette cleanser from all the black & white that graced the stairs of the Met Gala. Or perhaps it’s because Pedro is killing it in The Last of Us as well as The Mandalorian and is the internet’s heartthrob. All in all I can’t not love this look and it just goes to show that he can wear anything and still look handsome. 

#Personal #Fashion #Met Gala 2023 #Menswear

[oodlyenough]

alright i finished aai1-4 (aka turnabout reminiscence... i think... all the turnabout ep titles blur into mush in my brain. case number supremacy). the existence of a case featuring baby franziska and bratworth was like a solid 60% of the reason i played this game to begin with, and it was indeed my fave case so far by a mile. the miles + franziska interactions and callisto yew were worth the price of admission.

i loved having franziska around as the weirdgirl and, like i said in a previous post, i thought being thirteen made her writing here a lot more believable and funny than in the earlier case where you're theoretically dealing with a post-trilogy adult. i thought the (relatively one-sided) hypercompetitive relationship between her and edgeworth was hilarious and this little kid running around being a total menace was like. yeah. that checks out. lmao.

yeah man why did you think she was here?

also, as a fic writer eternally fixated on what characters call each other, especially in a franchise where everyone has a custom nickname lol, i thought it was interesting that while both adult and baby franziska use 'miles' and 'miles edgeworth', baby franziska defaults to 'miles' most of the time while adult franziska uses his full name most of the time. i could get a whole fic out of that, your brain is fascinating franziska ilu

callisto rules. i knew from vague fandom context she would be the villain but I did not know she would extend beyond this one case, so i'm excited. aside from being funny as fuck i am genuinely interested in her motives as well, she is clearly aware of corruption on the prosecution side but it remains to be seen how much she actually ... cares about that... vs how much is personal vendetta (for her sister?) vs whatever agenda of her own. presumably she was lying about being the yatagarasu? anyway. interested to see that develop

queen shit, drag him

edgeworth's writing... i don't know. i can understand the rationale of not wanting to make the player sit through a case of him being a corrupt douchebag. but the result was that I found only nominal difference between how they wrote this 20 y/o jackass and how they write adult edgeworth in the other cases. which i think rather undermines his trilogy arc. I don't know that I really believe Bratworth turning things upside down to clear Gumshoe's name, instead of pushing for the easy conviction and moving on. am I supposed to believe that this happened and then he just... stopped doing that for the rest of his career up until aa1. like this is great and all but he's about to run a clusterfuck of a trial against terry fawles where he definitely did not Find The Truth lmao

cheer up man the next one is way worse

lastly on a more positive note i'm continually surprised and entertained how every case has different women of different demographics flirting with edgeworth and he is continually either baffled or horrified by it. i guess i figured without phoenix being around in these games they'd ease up on the gay subtext. they have not.

unfortunately this means it's time for the last case, and all i ever hear about it is that it's long and tedious. hooray! at the pace i'm going i'll be lucky to complete aai2 before the new trilogy in january, so i guess TGAA will be my palette cleanser after SOJ... which is maybe for the best anyway.

#ace attorney investigations #oodly plays AAI #miles edgeworth #franziska von karma #callisto yew

[nerevar-quote-and-star]

For the story ideas folder "You Drew Stars Around My Scars" have definitely caught my eye!

Also hope you are doing good, Elm!

First of all, Crys, hiiiiiii! I'm doing okay! I hope you're well! ✨ Second, I just want to thank you for asking about "You Drew Stars Around My Scars" and to apologize for the person I'm about to become.

Are you ready for it?

"You Drew Stars Around My Scars" is a The Elder Scrolls V/Baldur's Gate 3 crossover that will likely never see the light of day for several factors, such as the number of WIPs I have, my original novel, school, and, oh, the fact that I've never played BG3 My MacBook Air cannot handle those demands. DESPITE THE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES!, I just think the game is neat and have been sucked into it in part by Astarion. Mostly Astarion . . . okay, entirely.

Background information: Ever since I started writing Keeping Count, I knew Bishop was lifted from Neverwinter Nights and that it was a D&D-based game. And I guess that's why someone mentioned Astarion as a palette cleanser to me a few months ago, shared universe and all. And my initial perception of the character was so cool that I vaguely entertained an alternative Keeping Count where Astarion shows up, seduces Leara from Bishop, and probably sexy stabs Bishop or something. And then I didn't really think about it again. For months.

Then my brain went back to it and Astarion and BG3 and I cried a bit when I realized that my laptop couldn't play the game. I'm fine. And you know what? @cosmermaid is right: Leara deserves a better companion than freaking Bishop. Also please forgive my minimal BG3/D&D knowledge, 95% of which I've absorbed since like last Monday ish.

