#YES SHE WOULD HAVE. AND IT'S GOOD THAT SHE DOES IT'S INTERESTING

[fawnnlvr]

IMAGINE THIS before spencer reid was banned from casinos, he met you. an interesting, charming girl who had as much skill and perception skills as he did, but he knew you were absolutely psychotic.

being a child prodigy, he was a young psychology student getting his doctorate at MIT and occasionally flew back to las vegas to visit his mother. during that time is when he met you.

he understood that you were what psychologists would consider a compulsive gambler but that was something different about the way you gambled. like any compulsive gambler, you took pleasure in the risk and fun. whether you losed or won money, it didn't matrer, you were always winning when it came to enjoying the game.

you two interacted many times. he found you overbearingly social and you often praised him for his skills. he always avoided gambling high stakes with you even though he was confident in his skills. he didn't participate in any game you were gambling in, choosing to stay on the sidelines.

when the two of you were banned, he didn't see you again after that. he moved on with his life and finished college, before heading straight to the fbi. although he cannot lie and say there wasn't a day where he thought where you ended up in life. if you were still compulsively gambling away large amounts of money.

luckily he didn't have to wander for too long when he met you again in a random club while he was working on a case with his fellow agents. he immediately recognized your voice and whem you spotted him, you immediately went up to hug him and speak about how its been too long.

the bau agents looked really confused as you excitedly greeted their socially awkward doctor. they were also concerned because they watched as you bet ten thousand and won.

doctor reid uses that opportunity to question you about the unsub he is looking for. thankfully he was able to rule you out as a suspect since the person they are looking for is a man in his late twenties to early thirties. when they first profiled a compulsive gambler, thoughts of you flooded his head.

he understood you had an addiction. (maybe the two of you reunited during him in his dilaudid era) he felt the need to helo you and feared you gone off the deep end but you soothed his worries by telling him you only gambled twice a month as of recently since you got a new job.

back to the case, maybe you had encountered the unsub before but he was masked and you didn't really have a good description other than he was a terrible bidder and he was always angry when he lost.

spencer planned to leave the interaction at that until rossi and emily brought up that having you as a consultant could be a good idea since there was no one better to understand a compulsive gambler than you. spencer tried to strongly disagree but the bau seemed on board with the idea, especially after penelope did a background check and saw she was in counseling and mentally well.

so then ensued a whole adventure of you and spencer reconnecting. maybe reconnecting a spark that was originally there in vegas but spencer pushed it down due to your disorder and the fact that he was focusing on getting a doctorate.

you are by far one of the most talented and skilled person that spencer had ever played against. if you were a profiler, your skills would be unmatched because you notice every single little detail and use it to your advantage. you were a profiler to put it more accurately because you studied behavior. in the casinos, you and spencer could've been a power couple.

IMAGINE how good a couple you too will be once you two realize it. well when spencer does realize you were by his side, supporting him even in vegas.

anyways, thats all the ideas i have in this little imagine right now but best believe i am going to write more about it in my little notes app. (yes this is inspired by miku in bet but tbf, i was a kakegurui fan during quarantine when i went through a phase. i live miku so so much ♥︎)

[milk-is-stable]

SFTH Hunger Games - Tribute Interviews

The Reaping

HA-HIYA! Welcome to the first ever Shoot from the Hip Hunger Games TRIBUTE INTERVIEWS, hosted by ME, the one and only ANDRE BEETROOT! Hooo, ladies and gentlemen today's gonna be a great day, it's the day before the greatest competition that you have ever seen, and we're gonna sit down and talk with each of our incredible tributes tonight!

First up from the beautiful luxurious District 1, we have Janusz and Alexa!

AB: NOW, the two of you hold the distinction of being two of our youngest tributes this year, can you tell me all about yourselves and what skills you're bringing to the competition today! Janusz: Um, I don't really know, I'm just a janitor's son...Alexa, she is the one with the skills and the talent. Alexa: But I don't think dancing will really help in this case...besides, I don't want to hurt anybody! I didn't want this! AB: Ah, but the two of you are very cute, and who knows, if the audience falls in love with you, they could shower you in enough gifts that you come out on top!

Now, for our next tributes tonight we have THE Power Couple of the century, from District 2 please welcome Caesar and Juliet!

AB: Now, the two of you are MARRIED, how does it feel going into the games with that weight hanging over your heads? Caesar: Yes, of course it's devastating, but we are going to stick together no matter what. Juliet: We will not allow Rome to fall without us, whatever it takes. I made a promise to Maximilian that we would overcome the odds and do whatever it took to preserve the empire. Caesar: ....wait, what do you mean you promised Maximilian? AB: UH OH, sounds like there might be trouble in paradise! Keep an eye on these two, folks, they're sure to deliver on the battlefield!

Coming up now from District 3, we have quite the peculiar pair, let's get a huge round of applause for Janae and his older brother Johnnyyyyy!

