craters.

a comic about a love story between two girls who only have each other, and take a chance on it.

Buy “Soliloquy Down To Three”, an anthology of blood stained sapphic comics (including this one) here.

Movies 2020

Movies I watched in 2020. Updated soon after I watched them.

A Ghost Story [David Lowery, 2017, United States] No film has made me feel this melancholic ever. This is a film so profound, it examines existence in the simplest yet most esoteric way possible. It surely goes straight to the top of my all-time favourite list. 10/10

Portrait of a lady on fire [Celine Sciamma, 2019, France] Mesmerizing. It burns even before the fire and ends with unforgettable embers. a film of magnificent visuals, intoxicating sound design, and a screenplay of jawdropping surprises -- definitely on top of my list.

Parasite [Bong Joon-ho, 2019, South Korea] You can watch it in many different ways, perspective, and angle, and everything is just as clever. 10/10

John Denver Trending [Arden Rod Condez, 2019, Philippines] Aside from its central theme of mental health awareness, it also has an excellent juxtaposition of the culture of bullying and cyberbullying and its correlation with how the nature of superstitions and religions shapes a country’s humanity. 10/10

Knives Out [Rian Johnson, 2019, United States] a funny and thrilling tour de force, engrossing in its nicely calibrated tone. 9.5/10

Bliss [Jerrold Tarog, 2017, Philippines] touches the fine line between dreamland and reality, and examines dreams or aspirations as mere illusions. It is wicked. It’s well-crafted. It’s a mindfuck. It’s deeply, as in deeply affecting 10/10

Edward [Thop Nazareno, 2019, Philippines] I am so amazed at how this film shows struggles after struggles after struggles without spoonfeeding emotions. It’s a movie so simple yet so despairing. Everything of it is in the right place, it’s sublime. 10/10

The Invisible Man [Leigh Whannell, 2020, United States] a psychological thriller that metaphorically captures gaslighting, flawless and atypical. 9/10

1917 [Sam Mendez, 2020, United States] An ambitious and unnerving first-person perspective ride. 9/10

Eerie [Mikhail Red, 2018, Philippines] More than its excellent scare tactics, what I love about it most is its clever storytelling and use of metaphors. 9/10

Corpus Christi [Jan Komasa, 2020, Poland] A look into redemption, a faith that challenges, a miraculous portrayal of a mysterious preacher. 9/10

Ad Astra [James Gray, 2019, United States] Realistically seamless, perfectly portrayed claustrophobic film. 9/10

Tallulah [Sian Heder, 2016, United States] A small town film of great insights and intricate nuanced details. 8/10

Les Miserables [Ladj Ly, 2020, France] a contemporary portrait of the 1862 classic--immersive, passionate, and thoroughly engrossing. 8/10

Cities of Last Things [Wi Ding Ho, 2018, Hong Kong] Of visual metaphors and broken connections, this film as a lot of food for the soul to offer. 7.5/10

I'm Drunk I love you [JP Habac, 2017. Philippines] Makes you feel so much. Something too relatable, it’s terrific. If only for its music scoring, it’s already worth the watch. 7/10 

18 Regali (18 Presents) [Francesco Amato, 2020, Italy] Such a tearjerker for something so flawed. 7/10

The Half of It [Alice Wu, 2020, United States] Refreshingly new take on love of different forms. Warm and soothing. 7/10

Booksmart [Olivia Wilde, 2019, United States] While it is smartly written, it is also really hilarious. Fun yet empowered, who says you can't do both? 7/10

Lost Girls [Liz Garbus, 2020, United States] Brings about melancholy, anger, compassion and all things human. Very well acted too. 7/10

A Sun [Chung Mong-hong, 2019, Taiwan] captures economic, social and personal struggles in such a relatable tone. 7/10

El Hoyo (The Platform) [Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2020, Spain] A social commentary on how society can rise up by working together, told in such wicked imagination. 7/10

Spiderman:Far From Home [Jon Watts, 2019, United States] Sets the tone higher of this new chapter of the franchise, it is entertaining and affecting, although far from perfect. 7/10

The Decline [Patrice Laliberte, 2020, Canada] Chilling and fun. Isn’t that the goal? 7/10

Joker [Todd Phillips, 2019, United States] Joaquin Phoenix owned it, no matter how faulty and flawed the movie is. 7/10

Iska [Theodore Boborol, 2019, Philippines] I find a lot of things problematic and some choices uncharacteristic but it is worth a watch. 7/10

Iisa [Chuck Gutierrez, 2015, Philippines] Visually stunning, questionable storyline. 7/10

Uncorked [Prentice Penny, 2020, United States] It makes me want to drink wine, more wine, and much much more wine. 7/10

Cuddle Weather [Rod Marmol, 2019, Philippines] Unconventional and intricate, something real and intimate. 7/10

