#I'm interested to see where it goes

[girlboy-frankensteins-monster]

books i read this february:

'the half life of valery k' by natasha pulley

5/5 stars — really enjoyed the plot, romance and characters. also i think it appealed to me because i'm interested in radiation and biochemistry and also history. definitely recommend it

2. 'harrow the ninth' by tamsyn muir

5/5 stars — this book is really difficult to read but it gets way easier in the last quarter of the book so if you're struggling definitely don't give up. i love what it does with the narrator and just generally how confusing it is honestly (it's somehow confusing in a good way). the characters are amazing i love them all so much

3. 'ways of seeing' by john berger

4/5 stars — i really enjoyed this and i felt like it made me consider a lot of things i'd never really thought about in much depth before. i'd be really interested to see a more modern take on advertising like the essay in the book because i feel like advertising's changed a lot since the book was published just in terms of how widespread it is

4. 'the starless sea' by erin morgenstern

5/5 stars — loved the plot, characters and setting so much. i think i preferred it to the night circus just because i didn't particularly enjoy the romance or the ending in the night circus

5. 'the westing game' by ellen raskin

3/5 stars — i read this when i was younger and i think i enjoyed it more then. the plotline's very interesting and i like it but I didn't enjoy the writing style and the portrayal of some of the characters. also angela's character development was kind of undermined at the end in my opinion

[futureempressoftheuniverse]

having tony collette's peachy fact be that he only smokes to fit in with societal norms in the same episode that we find out he's actually italian (and maybe has some love for his heritage considering his cheese comment?) despite his self-professed loathing of italians is making me a little ill bc it's like. here's this man who is doing absolutely everything he can to fit into society even if that means hiding his true feelings behind constant machismo bluster 24/7 who is starting on a journey that we the audience know will put him through some truly horrific ordeals that, even if he somehow manages to survive them, will isolate and distance him from the society he so desperately wants to be a part of. the thing about tony collette that's been clear from the beginning is that he seems to *enjoy* being a vaguely sleezy used car salesman, he truly relishes and embraces this role. but how much of this is just a part that he plays? how much of this is a reflection of who is truly is versus a mask for him to hide behind? and, once he's forced to face whatever horrors are hiding beneath the surface of peachyville, how much of his mask will be stripped away?

[deadsince1973]

Already eliminated:

13. Su She

14. Jin Zixun

15. Wen Chao

[chocmoon-latte]

Saw an interesting comment on one of the Fallout subreddits (which I hadn't picked up on) and that's the fact that as a ghoul, Cooper's been putting on a fake western accent like he used in the movies he was in. Because he didn't sound like that as a human. Combined with the fact that he's still wearing his old cowboy outfit underneath all the layers, it's sort of symbolising that he's still Cooper at heart and that the whole dangerous cowboy persona he's devolved into is just an act - a coping mechanism.

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

so i was rewatching the coachella standing next to me performance this afternoon and it made me wonder when/if alex knew what he was going to do. like was it something he 'd planned or thought about in some way before the show? did he already know what he was going to do when he was introducing miles and hyping him up right at the start of the song? was his heart thumping in anticipation as they got closer and closer to the final verse? or was it totally heat of the moment, everything spilling over and taking both of them by surprise?

some gifs of the performance for contemplation:

1) alex’s expression just before they start playing the song. is this just i’m-standing-on-a-very-big-stage-and-i’m-actually-just-a-tiny-introvert nerves or i’m-planning-to-snog-my-very-sexy-co-frontman-in-a-few-moments nerves???

2) the moment just before he goes in for the kill

3) The Kiss™️

3) alex covering his mouth with his hand afterwards (shock? the giggles? both?)

and then these two which are probably less about whether or not alex planned it, but they're very cute and telling so i had to include them:

4) miles taking alex's hand as they go offstage afterwards

5) their FACES when they go offstage (miles is literally doing that classic body language thing from romantic movies where someone touches their mouth to show they're thinking about a kiss 😭)

[bixels]

What did/do you like about Pharah?

Uh, gameplay-wise, I really love characters in shooters who rely on three-dimensional movement techs. Chaining together hover and jump to stay in the air for as long as possible and keep momentum is so satisfying, and picking enemies off from the sky made me feel like a bird of prey. I was a good Pharah main.

Story-wise, there unfortunately isn't much to canonically go off because Pharah is so underutilized and neglected. Her personality's pretty boilerplate "heroic hero" (she's literally inspired by Captain America).

