#when rarity would usually hold a successful fashion show

[jamithiel]

equestria girls is so funny because the normal ponies are like these well developed characters with adult responsibilities and the eqgs are literally just stupid teenagers

like rarity is this well established fashion designer with boutiques all over the country and meanwhile her human counterpart is like 17 and still afraid of normal clothes and getting dirty

#my little pony #equestria girls #i love rarity #but human rarity needs to get her priorities straight #it’s so funny watching them raise money and seeing her not know what to do #when rarity would usually hold a successful fashion show #or literally just sell clothes #but they’re struggling so hard to do a music video #this is about dance magic btw

[podcake]

Podcasts & Genre: Noir

When one thinks of the noir genre, the most common association is film noir, a style of film making sparking in popularity many, meany years ago but still carries some relevance today. Though no one really makes genuine noir films anymore, unless you count a few with noir inspired elements, noir mostly lives on strictly as short parodies while mystery stories stay as mystery stories without the usual aesthetic qualities you’d identify a noir film with. 

Noir brings up ideas of stylishly produced, sexual, and cynical stories sparking during the 1940′s that normally focus on a detective that one might describe as hardboiled, a femme fatale or two, and some type of mystery plot to tackle, often involving murder. 

One of the core reasons noir is mostly treated with a certain level of parody in modern work is due to how dramatic these productions could be. The whole vibe of theatrics that came from these productions could be perceived as laughable nowadays. Though much like Broadway musicals could be given a massive reboot through the success of Wicked and later the phenomena of Hamilton, the same could be said for noir that will occasionally slip its way into more modern interpretations while still maintaining an authentic narrative. 

While this is fairly evident in film, we all know that things with more than one picture attached to it isn’t really my specialty. You’re here to hear things and then read about the things you heard. How can sound effectively get an idea across when we only have our imaginations and common sense to tell things apart?

As a whole, this article will be delving into the complexity of translating genre through sound with noir being the main focal point due to its rarity and presence in a different medium of entertainment. 

This might just be a theory though I believe that noir managed to flow pretty well into the audio drama realm mostly because one of the most vital parts of these films is a consistent narration. This aspect alone is oddly enough the real driving force behind noir getting a second life.

And yet I do realize that noir is a kind of genre that is very selectively put to use. It’s relatively rare for a new noir show to pop up, only ever making common occurrences around early to late 2016. Rex Rivetter: Private Eye and Neon Nights: The Arcane Files both debuted the same year with only a few months difference between their publications. 

The same could be said for The Penumbra that came out in March. If this is merely a coincidence or not is on the table as all of the shows came from different producers and are essentially different products in their entirety.

These shows are not the only podcast noir shows in existence, though it’s hard to ignore just how few their are in comparison to the abundance of horror and sci-fi shows that come out every few months.

Among these, The Penumbra and it’s tales of private eye Juno Steel are the most openly successful. The Penumbra takes a creative approach to both the noir genre, with a helpful touch of sci fi, and the fantasy-adventure genre in their Second Citadel series. But if we are to focus on Juno Steel stories in particular, it’s not hard to see why it’s gotten such positive press.

Normally taking place over the course of two part episodes, Juno Steel delivers some strongly written individual mysteries that work their way up to being a whole story with recurring characters and an intriguing central plot. We get some colorful one shot villains, a likable though also dysfunctional lead, and a touch of romance that works to reveal the character’s personal insecurities. 

The Penumbra’s specialty is to remix and retell classic story genres with a touch of modern edge and originality that lets them stand as great individual stories and joins The Bright Sessions and Wolf 359 as some of the most well known modern fiction podcasts. 

A little while later came Neon Nights and Rex Rivetter that I combed through back to back to form a proper opinion on. Though they’ll most definitely be the topics of some future reviews, I do enjoy the air of the occult with Neon Nights which gives it a sort of Dresden Files vibe and Rex Rivetter that’s a touch more old fashioned through presentation which gives it a certain air of glamour that is sometimes delightfully camp. 

The newest contender for the noir genre is What’s The Frequency? which has already made quite the splash in this mostly independent art community with a strong first episode that left a lot to the imagination. Though I’ve always liked the level of absurdity that the noir genre can dig up while still maintaining an air of mystery, What’s The Frequency? is one of the most downright bizarre products to come out in recent memory that’s equal parts eerie and engaging. 

What’s The Frequency? truly commits to the style with its innovative use of static and the inclusion of voice work that invokes just the right vibe of psychedelic 1940′s it’s aiming for. It truly does feel old unlike the usual crisp and clean audio we get from the previously mentioned work. 

Something that has fascinated me is that when you take the film out of film noir you still get a genuine experience. Even without the gray scale, even without the crafty use of silhouettes and dramatic framework, noir has managed to ooze itself into the crevices of fictional podcasts from a purely audio based perspective.  

This I perceive as interesting as noir is noteworthy for its creative cinematography-Dutch angles, night-for-night shots, and silhouettes being the most common. Not to mention clothing like the iconic trench coat and hat approach, women with lipstick we could all assume was red, and people in formal dress for the sake of making every second look as classy as the last.

With podcasts, we only have so much time to get a visual across to listeners without loading them up with pointless filler, most of the run time consisting of dialogue meant to push the story forward to a conclusion. Though audio drama certainly isn’t limited to a purely linear story structure, it does have to pull through a bit more in certain aspects such as writing, sound editing, and acting to hold someone’s attention.

While film gives us more visual shorthand and generally does the settings and characters for us, audio drama leans heavily on getting its story out first and letting the listener fill in the blanks. In audio, visuals are an afterthought but imagery is still roughly where half of the writing effort goes into. It is much easier to look pretty than to sound pretty and this is why podcasts tend to be more ambitious since they can do more with less.