Hogar (The Occupant) [Alex and David Pastor, 2020, Spain] Appalling and annoying, at least it is good at that. 6.5/10

Extraction [Sam Hargrave, 2020, United States] Action-packed film that doesn’t offer much of a motive for a suicide mission. 6.5/10

Yeh Ballet [Sooni Taraporevala, 2020, India] Quite an unconventional ballet movie starring two men of great potential. 6.5/10

Snapshots [Melanie Mayron, 2018, United States] I want to like it, I do. But it's too artificial for my taste. 6.510

LSS [Jade Castro, 2019, Philippines] Nothing special to be honest. 6.5/10

Alimuom [Keith Sicat, 2018, Philippines] For all its creativity and ambitious computer graphics work, it lacks human connection. 6.5/10

93 Days [Steve Gukas, 2016, Nigeria] Beautiful intention, badly acted. 6/10

Joshua [George Ratliff, 2007, United States] It was fine. Nothing special but it was fine. 6/10

Shift [Siege Ledesma, 2013, Philippines] Not your typical love story. 6/10

Maska [Neeraj Udwani, 2020, India] Annoying yet enjoyable at the same time, I don’t understand how it’s possible. 6/10

Unbelievable

Block Z [Mikhail Red, 2020, Philippines] Disappointing plot, infuriating characters. A downcast. 6/10

1898: Our Last Men in the Philippines [Salvador Calvo, 2017, Spain] Interesting perspective and atypical take on nationalism. Worth a watch for history lovers. 6/10

The Foreigner [Martin Campbell, 2018, United States] For a Jackie Chan movie, it’s a pretty boring one. 6/10

Paris is Us [Elisabeth Vogler, 2019, France] Slogs away into a plotless little chaos. 4/10

Little Rascals

Shaun of the Dead

Matilda

Birds of Passage

Handsome Devil

I am happiness on earth

How it ends

Horse girl

Jowable

I am Jonas

Ip Man 4

Falling Inn Love

Circle

Blind date

Happy Old Year

Day of the Dead: Bloodline

Life Overtakes Me

Sweeter than Candy

I got the idea of Izuku and Mina cuddling while watching a movie marathon, and thus this fic was born. Expect plenty of tooth aching fluff, as the name would imply. Hope you enjoy!

Summary:  Mina worked hard in the lead-up to midterm exams. Now, with the exams concluded, it's time to celebrate, and what better way to do that than with an all day movie marathon with her boyfriend?

Read it on AO3!

“This seems like overkill” Izuku said as he watched Mina add another handful of snacks to the already enormous pile.

In truth, it probably was too much. Izuku stuck to his diet pretty religiously, and she wouldn’t be able to eat all of these on her own. That wasn’t the point though. Today was about indulgence, and she was going to splurge

“Nah.” Mina responded. “Overkill would be having to spend every waking minute not already devoted to hero training to studying math. Can you imagine? That would just be the worst.” As she spoke, her voice became more and more deadpan.

Izuku looked concerned by her tone of voice and stepped over to give her a comforting hug. It was unnecessary, but Mina enjoyed it nonetheless. She hadn’t done any testing, but she would be willing to bet good money that Izuku gave the best hugs in the class. He had a way of completely wrapping you in his warm arms that was just amazing.

“It was worth it though, right?” Izuku said softly into her ear.

“Yeah...” It had been, but that didn’t mean Mina wasn’t allowed to be salty about it.

Exam season was always a trying time at any school, but that went double for UA. As future heroes they were expected to maintain satisfactory grades while keeping up with their regular training, and preparing for whatever ridiculous practical exam their teachers had managed to concoct.

In addition to all that, Mina had had a personal goal. She was tired of being one of the only failing students in her class. Even Mineta was pulling better grades than her for god's sake!

So, she had given up a huge chunk of her personal time to prepare. She’d missed the season finale of her favorite reality show, she hadn’t gone to an arcade in weeks, and she had even sworn off pranks in the lead up to the exams.

She’d spent hours under Yaomomo’s careful tutelage, and even more time studying with Izuku after school every day as she tried to cram increasingly arcane formulas and facts into her poor brain. It had been a slow, horrifically boring process, but she had put her all into it. She’d even tried sleeping with her textbook under her pillow, in the hope that she would somehow absorb some knowledge by osmosis, a subject she now vaguely understood thanks to her wonderfully patient tutors.

When the exam had finally rolled around, Mina had felt more nervous about it than she had ever felt for a test before. Her mind had been horrifyingly blank, like all the knowledge she’d scraped together had fled in a fit of pique.

Then, almost miraculously, she’d known the answer to the first question. And the one after that as well. As she’d gotten further in, she'd started to feel more and more confident. Sure, she wasn’t getting every question, but most of the ones she didn’t know could be narrowed down to just two possible answers. It had felt good, like she was catching up to everyone else, instead of being left behind like always.

