#I thought the show was mostly pretty OK! Way better than I expected

[optiwashere]

That new Fallout TV show reminded me why I avoid a lot of video game fandoms lol.

Dick jokes in my Fallout? Please ignore the porn star quest line in FO2 or the variety of crude sex jokes in every single game.

Anti-war, anti-fascist, anti-nationalist, and anti-capitalist rhetoric? Well, there's surely no thinly veiled satire in the first... all of the games (other than 3, probably) that deals with the inherent absurdity of capitalism in the face of nuclear war, touching on such topics as genocide, human experimentation, isolationism, and tribalism.

[24hlevi]

Hello,, how are you?

If it's ok, could I please request kissing headcanons with Nagi, Chigiri, Bachira, Rin and Sae?

hello! im doing alright, im actually writing this while waiting for my bllk vol 3 to arrive that i preordered lol

— 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐂𝐬 𝐖/ 𝐁𝐥𝐥𝐤 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐬

Blue Lock Boys (Nagi, Chigiri, Bachira, Rin, & Sae) X Gn!Reader

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Language

• at first, nagi didn't really get the point of kissing, he thought it was weird and that there was other things/ways to prove you're in a relationship

• but after watching a few movies with reo (who forced him to) he sort of understood and it would start with little pecks on the cheek much before actually kissing

• he knew he loved you, obviously, so he was going to try and make sure he showed it, at least try even if it didn't work

• the first kiss with nagi was...a mess, he had no clue what he was doing, trying to follow reo's advice but it was only making it worse 💀

• he was very awkward and hesitant that you just told him it was okay if he wanted to wait on actual kissing and sticking with short pecks

• this mans was not having that, so he instead would continue to try and kiss you better, and after some time he did get better at it!

• nagi doesn't particularly enjoy PDA, but after a game he will always pick you up and kiss you whether the team won or not, and it's surprisingly more passionate each time

• sometimes his kisses can get sloppy, but that's just because he doesn't always know what he's doing or how to do it, he just wants to express it somehow that he does really love you

• kisses with bachira are very unexpected and unpredictable, but that's just how he is so don't fret

• very playful with his kisses, he will randomly grab your face and just started peppering kisses all over your face and especially if he's asking for something

• also he will kiss you anywhere, face, hands, shoulders, anywhere his lips can touch he will kiss, would also kiss your head but probably end up getting hair in his mouth and spitting it out 💀

• he will show he loves you mostly through kisses and actions, so expect a lot of kissing with this boy

• the first kiss with bachira was eventful, he had won a match with his team and literally ran up to you and just kissed you without saying anything, grinning widely after when he felt you kiss back

• bachira is never awkward with his kisses and goes straight in with no hesitation, and will do it at the most random (and worst) times possible even if they're messy

• sometimes when bachira gets desperate and you won't kiss him he'll just suddenly grab your face and kiss you with more emotion than most of the other times which shocks you, but that's what he wants

• this boy does not give a single fuck about PDA, he'll kiss you whenever and wherever he wants! he also loves it when people get jealous because then he just sticks out his tongue like ":P ha"

• kissing chigiri is like out of a literal disney movie like 😵‍💫

• he is just magically amazing at kissing, slow, passionate and loving, literally perfect there's nothing wrong with him

• he likes holding onto your hands while kissing or his hand resting on your cheek because he says he feels closer to you that way

• the first kiss with chigiri was pretty perfect, he took you out during the winter at night to look at the city and christmas decorations while drinking hot chocolate and he kissed you in front of the giant christmas tree 🤧

• chigiri ADORES forehead kisses, whether it's him doing it or you he's a sucker for them, he just thinks it's so cute

• he's the type to ask if he can kiss you before doing it (i want him)

• would totally remake kissing scenes/images from movies with you and post the pictures beside each other bragging about you

• chigiri is pretty iffy on PDA, while he does hold hands with you always and gives small pecks, he'd get embarrassed if he fully kissed you in public, especially in front of his friends

• rin thought kissing was stupid at first honestly 💀 he thought it was weird and gross at least before he met and started dating you, then he lightened up a little

• he still thought it was weird though so he didn't kiss you for a few months even after you two started dating until one day he was practicing alone with you watching him and he couldn't focus at all, so you told him you knew a way and you kissed him which then started the beginning of rin's obsession for kissing you

• if practicing which was almost always, every time he made a goal you would kiss him which surprisingly worked which you honestly didn't think would but it made him work harder and do better so 🤷‍♂️

• rin prefers to kiss you on your hand or forehead if he can't directly kiss your lips, if he's holding your hand he'll just out of nowhere lift your hand up to his lips and kiss it but act like he didn't do anything

• he gets flustered easily if you initiate the kiss, on rare occasions he will blush because he's never been treated like this before and he was so used to acting like his brother that he forgot he was his own person, not his brother's shadow

• the only times he will genuinely kiss you is when you two are alone whether in his room or on a date because it's private and he feels confident to do it when there's no one else to possibly see or poke fun at him

• his kisses are honestly a mess of emotions, and can vary at any moment, sometimes he's aggressive with it if he's desperate, sometimes he'll be slow and think through every second, or he'll just smash his lips against yours and call it a kiss of sorts

• rin hates hates HATES PDA, he would rather die than be spotted by the other blue lock contenders kissing you or doing any form of affection with you, but he will interlock your pinky finger with his when walking around

• sae also thought kissing was stupid, but he also thought dating was stupid until he started dating you, so there's that 😭

• you are quite literally the only person he enjoys being around and can tolerate, he hates everyone else pretty much, so just to get on his good side is a surprise

• the most he would do in the beginning is kiss the top of your head and maybe your hand, but it took a while to actually kiss you

• the first kiss with sae was interesting to say the least, he was arguing with rin about something and kept putting him down so you took initiative and shut him up by kissing him, shocking both brothers, let's just say it worked and they stopped fighting

• since then sae started kissing you, usually as a hello or goodbye kiss but then into thank you kisses and then just doing them for no reason

• he tries to act all cool about it and shit but he feels all giddy on the inside when he's kissing you, and it's obvious to you at least

• sae's kisses are most of the time quick and without much thought, but there are times where he does put emotion and passion into it, usually after a match or if he's feeling confident enough

• sae also hates PDA, especially when he has a reputation and people know him, so he tries to steer away from that when anywhere he goes people are trying to talk to him, he will have an arm wrapped around you though and occasionally kiss your temple

[thepringlesofblood]

so. i watched the trailers for the A:TLA live action netflix series. i went in expecting nothing, and I gotta admit some parts look intriguing. the casting, the set, the bending, the costuming, all look pretty cool. not a big fan of the cgi or how it always seems to be the dead of night in the fire nation, but i was considering watching the first episode at least, out of curiosity and mild respect.

then I saw Zuko's scar.

I thought well, it is really dark, I should wait to get a better look at it before totally freaking out.

are. are you kIDDING ME?

[important: I know nothing about this actor, this aint a dunk on him, I doubt he had a lot of input into his makeup.]

for reference, here is zuko in the OG show.

zuko’s scar isn’t a fucking bad eyeshadow job. His ear is half-melted. It takes up like 1/4-1/3 of his face. It’s not just his eye - it’s his cheekbones, it’s his forehead, it’s all down the side of his head, boy should not have a second eyebrow! I swear to god if they spend their money animating each individual hair on appa but don’t bother to get something as iconic and central to the series as zuko’s scar right? it'd be like messing up Spock's ears, except real-life people don't have Spock ears and struggle with how they are perceived by society because of it.*

*that I know of. maybe there's a secret Spock ears genetic condition I don't know about in which case I apologize

also... there was this bit. we get a quick flash of this shot

ok, we know this shot. we've seen this shot. it's the agni kai where zuko gets his scar. note the relative positions of the two people, and what the floor looks like.

then a little later, we get this shot

it's clearly the same scene. it's ozai burning zuko. but. why is there fire on both sides of zuko? it looks like he's deflecting it. like he's fighting back.

it. it is so so so important for zuko's arc and character growth that he refuses to fight his father in his first agni kai. he shows mercy when ozai does not. he is a child - he does not think to defend himself against his own father. throughout his whole arc, the whole show, but most especially season 1, it is so important to remember that the last time he showed mercy and humility, he literally got burned. that's why he's so aggressive and angry and scared and defensive.

so. why is he defending himself? is this why his scar is less pronounced? because they decided to mess with established history?

maybe we can give them the benefit of the doubt and say this is a different agni kai, or zuko re-imagining how it could've gone, or something, but like. why choose to show this then?

further rant below the cut bc its very long I haven't felt righteous fury this strong in a while

I just. I personally don’t have a facial scar or birthmark or anything, but when Hollywood sugarcoats or makes them look less “gross” or “obvious” it’s a real fuck you to people out there who do have obvious scars, birthmarks, differences, that don’t fall into the neat lines of what is considered “presentable” by the film industry. It’s important that it’s not downplayed bc then the people who see themselves in the original get betrayed by the adaptation that tells them they’re not pretty enough or that they’re “too much” to be seen on tv in live action.