SO! "You Drew Stars Around My Scars" features Leara getting picked up by the Mind Flayer ship post-Sovngarde and taken via dimensional travel to Faerûn where, following the crash, she joins the usual party on a quest to get rid of the parasites. This Leara is very specifically taken after the planned Chapter 15 of Keeping Count for Reasons. Can Leara use magic in Faerûn since she's not able to draw it from Aetherius? No idea. Can she Dragon Shout? Also no idea. Transdimensional magic mechanics are weird. Regardless, Leara probably mentions something about being Dragonborn and gets weird and confused looks because her definition of Dragonborn is totally different from that in the Forgotten Realms. Linearly, I have no idea what would happen, but overall, Leara and Astarion both suffer trauma from following people who hurt them and they have complicated relationships with sex. They could have what could be a very cathartic relationship. Or I think so, anyway. Also, I kinda want to know if vampires react differently to the Dragonblood.

Symbolism in the story could heavily involve stars and light. Leara means "Light of the Sea" while Astarion means "Little Star". Leara is dependent on the stars for her magic but she's lost them, while Astarion wants to walk in the light even after the parasite is gone. There's no balance and it has to be found. They're both so cold and have lived in the shadows for a long time. There are dark versions of themselves they don't want to be anymore.

There's the possibility that, given her background in the Blades and Dominion, Leara might see through Astarion's mask in Act I. But she'd end up helping Astarion (and probably not giving on that she's on to him until later) because she's a bleeding heart. Two other very important things about this underwhelming but brain-rotting story: First, Astarion wouldn't ascend. We would need a Leara Disapproves sticker because she would not be for Astarion doing that. The second thing is, well, since motherhood is an extremely important part of Leara's character, I did pick out a name for a possible child. If Leara and Astarion had a daughter, her name would be Ilmarien, derived from Quenya, Ilmarë, meaning “starlight”.

Because after all this time, Tolkien elves still make the most sense to me.

#i am not tagging his character in this because I am too embarrassed #it is taking all my willpower to tell myself that sharing this is okay and that I'm not being too much or annoying #it's okay i felt the same way when I was fixated on legolas and loki as a teen I just figured i'd have outgrown it oh well #oc: leara roseblade #azura's ask box

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

April 2024 was a big month for Scottish comedians on television networks. Here are some things I watched.

Baby Reindeer

I watched this a couple of days ago, and in those couple of days I must admit I have done some Googling and have come to the conclusion that the last thing the world needs is one more person publicly expressing anything about that show. It’s a very good show. It’s very well made, well written and well acted and a compelling and terrifying story well told. I highly recommend it if you like that sort of thing, though I do recommend first looking up what sort of thing it is, because trigger warning for just about everything. Mainly stalking and sexual assault.

I do not recommend further Googling, as I found out after watching it that that it was apparently much closer to “true crime” than I’d thought initially. I mean, I knew it was based on a true story. I knew it covered the same part of his real life as the autobiographical story in his stand-up show Monkey See Monkey Do, which was broadcast on Comedy Central and which I also watched last week and it’s also very good.

But it’s looking like Baby Reindeer may be less fictionalized than I’d assumed, and maybe covers ground that’s less resolved/consigned to the past than I’d assumed, that makes it seem like a weird thing to put on Netflix, and definitely makes me think it doesn’t need more people pontificating about it publicly on the internet. So I won’t do much more of that. Something seems a bit off in general and makes me want to stay away from much comment. This part of the post would have been a lot longer if I’d written it a couple of days ago. Seriously though, it’s a very good show. If you assume it exists in a vacuum.

Dinosaur

I watched this because I liked Ashely Storrie from things like The News Quiz, and she has a special I liked on Radio 4, and, you know, autism stories. I think I made a mistake by watching it immediately after I watched Baby Reindeer. I’d thought I could use it as a bit of a palette cleanser for that heavier show, the way if I see a horror movie I always have to immediately watch an episode of 30 Rock after or I can’t sleep. But Baby Reindeer’s heaviness got so deep in my head that it made it hard to get too into anything else, so my enjoyment of Dinosaur suffered for that, which is not Ashley Storrie’s fault.

I’m pretty sure this show is pretty good for what it is, which is a fairly formulaic sitcom but with the twist of an openly autistic main character who can point out how bullshit more sitcom tropes are. Watching two people get married when they’ve known each other for two months is more fun to watch from the perspective of an outsider who thinks it’s stupid, than it would be to see it just from their perspective.

This show definitely picked up steam as it went along, and as the characters developed slightly beyond stock sitcom people. I think my favourite parts of the show were Ashley Storrie at her paleontology job, so I was sorry that we didn’t see much of that after the first episode. I’m just not that into shows based around a wedding, even if it’s only to point out how bad the idea is.