AB: Now Johnny, I hear you have an incredible gift, please, tell the audience all about it! Johnny: I, um...I have these dreams sometimes, and um...well, you see, um...what happens is.... Janae: My brother has supernatural premonitions, and acting upon those premonitions allows him to alter the future before it becomes fixed in time! So good luck trying to get anything past him, he'll always know exactly what to do to keep himself alive! AB: You're lucky to have such a powerful brother looking out for you! Let's hope the future holds good things!

Let's hear it now for our next tributes coming from the deep blue waters of District 4, it's Julian and Jasper!

AB: Tell me gentlemen, do you have any strategy going into tomorrow's games? Julian: Um, I'm just hoping not to get in any of the more dangerous tributes' way, I suppose... Jasper: Well, this isn't the first time that I've dealt with someone trying to kill me, so if I just do what I did last time then I'm sure I'll be able to come out on top! AB: HAHA, confidence! I like it!

Next up we have a real ELECTRIC set of tributes, from District 5 we have two young men sure to spark your interest, it's Jim L and John Hobson Junior!!!

AB: So my friends, tell us, why do you think YOU will be the one to take home the ultimate victor's crown in these games? Jim: I know I don't look it, but I've got a temper and I know how to use it! It's probably better for people to just avoid me in the arena than to get on my bad side. Junior: I'm a problem solver, and I also know to never underestimate the power of an alliance! Working together is always smarter than trying to do things all on your own. AB: Only time will tell, my friends, only time will tell!

OKAY everybody I want you to give me a huge WOO HOO CHOO CHOO for our incredible tributes from District 6, Clarissa and Benjamin!

AB: How does it feel coming out SMACK in the middle of the night's festivities? You've seen half the tributes speak before you and now half will speak after. Clarissa: I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I think that the young man earlier was right, alliances are key. I definitely have some tributes now I'm thinking of approaching in the arena. Benjamin: Not to mention some tributes that it'd be smart to avoid...I certainly know who I wouldn't want to cross. AB: Yeah yeah yeah, I bet you do!

Speaking of people you wouldn't want to cross, coming up here from District 7 are two tributes who are no strangers to dealing with the extreme dangers you may find in the arena, we have Michael and Priscillaaaaa!

AB: Each of you has faced down certain death before, is that right? Michael: I have, and everything I went through taught me lessons that will serve me in that arena. Working with others, being resourceful, keeping your wits about you and making hard choices...all of that is key to survival. Priscilla: .....yes, what he said. Especially the part about working together. I think that sticking by people who have your back is very important. AB: Well we'll certainly be watching closely to see if that holds true!

Now folks, put your hands together for our sensational tributes from District 8, we have Jimmy and the one and only Robin!

Robin: IT'S SCOTTISH ROBIN TO YOU, YOU POMPOUS SHITHEAD! AB: .......Ah. I don't like you. Jimmy: Well that's not fair! What'd he do to you? AB: Just super annoying right out the gate, isn't he? Robin: OH I'M THE ONE WHO'S ANNOYING? NOT YOU, WITH YOUR STUPID FUCKIN COAT AND VISOR? Jimmy: Yeah! Honestly, your outfit really could use an upgrade, I know a great tailor actually, if I can just figure out how to get into his shop- AB: ALRIGHT THEN, that's enough of these two, out you get, go on.

NOW, to represent District 9 we have the beautiful blue-eyed Hugh and the lovely lady Inga!

AB: So how does it feel to be here on the day before the games finally begin? Hugh: It's all a bit overwhelming to be honest...I don't really know much outside of plants, but that does mean I know how to survive in the wild. And I'm brave! I won't just lie down and accept my fate. Inga: I also know how to survive in the wild, to forage and hunt and find food and shelter, and I even know how to deal with dangerous wildlife. I feel very prepared, and I'm certain that with some help from sponsors, I could take the entire competition by storm! AB: WHOA, amazing confidence from the young lady, let's see if she has the skill to back it up!

HEYO everyone you've seen many tributes tonight who are compliments to one another, but get ready now to see some polar opposites, from District 10 we have Peter Steven aaaaaaand MARTY!

AB: The two of you are no stranger to hardship, do you think what you've gone through in your life has been enough to prepare you for the arena? Peter: Well, I do like spending time outside! So it'll be nice to do some of that for a change. And there have been people on before us who seem like they'd be good ones to make allies with...but I'm no fool. I know what I have to do if I'm going to make it home to my mom, and I'm ready to do it! Marty: If you ask me, what most of these tributes lack is the proper *cough cough* conviction. I mean, let's face the facts! Twenty three of us are going to die in the next week, and even if I'm not one of them then I'll probably die in the month after! So may as well make the most of the time we've got...if those sponsors really want to see a show, then they know who to help. I'll make sure they have a...fantastic time. AB: ........HAHA, COOL!

Now ladies and gentlemen it's astonishing that it happened once, but the fact that it's happened TWICE, I can hardly believe. Please welcome our second set of sibling tributes, from District 11 it's Pinocchio and his sister, Maria Clarissio!

