#Rowe Writes Game Changer

[rowerambles]

dropout.tv cast members ranked by how likely I think they are to be temporary Game Changer host when they eventually make an episode where they surprise Sam by hijacking the show

8. Zac: it would be funny

7. BDG: I just want him to be on the show more ok

6. Grant: (more) payback for breaking news and like my coffee

5. Lou: Greenroom/Party Bus victim

4. Vic: I just want them to be on the show more too

3. Trapp: was a bingo victim, has game show host experience, is really good at improv

2. Siobhan: was in the hi welcome to the show surprise I’ve locked you in a room now solve my puzzles episode and the time loop episode

1. Brennan: do I even need to explain.

[exosaint]

ya girl just scored another art solo show! Third one this year!!

[papercorgiworld]

You are the prize

Sebastian Sallow

Imelda uses you to convince Sebastian to put in some extra effort for the upcoming quidditch games, but there may be a little misunderstanding about what exactly Imelda promised.

Warning: a little bit of smut, but nothing too bad

I found this. I wrote it months ago, but never posted it. Kinda wanted to post it a few weeks ago, but never did, but since this nice anon asked for more Hogwarts Legacy fics I thought that throwing this online was the least I could do. I find that it's written differently from how I write today, but that can just be my imagination. Also I have no clue how the HL fandom is doing, but Happy readings!

Anne was back. Ominis and Sebastian were as close as ever. All was well. Except for Imelda! Slytherin had had a bad quidditch year. If Slytherin wanted to have a chance of winning the house cup they needed to win the last three games or it would be the greatest Slytherin loss in Hogwarts history.

Sebastian had rejoined the team after Anne came back to Hogwarts, but he still wasn’t on top of his game. Imelda was convinced that if Sebastian focussed more, he could be the game changer. Which is why she was about to make him a deal that he could not refuse. Sebastian and Ominis were on their way to potions when Imelda grabbed Sebastian’s cloak bringing both boys to a stop.

“We have to win the last three games.” Imelda started and Sebastian rolled his eyes. Every training she had made him question why he started playing again. Imelda ignored the eye roll and continued. “Which means that you can’t be messing around anymore during training. And, more importantly, that ‘you’ need to bring in the victories.” Sebastian raised his eyebrows. “I believe you to be the only one that can somewhat keep up with me...” Sebastian was somewhat charmed by the compliment. “If only you put in some effort.” Sebastian rolled his eyes once more. Unbelievable, this woman.

“I’ve been doing my best, Imelda. This just isn’t our year. Two good players can’t win a game.” Sebastian argued annoyed. Imelda huffed. “I’m a ‘great’ player, thank you very much. And! I believe that two players can win a game if motivated.” Sebastian sighed and was about to simply turn on his heels. “I’m going to make you an offer.” Sebastian’s curiosity was stronger than his urge to leave. “I know you have a crush on y/n.” Sebastian’s eyes shot up to Imelda. How did she find out? “How about I arrange something?” Imelda continued and raised an eyebrow.

“So… if we win the next game you’ll arrange something?” Sebastian asked curiously. “If we win the next ‘three’ games, I’ll arrange something.” Imelda corrected. “Three?” Sebastian laughed, but Imelda kept her serious face up. “We win three games and you get something good.” Sebastian crossed his arms. “Good as in *makes kissy face*?” Now Imelda rolled her eyes. “Yes. A little make out session for you… but only if we win all three games.”

Sebastian was definitely interested. “And you can arrange that?” Sebastian questioned. “Yes.” Imelda said and she offered her hand. Sebastian thought about it for a moment, but he couldn’t resist and shook Imelda’s hand. Imelda nodded and left. “Did Imelda just sell off her own friend to win a quidditch game?” Ominis spoke up after witnessing everything in silence. “Three games.” Sebastian corrected with a playful smile on his face.

Imelda was already working on part two of her plan: convincing you. Normally she would believe it impossible to arrange someone for Sebastian, but she knew that you had a crush on him. So she wasn’t really using you, she was helping you. Merlin would be so proud of my scheme, she thought to herself as she walked up to you. “Ready for a game of chess?” Imelda asked you.

Imelda had lost two times in a row. To your surprise she wanted to play a third game. “Third time’s a charm right.” Imelda laughed. You simply smiled, she was acting a bit off today. “How about I throw in my famed potions flash cards.” Your eyes widened. Those could really save your grade. Too good to be true. “What’s the catch?” You asked a bit worried. “If you lose, you might need to kiss a guy.” “What?!” You yelped. You eyed her for an explanation. “In three weeks I might need you to kiss a guy. That is if you lose. If you win you get my potions flash cards.” You pursed your lips as you thought about it. You really needed those cards. “Who’s the guy?” You asked as you considered your options. “Why? Is there someone you would like to kiss?” Imelda asked with a raised eyebrow. “No. Just curious.” You tried to play it cool.

As planned Imelda won and the three weeks passed quickly.

Before the final game started Imelda came up to you in full quidditch gear. “About that game of chess we played three weeks ago…If Slytherin wins, go straight to the Slytherin common room.” Imelda gave you a devilish smile and walked away. You were left somewhat stressed out. Imelda walked towards the Slytherin team and went to stand next to Sebastian. “We win and you get your kiss from y/n.” Imelda said while focussed on the quidditch pitch in front of her. “Making-out session, you mean.” Sebastian corrected. Imelda frowned, did she really promise him that? Well, too late to change terms now. “Yeah, whatever.” She nonchalantly answered.

*** After the game ***

Imelda had pointed Sebastian towards their common room and as excited as Sebastian was to claim his well earned prize, when he stood in front of the door his courage and confidence was nowhere to be found.

His heartbeat was racing as he went down the stairs. You stood there nervously fumbling with the fabric of your tie. You looked up at Sebastian and your face heated up. “W-why are you here?” You stuttered. “I’m here to collect my prize.” Sebastian said suggestively with a smug smile on his face. With fake confidence he walked over to you. “Prize?” You questioned, finally putting together the pieces of Imelda’s scheme.

You snapped out of your thoughts and noticed that Sebastian stood only centimeters/inches away from you. With a gentle finger he lifted your chin up and leaned in. You kissed back softly. You parted after a moment, too quickly for Sebastian’s liking. “So, that’s that.” You said and smiled awkwardly as you took a step back. “Auch.” Sebastian said quietly. “What?” You immediately asked. “Am I such a bad kisser?” You shook your head. “No, not at all.” Sebastian smiled and again closed the space between you two.

“Good, because I was promised a make out session.” He said right before leaning in to kiss you once more. This time you parted your lips slightly and Sebastian was eager to accept the invitation. One hand slipped to your lower back pressing your body against his, while his other hand held your head gently.

As Sebastian parted, he saw hesitation and doubt in your eyes. “I don’t know what Imelda told you, but if you don’t want to do this then you don’t have to.” He stayed close to you but his eyes were sincerely looking for your approval. “Imelda said just a kiss.” You spoke softly. Sebastian’s heart dropped and his eyes showed clear disappointment. “Then let’s leave it at that.” He said as he took a step back and smiled sheepishly.

“It’s not that I don’t want to… uh, kiss and stuff.” You confessed. “I’m - I’m just a bit insecure, I guess.” Sebastian laughed, not the reaction you were hoping for. He cupped your cheek. “There is no reason for you to be insecure. You are a sweet and intelligent witch, and you’re so beautiful.” While he said that last bit he shamelessly traced your figure. “So, do you want to continue?” He asked with a smile tugging his lips. You pulled him closer using his quidditch cloak and kissed him. Your fingers messing up his already messy hair even more.

When you parted for air, Sebastian saw an opportunity to lift you up and place you on a nearby table. He found his way between your legs and pushed himself as close to you as possible. Passionate kisses turned into sloppy ones as you both became more desperate for each other. His lips left yours only to leave more sloppy kisses on your jaw and down to your neck. As he pushed himself even closer you could feel just how hard he was through his pants. You enjoyed the feeling and you spread your legs slightly wider. Your fingers clinging to the fabric of his sweater, while your other hand continues to further mess up his hair. A soft moan escapes your lips, making him kiss you more aggressively than before and presses his forehead against yours. “Y/n, you’re quite the prize.” He says in a husky voice and one of his hands cups your breast. Even though you’re still fully clothed the feeling of his hand and the soft squeeze drives you mad with desire.

