#I've got smoothbrainitis

[blueey-jayzilla]

Do you still engage in the fnaf fandom?

If not what is your current fandom/fandoms? :o)

I do kinda, I mostly get more motivated for freddy when stuff comes out, but the lore is getting harder and harder to follow so I get a bit unmotivated. But sometimes I do look fondly on my shadows artwork and might do more? idk, depends on my mood.

I've always liked a good spook, so I've been getting more into indie horrors, it's kinda off brand I know, but they just tickle my fnaf lore crazy like fnaf lore used to do for me. (maybe one day I can do a gore twitter, sounds weird but it wouldn't be too graphic, haha spooky ketchup)

For softer series; I've enjoyed the Trolls franchise quite a bit, and of course I still love mlp. recently though I've gotten a taste for sentai and fantasy thanks to my girlfriends suggestion.(Big Bad Beetleborgs is a good show I don't care what she says, it might be discount kamen rider but got dammit is it bad in a good way).

anyways yeh thats been my obsessions, I'm just so eractic with what I create or obsorb that I feel like you guys who come to me for one thing are being left to dry. idk, I like being eractic though, every artist shouldn't be one note I think.

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: Best Movies of 2023

This was NOT a great year for blockbusters, huh? This was probably Disney's worst in years, multiple flops including what was meant to be their centennial anniversary film. It looked remarkably by the numbers, but think of the conglomerate's losses... Anyway, this to me was a pretty great year for films. Like 2022, I'm amazed at the variety we got that says more about the shifting tides of people's interest in movies. It was the most times I've been to the theater. We got a big worker's strike over the summer, especially large push back against degenerates trying to push AI to do more than just shitposting. And it was enough for me to know Adam Sandler, Godzilla, and Hayao Miyazaki could get the better of Disney. With this said, let this be a first for Good Stuff and count down my favorites of this year.

12. Renfield

My suspicions were on the money and I'm glad I gave this a shot in the theaters. Cage was the best Dracula I could've asked for in what you might say was an Adult Swim-esque dark comedy. It definitely has that style of gruesomeness and humor given Robert Kirkman and the Writer/Director behind Moral Orel made this. Unfortunately, Ben Schwartz stuck out like a sore thumb even if he fulfills his purpose in this, reminding me of Christopher Mintz-Plasse in KickAss; I feel he or Jason Schwartzman would've been better suited. Plus it can feel all over the place, an identity crisis that you can't even grasp after it finishes. Then again, I just had fun watching and would gladly rewatch for Cage and Hoult who are the highlights of this.

11. Migration

Call it blasphemous, but I enjoyed this more than the Mario movie. It's essentially Rio mixed with National Lampoon's Vacation, with a lovable cast, solid animation, and an eazy breezy road trip story. I've always looked to Illumination for simple enjoyable romps and I got what I expected here. Gave me Amphibia vibes in a way, replace frogs with birds. Everything surrounding the villain is my only real issue, he was an obvious and very nothing bad guy, but it's overall better paced than Super Mario Bros where it felt like you watched an eternity in 3 minutes. Still don't get the air of folk looking down on this for just being serviceable when it's honestly become my favorite Illumination movie next to the first Despicable Me.

10. Killers of the Flower Moon

Sad to say this is the weakest Scorsese movie for me, mainly because it felt like we're following the wrong main character. Lily Gladstone is incredible in this, among the other great performers, but she felt sidelined in favor of DeCaprio and De Niro's perspectives. It's like if in 1995's Casino, we just follow Ginger throughout the moment Sam introduces her. I liked the turmoil Leo's character goes through, but it paled in comparison to Mollie who was more affected by his and Hale's actions. That does not mean it's all bad. This can be a beautiful, dynamic, and ruthless movie that just made me feel bad for watching it; running with the words "harsh reality" throughout the 3 and a half hour runtime.

9. Good Burger 2

I watched Good Burger 1 & 2 this Thanksgiving weekend, and just had a blast. These are the kind of movies that are charmingly stupid but not insultingly so. Kel Mitchell's Ed is emblematic of how much dumb fun this duology is where he's actively comical but not smoothbrained to ruin your time. This I say is like Home Alone 2 where it is just beat for beat the 1st movie with minor developments but that doesn't really matter when it's just as well put together. It never feels like Kenan nor Kel missed a beat and the drama not overstaying its welcome. It is just "Good Burger Again" without it feeling like diminishing returns compared to other rehashing sequels.