When Aizawa finally called time she had collapsed, happy but totally drained.

She had thought that the lead up to the exam would be the worst, but the aftermath was much more intense. Instead of being able to completely relax once she was done, like she had previously, Mina was left with a vague sense of anxiety about her performance that left her repeating the questions she already knew she had gotten wrong over and over in her head, trying to puzzle them out and failing miserably.

<I wonder if this is what Izuku feels like all the time> She had thought to herself  <If so, I owe him a big apology for every time I joked about how anxious he was.>

Aizawa, at least, was prompt with his grading. They had their tests graded on their desks by the end of the day.

Mina had slowly flipped her paper over, wanting to put off seeing the grade for as long as possible. Then shrieked with delight when she saw the big B- in the corner. Sure, it was far from the highest grade in the class, or even the highest grade she had gotten in her life, but it was the highest grade she had gotten since coming to UA, and that was an accomplishment in its own right.

And an achievement like that deserved a celebration!

Thus, she had assembled a small mountain of snacks ranging from chips to chocolate to sodas of several varieties. She had also put together a leaning tower of movies from all sorts of different genres. Feel good romance movies made up a significant percentage of the stack. They would be great for setting a lovely mood for her and Izuku. And a nice palate cleanser after the classic horror triple feature she had planned midway through the day.

Lastly, she had borrowed every spare pillow that she could find in the dorms and arranged them into a fortress for her and Izuku to snuggle in while they binged.

In short, Maestro Mina had concocted the perfect day for destressing, and she was going to milk it for all it was worth.

She might have overestimated the amount of snacks they would need, but she had definitely underestimated the amount of tissues Izuku would go through. He was midway through the first box before the first movie had even ended.

“Sorry” He sniffled, dabbing at his eyes once more. “It’s just ...they were so in love, and then ...it was just so sad!” He broke into a fresh round of sobs at the thought.

They had started off the night with a classic animated movie about a man who flew his house away on an adventure with an astounding number of balloons. Mina was fairly certain that such a feat was impossible unless he was distantly related to Uraraka, but she wasn’t going to criticise since it made for a pretty awesome visual.

She wrapped her arms around Izuku, pulling him into a comforting hug as she patted his head. It was sweet that he was such a softie, and that he felt comfortable enough around her that he didn't feel the need to hide it. It made her feel special.

Although, they were definitely going to need more tissues if things went according to plan. This wasn’t even close to the biggest tearjerker she had planned for their marathon.

Mina could feel Izuku nodding off beside her, head dipping slightly as he struggled against the sandman. She didn’t blame him. Lunch had been both tasty and super filling, which meant it was threatening to drag her off to dreamland as well. As pleasant as it would be to take a nap right then and there in Izuku’s arms, Mina had other plans.

Days like this didn’t come often, and that meant she had to enjoy every second of it.

Instead, she stood up and stretched. Izuku shook a bit of the drowsiness from his face and looked at her curiously. She merely smiled innocently at him as she made her way to the TV.

Izuku was a little bit too trusting sometimes. He wanted to think the best of people, and that let them take advantage of him from time to time. Mina didn’t abuse that trust, that would be immoral, but she did occasionally take advantage of it to make Izuku’s life just a little more interesting.

Her plan for today involved introducing him to a classic in B movie horror that was sure to get his blood pumping and wake him right up. It was time for the horror block to begin!

Mina silently cackled to herself as she slid the movie in.

Izuku obviously knew that something was up with her. After nearly a year together, they were both getting better at reading the other’s body language, and he had gotten adept at recognizing her ‘I’m having fun pranking someone’ smile as a survival mechanism.

It took him right up until the title ‘Night of Screams 2: The Revenge of Screamtopia’ to realize what she was planning, and by that point, it was far too late.

Quick as a whip, she snaked her legs through his, tangling them together and preventing him from getting up unless she let him.

“Minaaaaaa!” He cried as he clawed at the floor. She did notice, however, that despite being much stronger than her, he made no real attempt to get free.

“Shush you. I told you the quadratic formula was terrifying, and you made me memorize it anyway. Consider this my vengeance!” She put on her best evil villainess face as she spoke. The effect was ruined by the smile she couldn’t keep off her lips, but she felt it was important to make the effort all the same.

He moaned inarticulately in response as the opening credits began to play.

Mina hummed in response, and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend once again. “Tell you what, if you get scared, you can snuggle up to me and I’ll make it all better, ok?”

It took a moment, but she finally heard a muffled “Kay” from below her.

She smiled in triumph. It had taken a lot of effort to get here, but it really was good to be the Queen.

“You doing ok back there Izuku?” Mina asked.