Overall I came away thinking it was all right, but also that I’d definitely watch a second season if there is one, because by the very end I’d found myself starting to get invested in the characters and thinking this has potential. And the wedding’s happened now so season 2 might be built around something else. And I did think the main character was good. Six episodes was just not quite enough time for me to fully get into it.

Fern Brady – Autistic Bikini Queen

Fucking brilliant, as good as I expected it to be and that was a pretty high bar. I’d heard probably 40% of the material before in some form or another, because small parts of it were in her previous show and her next show, bits of it were in her book, and I’ve sought out so much Fern Brady stuff that I’ve seen her tell a few of these stories in other contexts. But that made it seem like a consolidation of the best jokes I’ve heard her tell before, plus a bunch of stuff I haven’t heard, and it was so good.

It is, as she says at the beginning, only a bit about autism. Well only a bit of it is explicitly about autism – the rest is about her views on life and death and love and marriage, and those are of course partly influenced by autism, and they feel refreshing and interesting and funny to me. The hour went by so fast, I thought it was only about halfway done when she started wrapping up.

I love her delivery so much, I think it's improved over the years and really peaked here. The confidence really adds to it.

There isn’t one obvious theme, aside from the idea that romanticized notions are bullshit, but it still feels like everything she says makes sense together. There’s no classic “sad bit at the end” (though it does build to a fun little ending, no spoilers), but it still felt meaningful as well as funny. A lot of it was delightfully rude but it wasn’t funny (just) because it was rude, and it was edgy without being, you know, a dick about it. All the other words that get thrown around about Fern Brady, brutal and honest and whatever else, were earned. And it was funny.

I hear she’s cracking America now, so everyone should watch this (plus the two other specials she has on YouTube) so you can say you were into her stand-up before she was a huge American star (she's already a fairly huge British star, but still).

[shygryf]

No dinner with my friend Mark tonight because I moved D&D from Tuesday so I can play Stardew tomorrow. But I forgot to post last week so here's roasted Duck over vegetables with caramelized onion and sherry sauce.

Mark forgot to get the duck out on time so there was some creative defrosting

Should have turned the heat up sooner to get crispy skin

Saw this wine while buying the sherry and Mark bought it on impulse

The wine didn't go with anything but was a good palette cleanser.

#shygryf cooks things #it's what's for dinner

[musiesmusic]

Brahman and LilDarkie’s departure from the idea of “LilDarkie” with a close look at the idea of “are you ready?”

Mixing rap and rock is a very very fun idea for me and it hits the spot CORPSE does without the gamer LED setup and his little cat ears. This is more of sound analysis without that much parsing through lyrics. I think with his recent releases of songs like “banana pie” he's going for more heartfelt angst with the tonal tag of a three wolves howling at the moon, coming from a 2020 perspective, in the same way CORPSE does it, and CORPSE is the sex icon of our generation for it. And honestly CORPSE is both underrated and overrated with people missing the absolute gem of “fuK u lol” and how it really encapsulates the idea of his spotify picture, it really is a “fuK u lol.” Very y2k without the tiktok.

I love how this genre of edgy boy music can be summed up in animated music videos. Being able to be actually soulful with an understanding of what the aesthetic is and how that plays into music. What “LilDarkie” now “Brahman” has over CORPSE is having more grit and less anime (which is ironic since I tend to prefer grit but love the anime music videos after y2k and I’m an ironic baddie). But said grit can lead to the stranger sounds of his guitar soul music Brahman now makes. Looking at his instagram Brahman is genuinely doing a full 180 from his previous persona dropping most of his trademarks to focus on his Indian blood heritage. Also as a tidbit on his insta he's seen doing a lot of wellness therapy which I find pleasing, self care seems to be much needed and I’d like to think it plays into the irony of HOLOCAUST without mentioning Hitler a single time.

His “big announcement” of who he is now and how he still has the “idea of LilDarkie” is in “are you ready?” which is very funny considering how it starts w/ “hahaha” and how it goes right into a CORPSE guitar solo which honestly is one of the freshest takes in current music and will be remembered fondly being put right in the niche where older music is just passing from cringe and into retro, where y2k music (like rave girl just not as universal) is going to come back into mainstream through it being paved in by CORPSE (please make more music we need you). But considering its LilDarkie I don’t think he’d give a single shit since he’s the man who made HOLOCAUST. My giddy around this new song is how it feels like hes stomp kicking his old fans who crowded around his persona of “HOLOCAUST” and “GENOCIDE” even with them being amazing songs which can be fun to critique on a social standing, to be done at a later date. What I hope is bringing back the skype days of the y2k genre, less glitz and glam and more of skype and anime posting with the same full-heartendess of a furry. If you were online in the early days you know what I’m talking about, it's My Immortal done right. 

