#arguably that makes then my favs in general

[shslpookiebear]

im always weirded out by people who see izuru as an abuser who is driven soley by his ID. i see it as a severe misinterpretation of his character. everything about canon makes it seem like izuru is an extremely calculated individual who turns to junko as the only way to satiate his boredom and curiosity on the concepts of hope and despair

izuru is a complicit observer, occasionally getting involved but mostly on the outskirts watching alongside junko. the crux of junko and izurus relationship rest on junko attempting to fully sink izuru fully into despair, something he does not do. he walks the boundary between the two which keeps junko entertained as he may be fiscally on her side but despite that still manages to escape her grasp. he puts junko into the nwp not to cause more despair but to finally see who was right all along, despair or hope, junko or chiaki. its fueled by curiosity not a genuine desire for despair.

also izuru is like the ultimate neurologist, therapist, psychologist, ect, he knows how the brain works. hes not trying to figure out emotions hes trying to feel something because its so easy to sink into the whole “nothing matters” philosophy when youre in the middle of the apocalypse and humanity’s depravity continues to disappoint you

dont get me wrong hes still a horrible person but hes a lot more gray than people give him credit for hes less an active agent of despair and more a pawn, complicit rather than a genuine believer.

i said this once in an earlier post but junko lit the match and izuru was the match.

dont get me started how people write the servant/nagito x izuru stuff because it makes me want to rip my hair out (especially when people make it explicitly non-con like why ????)

but thats a topic for another rant

anyways i might get roasted for this but have a nice night 💋💋

[simplydnp]

Why is everyone rooting for it takes two? Tbh its one of my least fav gaming videos. I havent even watched the whole thing bc i get bored… why do yall like it so much??

i am so sorry you feel this way bc it takes two is one of the Best dapg we have ever gotten--revival run or otherwise.

despite dnp's arguably most popular playthrough (undertale) being composed of long videos, dapg doesn't generally post Long videos. so it's sheer length of 52 minutes is a revelation.

combine that with gameplay that both of them get to partake in, and you already know you're in for an excellent ride. again, they don't generally play a lot of 2 player computer games, despite us knowing they spend a Lot of time gaming together, so already it feels special since they both get to play.

the game itself is very dnp-coded, which they even comment on. it's a creative exploration through an emotional and difficult time, and yet, it still has time for humour, teamwork, and enjoyment. this game is a Journey--that's the whole point. and dnp are Very good at navigating it, in the way they do things best: together. (and you can't tell me phil's multiple 'i am your husBaand' didn't rewire your brain)

the grandness of the it takes two video is in their synchronicity. we've got video evidence of them struggling to play co-op games together--they even think it's going to go poorly, as it takes two has a Reputation for being quite difficult, particularly the boss battles. there's a reason it's the marraige counselling game, in a sense. and yet they skated through it. constantly on the same page. it's symphonic.

alongside that it's just a pleasure to sit down and watch. the bants are on point, the vibes are focused but chill, and the length of the video plus the quick turnaround upload speed during gamingmas meant that there wasn't a lot of editing to distract or disrupt the vibe. it's a very raw and unfiltered dnp--it's cozy. there's something about it that's just calming for the soul.

i enjoy getting to feel the Flow of a story, especially alongside the people i'm watching play it. despite the varied environments and quick-paced sections, i never felt lost in regards to the narrative (unlike their Brothers video). but still, there was high-octane moments! space for bants! a little bit of a respite in all the chaos.

maybe i need to say it with my full chest but trust and communication are my kink and no dnp upload demonstrate this better than it takes two. as fond as i am of dan's outbursts and yelling, there is nothing like watching dnp on the same page just absolutely crushing a task. there's a time and a place for both, but i much prefer them both having a good time as opposed to constantly bickering over something (hence my preference for the it takes two gameplay compared to the bread & fred video, though i'm curious your take on that particular video as it's quite the contrast)

almost everyone Knows what we come to dapg for, and it's not usually the gaming. this video takes that and makes the gaming Part of it in the best way possible.

plus, i'm eagerly awaiting them clickbaiting us with another insane title like 'dan and phil get divorced' was. truly excellent no notes.

