#i mean kinda it is a nightmare sequence but yeah

[saline-coelacanth]

Phantasm Cave Part 2 (link to part 1)

And yeah, that's what Oliver saw in the Phantasm Cave! If I really wanted to, I could analyze and dissect everything he sees in his vision but I will refrain (at least for now)

Also this was scene in the actual season was the first one that made me go "Oh yeah, I gotta do something with Oliver here". For the most part I try not to have AUs on the brain while watching something new but I also can't help it sometimes.

[noblest-roman-of-them-all]

...I meeeaaannn...he could have gotten turned instead of eaten. Then you can draw him however ans there's still bonus angst of them finding him later.

I have a silly yet mean idea for your apocalypse au... dabio lived the initial incident but the second he gets reunited with donita he gets bitten in half right before her eyes

I love how tragic this is but I hate drawing dabio which was shy he got eaten so quick I just... his proportions are so difficult >//<

[leighsartworks216]

How the LADS men would react to some of my favorite games

All x Reader (separately, and it's not the main focus)

Picking out games for them all was kinda difficult, bc I have so many favorites and I wasn't sure what they'd react to or how they'd react. But I'm pretty happy with these

Based on this post

Warnings: crackfic (kinda?), one horror game, slight angst with Zayne, swearing

Word Count: 1,123 (oh hell yeah)

Main Masterlist

Love and Deepspace Masterlist

AO3

Tag List Form (Psst fill this out to be tagged in future fics! - Updated to include Xavier)

Xavier:

I think Xavier would love The Outer Worlds

I mean,, it’s a game that takes place entirely in another solar system where you crash land in an escape pod on a strange planet and gotta figure out how people here work without letting them know you’re “not from here”

They literally call the player “The Stranger”

I think he’d love looking up at the sky in game

Every one of the sky boxes is gorgeous but Emerald Vale especially

I think he’d find a safe area in game and put it on just to stare up at the sky (and fall asleep too)

Tries to choose the best outcome for every situation

Which means fucking over the government and not feeling an ounce of guilt for it

But fucking over the underdogs even for a minute feels awful

Has to ask you which choice is better or how to get the best outcome

Scarily good at fighting with melee weapons

Esp considering the heavy reliance on guns

Accidentally min-maxes the characters

He’d also love Coffee Talk

The music is so calming he usually ends up falling asleep to it

Spends a lot of time and consideration into every drink

Draws a little bunny in the lattes every single time

Probably accidentally clocks the plot twist of the game on the very first run

Tries making you the drinks irl and uhhhh he shouldn’t

-

Zayne:

Of the games I’ve played, I think The Silent Age would be very interesting for him

Helps solve the puzzles (even if you’ve played it before)

Says he finds the art style to be “charming”

Sits through every piece of dialogue no matter how long and doesn’t go forward until he comprehends it

Gets so concerned when Joe starts coughing

Generally doesn’t like seeing the bodies

It makes him unsettled and has him thinking about those he’s lost to such gruesome deaths

The twist at the end absolutely fascinates him so much

And the SECOND twist pulls him out of it

Was lowkey hoping it would be something more… fantastical

But does have to admit that horror in the now-mundane is interesting too

I also would LOVE to watch him play Ace Attorney

Could you IMAGINE???

“This is illegal.” “I know, but so is murder.” “They don’t cancel out, you know.”

“If somebody on the witness stand is overreacting that much to one small detail, I think the judge should be a little more concerned about it.”

He’d kinda love Miles Edgeworth ngl

Understands exactly what he means with the entire “unnecessary feelings” business

Wishes the autopsy reports were more in depth, for his own amusement

Accidentally says “objection” when you’re trying to lie to him about not taking care of yourself

Can’t live it down for the next week, at LEAST

-

Sylus:

Little Nightmares, straight up

He finds the concept absolutely fascinating

Doesn’t play, but enjoys watching you play

“Careful, kitten. His long arms almost grabbed you.” “YES, THANK YOU, I NOTICED.”

Loves to see you so panicked and freaked out

Laughs if something small makes you jump out of your skin

But he does try to comfort you after chase sequences when it feels like you’re having a heart attack

Pulls you into his lap and promises to protect you

Will not complain if you choose to stay there for the rest of the game

Helps you solve puzzles if you’re struggling with them for too long

But he always asks to know if you want the answer

He doesn’t need you pouting and upset just because you couldn’t figure out how to do something relatively simple

Warns the twins not to scare you for a while

For their own safety tbh

You have a gun and you WILL use it

He’d also like watching you play Animal Crossing

You can and will bully him into joining

Will catch the scary or difficult bugs for you if you’re struggling

Doesn’t need to look up any guides to find the real artworks

The very second he can get his hands on the cat cap, it’s going to you

Might ask what color you want, but he’s more likely to pick it for you so its a surprise

Wraps it up too

“Sweetie, I got you a gift.” “Awe, really?.... Really, Sylus?” “Put it on, kitten.”

Luke and Kieran have their own town

It’s extremely flushed out and scary how impressive it is

Runs turnips with them so you have nearly a billion Bells to spend on anything you want

He lets you design his house, even if you make it silly

-

Rafayel:

Tell me why my first thought was Pokemon Art Academy

He would love it tho

Sitting on the couch together, watching over your shoulder as you follow the tutorials to draw the Pokemon

They turn out like shit but he claims to love them

Passing it over to him is a bad idea, but he won’t stop whining until you do

Creates an entire masterpiece

That creature is in a damn candid shot, shaded and everything

You should have known it was a terrible idea to show him the game

When he doesn’t feel like painting or just needs a break for his mind, he’ll play it

Honestly I see him at one of his own exhibitions, standing in the corner and playing it

Thomas complains to you about it all the time

Rafayel texts you about how much the Pokemon miss you and want you to come over :’(((

Beats the game

Somehow

Not just the lessons either, literally every single drawing they give you to do, he does it

When you look at the gallery, you can see when you stopped playing and when he took over

He’d also love Little Inferno

Sings the jingle all the time until you’re threatening him to shut up

Doesn’t honestly understand the appeal at first

He can literally make and control fire, why can’t you just give him some stuff to burn and he’ll do it for you

But he slowly gets the appeal

Especially when the batteries explode

Hates the pooping cat plushie with a passion

“If that thing ever shows up in a claw machine, we are NOT getting it.”

He either fully completes the game, combos and all, or he gets to the second catalog and gets bored, no in between

Will happily watch you play tho

Loves the way you focus on trying to decipher the clues for the combos

No shame, WILL be looking up the combinations and WILL spoil them for you just to bug you

May plan a date around throwing shit into a fireplace and watching it burn in real life

There’s a fire extinguisher nearby, just in case

---

Tag List:

@the-golden-jhope @huen1ngk41 @armycaratlover @sylusfluffymeow @cheesemachine44

[ardentpoppy]

The X-Files S1E2

- action sequence right of the bat, nice

- I think that guy messed up the count

- that rash is NASTY

- it's the meme music!!!!

- that is..... that is the shittiest, most low-budget ass title sequence I've ever seen I love it

- GILLIAN ANDERSON

- sir that is not how you approach a coworker

- "it's 2 o'clock in the afternoon Agent Mulder" these chuckleheads are flirting already

- (sorry I'm still thinking about that title sequence. It's oddly..... refreshing??)

- guy at the bar is sus

- ah yes, it was the Russians excuse

- don't corner people in the restroom. It's disgusting and violating and disgusting

- (like really, is anyone else tired of those highly specialised prestige TV intros? I'm getting worked up about something I didn't even realize was bothering me)

- Mulder gets in trouble bc he refuses to stop investigating..... and now he has tiny scary lady working with him. Worst Fucking Nightmare

- damn she pretty

- I refuse to believe this wet cat loser can coo- his phone is tapped!!! and he's being watched!!!

- HIS HAND ON HER BACK

- "the government is not above the law" HAHAAHAHAHHA (internal sobbing intensifies)

- that man is Gone (hope he gets better)

- alas some people deal with trauma by pretending it doesn't exist

- height difference

- SUCKER

- she's gonna have a damn awful crick in her neck

- oooh light show, also how many apple boxes is she standing on?

- spies? terrorists? nah stoned kids

- fed thosw dumbasses dinner and dropped them off at home? Mulder and Scully you have my heart

- Scully looks so cute when she's smiling her "you idiot" smile (that's what it's called now, no arguments)

- Roswell! Wasn't that also a show?

- Mulder's kinda gotta a point

- "Mulder you're crazy" no hesitation, none, love it

- please stop making women run in heels, also that smile. Why are you smiling like that at Mulder, Scully?

- 'came back wrong' is one of my favourite tropes, I love this

- it's not him. Clone? Brainwashing? Selective memory wipe?