It feels like his newer stuff on Brahman can be seen as more “hidey” with his song “reminding” being a soulful guitar solo which he known to make. I find that fascinating and what has changed in him. Listening to his newest if not last album under the persona of Lil Darkie is just a social critique of society in general with the line “did the FBI calcify your third eye?” being the perfect line for his album with the context of “hehe funny hat.” He now has my soul and being with HUMANS AND MONSTERS being his best song of all time please devour me along with the earth and your Little Darkie realness. Also Lil Darkie flexing his platinum plaque is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen and all I do is squeal like a tumlbrina fangirl begging more more HOLOCAUST with a PC culture layover. 

But considering the social critique his latest came off as I can fully see how he started to transition to a more soulful sound as a palette cleanser since he too, is a human being. Also consider his last song on this banger of an album is “it never gets better”

Glad youre in therapy Brahman, may you spend your time wisely soulfully and really tune into the ice that the blue filter brings into y2k internet and genuine feelings on myspace. You have enough clout and soul to carry it

Love

Tumblrina fangirl who hopes you mention her to your therapist, I am a fangirl after all 

#music #music review #lil darkie #brahman #y2k

[octavare]

okay this is all you get tonight, stuff with effort put into it comes tomorrow. Featuring Miss Prog’s Too-Many-Words-Long Commentary after each image.

Okay so here I was playing around with a different hair style. Specifically for post time skip. I ultimately scrapped it and decided to use the hair style I normally draw her with as her post field agent haircut. During her tenure as a field agent she had the long hair that is pinned back. So that’s how you can tell the difference between profession.

Fun fact: she actually created the foundation for the teleportation technology. It just had a hard limit on range for the longest time. But eventually her successors improved on it and made it what we see the GDA employ today that can teleport even to the moon.

Here are STUPID OLD PEOPLE getting caught being chummy. Cecil is not pleased at whoever found him. Please leave him alone he’s got a lot going on. Especially post time skip when this picture would be based on his hairline. (Pro-tip: Cecil’s hairline will also give you a point of reference for time period. Blonde + slightly receded is during both of their field agent days. Gray + moderately receded is during his later field agent days and his time as director. The fucking skullet is in the present. And of course, no scar is the earliest).

okay this is me more blatantly shitposting than the last one. any time I make Cecil look uglier than he actually is I’m probably memeing, if the terrible dialogue didn’t give it away. Also alt hairstyle for modern Mrs. Stedman woo.

Here’s Cecil solo with some vaguely-beretta-m9-shaped pistols as a palette cleanser. Thank God. This pose I stole from some panel of Abe Sapien I found on Google and thought, “that looks cool.” I think I’m gonna do some John Wick poses next because I just rewatched that movie and kept imagining Cecil beating the shit out of people the whole time instead of Keanu Reeves. I think it was the suit tbh.

Anyway if you read that whole thing you’re a real one I guess. Thank you for tolerating my stupid bullshit. My brain always latches on to the worst fictional characters. And this one in particular had no foil character so naturally I had to fill it in myself.

#mp ocs #mp talks #mp art #invincible cynthia #invincible scars and stripes #holy shit I just realized her initials are CVS like the convenience store #Cynthia Stedman

[bcacstuff]

Does seem it will be a last minute departure for NYCC , unless it’s a big detraction from the book these scenes are very Jamie focused 🤷‍♀️

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjXP6pRhaAd/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I've been saving this post for after all the NYCC bombing posts and to have a nice palette cleanser.

The pictures in the post that is linked in this Anons message are from the preparations going on in Culross, it was posted 3 days ago.

Pictures by Pati Sears-Burnett

In the comments of that posts there are some speculations about what will be filmed on that location. Most likely the storyline between Jamie and Laoghaire after coming back to Scotland. As Laoghaire's house is filmed on that location before. Some hinted about a storyline involving Buck and Roger, as Graham M was in Scotland for the Edinburgh con, but it seems he already left given his complains about BA on twitter yesterday.

He might have seen S arriving back from NYCC 😂

Anyway didn't see any extras listed for Culross. Only some studio costume fitting today and covid tests next Friday for them. But I will write more about what is going on this month in my next post I'm preparing...

so stay tuned - coming up soon....