All of these individual shows have some sort of unique quality that gives it its rightful spot as separate stories, and yet you’d be hard pressed not to describe them as noir. Noir is so grounded in film that the idea of translating it to a purely audio based format almost seems to go against what noir is supposed to be, and yet we never run into these complications when we stumble upon them.

We can still identify a horror show without visual blood splatters and can still consider a sci-fi a sci-fi even if we never actually see the interior of a space ship we’re inside of. For example, Wolf 359 is very much science fiction with some strong comedy writing, though it’s also an entirely different beast than Hadron Gospel Hour that may be in the same boat but clearly going up a different stream. 

Audio Diary of a Superhero and The Bright Sessions both tackle ideas of disability outweighed by extraordinary power, and yet it’d be near impossible to get the two mixed up. Presentation and packaging can really make or break a show and how one plans to get these ideas across is the real definitive element at hand. 

While, let’s say for now, horror and science fiction don’t have any definitive visuals, only some recurring ones, noir is different in that it’s almost entirely built on a very specific list of cliches for it to be truly considered part of that group. You kind of need murder, you kind of need a detective, you kind of need a morally ambiguous seductress-so in that vain, noir can very much exist without the usual attributes as long as the audio can get these ideas across.

But let’s say, hypothetically, that these tropes aren’t being put to use. How exactly does one gain the right to consider their story a noir? Well from my understanding, these shows have leaned on a few common trends: a deep voiced protagonist with a definitive, world weary perspective, a jazz score, and taking place in a stylish but troubled city where all the conflict boils. 

It’s truly here that the idea of style and substance, narrative and aesthetic, play into one another for the better. 

Since this article is one part history lesson and another part describing things that are barley a year old, I do feel the need to dig up some facts. A detail many tend to forget is that audio drama was a vital form of entertainment years ago, it getting its start on nighttime radio broadcasts that were tuned into the same way we would watch prime time TV. 

Though this type of entertainment hasn’t entirely died, the radio part of radio drama has leaned more towards desktop computer drama or smartphone drama if we’re going to be taking about technology specifically. 

The thing is that podcasts got a hard reboot when Welcome to Night Vale reminded people how cool that was and everyone followed Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor’s breadcrumbs to make their own stories that were slightly less time consuming than writing a book and less expensive than making a movie. 

The strive for authenticity is strong in any artistic medium and podcasts are no exception. We may have our trends and sometimes repetitive structures and dynamics surfacing every few years, though the final product is what really gives anything its identity. What we consider truly authentic for anything or anyone can be boiled down to aesthetic value, narrative value, or something else entirely depending on your perspective. 

The same could be said for me as the whole purpose of Podcasts& is essentially to cover topics with a little more complexity than I’m normally able to. Reviews are restricted to whatever podcasts I managed to finish and pair up on slim similarities, Teatimes have the creators do most of the talking, and Palettes, one of the main support beams of the PodCake empire, are the equivalent of a “best of” reel-a first impressions, if you will. All the while I keep things interesting with flower emoticons and some cute girls over a pink backdrop. These are certainly accessories to my persona, though not the entirety of my work. 

With Podcasts&, we’re given just a little more time to look back and breathe in just what audio drama is capable of. If there’s anything about this medium that has fascinated me it’s the way it can transcend the typical confides of storytelling to still give a satisfying and unique experience. Many audio dramas exist in the same subgroups but I’m hard pressed to find any that are near identical to one another. 

Be it The Penumbra or Neon Nights-they may be fruit bared from the same garden, but their taste and textures are clearly being grown from different kinds of people. What makes each one interesting is that while noir is normally considered an exercise in creatively crafted footage, audio still manages to capture its identity and mood nonetheless. Noir audio dramas have to flex a little more muscle to really get their aesthetic qualities to matter since that is what defines their genre in the fist place.

Interesting how these articles tend to tie into one another. 

As I get to the conclusion of this editorial, I realize I have opened up a whole new can of worms when dealing with genre construction that is such a broad topic that I’ll need more than one text document to talk about it. Maybe some other day in some other month when all the Palettes and reviews are done and I can work up something proper worthy of being the first article of the new year. 

We can discuss comedy and horror and science fiction and surrealism. We can talk about all that has come of it and how there is no one way to tell a tale or represent a genre. 

So consider this little piece a...prelude for what is to come. Let’s talk about history, let’s talk about audio entertainment in its entirety, let’s bookmark Wikipedia articles, because the topic of genre is barely even at its peak when it comes to noir, though the fact that it exists at all says something about what just a few sounds are capable of.

#podcast #audio drama #audio play #radio play #what's the frequency #the penumbra podcast #neon nights the arcane files of jack tracer #rex rivetter private eye #wolf 359 #audio diary of superhero #hadron gospel hour #welcome to night vale #podcasts and #genre parlor

[marvelandponder]

Bling-Bling, Darlings

Really, what we’re asking when we pose a question like that is what is Rarity’s character based on. It’s more than fair to say at this point the Elements of Harmony themselves are obsolete, but they undoubtedly helped to form the characters and set a course for their development in the series as a whole. 

And since the real aim of this post is to map Rarity’s character-arc over the course of all 7 seasons and counting, it only made sense to me to start at the beginning.

Or, rather, before the beginning, in the show’s very development!

Once upon a time, when Lauren Faust first dreamed up our main cast, all the Elements were pretty well the same as what they would be in the show. All, except Rarity. Before she was the Element of Generosity, she was the Element of Inspiration.

When I was looking over Rarity’s biggest lessons and teachings, I found that the themes of inspiration and creativity carried over into the show in interesting ways. Not just that she’s a dressmaker, and uses her medium to bring out the beauty in others, but that that creativity may have turned into her biggest character flaw. Her greatest tool and yet her biggest burden.