- Mulder's kinda got a point again

- Mulder's got jokes

- Scully can't watch Mulder being hurt. Second episode, this is the second episode

- "something else?" She is so done with him

- this groundwork being laid as to how both their thought processes work is really well done

- Scully's face when she hears the car

- I can't decide if it's a good thing or a bad thing that the kids helped him. If a single camera caught them, they could be in serious trouble, I mean, look what they're doing to their own soldiers

- Scully misses the proof again

- no don't hurt the wet cat loser!!!

- they cut the phone lines didn't they?

- hey that actor that shows up in a lot of shows in bit parts. Get that paycheck sir

- so Mulder was right beat for beat. Experimental aircraft derived from UFO technology. The poor pilots were collateral damage

- reporter guy??? Dammit Scully left her gun

- he was the one in the car earlier! Also love it no hesitation from Scully

- get his ass Scully

- man those kids are so good. Came back to tell her about Mulder. I headcannon nothing bad ever happens to them and they live long happy lives

- they're wiping his memory

- wait the security guy wipes at his eye right after the scene Mulder is administered something in his eye (thematic parallel). Is this base keeping even it's own security on a tight memory leash? Sheesh

- Scully.... took an army security guy hostage.... to save Mulder..... in the second episode

- (screams)

- yeah he knows she'll shoot his ass. Keep cooperating asshole

- Mulder! What did they do to my boy?!

- shut up asshole

- dammit Mulder saw a UFO and they took that away from him. Y'all gonna catch these hands

- that poor woman

- I think Scully's scared, she can't quite look at Mulder for long

- she makes a point to mention in her report that she saw those weird lights too

- you walked all that way to conspicuously have that conversation in the middle of an empty football field??

- is this guy supposed to be the Deep Throat? As in THAT Deep Throat?

[v-i-r-i-d-i-a-n]

Istg every single opening becomes my new favorite opening

JRWI RIPTIDE EPISODE 94 QUOTES AND FUNNY MOMENTS

Chip;”Jay…what’s something stupid we can do?”

God I love Chip and Jay moments SOOOO much

Chip;”Oh my god…that’s literally so smart, you’re the smartest person I know”

Jay;”you don’t need to tell me that twice I know.”

Chip;”You’re being sarcastic- you’re messing with me”

Jay;”Yep”

Chip;”Dick.”

Jay;”i don’t think you mean arousing-“

Random townsperson;”No I mean arousing it was a really good speech”

Chip;”what’s the ultimate prize?”

Jay;”Ughhh, a dinner date with Gillion”

Chip;”YES.”

Jay;”BUT- the balloon is a condom..? So it doesn’t pop???”

Chip;”Perfect”

Bizly;”Would Matthew Mercer let you butter a baby?”

Grizzly;”You’ll need to procure a water gun, and INVENT a condom”

Jay;”21!! CONDOMS ARE REAL!!!”

Grizzly;”You see now that you’re talking to a thirteen year old boy,”

Charlie;”Oh god don’t give him another one”

Welp Chip has created another scammer

Chip:”con-dom? Weird”

Jay;”Yeah, i dunno where I got that word, it just kinda came to me.”

Charlie;”Gross. 😕”

Bizly;”thank you for letting me do this. And also I’m sorry”

Gillion *in a nightmare sequence*;”what if I just don’t.”

Jay;”we were waiting for you to wake up so we could go kill the bad guy”

Gillion *gasp;* “you know I LOVE killing the bad guy!!”

(Sorry about this one being short I was busy well watching this episode and didn’t have time to write quotes!! :(

[fleshengine]

I experienced Mouthwashing last night (a friend streamed it to me because I'm too fucken broke to buy it) and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it

Anya killing herself with the remaining painkillers doesn't make sense because they were labelled paracetamol which is acetaminophen. Acetaminophen overdose takes days to kill, so unless she was barricaded in medical for a lot longer than it seems in game it wouldn't have killed her that fast. We know it's acetaminophen poisoning as well, because she vomited all over herself. It's the only "plothole" in the story, which is impressive given its multiple POVs and jumping around in time.

I don't understand why Jimmy fed Curly a piece of himself, it feels like cannabalism imagery for the sake of cannabalism imagery. If he's just going to chuck him in a cryopod, and then off himself why bother? Then again, Jimmy's mental state is far from anything I'd even consider calling stable.

Swansea putting Daisuke out of his misery doesn't make sense to me because why not do the same for Curly? This could be handwaved by the dwindling medical supplies or as characterization for Swansea but it struck me as odd.

I can tell what the game is trying to say, and it says it because I've seen other people talk about it at length. Ya know, toxic work culture, guys will back eachother up even if they know the other is doing something terrible, that kinda shit. But some of the surrealist and scary shit just seems thrown in for maximum spookage. I think the game would be better if they cut the scary shit by half and focused more on the actual story they're trying to tell. As it stands, it feels a lot like "hey if there were two guys on the moon and one of them killed the other with a rock would that be fucked up or what?" Obviously I'm being a little reductive, but that's still the vibe aboard the tulpa, I mean Tulpar. Oh yeah, naming your spaceship after tulpas, that was certainly a choice.

Honestly it feels like youtube/gametheory/reaction bait. It starts with big spooks and has surrealist horror sequences so the funny men on youtube can scream and yell. It's out of order so people can make "Mouthwashing in chronological order" videos. It's got a confusing plot so people can make "Mouthwashing EXPLAINED" videos. A lot of the story just isn't told to you and you have to fill it in or find someone to do that for you. You might think "oh well maybe it's 'show, don't tell' done well!" and no, it's not. The game specifically shows you so little, which is nice in a horror game but at the same time, I need SOMETHING to convey the information.

My best example of this is Daisuke in the vent. What happens to him? Dunno, he gets magically fucked up. How does he get the door to medical open while deathly injured? Dunno but he does. I figured we might get a little info when we go into the vent in one of the nightmare vision sequence things, but nope! It's just more random spooks.

Someone could point to me and say "ew stupid gamer needs everything spelled out with yellow paint for her" and honestly they'd be right a little. When it comes to games like this, with complex plots, time jumps, nonchronological storytelling, and abstract nightmare sequences, I would like a little yellow paint occasionally. You can be confusing all you want and I'll enjoy it but when I'm done I want to know what happened.

8/10, I'm glad I watched a playthrough rather than pay for it myself.

[emerynn]

MAX 🥺🥺🥺

(double exposure spoilers under the cut)

I knew episode 5 was gonna be a nightmare sequence but i still ate that shit up what can i say it's fanservice and im the fan lol

genuinely did get a bit emotional at the end like okay im HAPPY FOR HER

post credits scene was wild?? Not sure how I feel about them just handing out super powers like halloween candy but...okay? and MAX CAULFIELD WILL RETURN HELLO ???? part of me is sceptical and part of me is like yay more max hehe (fanserive, fan, etc.) - either way, guess im gonna be insufferable for a while then whoops

'will you ever go back to arcadia bay' 'one day' 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺girl i'll cry

lowkey the journal entries were nerfed. i mean i dont really care but still.

amanda max flirting scenes gave me major flashbacks to my own lesbian situationship so 10/10 points for accuracy on that one

i really enjoyed all the characters ngl!! and safi was so good and so intriguing i love that they let her be morally dubious oooo

'our lady of the storm' iconic. shes my fucking GIRL.

okay but is safi creating the lis avengers. like what is her plan. im concerned

how many endings were there because i strongly suspect there might have just been one and if that's the case that's hilarious but also like, come on

they kinda baited me with the "two maxes" bit at that one point i was like YES time travel bullshittery and max being a bitch to her alternate self EXACTLY WHAT I ASKED FOR and then i figured out the twist like 10 seconds before it was revealed and i was like well thats cool but.....i just wanna see max bully herself is that too much to ask for.....

'text from: chloe' like okay my heart did skip a beat lbr

okay so did max actually kill safi or what because that was never clear. like i think the polaroids were from the original timeline and then max shoots safi in that timeline leading to timeline 2 which is OUR original timeline i.e. the dead timeline and then...the living one happens asw? or was it like a pre-emptive timeline split did max ever actually shoot safi? i mean someone had to right? maybe this will make sense in the morning. or on the wiki. who can say

knew there was gonna be darkroom shit in the nightmare sequence fuck yeah (lowkey wanted more but hey im just being greedy now)

another tiny criticism but the krampus party did not feel like a college party lol like the vortex club end of the world party felt intense it felt dramatic it had stakes - krampus i was like oh this is giving me dead freshers week vibes guys just animate in some more extras please i know you can do it

music was amazing ofc

man i had this whole theory going on where max died in the "living" timeline at the same point that safi died in the "dead" timeline and that was why there was no alternate version of herself and it was some safis trying to save max while max is trying to save safi thing - obviously very wrong but i still vibe with it

i just really like max okay <3

To form something of a coherent conclusion: Really solid game, with some great scenes (the end of chapter 2 and start of 3 were def the standouts to me) and (in my opinion at least) really really good development for max - she was so clearly the same max as the original game but also she's grown up and she's grown into herself and ahhh it made me so happy to see!