[luvxiem]

Hemlo~

I may not know shoujo anime recs but takt. Op destiny is a really nice one (it has action but it's really beautiful + the op is by mafumafu XD)

So is iroduku:the world in colours, toilet bound hanako kun and land of the lustrous (these are shoujo)

These aren't shoujo either but the Royal tutor, shounen maid and horimiya are anime on the softer side if you want them as a palette cleanser

!!!

the only thing i know from mafumafu is that one cover they did of "deathly loneliness attacks" LOL i watched a zelda fan amv with it! also i hear hanako kun is really good!!! i remember seeing the manga in barnes n nobles and one of my friends posted abt it like... last year 💀

iroduku looks very pretty.... i read the summary on google and it sounds pretty up my alley LOL i might watch it tonight while i do laundry.... i have...... so much laundry.........................

#land of the lustrous also sounds pretty interesting #royal tutor also has pretty good ratings and i LOVEEEEE historical settings 🫶🫶🫶 #all my fave webtoons atm are historical fantasies LOLOLOL #shounen maid sounds funny :3 i don't watch very many comedies #also. horimiya. i'm sorry everybody i know says it's really good but this dude i despise used the black long hair dude as a pfp for years #i can't unsee it #and that dude is ruined for me 😭 #tysm for the recs !!! #luvxiem.supas

[ninjago-bingo]

June recap: introspective!

woot woot!  We’re officially wrapping up our first month of ninbingo round 2, and I want you all to know that we have 40 submissions so far.  Let that sink in.  40, and last year, we capped out our bingo at 50.

Are you guys excited, because I am!

Because there are so many entries, I’ve split this recap by genre into the broad categories of angst, fluff, and introspective.  I separated the entries using my best judgement, but if you’re the creator and would like your work(s) moved, just lmk!

art (low res; click on the link to go to the original post):

Day off and time by @sebilini

The original four ninja have time off on the same day, so they met and are chatting about their old adventures. A lot of time has passed.

Lights and magic by @sebilini​

Clouse’s last happy summer

fic:

A Little Brother (Of Sorts) by @ninjas-that-go.  || tumblr || ao3 || prompt: small

Perks of being an older sibling number one: being taller than your little brother. For now.

Blue-Black by @k1ngtok1.  || tumblr || ao3 || prompt: contrast 

Sometimes, even when he was quiet, she could see flickers of green in between his fingers or licking at his heels with his quiet footsteps. They weren’t normally a part of his color palette, and it was only sound that set off the colors. Her gut told her something was up, and if Kai had taught her anything, it was that Smiths always followed their gut.

His name didn’t match his colors, after all. Green cursive didn’t complement blue-black.

Deep down you know, You weren't built for fighting by @unknownuncut.  || tumblr || ao3 || prompt: protective

Five times the ninjas protected Lloyd and the one time Lloyd protected the ninjas.

My Papa’s Waltz by @/k1ngtok1. || tumblr || ao3 || prompts: parents and reveal

“Sorry for not telling you earlier.” Cole says in lieu of a response, “I was still trying to figure it out for myself, but-“ he pulls his father’s hands away from his face and holds them, “You might want to sit down for this. It might take a while to explain everything.”

“I canceled all my plans for the week after I saw the news. I’ve got all the time in the world for you.”

Cole revels in the warmth that spreads through his chest.

Sibling Bonding ft. Dragon Hermit by @/unknownuncut.  || tumblr || ao3 || prompt: animal

“Kai!” Nya pushes through the crowd to get over to him. She stops before him and keeps wanting to reach out to touch him but kept her hands away. Almost as if she’s afraid to touch him. “You okay? You’ve been missing for an hour, the others said that you and someone else went into the mountain.”

“I’m fine, just tired.” Kai finally sat down on the ground with Nya crouched down so to help him if he needs it. “Just some idiot that wanted to see if the legend of the Flame Sword is true or not."

so he was sent to bed by @21st-century-ninja.  || tumblr || ao3 || prompts: parents and acceptance

“Oh, Kai, why couldn’t you just have gone to a shop?” his mother scolds, once the doctor has left after prescribing a cleanser and instructions to call her back if the infection spread. “If you had to do that to yourself, dear, why didn’t you have a professional do it? It’s not like we don’t have the money.”

It’s true. Kai’s definitely got the money for it.

or:

the fine line between filial piety and puppetry, told in a series of vignettes about earrings.

Strong In The Real Way by @/unknownuncut. || tumblr || ao3 || prompt: strength

Normally, Jay would be dragging his feet and complaining to Zane, who would be sitting with his mother and helping with the paperwork. That’s when it’s just Jay and his dad but not today.

Kai and Cole had decided to come out for a surprise visit.

We’ve Come A Long Way From Where We’ve Began by @ace-of-spaces. || tumblr || ao3 || prompt: smile

Their time is up.

After thirteen years, eleven months and four days, Ninjago no longer needs them. It is able to protect itself now.