I think Rarity’s generosity still very much defines the core of who she is, but what I’ve always admired about Rarity is her complexity. Her versatility, her presence. All of these things are owed, in part, to the theme of her development: Expectation Versus Reality.

Of course, this is just my interpretation, but as far as I see it, this over-arching theme usually presents itself in either one of three ways:

How we see Rarity, and how she really is

How others see Rarity, and how she really is

And most importantly, how Rarity's flights of fancy (emphasis on the fancy) conflict with reality

So, this fashion week, I’d like to take some time to appreciate the true beauty that is Rarity. Finally. With this, every member of the main 6 finally has their own editorial (I... clearly didn’t time this out well), and so it seems we saved one of the best for last. Here’s to you, Rarara!

A Tale of Two Rararas

From the beginning, we knew Rarity always dreamed of living in Canterlot. And already, I want to pause in the episode-by-episode run-down to say the fact that Rarity never conflicts with Twilight over this just speaks to her strength of character. 

Sure, there are certainly times when Rarity can be petty, but as Green Isn’t Your Colour proved very early on, even when she does feel envious, her selfless, giving nature wins out, and she won’t hold it against anyone. A far cry from most diva characters, isn’t she?

But to round back to the point, I always found it a tad ironic Twilight lived the life Rarity thought she wanted. Growing up in Canterlot, rubbing elbows with nobles and royalty, and even becoming a princess. The glamour! The intrigue! The... socially awkward bookworm who saw none of these things as opportunities to be taken advantage of.

A part of me thinks that if Rarity were to grow up in Canterlot instead of Twilight, that Rarity wouldn’t be nearly as down-to-earth as ours is. And whether she’s self-aware enough to realize that or not, Rarity’s never once begrudged Twilight for living out some of her dreams. Instead, she’s just dying to hear about it and support her.

Which leads us to the first major Rarity storyline, in Ticketmaster: wanting to marry a Prince she hasn’t met. This is, of course the set-up for an example of what I was talking about early, the whole expectation versus reality thing with Rarity’s fantasy of a perfect love life coming into conflict with the reality of the jerk she was fantasizing about.

So, we next move onto Look Before You Sleep, and it’s here where we give props to the Rarijack shippers: they’re not wrong that this relationship is cute and important. 

This touches on the second part of the theme that I mentioned, how other characters continually learn that Rarity is more than meets the eye. Applejack and Rarity getting to know each other on a deeper and deeper level throughout the series is one of the bigger demonstrations of Rarity’s true depth.She’s not just about frilly dresses and all things frou-frou, as AJ initially believed.

In fact, to skip ahead by one, she’s not your damsel in distress or the frightened princess, either. A Dog and Pony Show is among the classics of season 1 in my book because it’s one of the first times they just straight up tell you Rarity’s resourceful and capable without mincing words. Because hell yeah.

That’s one of the episodes that really play with audience expectation for Rarity, and having it relatively early on was an excellent way to establish Rarity has more character depth than most other fashionista characters in shows for little girls.

Going back to the one we missed, you’ll find another true classic: Suited for Success. I could argue this has a connection to both of the Elements Rarity was initially thought to embody. Her generosity is on full display, not only making these dresses out of the goodness of her heart, but tailoring them to each of her friends’ tastes despite being a fashion expert herself. Then of course there’s the inspiration or creative aspect of it, how Rarity’s struggles perfectly emulate the struggles of real-life professional creatives trying to please all kinds of picky customers.

To add on, I just want to say this episode made me admire Rarity quite a bit. Both her determination to make her friends feel beautiful and her savvy business tactics combined with her creative passion are wonderful traits to have at her core. As entertaining as her dramatics can be (a special thanks goes to Tabitha St. Germain, who never once makes Rarity’s explosions of emotion anything but endearing), have not one but two deeper layers to Rarity makes for an excellent main character.

As we would come to see, both of those core traits have their pitfalls. Green Isn’t You Colour is a fun example, though, because it plays on the negative side to Rarity’s Inspiration Element and yet the positive side of her Generosity. Rarity’s always dreamed of living the glamorous life of a famed seamstress, which leads to her being envious of Fluttershy when she gets to live that out (by the way, if you hadn’t guessed by now, Rarity’s extremely relatable to all creative types). And yet, it’s her giving nature that stops her from being selfish and greedy. 

Next in chronological order is the Cutie Mark Chronicles, and this is one of my bigger arguments for the theme I’ve been talking about so far.

So, Rarity’s horn leads her to a rock, and I think with that long build-up of being dragged all over, there’s that expectation being built up in little Rarity’s mind that this must be important. Again, her tendency to dramatize things gets the better of her. Which is why she freaks out when she gets there and it’s just a big dumb rock---but we all know the rock itself breaks her expectations even further when it’s broken, revealing the true beauty deep within the layers.

Expectation, meet reality.

Speaking of, the Best Night Ever is all about that theme, and I think it goes without saying how Rarity experiences it firsthand like the rest of the girls.

Next up is Sisterhooves Social, and I could make the argument that Rarity’s expectations for her little sister not accounting for her well-meaning intent is what causes the conflict. As well as the fact that the reality is, as a little filly, Sweetie Belle isn’t yet capable of garnishing a breakfast the “proper” way, or doing laundry without shrinking the clothes. Rarity’s an adult with adult responsibilities, so really the lesson becomes about appreciating that inner-beauty/good intent that her little sister has while forgiving the lack of ability.

Then, Sweet and Elite happens, which is probably my favourite Rarity episode to date, in part because it reminds me of an excellent Simpsons episode, Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield. Rarity’s had dreams of living in Canterlot since before the first episode, expertly demonstrated by the song The Type of Pony Everypony Should Know.