AB: Maria, as an older sister, how does it feel knowing you may not be able to protect your brother in the arena? Maria: Well...I've already failed him once before. And living with that failure hanging over my head these past months has been more than I can bear. You have to promise me something, Pinocchio. Promise me you'll do whatever it takes to win the competition and get home to Papa. Pinocchio: But sister, what about you? Maria: It doesn't matter what happens to me. Papa nearly lost you once, and it almost destroyed him. Don't let that happen again, okay? AB: OH MY GOSH, you two are gonna make the waterworks come on all across the audience!

Now finally tonight we have our amazing tributes from District 12, we have the rock solid Chip and the salacious Sally Xavier!

Sally: Hey! I'm only 17, don't be weird, alright? I've had enough of men being weird in my life already. AB: ANYWAY, tell me what your strategies are for dealing with your fellow tributes! Sally: Well, I know I don't look very strong, but I do know how to work well with people, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve that could surprise you. Don't count me out just yet! Chip: Look, telling you while they can hear me doesn't sound like the smartest move, to be honest. If I tell you my strategy now, then they could make a plan around it. I'll keep those cards close to my chest for now, thanks. I'm here to try and win, not make friends with someone I'll have to turn around and kill. AB: Ah, a social butterfly versus a lone wolf! We'll see who fares better tomorrow!

Ladies and Gentlemen and ALL other configurations of being I hope you had a FANTASTIC time watching our show tonight! I hope you got to know our tributes a bit better, and are ready to place your bets on who will be the one to be crowned the victor! We here at Capitol TV want to know your thoughts, so share them with us below or in this poll!

Once again I have been your incomparable host ANDRE BEETROOT, and the Shoot From the Hip Hunger Games begin TOMORROW! Good luck to all our tributes, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

GOOD NIGHT EVERYBODYYYYY!

— — —

Navigation:

The Reaping (previous)

Day 1: The Bloodbath (next)

Masterlist

[inspired-lesson-plans]

Diaries from the Front Lines of Education

The greatest lesson I ever learned from my days of selling life insurance was that if you prompt people to talk about themselves and then act as a receptive listener, it will build rapport. Fortunately, I no longer have to make the Memento Mori pivot and instead I get to listen to people tell amazing stories about their lives.

Below is a condensed version of the Music teacher talking at me non-stop for half an hour. I could not remember everything she said, but trust me that I am not making any of this up.

There used to be a dedicated music room in this elementary School, but now she has a cart that she takes into the different classes, and all of her music equipment is stored in the back of the art room.

When I told her that starting next week I will be a truck driver doing daytime deliveries, she told me that her brother's friend is a truck driver and that he makes good money because he does night time deliveries. We both agreed that it couldn't be us up driving at night.

On the topic of working night shifts, she told me that her brother used to be a police officer. But then he had to take a leave of absence, and didn't come back.

She explained that police departments are like fraternities, very close-knit, and that if you don't get along then they exclude you. In fact, police chief did not like her brother and illegally conspired to get rid of him. Apparently when you return from a leave of absence to law enforcement, you have to take a psych eval. But the police chief instructed the evaluator to fail her brother no matter what so that he could not return.

Even though this breaks human resource laws, the brother didn't really want to work as a cop anymore anyway, so he took this as his opportunity to switch careers. He is now an electrician and he loves it.

She and her brother are like two peas in a pod. They fight a lot because they're so similar. They also both love Star Wars.

This is when she asked me if I wanted to hear an interesting story, and I said yes. (This would be the last time she would ask me for any input. The rest of the conversation was her talking and me nodding or making acknowledgement noises.)

She said that the principal of this school was specifically out to get her, just like the police chief was out to get her brother. In fact, the principal had put together this big case letter explaining why she should be removed from her position. But her brother wasn't about to let that happen again. He helped her to lawyer up, and together they wrote a perfect rebuttal that pointed out all the ways the principal was breaking human resources law.

There are a lot of problems in the world. She really believes that humans are out of touch with our humanity. There's supposed to be a balance of masculine and feminine energy. Not enough men accept the femininity that is naturally a part of them. Same with women not accepting their masculinity.

She had a soul reading once. I don't remember anything she said about that.

<Trigger Warning for Childhood Sex Abuse> She was raised Catholic, but she isn't religious anymore. She, her brother, and his friend, were all in the choir. This was very formative for her love of music (she became a music teacher after all). Decades later she found out that the choir director was an abuser, and her brother's friend was a victim. She found out when everyone else found out about the widespread cover-ups. By then, the friend had suffered years of depression. By that point, the abusive choir director had relocated to another parish out west. Her brother's friend then dedicated himself to tracking him down and helping the families of his more recent victims. There were people whose children had committed suicide and never knew why. I don't know if the abuser was ever taken to justice, but I choose to believe that he got pushed off a cliff in Idaho and was never mourned.

<Trigger Warning for religious trauma> Her brother was safe, and she credits her mother for that, thanks to a Prayer of Protection (capitalization added by me because it sounds like a D&D buff) her mother placed on him. But the whole revelation caused a crisis of faith in her. She started investigating the history of the church. She didn't tell me the details of what she found, except that the church wasn't built on a foundation of love, and that everything they ever taught her was wrong. I didn't ask what exactly she meant by that. Instead I let her continue.