But it's the crumbs/bits and pieces that I really latched onto. Pharah's a confirmed lesbian; her short story with Baptiste implies she harbors a crush on Mercy (fucking thank you.). She's biracial Egyptian/First Nations. She has major mommy issues, having grown up both admiring and resenting Ana. She's the bridge between Old Overwatch, inspired by the idealized heroes who surrounded her childhood, and New Overwatch. She's one of the only inter-generational characters in the cast; someone whose experiences span the gap, which is why I seriously believe Pharah would make a great main character.

There isn't much to go off of, though; she's a very uncomplicated character (she's a soldier for a private military corporation, lol.). But that just means she's a blank slate character, so I've seen fanfic writers run wild and create some really interesting takes on her. My favorite interpretation of her's a dense, herbo gym-bro type (a lot of her liens are about work outs, exercising, and playing sports) who's easily excitable under her seemingly self-serious, armored visage. We see how she tends to gloat and hype herself up when she's on a streak too, so Pharah definitely has a competitive and boastful side under her more professional and militant performance.

Now Mercy? Mercy is a real complex character.

[genericpuff]

every now and then i get folks asking me "puff do you have any opinions on hazbin hotel"

and i know why they're asking because if there's any fandom that puts LO to shame, it's hazbin hotel / helluva boss and surely i must have some Very Strong Opinions(tm) about the show

but i seriously have never watched a single episode of that show and despite all the controversy and drama i've seen come from the discussion of both the show and its creator, the only thing that really bugs me out of the blue when i'm reminded HH exists are those exclusive playbills that people pre-ordered months ago and still haven't arrived

that is it, that is literally the extent of my engagement with the HH fandom, there will be no further questions about what i think regarding HH because i literally have no idea, they are best asked to whoever comes close to being the generic-puff equivalent of the HH fandom

[unorthodoxiguana]

So we all know Percy is powerful as shit, there's no doubt in that. But I think I may have thought of a few more (theoretical) applications of his abilities. These ones aren't insanely broken (except one I had to give up on cause I couldn't find a way to make it work), but they're still pretty good.

Percy can control liquids with water in them. We learned this in Tartarus when he drowned Akhlys in her own poison. So in theory, he can bloodbend, right? But this is actually incredibly good in a defensive sense. Since he can control blood, including his own, he can use his powers to (theoretically) negate blood loss and keep his blood inside his own body, keeping him in the fight for much longer. Hell, this circumvents internal bleeding when you think about it.

Speaking of bloodbending, in the same Avatar episode that that idea is introduced to us, we learn that water can be taken from plants, as well as animals (although that is harder as far as I know). Okay, so Percy can take water out of plants, cool. But what about the atmosphere? Sure, the amount of water in the atmosphere varies wildly depending on location, season, etc. But the point still stands. In theory, Percy can pull water out of his surroundings and use it to heal himself, further improving his durability, and giving him an overall stat boost, as he just performs better in water in general.

Imagine fighting Percy, thinking you've got him beat, when all of a sudden he pulls out a Dragon Ball-esque transformation and surrounds himself in a thin coat of the water from not just the atmosphere, but his sweat, your blood, hell, YOUR sweat, and any other possible sources of water nearby. Bloody terrifying. Especially when you consider Percy killing -> Percy receiving access to blood -> Percy getting stronger -> Percy killing more, basically creating an infinite cycle of steadily increasing strength (providing his enemy has blood, naturally).

So yeah. Percy, using his abilities correctly, isn't just insanely strong, but pretty damn durable too. I did have another idea about him controlling brain fluids/breathing in oxygen through water to circumvent brain death, but that kinda fell through because brain fluids aren't really related to brain death and you need lungs to, you know, breath, which would circumvent the decapitation scenario I was thinking of, and Percy can't breathe through osmosis (as far as we know). So that idea is a bust.

...Unless Jason could manipulate oxygen into his bloodstream, using his abilities to circumvent brain death instead...

[struggling-jpg]

Aventurine and Boothill as a duo is just so funny to me. Boothill and Dan Heng already gave us the impulsive shooter-stressed guy energy so I imagine that Boothill and Aventurine are the impulsive shooter-amused enabler dynamic.