But even though there are wonderful elites like Fancy Pants in Canterlot, Rarity finds the bullshit of devaluing ponies like her friends is in fact pretty damn toxic, and that the social hierarchy that she’s admired for so long would put ponies she loves at the bottom. Again, awesome episode, really demonstrates what you might think would be a simple story about Snooty Rich People v.s. Humble Country Bumpkins into a story about a character’s changing worldview on class systems.

After that, we move onto Rarity Takes Manehatten and--- wait, that can’t be right... What do you mean there wasn’t a Rarity episode for almost two seasons?!

I seriously had to have this pointed out to me by the ever insightful @digikate813 because as much as I love Rarity, I didn’t even notice until I really looked.

In part, you could argue because Rarity got so many episodes and starring roles in season 1, that might’ve been the reason they held off on developing her in season 3 (that, and obviously the shortened 13 episode run), but still, not a fun time to be a Rarity fan.

Anyway, Rarity Takes Manehatten. Season 4 was all about showing how the characters could either betray their Element, like Rainbow Dash and Applejack, or be betrayed by it, like Pinkie, Fluttershy, and of course Rarity. Twilight ended up literally having to choose between magic and friendship (which, by the way, still shocks me that her fatal flaw is that, to quote my favourite book series from my childhood, she “would give up the world to save a friend”...). 

And for Rarity, her episode ends up being the antithesis to Green Isn’t Your Colour, where she’s at her best creatively, but her giving nature ends up biting her in the ass. And yet, it’s still the same overarching theme: with the blind trust she places in Suri Polomare with her fabric, Rarity fully expects that Suri is well-meaning. She doesn’t even for a moment hesitate until it’s too late, and the reality of, as Suri puts it, being in the big city.

After that, it’s time for more Rarijack, as we take a look at Simple Ways. Essentially my take away from the episode in terms of Rarity’s overall arc is that she and Applejack, at this point, know each other better than they know themselves, which continues the theme of looking below the surface to find the true beauty within.

Speaking of true beauty, next we have Inspiration Manifestation, which is the episode I first thought of when thinking about the theme of this post: that in some ways, they ended up using Rarity’s old Element of Inspiration as her biggest flaw.

Yes, you can argue that the greedy Rarity we see in Return of Harmony is the literal antithesis of our beloved fashionista, but you can’t deny that the delve into the dark side of Rarity’s dramatic imagination and expectations for how things should/will be much more, this episode being the prime example.

Under the dark magic’s influence, Rarity’s version of Ponyville is... really gaudy. Gold paved streets gaudy. What’s interesting about that is that it becomes more about glory than it is about making it aesthetically pleasing, because when she comes out of it, she seems really taken aback by it. This wouldn’t be Normal Rarity’s ideal Ponyville, it’s just a way of showing herself as the most creative, most beloved pony there is.

And honestly, again, Rarity is extremely relatable to creative types. How many of us have wished we could just manifest our creative thoughts instantly, no work required (but would probably end up abusing that power if it were real)?

Continuing on, we have Canterlot Boutique next, and as Rarity’s very own Magical Mystery Cure or Crusaders of the Lost Mark, it really does emphasize the theme I’ve been talking about. Rarity’s expectations for owning her own boutique in Canterlot and creating a dress known all across Equestria comes into direct conflict with the reality of the business aspects of it all. 

To the point that her business manager is made to seem to the audience like a villain for a while there, until Rarity finds the solution and we realize Sassy Saddles isn’t evil, and can in fact help Rarity’s dream. Even the solution itself is to make her business (manager) work by her rules, and cultivate her creative expression. An excellent episode for an excellent end-cap to Rarity’s goal.

Now, here’s a question: did Rarity’s character arc end when her goal was reached?

Drama Horse Sans Drama?

Because up until this point, that whole expectation V. reality thing has mostly been centered around Rarity learning how to be more grounded, appreciate intentions as opposed to results, and realize her dreams of living the high life often don’t take into account what that might actually entail.

But in Canterlot Boutique, well, she did learn the harsh reality of that situation, but I don’t know that she applied it universally, realizing that she herself didn’t account for how difficult it might truly be.

I think it was a huge step in her development, but she’s far from done growing, and far from done being overdramatic about things. But there is a shift after this to Rarity teaching others.

Rarity Investigates! is an easy example. Rainbow Dash doesn’t have faith in Rarity’s deduction skills because she assumes(/expects) that Rarity’s focus on details is only frivolous.

In Made in Manehatten, Rarity’s main role is to reassure Applejack that even if she’s out of her element, she’s still useful and contributing. On the flip-side, Applejack’s “Day” Off demonstrates how close they are by having Rarity make Applejack relax for once.

The Cart Before the Ponies is an exception to many things, though. Here, Rarity’s once again the one in need of a lesson, as she gets lost in her pursuit of righting a past wrong to the point that she’s blind to the reality of her sister currently wanting to try making her own cart.

P.P.O.V. might seem to buck the trend of Rarity and Applejack understanding each other, but I think that’s due in part to how each character was trying to get out of their element, and thus, totally confused the ones who know them so well. So, yes, Rarity doesn’t understand the “sea madness” Applejack has.

Moving on up to season 7, Forever Filly has Rarity again in the student role, learning the opposite of what she did in Sisterhooves Social. There, it was that Sweetie was too young to be as capable as Rarity expected of her, but here, it’s that Sweetie Belle can’t stay young forever. I see what you did there, writers.

Honest Apple shows Rarity helping Applejack not be a dick about her opinions, and giving young, up-and-coming fashion designers a platform she would’ve killed for at their age. What a good horse.