No response came, though Izuku clutched more tightly to her back as a shriek rang out from the TV. Another innocent down as the monster continued it’s furious rampage. It was over the top, and for a horror buff like Mina, it was nothing she hadn’t seen a thousand times before.

Izuku, however, was having a much tougher time of it. It was kind of funny. They had faced terrifying villains like Shiguraki and his Nomu, and Izuku had barely flinched. She’d even heard from Uraraka that he’d stayed calm when Shigaraki had him by the neck during the incident at the Kiyashi mall incident, trying to prevent anyone from getting hurt in the crossfire. And now, here he was cowering from some cheap blood and jump scares.

As he flinched again, Mina relented. She had planned a trio of films for the day, and while she was enjoying having Izuku clinging to her, it was obvious Izuku wasn’t having nearly as good of a time as she was.

A comedy then. One that would get him flashing that smile she loved so much once again.

Just ...in a minute or two. She really loved the part coming up, and after all, it wasn’t like Izuku would keel over from just a little more gore, would he…?

“Mina, I’m not sure how good an idea this is” Izuku said hesitantly. “There’s a real choking hazard.”

“Pfffft! My big brother and I used to do this with jawbreakers all the time, and we’re both fine! Now, hit me with your best shot!” Mina called, tilting her head back once more.

She was sitting at the foot of her bed, while Izuku was at the top, holding a bag of candy in one hand and wearing a worried expression.

Finally, at her continued insistence that she would be fine, he tossed one of the candies lightly toward her. It wasn’t a great throw, and Mina had to lunge to the side, but she managed to catch the candy in her mouth. She swallowed it quickly, then grinned at Izuku in triumph.

He smiled back at her, the look of nervousness fading somewhat in the face of her victory.

“Toldja I could do it!” She proclaimed. “I’m the candy catch master! It was part of how I trained my reflexes for UA. Now why don’t you give me a real challenge?” She winked as she said it. Technically, the line about it being reflex training was BS, but it sounded almost reasonable enough to be true, so Mina stuck with it.

Shaking his head, Izuku readied another candy to throw. They were a brand of chocolate coated berries that Mina found absolutely delicious. In fact, she was having such a hard time not scarfing the whole bag that she had proposed the game as a way to slow down her consumption rate.

Izuku’s next throw went wide again, but this time Mina wasn’t able to catch it with her lips. Instead it came plummeting directly into her right eye.

She flinched, the offending candy bouncing to the floor as she reached up to rub at her eye, trying to work the irritation out manually.

“Are you okay?” Izuku said, rushing to her side. “I didn’t mean to hurt you!” he said, taking her head gently in his hands and peering into her eye, checking for damage.

“I’m fine Midori.” She said, chuckling slightly at his response despite the minor pain she was feeling. At this point, she was more than used to enduring small pains thanks to all their hero training. There wasn’t a day that went by where she didn’t pick up some minor scrape or cut. Sure, the accidental eye attack had stung, but the irritation was already fading.

Izuku seemed satisfied that he hadn’t accidentally put her eye out. He sighed in relief, but he kept his hands on the sides of her head, and his eyes stayed locked on hers.

“Midori?” She asked, as the moment of silence dragged on. “You okay in there?”

He smiled softly at that, and let go of her head, turning his face slightly away from hers as he did so. “Sorry. I just…” He turned his face back to hers, and she could see that his cheeks were dusted with red. “I always forget how pretty your eyes are, so when I see them up close like that, I get distracted.” He idly poked the tips of his index fingers together as he spoke.

Now it was Mina’s turn to blush, a brilliant lilac filling her cheeks as her heart started to beat faster. <Being that cute has to be illegal>

She pulled Izuku into a tight hug and planted a firm kiss on his cheek, which caused him to light up like a christmas tree, just like he did every time she kissed him. It was another one of his cute habits that she had picked up on rather quickly after they had started dating. He reacted to every bit of affection like it was the first time he had received it.

It did make her a bit sad, thinking about how lonely he must have been growing up, if that was the way he reacted. He’d told her a bit about his childhood, how he hadn’t had any friends since his Quirk had come in so late and they had thought he was Quirkless.

Instead of letting the sadness overwhelm her, Mina took the opposite approach. She hugged Izuku even tighter, kissing his cheeks, his forehead, his eyes, and his ears until he was giggling at her to stop. She’d make up for the lack of affection, or her name wasn’t Mina Ashido, girlfriend extraordinaire.

Izuku looked down at Mina’s gently snoring form. She had passed out a few minutes ago, exhaustion finally overtaking the ludicrous amount of sugar and caffeine she had been inhaling all day.

When Mina Ashido partied, she didn’t do it half way.

Smiling, he pulled the blankets up over her shoulders, tucking her comfortably into bed. The pair had changed into pajamas as the day had worn into evening, so there was no need to worry about mussing her clothes.