Everything they teach us is wrong. She didn't elaborate on what this means, except to say that she doesn't believe in Flat Earth.

Everything you need to know about the comings and goings of the world can be read in the stars. She and her brother live Star Wars and Star Trek and all those. You don't need to watch the news if you know what it means when, for instance, Mars is in retrograde.

Besides, a great wave of photons is coming. From the galaxy. Their light will awaken the next level of human consciousness. We're literally coming out of a Dark Age into a Light Age.

She asked me if I knew about Dimensions (capitalization added by me). People like her, and perhaps me, are living in the Fourth Dimension. Some people are still living in the Third Dimension, and their minds won't be ready to accept transcendence into the Fifth Dimension. She seemed to be looking forward to physically ascending to a higher order of existence. Like in Stargate.

Humanity has about 100 years until this photon wave fully takes effect. At that time, the world will finally know peace. There won't be any more government because we won't need anymore government. Things like that, you know?

She told me that humans have twelve strands of DNA. But children born after 2012 are different. They have two additional strands of DNA, one of which is their. Crystal DNA. (Note, this isn't the first time she said Crystal like it meant something, but by this point I was having enough trouble keeping track). This is why the current generation is so crazy not crazy but ... (I think the word she was looking for is "restless") ... because they weren't made for the System. These children are going to be the Sovereigns who will lead us into the coming Light Age (100 years from now)

Humanity has ascended before, twice, at other places and times in the galaxy. But this time we will get to take our planet with us! If that happens, we will become a Type 2 civilization. That means we can join the other galactic civilizations. Like in Star Wars.

[sarabethsilver]

Am I the only one who thinks Jess and Lorelai are nothing alike?

Aside from what I'd consider surface-level similarities, like a propensity for sarcasm or many opinions on music, these two have nothing in common. Yes, they both had bad childhoods... but they were bad in opposite ways, and these two emerged with diametrically opposed worldviews.

Let's consider the Big Five personality traits, just to give us a framework. At a basic level, are their personalities compatible?

Extraversion. Well, that's an easy one. Lorelai is the quintessential extrovert. She thrives on social interactions, she tries to befriend everyone she meets, and she adores chit-chat. Jess, on the other hand, could not be more of an introvert if he tried.

Agreeableness. This includes one's ability to cooperate and trust others. Lorelai believes in the goodness of others. She trusts her friends, her coworkers, and her entire town. She places a high value on community, and she gets along with pretty much everyone. Jess has no such trust in others, and he's famous for NOT getting along with people. I don't see him placing much value on community. I think that's why he ends up working at a job with exactly four other people, because that's probably his max capacity for trusting others.

Neuroticism. One's tendency to experience negative emotions. Lorelai is, at baseline, a happy person. She finds great joy in small things. She wakes up in a good mood most days. Jess, for the majority of the time we know him, does not. I would describe him as irritable, withdrawn, and/or anxious most of the time. Even when good things happen to him, he doesn't trust it. He anticipates being disappointed, and when that happens (Jimmy re-abandoning him, Luke kicking him out, Luke guilting him into Liz's wedding, Rory using him in a revenge scheme)... Jess is sad but unsurprised. These events fit with his worldview, and with his general mood state. Lorelai, on the other hand, gets her heart shattered by her parents each and every time; she always tries to trust them, and then she's hurt all over again when she can't.

Conscientiousness. Jess and Lorelai are both incredibly smart and hard-working, and they both end up thriving in careers they're passionate about. But conscientiousness also includes organization and adherence to social norms. Lorelai believes in systems. She works at the same place for nearly two decades, progressively moving up the hierarchy. She diligently works at her education over many years. In short: Lorelai trusts that taking the 'right steps' in an organized manner will yield results. Jess has no such faith in systems. He obviously doesn't trust formal education. Jess is hard-working, but he's far more spontaneous when it comes to his career; he bounces from one job to the next. His success comes by his own hand: a short novel he wrote alone.

Openness to experience. They're probably more alike on this trait. Lorelai and Jess are both intellectually curious, they both have passionate interests, and they're both great at problem-solving. But there are important differences, too. Lorelai strongly prefers her familiar routine. She is highly intolerant of change, even on a small scale. Jess has never had a routine. He's pretty damn tolerant when his life is repeatedly turned upside down, and seemingly goes wherever the tide takes him. He manages to find something he enjoys and/or feels productive in, no matter where he is.

I think their personalities are very different, and then I think those opposite childhoods shaped them further.

Lorelai's childhood was characterized by hyper-judgmental parents trying to micromanage every facet of her existence. When Lorelai CHOSE to leave, it was a specific rejection of her parents trying to force her into a specific lifestyle. Outside of rejecting that, Lorelai broadly trusts the world at large. Her late adolescence was defined by a world that 'caught' her; Lorelai is surrounded by love, acceptance, and support as she pursues her dreams. The entire town envelops her in this protective bubble. Hence: her belief that the world is good and people are trustworthy.