Excuses I have seen thus far (mostly on reddit admittedly)

“They didn’t want to make it look too gruesome so that kids would want to watch it too" Think about that sentiment for 10 seconds, and tell me what it says to people out there who have scars like this. Are they too “scary” to be seen by children? Is their existence automatically PG-13? Something horrible and uncontrollable happened to zuko, and because of that, his life and body are irrevocably changed. People with scars like his who related to and felt seen by his representation and the way he struggles with acceptance, both by himself and by others, will receive the message that can only happen for people with less “gruesome” scars than that. Seriously.

“Of course it’s going to look different in real life vs in animation” Yes, it will. I’m not talking about the appearance of the burn necessarily, but the extent of it. The new series has it limited mostly to his eye. His ear and eyebrow are unaffected, as are his cheekbones and forehead. That is not the case in the animated show. I’m not expecting a big monochrome pink and purple blotch like there is in the OG show - animated visual shorthand is different from live action. But it should look like burned skin. And it should be as extensive as it was - it goes over his ear and eyebrow, and partway down his cheek. the whole point of it is that it’s big and unavoidable and horrifying, and that zuko was a 13 year old kid who didn’t deserve it, but now is stuck with it. That’s war. That’s what ozai is capable of.

“The makeup would be too hard” It really wouldn’t, especially not for something as important to the series as this. Zuko’s scar is central to ATLA as a whole - a symbol of the cruelty of his father and the fire nation, and more importantly his survival and eventual resistance to it. Even if it did take extra time to apply, which I don’t think it would, I’d say it’d be worth it. I’ve seen cosplays and Halloween costumes [and this excellent fan film] without access to a professional makeup and prosthetics team that looked closer to show accurate than what they’ve currently got going.

Let me also point you to examples of both comparable and much more dramatic makeup/prosthetics used regularly (as in every episode, every week, for many years) on 2 shows with smaller budgets, older technology (as in, from the 1990s), and many more seasons: Star Trek: the next generation & ds9

trust me. they can do it. this is a choice.

“What it if made it hard for him to act?” See above for examples of other actors in much more dramatic prosthetics crushing it.

"Well at least it's better than the other live action adaptation"

that CANNOT be the bar we measure things by. standing still and doing nothing is also better than getting brained with a shovel: that doesn't mean it's good.

"He has darker skin than the animated Zuko. the burn probably blends in more."

that's not how burn scars work. it's not just a darkening of the skin - the skin itself is fundamentally changed in texture and color. and again, even if the burn has a different general appearance, it should at least be as big and extensive as it is in the OG show, and it's clearly not.

“They probably didn’t want to shave his eyebrow” No, really I saw this as a point on a Reddit post. Drag queens and cosplayers have been making their eyebrows disappear and reappear for decades without access to a professional makeup and prosthetics team. He’ll be fine I swear.

[roccinan]

How do you feel when you watch the spin off? What do you think of it? And do you like it? For me, I sort of like eps 1-4, the rest are just meh, I couldn't bring myself to care for the other characters, I tried. And I was very confused, what year the spin off?. It started off good and... Idk. All I can say is that Andres truly belong in the asylum. That man creeps me out. If I were Camille, I ran away the second I saw that creep. Lol.

Hello anon! I couldn't answer you earlier because I didn't get to watch it. But now I've finished it and, hum, I certainly have a lot of thoughts that I'll probably post later LOL.

For now, here are the most fresh on my mind. I agree with you- eps 1-4 were surprisingly good, last one was pretty cool too, ralicia supremacy. I was mostly just surprised I didn't dislike it. Can't say I loved it, or that it's my ideal berlin spinoff, but for all the "factors" against it that Pina chose of his own free will asdfasdf, it turned out surprisingly OK.

Spinoff takes place around 2013, according to Pina. Which messes with the canon timeline so much we'll just have to see it as a parallel universe where time doesn't matter.

I now call spinoff!Andres my wife. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. So unfortunately, I cannot slander my bride like that.

But I liked that he was still a freak. The show didn't try to make him a better person thankfully, but I think a lot of the reviews were complaining about him being an asshole or complaining that he was ruined for not being enough of an asshole, missed the mark a bit. The main problem, if we have to pick one, about him, is that the context around him is too shallow to take seriously. His speeches about love have no substance (and they actually did in lcdp) because the circumstances have no substance. He's putting romance above the heist because well, why shouldn't he lmao? There's no personal stake here, and it's not like he'll get capital punishment for getting caught.

And that "problem" extends to everyone else. Their motives and actions are just very shallow and There for the sake of being there. Like Roi and Cameron could have had a moving romance, but instead Cameron made me cringe very badly with how much she felt like Alex Pina's idea of "hawt gurl with sad past!!" And said "sad" past was actually really fucked up but the story didn't seem to think so!? It wasn't a tragic romance--it was a 20-something musician sleeping with a 15yo fangirl, abducting her, and then traumatizing her so badly she entered the asylum and ended up hanging out with berlin. Like????

I'll say I misunderstood Keila though. Liked her a lot better in the show than the trailers. But everytime I went "oh, I like her uwu" she'd do something that makes me GAG like inhaling Bruce's sweat or licking his spoon asdfasdf Also the part where she confessed her love for him after the snake bite gave me secondhand embarrassment. None of the love stories felt lasting, believable, or touching to me. Probably because there were too many of them and it was even more convenient than lcdp proper!

Bruce was different than I expected. He's insensitive, but not "dumb" like the character descriptions made him out to be. Same as Keila. Everytime I thought "I like him uwu" he'd do something like talk about pubic hair or cover himself in oil/water, instantly making me die.

Damian is Sergio 2.0 and also Martin 2.0, but straight and old. No strong feelings for him either way. But it was funny that Andres got so mad about sharing a bed with him, when he was willingly hopping into bed with Martin LMAO. Also ngl, it stung my little berlermo heart to see Damian and Andres sing karaoke and go on a lover's bike ride together.

Roi was my favorite new member. He felt like a real original character, and his relationships with Cameron and Andres were nicely fleshed out even if they both confused me. Cameron because the romance was shallow to me. Andres because Roi never told us how they met or why Andres took him in. Andres giving Roi advice on temper control is also hilarious. We'll just have to assume that Andres is willing to raise everyone's kid except his own. He even took that one boy to the bathroom asdfasdf

But overall, I agree anon. I just didn't care for the new characters the same way I did the old gang or the cormorants. Maybe because the stakes were too low or because they were always beautiful and perfect (except Damian lol) no matter the situation. I personally think the producers were trying very hard to create new stars with this show, so they aggressively showed off Pina's flashy new blorbos (cameron, keila, bruce, and roi) but you can't force popularity. This is also my conspiracy theory for the lack of Sergio- they knew having the profesor here would take too much attention from the flashy new blorbos.

Not much to say about Camille. Was hoping she'd be cooler/smarter than this, but what kind of smart woman would not see the red flags in Andres LMAO. Wasn't surprised when Polignac turned out to be an asshole either- man just has the face of a jerk. Was disappointed that they didn't have a threesome with Andres. And the smartest person was Camille's friend.

Lastly, SAME ANON LOL Andres was an insane stalker, off the wall crazy and so annoying about it too. I wish Camille would have slapped him in the end, but oh well- at least their storyline didn't end as stupidly as it could have. She got her money at least XD Hopefully she's not dumb enough to reunite with him (and if she's wife no. 4 we know it didn't work out already).

Does the show deserve a season 2? No. Will I watch season 2? Yes LOL

Main takeaways:

Romance 1/10 Heist 7.5/10 Pedro's face 11/10 New characters 2/10 (not sharing all of their backstories or why/how they ended up in berlin's gang was a major weak point imo) Story 5/10

A solid 7/10 if we don't compare it to lcdp.

[smilingangel582]

Who am I to deny a request... anyway, yall better send me any requests u need....I'll try my best!!

Warning spoilers alert watch or read the manga Oshi no ko

Just to see that smile

"Aqua-kun, you seem distracted?"

Eating his parfait, he noticed she had just begun to speak after a gentle stroll around the amusement park. He and Akane just got on their first date, and it was turning out pretty good, though he hadn't intended to be this intimate with her.

"Oh, no... just wondering"

Akane tilted her head now munching the cream "...about?"

He realised he almost let slipped crucial information about his plan, shaking his head. He managed a smile to make her see "Yeah never mind that, where else should we go?"

Huffing, there's a cute pout she managed to reflect for the first time in front of him without acting as Ai Hoshino "There you go again..."

"What?"

"That smile, it's so forced... why...? You always look so sad"

The words somewhat irritated him, and he sighed, stopping his pace for a moment to face her "Well it's not like I don't enjoy it. it's my way... sorry about that"

Her pout contorted to concern, did she go too far and ruined the mood?

Still, she should be able to do something about that bitter look. He's got a lovely face so the least he could do he be happy and create a nice expression for her.

Looking back at the amusement park, she cast her seagreen eyes towards the ferris wheel "Hey forget it, let's ride the ferris wheel, I hope you aren't afraid of heights"

"I have no objection"

They began taking more photos but this time Akane was enjoying her time with him, mostly because she intended to make him laugh one way or another.

"Look at this." she showed a funny cat video on her phone, and he looked at it. Seeing how it was a sweet attempt to lighten the mood, he gave a gentle smile

Close enough but not what she wanted.

Next, she would pull some funny faces to tease him. In fact, it was kind of a terrible attempt. Instead, he was confused. "Are you alright?"

She puffed her cheeks "Aaah I give..."

"Give up on what?"

"You're pretty tough, I tried to make you laugh, but you didn't."