She sighed contentedly in her sleep, shifting slightly to get into a more comfortable position.

As he leaned down to plant a good night kiss on her forehead, he could hear her mutter something in her sleep.

“Wanna go in the haunted house next…” She whined softly.

He could only chuckle at that. One of their first dates, before they had officially become boyfriend and girlfriend, had been to Universal Studios Japan. They had been more than a little nervous going in, given their previous experience at  a similarly named location.

However, it had turned out excellently. They had both had tons of fun, going on all kinds of rides until they had felt slightly nauseous, checking out the scenery, and buying overpriced gag gifts for their friends and classmates. It had even ended with them sharing their first properly romantic hug, just before they returned to the dorms.

Knowing that she was dreaming about being on a date with him, despite spending nearly the entire day with him made his chest feel warm and full.

He leaned in the rest of the way, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

She sighed in contentment and snuggled deeper into her pillows.

<How did I get so lucky?> He thought to himself as he flicked off the lights.

Just before the door clicked shut behind him, he whispered something that even Jirou would have had trouble hearing from across the room.

“Good night Mina. I love you with all my heart…”

With that, he padded off to his own room, excited to spend the rest of the day with Mina, in the world of his dreams.

Also available on AO3!

under cut because long!!! this is roughly a discussion of like, children’s media (or something propped up as children’s media/parodying a kid’s show) being depicted with grimdark and/or mature content or w/e. I both agree that these ideas are often completely unoriginal and boring and stuff and bad. but also it can be done right and have plenty of merits. and in saying that, that’s not what my fic is trying to do as well though

I think I’m edging (relatively) closer to looking like a little bit of a hypocrite if I agree with the notion that portraying characters from children’s media in dark situations tends to be boring/unoriginal/edgy and I don’t know how to, fully express how much that I... well for one thing that’s not.. what I ever really want to go for. many of those kinds of portrayals are generally irreverent, wildly OOC, edgy for the sake of being edgy, purely for shock value. Sometimes the person doing it doesn’t rly know anything about the source material beyond the most basic surface level, and it furthermore can be boring if it doesn’t offer any meaningful commentary. ofc those things don’t usually intend to offer meaningful commentary, they just want the shock value of something like “haha the SMURFS but VIOLENCE/ADULT CONTENT, wild right???”, and they achieve that very basic goal, and it can be boring. it doesn’t tell us anything, it’s just, shock value and that’s it.

Ok I mean... it DEPENDS, sometimes (plenty of times) I actually find the Subverted Kids Show trope incredibly enjoyable, but like, hm. some ways of going about it are more tasteful than others. I guess part of that is personal preference though I do think there is a small amount of objective guidelines involved too

and you can still make insightful commentary on a text aimed at children through a Subverted Kids Show Format while having the characters be ooc! Robot Chicken smurfs (which I will discuss more in other posts) for me oscillates between making a surprisingly good commentary sometimes and mindless (but fun(ny)) scenes to, very tasteless/bad scenes that don’t do much imo. well its goal is to be funny and that’s it I guess, and it hits that goal some of the time

I guess the exact opposite of the surface-level shock value joke can also be super boring though. a text/theory that takes itself super seriously and tries to explain to you how Actually This Kid’s Show Dark! can possibly be even worse. e.g. “characters in kids show are just trapped in purgatory/it’s all a coma fantasy!!” or whatever. But I think, part of what would make a thing like that Bad is a fundamental misunderstanding of core parts of the canon and/or a... lack of regard for canon in the sense that you’re really willing to sit here and write of everything that the characters have ever been through as being Meaningless because it was all just one character’s dying memories? that completely robs the text of its power. Like saying Homer’s been in a coma since like season 5 of the simpsons. As a certain podcaster that won’t be named said because I have, a lot of bones to pick with them lol - there’s something so redundant and pointless about saying “everything that’s happening in this fictional show isn’t real”. what does it realistically.. add, kinda thing.

But I don’t think there’s cause to be automatically dismissive of anything that tries to.. approach children’s media from an angle where you can construct it as being just a little bit more sombre than it looks like on the surface or something? idk. because there can be worthwhile things to explore that make interesting commentary on the text, where you NEED to introduce less-than-happy concepts to derive them. (Sometimes the kind of commentary that deconstructions try to make is, not so good and misses the mark, although it’s not always the case.) there’s one argument against this which is like, Why can’t you just let kids have things? It’s not that deep. You’re trying to put a sinister spin on something when... it’s just not necessary. Why add to the darkness of the world. let people, especially kids, just have this bright and pure thing.