8. Leo

Can you believe this got better publicity than Disney's Wish? Even YMS could appreciate this movie, that's how you know Sandler has his recognizable game when you least expect it. But Leo is a surprisingly good comedy that has actually sincere moments. Being Happy Madison's 2nd ever animation, it's like Adam waited to refine the production as opposed to putting a cash grab together like one would expect. It's not all good, especially trying to be a musical, but seeing it once you'd be impressed how much good it does with the risks it takes.

7. Nimona

Like Migration, everything surrounding the villain is the one big issue I have with this, especially when it comes to affecting the film's message. At the same time, she pales in comparison to the dynamic pairing of Ballister Blackheart and the titular shapeshifter. Nimona is my favorite character of 2023, her energy and confidence matched by the struggle she bears existing alone and the facade made to band-aid it. Her and Ballister's journey alone made me glad this got out of development hell, being Blue Sky's final production posthumous. To me it wasn't about being a take that to Disney, it was about the fact a movie like Nimona got to exist as great as it did. Hoping Stevenson is satisfied with their adaptation, because it definitely earned its flowers.

6. Emesis Blue

Offhand, it openly sucks that Letterboxd refuses to let this stay on the site to log, but it can't be overstated how much of a marvel this was. Repurposing not just the characters, but the lore and mechanics of Team Fortress 2 into a feature length horror thriller. The animation's top notch where it can have godly framing that was on par with the known legends of horror film making. SFM animations can be beautiful on their own, shitpost or otherwise, but Emesis Blue goes a step beyond by having a compelling story fitting for the universe on top of, again, every frame being a painting.

5. Shin Kamen Rider

I've never really saw any Tokusatsu shows. Not that I hate the genre, just could never get into it while recognizing the glorious looking chaos found in clips. Knowing Hideaki Anno directed was what got me into seeing this film and it opened my mind quite a bit. This was the legacy film that definitely had Anno's touch in both the action and drama. While the climax can notably drag, you never feel left out of what was essentially the original Kamen Rider's origin story. It doesn't have the complex VFX of stuff like Marvel, but the costumes and fight scenes makes me wish we got more of this in America beyond Power Rangers.

4. TMNT Mutant Mayhem

Advertising before release really didn't make this appear like a promising film. If there's anything I learned from this year though, appearances can be deceiving. Like Nimona was for her movie, the creative choices for this made it the TMNT movie I never knew I wanted. To me this felt akin to the Lego Batman movie where it's not only a good love letter of the franchise for more than its fanservice, but this spin on the characters is able to have a new sincere view of them without overhauling everything about the TMNT. That and it has the greatest needle drops I've had in a long while like how do insert He-Man Fabulous Secret Powers and expect me to hate this?

3. Godzilla Minus One

I call this a great year for films because it marks the first time I got to see a Toho produced Godzilla, with subtitles, in an real movie theater. Needless to say, it felt like I got to enjoy the 1954 film again anew. Not a remake mind you, but the parallels were uncanny and this spins here work just as well, if not more here than with the original in a couple places. Both are still strong movies nonetheless. Minus One is a refurbish that dishes out what people always wanted and uniquely giving a little more while never sacrificing why the OG is that timeless. With it getting more than a limited release, I'm glad this got to be more than a niche celebration of the kaijuu king.

2. Oppenheimer

This film's been meme'd to heaven, hell you could say it got meme'd to success thanks to its dual release with Barbie, but it didn't undermine getting hooked to watching this anyways. This really has become my favorite Nolan film, a compelling biopic that doesn't exactly herald its titular lead in the best light thanks to the paradoxical storytelling. Oppenheimer gives us the largest ensemble I know, and delivers in the most breathtaking moments I never knew I could get. Cillian killed it among the many who made the three hours of people sitting and talking in rooms actually tense and intriguing to thread. Plus it gave us the beauty of Josh Peck being the guy to detonate the test bomb like cherry on top of this cinematic cake.