“Sebastian, we should go somewhere more private before-” You didn’t need to finish that sentence. Sebastian was more than ready to take you to this room and get rid of every piece of clothing. So he picks you up and you wrap your legs around his waist.

However, as Sebastian is about to lead you to his room. The common room door opens and you hear Imelda. “Are you two going to join the Slytherin victory party in the Great Hall?” She eyes the both of you as your guilty faces betray what you were up to. “Sebastian, I see you have collected your prize. So, now both of you come with me. I don’t want to be a godmother in nine months.” She raised an eyebrow and pointed to the exit.

There was no arguing with Imelda so defeated, Sebastian and you head up the Slytherin stairs with Imelda behind you. Along the way to the party Sebastian grabs a hold of your hand and gives you a sweet peck on the lips. Imelda groans and looks at you. “Enough smooching! He helped win three games, not the quidditch world cup.” You smile at Sebastian like a love struck idiot and smirks, holding you close. I won something way better than the Quidditch World Cup.

[eldritch-thrumming]

Steve looks up when there’s a knock on his cubicle wall. Robin stands on the other side, leaning over the flimsy partition that gives the busy office floor the illusion of privacy.

“Hey, Steve, wanna get lunch?” She asks him.

“Yeah, let me finish this,” Steve says before turning back to his computer screen to save his notes from fashion week. He can’t help but sigh as he looks at the endless lists of what celebrity wore which brands and who sat front row at each show.

He and Robin make their way downstairs to the cafeteria, where they head to the end of the long line. The lunch room was always packed at this time of day. Steve thinks for the thousandth time that they should plan their breaks better, maybe for a time when the entire building wasn’t battling a sudden salad bar craving.

After about twenty minutes and several sharp elbows to the ribs at the refrigerator where the pudding cups are kept, they make their way to the only open table with their sad, wilted-looking lettuce. Steve stares down at his plate, stomach rumbling, before Robin catches his attention.

“Ready for the pitch meeting?” Her brows are furrowed, anxiety written across her face.

“I mean, yeah.” Steve shrugs his shoulders. “Not much to pitch. I’m just gonna get that lame premiere assignment anyway.” His voice comes out an irritated grumble.

“What about that story about the teachers’ strikes you wanted to pitch? The teachers organizing across districts?” The furrow in her brow deepens.

“Face it, Robin,” Steve sighs. “If we want to write what we really want to write, we’re not gonna do it here. Best to get these few years under out belt and do what we’re told, so we can get a good reference for a publication that actually cares about the things we care about.”

Robin looks down at her own plate, moves her fork around her pile of browned lettuce and ranch dressing. “Well, I’m pitching my rail nationalization story. Imagine what this country could do with a high speed rail system organized by the state. It would be a game changer!” She sounds excited about her pitch and Steve wonders if that’s the way he used to sound, too, before he’d been relegated to “Who Wore It Better”s and celebrity advice columns.

As Steve’s contemplating his entire career trajectory, Nancy makes her way over to them with a tray in her white-knuckled grip. Steve would never say it to her face, but he thought it was only a matter of time before she popped a blood vessel because of the cafeteria line.

“I fucking hate this place,” Nancy practically snarls as she slams her tray down on the table between them. She takes a chair from the neighboring table without even asking before sitting and hanging her crossbody bag on the back. She glances at Steve’s tray. “You got a pudding cup?” Steve says nothing as he moves the pudding cup further from Nancy’s reach. She rolls her eyes.

“We were just talking about the pitch meeting,” Robin tells her. “I’m really gonna pitch the railway story. This is important stuff, Nance, we should be publishing it.”

Nancy takes a sip from her orange juice before responding. “I don’t disagree, Robin, but Erica will never go for it. You know those serious pieces are reserved for Terry, Patrick, and Elaine.”

“Terry, Patrick, and Elaine are practically geriatric,” Robin rolls her eyes. “The magazine needs fresh new voices. Erica understands that. I’m pretty sure it was her who said that at last month’s meeting.”

“Well, good luck,” Nancy says, twirling her fork in her pasta. Steve’s not even sure what sort of sauce the pasta’s supposed to have. He grimaces.

“Thank you,” Robin grins, choosing to ignore Nancy’s sarcasm.

~*~

Steve, Robin, and Nancy sit side-by-side in the conference room as they wait for their editor, Erica, to finish the phone call she’d taken in her office. They were surrounded by their coworkers--photographers, stylists, journalists--and there was a massive pile of donuts in the center of the huge polished wooden table. Steve’s fingers itched to reach for one, but the last time he’d eaten a donut at one of these meetings, he’d gotten a huge glob of strawberry jelly on his slacks. He’d had to beg to borrow a pair of pants from the fashion closet so he could go do an interview without a massive red stain on his leg later that day.

Everyone looks up when Erica enters the room. She always looked to Steve like she floated around the place, somehow both intimidating and approachable all at once. Steve’s palms were always sweaty whenever he had to have a one-on-one conversation with her.

The meeting starts and Erica directs the conversation around the room, hearing pitch after pitch for the next few editions of the magazine. Steve’s head is starting to bobble as he listened to the stylists pitch five different fashion spreads. He’s startled from a daydream when Erica says, “Alright, what do you three have for me?” from the end of the table.

Robin looks at Steve and Nancy before she speaks. “Well, uh. I had this thought that we could, uh, maybe do a piece, like, an article, you know? With, uh, interviews and first-person accounts and statistics and all that stuff--”

“Right, I know what an article is, Robin,” Erica says firmly, but not unfriendly.

“Right, Robin swallows, squirming. “Sorry. Um. Well, there’s been a lot of talk recently about the railway workers unionizing and the derailments and how corporations are going about handling these issues.” Steve notices how Robin’s voice starts to sound much stronger when she really gets in to her pitch. “And there’s a renewed interest online and in DC in a potential nationalization of the railway system in America and I think that could be a really worthwhile and interesting story for our readers.”

Erica looks at Robin for a long moment, thinking. Steve holds his breath, waiting for Erica to speak.

“I like it,” she finally says, a slow smile spreading across her face. “We’ll talk to residents where the derailments occurred, doctors and scientists, state representatives, workers, officials. It could even be a serial piece.”

“Wow, really?” Robin’s eyes brighten.

“Yeah, really,” Erica smiles again, before turning to her right. “Terry, what do you think? Can you handle that?” Steve sees Robin’s face fall out of the corner of his eye. Terry responds in the affirmative, before Steve cuts off the conversation that they’re having about Robin’s story.

“I have a pitch,” Steve says, voice loud in his own ears. His hands shake in his lap.

“Really, Harrington?” Erica asks, eyebrows shooting up in surprise as she turns to look at him.

“Yeah,” Steve nods. “About the teachers’ strikes and how they’re organizing across districts in the city.”

Erica looks at him, like she’d looked at Robin. Her eyes shift back and forth between the two of them.

“That’s not a bad story,” she tells him. She pauses again, looking at Steve for another long moment before continuing. “Listen, I see what’s happening here. You want a chance at more serious stories. But you’ve both been here only a year. I need to know that you can write more than an analysis of what Selena Gomez was wearing when Justin Bieber broke up with her.” She looks at them and she looks so far away from where Steve is sitting. He feels like his vision has taken on a fish-eye lens, distorting at the edges, making everyone look tiny. “So, here’s what we’ll do. I was just on the phone with Corroded Coffin’s PR. Apparently the band is coming out of retirement and they’re announcing a new album and a new tour kicking off in March. They’ve asked us to publish something about the band, with full and complete access to recording studios, one-on-one interviews with each member, and live shows before the tour starts. We’re doing a whole issue on the resurgence of grunge and metal style from the eighties and nineties for it. I’ll let you, Buckley, and Wheeler have the central article. If you can get me some new, interesting, and relevant information on the band’s personal lives, I’ll let you start writing more serious pieces for the magazine.”