Jess' childhood was characterized by parents who could not care less about anything he does. When Jess was FORCED to leave, it was another data point to prove that people cannot be trusted. His late adolescence was defined by a world that rejected him. Jess is surrounded by people who are disinterested at best, angrily rejecting at worst. And when he's at his most vulnerable, he is ejected from his last remaining safety net. Hence: his belief that people and systems at large cannot be trusted. You can only rely on yourself. I'd argue that even Adult Jess has boundaries about a mile high.

So no, I don't think Lorelai rejected Jess because she was reminded of herself. I think she fundamentally struggled to understand any part of his worldview. And it was all made perfectly clear that first night: Lorelai, with her abundance of trust in the good will of others, simply wanted Jess to understand how lucky he was to have Luke. And Jess, who had long since learned that nobody can be trusted, looked at her like she was speaking another language. It wasn't their similarities that drove them apart; it was their differences.

[bloomsberries]

oh, yes, Marta finally opening her eyes to Pelayo's true nature is such a relief. she sees him for what he is--ambitious, ruthless, uncaring. she had thought he was a good person because he'd helped her and Fina at a time of real peril for them, but now she sees he was only looking out for his own needs. “A Madrid te puedes largar tu" was as satisfying as "Tomate una infusion." it'll be interesting to see where Doña Clara's own realization will fit into this little puzzle. we do see her having a conversation with Fina in the previews...

I think Marta's following exchange with Fina about Digna and Don Pedro's wedding is in direct conversation with the Pelayo scene. Marta has her own reasons for disliking Don Pedro (and, honestly, does Fina remember the measures he was taking to out her and Marta? clearly she doesn't, or never knew the extent of it; if not for Digna, he would have kept at it), but I think it's true that she must also be thinking of ruthless/ambitious men and how they fuck over the women who care about them. Fina's sweet, and she loves Digna and wants her to be happy, but Don Pedro ain't it. (Neither, to be clear, is Damian. That woman can do better.)

[thecurioustale]

I think my contribution to this conversation is that the prequels are also objectively bad, and are only redeemed through the lens of nostalgia by way of Clone Wars, Rebels, and other subsequent TV works. Without the prequels we could not have gotten masterpieces like Clone Wars Season 7. You have to know the prequels to get the most out of these derivative productions, which in turn recontextualize and deepen the prequels. But this depth isn't present in the prequels themselves.

As for the sequels, all I really have to say about them are these two things:

First, they died a very painful death by committee. I know enough about the sausage-making process to be able to see, very clearly, that these films were designed by the studio executives and stakeholders, not the creatives. This got worse with each successive episode. By the time Episode IX came along, the result of this consensus-driven, rule-by-committee filmmaking was that the creative decisions had become so extremely conservative in their imagination and risk aversion, so lacking in any kind of central creative vision, and so focused on appealing to children by simplifying the subject matter, that the film committed the cardinal sin of filmmaking: The corporate machinery showed directly through the movie screen for the audience's eyes. You could never get into the movie because it was so flimsy, shallow, and creatively insincere that all you really saw were the suits cooking each individual scene and story beat to death. You can see them doing this on-screen; it's uncanny! "Rey gets so swept up in her dark feelings that she accidentally shoots Force lightning at the ship and blows it up!" "Killing Chewy?!" "Well, we can't actually kill him; the fans would eat us alive and the kids would be said." "So we let them think Chewy is dead for a couple minutes, and then bring him back!" "Yes! The audience will be SO happy at that!"

The end result was an abomination. The whole film is like that. You need 97 million sign-offs for every individual element in the movie, and none of them knows what actually makes a good movie, but all of them think they do.

The prequels were bad because George Lucas had total control and isn't actually a great filmmaker. The sequels were bad because no one had control and there was no creative vision or soul.

Having said all that, the other thing I have to say about the sequels is that I agree with the OP in saying that Episode VIII was the closest the sequels got to producing a good movie. Episode VIII actually did have a Big Idea at its heart. Each of the sequels has a weird parallelism going on with its original trilogy counterpart, and with Episode VIII, the central parallel that it took from Episode V was that the good guys lose and barely get out alive. Episode VIII elevates this idea to a major thematic status: Every subplot in the entire film ends in failure. Good guys, bad guys, and NPCs alike all fail. Failure usually doesn't mean death (though it sometimes does, e.g. Snoke and Holdo), but, rather, it means that life marches on and events unfold in a way that no one intended. I actually find that really kind of interesting as a thematic crux and a film concept. And here I differ from the OP, because I do think this could have been a great concept for Star Wars in particular. But, like the other sequels, Episode VIII suffers from all the committee-driven development problems I mentioned previously. There's just not enough depth, consistency, and creative sincerity in it, because the stakeholders did not allow that; they were more concerned with making a safe, profitable film.