He put two to two and then widened his eyes in realisation. He ruffled his own hair with slightly awkwardness. "I... I'm sorry, I guess my mood did affect you too, but trust me, your efforts were not in vain"

He grinned now, something better... she blushed as he looked very handsome. She wondered if its real or if its just acting. If it's acting he surpassed man actors.

She hummed now, ready to give up, but then another idea popped to her head. He watched her raised her wrists now clawing them "Oh but I got one more trick up my sleeve"

He was still puzzled but then yelped when she dug her fingers on his waist. He was squirming to escape now. The ferris wheel they were on was only a trap for Aqua. He did not expect her to resort to this. He blushed now. "Hohold ohohon... wehehe're ihin publihic!"

"It's revenge for being such a party pooper" Akane snickered now pushing her fingers up his ribs knowing they were bad enough for someone like him.

"Eh, the great Aqua-kun is actually ticklish?"

"OK OK, cuhuhut it out nohohow!" He giggled now, curling to the corner, trying hard not to let out anymore embarrassing sounds.

She hit wrongs spots every time he tried to escape.

"Wait did you snort?"

"Nononononohoho THhahHahts bAHAHAD!"

"You're ribs? Huh, funny. I realised the backs are more sensitive than the fronts... strange"

Aqua arched his back. His thoughts were a chaotic mess. So far, only Ruby and Ai had driven him crazy like this.

"Ah... this spot looks nice too" Akane devilishly kneaded the top ribs that were behind but close to his underarms. It was the last straw... he can't win against this teasing and torment.

"IHIHI NOHOHO! WAHAHAIT, TIME OUT! FOHOHOR REHEHEAL AHAHAKNE SAHAHAN!"

She listened now and backed off with giggles tumbling from her own lips. She hadn't expected him to be this sensitive.

"It's... kind of cute" she said as he straightened up covering his face with embarrassment. She poked his stomach to get him to show thst face and he did revealed a rather roused and ruffled expression, something she never saw in him before.

She felt her own cheeks heat up.

"As long as you don't post anything about what happened at the ferris wheel just now..." he said in a shakey voice,"...we're cool"

Before he could hear her reply, she leaned forward, pressing her warm lips to his own. It was a brief but delicate kiss that even Aqua wasn't ready for.

She looked away now with a smile. "You look adorable when you laugh... so you should do it more."

She added, alluring him while licking her lips. "It's payback for last time... at love now. " her eyes suddenly shone like stars with perspiring brightness in that beautiful pool of emotions.

He was startled, feeling the heat restrain his own cheeks much longer. He looked down now, silent but also much subtle. "Y-yeah... um, thanks..."

He turned to look at her one last time... was it because she was good as Ai, or was it her own charisma?

He didn't know what this sensation was... this fuzzy warmth. Somehow, it feels dangerous...

[momokodaisy]

Like yeah, I know John had a wife, but sex still played no role in his films, just pure love. So it was disappointing for the first episode of ‘The Continental’ to have three sex scenes — one happening off to the side in the most lifeless 1970s New Year’s Party I’ve ever seen (people looked more shuffling than dancing), then young Winston has one mostly kept offscreen, so I though ‘okay, that’s a little better’, but then they have two detectives outright naked, showing their backsides and doing the act onscreen for a solid minute, and I was like WHY. This is the ‘John Wick’ franchise. You’re appealing to the wrong people here, we really don’t need to see that. It literally had nothing to do with the plot. And my non-asexual friend hated it too, so I know it’s not just an ace thought in this case. The opening fight was pretty good though.

So I have not seen any part of the Continental TV show, nor will I ever watch it, so I can't give my 100% Verified Critic TM opinions, and thus I will be going off your testimony, Anon. And uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah. It sounds exactly as bad as I expected it to be.

First, just for context for others who maybe haven't seen the films - sex is not at all a thing in JW quadriology. There are no sex scenes, John has no love interests, I don't even think there's an instance where a character catcalls or makes a reference to getting laid. The most sexually charged scene, arguably, is a quick shot of Ares touching John's butt during a patdown. Even the scene where a woman removes all her clothes is written and shot intentionally un-sexually charged as possible and is instead far more sad and tragic. So yeah, throwing sex scenes and sexually-charged nudity into a """""John Wick"""" tv series is. fuckin stupid.

The real problem here, though, isn't that the creators are making unnecessary sex scenes, that's a symptom of a bigger issue. The issue is that the show is not at all interested in what made the John Wick movies work. The John Wick movies are pure action camp, they are over-the-top depictions of guys fighting each other in brutal and violent ways, just done artistically. Rule of Cool is law, and that makes for some of the most stunningly gorgeous visual cinema to date. The JW films can be summarized as "pretty man in suit do murder" and as long as it looks good, that's all that it needs to be. Sure, Kolstad and Stahelski added some crazy worldbuilding that gets more and more ridiculous as the movies go, but again, this is just an excuse for Keanu Reeves to get in a black suit and pretend to shoot a fuckton of stunt guys. None of this needs to make sense. The world John lives in does not need to be logical or realistic, it just needs to service the next action scene. Because, let's face it, this is a classic Greek tragedy unfolding before our eyes, John nor anyone else is gonna have a character arc, there aren't subplots that need to be tied up by the end. We're just here for the spectacle. And that's ok.

However, we live in a disgusting timeline where studios feel the need to a make cinematic universe out of everything, so instead of just fuckin…. giving Kolstad or Stahelski or literally anyone the money and resources to make more projects, they try to come up with shit from an IP. And all Lionsgate really has going for it right now is The Hunger Games and John Wick, so they want something with JW franchise names we know. Hence, a backstory about Winston and the Continental, which literally?? no one asked for?? ever????? If anyone actually cares about Winston's original rise to power, or what John did to hide Sofia's daughter, or what exactly happened in the three-men-in-a-bar-with-a-pencil story, we fanfic writers have already gotten to work on that, I don't need a panel of executives doing that for me. And a part of the appeal of the John Wick underworld is that it's there, it exists, it's just how the world works, and we do not question it. The moment we start asking questions about how it works proves that we've lost the point, which is YO BRO JOHN'S SWORDFIGHTING THE IRON CHEF GUY WITH KATANA IN A GLASS ROOM THIS IS SO SICK

So. yeah. doesn't surprise me at all the sex scenes felt out of place and don't work for a John Wick spin off. Nothing about this premise works as a John Wick spin off. Put shit in, get shit out.

[max1461]

Ok, ok. Here's what the discourse on standardized testing is missing (at least in my experience): one of the main reasons that people are opposed to standardized testing is that taking tests is unpleasant for most people. Like, there's all this high-minded discussion around testing, discussion of race and discrimination and fairness and blah blah blah, and I don't think it's bad discussion, but look... you cannot deny that people do not like tests! That one of the main reasons "tests are bad" is appealing as a positions is because tests are unpleasant to take! Did everyone forget this, because they were a nerd who liked tests? The absence of this element in the discourse is baffling to me!

So, ok, look, I'll lay out my own feelings on the matter: I am tentatively in favor of standardized testing as a major part of the admissions process to schools, where such selection methods are really necessary rather than a branding exercise (discussion for another time), because the evidence seems to show that it's far easier to prevent discrimination in testing than it is in "holistic" admissions procedures. I haven't looked into the topic extremely deeply, so I could be wrong, but from what I have seen that appears to be the reality of the situation. So, there you go, standardized testing seems to have its place.

But, look... testing sucks? Can we acknowledge that it is very unpleasant? It's very unpleasant. I'm pretty sure that if you like it, you are the exception. It's very stressful! And if you don't do well, it's this big piece of paper staring at you and saying "you suck, and you don't get to live the life you wanted because you suck. Hah!" and you expect people to like, wholeheartedly embrace that? Extraordinary missing mood.

[Venting portion]

So, generally I do pretty well on tests. I got a near-perfect score when I took the GRE. Well, then I took the GRE Math Subject Test and got like the 25th percentile, and that's why I'm not in math grad school right now. Or, well, a big part of why. I'll spare you the details.

And let me tell you, I really wanted to be in math grad school. I worked my ass off for years. I took hard classes and stayed up all night and forwent time with friends. And I did well. And there were professors who told me they thought I was good, that I really had what it takes. And I could make excuses for why I did badly on the test, like... it's mostly calculation problems and I've never been good at those, my actual proof skills (which is what I think I'm good at) weren't tested at all, solving integrals under a time limit is not that representative of math research... but like, whatever, I got what I got and that's that.

Tried a second time and it wasn't any better. Maybe I'll try again someday.

But, one way or another, I can't help but feel like... I'm good at math! I'm mean maybe I'm not the best, but I definitely don't suck. And I like math, a lot! And I wanted to do math, a lot!

So like, I don't know, forgive me if I'm sympathetic to the people who don't like testing. Emma Goldman said "if I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution". Well, to a certain degree, if I can't do math I don't want to be part of your fair society.

Well, sorry for getting personal. I'll make this one unrebloggable.

[\Venting portion]

[archives-of-camelot]

Track 3 - Answers

Fandom: Hypnosis Mic

Series: Old Wounds

Characters: Eli, Ann mentioned (@nimue-hidden-lake), Ole (@nimue-hidden-lake)

Ann and Ole came in through the door, finally having returned after a long day. They removed their shoes, as was the rules laid out by Eli. 'Wipe your feet and take off your shoes before coming in'. Simple rules. He was never one to ask much of anyone, just that the bare minimum be shown. They tried to do as much as they could to help out. Despite what he might say or think, he was a generous host.