I found some of the twists more effective than others and I think there could have been more build up to the storm (like in the original lis you KNOW it's coming for so long and there's this feeling of dread throughout whereas it kind of felt like we rushed to get to it here), but overall i had a good time, i really enjoyed getting to know the characters, and most of all, i really enjoyed getting stupidly attached to Max Caulfield again <3

7/10 looking forward to going down the rabbit hole with this one and i guess we'll see where we go next...??

[sea-buns]

not really, but I suppose that’s just a difference of opinion. I do think that gorgug’s nightmare sequence was one of the weakest, especially with how it shifted topics (being dead, small spaces, not being able to escape a stereotype, because if any of these had been expanded on that would’ve been great), but I do think a lot of gorgug’s character revolves around feeling in-between, or too much one thing and not another and trying to close that gap. The best one for me was deffo the sphinx tho, I interpreted it as not *just* about him being dumb, but rather like. You’re big and dumb and strong and your main job is getting angry and hitting shit with an axe. You went to a community of gnomes and they gave you a better axe, and you loved it. You are uniquely dumb, unlike those who have come before you, because you cannot solve a specific kind of puzzle while a sphinx talks at you. You are the reason your parents cut contact, and from the beginning you were unsuited for their home. Your extended family predicted that you would grow to know only rage, and here you are, a barbarian. You, from this perspective, are not proving them wrong.

I do think that that whole sequence does reveal that he’s afraid of like. Being that stereotype? And then going yeah sure I’m stupid eat me, then moving forward and clawing your way into understanding anyways

Ahhh I see. Yeah I think I did misunderstand your first ask a bit lol

I did really love a lot of the topics his sequence brought up. Like I've read some incredibly well-written fanfics that covered the ways that claustrophobia, and imposter syndrome, and being dead have affected him. But like you said, if they had just honed in on at least one, rather than hopping back and forth, it could have done so much for that section. Cuz, personally, I don't feel like we saw Gorgug be significantly affected by any of those. At least not in a way that felt complete and satisfying.

I really like what you said about his character being "in-between". I totally agree. Kinda circles back to how his parents trying to help him calm his rage was actually stifling him.

Your family needs you to calm down; you've broken another bedchairdoorappliance. Your teacher wants you to rage; he says anger is good but you don't understand. You sing to try and calm yourself, you're always trying to be kind to others; they only use it to hurt you more and all you can do is get angry back. Your friends need you to rage. You don't have the power to protect them socially, but this you can do. You try not to rage outside of a fight, but.... they don't seem to be that bothered when you do. In fact, you watch them provoke physical confrontation when they're mad on many occasions.

(Oops dipped a biiiit into the pot of how important friendship is to his character. Did not mean to lol it's just one of my fav things about him so it's kinda subconscious I guess)

But yeah! He's also in such a limbo this season as well! You can't do this you're too angry, you're not smart enough for that, you don't rage right.

Also realllyy like your interpretation of his trial. The angle you described it at was really interesting.

I don't think stereotype is the right word, though. I would say... he's afraid of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy? I'm assuming based on your own "stereotype?" that you weren't sure about the word either.

I don't think Gorgug is, or would ever be, afraid of being a "stereotype". Like I don't think he gives a shit about the stereotype that orcs/half-orcs/barbarians only know anger and destruction. I think he's afraid of being a self-fulfilling prophecy of all the things people say that he is. Stupid, mindless, destructive, etc. To pull from what you said here (which it wont let me copy paste on mobile god fucking damnit)

"Your extended family predicted that you would grow to know only rage, and here you are, a barbarian. You, from this perspective, are not proving them wrong."

"Stereotype" for sure applies to his racist extended family. They fucking breathe stereotypes like oxygen. But the bit where his afraid of becoming what everyone says he is, I think "self-fulfilling prophecy" suits that much better. He believes he can be more than that, he knows he can, but it doesn't change the fact that they are technically right.

Okay and the giving in but then "clawing your way into understanding anyways" actually goes so hard lol. Anon, you are so right. From that pov, it's not so much a give up as it is an acknowledgment before he essentially puts the subject on ice.

Rings back a bit to the start of fhjy to me. That dread of seeing the email of school starting back up again, and the terrible sinking pit in your stomach of avoidance, because the time has come to really unpack all that. There was something specific Zac said in his little Gorgug recap before the season started that was about, like, the dread of having to figure out who the fuck you're gonna be when everyone around you seems to have their shit together. That. That hit hard lmao but the experience that he's covered is very true to Gorgug, I think.

I totally misunderstood your first ask! Though I'm happy you sent another cuz I understand a lot better, I think. And tbh I've never had the opportunity to discuss that section of fantasy high with anyone? I wasn't on tumblr or watching d20 when it first aired so I missed these specific topics. Always been v interested in what others thought of his part. Maybe I should put the vods on in the bg next time I'm play sdv. Give em a relisten. And man. The fact that I'm out here quoting your message brings me back to english class so hard. Shocked I don't hate it. Actually having a topic you give half a shit about does wonders huh lmao

Thanks for the ask! You have altered my perspective and I appreciate it. It's like how sometimes you gotta read something out loud to understand it. If all I have is the walls of my own skull, I can only get so far.

[nerdyenby]

DRS2 reactions (spoilers)

Ep 1

Ras at the shadow dojo???????? Who woulda thunk

New intro?!?!!!?!! Idk why I wasn’t expecting that, actually

The public including Pix with the missing ninja my beloved

Gosh, big Riyu will take some getting used to

Wait… is that a curious george reference??

I don’t know if I’ve heard someone outright say something isn’t good for their friend’s mental health in a cartoon before, it’s really refreshing

Casual Frohicky and Sora/Arin interactions my beloved <3

Omg Kai explaining Shang to Zane is such season one vibes

Lloyd having open and honest conversations with his students about both his and their wellbeing is so important to me

Ok, hear me out: au where baby Wu didn’t age back at an enhanced rate and gets lost at somepoint and Arin is teenage Wu

Dang it, Cinder’s kinda funny

Ep 2

I legit started happy stimming so hard at that opening shot, I’m really invested in Euphrasia’s story already and nothing’s even happened yet lol

Percival out here making the gen z solarpunk dream a reality!!!!

Lloyd calling it what it is — a panic attack — soothes something in me

Sora did really bad graffiti of cats when she was young, that’s adorable and kinda tells you everything you need to know about her

MY GIRL!!!!!!!

Euphrasia using a cane!!!! Hell yeah mobility aids!!!! (Even though it’ll probably be gone in two episodes lol)

I kid you not, I was 100% expecting Suetonius to say “resurrect… the Great Devourer” lmao

I love that the gang is (mostly) all together, but it’s a bit too many characters for a conversation, I get why they like to split them into groups

Nya grounding Lloyd :(( /pos

Kai boasting about a fight that he won a decade ago when Cinder probably doesn’t even know Ash is endlessly amusing to me

Ras is so dramatic I can’t really take him seriously

Damn, they’re letting characters get hurt, it’s kinda refreshing but it’s scary

Ep 3

Wait I didn’t see Euphrasia get captured :((

WHAT THE HELL?!???? /vpos

Strength, motion, energy, and life?!??!!??

AYOOOOOO?!?!????

Kai comforting Wyldfyre <333

We know this takes place after the mech shorts, so why hasn’t anyone mentioned Cole? He was also seen in public, so why did that conspiracy guy say he’s still missing?

Why do they keep leaving Zane behind?? He’s in his housewife era fr

Kai making sure Wyldfyre’s taken care of :((

This show is so unserious, I love it

I wasn’t feeling people calling Kai Wyldfyre’s dad after season one but…

No… Sora took Arin’s thing from him… she didn’t mean to, but he feels like he’s not special anymore :(

I’m going to pretend that was a believable amount of parts to make a mech that big

Kai getting moments with Arin and Sora my beloved

Kai’s “hey kid, nice of you to drop by” is giving the same energy as when Lloyd and Arin first met during the merge

THE WALLS ARE MOVING, REPEAT: THE WALLS ARE MOVING

These nightmare sequences are going so hard

Nya being the first one to realize it isn’t real when her nightmare is reality, I’m screaming

Riyu comforting Wyldfyre <333

Nya best sister award when

Ep 4

My boys!!!!!

THE found family of all time

IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MY CHILDREN I WILL RIOT

Seeing Kai and Nya fight so smoothly together is so special after how much they and Lloyd were tripping over each other when they first reunited

Basketball?!??!!??!!!

Autistic Arin real and true

I love Bonzle so much

Geo is such a lil bastard actually /pos, makes more sense why he and Cole are a thing, knowing Cole’s taste in men

COLE!!!!!!