It is kind of fascinating to look at Disney as an entity in this process. They really wanted to do right by this beloved legacy IP acquisition, because the potential profits were unlimited; Star Wars had the chance to become the backbone of Disney entertainment; a whole extended universe to compete with all the superhero films. But, in classic Greek tragedy style, in their fear of failure they ended up destroying the very thing they were trying to raise up. Their filmmaking-by-committee; the 97 million sign-offs for every little thing; the over-reliance on legacy elements and the original trilogy; the craven creative conservatism and risk aversion...it all added up to a hollow production.

I do think that time will be kind to Episode VIII, the same way it was to Episode III. You can't actually call these films great, but you can admire what they were trying to do.

I also think that Rey was never the problem with the sequels, and is, if anything, just a more interesting, believable version of Luke Skywalker, and that Rey as a focal point of hatred for the sequels will be understood in time as the misogyny that it is. Same goes with Holdo: The hatred of her does not come from a place of honor; it comes from emotionally and intellectually immature males who had their beloved fish admiral killed off and replaced by this unfriendly stickler who is a female character and herself is risk-averse and has a strict style of command.

It's interesting: I loved Star Wars as a kid, back when all we had were the original three films. But as I get older, I seem less and less interested in it every year. I feel like I have outgrown it. The lore has passed through all its instars and seems trapped now in a final, unchanging form. The metaphysical tension between the Light Side and Dark Side has never had any true philosophical depth, at least in its execution. The canon is unbelievably incestuous and I hate how the same 20 people or so seem to be responsible for everything in the galaxy. And there's just not a lot of meat on the bones, not much to chew on. Even the original trilogy was only great because its adventure rating is off the charts and some of its innovations fundamentally advanced the medium: The actual depth and substance of those films is very limited.

Sometimes, Star Wars shows us peeks of what might have been. The Disney era TV productions have done a much better job of fleshing out the dread of the Galactic Empire. The character of Ashoka seems every time that she shows up like she was supposed to be the central character of the whole thing all along. Obi-Wan taught us the value of the high ground. But for all these moments of genius and unfettered possibility, the actuality of Star Wars immediately rushes in like an opaque veil of swampy mire to instead enforce upon us a neverending sludge of lightsaber battles, roguish heroes sneaking around places, and Darth Emperor Steve Palpatine croaking his paeans to anger and hate with a loving cackle. By this point I've had my fill of it.

[forgottenroisin]

OOC | Uncle Malconaire

so i grabbed this from disco...

Kate the Great — 11:20 AM

I do feel like hermit uncle COULD be an interesting plot point in the attempt to regain malconaire from Valentina And in their wood witches era

kate aa — 11:22 AMthat's kinda what i was thinking too! like he's kinda the potential answer to cassimir in a way? bc if worse comes to worse im sure he'd be MORE than happy to be the figurehead through whom eithne rules, he doesn't ~want to rule and she's his rightful ruler anywhere and yeah!!

[11:22 AM]but maybe they think he's dead, hence not bringing him out before? maybe they meet him again when they flee into the woods following the witches of the wood thing???

Kate the Great — 11:28 AM

Do you think he might not be a malconaire by name? Like he took Goth Grandpas last name instead of malconaire, since it was actually grandma eithne who was the ruler?

kate aa — 11:29 AMoooooooh i like that!! that could ~also be part of it like only bran's line is a candidate to rule malconaire bc of that?

[11:30 AM](part of why they haven't pulled him into this, that is...)

Kate the Great — 11:31 AM

Yes!!! Or maybe he wasn’t hiding out in malconaire but in the fens? Or even up around kil kennar? (Bc bats like caves in mountains ig???) so they THOUGHT he probably died when he hadn’t reemerged after everything?1 [11:31 AM]Is he possibly even named in the OG will but it’s never been a factor because they assumed he died during the war?!

kate aa — 11:32 AMthat could def be a way for the will aoife has to become relevant re roderick's reign too!!

Kate the Great — 11:33 AMDo you think if he shows up and promises to fill in all the potholes, Rodrick will let him run malconaire?

kate aa — 11:33 AMbc roderick would respect that that dude is a man w a better claim than cassimir in that case!

@kate aabc roderick would respect that that dude is a man w a better claim than cassimir in that case!

Kate the Great — 11:34 AMThe additional drama could come from Roderick not understanding that brothers who are of the same parents CAN have two different surnames in Astaira

kate aa — 11:34 AMpotentially! lakjsdkjfdsf tho ngl there is ~also the potentially that he's sooo fed up w all this malconaire drama atp that he's like here edmund you conquered this place it should've been urs all along etc and the in-court squabble for malconaire we're foreshadowed begins...or maybe the uncle reappearing kinda...settles that? idk

Kate the Great The additional drama could come from Roderick not understanding that brothers who are of the same parents CAN have two different surnames in Astaira

kate aa — 11:35 AMliterally everything about astaira custom built to confuse roderick i swear lkajsdlfkjjdksf i love it hahaha

Kate the Great — 11:36 AM

Also if he appears the question becomes does he even WANT to come back? Like that’s a wild family dynamic of finding the one person who could potentially save you but he won’t do it

kate aa — 11:37 AM

klsjfklsdjfakljsdjkfljdksf and honestly!! i don't think that ~is what he wants for his life like!!! the dude literally chose to go live alone in the wilds just caring for animals and making potions and avoiding ppl like???? man is noT cut out for ruling and he knows it

Kate the Great — 11:38 AMWaaaait IS HE A SEER TOO

kate aa — 11:38 AMbut also when its smth this extreme like ??? isn't it for. better good!

ohhhh i thought he was! maybe not tho?