"We're back!" they announced, as Ole made his way to his spot, the couch.

'Odd' they thought to themselves. 'He's usually cooking by now'.

"Heya sis" they heard suddenly from the table, making them jump.

"A-Ah! D-Don't sneak up on me like that" they huffed, thinking it was one of his pranks.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya..." he sounded rather melancholy.

Ann quickly noticed his tone, and shifted focus.

"Are...you ok...?"

"Could be better...and I know I usually say that but I mean it this time"

The air felt heavy, as Eli toyed with his mic in his hand, resisting the urge to throw it as far as he could. Ann stopped themselves from inquiring further. If he was gonna talk, it should be on his terms.

Eli took a deep breath, and pulled out a chair for them. They sat across from him, as Ole's ears perked up, listening from his spot.

"You're not stupid, so I'll cut to the chase. You probably figured out by now that I lied. About the 'not making it as a performer' thing, right?" he folded his arms.

"Well, yeah. It didn't make sense. Once Ole brought out the mic, it kinda went from there"

Eli nodded his head and sighed. His hunch was right. Of course it was. You'd have to be stupid not to see something.

"Well, it's better you find out from me than the rumor mill so I figured it was time" he shook his head and took another deep breath.

Ann gave him their full attention.

"I was a performer. A rapper, as you know, obviously. But I was more than just a rapper...at least to the public" he looked down at his mic again. "After some people witnessed a few of my solo acts, we decided to band together" he stood up and paced as he talked.

"We got scooped up by some officials, and that's when they became my first crew..." he smiled weakly. A mixture of both nostalgia and pain as he recalled that time.

Ole and Ann listened.

"Makes sense you were in a crew before us. But...what happened...?" they cautiously asked. Eli's grip on his mic tightened for a moment.

"After that, we made a name for ourselves. The Roundtable... We were the Squire...the Jester...the Warrior..." he stopped for a moment and held up his mic. "And the Knight..."

Ann's eyes widened for a moment. They knew he was a rapper, but...

"You're...the Knight...?"

"Yeah. Couldn't tell could ya? H-heh..." he flashed a fake smile and continued. "We did alot of gigs. It went better then we thought at first. People loved us more than we expected. We got alot of fans, and all kinds of people showed up to see us do our thing" he closed his eyes, remembering the crowds of people, all cheering and hyped to see the group perform.

"I remember. You guys were the fastest rising group on the charts at the time. Everyone heard about you guys. Especially you" they were going to continue, but stopped when noticing him grimace. "O-Oh, sorry...now's not the time..."

"No no, it's fine. It was a pretty good time. I had some of the most fun I've ever had in my life" he sighs. "But things were going too well, I guess. Nothing built, lasts forever"

"Your retirement..." they chimed in, putting the pieces together.

"That's the legal word for what happened, I guess..."

"What really happened...?"

The room went silent for a moment...

"When we hit our peak, the higherups brought up some 'reviews' and concerns. They weren't too pleased with how I was running things. They wanted something to change. They made alot of demands. Mostly to be a more 'by the book' kinda group. Apparently, our music attracted and encouraged 'undesirable behavior' in our fans"

"And..."

"I told them to swallow it. I doubled down. I wasn't about to be told how we should do things" he folded his arms. "But...things went from bad to worse when we were called to a meeting. They made one last demand: 'Either you follow our advice, or you leave'. Same old I thought at the time. I assumed my crewmates would have had my back but..."

He paused a moment, sitting back down across from Ann. He took yet another deep breath before continuing.

"They wanted to conform with the 'new rules'. I disputed the change, as I always did. And that's when the arguing started..."

"With the group?" Ann nodded in thought.

"Nope...just one. The Warrior...Kazuki Unagi. Me and him never really got along. I never did find out what his problem was but he always started arguments with me, and talked behind my back...at a point it only got worse. Sometimes the others had to step in before things got too heated, but we usually put aside our beef for the better of the group. But not this time..."

His face contorted with guilt, as he remembered that night. The words they exchanged...the verbal blows they exchanged.

"This time there was no stopping us...things got heated fast. Some things were said that...I can never take back. He provoked me with my parents, so I brought up how if it weren't for me, no one would have known he even existed...that he was my #2 for a reason...I called him a dog..."

Ann kept nodding along, though in their mind they were shocked. What he was describing as his past self...it was so different to the Eli they had gotten to know. As short as their time together has been so far, they'd have never had guessed any of what he was telling them.

"We went back and forth, until I had enough...a fight broke out...I don't remember most of what happened. All I remember is finally agreeing to quit. 'If you think you're better off without me, then fine' I shouted. The next day, the dispute was disguised as a simple retirement. Nobody but us would know what happened that night...but I haven't forgotten..."

Eli laid his head in his hands, barely able to recall the verbal blows turning physical with Kazuki.

"For years I wondered...if things had been better had I just listened and kept my temper in check...if I hadn't run my mouth... Kazuki always said he could run the group better than I ever could...maybe he was right, I'll never know... Ever since, I vowed to never sing or pick up my mic again...but of course, you know how that turned out..." he looked over at Ole.

The cat stared blankly, as Ann processed all this information. They expected answers, but not to this extent. Eli broke the silence as he stood up finally.

"I...I think I'll clock in early tonight..." as he made his way to his room, before closing the door.

Ann sat, thinking to themselves. This was alot to digest.

Track list - Track 2 - Track 4

[foolish-fitz]

rain wild chronicles thoughts (mostly negative ones)

warning for me being a hater - if you liked this series, I'm happy for you!!! feel free to click away from this criticism with the knowledge that it's okay to like and dislike different things.

that being said, this was by far my least favorite Hobb series. there are some things I really liked, but I feel overwhelmingly "meh" about this series. it feels like there's a lot of missed potential and it's a significant dip in quality from what I know Hobb can do.

I think this review is best formatted with a list of things I liked, and things I didn't.

things I liked:

I really enjoyed and related to aspects of Thymara's arc. her struggles with the model minority idea was super interesting, and her issues with sexuality hit home for me in a weird (but good) way.

the Rain Wilds :) they are so cool! tree cities yes please!!!

Malta in book 3. this deserves another post and I've already ranted about it on Discord, but I'm continually amazed by Hobb's skill in developing characters. we pick up with Malta after a significant time gap, and she is clearly different, but it's so clearly still her and she's been informed by everything that's happened to her and it's just amazing.

also the scene where she gives birth to Phron and kills the Chalcedean. good for her. it was extremely disturbing to me but also extremely badass

also her relationship with Reyn is very sweet

the Hest/Sedric flashbacks to the start of their relationship

learning more about the ancient Elderlings and their city was cool

things I disliked:

Malta in book 4. "but Eve you just talked about how much you love her" yes but she got fucking boring in book 4 ok. she did nothing.

this actually hits on a bigger issue with RWC to me, which is that none of the characters really had a character arc worthy of four books. most of them had a pretty simple thing (in terms of story) to overcome - ie Sedric and Alise realizing Hest was a horrible abuser and finding self-worth without him, Thymara embracing her sexuality and choosing a partner, etc - but once they did that, or if the story wasn't allowing them to make progress at that point, their arcs just kind of... stopped. which could have been workable, except Hobb was committed to giving characters POVs even if nothing interesting was happening with them.

this is my main frustration with Alise - it feels like her arc pretty much ends when she has sex with Leftrin. yeah there's the stuff about being a scholar and accepted into the Elderling community, but it's boring and not impactful to me and doesn't feel satisfying. but even when she's a very static character, she still has POVs, and they're repetitive and boring.

WHY HAS PARAGON BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH ANOTHER CHILD. WHAT THE FUCK. this better get addressed in F&tF or I riot. (no spoilers please)

WHY DID WE NOT GET ALTHEA AND BRASHEN'S KID'S NAME. i have been waiting for so long!! (again, no spoilers)

Selden's arc ends with him being dragon pilled again!! whyyyy. it could be interesting if it was showing the futility of trying to build a life without the dragons, and how he's destined to be a slave to them and that's tragic, but nope! he's just a happy minstrel again! yay /sarcasm

the dragon and Elderling plot in general kind of went nowhere... it was cool to see the Elderling development but the books ended without most of the dragons changing in any significant ways, and the new Elderling society really wasn't explored to the extent I was expecting.

THE WAR AGAINST CHALCED IS LIKE FOUR FUCKING PAGES LONG. it's one battle and the resolution isn't even on screen!!!!!! the narration of the dragons flying to Chalced is longer than the ENTIRE WAR WITH CHALCED. girl.

I could go on but I don't want to.

TLDR: I was really disappointed in RWC. I thought the characters were pretty shallow and boring and didn't deserve four books of POVs, the plot was... fine but not exciting, and the resolution was rushed and not impactful.

[shenyaanigans]

Nahida for the character ask meme?

YESSSSS!! ok so. this got long. i'm gonna put it under a cut!! also genshin spoilers up to patch 3.3!!