Steve’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise as the blood rushes in his ears. He hadn’t expected that to actually work. Plus, the Corroded Coffin article itself was a huge deal. Nancy’s saying yes on everyone’s behalf before Steve can even really wrap his mind around the offer.

~*~

After the meeting, Steve sits at his desk doing a cursory Google search of Corroded Coffin. He wasn’t the biggest metal fan and the closest he’d ever come to really giving the genre a try was adding a few Nirvana songs to his workout playlist.

He’s scrolling through the search results when he realizes that there’s a significant lack of interviews, even though the band has been active for almost a decade. Most of the articles were descriptions of the lead singer’s rather outlandish public stunts.

“Hey, Rob?” He calls out over the partition that separates their cubicles.

“Yeah?” She responds. Steve doesn’t like when he can’t see her while they’re talking, so he rolls his eyes and pulls himself from the chair to look over their shared wall.

“Have you noticed that there’s, like, no interviews with the band?”

She looks up from her computer screen. “There’s a few,” she says, sighing. “On the second page of Google. But there’s none with Munson.” Robin throws herself against the back of his chair. “A few of the articles say he’s ‘notoriously private.’” She rolls her eyes as she puts air quotes around the last two words.

Steve stomach drops. This was supposed to be an easy article. Full access usually meant a lot more intimacy between the journalist and the subject, but Steve knew first hand how hard it was to get a cagey and jaded celebrity to talk, even when the request for the interview came from their own camp. Sometimes especially when the request came from their camp.

“Is this going to be harder than we thought?” Steve asks, brow furrowing in concern. “”What are we going to do?”

Robin smirks. “We’ll just have to get creative.”

part one part two

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

The world moves too fast now for anyone to get to the levels of Julia and George in the 90s/early 2000s....now you can literally be hot on Monday and not on Tuesday. The markets are oversaturated and social media has literally changed the world now people literally know every single thing there is to know about you within 30 minutes of you appearing in public and before people had years to get to know and love someone now everyone moves too fast to Carr and if they don't like you now then it's OK cos their is 30 other people exactly like you for them to choose from.

I also think Meghan has overplayed her hand too many times and she the fact she doesn't have a specific demographic to cater to either hurts her and any brand she's trying to build she's too old for the TikTok crowd she's too young and common for the NYC old money society crowds she's not talented or famous enough for Hollywood she literally doesn't have a single space she can occupy even the oh I'm famous cos I married someone famous club is ram packed and the only difference she had was she married royalty but now he's not even royalty he's 3rd row Harry on a commercial flight home and hour later.

She really put a lot into her "The Duchess/Duchess Meghan brand in the 2 or so years she was a royal and then spent the next 3 years completely smashing it to shreds....like why should we care that she's royal if being royal is as awful as she says it is?

Even the mom and baby club is full and it's full of people who actually show their kids 🙈 celebrity lifestyle and wellness?? Full and with people whi project an aspirational lifestyle....do you want to be like the 40 year old ex actress who spends her whole life fighting with her family and suing the press? Nope...me neither.

If she had spent the last 3 years building her own brand instead of trying to tear down the RFs she might be in better shape.

Even the divorce is gonna go against her IMO cos people genuinely just don't like her, she's not authentic and people can spot she's a fake a mile off, that's why the sugars and her PR attack Kate so much Kate is the real deal, anyone with half a brain cell can tell she was born to do this in fact she does it better than most of the people who were born to do this but Kate also knows this takes work she has honed her skills for over 2 decades..... Meghan is too petty, juvenile and lazy to do that or anything close to it.

I don't see WME being a game changer for her either, she loves attaching herself to big brands and names cos it makes her feel important but she doesn't have any follow through and nothing comes of it, have you ever heard of the sadim touch? It's the opposite to the midas touch and that's what she has. I know we all like to joke but she literally turned a prince into a pauper, he was the most popular royal (even more popular than the monarch) and now he's known as the frozen todger guy sitting in the nosebleeds at his fathers coronation 🙈

Sorry for the essay, if you made it this far congrats 🤣🤣

Great essay!!

I agree with you generally, but I think she a window. The royal connection (tenuous as it is right now) is valuable and it differentiates her. Also, the “feminist princess” brand the palace built for her is still compelling. They did a great job for her there. The “royal Rachel Zane” persona would still sell.

WME can’t do miracles, but they can get her a guest spot in The View. They can’t get her a job, but they can get her a guest spot, particularly if she delivers a second season of Archetypes that is not seven episodes of narcissism. She can go on Drew’s show. She can get the ghostwriter to write her a bestselling memoir that is not just cringe bitching about her family. She can get someone talented to write her a few good essays for Time. If she’s smart and she works hard she can do it. If she’s super smart and she divorces him, she has an even better chance of sound it.

But that’s the problem. She’s not smart and she doesn’t work hard. She’s going to buy herself some awards, do some random passive aggressive bitching, pose for a few paps, and call it a day. So, in the end, it’s not going to work out for her.

[oldxenomorph]

[uno reverse card] top 10 albums

top 5/top 10 anything.

i'm always listening to stuff. (in no particular order)

born this way by lady gaga i know it's corny to say that an album saved my life, but this album ready did save my life. it helped me get through a really, really tough time and gave me the confidence to feel good about myself. also the album is excellent, phenomenal even. truly a game changer for pop music, ahead of its time in many ways. i really do think born this way and the fame monster are gaga's best albums. also perhaps my favorite era in terms of gaga's aesthetics. recommended tracks: marry the night, born this way, judas, the edge of glory

cruelty and the beast by cradle of filth i first heard cradle of filth back in the days of mtv2's headbanger's ball and the video for "nymphetamine" was probably when i first realized i was bisexual. but then i downloaded cruelty and the beast and my first listen of "cruelty brought thee orchids" rewired a part of my brain permanently. i was so happy it finally got the remaster it deserved a few years ago. recommended tracks: cruelty brought thee orchids, bathory aria, lustmord and wargasm, beneath the howling stars

nihil by kmfdm/that total age by nitzer ebb cheating by putting two albums in one number because both were incredibly formative albums for me. i found both of them together in their original cd cases at a half price books when i was in high school. truly the source of my love for industrial music. both are still part of my daily music rotation. recommended tracks: brute, ultra, murderous, fitness to purpose

ask the dust by lorn my friends are probably sick and tired of me putting 374927428 lorn tracks in all my character playlists. but lorn is so good! a friend showed me the video for "ghosst(s)" and it rewired a part of my brain in such a way that i'm still obsessed with this guy's music. ask the dust in particular has some of my favorite tracks, but his most recent albums and eps like remnant and drown the traitor are also really excellent. man doesn't know how to make bad music. recommended tracks: ghosst(s), everything is violence, weigh me down, diamond

stranger fruit by zeal & ardor i first found out about zeal & ardor back when kim kelly was writing about extreme metal for vice and she wrote about them. instantly satisfied a sweet spot in my brain. i think stranger fruit and wake of a nation are the band's best albums, but stranger fruit in particular is so, so good and excellent. you know what i'm talking about. recommended tracks: ship on fire, row row, servants, built on ashes

caligula and sinner get ready by lingua lignota like zeal & ardor, i first found out about lingua ignota in something kim kelly wrote either when she had her column at vice or something else, i forget. caligula is such a stunning album and i've been following kristen hayter's music ever since. also cheating again by pairing this with another album, but sinner get ready is also really, really excellent. (her earliest available album, all bitches die, is also really good and "woe to all (on the day of my wrath)" is a regular feature in my playlists.) i'm really excited for her next album. recommended tracks: fucking deathdealer, if the poison won't take you my dogs will, perpetual flame of centralia, pennsylvania furnace

sing the sorrow and the art of drowning by afi cheating again because it's hard to choose! afi makes consistently good albums! i first heard afi when i saw the video for "girl's not grey" on fuse. (remember when fuse used to mostly play pop punk and emo music videos? yeesh i'm old.) sing the sorrow has a special nostalgic place in my heart. but then i discovered their earlier work when they had a more hardcore/horror punk sound and those were the albums that really stuck with me, the art of drowning in particular. recommended tracks: the days of the phoenix, sacrifice theory, girl's not grey, bleed black