Cole will never stop being overpowered, it seems, he deserves it tbh

Censorship pog /hj

“Not funny, Wyldfyre” “Not joking, Sora” the sheer cousin vibes in this interaction are too much to handle

Lloyd PLEASE just mention being 1/4 dragon, it will almost certainly get Egalt on board, I am begging

Glacier reunion!!!!!!!

Ep 5

I wanted a more emotional reunion, but they’ve probably seen each other off screen (or I’m just forgetting a scene from the shorts)

Zane, why are you still carrying that doll like it’s your child??

Bonzle my beloved, she’s says that so deadpan I don’t actually have any questions

Wyldfyre my beloved

I would die for Bonzle

Cole and Geo holding hands 😭😭😭😭😭

Is Egalt the motion source dragon?? Probably not tbh but I’d believe it

Man’s spitting facts, flatearthers are going to lose their shit

“Little fire man” IM DYING OH MY GOD

Wait when does this take place? My first instinct is while the ninja were in the Never Realm but idk if we’ll actually find out

“Friends can become like family?” “Definitely” IM SOBBING ON THE FLOOR

Letting Arin be angry is so important

Cole shutting down Bonzle’s suicidal thoughts without hesitation “no, you are loved and needed. We will find a way to protect you” <333

The physical affection in DR is so dear to me

Human sacrifices???? In MY lego show?????

Ep 6

Wyldfyre struggling with her body’s limits is really relatable as a young disabled person

FOREHEAD TOUCH :((

Plot twist: where the other ninja are right now is Mysterium and they have that tua meme of two cars passing each other moment

Damn, that exchange hit hard as a former gifted kid. Sometimes having someone believe in you hurts. You’re not just letting yourself down, but them, too

Nya just fucking bodyslamming Kai, Egalt didn’t know what he was getting into pitting the world’s most competitive siblings against each other

“The Finders are like my family” *looks at Zane* “My other family” screaming, crying, sobbing on the floor

Oh no

Wait yeah, why are they thirsty if Zane can just make ice for them to chew on? At least Cole and Jiro, idk if Bonzle needs water

The nonbinary pirate!!!

Cole CANNOT escape the performing arts fr fr

Ep 7

Bonzle is giving transgender

That is the most Jay and Cole thing I’ve ever heard it, it’s so in character it almost feels out of character

Arin and Sora going through the exact same thing and trying and failing to not take it out on each other :( it’s ok tho, the real ones are the ones you can be snippy with and love regardless

Wyldfyre referring to the ninja as “Kai’s friends” honey, they’re your friends too, I promise

Anyone who calls Wyldfyre dumb can fuck off, she’s so perceptive and intelligent and is really good at connecting others when she truly wants to

Bonzle’s mom <33333

Bonzle’s smile when her mom compliments her name <3333

Who you calling stolen equipment bitch?????

Lil Kai and Nya!!!!!!

Nya’s so proud of him!!!!! I could cry

Kai being the first to achieve it because fire is an element under motion’s domain methinks

Oh you bigoted son of a bitch

Zane why are you considering it????? Honey

What the fuck did you do to Jiro??!?!!!

JAY?!?!!???

Ep 8

NOOOO 😭😭😭

There’s literally a nindroid agent right there????

The og musical cue playing when Jay comes back <3

Jay on his Euphrasia arc, this is highkey breaking my heart though

I’m counting this as a fakeout death and you can’t stop me

Are you kidding me???!!!? How many times is Jay going to be one room away from the ninja

Lloyd SHUT UP /aff

“And cursed!!” She says cheerfully, this lady is an icon

The subtitles keep calling Cole Kai, what is this, season one??

Ep 9

Aww, baby Ras (trying desperately to not care about him)

Oh ok, he’s making my job easier

Poor Wyldfyre :(

I love this trio so much, their banter is so good

Lloyd honey, fighting it is making it worse

Nya holding him through his panic attack :((

I was expecting Cole to deny that it was him, the earth is going through it

The disco toaster!!!!!

Heck yeah Riyu!!!

I love them so much it’s not even funny

“What’s your elemental power, imperviousness to sarcasm?” She just called him autistic in 13 languages (I’m autistic, dw guys)

“First time driving?” “Believe it or not, no” Bonzle and Arin my beloved

I’m a touch disappointed Wyldfyre’s perfectly fine now as someone with chronic pain, but I’m glad it was handled as well as it was and it’s a really important lesson for younger audiences that pushing your body while it’s in pain only makes it worse

The silent exchange of Cole suggesting Zane takes the parrot potion is endlessly funny but also sad considering it’s probably the closest well get to talking about the Falcon

Cole turning into a puppy who cheered?!???

“At least you’re adorable” “I’m always adorable” get a room /aff

Tournament of elements flashbacks

The workplace gossip omg, Cinder really out here beefing with a 16 year old

Don’t you even fucking dare

MY BABIESSSSSS

Ep 10

Arin mistaking Lloyd and Nya for his parents hurts :(

Oh no… I mean, it was obviously coming but it’s still very bad

WYLDFYRE POPPING OFF!!!!! THIS GIRL NEEDED HER ENRICHMENT

Let Euphrasia do stuff 2024

Wyldfyre jumping in front of Kai and protecting him

The basketball practice coming in handy lol

The fight cinematography in DR is fucking superb

KAI D: (he’ll be fine, I believe)

Nya!!!!!

BONZLE MVP!!!!

I was prepared for Rontu and Egalt to stay dead, the breath I let out when the stone cracked was unparalleled

Are we legit not getting Kai back????

Cole and Lloyd hug!!!!!

RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

Oh no… that lie is going to hurt when it comes out

Kai and Bonzle!!!!

Not like Master Wu says, like Lloyd says ;-; /pos

[loregoddess]

not a whole lot of observations before I go and fight the final boss (who I think I'm gonna curbstomp anyhow despite not fighting the superboss first and not having yet used any nuts, I guess lv 70 which is my default "this seems like a nice level to be at for endgame stuff" is high enough to kill minor bosses w/out them ever getting a chance to attack once), but I did notice a few things while playing though the final chapter stuff since I decided to actually walk around instead of fast-travelling like I did my first run...

you know that kinda creepy girl who stands outside of the inn in Crackridge at night who, if spoken to, runs off in the direction of the Fellsun Ruins? Yeah, so turns out she is not there during the final chapter sequence at all. I'm gonna head back to Crackridge after kicking Vide's ass just to see if she returns or not.

checked a few of the towns and it seems most of the NPCs don't really...seem to notice the unnaturally long night going on. I mean sure you get some updated dialogue after relighting the Flamechurch Flame from the NPCs, but generally? no unique dialogue. which I mean, it would have been a developmental nightmare to have unique dialogue for every NPC during this sequence, but it's still hmm

ALSO I finally figured out (I think) why Castti is the only traveler to be directly attacked by Vide and nearly overtaken (her and Ochette's crossed paths ch2), and that's because she was the only one of the main characters to have read the Book of Night (when she met Claude with Trousseau when they were in Lostseed). It occurred to me while I was reading Tanzy's journal and Tanzy wrote that she had read the book, and I had gone down the TV Tropes rabbit hole on Octo2 a few nights ago and the people writing those pages seem to think that what caused Tanzy's death was similar to what Castti experienced in the second crossed paths, and so now I'm wondering if the Book of Night has anything to do with Vide being able to shadow-eat people. Like, Hikari's the only other traveler to battle with the shadow, but it's very much something inside him and according to what's been said about the bloodline of Ku, the shadow wouldn't have killed him had it overtaken him, it would have just used him as a puppet. So yeah, maybe there's something here...or maybe I'm overthinking it.

I absolutely annihilated the Grotesque Monster and Arcanette battles both in three turns, neither got a chance to attack, Temenos dealt 86k+ damage in one. This is why I think I'm gonna waltz through the Vide fight again, esp. since I know the battle gimmicks and am preparing accordingly

I have this theory brewing that D'arqest may have been stopped by eight travelers during his time, based on some things said by the Moonshade Order major villains (Arcanette mostly), and bc I took a good look at the "beginning of Ku" mural again and counted eight red squares gathered around the image of the Flame, and what Hikari said about the first ruler of Ku, and the implied history of the Lumina clan having once fought against the darkness, and a few other details I'm not recalling at the moment, but it would be very hmm-worthy if it pans out for anything. CotC lore implies Beowulf had probably seven other companions and traveled across Orsterra, so it would be an interesting recurring Octopath Theme if it pans out in any way.

everything about Ori in this part of the game still gets me like, even knowing what was gonna happen, I was still like, "holy shit." Love Ori, but damn girl.

actually despite there being very little writing overall for the final chapter sequence, I just really love this part of the game. Like it's not even that I think it's well-written or challenging in an interesting way or anything, I just love the vibes a lot I guess. Absolutely haunting story segment for me.

[yakuzabrainrotlive]

So uhhh. Saejima's part. Yeah. How do I put this...

It really didn't do it for me, personally? 😭 There are some very good moments there, truly! I just. Don't have a lot so say about it. I played 'till before the kidnapping thing.