First impression

when nahida was first marketed, i felt an INTENSE type of way about her and like. not in a good way. all the sumeru marketing was coming out at that point and it made it pretty clear from the get go that gnshn was going pretty hard on the colorism, which--while expected--was vaguely frustrating. we had no clue whether or not sumeru's writing was going to be good, especially considering the quality of early 2.0, but the latter patches of inazuma had given me hope that sumeru's writing might be of the same caliber.

so when nahida came out and was Lilly White, amongst a sea of mostly Lilly White characters (save for cyno, dehya, and candace, who are all from the desert, and even then, those three are pretty light-skin), i had pretty much written her off. i wasn't sure if she would be ei 2.0 or what, but i figured if gnshn couldn't even acknowledge that the region they based part of their game on has many brown people of all shades, light and dark, and this could not be reflected in their designs, i wouldn't hold my breath that they would be able to write a halfway decent female archon.

with all that said tho....

Impression now

yeah ok she's my favorite LMAOOO.

i'm actually a bit conflicted bc like. while i wouldn't say every single bit of sumeru has been perfectly written or anything, for gnshn standards, it's really good bc it's like. normal level passable, you know what i mean? and that's in large part because basically every sumeru character is exceedingly compelling. even characters i was suspecting i wouldn't care for as much based on their drip marketing and such (candace, dori) still had fun moments and were not bland. which is a rly hard circle to square bc like. gnshn very specifically decided not to design them to be brown when they could have. in fact some of them would have had BETTER designs had they been brown (tighnari, nahida, both with the green and white color palettes in their clothes with darker skin tones would have been really nice). but the writing in this patch is decidedly better than the last. and yet also sumeru STILL has a lot of racist overtones--hard to tell if the way the desert people are treated is like. trying to showcase the way oppression works and the akademiya is wrong, which is sort of true, or if the story really thinks the desert people are just stupid and undeserving and bc they worshipped a god who lost, they should pay the price, which is uuhhhhhhhhh.

anyways basically. i feel complicated about the metatext surrounding all of sumeru. however from a story perspective and from a base level character perspective, i LOVE nahida. she is my skrunkly. she is so funny, she is so cute. she is trying her best to lead her people into a new era after the akademiya's corruption, and she's not afraid to make deals with bad people because her focus is on solving problems, not moral purity. she still has the "evil-good" line of thought that is unfortunately part of gnshn's storywriting, but her actions show she is a lot more black and white, so the "evil/good" rhetoric when it comes (which is actually quite rare) feels a bit more like author mouthpiece. (not to say that someone with black and white morality can't be interesting--cyno's my BOY--but a lot of gnshn characters who exhibit those behaviors are in fact not interesting bc it's supposed to be a given that we agree on what's right and what's wrong and half the time i'm like ????).

anyways, her relationship with the traveler and dunyarzad and scaramouche in particular have compelled me so much. she feels like a fully fleshed out character who is trying to do right by her people, and yet she's also a little kooky, a little underhanded. it's a fun balance. also scaramouche is her pet, and i find that extraordinarily delightful.

Favorite moment

man there were so many good ones but like. that moment when she breaks down crying while she's talking to greater lord rukkahdevata in irminsul just. the reckoning she had to do with a version of herself she's idolized, whom she's aspired to be, only to find that the only way to save her nation and become it's true god is to destroy it. the pain of having to say goodbye to a version of you that you liked better because you've been forever changed by traumatic events, and the memory of who you were before is not only an impossible goal to reach, but a toxic force that limits growth in the future.

anyways i just really like how she had to deal with grief, and how after, it's awful to know she no longer has the comfort of that memory, but heartwarming because instead she has a confidence and self-possession that would never have been possible if GLR hadn't been erased.

Idea for a story

i want to see her interact with zhongli and venti (sorry i rly do not like ei >~<) and i want to see how all three of them laugh over tea but also feel a pain and wistfulness at the same time. like sort of like when in kh2 (sorry), sora is saying goodbye to the twilight town crew and both sora and that group are like "idk why we feel an obligation to one another/why we feel so fucking sad but we do". i think it'd be cool if nahida also cried a bit when she was saying goodbye, but she couldn't figure out why...

Unpopular opinion

SHE'S NOT SCARAMOUCHE'S LITTLE SISTER. GOD. i love love love love scaramouche & nahida's relationship, it's fucking GREAT (see below). but one thing that makes me so mad is the way in which people just cannot help themselves when it comes to assigning a familial role to any character that's not in a romantic relationship with another. and little sister for nahida is particularly infuriating because like. she's the god of wisdom and is very much NOT a little girl in the way we picture little girls. she is a young god and is normal development for a vaguely immortal being (think Link in comparison to Mipha; they're developmentally the same age when Link is 17-18, but Mipha is around 55). but a god's development isn't on the same plane as a person's development, and i can't stand the infantilization.

(i'm not getting into the discourse of whether it's ok or not to ship nahida with other characters, so when i say i don't like her being infantilized that isn't an argument for or against that. i'm not interested)

anyways. all that is to say, it's a huge pet peeve of mine to put any character relationship into uncomplicated nuclear family dynamics. like i feel like it's just a way of justifying why ships that you don't like are "problematique" yknow??

Favorite relationship

so like i said, scaramouche and nahida are so fun. i like to think of them as friends/scaramouche is sort of her pet, and i think it's really funny. like they have so much in common when it comes to the "being erased from irminsul and then combined with a past self" thing, even though nahida doesn't know that, and their desire for self-discovery is so interesting. and like, scaramouche REALLY wants a purpose. he feels so empty inside, wandering from place to place, because he was supposed to be a puppet for the raiden shogun but wasn't quite right, and ever after that he's never known what to do with himself because he quite literally failed his one reason for existing. and nahida does this thing where she provides him with a purpose by having things for him to do, but she tries to respect his autonomy. she gives him the chance to know himself again and make decisions for himself regardless of whether it fits her agenda or not.

also scaramouche's relationship with emotions, with vengeance is such an interesting parallel and like ok, the GAME will not go into this because it's propaganda, but thinking about how angry nahida was at the sages for what they did to her and then thinking about scaramouche's relationship to what people have done to him i think would open up a new avenue to her. like nahida does the thing where she's like "yes your past self is evil" and i'm like "girl you cannot tell me you didn't feel sympathy for him, you let him go off the shits!"

anyways. marge.png. i just think they're neat.

Favorite headcanon

oooooo this is a toughie!! i think my favorite headcanon would probably be that nahida and cyno are besties and i think she plays TCG with him. and i think it'd be like. MASSIVELY funny if she was bad at it. like you know how benoit blanc in glass onion was super bad at clue and among us?? like nahida should be really bad at TCG, just because it would be funny. roger rabbit rules.

when this headcanon eventually gets jossed i'm gonna be so sad about it

[jdscanvas]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic----It Doesn’t Deserve It’s Fanbase

I feel like based on the amount of traction that one post I made years ago about how I felt about the Changelings post-Season 6, I should finally clarify how I actually feel about the show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It's been almost three years since the show concluded, and in that time I came to a realization...

It doesn't deserve the community that was built around it, and I honestly feel like the fandom and even the IDW comics (of what little I know of them) took far better advantage of the world and characters.

Now I am heading into this argument on somewhat shaky legs, because I have never actually sat down and watched an entire episode of the show.

Why didn't I? Well to tell the truth it was fear. Whenever I thought of doing it, I would start suffering serious nervousness and second-hand embarrasment. I could never figure out why. After seeing how the series finale was handled, and then seeing where Hasbro was going with G5, I have my answer: I wouldn't be caught dead watching this Care Bears level cringe.

Most folks who love the show might say it was better than anyone expected a show attached to this toy line to be good since it was primarily targeted towards girls and yet it ended up having mass appeal. I wholeheartedly believe that Lauren Faust had a clear passionate vision for the series, but even in the beginning information came out that the final show did not always turn out how she wanted. Luna and Celestia should have been the only alicorns, Celestia was supposed to be a queen, etc. Faust claimed she wanted to create a show that challenged the perception that shows for girls tend to be low quality. One quote I remember being sourced from her was that in these shows characters could defeat villains by crying/smiling/something along these lines. The show's solution to this? Anti-climatic friendship kamehamehas. Like almost every villain was defeated this way, even in the Seasons that Faust was directly involved in. Sometimes the journey to get to the kamehamehas was different, but literally nothing else ever worked.

Even when the Elements of Harmony aren't directly involved, a friendship kamehameha ended up being the answer. Or, going directly against Faust's desire for her show, beating them via emotional speeches, LIKE STARLIGHT GLIMMER. And honestly, Starlight I was always on-and-off about. On one hand she felt like a replacement for Twilight for fans who absolutely despised her alicorn princess fate, and on the other she felt like a Filmore (the disney show) style character---a former foe/deliquent who is recruited by the good guys and that which leads to their redemption. Literally all the writers had to do was have Starlight initally punished/imprisoned for the nasty stuff she did in Season 5, and then have Twilight take pity on her and take her under her wing (literally). And I would've had no problems with that; the concept of a character like that is really cool to me. You could've also taken out two birds with one stone and use Starlight as an example for kids that anyone can change as long as they want to. To some extent though, Discord technically already fulfilled that role in Seasons 3 and 4 so I guess the writers' hands were tied here?

