#I have been depressed before. This just ain't it chief.

[merkerlerspeaks]

*exhibits symptoms of disorders you have been diagnosed with and just so happen to also be depression symptoms, but isnt actually depressed*

People: Hmm I diagnose you with depression

[bloodboonfic]

What fun fact about piglin culture do you have that you probably won’t get to incorporate into the story?

I've been saving this ask for a rainy day, but honestly it's been hanging long enough. So! Let's talk about piglin wedding customs! *jazzhands*

The first step is courting gifts. Food, swords, pretty trinkets. This is to display of being able to provide and protect, as well as knowing the other person well enough to know what they like/have need for.

There is no bachelor/ette party, instead, the night before the wedding, each of the pair will gather with already married friends/family to get advice on married life. It's usually older relatives of the same gender, but anyone who seems like they'd have good advice will qualify. This happens during a nice, casual dinner, with some booze to loosen tongues and soothe nerves.

The Nether is a harsh place, so there isn't really the time or resources to throw a big fancy party. It's celebrated, but it's usually not terribly formal. Friends and family in your own home instead of some big venue, your Sunday best instead of some fancy gown. Ain't nobody got time for a white dress that's impossible to get clean or sugar cakes.

The main part of the wedding is The Walk. The married couple needs to live together, they share the same resources and defend the same area. Piglins wouldn't recognise a couple who long-term live separately as Properly Married. The Walk is done with both parties with their hair loose, and it begins at the home of the piglin who's moving in, and together the pair walk to their new shared home while holding hands the whole way. Letting the hands go unless under attack is considered a bad omen.

Officially, The Walk is metaphorical about setting off to the path of life together. It showcases that the pair can work as a team, defending themselves from whatever they might come across together. It's also a sign of publicity, and a sign of consent. Everyone can (and should!) see the couple, since it's a declaration that this is the person I choose, this is the person I'll defend and care for. Secret marriages don't count. Also you can't do The Walk if you, say, kidnapped the other person, they'd run off or at the very least will very publicly look upset. That's where the show of consent comes in.

When the pair arrives, the guests are already there waiting, with an officiant. The officiant is just whoever keeps the records about the citizens, usually the chief of the clan. They can be asked to do a speech or a thing with vows, but they're there mostly for bookkeeping reasons. They'll say something about getting on with making babies asap 99% of the time.

The pair are expected to write their own vows. There are things that often come up, but the point is to say what you mean and proclaim your love. During the vows, the pair will tie each others hair into a ponytail, as a public showcase of trust and commitment. Doing a complex hairdo is a common event once the party starts.

After the vows, there is a dope feast, and after that it's a nice, casual party. Dancing, stories, drinks. It's a good time.

Now for the depressing bonus tidbit: Since Techno's dad wasn't allowed in the village, and his mom couldn't come to the Overworld, they couldn't ever have a proper piglin wedding. The closest they came was the one time the mom visited and almost died of zombification.

-Anchestor

[meili-sheep]

Heizou: And that's how I solved that case! Any questions?

Cyno: Yes. Why did you tell me this?

Heizou: . . . to share?

Cyno: . . . wouldn't it have been easier to just take them?

Heizou: Not everyone has the authority to just hunt people down, you know.

Cyno: It'd be a lot more efficient that way.

Heizou: I can't say that I disagree with that, but you also have to understand how and why they did it, otherwise it could easily happen again.

Cyno: . . . sure. As if the foolishness of mortals isn't essentially infinite.

Heizou: (shrugs) I'd rather one person change their ways with their efforts than ten of them be locked up without a chance at reform.

Cyno: I don't really agree, but I see your point.

----

Shinobu: I get it, but it isn't illegal. Nothing in the law suggests it.

Yanfei: But it can be annoying to deal with, so even though the act in of itself is fine, the effects of it can be charged and prosecuted.

Shinobu: So you might wanna stop while you're ahead.

Cyno: (nudging someone who's tied upside down with his polearm) He keeps running away and I'm getting tired of catching him.

Shinobu: (sighs deeply) At least he hasn't tried knocking them out yet-

Cyno: (whacks the back of the person's head)

Shinobu: -and I spoke too soon. Do you want us to get sued for false imprisonment and assault?