First, we gotta get the most important part out of the way:

Saejima's lucky plushie for the game will be Donpen-kun!

Somehow ended up going on a big tangent about Majima's situation right at the beginning.

I guess this crisis is understandable, though. Tojo is (at least outwardly) bigger than ever, the Hills project is done, Saejima's not on death row anymore and knows the story behind '85. He's at a crossroads right now; what does he want to do now? He lived for more than two decades waiting for this whole thing to come to a head, it did, and now there's... options. And time is ticking - they're not getting any younger. And there's no going back to how things were before shit it the fan, so something new is gonna have to happen.

Kiryu's midlife crisis? Kinda expected. Majima's midlife crisis? Did NOT expect it. I love these moments where we get to hear what's truly going on in his head, even just a little bit. He's a deeper thinker than the people around him would ever give him credit for.

I mean.... not sure if Majima is talking about physical or mental slowness taking over, probably both? He's so used to there constantly being a big stressor somewhere, always having so much to do, having to be on guard. When it's all starting to simmer down after all those years and there's this stability (though it's fragile), I feel like everything WOULD start to catch up to him and he'd really start to FEEL those years. Stress has such a massive effect on your physical and mental well-being that I shouldn't really be surprised this kind of crash is happening.

Physical side? He canonically doesn't eat very well (at least not in Kiwami, he says he practically lives on fast food) and he probably kept having nightmares like in Y0, so sleep is probably not good either. I'm also a firm believer that the year in The Hole left a physical impact as well, maybe some chronic pain that's really making itself known as he's aged? All that on top of, well, just natural aging.

I can see why he'd feel he's no longer got the same OOMPH as before. And while I can't relate to this in terms of aging, my own chronic illness has significant effects on my ability to function at times, and it can be very frustrating to feel your body just... not doing as well as before.

I'm eager to see how this develops.

OKAY, SAEJIMA. Uhhh. Prison! The Joint! Not gonna lie, I was kind of... bored with the prison section.

I like the fact that the game took the time to address the anxiety of prisoners who are getting out after long sentences. They have no idea what kind of world is waiting out there. Will they manage to get a job? Will they become homeless? That's terrifying!

But in terms of the rest of it... Personally I didn't really click with Saejima's cellmates and it was a whole lot of... running around this empty map. If I'd managed to grow fond of, say Baba, the whole stabbing mystery would have kept me more engaged. They did add those dream/imagination sequences, but it was. Ehhh.

WE GOT SAEJIMA KAROKE!! And I did somehow get the Bakamitai full score while on that imagination date with Kaguya! Saejima's singing voice is gorgeous.

When the plot kicked in, it got interesting for a bit. They're really trying to get rid of all the past and current MVPs of the Tojo Clan real fast. Very aggressive, feels more and more like Omi is behind this and one of them is pulling strings in the Tojo side of things.

Thank you for everything Kosaka, my king. You will not be forgotten🫡

Lord almighty, up in the heavens... you better not make me drive this contraption or I swear-

*inhuman screeching sound* NOOOOOOOOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭

Huh. Honestly at a loss for words, here. That's a whole bear.

...

I mean, sure!! Why not! Kiryu took on tigers while healing from a stab wound, this might as well happen.

VERY niche reference that only people from the Nordics will probably understand, but. A huge man-eating bear terrorizing a remote village? And a badass, gruff loner of an old hunter has beef with that specific bear? What's next, a young akita inu comes to fight it with a pack of 1000+ fellow dogs and eventually lops its head off with a supernatural technique?

please watch the Silver Fang anime it's nuts

I honestly don't have ANYTHING else to say about the hunting village section😭 We hunted, we talked, we left. We chilled. Literally and in terms of vibes.

I LOVED the look of Tsukimino! My favourite town in terms of looks and vibe this far. But then I realized how hellish that town is to move around in because of all the narrow streets and only being able to move across roads in specific spots and angles. Made the town feel very small. It's a shame.

Bear 2 was a very funny addition. Got a genuine laugh out of me. I guess it's only fair; Kiryu fought two tigers, why should Saejima get away with only one bear?

Kidnapping plot is sounding INSANE right now, how the HELL will they pull this one off.

[sporco-filth]

Episode 1 - The Finale

This is the 'pilot' of that sitcom about slobs I described before.

Synopsis:

The finale of Tom’s favourite anime is airing, but a black out in the apartment complex risks ruining his plans. Kyle and Felix go to fix the problem but get locked in the basement. In order to watch his show (and save his friends) Tom must face his greatest nightmare: doing something.

[Kyle opens his door and sees Felix walking up the stairs, carrying a toolbox]

Kyle: Hey, Felix! Just the guy I wanted to see.

Felix: Yeah?

Kyle: You hungry? Fed and I are going out to grab a bite.

Felix: Sorry, Jess called. She has a leaky pipe that needs fixing.

Kyle: Boo. You’re no fun.

[He’s about to leave when an idea comes to mind]

Kyle: Actually… I have a bit of a plumbing job you could help with.

Felix: Really?

Kyle: Yeah. I need my pipes cleared. You think you can come round later tonight?

[Kyle gives a suggestive look. Felix scratches his chin]

Felix: I guess I could. What exactly is stuck in it?

Kyle: Cream.

Felix: OK? You can’t just flush it out yourself?

Kyle: I guess I could, but it’s really, really hard. And I don’t want to do it alone.

Felix: Can’t Fed help?

Kyle: I was thinking we could do it together.

Felix: Really? I’m sure it’d be an easy one man job.

[Kyle sighs]

Kyle: Boo. You’re no fun.

[He walks back inside and closes the door]

Felix: Huh? What do you mean?

[No response. Felix goes back to climbing the stairs.]

Felix (to himself): Clearing his pipes…? Oh…

[Realisation hits]

Felix: Heh that is kinda funny.

~Opening Credits~

[Kyle’s outside Tom’s door and knocks]

Kyle: Hey, Tommy! Open up!

Tom: It’s open.

[Kyle enters. We see Tom’s apartment. It’s dark, lit up only by the massive TV screen. Tom’s lying on the couch snacking on a bag of chips.]

Tom: [without looking up] What?

Kyle: Fed and I are going out for dinner. You wanna come?

Tom: Can’t. Got plans.

[He eats a chip and stares blankly at the TV.]

Kyle: What plans?

Tom: I’m watching Magical Siren Boy Tsugiharu.

Kyle: Isn’t that that dumb anime about the mermaid guy who has like weird singing powers?

Tom: It’s not dumb! It’s a masterfully crafted show that explores themes of love and purpose while skillfully blending epic battle sequences with stunning musical numbers. The show’s been going on for 13 years, with 338 episodes, five feature-length films and a spin-off series. The final episode airs tonight at ten thirty and I refuse to miss a second.

Kyle: But it’s only seven. You can come to dinner and get back before it starts.

Tom: Yeah, but they’re also showing a marathon of all the fan-favourite episodes before it and I want to watch that too.

Kyle: Suit yourself.

[Kyle leaves and heads across the hall to his place. Fed’s in the kitchen snacking.]

Kyle: Tom’s not coming.

Fed: Why not?

Kyle: Some stupid anime thing.

Fed: Oh! I completely forgot! Magical Siren Boy Tsugiharu has its finale tonight. It’s the end of an era…

[Kyle rolls his eyes, then notices Fed eating.]

Kyle: Aren’t you going to ruin your appetite?

[Kyle scratches his bum.]

Fed: No, I’m warming up. I need to get my stomach ready to eat by starting with something light before it can digest a full meal. [He eats another handful and talks with his mouth full.] Did you ask Felix?

Fed: Yeah, but he said he’s got some dumb plumbing thing to do. I guess it’s just us.

[We cut to Felix who does something, the building completely blacks out.]

Kyle: What was that?

Fed: It’s a blackout!

Tom: [from offstage] THE ELECTRICITY! WHO TURNED OFF THE POWER!? WHAT HAPPENED!?

[A loud fumbling is heard and a crash.]

Tom: Oww…

[Kyle and Fed open the door. They shine a torch from their phone and find Tom lying on the floor.]

Fed: You OK?

Tom: I’m fine. I tripped running out the door.

Kyle: You? Running? This is serious.

Tom: Of course it is! Life without electricity isn’t worth living! Everything I love needs electricity: internet, video games, microwaved food, TV. And I’ll miss Magical Siren Boy Tsugiharu! Wait, maybe I can livestream it from my phone…

[He opens his phone.]

Tom: OK, the wifi’s out, but I’ve got data still…

[The light from his phone goes black.]

Kyle: What happened?

Tom: It ran out of power.

Fed: That quickly?

Tom: Well, I meant to charge it this morning… but I couldn’t be arsed...

Kyle: That sounds more like our Tommy.

[Felix comes down the stairs using his phone as a torch.]