Twilight being an alicorn, in hindsight, was a huge mistep that I don't believe Faust would've ever been OK with if she was still there to do anything about it. Twilight was a nerd, a bookworm, an aspiring master wizard. Some skeptics would argue the only reason she became an alicorn princess was because it was a show for girls and girls wanna be pretty princesses. I argue it was mostly a case of main character syndrome, and how the "nowhere-to-go-but-up" mentality can ultimately screw up a character. Like...Goku is super-powerful, to an almost ridiculous degree, but Toriyama didn't make him the new King Kai, or the new freaking Omni-King? Luffy may eventually become the Pirate King, but he's not going to become King of the whole damn world! Naruto always wanted to become Hokage of his village, and he did, but that doesn't mean it would've made sense to make him like Grand Master of all Ninja Villages of the World??? Consequently, why in the hell did Twilight need to be turned into Chad Celestia (or Celestia 2.0)? Yeah sure she had leadership qualities but that doesn't qualify her to be a monarch of an entire country/kingdom. Even with the exsistence of the Council of Friendship, it was so obvious at the end that she was Celestia and Luna's replacement because hurr durr she main character. Was it because of other characters that became leaders of their "tribes" (Thorax, Ember, etc.)? Keep in mind, by the end of the series she had her own castle and school ON TOP OF CELESTIA'S CASTLE AND SCHOOL. Guys, this isn't an Elder Scrolls game where you can just keep piling on important titles onto your protagonist. From a narrative standpoint, I guess the writers just had no other places to take Twilight. They had her achieve basically all of her dreams at once (except the Master Wizard thing, because I don't think she was ever considered the next Starswirl, just a super powerful ball of magic), so what "shocking" developments could they have given her next? Ruling all of Equestria. Even taking into account that Faust apparently always intended Twilight to succeed Celestia in some fashion, I seriously doubt she intended to mutate her into Neo Celestia. You put her side by side by her friends, and she doesn't even look like one of them anymore, she sticks out like a sore thumb (doubly so in the future episode).

I do believe effort was placed in some of the humor and especially some of the non main characters, but almost all the characters post....Season 2 never got enough screentime to truly take advantage of the story potential. How many fans of Shining Armor like me were praying that he at least had an episode focusing on how he felt being the only non-alicorn royalty? Wouldn't anyone have loved an episode where Armor and Cadence got to meet the new changelings and really get to know Thorax and Pharynx and what not (or did Thorax's debut episode count as checking that box?)? Why did the Cutie Mark Crusaders (again the mere words "cutie mark" really make it near impossible to see anything in this world as genuinely dramatic) need to have nearly identical cuite marks? Even taking into account their "destines" to help other kids find their talents, you didn't have to make them homogenous from a design standpoint to do so. Meh, but they got more than others did. Cadence I loved more as a potential cool character, but they never developed her enough even when she had so much more screentime in later seasons. Her infant daughter who couldn't even talk got more development. Flurry being born an alicorn felt like a kick in the gonads to fans that wanted an alicorn Shining Armor. Like wow his daughter gets to be born one, but he doesn't even get the honor of proving himself worthy? Spike getting wings doesn't count because he's a dragon and that was an obvious leap in intuition. Speaking of Spike, he's one of the more developed non-main characters (although to some he's the Butters of this show, the unofficial extra main character) but even he got done a little dirty. I say a little because his crush on Rarity never went anywhere, it was just one-note comic relief, and they only ever talk about what it was like to grow up with Shining Armor and Twilight in the final season. That little moment where he wins the Sibling Supreme crown and they tell him he's the little brother they've always had? Awesome, yes, more of that please. Also his future self looks like a freaking Chad. Like why did they give him a buff body type that wasn't too far removed from how he fantasized about himself? I've heard some theories as to why but I don't really agree with them.

Celestia is a strange case to me because I was glad to see more of her personality show in the later seasons, but you could also argue that she was made to be more like Twilight (and maybe they did that to try and convince fans that it was totally a natural evolution for Twilight to become like Celestia because they're so alike yo!). I know Faust always intended her to be somewhat mysterious and now I can't help but feel like the writers went against that idea. Luna was always a favorite of mine, and they handled her very well when they did focus on her, I don't have too many complaints there. Honestly, the characters that weren't given much development could've gotten plenty, because they managed to do exactly that with Sunburst in Season 6. One two part episode, and he automatically became one of the more interesting side characters. Heck, I'd even argue Maude from Season 4 gets this honor even if parts of her are the generic "stoic misfit". Pharynx I think was handled pretty well in Season 7 as well, for someone who only ever mattered in one episode (again they could've done so much more with him).

I remember thinking that the movie that came out in 2017 could've been like The Lego Movie of little girl's cartoons if they played their cards right, but even just based on interviews the creators clearly were not concerned about doing anything interesting.

Equestria Girls should've never been a thing, and kind of went against the whole point of the franchise not being so stereotypically girly girly. I mean jeez the main series still had the balls to lampoon the whole "we totally aren't like those girly girl generic shows" on occasion (like in Rainbow Dash's nightmare) but like....you have a concept called "cutie marks", hearts decorate almost every piece of architecture, the main character was made a princess for no real reason, the highest authorities are princesses and not queens "because queens are evil bad guys", your theme song is like something out of a generic Disney TV special, and your heroes never get to actually directly fight and win against the villians.

Powerpuff Girls literally did the whole "girly show that's actually bad ass and funny" thing years before you (of which Mrs. Faust was a writer, and it's being revived with original creator on the helm so yay!)....

I can't help but think that the show being inherently connected to a franchise called My Little Pony, and therefore being the first part of the title, the first thing people think of when they think of this show, ruined a lot of it's chances of being taken more seriously. You hear that title and you cannot distance it from literally the most generic girly girl stuff you can ever think of. You remember that's the franchise this is connected to, and you think of all the attempts FiM made to be like one of the "good shows" with "actual stories worth telling" just not meshing well. Was the show Dead on Arrival? Clearly not if so many folks of all walks of life saw something in it worth salvaging.

All the other shows of FiM's generation, even the PG ones that kids of the same age group shouldn't techincally be watching unsupervised but many many kids did, Regular Show, Adventure Time, freaking Gumball, Steven Universe. These shows had far more intricate characters and lore, had more interesting styles, and told far more interesting stories that went beyond generic Aesops. Again, even taking into account the PG rating of most of these, GUMBALL, a show that while on occasion dabbles into the juvenile, was also still able to tell interesting stories with decent lessons behind them AND they also had more thought out humor. Even companies as conservative as Disney are willing to let Gravity Falls and Star vs the Forces of Evil get through. HELL, HASBRO THEMSELVES let at least 90% of the Transformers television shows, with their interesting stories and characters, be released.

I always believed that Friendship is Magic could've been a Transformers level franchise, but for mostly young girls. It could've had more developed characters, better action, and genuinely bad-ass moments. It could've been Powerpuff Girls with more story, or simply Samurai Jack for a new generation. Unfortuantely, I guess it wasn't meant to be.

It still hurts when I think of something that was born from one person's passion become what it became and how it could've truly landed among the stars. I still don't know, almost three years after the Finale, if i'm better off completely ignoring it, or simply indulging in the fan content that continues to come out to this day.

I do know, however, that G5 will not be a true successor to FiM like the fandom deserves. Literally in the very first story, the main character became an alicorn. Wait 8 more years, and they'll make her ruler of the entire world. That's how little faith I have in the people attached to this franchise. Hasbro even killed FiM in the IDW comics to completely focus on G5.

If you have a love for FiM despite it's failures, I'm glad and I would never try to take that from you even if I can't see it. I personally would love to create a show with a similar style, even though I've got a long way to go in the field I'm trying to get into now. The things that I appreciated about FiM, as few as they turned out to be, continue to inspire me like the many other stories I've come across over the years. I hope someone inspired by FiM can come along and succeed where it failed. Ultimately though, we have no choice but to wait and find out.

[nothinggold13]

Stranger Things 4 thoughts coming at you over a week since I finished the season:

‘Bout to be more Controversial than pineapple on pizza, but... I don’t care for Eddie. I don’t hate him or anything, but he makes me uncomfy. His personality makes me anxious. Not a fan.

I do have deep feelings over the wasted potential that was him and Chrissy, though.

You just know in another world they would have discovered the music thing in time to save her, and he would have literally played her a song himself to break her free from Vecna. (:

Moving on.

ARGLYE THOUGH. THE REAL STAR OF THIS SEASON.

WHEN HE MAKES THE GOSH DARN HEADSTONE OUT OF A PIZZA BOX??? I DON’T CARE THAT EVERYONE CALLED IT DUMB OR THAT THE MOMENT WAS MOSTLY COMEDIC: THAT ACTION SHOWED ARGYLE’S FREAKING HEART, AND I LOVE HIM TO DEATH.

THEY BURIED A MAN AND ARGYLE SAT THERE AND THOUGHT, “BUT HE DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED.”

THE. ABSOLUTE. STAR.

MY DARLING, DEAREST BOY.

Can’t believe how dirty they did Jancy this season!!!!!!

Ok, no, I actually have hated the way they’ve handled Jancy since the literal moment they got together in season 2, but now they’re just setting them up for failure!!!!

Fully expecting them to break up next season, (though I am holding on to the one singular shred of hope that is them ACTUALLY COMMUNICATING and becoming stronger for it in the end).

And, my goodness, if they break up Jancy just to make Nancy get back together with STEVE???

There will be RIOTING.