Kate the Great — 11:39 AM

I feel like he should be!!

kate aa — 11:43 AM

i feel like he's (hermit malconaire uncle) a seer whose like...really powerful but in the sense that he's not fully connected to the material world like you meet him and he seems far away and dreamy all the time and muttering nonsese half of it and its just bc he's sooooo so tuned into the spirit world and can't ever fully tune out

Kate the Great — 11:43 AMEee! Omg I love that idea honestly! So maybe he’s not even been tuned on enough to understand what’s happening?

Eee! Omg I love that idea honestly! So maybe he’s not even been tuned on enough to understand what’s happening?

kate aa — 11:44 AMoooooh omgggggg oh and omg oh noooo does he know abt bran in that case????

Kate the Great — 11:45 AM

Omg maybe not?! If he’s been so secluded he might have no idea?!

[swordscleric]

I can't stop thinking about the post from a few days ago about how Critical Role has been great at doing personal faith but didn't put the necessary work in to discuss the religious/god angle of c3 in-depth. Like the fact that Cardinal Respa was linked to both the Dawnfather and the Chained Oblivion is, on a personal level, very interesting (fallen/corrupted priest goes hard) but like does that mean that there's a Papacy somewhere in Exandria dedicated to the Dawnfather? If so, are there more cardinals who ordain the bishops of the Dawnfather? Are there Conclave-level intrigues going on in the Dawnfather's Sistine Chapel? Why is the Dawnfather so Christianity-coded in vibes alone if there's no actual outline of his religious organisations? With Downfall the Dawnchild/Dawnfather thing makes the allusions to Christ as Son of God co-existing with the Father textual - was there a Dawnfather Schism around whether the Dawnchild was a separate mortal? Was there a Reformation about how the Dawnfather's Pope kept selling indulgences? Is that why the priest of the Dawnfather Grog & Pike offer a drink to doesn't partake because of a cultural shift between Protestant-Temperance-League-coded and Catholic-coded Dawnfather congregations? Why do I have so many questions about the religious organisation of one of the most important Prime Deities in Exandria and to Critical Role's 3 campaigns? How on earth were the cast (and us as the viewers!) meant to care about the gods if all they had were "really tall kings" instead of interrogating how religious organisations provide both a place of healing and community to a wide range of people and also a place of horrific harm and abuse for a wide range of people?

[crunchybeards]

Oh man, the naming conventions for this game are one of my favourite things about this game. I cannot for the life of me remember the term in english, it's been a minute but the gist of it is that the labels of our respective party members/ friends are essentially just a perception vs reality theme where their titles are our biased initial perception of them as opposed to the reality of their characters. That's the main thing I picked up from this naming convention at least.

A really long ramble but I do have thoughts on this. Spoilers for the game under the cut:

Op already hit the nail on the head with why Dan's labelled as a creep and it's understandable why people feel irked by that. It's because we know Dan isn't a creep as in 'bad person'. He's just not good at conventional social skills and I know it especially icks people out because a popular head canon is that Dan's autistic, so seeing an autistic dude struggle his way through social cues and get labelled as a creep for it is an understandable grievance to have.

Hell, we see this theme present with Hellen's entire character. She's tall, she's buff, she has an intimidating aura and the first time you meet her she pulls out a cleaver on you. This woman is as scary as scary can get. But if you willingly let her in and become friends, then you get to understand her character and motivations more. You learn that yes, she does enjoy killing, but purely for the love of the game. She doesn't intentionally harm people and she's a surprisingly careful and considerate person. We see this consideration of how people perceive her and her awareness that her presence is intimidating/ unsettling to others by the mere fact that when you first share a meal with her, she eats in the bathroom, away from everybody else. She purposefully hides her face to make herself less scary, she eats away from everybody else because she knows her face unsettles people. She's considerate of other people's feelings and takes precautions to make you feel better. You wouldn't think or know this about her if you either shut the door on her face or killed her. You'd go off of instinct and bias alone and perpetually perceive her as 'The Knife-wielding Maniac Who Wanted To Come Inside My Apartment.', not the person that she truly is.

It's interesting how this theme works in the inverse too. Lyle, as much as we love the guy, would be considered a textbook creep. But that's because we, the player, already have that hindsight because we already know about Lyle's candid photos of Sam and his overall obsession with him, either from a previous run or just general knowledge. But for each new run where this information is never exposed, we play the game as Sam would in universe understand it as. To him, Lyle's just been cursed and is very anxious about the whole situation but ultimately a friendly albeit weird dude that you have a distant shared history with. But he's not a creep or a stalker, he doesn't unsettle him despite being exactly that in reality.