It was symbolic, in hindsight, that their last day as Ninja ended exactly as it had started all those years ago; just the four of them in the courtyard of the Monastery of Spinjitzu.

You’re Not Alone In The World…You Have Me by @/unknownuncut.  || tumblr || ao3 || prompt: contrast

Lloyd couldn’t sleep and asked Cole to take them to the store.

@weekend-whip @crappy-coffee @grollow @master-of-cosmos @roantheboat @art-i-sticks @viioletpixels @miserable-flamango @frozensoapbubble @thepenguisalive7 @marsipain @destinymanticor @obsessedbee @master-of-fluff @legogeek33 @applecranberryjuice @abunnsburrow @mitzle @ice-emperor-zane @curious-corvius @ninjago4life @kumamoo-hq

[shadioh]

DAY 5: PIZZA TOWER

So you know how in these blog posts I focus on the story in a game, rather than the game itself? Well, for Pizza Tower, there is pretty much no story. I decided that we needed a palette cleanser from the last few posts, so here's a goofy game I've been obsessed with since it came out about a month ago. I'll touch on the story (because that's what I do) but most of it will be about the game itself.

As for what story there is, all you really need to know is in the beginning one minute cutscene; but I'll explain it anyway. Our protagonist is Peppino Spaghetti (yes that's his actual name), a middle-aged Italian man who owns a pizzeria, and is struggling to keep it afloat. One day, the owner of the titular Pizza Tower, Pizzaface, comes by and tells him his plans to blow up Peppino's restaurant with a big green laser (just because he wanted to, I guess?). Peppino sprints faster than humanly possible, chasing Pizzaface to the tower to stop him. That's it. No moral decision making like Fallout, no heart-breaking story like Oneshot, no internal battle like Celeste; just a man trying to save his pizzeria from a living pizza.

So now lets talk about what makes Pizza Tower so great, because for what it lacks in story, it makes up for in every other department.

The visuals can be summed up as a 90s cartoon if it was drawn in Microsoft Paint, but you really need to see it to appreciate it. Every character and background is so fluidly animated, that you can understand how it took 5 years to make it. Peppino himself has a whole gallery of hundreds of individual sprites for all the different moves he can do. You can take a screenshot at any point in the game and laugh at it while marveling at the attention to detail. The art is so wacky and goofy that even if you didn't like the game at all (which you will), you'd probably play it anyway just to look at everything.

The music goes through tons of genres depending on where you are, and it has to be one of the best video game soundtracks I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Every song on it's own sounds good, but the overall style and inspirations of the game really bleed into it, using soundfonts from older games, and using samples from old songs and media. As for the sound design, the sounds are so silly and straight out of a cartoon - because most of them are. The game utilizes many stock sound effects used in tons of cartoons throughout the years, and making it's own in their style. A lot of times you'll hear a sound and say "Hey, I've heard that before!", and a lot of times you actually haven't - but it sounds like you have.

I won't talk about the gameplay here (as that's not my job nor my expertise, and this post is already stretching the blog's theme), but just know that Peppino is as fun to control as he is to watch.

Pizza Tower is an amazing experience, but not for the reasons I've said so for the other games. You just have this stupid smile on your face when playing it (or even watching it), and it all comes down to it's art and sound making you feel not just nostalgic, but genuinely impressed at how fresh it all feels at the same time. It wears it's inspirations on it's sleeve, but it has it's own identity. And I love that.

And the fact that it's just really funny. It's just really funny, okay?

Here's Peppino sitting in his restaurant like the main menu:

[sohoharlem]

I think fans of Seb know that this is completely expected (the pics of Seb and Annabelle that are now coming out of them at the maribal pool on a date from all the way back in February) I mean my man does not like to be alone. I personally love it! I think she is classy, talented and lovely and I also think that he needs to be able to have something fresh and light out of the public eye with someone who isn’t going to show it off. He needs a palette cleanser after his last relationship.

I agree. I also think she is lovely. I know some fans will have an issue with the someone who won’t show off comment about her especially after the recent events, but I must repeat that things involve perspective. If you’re looking for possibilities of him showing up in her stories, remember she is allowed to post whatever the fuck she wants and I’m sure she wants to, and she did in a not too obvious way (by this I mean, no tongue down his throat), but most took it as baiting. Again baiting is perspective in this case- she didn’t do one post here or there or over multiple weeks, she did a full compilation and then went and confirmed a fan comment about him- which yes it might be sketchy to some, she did it all at once. Baiting is perspective here, while in Ale’s case it most of the time was not. Ale had something to gain and there was heavy PR involved in that relationship as well. I know there’s some out there who will say that no Ale wasn’t baiting you just chose to see it that way because you were always all looking for him in her photos and videos. We know that wasn’t always the case with that one. She held no respect for his fucking privacy.