I love Steve!!! I love his growth!!!! I love him and Nancy developing a friendship!!!!

BUT WE HAVE LONG SINCE MOVED ON FROM THEM AS A ROMANTIC COUPLE NARRATIVELY AND I WOULD RATHER STEVE DIE THAN SEE HIM DATE NANCY AGAIN.

(That might be overdramatic. I haven’t decided yet.)

Nancy and her guns???? Love.

The show is actually about Kids on Bikes, and if you could SEE how excited I was during the bike scenes----

HOPPER WITH A SWORD

HOPPER WITH A SWORD AND NANCY WITH HER GUN AT THE SAME TIME

Literally why was the last episode 10 hours long? It literally could have been split into parts.

Okay I am actually OBSESSED with the Concept of the basketball boys. Like, I realize they are highkey villains (or, at the least, antagonists), but in another context, they would literally be the heroes and I love that for them.

“Oh, my girlfriend just got murdered! Guess we better solve her murder and battle an evil cult! GO TEAM!”

Honestly iconic.

This wasn’t their universe, but the PREMISE of them is!!! Fabulous!!

“YoU’rE tHe HeArT mIkE!!!” literally no

Also the end of episode 4 (I think?) had me highkey crying actually, like, that was CINEMA

The speech about good people wanting to help!!! Paired with Lucas escaping the Basketball Boys!!! All of that happening!!!! Goodness!!!

(Don’t actually remember the episode number but I think that was 3 or 4.)

I get that Max was relating that song to Billy but are you REALLY telling me there’s not a SINGLE OTHER SONG that is powerful enough to save her from Vecna??

I’m not saying that because I don’t like the song!! I have enjoyed it very much!!!

BUT MAX HAD TO LISTEN TO IT ESSENTIALLY ON REPEAT FOREVER, AND I’M LIKE??? REALLY GIRL??? YOU HAVE NO OTHER MEANINGFUL MUSIC???

I would like to just state for the record that I am one of potentially 6 people who can’t get over Steve/Robin as a ship, so they’re still kind of killing me a little.

Them having secret conversations across the room in a crowd. Steve saying he would date her, if circumstances were different. Robin saying his name first when she was getting attacked in the Upside Down. Help.

Don’t worry, I know it will never happen, but I just...

I’m a little hung up on them.

THEY DID THE THING IN SEASON 3 WHERE THEY GET SCARED AND ACCIDENTALLY HOLD HANDS, OK??? ALL THE ST SHIPS DO THAT, PRETTY MUCH.

I will try to control myself.

OH. A really fun thing is that the only major spoiler I saw before watching was that the orderly was 001 (and was also Vecna)

Like, I literally avoided spoilers so well that I didn’t know Max died for a freakin’ minute there!!

BUT knowing about Vecna made watching the season very exciting because, like, I knew he WOULD be evil... but I didn’t know if he had always been evil.

Like... every scene I was like... “Does he care about Eleven, or is he trying to manipulate her? He genuinely seems to feel for the other kids right here-- hmmmm. Is he actually helping her escape? Oh, no, she just offered her help; he’s definitely gonna manipulate her into killing some people. WAIT, NO, HE JUST WANTS THE THING REMOVED-- OH WAIT AGAIN!!!!”

(Obviously the answer is he was evil the whole time.)

(But it was fun trying to guess whether that was the case or whether something had made him evil between the time El knew him & he became Vecna.)

Oh, ok, the other spoiler I heard but avoided any details of was Eddie’s death

And I just gotta say

That it was absolutely STUPID

“I didn’t run this time” BUDDY

The decision he made to run?? To stay in the Upside Down, but to run away and buy everyone some time? THAT WAS HIM MAKING A HEROIC STAND

Him deciding to stop running and face the bat creatures head-on?

LITERALLY SO STUPID, AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE???

He made it sound like he was being a coward for running, when in that moment, running was literally the bravest and most helpful thing he could have done. He was buying them time! He was being a hero! He wasn’t running away from his problems; he was doing a job!

And then he stopped and was like “I’m not a Real Hero unless I Get Killed instead!”

Absolute buffoon

(He did sort of grow on me in the last episode. As a whole his personality was still icky to me, but he was a lot more subdued and I could appreciate him more. “Chrissy, this is for you,” was----- yeah.)

Side note: when are we going to talk about the fact that Dustin is literally the best one????

He is the best child. He can do no wrong. Angel baby. Love that boy.

(The REAL heart of the team, let’s be honest)

OKAY AND the one scene where they’re exploring the house and Steve’s trying to be all cool and knowledgeable or whatever and Dustin’s just basically laughing off everything he says???

10/10 most realistic depiction of being a Cool Older Kid when the younger kids who look up to you start growing up

(Had a 15 year old make fun of me for having never had a boyfriend)

(I’ve known her since she was, like, 4)

Oh. Also? JOYCE AND HOPPER

LOVE

......Is that all my thoughts?

Probably not.

OH WAIT THE PART WHERE DUSTIN TELLS EDDIE’S UNCLE THAT EDDIE “FOUGHT AND DIED TO PROTECT THIS TOWN”

BUDDY

PUBLICLY, THAT WAS AN EARTHQUAKE

YOU’RE TELLING HIS UNCLE THAT EDDIE FOUGHT AN EARTHQUAKE???

Love that, 10/10, not even trying

(No it was a real sweet moment but it was just so funny to me because of the public context of the entire incident.)

To be perfectly honest, the only thing I cared enough to watch this season for was actually El & Hopper’s reunion.

All the reunions, actually, were the best part of the entire thing

But El & Hop’s made me extra DKJSJLSJDLKDSK, you know??

Except I’m literally obsessed with the fact that everybody else literally watched them pull up, saw Hopper get out of the car (ALIVE), and had to NOT REACT so that he could sneak in and surprise El

My sister and I were joking about what that must have looked like

I loved it

ANYWAY

I may have had more thoughts, but I think I’m gonna call it

Those were some of the biggest feelings I had about Season 4

(I think I may have liked it better than season 3 which is encouraging because historically I have liked the show less and less with each passing season)

So yeah

If you read all of this, here’s a thousand Cool Points

[ocean-anchored]

Dear future self... May 27, 24

I feel like a broken record just saying the same thing every time that I've meant to sit down and write but there's just been so much going on & I've been mentally exhausted so I haven't felt like wanting to write. Let's recap the last like 3.5 weeks first: May 3rd weekend I was out at Colesons. May 5 we were supposed to have a date day & went for lunch at BPs but didn't get to do anything else as he had to work which was ok, I think I went for a tractor ride. May 6 came back home May 7 Went for sushi with Amber & Naythan, then back to their house for some board games May 9 went to Color me mine with Sasha which was nice to catch up May 10 went to Ambers, was over before she was home so I hung with Naythan while he cooked dinner. Amber had seemed a bit off but we watched the oilers game mostly, we sat & chatted for a while but it was a bit off, I think she was just tired but if Im being honest it was the first time that I felt like it was a bit more forced. That night on my way home I realized the northern lights were unreal and they were, so I drove to Edworthy dog park with nova & we watched for a while, had a call with Coleson. May 11 was Mothers day celebration which ended up going well, told meliss about coleson which was nice finally, we went to edworthy dog park and a few hours. then went to Kambers house to catch up. May 12 went to church and then drove out to stay with Coleson. Went for food for mothers day with his fam & watched the oilers game. That whole week was just busy between work & visiting. On the tuesday I had gone to Coledale to watch Ari's game but it got cancelled. Thursday was thunder storming but had a tractor ride with Coleson. May 18th the Friday I think I was feeling off again, just worried about the usual stuff. we went to visit his friend & his wife from Fort Mac who were in town which was pretty nice, they were sweet but yea still felt off that night. The next morning I thought I could sleep it off but I didn't & woke up grumpy again. While we were making breakfast I shared my overthinking again which Coleson took really well, I was feeling disconnected from friends again so that played into it. We drove into Lethbridge for a date day, on the drive he had asked if I thought I could move out there which sparked a good conversation. We went for mini golf and D dessert spot cafe & then went home to watch the oilers game together. Definitely felt better afterwards which is good. Sunday night I went back home. May 20th went for dinner with melissa & Johan which was good, interesting. May 21st went to cold garden with Shruti & Sasha & Cassie which was alright, just kinda feel weird with them sometimes, I feel like its a bit harder to keep conversation with them. May 23 afternoon picked up Ed and went to edmonton till friday night. Was super exhausted from that. Overall was good, visited Elaine who we might do some cool christian work with, met a FAC founder. Good conversation with Ed but it sparked some questions. When I got home I talked with Coleson & thats when I wrote the post before this about feeling like maybe he wasnt super invested in meeting/spending time with my family & I wanted to feel more important than yard work etc which we ended up having a talk saturday morning after my massage, I shared how I was feeling about it & just anxieties about the summer & spending enough time together & that golf felt like it was taking more priority & I was trying to be realistic with expectations etc. I was really worried how he took it, I was scared after the next calls that he was processing it but still sounded sad & I felt like I really ruined things a bit, but he called at 3:30 that he was going to get ready to come in to meet meliss which showed a lot. May 25th he came in and we had dinner with Meliss which I think was good. May 26th we took it easy, went for a walk, picked up a game & went to steven & amandas which was great to celebrate her birthday, mom joined for dinner & games. Then we went to Activate which was super fun.