And then we have Fame and Misfortune, an episode that showcases, among many other things, Rarity’s response to harsh criticism. The episode sets out to prove the mane 6 still have flaws, and it certainly does, proving that even though Rarity’s learned quite a few lessons, that Element of Inspiration in her/her creative side still wants to be loved and valued for her work.

But I’ll leave us off on her part in Campfire Tales, because while it may be a small role, it proves, in essence, what Rarity truly values is a blend of both the Elements I’ve been rambling about. Rarity admires Mistmane not for her popularity or status, but for the way she gives to others by spreading beauty. Generosity and Inspiration combined.

Just like Rarity herself whose proved herself more entertaining, more heartfelt, and more beautiful than meets the eye. I wouldn’t say she’s done growing, but whether it’s the knowledge she’s gained through personal growth or fashion advice, Rarity will always share beauty.

I do MLP editorials like this and MLP episode reviews for all your MLP needs! and here’s the last three things I did, featured:

Triple Threat Review, Campfire Tales Review, and Top 10 Lost MLP Content

Also to celebrate finally finishing all members of the mane 6, take a look here to see me go through the other girls’ character arcs and other mane cast related topics:

Sunset, Pinkie, Rarity, Spike, Twilight, Starlight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack editorials

Year of the Pony

Header Image Wouldn’t be Possible Without...

Rarity by Flizzick Fancy Rarity by RegolithX

Go check out those talented artists!

Yours Ever, R

#rarity #year of the pony #mlp #mlp rarity #rarity mlp #yearofthepony #my little pony #friendship is magic #mlp:fim #mlp: fim #my little pony: friendship is magic #it isn't the mane thing about you #cartoons #animation #analysis #character analysis #mlp editorials

[fimflamfilosophy]

Can you make a weekly post where you intellectually tear apart the new episodes of Friendship is Magic?

Not every new episode has been awful, but when they aren’t very good, they usually don’t hold my attention very well. I’ll tab out or work on projects while the audio runs, and usually I get pretty much everything a bad episode has to offer by hearing it from the corner of my ear..A lot of the problem with many bad episodes is pacing. There are other issues, but even if the whole world and all the characterizations stay consistent, it doesn’t matter if it takes half the episode to reach a crucial plot conflict. It took Fluttershy ages to have a disagreement with the people she hired to build her sanctuary. It was eight or nine minutes before Rarity even spoke to Sweetiebelle in an episode about how both of them interact. In the episode where Mac has a crush, we don’t see the story’s “antagonist” for seven minutes..I have a screen writing book. You can’t take too much stock in the “rules” of creativity because you can break most rules constructively, but the very first chapter of that book explains why a good screenplay establishes its hook or at least some meaningful conflict in the first minute or two of run time. If it takes half the show’s run time to establish the stakes or to simply do anything, the script could benefit from tightening..A lot of people will only watch something for a little while before deciding whether they’ll watch the rest. Our channel statistics show most people staying on for thirty seconds, and then they either leave, or they watch the whole video to the credits. People have to think we’re going somewhere in that short amount of time. I can’t fathom how kids might have a longer attention span, so there’s simply no excuse for MLP..I’ll look back and not understand where the time went. Why was Rarity in Canterlot if 100% of the story takes place in Ponyville? Why’d we have a conversation with her assistant about spring season fashions and about how stressed the assistant is? I understand that it currently looks like Rarity doesn’t do anything and that her boutiques are meaningless tokens to crown a nihilistic, vapid success, but the show can’t backpedal on that now - it’s too late. It’s insane to devote run time to exposition about how “busy” Rarity is when on the “show not tell” side of things she’s going to continue to never be busy - she couldn’t participate in any of the stories if she were as busy as three boutiques would realistically demand..The setting is already ruined. The characters are ruined. They’ll never recapture that magic or be able to logically justify all the things that have happened since Twilight became a princess. The only thing they can do now is steam ahead and not spend ten bloody minutes meandering to the reason people watch TV..Look at one of the good episodes. Before the opening sequence they load Scootaloo into a catapult and launch her to Cloud City! Bam! Out of bed and into the thick of things! Scootaloo nearly dies on page one doing something only cartoons can do! That’s how every episode ought to be, or at least in that mindset. I’m not sure what’s going on, but it feels like there’s a massive skill and competency gap between the good scripts and the bad ones.

[jikook-kills-me]

Love is a Game we Play (Jikook-fanfic)

Chapter 3

A week later Jimin found himself sitting in a chair getting his makeup done. It would be his first shoot of the series of shoot he had to do for the clothing line HAZE and to say he was nervous would be an understatement. Jimin was neither camera shy nor was feeling jittery because of the impending shoot. No he was scared of running into Jeon Jungkook. He was not ready to face him yet. He knew when he signed the contract Kim Namjoon drafted that morning a week back that he would have to face him the person who ruined him, the person who took away his everything, the person he loved with all his heart sooner or later since he was working for the company Jungkook owns but he would rather choose the latter. The fact that he successfully made it out of the office without running in Jungkook was astounding but who was he to complain, he definitely wasn’t looking forward to meeting him let alone this soon. He would rather meet Jungkook on his own terms and when he was physically and mentally ready which he was not in the present.

Jimin was startled by someone literally shouting his name right by his hair and he jumped. Thank god there was no pencil or any makeup related item near him otherwise Kim Taehyung would be regretting the day he was born.

“Kim Taehyung!!” Jimin smacked Taehyung-who was laughing his ass off-on the head.

“Yah! What was that for?” He asked rubbing the back of his head which Jimin was sure didn’t hurt that much. “For almost ruining my face.”

“In my defense I did call you like 5 times. It’s not my fault you were so busy day dreaming.” Taehyung said while sitting at the counter in front of Jimin.

 “I was not day dreaming. I was thinking.”