And I completely agree with that sentiment, honestly. The smurfs are good, happy, innocent, that’s the way they are and should be, don’t try to take that away from kids or people. Like 80%-90% of my enjoyment of the smurfs is all about that, I’m in full agreement, I just want happy little innocent elf society adventures and I’ll be happy. Although. It’s not like smurfs was always happy. there are plenty of tearjerker moments in the show, plenty of disasters and bad things happen to them (that they readily overcome by the end of the episode). and here I guess you also have to avoid patronising kids in thinking that only happy and nice stuff can be for them. as in, the smurfs does have really sad and upsetting moments but that Obviously doesn’t make it Not For Kids.

I think that in addition to that, slightly darker themes can be explored and exposed under certain extreme circumstances if smurf society was subject to it. And I think this in no way invalidates their tranquil, happy status quo and good nature as a society as we know it. Also it just so happens that my inspiration for fic happened to revolve around negative ideas instead of positive despite me, in fandom, just enjoying the positive/light-hearted usually (I think?). whoops. but these kinds of outside-of-canon things don’t do anything to the canon, canon stands as it is. I try my best to stick as close to canon as possible kind of, as a kind of canon purist, haha, in terms of characters and realistic reactions.

another thing is, for a positive kid show like smurfs, to have something really bad happen might seem off, but, one of the things I want(ed) to explore is “if x thing happened, how would the characters deal with it?” (I think this point will be, more pertinent to the next smurfs fic I have lined up once I finish the current one I’m working on. heh, heh, heh.)

I mean really bad stuff happened in the cartoon but it was never too extreme and it was resolved by the end of the episode normally. so for something long-term... yeah.

I also think occasionally I’ve done like. stupid smurf stuff that is kinda ooc over the years. and part of why is I think something happened where I was so anti-doing that that it kind of looped back around to the point where I Did it because, of course, I acknowledge how far-removed from canon it is that it therefore doesn’t mean anything, or something like that. and It Amused Me. and sometimes shock value smurfs at least done Somewhat tastefully is amusing to me too for that same reason because (if) it’s harmless fun or something

now this whole thing I’ve written up is mostly general thoughts and not actually much related to my fic. just, writing the fic has got me thinking about this kind of stuff so some of it is vaguely related. But fundamentally I don’t want my fic to be super dark. in fact, there are many very dark storyline paths that I could have taken which I actively chose not to, because those paths were not what I wanted this story to do. I just want it to be a fic where the smurfs experience a lot of hardship that they struggle to overcome, and I want to keep it very closely aligned to canon where I can, while other stuff changes, with.. time. Like yea there are definitely some dark elements though haha. But I’ve read some dark smurfs fic and haha.. don’t think mine really shapes up.

Like this whole post might sound like me being defensive or something, but it’s not because the premise of my fic isn’t “Edgy Grimdark Smurfs” or anything like that, and therefore that’s not a concept that I need to defend for my fic. and I don’t need to be on any kind of defense because nothing anyone else has said has prompted this post, haha. I didn’t set out to write Dark smurfs fic, I set out with an idea of some challenges the village could face and followed through with how I thought the village and its inhabitants would/could react to them, or some of the possible ways the village could react to them. And IF the results turn less-than-smurfy, I still follow up on them if I think it is realistic to the canon for it to happen and an interesting path to explore. Like I’m not really taking the world and adding/forcing dark elements in, I’m bringing out underlying currents that I already saw present when observing the society in the cartoon. Maybe I added some stuff to flesh things out, but the core ideas I bring out have basis in the cartoon imo. Anyway yeah like 70% of this post isn’t related to my fic, just kinda general thoughts type thing as I said lol.

Oh yeah also it’s like - I want my fic to still remain mostly in-tune with the show, I want to do my best with that. I don’t want darkness-induced apathy or for it to feel like it’s too far out of line from what is plausible. in-tune with the universe and the characters, but exploring stuff you wouldn’t necessarily pitch to young children at the same time type thing. And I’m not going out of my way to do that, moreso I’m not imposing that restriction on myself in terms of what I write. I’m tryin’ my best, haha. like, setting out to write grimdark fic is fine, but it possibly requires a different audience and authorial approach compared to what I feel is the approach I want to encourage for my fic. both approaches and writing styles are valid, just different type thing. I’d hate to turn people away if they’re not into grimdark stuff when it’s not what I was going for or w/e

Saturday, May 19th, 2018 – Unhindered by an Off Night, Josh Abbott Band Entertains the Masses at Rockwall’s Founder’s Day