[alt-pocalypse]

Day 2

Writing this from the back of Nyxx’s SUV. I don't usually get car sick so I’ll probably be fine? Today we all met up at our agreed meeting place outside the home depot. It was a few hours to walk but I was generally pretty safe but if any of the smarter ones did notice that I was human I just thwacked ‘em with ol’ Nancy! It feels really bad killing things that used to be human like this but It’s what I have to do. Nyxx says that it’s best to remember that they’re probably in a lot of pain anyway so really we’re just putting them out of their misery. Thinking about that helps a little. In the morning, after having some breakfast and brushing my teeth, I dumped out my school bag and started packing in the things I thought we might need at our new base. My pack list is as follows:

Wifi router

Phone charger

Laptop charger

Laptop

Radio with bluetooth and CD player

Changes of clothes

Snacks

Hair spray

Eye liner

As much monster as I could cram in there

I know it sounds stupid to bring so many things that need to be plugged in but Nyxx brought the solar battery she and her family use while camping alongside a big solar panel so it's gonna be ok. I also picked up ol’ nelly from her special case in my cosplay closet. She's a real nail bat from a cosplay I never finished and there’s no zombie apocalypse weapon better than a nail bat!

Like I said, Nyxx brought a solar battery and panel but she also brought her dad’s M16 (which I don’t even know if he was legally allowed to own) which will be great for big hoards. Nyxx also brought some tents and air mattresses. Raven brought a mini fridge which was kind of a surprise to all of us, it looked really heavy and we were all impressed that they had carried it all the way to the home depot over 2 miles. They looked exhausted. They also had a map of the town, a pair of scissors to handle our hair, and their sketchbook with some art supplies.

Wood and N came last and we were all kinda worried they wouldn’t show. Neither was carrying much, Wood brought some squishmallows, some books, headphones and a hand ax. N’s bag was mostly full of monster cans with a few walkie talkies. At their side they were holding a HUGE machete. We don’t need to bother too much about first aid supplies or anything like that because Nyxx always keeps a go bag in their trunk.

Once we were all together, we all went into the home depot to conduct our very first zombie apocalypse raid. I was nervous but also excited. There was a lot more still left than expected. Once again, the zombies didn’t come for us so overall it was mostly just a chill time. We got a few base building essentials and stuff to wash our clothes but the main highlight was when Raven picked out their weapon: a power drill with an 8 inch long bit! We made some of the typical jokes but honestly it was super cool.

Tonight we’re planning on staying in Nyxx’s basement. They live in the middle of nowhere so it's a good place to hide out when we look for a more permanent spot closer to resource spots and places where we can have fun if we get antsy. Speaking of Nyxx’s place we’re pulling into the driveway right now so I gotta go, bye! Will probably post a little later once I get connected to wifi.

[rayons1only1started]

Be Fine

I've told Trenton practically everything by now. He has stopped trembling, and looks asleep. I doubt it. He has never fallen asleep for some time now.

"Trenton?" if he were awake he would respond.

No response.

Damn. He actually trusts me. Ever since Ash, he hasn't let a single person near him. 

He looks so cute when he sleeps. It's just the way his chest rises and falls while he sleeps, in a calm, steady rhythm, it's entrancing. And his eyes flutter, but I hope he isn't dreaming, because his dreams would probably only be dark things of pain, and he has way more than enough painful thoughts right now.

I sigh. 

Who am I kidding? He probably doesn't remember me, much less like me. Yet I can't help but think he's cute. I should get a life.

I take his hand. I know he wouldn't let me do this if he were awake or ok, but I can't help it. I wish we were closer. We were friends, that is, when Trenton was still... uh, I'll go with whole. The amount of times I wish we were closer is uncountable.

His hand is really soft.

I gave him his hand back, still knowing he wouldn't know about this. I turn and stand up, going to check on Tawy. There isn't much I can do other than change her bandages and clean her wounds, but it helps. Since last week, the slits on her arms I left alone, but the small cuts are fading nicely.

I'm guessing at this rate she will wake up in a few weeks. But the slits on her hand will take a LOT longer. And they'll leave scars.

However, her mangled eye... let's just say it will be painful, very painful, and render her half blind. I worried about the pain, because it's enough to drive her delirious from it.

---------------Time skip------------------------------

Trenton finally woke up. I was sitting next to him, as I had come back to sit here after I finished with Tawy.

Trenton looked at me, clearly expecting me to speak. I suppose I'll ask him when he fell asleep.

"When you fell asleep, did you hear me talk about how we should have treated the Rainbow Friends better?"

He shook his head, so I told him.

"We never treated the Rainbow Friends with a lot of thought. And mostly ignored them. They were scared of us, and hated us. Purple probably still does. But they found you, when you were broken, and brought you here, and weren't hostile to us. They had no reason to, they just did. I feel so bad after treating them like shit." 

I told him a lot more things, and he didn't speak once. At the end I asked him if he remembered anything, and he actually said, "Bits... and flashes."

I didn't want to pester him, but I asked what exactly.

He didn't seem to mind, and told me countless little details, that were all important parts of the big picture, but a bit useless on their own.

I'll start with the Friends. He remembers a bit about each one. This should help.

I told him about them, then about anything I left out, but there wasn't much because pretty much everything was connected to them, since Tawy and Ash were in that category.

"...In fact, Tawy's lying in the cot next to you, and I have told you this before, but you were still blacking out then. She would be here, next to me, but since we have thanosed (I had to) Ash, she's been in a coma, getting more blood. Ash slit her arms. I'm not even going to say anything about her eye. But she knew that might have happened. And yet she still had her arms slit, so you could be ok."

I told him about Tawy some more, and Trenton asked:

"...could I see her..?"

I showed him Tawy, and he seemed in awe and confused. "...her arms are like this for me..?"

"Yes. And I would have mine be like her's for you too." I would. I would literally chop them off for you. 

But you don't feel the same, do you.

Trenton looked confused at all this. I don't think he understands why we care about him. Or that we do, in the case of the Rainbow Friends.

"... really?" Why can't he believe me?

"Yes."

Trenton looked so confused at this. How did Ash make him believe all this? I've never met anyone, or heard of anyone who lost all hope. Before now.

[geographicanatomy]

Day 3b: Paris - Stuttgart - Vienna

Second day of travel:

First Train

Operator/Train: SNCF, TGV 9579 inOui

Origin: Paris

Destination: Stuttgart

Duration: 3h 10min (estimated)

Distance: ~500 km

Stops / Changes: 5 stops

Seat Reservation: Yes, required.

I managed to use my first class pass again, which was great because otherwise I feel like I would have wasted those extra £80.

What can one say about TGV? Fast, comfortable, not too noisy, lights not to bright, spacious… Honestly was there only 3h and a half-ish and it was so comfy that I felt myself falling sleep towards the last hour of the journey, but with an overnight train next, I stopped myself. In hindsight, I could have done with an hour of comfortable sleep.

Connection: 39 minutes connection in Stuttgart Hbf. I trusted the French and German operators, because if this was UK there’s not way in hell I would chanced a connection with less than an hour margin.

At the end the TGV arrived 20 minutes late, which still left me plenty of time. And in any case, the second train was 30 minutes delayed on its departure so, even more time stuck in Stuttgart station where everything was already closed. Joy!

Second Train

Operator/Train: IC 461

Origin: Stuttgart Hbf

Destination: Wien Hbf

Duration: 8h 22min (estimated)

Distance: ~534 km (notice the difference in time for about the same distance?)

Stops / Changes: 20 stops (that’s an average of around 2.5 stops every hour and I felt the pain of each and every one of them 😤

Seat Reservation: Recommended but not mandatory. I did get mine but apparently it didn’t show on their system because my seat wasn’t marked as reserved. It’s not like it mattered, the train went mostly empty at the start until Munich. There started filling up but still ok to have 2 seats for each person (at least in the 1st class carriage!). It only got busy in the last hour, I believe because the locals use it as a regular commute train for early shifts.

This was the first sleeper of the journey and I had no idea what type of seat I ended booking because there were no options. I was hoping that even if the seats were chair-like rather than bunks, that they would still be comfy like the TGVs (or the ones I’ve seen in the Caledonian Sleeper or in the Canadian when we did the section between Vancouver and Jasper). I had a first class booking so for an 8h and half journey that runs overnight I was expecting… Well, more than what I got 😅

When I first saw the train I thought it looked like a Renfe Cercania (that’s Spanish short distance trains). Ok perhaps slightly better, like the Scotrail Edinburgh to Glasgow but with two decks. The only noticeable difference between first class and regular carriages was that there were less seats by carriages, the were ever-so-lightly larger and the tables were more spacious, but that’s it. Not even reclinable seats!

If that was all, I think I would have been ok. But the worst part for me was the fact that the light were super bright and constantly on, and that due to having so many stops and those being announced by the cheerful attendant, you pretty much woke up every 30/40 minutes.

So not the best train journey by far, and I should have probably gave up on trying to sleep but I was stubborn and I managed to bag some intermittent slumber for a few hours.

I made it to Vienna (Wien) on time, and that what really matters, And yes, I was pretty knackered after trying to get some sleep curled over myself in a kind of 4-shape , but after a couple of hours resting in the hostel, I felt refreshed enough to go out and make the most of my first time in Wien!