renaissance by beyonce the first beyonce album i listened to in its entirety was lemonade, which is a really spectacular album. but i've been having renaissance on repeat since it came out last year (facilitated by the videos of the renaissance world tour my instagram reels feed kept giving me). also the way the bassline during the chorus in "thique" sounds my headphones literally makes heart go *phwomp* like.... damn. anyway, really great and fun album, truly has taken over my brain. recommended tracks: break my soul, thique, pure/honey, all up in your mind

three cheers for sweet revenge by my chemical romance probably my most listened to album in high school (followed by good apollo i'm burning star by coheed & cambria). i know it's generally agreed upon that the black parade is their best album, but i personally like three cheers a little more. part of it is nostalgia (belting out "i'm not okay" and "helena" whenever it got played) and i just like the grittier sound the album has. still fantastic even after all these years. recommended tracks: helena, i'm not okay, thank you for the venom, i never told you what i do for a living

twin temple (bring you their signature sound.... satanic doo-wop) by twin temple literally what it says on the package: satanic doo-wop. and it's really, really good. satan's got great taste in music. they have a song not on this album that's my favorite, but this is still a really excellent album. i believe they record using the wall of sound technique, which makes their stuff sound really rich. hits the brain just right. recommended tracks: satan's a woman, i'm wicked, let's hang together, femme fatale

[cinematicnomad]

i want to hear your stranger things thoughts 👀

here's a random list of thoughts under the cut if anyone wants to avoid spoilers:

the episodes didn't need to be that long and the duffer brothers could have seriously benefitted from netflix reigning them in budget-wise and having an editor who was willing to cut the fat to make the story tighter and more compelling.

max and lucas were AMAZING. i really enjoyed their dynamic in s2 and was a little disappointed by how under-utilized they were in s3, so i was so thrilled to see their relationship play such a central role in this season and my heart broke with both of them several times.

everything in russia was so tedious and i hope i never have to spend a season with joyce, hopper, and murray fucking bauman isolated in their own plot ever again. two seasons in a row was more than enough.

robin and steve are the BEST platonic duo and i love everything about their friendship. of all the characters on the show, i've loved steve since s1 and i am just constantly surprised by how well the show was able to develop him and let him grow and introducing robin as his best friend in s3 was a real game changer.

the show's refusal to kill a major character is definitely holding it back and makes a lot of their patterns very obvious and super tiring. i also felt like eddie's death was some what underwhelming bc the editing of that part of the episode was a little clumsy and made me feel like he'd been forgotten (there were a couple moments like that—mike's extended monologue to el while max was literally being vecna'd in the background was...A Choice)

speaking of eddie, he was a GREAT addition to the season and while it was pretty clear he was doomed partway through e8, i wish he'd been able to stick around longer. he fit in well with the group and added a breath of fresh air to the dynamic of the older teens.

i'm not really on board with the retreading of the steve/nancy relationship? i know some people are, and i can understand why it makes sense, but personally i wasn't a fan of them when they were together in the first place (to be fair, also not a super big fan of jonathan and nancy!) so teeing things up for them to reunite just doesn't do it for me.

speaking of jonathan, i did very much appreciate his big brother speech to will and his promise that nothing would ever change how much he loves him. it was a sweet moment and well deserved, a nice reminder of their bond over the seasons, and i liked it a lot.

this is basically just a subset of the first point but: the final 20 minutes of the season were a mess and the "two days later" time skip felt like lazy writing. ALSO the fact that nobody but dustin even acknowledges that eddie dies was?? fucking bizarre, frankly and somehow for a season that made every single scene drag on forever, this whole bit felt like it was cut ridiculously short.

[stationerystore]

Exploring the World of Stationery

Top 10 Things to Buy at a Stationery Store

There's something satisfying about walking into a stationery store, surrounded by colorful paper, glittery pens, and rows upon rows of notebooks. Whether you're a student, a professional, or simply someone who loves the feeling of a fresh notebook, there's no denying that stationery stores can be a treasure trove of useful items. But with so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Here are the top 10 things to buy at a stationery store:

Pens: Let's start with the basics. A good pen can make all the difference in your writing experience. From ballpoint to gel to fountain pens, there's a type of pen out there for everyone. Consider investing in a high-quality pen that feels comfortable in your hand and writes smoothly.

Notebooks: Whether you're taking notes in class, jotting down ideas for a project, or keeping a journal, a good notebook is a must-have. Look for notebooks with high-quality paper that won't bleed through or smudge your writing.

Sticky Notes: Sticky notes are a great way to keep yourself organized and on track. Use them to mark important pages in a book, leave reminders for yourself, or even as a makeshift bookmark.

Highlighters: If you're a student, highlighters are a lifesaver. Use them to mark important passages in textbooks, highlight key points in your notes, or even to add a pop of color to your writing.

File Folders: Whether you're organizing paperwork at home or at the office, file folders can help keep everything in its place. Look for folders with fun designs or colors to add some personality to your workspace.

Stamps: Stamps are a fun and easy way to add some creativity to your stationery. Use them to decorate envelopes, add some flair to your planner, or even to make your own greeting cards.

Washi Tape: Washi tape is a decorative tape that comes in a variety of colors and patterns. Use it to add some personality to your notebooks, create borders for photos, or even to decorate your phone case.

Desk Organizers: Keeping your desk organized can help boost productivity and make it easier to focus on your work. Look for desk organizers that can hold everything from pens to paperclips to keep your workspace clutter-free.

Envelopes: Even in the age of email, there's something special about receiving a handwritten letter. Invest in some quality envelopes to send letters to friends and family, or to store important documents.

Planner: Whether you prefer a digital or paper planner, having a way to keep track of your schedule and to-do list is essential. Look for a planner with plenty of space to write, and consider adding some stickers or washi tape to make it your own.

When I was in college, I used to love browsing the stationery section of the bookstore. One day, I stumbled upon a set of neon highlighters nd decided to splurge on them. I didn't realize at the time how much of a game-changer they would be. Suddenly, my notes were more organized and easier to read, and I found myself looking forward to studying. It's amazing how something as simple as a highlighter can make such a difference.

[edcater]

Introduction to Python and Data Science

Python has become the go-to programming language for data science due to its simplicity and powerful libraries. If you're just starting your journey into the world of data science, Python is an excellent choice. This guide will take you through the essential Python programming concepts you need to know to embark on your data science adventure.

Setting Up Your Python Environment

Before diving into Python, you'll need to set up your environment. The good news is, Python is free and easy to install. You can download it from the official Python website and choose from various Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) such as PyCharm, Jupyter Notebook, or VS Code. These tools provide a user-friendly interface for writing and executing Python code.

Python Basics: Variables, Data Types, and Operators

Let's start with the basics. In Python, you use variables to store data. Variables can hold different types of data, such as numbers, strings (text), lists, and more. Python also provides various operators for mathematical operations, comparisons, and logical operations. Understanding these basics sets the foundation for more complex data manipulation.

Control Flow: Making Decisions with Python

Control flow statements allow you to dictate the flow of your program. With if statements, for loops, and while loops, you can control how your code executes based on conditions. This is crucial for data analysis, where you often need to filter and process data based on specific criteria.

Python Functions: Building Blocks for Data Analysis

Functions in Python are reusable blocks of code that perform specific tasks. They help in organizing your code and making it more modular. You'll learn how to create functions, pass arguments, and return values. This knowledge becomes invaluable as you start working with larger datasets and complex operations.

Working with Data: Libraries and Data Structures

Python's strength in data science comes from its powerful libraries. Two essential libraries for data manipulation are NumPy and Pandas. NumPy provides support for large, multi-dimensional arrays and matrices, while Pandas offers data structures like DataFrames, which are ideal for data manipulation and analysis.

Data Analysis with Pandas: Your Data Science Swiss Army Knife

Pandas is a game-changer for data scientists. It allows you to read data from various sources, clean and preprocess data, perform statistical analysis, and much more. With Pandas DataFrames, you can slice and dice your data, filter rows and columns, and aggregate information with ease.

Visualization with Matplotlib: Bringing Data to Life

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in data science. Matplotlib is a plotting library that enables you to create various types of visualizations, including line plots, bar charts, histograms, and scatter plots. Visualizations help in understanding trends, patterns, and relationships within your data, making complex information more accessible.

