Kroltheprotocol - Land Of Wax And Memories

Yeah, Zuko Alone is still one of the very best, if not the best, episodes of Avatar. The shocking and disturbing revelations about his family and backstory are riveting, the choreography of his fight with the earthbenders is incredible, and the choice to explore Zuko’s psychological trauma through the framework of a Western is brilliant. But above all, the moment when Li turns on Zuko and rejects him for being a firebender is so important, as it’s the first of many scenes in his path to redemption in which he tries to help but is ultimately rejected by those he saves. It’s such a pivotal episode for his character development, and it’s still one of my favs.

Japanese tea bag maker Ocean-Teabag has been making waves by creating little parcels of aroma in the shape of marine animals. Luckily for us, their wide range of tea bags are available at online Japanese novelty retailer Village Vanguard, maker of such fine products as Space Tea and cat-shaped kitchen utensils.

Ocean-Teabag’s earliest designs included beautiful dolphin tea bags filled with blue mallow tea leaves. Steeping them turns your otherwise normal pot of water into a tranquil ocean. Proving to be a hit among tea lovers, Ocean-Teabag expanded their repertoire to many other sea creatures including the sea turtle (butterfly pea jasmine tea)…

the distinctive ocean sunfish (Japanese hojicha — roasted green tea)…

the graceful manta ray (tropical mango tea)…

and even a blood-thirsty shark (blended herb tea).

The newest addition to their robust series of marine creatures is a tea bag shaped like an innocuous sea cucumber. This little parcel is filled with jasmine tea, as well as a smidgen of sea cucumber powder to lend some authenticity. Ocean-Teabag warns that some people who have a sensitive tongue may find it tasting a little fishy.

The company also crafted a deep sea series that will satisfy even the most adventurous of tea drinkers out there. A few such examples are the anglerfish (earl grey tea)…

the creepy giant isopod (Eastern Beauty oolong tea)…

the horseshoe crab (white apricot tea)…

…and lastly the king of them all, the enormous giant oarfish. ( Delicious Assam tea of epic proportions! ) Just like its namesake, it measures a whopping 19 centimeters (7.5 inches). Drinking tea becomes an art when half of your tea bag hangs out of your cup.

 While the notion of turning your cup of tea into fish-inhabiting waters is not new, these tea bags will hopefully conjure up images of gentle ocean waves in your mind. 

WHERE TO FIND THE TEA

i still can’t believe tumblr as a whole did not come out in full support for ukraine when russia invaded or anytime since like????

- ukrainians are a vulnerable population that have been frequently invaded/subjugated by russia for centuries

- ukrainians have now been fighting in full force for over two years just for the right to exist

- russia’s genocide of ukrainians is well-documented and established at this point: deporting children en mass to be adopted by russians and go through russification; deporting adults en mass and moving russians in to take their place; sweeping through towns and killing indiscriminately; etc.

like? you would think ukraine’s struggle would speak to people on this website who are so obsessed with freedom fighters and standing up in the face of tyranny

except so many people on this hellsite have a communism-boner for stalin/russia that i guess none of the rest matters

I just realised yet another little detail that symbolises so much in the story!

During Dos Orugitas, we see a young Alma Madrigal that seemed to be cheerful, playful and even a little clumsy. The braided hair, the frilly dress and the big smiles help create an image of her as a sweet, carefree young woman who was not afraid to just be herself.

Once the tragedy with Pedro happens and the miracle is born, Alma immediately takes shelter in casita and we see her alone, silently processing the events of the evening; looking extremely weary, lonely and traumatised. She looks down at her babies. Her Julieta, her Pepa and her Brunito, and her expression changes. She knows she needs to be strong for them. She’s resolute, but there’s a sadness in her eyes that says she knows what this means for her, too. She can never go back to the woman she used to be.

The next time we see Alma, she is putting on a black cloak and leaving the room. This room was the cocoon where she transformed into a new person, leaving her old self behind. She’s become different. Her smile doesn’t quite meet her eyes anymore. She looks tired, somber. Older, even.

There’s a shadow, a trauma she’s carrying that soon takes form in the perfectionism and control that eventually hurt her loved ones. This event shapes the way she deals with challenges from this moment on, and she is always in fear of the family losing their home once again.

She became harsh. Strict. Everything has to be perfect in order to protect and earn the miracle the love of her life granted their family with his noble sacrifice.

This is an incredibly strong woman who has been through hell and came out alive, for her family’s sake. This black cloak follows her from her young years to her old age, and becomes a constant throughout the movie. It represents the weight and the burden of the grief she silently carried ever since that moment, and will continue to carry for the rest of her life. It represents the change she had to go through, putting her emotions last in order to become the strong matriarch her kids and the village needed. It represents the loss of not only her beloved Pedro, but also of her innocence, her youth, her laughter and her smile.