[otogariado]

mentioning LOST's church ending got me riled up about the racism in LOST again lol. i obviously am aware that some actors just did not return to production for possibly other reasons, but also especially in the case of harrold perrineau (michael dawson) he felt like his character (and walt, his son) was treated like shit by the writing. and he was absolutely right. i've already made posts about this (will try to dig them up later), but michael was treated absolutely bullshit and unfairly wrt the story. michael betrayed them and killed two people, yes, but what did he do it for but to protect his son? he felt like nobody gave enough fucks about walt and there was some truth to that claim. his whole character arc is about being a dad to walt and their improving relationship over the course of being stuck on the island, so of course he would do that. it just makes sense.

which is why i don't think it's all that fair to punish him for it immensely in the narrative. harrold perrineau said it himself that he didn't want michael and walt to be another case of the absent black father stereotype [citation needed, i'll look for it but he said it in an interview] yet that's what he ended up being anyway. after his and walt's escape from the island, apparently walt cast him away because he doesn't agree with what his father did—which i actually think its interesting to explore: walt disagreeing with michael's actions and trying to grapple with it, but i don't think separating him from his dad was the best writing choice to make. walt is being punished for caring about his son by making his son be the one to cast him away. you can argue it's supposed to be tragic, michael is supposed to be a tragic character, but with the context surrounding michael's character? there's better ways to make his character be tragic than this.

which brings me to his next punishment. i was happy to see michael again on the kahana (just happy to see him in general), but it didn't last long when he gets killed, sacrificing himself to prevent/prolong the kahana's explosion from happening. (put a 📌 on this bc it's similar to how sayid dies and we'll come back to that later.) michael dies here and walt doesn't know about this. and then michael joins as part of the whispers, his soul trapped on the island (presumably forever) and that's why he's not in the church ending.

i'm gonna be frank. michael being trapped on the island because of his guilt or remorse or perhaps repenting for his sins is just bullshit to me. a lot of characters seen in the flash sideways and in the church ending are characters who've done "bad things". it's bullshit to have michael be the only one doomed to pay for his misdeeds forever. his misdeeds for... killing two people. not that killing two people is Nothing, but moreso if you examine the circumstances it's hardly anything to be damned eternally for.

remember the 📌 we had wrt sayid and michael? both of them died trying to prevent an explosion from reaching everybody else. which makes this more egregious imo. i can say 1000 things about sayid's arc (points to url), but this is about michael and not him, so i'll just focus on this: sayid was grappling with "being a bad person" for torturing and killing so many people. he worked as an assassin for ben. and yet, somehow, you're telling me sayid is not being damned eternally for his misdeeds but michael is? if you don't see the BS in that i don't know what to tell you.

i'm also aware why some characters don't appear any more re:conflicts with their actors (or just availabilities or other reasons for declining to come back), but even then arguably any conflicts with harrold perrineau stemmed from a justified place because of how michael was treated.

i think mr eko had a more dignified arc (he's one of my fav characters, thematically speaking) and honestly he had some of the rawest shit i've ever heard:

I ask for no forgiveness father for I have not sinned, I have only done what I needed to do to survive. A small boy once asked me if I was a bad man, if I could answer him now I would tell him, that when I was a young boy I killed a man to save my brothers life. I am not sorry for this, I am proud of this. I did not ask for the life that I was given but it was given none the less, and with it I did my best.

but despite this it doesn't change the fact that his absence in the church ending is very noticeable. he had meaningful connections with charlie, with locke, and interestingly like michael he kind of parallels sayid but this time thematically through their arcs. sayid is constantly burdened with feeling like he's a bad person and resigning to it as some sort of self-fulfilled prophecy, but mr eko is very firm about how he sees himself as not necessarily a bad man, just a man whose hands were forced because of the cards he was dealt. i wish we could have seen a more direct parallel between them, because it would've been interesting. back to the main point: i think it's such a missed opportunity for mr eko to not be here. especially since even after his death, hurley was able to communicate with his ghost, showing that he still had connections with his fellow losties even long after his death.

ana lucia being "not ready to move on" is interesting. but ultimately you can't help but raise a few eyebrows at it anyway. you can argue that, unlike mr eko she died an unresolved death, but most of the LOST characters died with an unresolved death. (she was killed early.) that's the whole point of the sideways segments. so what makes ana lucia so different from the others? yeah she killed shannon, but that was completely a freak accident. her people (the tailies) were being picked off one by one by the other so she was understandably on edge. she was kind of a hated character but i think a lot of it is just racism and misogyny combined tbh. (LOST is...notorious for a lot of misogynistic character writing decisions.) ana lucia was just as complex and morally "ambiguous" as the rest of them. i find the decision to make her corrupt in the sideways segments interesting (negative). cz like, there was never any indication she was like this in real life. what does that corruption symbolize? because obviously that corruption is a key to why she "can't move on yet". what exactly is she supposed to be repenting for? they hinted at a possible direction her arc is going towards before killing her off, ie. her ultimately choosing not to kill "henry gale" because she no longer wants blood on her hands. again, in a way, she's just like sayid! someone who decided they'd turn away from ceaseless violence. only right afterwards she got killed. so what does she need repenting for so much that she's left out of the church ending? much to think about.