Putting It All Together: A Simple Data Analysis Project

To wrap up your beginner's journey, we'll walk through a simple data analysis project. You'll apply everything you've learned by loading a dataset, cleaning and preparing the data with Pandas, performing some basic analysis, and creating visualizations with Matplotlib. This hands-on project will solidify your understanding and prepare you for more advanced data science tasks.

[blockchainsolve]

Blockchain Breakthroughs: Unveiling the Future of Secure Transactions

Imagine a world where every transaction is cozy, transparent, and immutable. That’s the promise of blockchain era, and it’s not just a pipe dream. Dive into the coronary heart of blockchain research with me, and let’s find the innovative improvements that are setting the level for a seismic shift in how we manage virtual transactions and information security. From the center of blockchain’s evolutionary soar to the present day strides in clever contracts and consensus algorithms, you’re about to get a the front-row seat to the Future of Secure Transactions. Buckle up; we’re approximately to boost the veil on blockchain breakthroughs which can be reshaping our virtual landscape.

The Evolution and Security of Blockchain Technology Exploring Blockchain Security Features and Their Importance Blockchain security is sort of a excellent-sturdy lock in your online information. Each block in a series hyperlinks collectively in a way that’s difficult to interrupt. It’s like a virtual puzzle that receives tougher with each piece. This is prime for retaining your stuff secure.

Now, why does it count? Well, it stops hackers and continues things honest. Imagine gambling a game wherein you realize no person can cheat. That’s blockchain for you. It makes sure that while you alternate on-line or sign a deal, what you notice is what you get.

But this isn’t just a one-trick pony. Blockchain boasts other cool capabilities, too. For instance, clever contracts are like robotic promises. They ensure all and sundry sticks to their phrase without a intermediary. No greater handshake deals that fall through.

The Impact of Distributed Ledger Technology on Cybersecurity Talking approximately allotted ledger generation, or DLT, think about it as a shared digital pocket book. It shall we anybody write in it, however no person can erase what’s been written. This turns into a game-changer in fighting cybercrimes.

The ledgers spread out across the globe, so messing with them isn’t smooth. When you send info or cash, it’s like sending a outstanding at ease bundle. Only the proper man or woman can open it. This manner fewer chances for awful guys to sneak in.

DLT is shaking matters up, from health facts to balloting. It’s clear as day – while facts is safer, we all win. And the destiny? It’s vibrant. We’re speakme much less fraud, faster transactions, and consider online. With this tech, the internet’s excellent days are still ahead.

Blockchain studies

Advancements in Blockchain Frameworks and Protocols The Role of Smart Contracts in Enhancing Blockchain Transactions Smart contracts change how we address agreements. They are like self-appearing packages that run on blockchain. These contracts auto-execute tasks when situations are met. They lock in rules and moves in code, slicing out the intermediary. This way faster, less expensive, and greater accurate transactions.

For example, permit’s say you purchase a car the use of a smart contract. When you pay, the contract instantly sends you the automobile’s digital keys. There’s no need to look forward to a dealership to address the paperwork.

But smart contracts are not just for simple trades; they’re crucial in complicated approaches too. They are used in felony agreements, business strategies, or even balloting systems. The consider in their execution comes from blockchain era. So, they may be extra than just a short manner to exchange goods. They are reshaping trust in digital deals.

Analyzing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Various Consensus Algorithms Blockchain’s heart is its consensus algorithm. This is how all customers agree at the information’s state. There are many types, every with professionals and cons.

Proof of Work (PoW) is Bitcoin’s choice. It’s very relaxed but uses numerous strength. It also makes blockchains gradual. Miners solve difficult math puzzles to feature new blocks. This takes plenty of time and electricity.

Then there’s Proof of Stake (PoS). Here, the greater cash you preserve, the greater power you have to add blocks. This uses less strength but would possibly want the wealthy. It is visible as a greener opportunity to PoW.

Other strategies like Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) and Proof of Authority (PoA) also exist. They select a few trusted users to do the heavy lifting. This speeds things up however might make networks less decentralized.

All those techniques purpose to hold blockchains secure and honest. But there's no one-length-suits-all solution. Each blockchain picks a consensus technique that fits its desires great.

So, whilst taking into account how blockchain can assist us, it’s now not just about having a comfortable ledger. It’s vital to healthy the right blockchain layout with its use case. For blockchain to certainly thrive, we ought to maintain learning and enhancing those frameworks.

Blockchain is extra than a tech buzzword. It is possibly the spine of a new kind of net. An net wherein we can exchange price as effortlessly as we percentage data nowadays. Where clever contracts and clever consensus methods build trust in our virtual international.

As we watch this space develop, recall, it’s now not pretty much what blockchain is now. It’s approximately what it could grow to be, and the way smart contracts and consensus will shape its future. It’s an interesting time in the field of blockchain research. We’re not just witnesses to this alteration; we’re all part of it.

The blockchain studies

Scaling and Governing the New Wave of Blockchain Applications Overcoming Blockchain Scalability Issues for Decentralized Applications You’ve heard the buzz about blockchain. It’s beyond just digital cash. Today, I need to chat about how we make blockchain fast enough to handle tons of records without breaking a sweat. This is what we name “scalability troubles”. You see, as more folks use decentralized apps, or “dapps”, the community receives crowded.

Just like traffic for the duration of rush hour, it receives slow. Nobody likes waiting, right? To restoration that, clever humans round the arena are running on cool tech. Think of it like adding extra lanes to our blockchain motorway. This enables more information zoom through at lightning pace. Brilliant minds have already rolled out updates and new tech to rev up the velocity. They tweak the blockchain’s heart – the code – to get you shifting quicker in the virtual world.

Governance Models and Their Effect on Blockchain Ecosystems Now, let’s transfer gears and talk keep approximately “governance fashions”. Weird time period, I realize. It’s like the rulebook for our blockchain game. Who comes to a decision at the regulations? Who continues an eye on things when someone tries to cheat or mess up? That’s governance for you.

Some blockchains are like wild west cities with no sheriff. Everyone just hopes parents play pleasant. Others have bosses, like a council, who vote on huge adjustments. These are those who swing the hammer while things need solving or improving. They ensure the blockchain stays proper blue and comfy. It’s a balance, even though. Too many policies, and also you squeeze the amusing outa of the sport. Too few, and it’s chaos metropolis. Finding that sweet spot is what keeps blockchain wizards up at night time.

The destiny of purchasing stuff, sharing facts, even vote casting ought to experience on these discoveries. Buckle up, my friends. We’re in for an interesting journey as we push blockchain to the subsequent degree. Get prepared for a world of rapid, truthful, and rock-solid safe virtual transactions. This is the promise of the new wave of blockchain. And we’re simply getting started.

Follow Blockchain Solve for more blockchain information.

[rowerambles]

Game Changer idea

It starts like the first Noise Boys episode: Sam introduces Brennan, Zac, and Josh, welcome to game changer, he’s been here the whole time, “players, while I do love the direction we’ve gone with make some noise, I have to admit that I miss hearing you three make silly animal noises.”

Sam looks up at Josh and says, “Josh, your word is cow” a picture of a cow comes on screen, “no problem,” Josh makes the best cow sound you’ve ever heard in your life, Sam says, “sorry Josh that’s not the answer we were looking for… Zac your word is duck,” a picture of a duck comes on the screen, Zac makes a very convincing duck sound, which he doesn’t get points for, of course; this keeps going for a couple of rounds. The crew is laughing, the players are getting frustrated, Brennan has this look on his face like he’s trying to figure out how in the world the game works. Josh’s next word is cat, a picture of Sam’s cat comes on the screen, after Josh doesn’t get the point, Brennan asks if he can try, Sam says sure why not.

“Brennan, your word is cat”

“Cat, c-a-t, cat.

“Brennan… that is correct”

It’s a spelling bee episode but the words keep getting harder and more confusing. Homophones, names of medications, silent letters, ghost words, Zzyzx California, long phrases, words you’ve never even heard of that Sam may or may not be making up on the spot to mess with Brennan specifically.

They film for 12 hours. Brennan wins.