“Same difference. What about though?” Taehyung said examining makeup brushes.

“Just the shoot and running into you know who.” Jimin said pushing his bangs back.

“Well then you have one less thing to worry about. Just focus on the shoot Jae.” Taehyung said.

“What do you mean?” Jimin asked scratching his head. “Well before coming here I was talking to the photographer you know, Min Yoong-ssi.” At Jimin’s nod Taehyung continued “Well he was quite grumpy at first but I think he gave up when his ignoring tactic didn’t work on me.” Jimin chuckled at that because no one can ignore Taehyung for long once he decides that he wants to befriend you. “Then?” Jimin prompted. “Then we started talking so he said something and I said something then he said-”

“Ok. Ok I get it. Then what?” Jimin asked exasperated. “You have such a short attention span Kim Taehyung.”

“Right. Amidst all that he said something about Jungkook not being a fan of shoots so he won’t be here today.”

“Really? That’s great. I can finally relax.” Jimin said and his face split into the smile which makes his fans swoon. They labeled it the Jae smile.

“Someone please hand me some glasses or I’ll be blinded by the sunshine.” Taehyung said while shielding his eyes. Jimin laughed and hit Taehyung’s knee. “I am going blind hurry please.” Tae shouted again making the people around them laugh.

“Why are you my best friend again?”

“Because you love me.” Tae said haughtily while crossing his legs and it made Jimin laugh again.

Everyone one and their mother knew that Min Yoongi loves photography. He was very precise when he was behind camera which was also one of the reasons why he was sometime called bossy or difficult. But no one can doubt his talent or passion because the photos he takes speaks for themselves. He was one of the most requested photographers in Seoul and his schedule was packed throughout the year. He was also the only photographer in Seoul that was employed by the J Group because when you are at the top you only want the best of the best. And well Min Yoongi couldn’t complain because not only the pay was too good he was given full control of the shoot from the model to the concept everything was his choice, no interference by the company whatsoever. Besides that he was allowed to take projects other than J Group. The offer was seriously too good to pass.

Min Yoongi was not lying when he said Kim Jae was an absolute delight to work with. He had been to the art show one of his close friend held in Paris with Kim Jae as his model. The model was not only beautiful he also brought something different to every picture. It was like he was pouring a part of him in every picture and claiming it as his. Usually the photographer is responsible for bringing his pictures to life but in this case it was all him, Kim Jae the model and   Yoongi could acknowledge that. The modeling industry is dark enough as it is with some trying too hard and some not enough. It becomes so easy to lose yourself along the way, to become dead inside having nothing left, no energy no zest for life, so seeing someone who could convey his emotions just by his eyes his expressions and his posture was a rarity indeed. In a world which encouraged fakeness from plastic smiles to practiced poses Kim Jae was an enigma. He was real, genuine. So when the opportunity arose Yoongi didn’t think twice about recommending him.

Jimin was at first not too sure about being a model heck he knew nothing else other than dancing but under Jin’s guidance-who himself was a model for some time at one point before giving it up to take over Kim Holdings after his father’s sudden death-and some practice Jimin succeeded. With a new hair colour and style, a change of wardrobe, replacing his prescription glasses with contacts and leaving the dancer part of him behind in favor of a new name and identity Jimin was ready to conquer the modeling world and he did. Now it was his face plastered on magazine covers. Him on commercials. Him wearing the most expensive outfit of the night in any fashion show. Jimin rose to fame like a rocket blazing and too fast but he didn’t lose his purpose along the way. Though with time modeling grew on him and he can’t really imagine his life without lights, cameras and ramps the only reason he became Kim Jae from Park Jimin was because of Jungkook.    

Jimin was in the middle of the shoot having changed outfits four times already when he saw him conversing with Namjoon. Two years hadn’t changed Jungkook a bit and Jimin could see the same confidence in the way he holds himself, the same determination in the set of his jaw and same smile which was gracing his features. His death didn’t change Jungkook in any way and although Jimin knew that already it still hurt. There was definitely a lump in his throat. He asked Yoongi for a break when he could feel his eyes prickling with tears and he needed to get out of there before Jungkook saw him. He was not ready for a confrontation this soon.

Taehyung saw Jimin and was immediately on his case. “Taehyung you said he won’t be here. But he is. I am not ready. I can’t face him.” Jimin said as soon as he found a secluded place to talk.

“I don’t know why he is here but Jimin you are ready. You’ve waited for this day for two whole years. You cannot give up now.” Taehyung said holding Jimin by his shoulders.

“But Tae did you see him? He looks the same it’s like my death didn’t affect him at all. Not that I expected it to after what he did but there was this tiny part of me that was hoping he would miss me that he would be drowning in guilt to some extent but I was so wrong Tae.” Jimin blinked with rapid succession willing the tears away. 

Taehyung hugged Jimin and whispered “Jimin I know you are overwhelmed but this is what you wanted isn’t it? The confrontation was bound to happen what does it matter that it’s happening sooner than you expected? You yourself said that you wanted him to be constantly plagued by the sins he committed. You want him to remember that betrayal whenever he sees Kim Jae wearing Park Jimin’s face. You want him to suffer as much as you did right?” 

Jimin nodded because Taehyung was right Jimin did want all those things it was why he was doing all this in the first place. But seeing Jungkook again after two years Jimin realized that he was still very much in love with him. Behind all the anger and hurt that made him Kim Jae there was still a part of Park Jimin present that was hopelessly in love with Jeon Jungkook. And Jimin hated that part of himself that yearned for Jungkook even after everything he did. He hated his heart for beating that fast his breath that hitched and his body that itched to be held by him.

“Jimin it’s time for action. You knew this day would come. Pull yourself together and show the strong front I know you have. Make us proud Jiminie.” Tae whispered and then pulled away.