The sun was beginning to disappear beyond the horizon as the 2018 Founder’s Day event in Rockwall began to near the end. It wasn’t quite over yet, though. Shooter Jennings had just gotten the masses warmed up for one of the treasures of Texas Country music, Josh Abbott Band, who had been tapped as the main headliner of the event. Free to attend, the turnout was incredible. The grounds of Harry Myers were pretty full even at six that evening, when things had first gotten started on the main stage. A couple hours later and people were packed in tight, either sitting in lawn chairs or on blankets, eagerly awaiting JAB. Introduced by a host of city officials – all of whom were elated to be welcoming the Josh Abbott Band to their stage – the country ensemble stepped out onto the stage appearing grateful to be there, all of them all smiles. The last to step into view, Abbott received the most fanfare, and he wasted no time in plainly stating what their mission was for the night. “Hey, everybody…” he began, greeting the throng of fans and onlookers, thanking them for choosing to be there. “Our goal is to have you sing along and dance. That’s what these songs are about…” he remarked, later adding he even hoped they would get some people up out of their chairs at some point. The mentality of a legitimate showman, he didn’t speak in absolutes. That happening wasn’t a definite, though what was certain from the way he articulated himself was that he and his band mates were going to do everything within their power to work to make that happen. It was respectable, to say the least.