If there is one thing I find interesting to look at is the timing of when this relationship even happened. I have thoughts.

#annabelle wallis #sebastian stan

[newmusickarl]

Top 50 Albums of 2022

4. Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C.

Considering their cult-like status and massive global following, it can be quite easy to forget that Fontaines D.C. only founded in 2017. Where a lot of artists after a highly successful debut will sit and stew over their follow-up for years on end before releasing another album, in just five short years the Irish post-punk quintet have already found themselves on record number three.

In that time, they have set a very high bar for themselves too – from their instant classic, Mercury Prize-nominated debut Dogrel to their darker, brilliantly moody sophomore record A Hero’s Death, they’ve already delivered two of the finest albums of the last few years. Both those records landed inside my Top 20 in 2019 and 2020 respectively, but now their incredible third album, Skinty Fia, has earned them their highest spot to date on my annual year-end countdown.

The brilliant teaser tracks for Skinty Fia released earlier in the year heavily suggested Fontaines were about to unleash their best album to date with this latest opus. Now after playing it constantly throughout the year, I am certain that it more than holds up to the extremely high standard set by its two predecessors and that it is for me personally, my favourite of their records so far.

Whilst they may have lost some of the raw punk energy that made Dogrel so captivating, their confidence in what they’re creating has grown and it is coming through loud and clear in the music. The musicianship is more accomplished, the songs more dynamic and Chatten’s poetic storytelling is as entrancing as ever.

In ár gCroíthe go deo sets the tone perfectly – a sermon-like six-minute opener that draws on known modern tales of Irish people living in England and highlighting some of the xenophobia they have faced. With the album largely inspired by the band’s own experiences since moving to London, it is a central theme that runs right through the record. 

Big Shot is more classic Fontaines, with the band pondering their newfound fame with genius lyrics like “I travelled to space and found the moon too small.” As great as the original album recording is, the live arrangement of this song is even better, as you can see from the beautiful string-tinged Glasto performance above. How Cold Love Is then features the perfect contrast between a sweet, romantic guitar melody and Grian’s drawling, tired vocals, sonically encapsulating the song’s lyrical subject matter perfectly.

When Jackie Down The Line was released earlier this year it immediately became one of my favourite tracks within their catalogue, and since then only one thing has changed – it is now one of my favourite songs of the whole year too. With a signature jangly guitar melody and an infectious refrain of “I will wear you down in time, I will hurt you, I’ll desert you, I am Jackie down the line” along with the odd “do do do, la la la”, I still think it’s brilliant. The meandering grungy riffs of Bloomsday then make way for other single Roman Holiday, which has a strong, very noticeable Oasis feel to it, both in terms of the Noel Gallagher-esque guitars and Chatten’s own Liam impersonation (which isn't a bad thing).

The Couple Across The Way then sees Grian describing an argumentative couple whilst reflecting on his own relationship. With the track featuring a simple accordion backing for a more Irish trad style feel to it, it divided fans upon release but I have personally always loved it. The accompanying music video is well worth seeking out too, as it really brings the song to life. It arrives at just the right time in the tracklist too, acting as almost a palette cleanser that sets up the final three tracks in quite emphatic fashion. Once the accordion fades and the title track’s brilliantly glitchy synths and thumping drums kick in, you’re suddenly transported into a different zone, and it makes for an utterly exhilarating crossover. With heavy Joy Division vibes, the title track is simply pulsating and another big album highlight.

If that wasn't good enough, subsequent track I Love You then arrives to blow nearly everything else out of the water. Hugely atmospheric, it steadily builds to Grian Chatten’s passionate vocal cries in the song’s outro, with more stunningly poetic lyrics:

“And I loved you like a penny loves the pocket of a priest, And I’ll love you ‘til the grass around my gravestone is deceased, And I’m heading for the cokeys, I will tell 'em 'bout it all, About the gall of Fine Gael and the fail of Fianna Fáil, And now the flowers read like broadsheets, every young man wants to die, Say it to the man who profits, and the bastard walks by, And the bastard walks by, and the bastard walks by, Say it to him fifty times and still the bastard won’t cry, Would I Lie?”

After that jaw-dropping moment, Nabokov then arrives to close the record out perfectly, with some dreamy, spiralling shoegaze riffs that eventually fade the album to black.

Whilst the debate surrounding which Fontaines record is the best will no doubt rage on, and everyone will likely have their own favourite of the three too, there are still some universal conclusions that can be drawn about Skinty Fia. The main one being that this is another hugely impressive and brilliantly crafted work, from one of the finest bands operating anywhere on the planet right now. A worthy addition to their increasingly remarkable discography and without a doubt, one of the year’s very best albums.