1. The Holdovers

I remember watching Alexander Payne's Sideways with Paul Giamatti as a high schooler but couldn't appreciate it until rewatching this year. It's one of the best mid-life crisis comedies you could see, still fresh in its easy going presentation and music. The same can be said for this film, made to feel like it came from the late 70s or 80s with the old opening logos that I didn't think you could do in these times. Out the gate, this was the holiday story I was shocked would be as relatable as it was, with the trio of Giamatti, Randolph, and Sessa each having their story that resonated with me strongly. With the right amount of time, Payne offers an remarkably cozy, down to earth movie where from reserved to outgoing, it did a lot for me emotionally. Like Netflix's Klaus, I kinda want this to be a traditional rewatch for the holiday seasons. One that everyone should try at least once, especially if they feel the disillusionment of the season where this might lift their spirits one way or another.

If there's anything to learn from this year, it's that the meta has definitely shifted. Even when the many on my list didn't make billions like the Avatar films, the variety and risks made spoke more than the big dogs like Disney and WB putting out unprofitable blockbusters that ranged from very by the numbers to you don't need to see The Flash to know how god awful it just was. More people are & should branch out beyond the major mainstream names. Not that the big dogs aren't ever gonna make great films in the coming years, but we should appreciate more than the big budget features you can tell are playing it safe. Time can be patient for great cinema, sleeper hits or not, so take advantage while you're young.

[loominggaia]

kid-az Damn, poor Skel. I get the feeling he wasn’t given much in the way of anesthetic, and given Goblin memories it makes it even worse for him… :(

Thankfully the Barhatian royal family liked Skel (or as much as a master can "like" their slave...) so I think his medical care was on par with the nobles! I'm sure he was totally knocked out for the procedure and doesn't remember it.

Now, the recovery on the other hand...that's a pain he'll never forget, as much as he'd like to.

razzek From what I've read, circumcision is entirely a religious practice irl and has never had anything to do with keeping clean. But it is interesting to see how and why it might be a thing in a world completely without our religious hangups (but with plenty of it’s own no doubt).

I always assumed it was one of those cases where it originally had some practical purpose, but religious institutions were just like "because God said so" because it was easier to instill practices into people that way.

Like not eating pork, for example. The reason given is "don't eat it because God said so", but I think the practical reason was that pork is infested with parasites moreso than other meats, and food sanitation was too primitive in those days to prevent illness from it. Best to just teach everyone to avoid it all together, thus creating a healthier population of followers.

I have zero proof of this, of course. It's just a personal theory, but I believe in it so strongly that I just automatically assumed this was the case for circumcision and a bunch of other cultural traditions too!

Now, it's very possible that I'm just full of shit and there is no practical reason for some of these traditions at all. They could have all kinds of origins. I'm a smoothbrain who knows next to nothing about history, religion, or...anything to be honest. So take my opinions with the most microscopic grain of salt.

This does get me thinking about the origins of different religious traditions in Looming Gaia! Maybe not all of them have to originate from practicality.

I saw a post somewhere, maybe here on Tumblr, about a family who traditionally sliced off the top couple inches of a ham before putting it in the oven. No one knew why, it's just the way grandma always did it, so mom copied her, and grandaughter copied mom. One day the granddaughter asks the grandma why they did this, and the grandma was like "Oh, these giant hams never fit in my old oven so I had to cut off a few inches. I have no idea why your mom does it!" (I may be botching some details here, bear with me...)

So, even though there was no practical reason to cut the ham like that anymore, it's just one of those things that got passed down through the generations out of habit or miscommunication or whatever.

My point is, I think the same thing could apply to religious/cultural traditions in worldbuilding! Thank you for helping me think about this in a whole new way!

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[jayextee]

Sonic Frontiers

Just finished a replay of last year's surprisingly-not awful open-world, um, zone Sonic title.

It's good. Not, like, really absolutely legendary good; but what Sonic game is, really? (The first game, and I will fight people who argue, but that's by-the-by; and maybe the topic of a different post some other day)

But seriously, I was the last person to expect Sonic Frontiers to be as good as it is -- even as much as three hours into the game itself, my expectations hadn't changed from the initial reveal; a probably piece of shit that I'm only going to dutifully play as a smoothbrain ardent fan of the series. It took me a while to warm to, but going through the motions and just playing the game eventually took me to the first Titan encounter, and from then-on I think I just 'got' the game.

Ah, the Titan fights. "They carry the whole game" is a criticism I've seen of them and Frontiers in general, and although I'm inclined to agree with the statement in terms of wordage I don't gel with the sentiment at all; it feels way to reductive and suffers a little too much tunnel vision for my liking. I shall elaborate.