In true Texas spirit, Abbott and company broke into a rendition of “Deep in the Heart of Texas” as they set the show in motion, playing but a snippet of it. Just enough to really appeal to the heart of a native Texan, as it acted as more of a precursor to their original material. Songs such as “My Texas”, which it set up quite nicely, especially as Abbot sang about a plethora of things that define the Lone Star State. That was one of the mainstays, a cut fans expect to hear; and in the time since I had last caught JAB, they had released two albums, 2015’s Front Row Seat and the still new Until My Voice Goes Out (out on Pretty Damn Tough Records). With so many more songs in the mix in relation to that last live experience I had, I was curious as to what kind of balance they had struck. In other words, having already had a host of songs that were viewed by fans as either favorites or signature JAB tunes, just how would they would still accommodate them while also showcasing the newer material. The answer readily became apparent: they would maintain a rip-roaring pace and squeeze as many in as possible. Unrelenting, the seven-piece outfit seldom stopped, knocking out one song and then almost instantaneously firing up the next. Spectators had only begun to applaud that previous hit when they launched into the first of several songs that focused on living in the moment and savoring life, “Live It While You Got It”. “…I got to admit, this is pretty awesome,” Abbott commented afterwards, responding to the adoration that they were being shown. Shortly after they took an actual pause as he extended his gratitude to Shooter Jennings for playing before them, promoting Jennings forthcoming new release while stating how kind he had been each time their paths had crossed. The honky-tonk sounding “Hangin' Around” further perpetuated the fun party vibe that Abbott and company were working to achieve, the cheer that seeps out of it infecting those who had left their seats and congregated at the front of the stage. The work of Preston Wait and Austin Davis, on the fiddle and banjo, respectively, sounded extra lively, making it even easier for the loyal fans to surrender to the music; though the sing along that Abbott encouraged (fans asked to sing, “I’m drinking a beer” at the choruses), never got off the ground. At least it was never fully audible. Caleb Keeter got to fully showcase his chops on the guitar during “Wasn't That Drunk”, the solo that follows the second chorus being more emotional and sizzling than what is portrayed on the album. (And it already sounds quite incredible on Front Row Seat.) Upon finishing it, the mood got more mellow and sentimental, Abbott informing everyone that the next number was his personal favorite from their new record, dedicating it not only to the love birds in attendance, but also the guys who knew they were the lucky ones. An excellent and gorgeously penned piece from Until My Voice Goes Out, “I’m Your Only Flaw” was another track that sounded even better live, the full scope of emotion invested in it being more prominent. “Texas Women, Tennessee Whiskey” was another great offering from that record. Sans the horn section that is featured on the recording it was definitely different, though it was every bit as good. It could even be argued that it was better. Still a different song by JAB standards, it serves to expand their wheelhouse, though the rendition this night was more in line with a country sound, instead of the blend of that and soul heard on the record. From there the band embarked on another series of fan favorites, their rendition of “FFA” along with “Flatland Farmer” still being a striking combination, while “I'll Sing About Mine” was the icing on the cake. Together they all crafted an accurate depiction of being a farmer and/or the small-town life, reconnecting it with reality, stealing it back from some of the pop country artists who have stolen it, singing about that life without having ever actually experienced it. The classics didn’t stop there, either. Abbott shared an anecdote from just earlier in the night, a young kid approaching him, offering up a fist pump and telling the singer, “I was born for road tripping.” For him, they dusted off “Road Trippin'”, something every fan was grateful to hear. Throughout the performance the instrumentalists demonstrated their potent chemistry. During what could be considered an interlude earlier on, the drums and bass, courtesy of Eddie Villanueva and James Hertless, were in full force, creating a dynamic yet soothing piece that segued into one of the songs. Then, once that aforementioned song was finished, it was Wait that took the spotlight momentarily, playing some striking notes on the fiddle. It was made all the more captivating once Villanueva chimed in, the pair yielding something theatrical. Without question, “The Night Is Ours” had to be the anthem for the night. Another song about savoring the moment, it summed up the collective feelings everyone had about this night, and followed by “While I'm Young”, it made for another strong pairing. One where the stories seemed to intertwine in a way. Abbott even initiated a clap along during the latter of those two, the percussion being conducive of it. That was the most vibrant the crowd had been all night, most everyone finally seeming fully engrossed by the music. Good vibes and fun times may have been abundant while Josh Abbott Band was on stage, though it wasn’t a constant, things getting quite somber when the lead musician shouted out someone special that had resided there in Rockwall and was an avid fan of theirs. A woman who had passed away the previous year, Abbott acknowledged her husband who was there, sending out what had been her favorite song to her and him. And just like that, “She's Like Texas” was cast in an entirely different light. It’s surely safe to say that it is generally perceived to be a love song, one about falling for a kind and caring soul and detailing all the things that have left the individual enamored with this woman. In a sense it still was all about that, yet it suddenly also became a song that was a celebration of life, now presumably describing the endearing qualities that will never be forgotten by this particular woman’s family. A sweet and compassionate song suddenly became more of a tearjerker, especially at the end. “She's as bright as the Dallas sky; she always holds her head up high. She loves the company of her family. She has faith in God's greater plan; she trusts that I'm a good man, and that why I'll always believe. She's like Texas, and she likes me.” Abbott added on one additional chorus, performed entirely acoustic, allowing it to make that much more of an impact. To say it was a touching and emotional moment would be an understatement; and one didn’t have to know the couple in order to feel the depth of it. Things were nearly over at that point, a couple more songs rounding out JAB’s 77-minute long set. Some people proceeded to pack up, either assuming it was over or wanting to get a jump on the traffic out of there. Most stood (or sat) steadfast, though, expecting an encore and waiting to see if it would happen or not. Sure enough, Abbott made his return to the stage, first treating everyone to a solo acoustic number before his band mates rejoined him. “Amnesia” was what they opted to close this “very fun show” with, the song reaching a climatic finish that was downright amazing. The songs and overall sound was perfect this night. The Josh Abbott Band boasts more components than a lot of groups, though Wait, Villanueva, Hertless, Keeter, Davis and keyboardist David Fralin have struck up a chemistry that outshines many others as well. Cohesive and polished, they operate exceptionally well independently and as a unit, each knowing when to standout and work to further grab the attention of the audience or hold back. That revolves around Abbott and what is necessary at the time, all being absolutely in tune with one another and what works best at the given moment. Together they know how to best play to the group of onlookers gathered before them; Abbott possessing one of the best voices in Texas Country music. Delicate and sincere when necessary, he can really belt it out as well, delving into the full power of his set of pipes, a twang ever present. Yes, they sounded in fine form this night, though the show in terms of the performance felt a little off. Perhaps they were having an off night, but it just didn’t feel as moving as a JAB show typically is. At first, I believed it was perhaps because a festival environment like this just wasn’t conducive of the full show experience. There are few venues where you’re apt to find people sitting down during a concert, and in a setting like Founder’s Day some can view the music as being an afterthought to them, something die-hard fans that would shell out money for a ticket at a standard show would never consider. At the same time, the first time I saw Josh Abbott Band I had a seat at the back of a famous honky-tonk in Fort Worth, quite removed from the action but was still left in awe over the spectacle they unleashed. That feeling was absent this night, hence why I say perhaps it was an off night for them, whatever the reasoning may be. They certainly tried hard, their work ethic being incredible as they worked to make sure everyone felt like they were part of what was going on. And overall it was an enjoyable performance, but it lacked that certain magic that is usually exuded at a Josh Abbott Band show. That’s bound to happen every now and again. They have a busy month ahead of them, quite a few Texas dates planned through June, along with a few in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and even Colorado and Nebraska. A complete listing of their upcoming shows can be found HERE; and check out Until My Voice Goes Out in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY. Set List: 1) “Deep in the Heart of Texas” (partial) 2) “My Texas” 3) “Live It While You Got It” 4) “All of a Sudden” 5) “Hangin' Around” 6) “Louisiana Saturday Night” (Mel McDaniel cover) 7) “Wasn't That Drunk” 8) “I’m Your Only Flaw” 9) “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” 10) “Girl Down in Texas” 11) “Texas Women, Tennessee Whiskey” 12) “FFA” 13) “Flatland Farmer” 14) “I'll Sing About Mine” 15) “Road Trippin'” 16) “Where's the Party” 17) “The Night Is Ours” 18) “While I'm Young” 19) “Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye” (Charlie Daniels cover) 20) “She's Like Texas” 21) “Until My Voice Goes Out” 22) “Oh, Tonight” Encore 23) “Touch” (Solo acoustic) 24) “Amnesia”