The whole perception versus reality thing is quite literally baked into the game, the door encounters are a great example of this. Characters appear as a whole lot scarier than they actually are, it perpetuates this theme of paranoia. It's a brilliant mechanic that both punishes and rewards you for your choices. Looking through the eyehole and seeing a warped, scarier version of a person adds to the constant wariness of being in an environment that was once familiar but is now distorted. You're scared, you're confused and the only thing that can 100% keep you safe is choosing to stay locked behind your door. But you can also choose to take a risk and open it, maybe you'll make a friend or fight an enemy. Seriously, the pizza delivery boy encounter looked scary through that peephole, I can understand why you, both Sam and we as the players, would be a bit wary of everything and incorrectly assume things about people. There's a chance it can go wrong and a chance you'll be fine and even better afterwards.

In a game where you have multiple characters wearing different literal and metaphorical masks, where trusting your instincts and your better judgment are crucial, it makes sense that people get the labels that they do. It's life or death when it comes to deciding whether or not you're willing to be a more introspective person or understandably, attack those that you perceive as a threat.

These labels are definitely inaccurate to their characters as we, the player, have come to know them as but that bias is still there. It's fucked up logic for sure but it's definitely, at least to me, a purposeful extension of the game's overall narrative of being weary of who you trust AND still being humane about it too.

Been thinking about this post.

Not to get too philosophical, but oftentimes the character classes in Look Outside are really derogatory and sometimes even inaccurate… and I think that’s the point?

The character classes seem to be how a person is PERCEIVED. Like. Not by any one specific person, but society at large.

Dan’s a creep because people find his behavior off-putting and annoying, and that’s all it takes. Hellen’s a maniac because of how scary she looks. Sophie’s a menace because she’s a child that’s difficult to deal with. Joel’s a tooth child because how could anyone notice anything else about him?

[bendover-productions]

Sorry if you've already been informed of this, but in case you haven't, I just want you to know that Sam still has the teal pom pom hat! He said on the podcast that he misplaced it almost immediately and thought he had lost it, but that he found it in his bag once he got back!

NO!!! no one told me!!! 😭😭 thank you so much, that teal hat is incredibly important to me and i am delighted he still has it

^^^sam in that hat. to me tbh <3

[mushlyslog]

Finally watched Kung Fu Panda 4, tell me why it unironically changed my life

[dullahandyke]

sidenote speaking of polls that infuriated me, that poll like 'does a story require themes to be good' was sent from hell to kill me

[fiapple]

literally, i love nami so much, you do not even understand. you cannot begin to fathom.

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

I write some really niche fics (hopefully some of you just went “no shit, that’s why we’re here” and some went “no shit! Tell more!”) but I feel a little more vindicated for my series of Mia Dearden & John Constantine being reluctant friends fics. I initially justified it as a ��Ollie met John once & Dinah is friends with Zatanna so she probably heard of him if not met him once or twice so Mia could have heard of him thru them” AND GUESS FUCKING WHAT. AS OF THE CURRENT BOP ISSUE DINAH NOT ONLY KNOWS JOHN BUT THEY’RE ON DECENT TERMS AND HE KNOWS OLLIE TOO SO LIKE *insert Brooklyn 99 VINDICATION meme here*

[officialzevran]

i'll say it, fine! caterina dellamorte they could never make me hate you

[ladyantiheroine]

I’m thinking about Wicked tonight, specifically why Elphaba ends up with Fiyero instead of Glinda in the musical despite Elphaba and Glinda having the more well-rounded relationship.

You could chalk it up to the writers wanting a heteronormative ending (and I’m certain that’s part of it) or the fact that Elphaba and Fiyero had a love affair in the book. But I think there’s a bit more nuance to it.

The whole point of Glinda’s character is that she upholds the status quo of Oz. No matter how much she loves Elphaba or sympathizes with the plight of the Animals, she will always align herself with the current system and those in power. And as long as that remains the case, a relationship between her and Elphaba is futile because Elphaba will not give up her cause.

Elphaba and Glinda represent to different ends of a spectrum. Elphaba resists the oppressive forces in Oz, while Glinda upholds them. But Fiyero is somewhere in the middle. He starts out privileged and carefree like Glinda, but quickly turns to Elphaba’s side. He does become Captain of the Guard, but only to find Elphaba and help her evade arrest.

And therein lies the difference between Glinda and Fiyero as love interests to Elphaba. Glinda would never sacrifice her title as “the Good Witch” and all her power granted from the Wizard, even if it meant helping Elphaba. Fiyero, on the other hand, does give up his privilege, his title, and even his human form for Elphaba. Glinda clings to what the status quo gives her, while Fiyero ultimately rejects it.

Yes, the writing around Elphaba and Fiyero’s romance is a bit rushed and doesn’t have the same gradual development that Elphaba and Glinda have. And yes, I have no doubt heteronormativity played a role in giving Elphaba a male love interest in the end. But I see a lot of people write off Fiyero and his relationship with Elphaba and I just don’t agree.

Why does Elphaba end up with Fiyero instead of Glinda? Because Fiyero makes the sacrifices that Glinda wasn’t willing to.