They both have concerning "good" luck and a willingness to risk everything for their plans/goals so just imagine that Boothill would have this wild plan that involves a staged hostage situation with only vague details and an even more vague backup plan, and out of curiosity, amusement, and the means to get themselves out of there if need be, Aventurine would be like "Yeah, sure, all or nothing, friend!"

Just imagine all the shenanigans these two would start on their mission to get revenge on Oswaldo. I hope Star Rail makes it fun and has all the emotional payoff v-v

[nach0]

wanted to draw fanart for @remxedmoon's isatscryption au but i realised i didn't actually know the plot yet which. whoops! so i settled for chucking my oc at it

OH YEAH INSCRYPTION IS 60% OFF ATM!! Consider this my official propaganda to go get this game

[bsptourist]

funhousemap (a.k.a. Goethe's Last Laugh: Funhouse [Early Access])

created by bones from Goethe's Last Laugh, a WIP HL2 total conversion mod

[raycatz]

I'm not including a situation where someone might be injured because in that case I'm thinking the bed goes to them by default or they are nominated for it. anyone who wants to be chatty goes to join the living room floor gang.

What are your thoughts and headcanons? Do you have thoughts on how the boys tend to approach assigning beds in inns? Who do the chain choose to sleep near when camping and why? What are their dynamics like when settling down for the night and getting ready for the day?

In "Mirror Vs Open Closet Door: Fight!" by Gintrinsic (here) Four refers to the chain's decision on how to split up between inn rooms as the "Link-per-room ratio" which I find very funny. He, Sky, and Time also talk about their thought process behind why they do or don't want to sleep in a room with some of the others which I find fun and interesting.

So! If you have thoughts and want to share them! *gestures to the post!*

[joyful-lurker]

All I want is a Xaden POV book of Xaden narrating Dain's life. I doubt it's gonna happen, but one of the things I want to happen in Onyx Storm is for Dain and Xaden to be on a side mission together. Imagine Dain is deperately trying to be amiable after sending them to their deaths at the end of fourth wing, and Xaden is failing to resist the urge to roast Dain every time he breathes

[accirax]

Nene’s Role in Wonderlands x Showtime

The release of The Miniature Garden’s Coral seems to have confirmed some things I’ve recently speculated might transpire in future Wonderlands x Showtime events-- namely regarding Nene and how she may actually be the most important member of the troupe-- so, let’s talk about them! I’ll be using zui’s lyrics video for my translations, so hopefully they’re accurate.

With the past couple of WxS events in mind, it’s easy to see that this 3DMV is also about endings. While the MV begins in a sunny blue afternoon light...

...the characters and set eventually bask in a beautiful sunset orange, signaling the end of the day. The lyrics even mention being “between the end of the blue sky and the beginning of the night sky,” further emphasizing that we’re in the middle of the story. When the sky is blue, the troupe expresses uncertainty: Rui mentions that he feels lost, and Tsukasa, scared. But eventually, Nene admits that, in this beginning period, she was “spoiled by the sound of the waves,” AKA that the commotion surrounding WxS’s formation led to a troupe that became a source of comfort for all of them.

Once the sun sets, there are a lot of “even ifs.” Nene sings about how she’ll continue to sing this song, even if things are starting to look unsteady and she’s not sure if she should proceed. However, by the end of the song, she resolves to "still sing this song” while keeping up a smile.

I think that the fact that Nene says she will sing this song is incredibly important, because, as established, this song is about endings. Meanwhile, back in Mr. Showtime, Tsukasa firmly didn’t want WxS to end, and was holding out until closing time. Rui’s What Sort of Ending Are You Wishing For? and Emu’s Starry Sky Orchestra seemingly both acknowledge an ending as well, but it’s not at all easy. Rui seems to fall into a resigned depression at the thought, keeping a whimsical facade up when the very thought of separating kills him inside. The thought haunts him, MV riddled with hourglasses that he can’t get out of his head. Emu can only tolerate taking the first step towards a breakup with tooth-rottingly sugarcoated promises of eternal togetherness and literally holding hands as they go (I love her btw this is not Emu slander). She never even says the word “end,” only “tomorrow.”

Rui, Emu, and Tsukasa are basically Denialx3. Rui tries to deny his emotions regarding disbanding, Emu tries to deny that the ending is coming at all, and Tsukasa tries to deny that there’s nothing he can do to keep them from inevitably drifting apart. And that’s where Nene comes in again.