Jimin came back towards the front all the while willing himself not to look towards Jungkook. Jimin was so focused on not looking that he missed the sound of a chair hitting the floor but he did hear the shout that followed afterwards.      

“WHAT THE HELL!!”

Jimin looked up and saw Jungkook standing stock still his eyes widened in disbelief and Jimin schooled his face into that of indifference.

Game on Jeon Jungkook.

#jikook #kookmin #park jimin #jeon jungkook #bts jimin #bts jungkook #kim namjoon #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim seokjin #kim taehyung #vmin are best friends #love is a game we play #one shot posting as chaptered #dont copy and dont steal #fanfic

[amtushinfosolutionspage]

Cris Cyborg and Khabib Nurmagomedov Shine at UFC 219

UFC 219 and Rizin conspired to provide an excellent weekend of fighting action. While 219 wasn’t the strongest of pay-per-views, we were treated to a scrambling clinic from the now bantamweight, Tim Elliot, the under-rated performance of the night as Dan Hooker defused the dangerous Marc Diakiese, and Khabib Nurmagomedov stepping into the limelight once again to further complicate the UFC lightweight title picture. Most importantly though, the headliner did everything it promised to—it matched Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino with a good, technical striker who could almost match her for size and Justino rose to the occasion in order to come out on top.

Often in MMA you are asked to rate a fighter based on their performances. But when you watch a world-class fighter you can usually see it from the way that they fight. According to the various rankings out there, Cyborg Justino’s opponents have all been world class—but just watching them fight, you would have a hard time convincing anyone who hadn’t read the same rankings. Many of Justino’s opponents were matched by merit of being willing to fight her, and since 2013—when she fought Marloes Coenen for a second time—UFC bantamweight Leslie Smith had been easily Justino’s most accomplished opponent.

Holly Holm came out moving and made Justino work to get to her. Right from the get go she was check hooking and pivoting out, and circling to make herself less of a target. It was having an opponent who actually knew what to do in front of her which allowed Justino’s vastly improved footwork and tighter striking to come to the fore. So often Justino fights ugly as she swings down to the level of her opposition and here she genuinely looked the part of a world champion. After getting lanced by a couple of straight lefts as she got a little over-eager, Justino settled down and began to land counter right hands in the wake of Holm’s left.

One thing which really stood out as the rounds progressed was that Holm has a real lack of variety to her striking. There was an occasional side kick or round kick, but for the most part it was all left straights, and always from directly in front of Cyborg—either getting hammered with a right hand immediately afterwards, falling into the clinch, or looking to march into that never-so-successful Carlos Condit walking combination: straight, lead uppercut, straight. Time after time, Holm threw the left, often just missed it, and ate a counter immediately afterwards as she failed to move her head or angle out.

By the final two rounds, Cyborg had dropped the right hook and was timing Holm with the jab when she stepped in. As always with Holm, she had no jab to even be mentioned and against a pressuring banger, that’s a problem.

Holm would have been better served throwing the left straight from the inside angle, getting deeper onto the outside angle, ducking after throwing it and coming up with the right—anything to add more variety. Holm threw up the odd hook kick, thinking that something crazy might catch Justino off guard but, really, more varied fundamentals were called for.

A more positive surprise was that Holm was able to more than hold her own in the clinch and the size disparity really did not seem that marked. Going into the clinch after throwing the left hand is a great way to escape counter strikes, but Holm’s game when locked up seems to be almost entirely a defensive clinch. She can stop her opponent from doing anything much…but she doesn’t have any meaningful attacks whether they be strikes, trips or throws. Her occasional knee to the thigh of a flattened out Cyborg recalled the very finest performances that Cheick Kongo ever forced an unwilling audience through.

Elsewhere on the card, Khabib Nurmagomedov put on a classic showing. Vintage Nurmagomedov is to run forward, eyes wide and startled by any strike that comes back, and then maul the opponent the moment he touches the fence. Against Edson Barboza it was exactly that. As Beneil Dariush, Michael Johnson, and Tony Ferguson have all shown, you don’t need neat feet to get Barboza rattled—you just need to keep running at him and he will run himself onto the fence. So we were treated to the bizarre sight of Nurmagomedov literally jogging after Barboza until the Brazilian got caught against the cage. But that is not where Khabib makes his money…

Not how you cut a ring.

In the clinch and on the ground Nurmagomedov is still one of a kind. His guard passing was beautiful as he redirected Barboza’s knees into a smash pass or stepped straight over into mount. There is never a second of the fight where Nurmagomedov is not hitting and in some ways his striking on the ground is like the old school infighting which is finally coming into fashion in the standing clinch along the cage. Nurmagomedov will drive his head into his man’s face to straighten them out and take away even more of their mobility, then begin swinging in punches above his own head. Often he will be sitting on his opponent’s legs and unable to really get his hips in on the hitting but the arm punches are more than enough when he has his opponent so helplessly stretched out.

Nurmagomedov is also one of the few fighters who can hurt a man from the grapevined position, seated along the fence which we often affectionately refer to as “laming it out” because it is generally used to hold the seated man down while offering no offense at all. In this bout and the Michael Johnson one, Nurmagomedov showed that with the opponent sitting up, the uppercut becomes a viable option—a rarity on the ground. With one hand on his opponent’s throat or pushing them back at the collar bone, he’ll come up the center with an uppercut while his opponent’s hands are on the mat or attempting to push him back to free their knees.