Cyno: (genuinely confused) But I'm doing what I have the authority to do, which is the bring the person back to court for a trial.

Yanfei: (stresses) Please consider that you might have it, but we, the group, do not.

Cyno: . . . oh. You can get us off, right?

Yanfei: (rubs her temples) Yes, but you're lucky this is situational.

----

Shinobu: Cyno, you can't play cards with Itto anymore.

Cyno: Why?

Shinobu: The losses are actually starting to destroy his self-esteem and it terrifies me that that's even possible to begin with.

Cyno: He just needs to get better cards and better at the game in general.

Shinobu: Try telling that to a depressed Itto instead of a normal Itto.

----

Yanfei: (climbing over a fence) Trespassing isn't lawful.

Heizou: (also climbing over a fence) But it leads to clues and I'm never wrong.

Yanfei: (hops down) There's a reason why I talk to our clients, you know.

Heizou: (also hops down) I can't help that other people can't see the point sometimes! And it wasn't that bad.

Yanfei: He was going to pummel you if Cyno wasn't there.

Heizou: He wasn't because I would have punched him before his fist connected.

Yanfei: Hence why I do the talking as you would have sent him flying and tensions would have broken.

Heizou: (clicks his tongue) Good point. Still wasn't wrong though.

Yanfei: Right you are, but are you tactful?

Heizou: Fair.

----

Barbatos, take the wheel.

Meanwhile, Diluc is just.

"Why am I 23 but feel like I'm a middle-aged father?"

And it's cause he is. He just is the chief cat herder here. And you know for sure Barbatos ain't taking a shit. Cause this Club is his type of justice. People who get shit done while also not playing by the rules.

[according-to-the-laura]

StackedNatural Day 92: 4x12

StackedNatural Masterpost: [x]

January 22, 2022

4x12: Criss Angel Is a Douchebag

Written by: Julie Siege

Directed by: Robert Singer

Original air date: January 22, 2009

Plot Synopsis:

Sam and Dean investigate the activities of a trio of magicians who are using a grimoire to execute real feats of magic.

Features:

A lot of bitter magicians, the Ten of Swords, Dean gets redirected way too easily by old men, The Chief, Dean gets unironically into the magic show for a minute, Sam thinks they could Win, death transference, very showy suicide attempts, PT Barnum was a warlock, sad old man gives up magic.

My Thoughts:

I was really not looking forward to this episode, it was kind of a long day and I think the episode title is stupid so I wasn’t really ready to give it a fair shake. And honestly, I kind of agree with Ruby that they have bigger fish to fry, in that I find it kind of annoying when they continually find thinner and thinner excuses to do a random monster of the week episode when they’re in the middle of a world-ending situation. HOWEVER: I actually think that the episode was pretty well executed and had a believable emotional arc with Jay in the back half, and a decent double twist.

I can’t decide if I as a gay person should be feeling offended by this episode. It’s annoying when they say that eyeliner on men is douchey. The chief thing is funny to me, and even if it’s technically offensive I think I get a pass on that since I am also gay.

I have my doubts that Iowa has enough magicians or interest in show magicians to host an entire conference (although the tiny little “sold out” crowds kind of make that point for me). The writers clearly have no idea what impressive sleight of hand is; pulling an ace or four out of the deck is pretty basic from what I understand.

I spent most of the episode trying to decide if these old men fucked (they did, once, and then never spoke of it again), and then got slapped in the face with Dean saying he hopes he dies before he gets old. We had ELEVEN years of character development after this and he got the ending that he wanted in this episode. It’s depressing.

I believe Jay’s emotional arc. I like how it ties back in to Sam wanting to stop the bad things before he’s hunting demons in his 70s. It’s selfish, but in a different way than some of his other choices. He’s trying to protect his future self by making the hard choice now. Also, I had already looked at the IMdB page and seen “young Charlie” in the credits and was still fooled by the Charile double bluff. All in all, a pretty good monster of the week.

Notable Lines:

“Oh, you ain't been had till you been had by the Chief. Oh, and before we get started, what's your safeword?:

“Hope I die before I get old.”

“It ends bloody or sad. That’s just the life.”

Laura’s (completely subjective) Episode Rating: 8.0

IMdB Rating: 8.1

In Conclusion:

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