The prize is a dictionary, “so you can keep practicing your great spelling at home”

“That does it for us at game changer, I’m your host Sam Reich, reminding you that it’s r-e-i-c-h not r-i-e-c-h, goodnight!”

[digitalaakash656]

Harnessing the Power of CSS Grid Layouts for Effective Web Design

Introduction:

In the dynamic world of web design, staying on top of the latest trends and technologies is crucial for creating visually appealing and user-friendly websites. One such powerful tool that has revolutionized the way we design web layouts is CSS Grid. In this blog, we will explore the potential of CSS Grid layouts and how they contribute to effective web design, emphasizing effective layout techniques and web design optimization.

Understanding CSS Grid:

CSS Grid is a layout system that allows web developers to create complex and responsive grid-based layouts with ease. Unlike its predecessor, Flexbox, which is more focused on one-dimensional layouts, CSS Grid enables designers to work with two-dimensional layouts, making it an ideal choice for creating intricate designs.

Effective Layout Techniques:

Responsive Design: CSS Grid simplifies the process of creating responsive designs. With its ability to define rows and columns independently, designers can easily adapt their layouts to various screen sizes. This ensures a seamless user experience across devices, from desktops to smartphones.

Grid Lines and Tracks: The grid system allows the creation of both fixed and flexible tracks. Designers can use grid lines to divide the layout into sections, and tracks to define the size and placement of elements within those sections. This level of control is invaluable for achieving precise and visually appealing designs.

Alignment and Justification: CSS Grid provides robust alignment and justification options. Elements can be aligned vertically or horizontally within their respective grid areas, ensuring a clean and organized appearance. This is particularly useful for maintaining a consistent look and feel throughout the website.

Web Design Optimization:

Reduced Code Complexity: CSS Grid simplifies the code required for complex layouts. By eliminating the need for additional HTML markup and intricate positioning, developers can write cleaner and more maintainable code. This results in faster load times and improved website performance.

Streamlined Maintenance: The modular nature of CSS Grid layouts makes it easier to update and maintain websites. Changes can be made to specific grid areas without affecting the entire layout, reducing the risk of unintended consequences and minimizing the time spent on maintenance.

Improved User Experience: A well-designed layout contributes to a positive user experience. CSS Grid's ability to create visually appealing and organized designs enhances usability and readability, encouraging visitors to stay on the website longer and explore its content.

Conclusion:

Harnessing the power of CSS Grid layouts is a game-changer for web designers seeking effective layout techniques and optimization. Its versatility, responsiveness, and simplicity in implementation make it an invaluable tool in the web design toolkit. By adopting CSS Grid, designers can create visually stunning and user-friendly websites that leave a lasting impression on visitors. Stay ahead in the world of web design by mastering the art of CSS Grid layouts and taking your designs to new heights of excellence.

[overnightshipping]

Finished that Hot New Mario Game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It was pretty good! Unfortunately I also came out of the experience feeling somewhat underwhelmed. Still good though.

Firstly, the thing that I was shocked to find that was the absolute best part of the game for me: the online multiplayer! When this was first shown off in Nintendo's presentation it looked incredibly boring and barely of note, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The online multiplayer in this game was legitimately a game changer for me and is by far my favorite thing this game does. I truly hope Nintendo continues to do something like this in future platformers.

How it works is that if you are online, every time you start up a level (or the map screen, but the levels are more relevant) the game will pair you with up to three other people online who are also playing that level. They show up on your screen as ghosts, so you see them jumping around and doing stuff but cannot directly interact with them, and they cannot directly interact with you (or your instance of the level). You can communicate with other players by doing little emotion bubbles, like a smiley face or a megaphone. When a player dies, if there are other players nearby, they will become a ghost and can touch another (alive) player to come back at that spot without losing a life. Players can also place standees, one per level as I understand it, which other players can touch to come back to life in the same way.

What this does is make the online multiplayer this wonderful little experience where you can perform random acts of kindness to help other players around the world, just for the heck of it. You can team up and sync up your progress to get past a hard part of a stage, or you can show each other secrets. Or you can just go through levels together, having fun together at the same time, like parallel play across the world. It's really, really good! I had a brief stretch where I did three levels in a row with some random person online and we kept making happy emotions at each other as we went through the levels together and it was great. Truly put a smile on my face.

The game itself is as good as ever, with immaculately crafted levels as one would expect from a Mario. The parts I found underwhelming, however, were the length and variety. The game's gimmick - Wonder - promises that every stage will have some weird and wacky thing to throw at you, and while a lot of these are as weird and wacky and unique as one might expect, others are really one note and don't do much. And a lot of them get repeated, which isn't terrible, but it does put a damper on the Wonder if you're just doing the same sequence again in a slightly different place.

The most egregious element is definitely the boss fights, which are nothing to write home about. Ironically, these are some of the least creative and unique boss fights in the 2D Mario games as of late? You fight Bowser Jr. like four times and each time has some minor environmental gimmick and that's about it. It's really silly. Kamek keeps showing up and just carrying Jr. around and I keep thinking "hey, can't you make a cool and memorable boss fight like in Yoshi's Island?"

I also just wish it was longer and had more challenge levels. It has notably fewer end-game challenges than the closest point of comparison in Mario 3D World, and only a few of the Special World stages really challenged me. Part of this may be mismatched expectations for me, though - I had heard that Wonder got pretty hard and was just a tad disappointed when it never got noticeably harder than the usual Mario Special World fare.

Still, though, I had a helluva lot of fun with it. And got damn is the game's art style a win - it's easily the best 3D art style Mario has ever had (excluding Paper Mario) and I truly hope they continue to build on it or experiment with art styles for future games.

[missrubybird]

TS4 Cottage Living Sims Part 2

Here are some more country folk to populate Henford-on-Bagley! Thank you again to the EA Game Changer Program for making this content possible! All these Sims have backstories which intertwine with each other and those of the Sims of Part 1.

Below the cut you’ll find:

Individual Download Links for the Sims

As well as a Zip File containing all the Sims

Sims’ Backstories and Traits

CC Links

All Sims have all 8 Outfits using only CL and Basegame except for those Sims with pets, those require Cats&Dogs as well, obvs..

Note: There is CC included in the Download Files, make sure to put it in your Mods Folder along with the CC linked below! ♥️

Have fun!   🐮 ♥️ 🐇 ♥️ 🐥  

CC LINKS:  Lashes // Skintone // SkinDetails // Jake’s Glasses

Credits: @cienzroza @kijiko-sims @annamsblue @pyxiidis @tamo-sim @squeamishsims @berryconfetti @vibrantpixels @vegantrait @rheallsim @simbience Thank you to @maxismatchccworld for reblogging ♥️

Note: You need the No EA Eyelashes Mod by Cienzroza for the Sims to look exactly like they do in the pictures!

➞ Cottage Living Sims Part 1

DOWNLOAD ALL SIMS HERE or individual Links below

Sim Links from Top to Bottom:

Melanie Koenig

YA // Quick Learner // Cheerful // Bookworm // Clumsy

You might think that being the local nerdy librarian and a former teacher’s pet (which her peers always resented her a bit for) means life wasn’t always easy for Melanie. Granted, she is one smart cookie but her people skills never were the best. And yet, while Melanie definitely is a bit awkward, she also has a very sunny disposition and there is very little that can dampen her spirits. She loves reading and has a huge collection of books that she adds to regularly, although the classics are her favorite. And she does prefer watching old Hollywood films on her couch with Pete her cat but every once in a blue moon when Melanie closes the library for the night, she lets Milly and Sabina drag her to the pub for a spot of karaoke.

Bella Teeluck

YA // Quick Learner // Music Lover // Childish // Neat

Bella, like Melanie, was always a good student but what Melanie lacks in people skills, Bella has in abundance. She’s especially popular with the elementary students she teaches because she starts every lesson with a song and she’s never lost the joy of playing with kids’ toys. Bella loves children and they love her because they sense that Bella is still a kid at heart. Music is very important to her and she will often get out the guitar and play pop songs while her nb kid Robin dances and sings along. And sometimes, when he has closed up the shop, Bella’s brother Jonas comes over and joins in, to the great joy of Robin, because Jonas always brings along a new children’s book.