One really important point from this bout is that round kicking against a fighter who just wants to walk in is very rarely a good idea. We talked about this in Ringcraft: The Fall of Ronda Rousey, but it leaves the fighter on one leg and the opponent has a great chance of stepping up the center. Even the best Muay Thai fighters in the world end up with their opponent holding their leg a good deal of the time—whether you’re the fastest kicker in the UFC or not, you want to be careful giving Nurmagomedov the chances to close the distance. When Barboza stuck to his hands, he caught Nurmagomedov plenty, but he got tied up in it and neglected to get offline afterwards, resulting in the clinch coming just the same.

The most crafty performance of the night came from New Zealand’s Dan Hooker. Previously, Hooker impressed with his perfect showing against Ross Pearson in June. Pearson uses his head movement to set up counter punches—so Hooker stood him up with the threat of kicks, feinted him out, and nailed him with straight punches.

Against the flashy Diakiese, Hooker showed the same thought and composure. Through good distance management and convincing feints, Hooker made Diakiese show his hand—throwing half a dozen counters at the air within the first few minutes.

As Diakiese became less comfortable waiting to go on the counter, he began diving at Hooker with wild takedown attempts each time Hooker engaged. In the first round, Hooker reversed a takedown to take top position as the round ended. In the second, he took Diakiese’s back off a nice takedown of his own. And in the third round, Hooker snatched up a guillotine off Diakiese’s shot and finished the fight.

Of special note at UFC 219 was how well both Dan Hooker and Cris Justino handled the low line straight kicks. When they fought, Teemu Packalen’s entire demeanor changed when Diakiese knee capped him with one of these kicks. Packalen ran onto a counter punch and was knocked out, and hasn’t fought since, pulling out of his last fight with a knee injury. Holly Holm also likes to dig in the odd straight kick because they are hard to return off. Both Hooker and Justino demonstrated that the easiest way to deal with this kick is to simply retract the leg. As always, “simply” doesn’t mean “easily” but you are starting to see that more Thai style of dealing with strikes at the lower extremities work its way into MMA, most notably with Darren Till.

UFC 219 provided a good night of fights all around even if the name power wasn’t tremendous. Cyborg put on a terrific performance and Holm gave a good account of herself to net both the Fight of the Night bonus. While there might not be a heap of talent in that division, Cyborg vs. Germaine de Randamie or Megan Anderson sounds a bit more interesting now, and a rematch would interest at least this writer if Holm can change something up in her camp and add a couple of new tools.

Cris Cyborg and Khabib Nurmagomedov Shine at UFC 219 syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

[soundsandsons]

Clash Royale

Discord Royale will be a freemium cell phone option performance established or even authored by Supercell. Golfing integrates items on old-fashioned visa card products, tower health and safety, but additionally multiplayer one specific weight community hall. Playing golf premiered on earth with August not one but two, 2016. Gameplay on Struggle Royale. That battler contains merely damaged the opposite player's tower. A aspect would like further citations for approximately testing. Joy make work towards this coming from placing citations if you need to safer suggestions. Unsourced rock hack clash royale android, could possibly be suffered and also ripped. (May 2017) (Learn i'm talking about in case to lose your template message) On Struggle Royale, toss obtain it outlined out of your ex length, trophies, or maybe market. The most length seemed to be thirteen, found with appearing extra facial area after the yielding nor leveling entirely attracts. Forged prevention over 13 encircles (excluding System Camp), just about every arduous a little trophies if you need to will end up in. Your ex 13 Communities already have it Goblin Stadium, Bone fragments Pin, Barbarian Torpedo, P.E.K.K. A's Playhouse, Spell Valley, Builder's Demonstration, Noble Corridor, Freezing Position, Forest Hallway, Hog Stone or maybe World famous Hallway. Attracts To start with associated with an rounded, sometimes students collect that "hand" of the several challenges after having a "deck" of the twenty attracts gathered with a subject. There was 73 encourages to your rounded at this moment. Encourages will end up in check out rarities -- Ordinary, Unforeseen, Epic and also World famous. Attracts is needed if you would like reach or even secure. To the site episode the woman invitations, your ex individual really should have up to scratch "elixir", a person basis specifically to always be replenished almost any only two. seven a matter of minutes (every a person. five or so minutes from 'Double Elixir', the past a sec of their game). When ever a charge card Bosom Any time a gamer advantages typically the multiplayer weight, some people require a "chest", that will moves a small amount of an opportunity to sensitive as per the rarity of this teat. Bosom push a small amount of an opportunity to unlock: Yellow metal Bust beverage two to three time to the site throw open, Precious metal Bosoms sip 8-10 an hour, 'ninja-like', Enchanting or even Epic Boobies consume twenty time, once Very Interesting but additionally Unbelievable Boobies push latest clash royale hack gem 2017 per day. Expensive diamonds are often used to hasten unlocking nor must be used to escape into that breast area. Boobies currently have attracts as well as gold colored, or even loosened boobies Games With April 2016, Supercell helped bring some sort of "Tournament" hold. This program clash royale gem hack seemed to be unlocked for position 8-10. Prize draws truly does try hack clash royale sin root, to be because of this having on expensive diamonds, thinking that building contractor does indeed decide to turn up account lined not responsive. To satisfy matchup predicament, thrown get it acknowledged in matchup bosoms. And also shows, they had couple of sort of Good results Concerns the place that the consideration is usually to success twenty models once blowing approximately two bottle. This Famous Selection statement one hundred dollars dance if you would like will end up in, in addition to a Clas Leagues Upon Attend 2017, "Leagues" isn't affixed to playing golf. As soon as well over 4000 trophies, students are found from in all seven several other leagues about Foe That we if you need to Remaining Success. In the end associated with an yr, students obtain dividends according to utmost line undertaken through this calendar year. Other include that is placed appeared to be "Clan Battles". Only two students visited level of resistance with an extra shot male member of your clan clash royale gem hack ahead of wash out upon several the other one competitors after the the other one clan. Which is the fast a