3D, or 'modern' Sonic games have an overall rhythm to them; from a scratch start, the Chaos Emeralds are gathered over the course of the story which culminates in a spectacular Super Sonic fight versus the huge beastie of this particular episode. This dynamic denouement is often the payoff to the entire proceedings, the spectacle satisfyingly-closing the adventure and leaving the player's brain soaked in dopamine and goodfeels.

Shame it only happens once per game, at the end. Unless...

And that's the rub, that madman Morio Kishimoto (or somebody involved in the development of Frontiers) took that hypothetical 'what if' and made good on it as the overall structure of the game; at least for four of the five islands (the remaining one, Rhea, being essentially a loredump of sorts). Add to this the question of making progress to that climactic clash somewhat-freeform, a case of players getting to it in their own damn way, and we have what makes Frontiers the game it is.

And to some degree, you really can play the game as you wish. There's the (possibly) intended route of engaging with the various gauntlets to get the memory tokens to advance the plot; interspersed with battles to get portal gears and then excelling at the more-traditional and linear 'cyberspace' levels for the keys to get the aforementioned chaos emeralds. Or, you can sorta just dig stuff up using cyloops on anything vaguely flat. Or, perhaps, you can look for purple coins and go fishing for the tokens to buy your way to progress.

If that last one sounds cheap, it kinda is, but in my opinion it's part of the beauty of the whole thing; you can just amble around the islands as if they were playgrounds to your whims, basically fucking around until you decide it's Plot Time™. Or not. There's so much tucked away in the four main islands that you could let your attention-deficit brain, via controller, take Sonic on whatever miniature flights of fancy catch your eye until perhaps you just stumble into the puzzle (or, sigh, dodgy pinball game) that grants access to that Titan fight spectacle. And thus, more dopamine.

I am, of course, entirely glossing over the game's flaws. I mentioned the pinball; and it's pretty bad, thankfully only has to be played once; but not the too-familiar nature of the cyberspace levels' reused layouts or the tendency for the mini 'gauntlets' in the maps to railroad Sonic to a restrictive 2D plane until it is completed, or how flawed the non-boss combat can be at times. Because I forgive them, and y'know why? The freeform nature of Frontiers has delivered a Sonic game that is so absolutely different to that which has come before, I see it as a bold and audacious experiment that went very right -- even if it could be done better.

Let's hope there's more on the horizon, then. 4/5

[emcscared-whumps]

🖋- pen or pencil

📓- do you actually write in your notebooks

📈📉- do you plot your stories

⌨️- are you a good typer

⌛️- what is the longest you’ve worked on a piece of writing

📺- would you watch your wip on a movie

💻- do you write online or by hand

📖- favorite thing about your current wip

⚠️- what is your current wip

🏚- what is an abandoned wip

🔮- what genre do you enjoy writing

📚-would you write a series

📕- would you consider publishing

From this post!

Oh wow there are a fair few things here, this'll be fun >:)))))) Thanks for the ask ^-^

🖋- Pen or Pencil?

I personally prefer pens, they write darker with less pressure so I can try and keep the tension down :)

📓- Do You Actually Write in Your Notebooks?

Omfg I love this question, it's such a call-out for notebook hoarders X'D

Of which I am one of

I do actually! It's just that my collection of Cool Notebooks exceeds the amount that I actually use them ^-^'

Since they're often too big to carry around for everyday use, I use a smaller notebook that fits easier into my satchel or jacket pocket. If I'm not carrying that, my phone works well for note-taking and doodling too :)

For plotting and actual writing though, I prefer to do that on my computer, so there's not an excessive need for them. Why will be detailed in a different question :3

📈📉- Do You Plot Your Stories?

Answered here

⌨️- Are You a Good Typer?

I've done tests for fun, so, if i'm going flat-out, I can get to 60wpm with +95% accuracy

That said, on bad days I can be very clumsy with my fingers, and don't even get me started on my phone lmaoooo

I can also type with my eyes closed/not seeing the keyboard with... more accuracy than I expected

I like to think I'm not too shabby :)

⌛️- What is the Longest You’ve Worked on a Piece of Writing?

Answered here

📺- Would You Watch Your Wip on a Movie?

Would I watch... the movie version of my wip...? I think that's what this question is asking lol (I'm a bit smoothbrain tired, bear with me lmfao)

Yes, absolutely!