Best tracks: Jackie Down The Line, I Love You, In ár gCroíthe go deo

Listen here

#new music #best new music #albums of the year #album recommendation #album of the year #best of 2022 #best of the year #aoty #aoty 2022 #best albums of 2022 #albums of 2022 #fontaines d.c. #big shot #glastonbury #glastonbury 2022 #skinty fia #grian chatten #Youtube

[your-dietician]

Lila Moss’s Guide to “Dot, Dot” Contouring and Next-Level Lashes

New Post has been published on https://medianwire.com/lila-mosss-guide-to-dot-dot-contouring-and-next-level-lashes/

Lila Moss’s Guide to “Dot, Dot” Contouring and Next-Level Lashes

There are a few things Lila Moss has on her at all times: a multitasking lip balm, a lip liner, and a glucose device to monitor her type 1 diabetes. In true Gen Z fashion, transparency and authenticity are important to the 20-year-old model, who proudly sports the device daily—even while strutting on the Fendace and Vogue World catwalks. “It felt really amazing to [feel] like myself,” says Moss, who got her start modeling at age 14, picking up a few tricks from her supermodel mother Kate Moss. Today, the rising runway star shares her beauty routine, from soothing skin care to her go-to contouring strategy. 

“Skin care has always been an important part of my day,” explains Moss. “I have quite sensitive skin, so my routine is quite simple.” First, she relies on gentle yet effective salves by London-based dermatologist Dr. Sam Bunting and Dermalogica—supplemented by the Face Gym Multi Sculpt contouring tool. “I like to do it under my sinuses—I feel like they’re a bit blocked at the moment, and it just feels nice,” she says while gliding the tool across her face. Next is Youth To The People’s firming eye cream to quell dark circles and prep for makeup. “I feel like if you put on eye cream and then concealer, it just sits nicer; it doesn’t look so dry and crusty.” For lips, Moss uses Laneige’s mask to the last drop, musing that her mother took her last pot of the cult-favorite treatment. “Recently, I’ve been really strict with myself about wearing sun cream because I just realized that it’s better for my skin,” she says as she applies an imperceptible veil of Ultra Violette’s weightless SPF. Then, a spritz of Cosmoss’s Sacred Mist from her mom’s recently launched wellness brand rounds out her skin care regimen. “It smells of [my mom] and it makes me so happy because it reminds me of her.” 

With skin prepped, Moss is ready to dive into her going-out party look, beginning with Charlotte Tilbury’s buzzy Flawless Filter skin tint, buffing in the formula with a damp Beautyblender before blending concealer under her eyes and atop blemishes. “I think the best makeup advice I’ve ever received is from my mom, and it’s that less is more,” she says. Onto contour, Moss reveals her special “dot-dot” application strategy, which entails dotting along the hollows of her cheeks and forehead with Charlotte Tilbury’s contour wand before blending. Next up, Kosas’s tinted balm is swiped on the cheeks for a rosy flush, while brows are brushed into place with gel. Then, to accentuate her gaze, Moss smudges brown and champagne-hued shadow in the lids before using an eyelash curler and a few swipes of mascara to achieve next-level lashes. For a naturally fuller pout, Tilbury’s lip liner in Pillow Talk, followed by Fenty Beauty’s gloss does the trick. “I definitely take my lip liner with me when I’m going out—it’s in my bag all day, every day because it’s one of those things I wear when I’m not even wearing makeup,” she spills. After a light dusting of Glossier’s finishing powder and a mist of perfume, Moss is all set for a night on the town. 

Dr. Sam’s Flawless Cleanser

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator

Dr. Sam’s Flawless Moisturizer

Youth to The People Superberry Dream Eye Cream

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask

Ultra Violette UV Queen Screen Lightweight SPF 50

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter

Beautyblender Original Makeup Sponge

Glossier Stretch Concealer

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette

Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler

Anastasia Beverly Hills Strong Hold Clear Brow Gel

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk

Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

Glossier Wowder Weightless Finishing Powder

Marc Jacobs Fragrances Perfect Eau de Parfum

Director:Gabrielle Reich Director of Photography: Devan Davies Editor: Tajah Smith

Associate Producer: Natalie Harris Production Manager: Kit Fogarty Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar Talent Booker: Phoebe Feinberg, Ignacio Murillo

Post Production Supervisor: Marco Glinbizzi Post Production Coordinator: Jovan James Supervising Editor: Kameron Key Assistant Editor:  Billy Ward Filmed at: Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s New York

Read full article here