Jake Rowland

YA // Essence of Flavor // Lazy // Bookworm // Jealous

Oh, Jake.. See, here’s the thing with Jake: Jake is majorly in love with Jonas, the local what’sitshop owner, and they have been on and off for a while but Jonas is just a bit too much of a free spirit to believe in monogamy, much to the dismay of Jake, who, let’s be honest, wants Jonas all to himself. And it could all be so perfect, because they both love to cook and they share a great passion for a good story. But Jonas can’t quite be tied down and Jake spends a lot of his time thinking of ways to convince his friend to settle down together (although Jake does like living with his sister Milly because she doesn’t mind when he slacks on his chores.. yet again). Oh, and Jake is not at all too keen on the looks that newcomer Cai is giving Jonas every time he visits the shop!

Kamilah Sabry

Adult // Domestic // Self-Assured // Ambitious // Family-Oriented

Kamilah is the proud mom of recent university graduate Cai and she’s the mayor of Henford-on-Bagley where many say she’s the best mayor the little town has ever seen. Kamilah is a power house and a doer and ‘impossible’ is not in her vocabulary! There is a lot to be done and, by golly, will it be done, if it weren’t for a certain prominent senior Henford-on-Bagley citizen, the formidable Lilly Lindgren, who seems to fancy herself a bit of a deputy mayor. The two can often be seen around town, with Lilly talking to or rather at Kamilah, giving her (unsolicited) advice and telling her how things should or shouldn’t be run and if Kamilah weren’t such a diplomat, she might just tell Lilly to shove it where the sun.. flowers don’t grow.

Prof. Saatvik Acharya

Elder // Gregarious // Cheerful // Genius // Perfectionist

Ah, yes, what would Henford-on-Bagley be without Professor Acharya, another one of the town’s staples. He still holds the occasional lecture at Britechester University but these days he prefers working in his lush garden where he cultivates the most exquisite roses, envy of many a hobby botanist around, and where he can be found playing chess and contemplating the meaning of life with Sabina or Herbert on many a lazy afternoon. Saatvik has a witty and warm sense of humor and even reclusive Delphine doesn’t mind when he comes by to chat about her roses, not only because Saatvik is so charming but also because he’s gentleman enough to leave a lady’s secrets alone. Quite unlike Lilly, who is always on everybody’s case but Saatvik and Delphine alike know well enough to hide behind their rose bushes when Lilly comes by.

Herbert Birch

YA // Muser // Gloomy // Foodie // Lactose Intolerant

Poor Herbert. Life really did a number on him when it made him lactose intolerant because, see, Herbert is a dairy farmer like his parents before him and their parents before.. you get the drift. Herbert only found out recently about his affliction but at least now he knows why he’s always been so, uhm, bloated. It’s a bit of a tragedy because Herbert loves blue cheese like no one else but he also likes writing poems ~ Herbert is a bit of a sensitive soul ~ and dreams of publishing them as none of his friends have the heart to tell him that they’re not very good. So, clueless Herbert milks his cows, composing in his mind a poem to win over Rosa, the pretty girl with the raven hair and the strawberry earrings. Maybe his friend Milly can put in a good word for him! 

Sabina Buckland

YA // Collector // Animal Enthusiast // Vegetarian // Outgoing

Sabina is a true child of nature, she lives at the edge of the forest and will often be found wandering the woods, talking to the animals and collecting what nature has to offer. You might think she’s a loner but Sabina loves people and she will always stop by the Prof’s cottage for a casual musing about the universe and how the stars are aligning that day, cheer up Herbert as he fusses over his newest tragic poem and have some coffee with Jonas who she sells the crystals and fossils to that she finds on her wanderings. Yet, for all her approachability there is something a little mysterious about Sabina and the town folk sure wonder why the mushrooms around her little house grow so abnormally large, winning the Finchwick Fair Competition five years in a row!

Note: There is CC included in the Download Files, make sure to put it in your Mods Folder along with the CC linked above!

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 2x12 Review

Second Chances was a lacklustre finale for an uneven season. Let’s dig in!

Earlier this week I re-watched S1 in preparation for the S2 finale and the contrast between the two seasons is jarring. In almost every way S2 has been worse and after seeing this finale I’m less optimistic that Tim will be able to fix the long list of things that have gone wrong. Tim has said in some of his interviews today that pretty much all of S2 was written before the pandemic and that they didn’t have to do as much re-writing as people might think due to the stringent safety measures Disney put in place. Of course, that removes an excuse for the bad writing we’ve seen so much of this season as according to Tim what we saw of S2 is largely what he envisioned minus big crowds and background dancers.

 Across his many interviews today, the one consistent point is that Tim does not have any real plans for future seasons; things like Ricky’s endgame he hasn’t decided on and he can’t even guarantee the summer season the finale sets up due to the weather in Salt Lake. I do think a S3 is an almost certainty given the show’s popularity but I’ll take Tim at his word that he truly doesn’t know if they’ll be renewed since it seems to be a new Disney tradition to wait until seasons are done airing before making a renewal decision (the same thing happened for the popular and well received Mighty Ducks: Game Changers which got a silent renewal only after all of S1 aired). That being said as poor of a season finale as Second Chances is it is also a terrible potential series finale. In large part it goes back to his lack of planning, he wants to keep all options open but in doing so Tim is crippling the show’s ability to deliver any pay offs or tie up loose ends.  

The one mostly well done plot line this season was Portwell which got a happy ending tonight as they canoned. The only good thing about the big brother angst was that it was so insane that it had to be addressed and sure enough it was and Gina got her first kiss with a guy she really liked. If Tim is to be believed the reason we didn’t get an on screen Portwell kiss was not because of their age difference or covid concerns but because he felt that everyone’s first kiss was different so he wanted it off screen so viewers could fill in the blanks themselves. Tim’s line of reasoning is profoundly stupid. Imagine if they had Jamie show up and he and Gina talked off screen and Tim tried to claim that because everyone has a different relationship with their own siblings that he wanted the audience to fill in the blanks as to how their conversation went!

Still we saw great character development on Gina and EJ’s part as both really grew from the people they were in S1. As Tim noted, EJ bringing Gina back in 1x10 was kind of the set up for this story line. The only thing missing was a brief Portwell scene sometime in eps 2x01-2x04 to set them up. The consistent development they got from 2x05-2x12 is unlike any other ship on the show; only Rini exceeds their development. 

Unfortunately I don’t think that will last in S3 because Tim will always favour Ricky over EJ and if he wants to do Rina he’ll dispose of Portwell before doing so. I was surprised that they never bothered to have Ricky and Gina have a conversation about Gina’s S1 confession. It was a huge mistake to have Gina pine over Ricky for half the season and it was no surprise that Gina’s story line got instantly better once she stopped interacting with Ricky. Tim has made clear in interviews that he’s still interested in the possibility of Rina which makes his poor writing of them even more bizarre. What conclusions are the audience supposed to draw from the Rina story line this season? That Ricky never cared that much about Gina? That it’s totally fine for the show if they don’t interact for 6 eps in a row? That Gina has moved on? I’ve said before that a wiser man than Tim would recognize that doing both Portwell and Rina will do tremendous damage to the show and he should pick one and not do the other. Of course he’s not that smart but it is wild how he’s accidentally written their story line to make for a perfect end to Rina. 

Second Chances was great and is the only part of the finale that would have been well suited to being part of a potential series finale. 

The Rini closure was a sad inverse of their S1 opening night confession. They’ve fallen so far from being the it couple of the series and I fear Tim doesn’t actually know what to do with them now. He really needs to decide if he’s tearing down that treehouse for real. 

The less said about the Valentine’s chocolates the better but at least Gina and Nini are cool again and Nini can explore her budding music career with Jamie’s help. Tim repeatedly said in interviews that the scripts about Nini’s music career were all written before Driver’s License came out and I think he understands that the audience is just going to see the show as copying from Olivia’s life. 

The wildcats just deciding to drop out of the Menkies was a lame cop out. Tim has said he always meant for that to happen though they were originally going to compete at the Menkies then drop out (presumably that’s where we would have heard Lily singing Home). Somebody should have mentioned the $50 000 prize money which the East High theatre department could surely use after Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara burned it down (remember that story line that had no consequences?). And that NYU scholarship could have been life changing for one of them and yet no one even brought  it up once this season. 