Felix: Hey, sorry about that guys…

Kyle: What do you mean?

Felix: I think it might’ve been my fault: Jess asked me to fix a leaky pipe and uh… well some water got on her hairdryer and there was a lot of scary sparks and stuff then it all went black.

Tom: What?! So it’s your fault I’ll miss the last ep of MSBT?

Felix: MS-what?

Fed: Magical Siren Boy Tsugiharu.

Felix: That’s tonight? Wow, I thought that show would never end.

Kyle: Am I the only one who doesn’t watch anime here?

Tom: Yes. [He turns to Felix] You have to fix this now! I can’t miss the finale.

Felix: All right, all right. I said I was sorry and I’ll make it up to you, don’t worry. The lights’ll be back on in no time.

Kyle: We better go talk to Bob. He should know what to do. Hopefully we can get it done quickly; I’d hate to see what Fed’ll do if the food in the fridge goes off.

Fed: Wait… the fridge!

[Fed runs back inside.]

Kyle: Me and my big mouth… [He turns to Felix and Tom] Well, you guys coming?

Felix: It was my fault after all; the least I can do is help fix things.

Tom: I’m too tired from trying to run before, you two go on without me.

[Tom slumps onto the ground.]

Kyle: I guess it’s just us two then. Let’s go.

[The scene changes to outside Bob’s room. Kyle knocks on the door.]

Kyle: Hey! Bob! Open up!

[A lot of rumbling is heard. The door eventually opens to show Bob, looking grumpy.]

Bob: Don’t tell me: you two are responsible for the blackout.

Kyle: No… just Felix.

Bob: I’ve had it up to here with you guys running to me whenever something goes bust here. It’s your mess, you clean it up this time.

Kyle: Bob, you know as well as I do that Felix doesn’t clean up anything, let alone his own messes.

Felix: Hey! I… yeah, that’s actually not wrong…

Bob: Here [he pulls out a ring of keys]: go down to the basement and you can find the circuit breaker. It’s probably just a matter of flicking a switch or something.

Felix: Which switch?

[Bob slams the door.]

Kyle: (Sigh). Let’s get this over with. Tom’s probably having a fit by now.

[Scene shifts back to the hallway. Tom’s fallen asleep on the ground.]

[Back in Fed’s kitchen, Fed opens the fridge.]

Fed: All right. Operation Save Food From Spoiling is go. I guess we’ll start with the cold meats…

[He grabs a pack of prosciutto and dangles a slice down into his gullet.]

[Outside the basement door, Felix is trying out the keys. Finally he gets the one that works.]

Felix: Got it!

[He opens the door to reveal the basement, which is filled with broken appliances and old boxes.]

Felix: Now, where’s this circuit breaker…

[They shine their torches around… maybe some funny quips happen.]

Kyle: Found it!

[The guys go over to it.]

Felix: It’s locked. I bet the key’s with the others.

[The door slams shut.]

Felix: Ah, Kyle.

Kyle: Yeah?

Felix: Have you got the keyring?

Kyle: No, I thought you had it.

Felix: Well I don’t.

[Felix goes to open the door but it’s locked.]

Kyle: Ok… This isn’t good.

Felix: Don’t worry, we can call Fed.

[He pulls out his phone.]

Kyle: It’s not just the door. It’s not good because I can feel a fart coming.

[Felix’s face falls.]

Felix: Oh no… please Kyle I beg you, hold on!

Kyle: You’ve got like a minute.

[He rings Fed.]

[The scene returns to the kitchen, Fed is now eating the last slice of a cheesecake. His phone rings and he picks it up.]

Fed: Yeah?

Felix (through the phone): Fed! You’ve got to come downstairs to the basement. We got ourselves locked in.

Kyle (through the phone, yelling): YOU got us locked in!

Felix: Yeah, anyway. We need you to open the door; the keys are in the lock. Please hurry! Kyle’s holding back a lot of gas.

Fed: I’ll be right there!

[He hangs up and tries to stand, but clutches his belly, flopping back down.]

Fed: Ooh… I’m not feeling too good…

[His stomach gurgles loudly.]

Maybe I can get Tom to go…

[He drags himself to the door, which is still open, and yells out.]

Fed: Tom! Tom!

[Tom snores. Fed throws the slice of cheesecake at him that he was still holding. Tom wakes up with a start.]

Tom: Huh? What was that for?

Fed: Felix and Kyle got locked in the basement and I’m not in any state to be climbing stairs. I need you to go down and open the door for them.

Tom: I ain’t going down there. Not without the elevator. Do you know how many steps that is?

Fed: You have to! Kyle’s got a massive fart brewing. Felix hasn’t built up a tolerance to Kyle’s gas like I have; he’ll suffocate!

Tom: I don’t care. Let him suffocate. I’m not walking down those stairs. I already ran today.

Fed: You ran like ten steps.

Tom: That’s ten more than I’ve run in the past five years.

[Fed tries to move closer, but his stomach gurgles and he stops, clutching it in pain.]

Fed: Please… if you don’t go… then you won’t be able to watch MSBT.

[Tom sits up straight.]

Tom: Argh, you’re right… For Tsugihara, I shall do it.

[Felix hands him his phone.]

Fed: It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.

[Tom stands up and wields the phone above his head, the torch light on.]

Tom: With the power of the Seven Seas flowing through me, I shall banish the darkness!

[Tom slowly walks down the stairs.]

Fed: You could go a little faster…

[Back in the basement. Kyle is straining.]

Felix: Please, hold it in!

Kyle: I don’t know if I can do it (grunt). This one feels pretty strong.

Felix: You must!

[Tom on the stairs, slowly going down. He pauses to catch his breath.]

Tom: Whew… I don’t know if I can do it… it’s so many steps.

Fed (from upstairs): You’ve only gone down half a floor.

Tom: I could do without the running commentary, thank you!

[In the basement. Kyle is sweating.]

Kyle: I’m sorry Felix… Ahhhhh…

[He relaxes and farts. It’s long and loud. Felix covers his mouth with his top.]

Felix: GAH! HELP! HELP!

[The door opens and Tom appears. He immediately covers his mouth.]

Tom: Ugh! I come all this way to save you and this is how you repay me?

Felix: Tom! My saviour!

[He grabs Tom into a hug. Tom pushes him off.]

Tom: OK, OK. That’s enough. I did this for Tsugihara, not you. Here: I believe you lost these?

[He hands out the keys. Kyle takes them.]

Kyle: I’ll take it from here. You guys should head up to get some fresh air.

Felix: I’m not sure my nose will recover from this…

[Tom and Felix leave the room. Kyle goes to the circuit breaker and opens it.]

Kyle: Let’s see…

[He flicks a switch and, after a bit of a sluggish start, the lights flicker back on.]

[Back upstairs, Fed, still eating, sees the lights turn on.]

Fed: They did it! Yes!

[He jumps up but immediately regrets it and clutches his stomach.]

Fed: Oooh…

[Soon after, the guys enter the room.]

Felix: I’m sorry again for all the trouble I caused, but I guess it’s all fixed now.

Tom: And not a moment too soon. I’ve got a finale to watch, see ya.

[Tom leaves. Kyle notices Fed’s discomfort.]

Kyle: You alright there?

Fed (not alright): Yep. Just a bit of a stomach ache… I ate too much too fast… And it’s like the UN down there: I don’t think that leftover Chinese is getting along with the Indian curry.

[His stomach gurgles ominously.]

Fed: Uh oh…

[All of a sudden, Fed releases a loud fart.]

Felix: No! Not again! Ack-urgh!

[He runs out of the room.]

Fed: Sorry Kyle…

Kyle: Heh, no stress. I’ll love you no matter how bad you stink. After all, you have to put up with my stenches, now it’s my turn to deal with the smell.

Fed: Aww, you’re so sweet.

Kyle: And anyway, [he gently rubs Fed’s gut while savouring the smell]  you know that it kinda turns me on. How about we cancel dinner and have some fun at home?

Fed: I think that sounds wonderful. Also, I may have just eaten everything in the fridge…

[In Tom’s room, he’s now settled back on the couch and ready to watch TV.]

Tom: Ah, at long last…

[The MSBT theme music plays. Suddenly it stops.]

News host: We interrupt this broadcast for a breaking news bulletin.

Tom: No! Don’t interrupt!

News host: His Excellency the Honourable Sir Arthur Vandeleigh, former Governor-General of Australia, has died peacefully in his sleep.

Tom: Come on, come on…

TV host: We have a three-hour obituary scheduled in honour of this great man who valiantly served his country.

Narrator: Though he may have inhabited the role for only three months, Arthur Vandeleigh’s tenure as Governor-General was…

Tom: NOOOOOO!

~End Credits~

[e-adlirez]

Soo haven't read the thea sisters series for a while (Ive only remember reading the very old ones lol), but I have seen you (and maybe some people) complaint that the friendship stuff in the book is very on the nose or in your face. Is it... really that egregious in the newer books? Because I don't remember them being agresively friendship power in the older ones (aside from maybee ... the ice treasure? with the whole jealosy stuff tho they are not that aggressive).