From the moment young Alma Madrigal and her children were gifted a miracle, she became the one responsible for the whole village. She, as the only one blessed with the magic and the one whose gift repelled the enemies, was naturally placed in a position of power and leadership in the worst moment of her life.

It’s likely she was the one everyone immediately looked to for directions right after the miracle happened, and that she had to leave her feelings behind to help other lost and grieving people rebuild their lives and their homes, creating what the village of Encanto eventually became. She put everyone else first. She was extremely selfless.

Alma Madrigal is such a complex character. There are so many layers to her personality. This is why you guys can’t just write her off as a villain or as a horrible person/grandmother. It’s not so black and white.

Blitzo Has His Priorities As A Father Right Better Than Stolas

Seriously, looking back at these episodes it really hammers how both are as fathers. Even in the face that their wealthy, powerful proprietor is facing assassination, he chooses his daughter's health over being a white knight to this pompous, entitled bird who then is ungrateful that his employees were the ones to save him. On the other hand, when Via needs him the most he will neglect her to focus on his petty squabbles and flirting with his booty call which caused the current strife in the family. She might say he loves her but his actions really contradicts how self-centered he really is towards her regards. He will do the bare minimum after spending the previous time pushing her away. This is in contrast who will put all his focus on Loona when he feels like it is important. What's even more ironic this is from a guy who only had her since she was 17 while Stolas was always with Octavia but as time has gone by he has done less to focus and prioritize her needs over his own. Again why is Stolas called best father when that title should go to Blitzo.

Finally some good fucking news

I love how when Shigaraki was introduced it was just “okay so this dude wants to destroy everything, that’s the only thing he wants to do, nothing else, just destroy, which very convenient because his quirk allow him to do just that. Also he’s covered in hands for some reasons, he hates all might guts and want to kill children for funsies and he talk like he’s in a video game” he was so cartoonishly villain the first time I saw him I couldn’t take him seriously because I found absolutely hilarious.

But now, now that we know he’s been abused to hell and back and groomed to become AFO angry murdery pet. That AFO made sure he’ll never recover from his trauma, that he’ll stay emotionally unstable and dependent from him. Took away his name, to remodel him into what he wants him to be. Isolated him from other people except from Kurogiri who was literally made to be his personal caretaker. That video games must have been one of the only form of “contact” from the outside world he got for years, outside of y’know murders. That he’s wearing his family and victims remains even thought he said himself it made him sick because AFO encourage him to, so he can stay enraged. That he believe he doesn’t need a future and that destroying everything is the only thing he can do.

He’s been brainwashed to be a murder machine yet he still is kind toward the rest of league, calling them his “nakama”, ready to fight an entire army to rescue them if needed and ready to kill when someone mess with their feelings. He cares a lot and literally his first thought when he learned that an entire army, that included multiple people with a lot of political influence, was willing to be under his command was to think how he now had the money for Compress’ sushi, something he had mentioned once over a month ago and he remembered. He never contradicted missing Kurogiri either and said that his nakama could do as they please/didn’t have to do anything they didn’t want to when he talked about his plan to destroy everything.

But he’s still brainwashed and let himself being experimented on by Ujiko because he wants more power. Even though he knows the Nomus often lose their sense of self and are basically made into murderous monsters. He’s doing everything AFO wants him to do, he becoming everything AFO wants him to become. And he died for it. It’s very obvious he won’t stay dead for long, he’s the main antagonist and the story is far from over. But right now, even if just temporary, Shigaraki died. Killed by the people who groomed him into become a villain. And it was planned since the moment they bought him with them. And once he’ll come back he will most certainly still do what they wants him to do

.

The only form of actual free will he have, when he doesn’t destroy or plan on destroying, he express it by being kind and caring towards his friends. A part of him is still the same kind child who played with the other rejected kids. The main antagonist is one of the biggest victims of the manga and no one knows. The heroes dehumanises him like they do with every other villains. The league is full of people who were discarded, abused, villainized or weren’t saved. And Shigaraki made sure his friends had a place to go, promised them they’ll get their revenge against the society that gave up on them. And that’s something he decided to do. He could have just used them, treated them as nothing else than assets and pawns like AFO treats him. But he chooses to care. Because despite everything he is still kind.

And that just destroys me.

Vincent & Theo Van Gogh 

Hannah Gadsby in Nanette (2018) // At Eternity’s Gate dir. Julian Schnabel (2018) // Loving Vincent dir. Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman (2017) // Vincent Van Gogh in a letter to Theo Van Gogh (1880) // Almond Blossoms by Vincent Van Gogh (1890); painted as a gift for the birth of his brother Theo’s son named after him