I did like the twist that it was EJ and his dad who got Mazzara into Caltech. He’d be a fool not to take it but I’m glad he confessed to Miss Jenn. She’s had a really rough season and I hope she redeems herself in S3.

Howie was acting so weird tonight and last ep that I have a hard time believing he was really so awed by Kourtney’s talent rather than feeling guilty for helping to steal the harness. The harness is another useless plot device; there are no consequences for Lily stealing it, she’s not caught, East High pulls off another version of the transformation off screen, and then East High withdraws from the Menkies anyways. Doubtless the harness will eventually come up to serve Rily angst. 

At least Lily was straightforward, I’ll give her that. She has such an odd way of speaking, almost child like. As awful as it is there is potential for a forbidden/secret romance story line with Rily. It really does not speak well to Ricky’s character that he’s so easily fallen for Lily’s act when he has no reason to trust her and she never apologized for making fun of Big Red during the auditions or making Ashlyn feel insecure during the dance off. 

The one way in which S2 was drastically better to S1 was in regards to the Seblos story line. Clearly Joe being bumped up to regular made a big difference. We got the first same-sex kiss between two boys and the first love song sung by one boy to another in Disney history and that is a legacy to be proud of. Of course, there was still some Disney censorship such as Carlos and Seblos being unable to use the word gay in the same ep that focused on Carlos singing In a Heartbeat to Seb. 

S1 of HSMTMTS had a clear direction, the wildcats would have to try and come together to stage High School Musical and Ricky and Nini would have to decide if they still had a future together while Gina and EJ had to work on being better versions of themselves. It was simple sure but it worked very well. There was a lot of heart but also a lot of humor and the show never took itself too seriously. What has S2 had? Beauty and the Beast was hardly the main focus of the cast or the writers and the central couple that S1 was built around is now broken up either for a long time or for good. There was a lot less of the meta moments that jokes that made S1 such a hit, for far too many eps this season the show took itself way too seriously. Hell even the lighting this season was darker than in S1. 

Olivia Rodrigo’s team had complained in a recent article that Olivia wouldn’t be able to potentially tour until fall 2022 due to her contractual commitments which is a sign that they think a S3 is very likely though I wonder how late S3 filming would have to start to keep her occupied until late 2022. There’s no confirmation of this but I thought it might be worth keeping an eye on; a post on r/hsmtmts by someone who claims to have a source working on production says that the plan is for S3 to be a summer theatre camp possibly with Camp Rock renditions and the plan for S4 is to jump 6 months ahead to the final semester of senior year and end with Ricky, Nini, Big Red, and Kourtney graduating from East High. They also say that part of the delay in the S3 announcement is a conflict between Tim and Disney executives. Tim wants to move production to LA and film on sets as it’s easier and cheaper while the Disney execs still want some on location shooting in Salt Lake. Again this is all unconfirmed but if it pans out it will represent a major shift in the series. 

Regardless if Tim wants the show to remain successful he needs start planning out what he wants to happen. He should not assume he’s getting more than 4 seasons. If the series gets a S3 but then is suddenly cancelled then how would he want all the main story lines to wrap up? And if they make it to S4 where does he see it ending? The graduation of the current juniors is a logical series ending point but if Tim wants to do something different he needs to start thinking of that now. I can’t say I’m excited anymore for S3 but I do really hope that Tim and his writers can turn things around and that will only happen if they recognize what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes. 

Until next season Wildcats

[futurebicon]

OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE HAZELS WRITING ABOUT THEM BEING MIC’D UP AND SIRIUS CALLED REMUS MON LOUP BECAUSE HE FORGOT HE WAS MIC’D UP PLEASE PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU TO WRITE ABOUT SIRIUS FORGETTING HES MIC’D AND BEING ALL 🥺 WITH REMUS AND DORCAS AND ALICE AND THE FANS ARE JUST 🥰🤗 AND THE TEAMS LIKE 😏 BECAUSE THEY KNOW HES MIC’D UP AND BEING ALL NOT AT ALL BIG MEAN CAPTAIN BLACK AND JUST PLEASE (Only if you want to of course I just melted over the idea)

YES I SAW THE FIC AND DIED A LITTLE OH MY GOD IT WAS SO CUTE

This was quickly written because I loved it so much so it’s a bit short. Also there’s some Uncle Sirius because I might have an addiction to it. I also might write the fans or Alice/Dorcas’s reaction to it if people want. There’s also quite a bit of French so I added the translation to the longer ones.

Also please send in ideas

Sirius sat down on the bench, grabbing his water bottle and drinking it all quickly.

The team all patted his back and jostled his hair, congratulating him on his goal.

“Good goal, baby” Remus kissed his cheek.

“Thanks, my love” Sirius turned his head and kissed him properly.

He looked over towards the sound of a squeal, turning red as Dorcas awwed.

+++

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck” Kasey chanted into Sirius’s mic.

“Voulez-vous l'arrêter? Concentrez-vous sur le jeu.” Sirius pushed him away with an “Aye, aye Captain”

Would you stop it? Focus on the game

“Are you going to talk in French the entire time you’re mic’d?” Remus asked him.

“C'est plus facile de parler en français. Et c’est marrant de voir Alice et Dorcas en colère contre moi parce qu’ils doivent faire traduire par quelqu'un et c’est un bonus supplémentaire quand ils traduisent mal. Alors oui, mon amour, je vais probablement parler en français tout le temps” Sirius smiled at him.

It’s easier to talk in French. And it’s funny to see Alice and Dorcas mad at me because they have to get someone to translate also it’s an added bonus when they mistranslate. So yes, my love, I probably will talk in French the whole time

“You’re an idiot” Remus shook his head with a laugh.

“Je connais” Sirius told him, beckoning him down for a kiss. “Je t'aime”

I know. Love you

“Love you too”

+++

“Hi, love” Sirius panted when Remus rested his chin on his shoulder.

“Hi, baby”

“Pensez-vous que je devrais changer Leo et Kasey. Je ne peux pas vraiment dire si sa cuisse le dérange ou non. Je veux que Leo soit plus sur la glace, il va très bien. Finn a également été touché plus tôt mais je ne l'ai pas vu, et James a besoin de-” Sirius ranted quickly, his pants chopping up the words.

Do you think I should switch out Leo and Kasey. I can’t really tell if his thigh is bothering him or not. I want Leo on the ice more, he’s been doing really well. Also Finn got hit earlier but I didn’t see it, and James needs-

“Hey” Remus interrupted. “I can’t translate French if I can’t understand you, mon chéri” He smiled at him.

“Pardon, mon loup” he kissed him before repeating what he had been saying before in English.

+++

“Votre famille ici, bébé?” Sirius asked.

“Behind us 4 rows up” Remus nodded behind them.

Sirius turned around, waving at the Lupin family. He pulled his mic closer to his mouth. “Hi Jules” he whispered into it.

Remus smiled, knowing his brother was going to go insane when he heard Sirius say his name in a video.

+++

“Sirius my child wants you” James shouted down the bench.

Sirius smiled, walking to the glass.

“Hey little man.” Sirius fist bumped his 3 year old godson through the glass. “Having fun?”

“Want talk to Uncle Rems” Harry shouted loud enough for him to hear. Sirius groaned internally knowing the girls and the fans were going to go insane at the fact that Harry called Sirius’s boyfriend his uncle.

“You called me over here because you wanted to speak to Uncle Remus?” Sirius asked with a chuckle, laughing harder when Harry nodded.

“Re” Sirius waved him over “Harry wants to say hi”

“Hey buddy” Remus greeted him.

“You gonna play game?”

“Not this game H” Remus smiled at him.

“Can I sit wit you?” He asked.

“You don’t want to sit with me?” Sirius asked in mock offense.

“No you play” Harry giggled.

“I would let you sit with me but I don’t think you can tiny James” Remus told him sadly.

“Secret” Harry put his pointer finger over his lips. His uncles laughed.

“I don’t think that’s an easy secret bud” Sirius laughed.

@lumosinlove