Yeah the older ones were a lot more subtle with it, and even the most explicit example I could find (two scenes in the non-English translation of Shipwreck where Vi describes the friends as "friends worth a lifetime") was very wholesome and sweet and brought me to want to hold Violet gently in my hands and give her pats more than I already did. Ice Treasure was the girls maturely getting together to resolve a love triangle that would've torn the group apart had this been written in another series, and you have to respect that mature way of thinking.

But are they that egregious in the new books?

Boy do I

have

good

news

for

you

buddy!!! :D /s

I wasn't intending for this sequence to sync up perfectly, but here we are. Each group of screenshots is from one book each.

Also these are from the special editions because they're the worst offenders but I don't doubt that there are some in the main series and Mouseford series but I dun wanna go find them let me live my denial fantasies--

It started off mild in Cloud Castle, when Vi does a heroic sacrifice and explains why she did it

As you can see, despite the clunky Scholastic translation, it's very wholesome and cute and you can tell how much Vi cares for the girls and how much the girls care for each other

And it's realistic!! You care for your friends, naturally you don't wanna see them get hurt (like genuinely hurt) and you wanna make sure they're okay.

A-as you can see tho in the later books it got worse... Like so much worse.

The screenshots above are in chronological order, so we have special edition books 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and Treasure Seekers 1 and 3 (thank god book 2 kinda doesn't have it overtly). Next part will just be rough context blurbs of each of the scenes so you have a teeny bit of context. (Context ain't savin' these scenes tho)

Book 5 is set in an underwater fantasy world where there's this Mariana's Trench-like bit of nightmare fuel called the Infinite Abyss, where you look down and magic literally sucks you down into the abyss. Because of uh... reasons that were very (and I mean VERY) poorly written in the book that I sincerely hope is just the Scholastic translators being Scholastic translators, Vi ends up looking down while crossing over it, and she and Colette get yoinked down. Yes the scene after they've recovered is the cringiest bit of dialogue I've seen in my life. There is this one cute loom scene in the book that makes sense since the loom basically allows you to make a tapestry of your happy memories and the happiness you feel from that memory, but uh friendship was tied into it so uh eeehhhhh... The happiness part already made sense, you didn't have to tie the power of friendship into it c'mon :/

Book 6 is uh, apparently even in the original Italian it was kinda meh, and I wager the scene got carried over to English about the same. They're fighting this witch wanting to conquer the Land of Flowers, and Flora does a heroic sacrifice that jus,,, the attack jus dissipates as soon as it touwches her,,, why,,? powew of fwiendship that's why,,

Book 7 is... good god I could make an entire thing about it, but I'm torn between wanting to make a Tumblr post about it or a YouTube video about this book and how underwhelming it is, because I could wax eloquent for about a half-hour about why it's so disappointing and arguably the worst of the special editions, and some cute little animations or doodles from me would make it so much more entertaining and could sidestep getting clapped by Scholastic or EdiPiemme, hopefully? I dunno, maybe when I'm less busy with school.

Anyway what's wrong with Book 7? First of all uh the dragon is a redeemed villain type of thing and even if you read the book the thing doesn't make much sense. They tried to make him a misunderstood villain thing, but too little was done to add detail to that? All the important stuff involving him was done off-screen, and the uh him freeing his fiance from her gemstone prison is yeah, you saw it up there, I'm sure. Paulina gives him words of encouragement, she rolls decently in her charisma, and boop now he's hooman again and his fiance is free, yippee

Also the fiance?

This woman right here?

Don't be fooled by that basic fairy design, this woman is the literal personification of the power of friendship trope. For what little time she spends with the girls and helps them with the obstacles they have to deal with. They need to talk to this antisocial wolf guarding the next checkpoint? That's fine, she and the wolf are childhood friends! They need to get past this impossible labyrinth cave to get a super-valuable gemstone that the inhabitants of said labyrinth cave hold very dearly? That's fine, she met one of the fairies and helped her, so they're friends! Literally power of friendship personified. Thanks, I hate it :D

Book 8 is the book that exists. It's one of the special edition books ever for me, and the only thing cool that happens there is Nicky pulling a Robin Hood archery trial. Besides that? Eeehhhh... this scene in that book isn't so bad since the characters who do the power of friendship thing are actual magic fairies in this magic world.... but at the same time the girls making comments on it is making me die inside, did I mention these girls are uni students--

Book 9 is eeehhhhhhhhh.... it's an underwhelming finale for the special editions for one, for many reasons that could garner itself a ramble here, but eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh.... I'm just mad at the Violet slander ngl wHY DO THEY MAKE HER THE FRIENDSHIP PROPHET I GET SHE VALUES HER FRIENDS BUT SHE'S STILL A PRACTICAL LOGICAL WOMAN IN PERSONALITY YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HER--

I stand by the fact that Treasure Seekers as a hardcover series for Thea Stilton is really good for those who loved the older books as a kid and are coming back for nostalgia. You read the first book and it feels like you're being welcomed back to the Thea Sisters you knew and loved back in the days of seeing the cool girlboss covers of the books in your school library and spending hours reading the cool adventures they got themselves into around the world (and even outside it). I dunno if they meant is as a homage to the older books, but it felt like it when I read it.

Anyway literally the only thing sullying these books is the power of friendship monologues in book 1 and 3. The worst part of it is that Violet once again is the one saying or thinking these things and it feels so out of character and out of place, like HELLO??? Vi sweetie the only thing stopping that shady businesswoman character from holding Pam at actual gunpoint is the 6-10 age range of the books? This ain't the time for the power of friendship??? Also who gave her the friendship ball and can they please let Violet punt it at them? Book 3 is the same-- I mean in this context uh I dun wanna spoil it so uh yeah, but Vi is basically disagreeing with the villain in this conversation they're having, and literally the only thing ruining it is her saying "the power of friendship" straight up. If she said "my friends" or "my sisters", it would've been so much better-- same goes for the time Vi is talking to the girls again and they ask her what she said in the previous one-on-one convo, it would've been better if she said something cute like "friends like you"-- but we can't have nice things huh, Scholastic? (Dunno if the original Italian one has the "power of friendship" one but I sincerely hope not, and it doesn't sound like it since the original Italian intro letter of book 3 went so hard--)

Vi deserves better smh -m-

Anyway there's my rant. Yeah, it does get really egregious in the later books. Where did we go wrong :(

[ladyofthewolfsbane]

Feelin’ bored, so I decided to rank all the Nightmare on Elm Street movies from least favorite to most favorite. I’m leaving out the remake because I haven’t seen it, but if I had, it would be at the bottom : P My rankings are also based on how much I enjoyed a movie, not the actual quality of it.

Okay, here’s my list with a little explanation for my rankings!

8. Dream Child: Honestly? I don’t remember much about this movie, but I remember I found it boring and confusing. If you’re gonna be a bad movie, at least be a fun bad movie.

7. Freddy’s Dead: Aaaand speaking of fun bad movies! Yeah, this movie is a trash fire, but it’s at least entertaining to watch. This movie is basically an R-rated live action Loony Tunes cartoon. There are very few good ideas here, but there are crumbs of good ideas, like Freddy as a family man. Carlos’ death is also pretty memorable.

6. Freddy’s Revenge: I feel kinda bad ranking this one so low because it isn’t a bad movie and it has some interesting themes. But it just isn’t for me. Possession stories aren’t really my thing and I didn’t find the plot that compelling. It also didn’t really feel like a NOES film to me

5. Dream Master: This entry in the series has some real fun sequences, a nice neon aesthetic, and some characters I like. But it does that thing I don’t like where a horror movie sequel unceremoniously kills off almost all the characters from a previous movie.

4. New Nightmare: A really unique entry in the series and a unique horror movie in general. This film has a solid plot and well done characters and good acting.

3. Freddy vs. Jason: … Listen. Listen. I know this isn’t a great movie. Most of the characters are bad. There’s unquestionably some problematic stuff because it came out in 2003, a dark time, as we all know. But I always have so much damn fun when I watch it, and this is may be my favorite characterization (and look) for Freddy. 🤷‍♀️

2. Dream Warriors: Aw yeah!! So good. I doubt I can say much that hasn’t been said, but I like this one for the blend of horror and fantasy, and this is probably the perfect balance of serious Freddy and humorous Freddy. I love the ensemble cast too. It feels much more like a continuation of the first movie than Freddy’s Revenge does.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Watching this for the first time as someone with little exposure to bloody slasher movies probably made me the perfect audience because I didn’t grow up horror at all, and definitely not with the more gruesome stuff that was coming out in the 2000s, so I was still surprised she grossed out by certain things when I watched it for the first time a few years ago. I mean, what can I say? It’s a classic through and through and the premise about someone killing you in your dreams is still very creative. I love it, aside from the studio mandated tacked on ending, and even that I don’t hate.