Rui’s dream is to perform technically complex shows that will resonate with an audience. He can do that from Phoenix Wonderland. Emu’s dream is to keep the Wonder Stage up and operating forever. She has to do that from Phoenix Wonderland. Tsukasa’s dream is to become the number one world star and make everyone smile. While this would likely take him away from the park, in another story, I could see it being possible that, in the end, Tsukasa decides that making the people in his local community happy is more important than trying to change the entire world. Thus, he could also follow his dream from Phoenix Wonderland, even if it’s not ideal.

But then there’s Nene. Her dream is, and always has been, to perform in Broadway musicals. Broadway is a live performance in New York City. There is no possible way for Nene to get what she wants while staying in Phoenix Wonderland. And that is possibly why Wonderlands x Showtime’s ending is the easiest for her to process.

Now, I’m not trying to say that Nene doesn’t love her friends. She adores them. Her three previous commissions have proven that. It’s the amount of love she has for them that will propel her to make what is actually the best choice for their dreams. Nene is the little mermaid, both when swimming freely the oceans with a beautiful, unstoppable song, and when enduring pain herself to stand with and for the ones she loves. Her friends, in this situation... are coral.

Remember that coral, “blurred” and uncertain in the water and “stained orange by the setting sun”? The miniature garden is Phoenix Wonderland; the coral is Emu, Rui, and Tsukasa; and that coral is stained orange by its desperation to keep rereading the final chapter instead of closing the book for now and putting it away to revisit in the future. Coral, while a beautiful living organism, is also completely static.

Static like stone statues which, at least by my interpretation, is what the rest of WxS turns into at the end of the 3DMV. The three of them (and Kaito) are paralyzed with the fear of the suffering an ending would bring. Only Nene is alive and human to be the one to show the group the benefits it can bring as well.

There are a lot of aspects of this song and Nene’s entire personality that lead me to believe that she will be the one to bring about change in WxS. First, she most often “has the braincell,” so to speak. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she performs this song with Kaito, the most mature of the WxS vocaloids, either. During April Fool’s 2023, she was put into the Solid Heart class. One might think that troupe leader Tsukasa should be the Solid Heart, and that shy Nene should be the Cautious Heart, but they (accurately) sorted it the other way.

Nene is a very strong-willed person. In other stories, it might be seen as a negative that Nene is always the most hesitant one to get into shenanigans, or that she would even dare to be the one to suggest a WxS split in the first place. What an ungrateful wet blanket Nene is, willing to throw away her friends for the sake of her own selfish dream. But in this story, staying at Phoenix Wonderland isn’t really what will make Rui or Tsukasa happy, and even Emu may have to graduate to focusing on the entire company instead of just one stage someday.

Nene’s friends brought her out of the darkness and into the light of day, and she is so grateful for that. She knows how amazing they are, which is how she knows that they can make more friends and continue to do even more amazing things in the future if they can bear to leave their high school part-time jobs behind and enter the real world, just like her.

So, Nene’s role is to be Wonderlands x Showtime’s guiding light. She’ll tell Rui what sort of ending she’s wishing for, and then console him when he can’t repress his tears. She’ll be the one to hold Emu’s hand while they take that next step into tomorrow. Her three best friends helped her to grow from the loner who operated a robot from the theme park bushes, and she’ll help them step out of that theme park and be who they truly want to be.

There is one other thing I wanted to mention, though...

Tsukasa.

As I mentioned previously, while all three of Rui, Emu, and Tsukasa are in denial, Tsukasa is the most actively in opposition to an ending. He’s also the troupe leader, and the sole creator of the Wonderland Sekai. If someone is going to actively try to stop Nene from suggesting separation, it’s definitely going to at least start with him. But as Nene has already stated in The Miniature Garden’s Coral, despite any opposition that makes her question whether or not she should proceed, she already plans to continue singing her beliefs about a bittersweet yet timely goodbye.

And, their conflict is something that’s basically been foreshadowed from the beginning too, right? Nene has always roasted Tsukasa, giving a counterpoint to his blindingly bright worldview. In upcoming chapters, however, I believe that may start to transform from simple fun banter into a genuine conflict with clear sides drawn...

And THAT’S why ColoPale gave them Childish War.

Nenekasa nation get ready, ‘cause I don’t think this is the last Nene and Tsukasa fight we’re going to see.

[picturejasper20]

Okay, let's try this:

[trentcrimminallybeautiful]

i think the diamond dogs should play improv games just bc it would amuse me, an ex theater kid, specifically