i don't really know how to conclude this post. but my main point is that the lack of these characters during the church ending is and has racist implications. (again, i understand the casting issues, but it's still a writing decision you can critique as a viewer at the end of the day). i'll try to find the old posts i made last year abt michael and mr eko and their parallels to sayid and link them here (and self reblog).

edit: go read/look up "burn it down". it details a lot of the behind the scenes mistreatment of the staff (including racism and sexism), including actors and writers. the quote from an interview from harold perrineau that i mentioned was also linked in a reblog. (post link)

[aliorsboxostuff]

Hi Alex I hope you're doing alright:) can you do platonic headcanons for Kurt Wagner X genderfluid mutant reader who can bend metal. . ( reader is friendly, smart & introverted ) , I'd appreciate if you include the coming out part

That's it, thank you:)<3

A/N Ahhh platonic headcanons. I always end up writing fics instead of the headcanons but I hope you like this anon! I always love writing for Kurt, that boy has a special place in my heart <3

Trinkets

Tags: Kurt Wagner and Reader, Platonic relationship, Betfriends, XMCU fanfic, Pietro Maximoff, Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Jubilation Lee, Mention of Cherik, Introverted reader, Kurt our fav blue boy, Everyone is gay, probably, definitely, growing relationship, headcanons, coming out

A little Headcanon and story of how you and Kurt became best friends.

Kurt was your tour guide when you first arrived

When Kurt heard about your mutation, he becomes very interested to learn about you (because the only other mutant who can bend metal is the Professors husband and he’s arguably scarier)

Definitely fascinated by Kurt's power and physique in general, gushing about his sharp tail and sharp nails

Both you and Kurt were a bit of a stuttering mess with each other's fascination, but eventually laughed it off as you got closer

Once comfortable in the university, you gravitate towards Kurt most of the time, hanging out with him and his group, mostly with Jubilee, Pietro, Jean, and Scott.

The group calls you the ‘Less Scary Magneto’ and has adopted you into the extroverted group, their 2nd introvert.

Joined Pietro on pulling a prank on Logan, ended up failing, Kurt saved you but couldn’t save Pietro

Never joining Pietro on a prank again unless Kurt joins too

Was so happy when your room is across the half from Kurts, and just a couple of rooms from the others

Saturday nights at Jubilee’s room, hanging out and just unwinding from the busy study week

Paints Kurt's nails with any colors he wants (Kurt does the same for you)

Makes the group little metal jewelry, bracelets, and rings

Sometimes leaves little metal trinkets around Kurt's room

If Kurt comes over to you and asks if you intentionally left something in his room, you’ll just give it to Kurt as a gift

Kurt has a jar full of said trinkets

Definitely do study sessions with Kurt and Jean, sometimes the other three would join.

You once mended a metal seat into the ground to keep Pietro in place because he needed to study for finals. The others laughed when obviously didn't work. You gave up since you can't waste metal chairs.

Spends most of the afternoon in the library with Kurt, reading a lot of books and helping Kurt with any English words he might not be familiar with

Has a favorite part of the library where anyone can guarantee you and Kurt could be found there

Could be found with Kurt in the training ground below the school

Secretly really happy the group doesn't see you as your physical body

When the first Pride Month rolled around in the Xaviers Institute, you were very excited to see how many queer students were.

The students threw a party that first week of Pride, filling the school's gym with snacks and colorful balloons, rainbow decorations, and someone was a Dj there too

Kurt and you were surprised that the Professor and Magneto showed up, but regardless very happy to see them together

You escaped the crowded place when Kurt decided to teleport both of you to the school's roof, the party downstairs still loud

Up with the cold breeze of the evening's air, you came out to Kurt as Genderfluid 

Patient Kurt Wagner, Always accepting Kurt Wagner, he pulled you into a hug and was very glad you're comfortable enough to come out to him

Spent the rest of the night with your best friend and pointing out stars 

[suffarustuffaru]

my thoughts on every interpretation you could have of ottosuba (+ rated out of 10)

hello recently i did this poll and i said id give my thoughts on it (also bc mutuals encouraged me to do so) so here goes!! gonna cover multiple avenues of platonic or romantic or (it's complicated) ottosuba <3

1. brothers

not a personal fav of mine but i really dig it though i get the appeal :3 bc like ottosuba are Clearly garfiel's older brothers (stated explicitly in rezero canon) but also i just really dig emilia camp's found familyisms and the three idiots are one of my favorite trios in rezero ever!! so the natural conclusion is to round out the trio and make ottosuba found family brothers also which is while not an interpretation i turn to right away i think its really really sweet!! and also platonic obsession ottosuba is a real win bc neither of them are normal about any relationship ever. but especially with each other (from otto's end). a solid 7/10.