I created Shifting Phases for my own personal consumption and enjoyment, (and then inflicted the brainrot onto the whump communtiy when I found you guys), which means, if there were a movie created of it... First of all, I'd be flattered lol. Then I'd bingewatch it over and over and over ^-^'

My only preference would be that it's animated lmao

(It'd make for quite the long movie though, so maybe multi-part TV special :3)

💻- Do You Write Online or by Hand?

I prefer to write on my computer for ease of changing formatting… and changing everything pretty much. Editing is so much easier too, I can just nab an entire paragraph, mark it red, re-write it, and delete the old one and have it look seamless.

I do use a cloud storage app for my folders though, that way I can access them and work on them from my phone, but the originals are all kept on my computer. I'll eventually get a harddrive, and keep backup copies on there in case anything were to happen.

I don't wanna lose literal years of work ^-^'

📖- Favorite Thing About Your Current Wip?

One of the whump scenes, but which... Because choosing my blorbo Pete is too obvious of an answer ^-^'

I suppose I always come back to drool over the reveal to Kate, or perhaps, when Timmy rescues Pete and holds him :)

The fountain scene is a contender though, and oldie, but a goodie :3

⚠️- What is Your Current Wip?

Answered here

🏚- What is an Abandoned Wip?

Oh this one's tricky... Had to do some deep thinking (deep thought got interrupted by a VERY sudden crack of thunder and gave me a heart attack)

Because I'd never really tried to write much before Shifting Phases, or if I tried something, it lacked a plot and was directionless and meandering... Basically just writing exercises that I stuck with for maybe one or two nights.

I'd say... Oh! Yes!

The working title is The Fight for Solaris!

I wouldn't call it abandoned, but it's definitely dormant. It's about zombies and aliens on the other planets/moons of our solar system, and there's some fun stuff happening with that. The zombies are infected by some sort of cordyceps fungus, and it's a bit messed, an alien gets caught up in the middle of it and has a terrible time trying to survive and keep their cover lmfao

I don't have much of a direction to take the plot in, but there's definitely something, and there's lore! A fair chunk of lore!

I don't know when exactly this was, I'd have to trawl through old art and notes for any dates I may've written, but my estimation is that it's of a similar age, or perhaps a bit older than Shifting Phases.

I should revive (heh) it (it was based on another dead group rp with those same school friends, I think it was too new of an idea to have been given a revival like Shifting Phases though... and also like it, it never actually took off).

It'd even out my diet a bit... a change in scenery (lmao)

🔮- What Genre do You Enjoy Writing?

Answered here

📚-Would You Write a Series?

I am >:) Shifting Phases has a sequel kicking around in my brain, and also an AU spinoff ehehe ^-^' Probably counts as a series if I were to publish physical books... just a very short one

Anyways yeah, Shifting Phases has like... 5 parts with a bunch of chapters in each of them, so posted to Tumblr, it would totally count as a series. Idk what it'd be on Ao3 tho, I don't have a good grasp on how it works just yet ^-^' Been a bit too distracted/busy to learn tbh (but it is indeed on the to-do list)

I also have... one other? Idea set in Ewrancore, which will eventually also be a whump fic, so, yeah! If the two Pete fics and an au aren't enough, Malté will get counted lol

Anyways, yes, if an idea presents itself, I will try to format it in a way that suits it, and if that involves making it a series, then that is what must be done o7

📕- Would You Consider Publishing?

With @ thewhumpyprintingpress recent publication of Hurt and Comfort A Whump Anthology, I'd say that there's a good possibility that when Shifting Phases is ready, I can publish it and print it as a physical novel! That would be amazing to me, and that is actually my ultimate goal with that fic :)

It's just so encouraging to see things called whump published and printed, so, yes ^-^

One day :) <3

[hella1975]

excuse me

idk why but I thought you'd just write taob and then... fucking vanish??? I have smoothbrain

but apparently you have like... 200 other storie ideas?? where the hell do they come from. like how do you come up with this. it takes me an entire week to even think of something mildly interesting that I forget in a minute and never remember again.

but you're over here making these posts about your drafts or ideas like "oh yeah here's this one... I've been thinking of... haha yeah idk" and they sound. so good. I think your writing is laced with drugs or something

also I got a papercut :(

the simple explanation is that i have no fucking hobbies. nothing better to do here bestie. also i do lace my writing with drugs to get people to read it but that's neither here nor there. shhhhhhh