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: November 26, 2023

Got a bunch of 'em for y'all, this week...

Napoleon (Ridley Scott, 2023)

Okay. I don't get it. What's with all the bad reviews!?! It's in no way perfect, but I kinda loved how Scott celebrates Napoleon's strategically brilliant military mind while simultaneously poking fun at how big of a whining brat he was. The battle sequences are breathtaking and the humor almost always works. Phoenix fully understands Scott's approach and the contrary nature of Napoleon's character and brings both men to life with an entitlement, desperation and ego that completely reexamines the historical figure. It's as impressive as it is jarringly weird. Vanessa Kirby is fantastic when her performance isn't being butchered by the film's editing, and while there's no standouts within the rest of the cast, there's no necessarily weak links, either. But, again, this is by no means a perfect film. The battle scenes are magnificent and Scott's approach is fresh and funny, but the editing outside of those battle sequences is awkwardly inconsistent and the script is at once over-stuffed and too briskly paced, making much of the rest of the film a bit of a structural mess. - 8/10

The Killer (David Fincher, 2023)

Technically impressive, emotionally freezing, and darkly funny. Fassbender is fantastic as the disciplined yet fumbling titular assassin. I love that the only actual evidence we're ever given that he's good at his job is his inner-monologue. All of the events that unfold throughout the film decidedly point to the opposite. He's a well-prepared killer with shit natural instincts and unbelievably good luck. And Fincher's approach to exploring his method and madness understands the character's strengths and weaknesses so well that it blurs the line between the serious and the absurd to bring us a revenge story as unpredictable as the character himself. It's far from Fincher's best work - and those opening credits were atrocious - but the patience and attention to detail Fincher brings paired with Baxter's flawless editing, the rest of the stunning technical work on display, Fassbender's delusional performance, and Swinton's brief but magnificent turn all make this one an impressively odd success. - 8.5/10

Priscilla (Sofia Coppola, 2023)

Coppola understands this kind of life, and through her richly empathetic screenplay and the masterclass in blocking that is her direction, she brings this life to the screen with an understanding that makes its subtle yet crystal clear damnation hit home all the more effectively. Cailee Spaeny is perfection, and brings Priscilla to life with a longing and naïveté that evolve and wither as her fairy tale becomes a nightmare. - 8.5/10

The Marvels (Nia DaCosta, 2023)

Get over it, this was A LOT of fun.

Sure, the villain is weak - especially considering just how big a threat they apparently are - and yeah, Captain Marvel herself is still absurdly overpowered, but Larson seems to have finally found a good balance in the character, and teaming her up with Parris and the fantastic Vellani is exactly what her character needed. All the character swapping is the right kind of crazy for these characters, and builds their relationships in an effectively creative manner. All of the Flerken stuff was amazing, and I'd be perfectly okay with them getting their own film, or even their own cinematic universe. The FCU... get it done, Marvel/Disney. Anyway, yeah, I had a blast with this, and refuse to take anyone who didn't seriously. They very obviously went in already hating it, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if it turned out they didn't even go see the movie before ranting about how bad it was. Nonsense. - 7.5/10

Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet, 2023)

A little too emotionally detached for its own good. I know that's the point, and we're supposed to be little more than observers in the court, but it still knocked me out of the story a little too often. That being said, pretty much everything else worked wonders. From the performances to the cinéma vérité style of filming; from the way it reveals the details of the case (the fight is utter perfection) to the shift of focus between mother and son, throughout. It's an examination of the role that the truth has in law and life that's as pragmatic as it is astute. - 7.5/10

Strays (Josh Greenbaum, 2023)

Overflowing with a silly, immature brand of humor that I was apparently in the exact right mood for. It did its job. I laughed a lot. - 7/10

Gran Turismo (Neill Blomkamp, 2023)

This isn't necessarily a great film, but the racing scenes are well filmed, David Harbour is surprisingly strong, and I love a good underdog story, so it is a successful one. - 6.5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[house-on-sand]

okay i finally read robin & batman: jason todd #1 today and i have thoughts.

first. pissed off with how they're writing jaybin but that's kind of a given. i wish they'd show more of him than his anger, i wish they'd remember he's just a kid and he was a happy kid. angry at times and hurting but he was a happy kid, a good kid.

the text for his inner thoughts about not being the one who gets hurt anymore and how he's a weapon are things i could see fitting him once he's older. these feel more like red hood jason thoughts than jaybin ones. within reason i COULD see them working for jaybin bc i can see how a hurting, traumatized kid might think smth along the lines of like i wont be the one hurt anymore but i dont like violence being jason's sole motivation for being robin bc it fucking wasn't! he didnt get into robin to be violent! he did it to help! he didnt even fucking ASK to be robin, bruce did that. bruce made him robin the same night he took jason in, jason didn't fucking ask didnt fucking get into it for revenge.

two. yes there are some problems with jason and bruce's relationship BUT i think the biggest problem is alfred honestly? like bruce recognizes that jason needs help and stuff and still wants to help him and he's not perfect like at all But i wouldn't exactly mind seeing their relationship fleshed out and investigated more.

now alfred on the other hand? i dont fucking care for that shit at all. being so certain that this CHILD, this little boy that your boss has taken in, has something irredeemably wrong with him? saying shit like you don't think he WANTS to see the light and be a good person like?? dude he's hurting and he came from a hard background and hes three whole apples tall, how can you be ready to write him off as BAD??? he's just a fucking kid. he's so so small

and shutting bruce down when he says smth about how he was also hurting like jason was when he was younger and alfred once again being so ready to claim this kid is The Worst Ever and so obviously nothing like bruce was when he was still a traumatized kid. as if bruce did not... as if he did not get into the whole batman thing as a response to his trauma... yknow the nighttime occupation that lets him being violent... and take out his shit on criminals... almost like what jason is doing.... HMMMMMM how STRANGE

also suggesting that bruce needs to give jason up bc jason is behind helping??? that's so fucked. its also one moment where i did appreciate how bruce was written bc he wasn't down with that at all. so at least there's that i guess???

and kind of insinuating that bruce taking jason in was a mistake when bruce asks??? im just. bc yeah i can see where bruce is coming from if you look at it thru the lens of bruce not rlly actually knowing how to be a parent n help a kid that's hurting like jason is bc dick was different bc no kid is the same n bruce like doubting that HE'S the right person to take care of jason rather than like. it was a mistake to help this kid and he regrets taking him in.

and again. not saying bruce is perfect in this by any means but i at least like him more than alfred so that's something

oh i did like bruce owning up to making a mistake abt letting jason go ahead without him. instead of him totally blaming jason for what happened i do like that

three. jason's nightmare sequence where he saw two face killing willis and he wakes up screaming n ready to fight n bruce is there to wake him up n he kinda comforts him n offers him another chance at getting the guy they were after kinda got to me. mainly jason seeing willis n willis telling him to run n jason's expression as he says dad. that got me real bad bc we dont always see the positive side of jason's relationship with his dad or see how he does grieve willis bc yeah sometimes things might not have been the best and willis could've been abusive n what not if you're going with that but he was still doin the best he could and jason did still care about him.

four. JASON IS SO SMALL HE IS SO SMALL I CANNOT? HOW CAN YOU TRY AND CONVINCE ANYONE THAT HES SO IRREDEEMABLY EVIL HE'S SO LITTLEEEEE

to me he looks younger than the twelveish he's supposed to be and i like that? idk it feels right for him to have a baby face forever in general but i also like it from a standpoint of jason being behind a bit with physical milestones n growth n stuff as a result of not getting enough food n stuff. idk it makes sense to me is what im saying

five. hate hate that jason said he wasn't bruce's son bc he Is that's. that's been a canon thing for awhile now.

however i can get behind this as an outburst bc their relationship is still newish. especially if jason isn't sure of his place there bc he obviously isnt

so this is something i'd love to see explored but i doubt it will be handled well at all

six. not sure if its just me not seeing it right but i kinda dig that his eyes look darker? like kind of a brownish or grey/greenish? genuinely not sure how you'd classify it or which one of those its closer to but the main thing is i like that it doesnt look like he has blue eyes

seven. 😔😔 pissed off at bruce for seeing jason by the dead body of the criminal they were after and assuming jason had something to do with it like... DUDE? for real? hear him out at least and maybe use those detective skills you're supposed to have to suss out the fact that your tiny, mostly unnarmed, twelve year old sidekick could not have done this?? bro was SHOT how the FUCK would jason have done that?? plus?? jay hadnt done well when he's fought the guy before why would you assume he was able to fully take him down and kill him like that when you 1. haven't been separated that long and 2. the bad guy LITERALLY got away the first time jason tried to fight him

eight. this wraith guy looks pretty sick /gen

okay thoughts mostly done now