2. purely platonic bffs

this is like their official canon relationship right? and also they define their relationship as them being friends and its great!!! also most subarus - otto if subaru is a tiiiinyy tiny bit debatable - but subaru generally we know for sure doesnt like otto romantically while ottos is just hes Down Bad but what Flavor of down bad? but anyway - i love deep friendships!! i love ottosubas own flavor of freak4freak..... platonic obsession........... <333 </333 their friendship is important to me!! its the basis of their whole dynamic!! they love each other so much!! 9/10.

3. queerplatonic

queerplatonic is like. theyre platonic mixed in with the expectations youd have for traditional romantic relationships - the nature of the qpr varies on the people within them of course and i think itd be a super interesting avenue to take ottosuba down. bc i think like in general as they are now in main route especially theyd want to stick with each other for life. they are platonically married to Me. ottoemisuba are a trio too and ottos their biggest supporter (to sometimes concerning degrees but the emilia camp found familyisms matter to Me). i definitely think otto if ottosuba veers into this category or in future categories on this list and im super fond of this take because i am of the personal opinion that ottosuba are like. found family but in a queer way, as @saphiim said in her tags on the reblog of the poll HAH. so queerplatonic ottosuba is fun to me i really enjoy it. and i definitely think otto if could fit under this category (or other categories later in the list). 9/10.

4. schrödinger’s relationship (platonic or romantic???? they dont know/elaborate)

so like. again, ottosubas friendship is super important to me and the basis for the love in their dynamic. it's how they define themselves too. and so schrodinger's relationship is like - they call each other friends they Are friends but theres not more definition other than that that they explicitly say. or - they may not even 100% know what their feelings on each other is, like they might be like oh hes my friend - and then, as it happens irl sometimes, have like a sort of situationship where they arent sure if theyre feelings on each other past that is fully platonic or romantic or what have you.

i think it's a really relatable take that id love to see more in fiction but also in ottosuba - its the default that i try to go to when i write them in a lot of my ottosuba fics where they just dont fully define their relationship past being Close Friends or theres like a loooot of confusion once they go to the core of their relationship. and i think arguably... Debatably... schrodingers relationship IS how otto's end of ottosuba goes. and arguably otto if ottosuba and stuff like gluttony if ottosuba does have the schrodingers relationship going a bit. i think with the schrodingers relationship take though subarus more firmly in the We're Friends end (but with subarus brand of unhinged codependency of course), though i dont think subaru would really dwell on it either or itd get Complicated for him too, but otto's like more confused from the get go. do i love subaru platonically or romantically? what counts as romantic? i know subaru is My Friend. but idk much else other than that. like i just Really Really Like Him and would do Anything for him. im just not gonna touch it other than him being my friend that i would do anything ever for and would like to spend the rest of my life with.

but subarus got a lot to deal with (and is prettyyy attracted to emijuli) and also otto "i could never date a woman she wouldnt be my first priority" suwen and otto "i have avoidant attachment lol" suwen who knows emisuba especially has a thing (and is an emisuba stan) wouldnt really try anything. dude just would never voice much of his feelings on subaru other than "you're my friend" and "i'm glad to have you back", partly bc otto wouldnt know much about his feelings other than that, partly bc otto would have a crisis about it if he touched it for too long and he already has a crisis about subaru’s hero complex. anyway 10/10 this is my favorite ottosuba take HAH. i like the tension of a fictional relationship being in stasis like this and i like how much you can read into it!! this feels to me like the canon basis for ottosuba as well that acknowledges all sides of it!! (their friendship, the unknown queer tension…)

5. it’s complicated (romantic)

this one is you know the one a lot of shippy ottosuba fancontent goes with - the straightforward but not straight romance. it's also the one that gets like brought up a few times in otto qnas - people asking if ottos subarus wife (the answer was no), people asking if ottos gay for subaru (the answer was not really, which is.... a little sus LMFAO). there's also a few other details that you could easily interpret as romantic in nature or at the very least Kinda Queer (otto clearly getting Some Kind of Crush on Subaru in arc 4, otto repeatedly bringing up subaru in his narration in his dialogue in his diary etc etc, the canon "otto is my side toy" arc 4 wn line, the canon "otto are you gay for roswaal lol dont come for me" arc 4 wn line, otto transphobia feeling a Bit too personal, remsuba parallels, otto if.. also those Two Times otto reaaaally sounded like he moaned subarus name in his sleep, etc).

i have written ottosuba romance before and gone a little into how sexual attraction might look there (also my otto bdsm posts exist...), though i do think that as an asexual person im gonna end up being asexual about my ottosuba writing too LMFAO. but also i personally enjoy a bit of asexuality a bit of aromanticism in my ottosuba because thats what i hc from otto for Reasons. but i do enjoy ottosuba romance a lot either way. i think in main route its definitely one sided and in otto if it is. Debatable. and gluttony if is very interestingly ottosuba-centric the Entire way through. like otto if’s subaru dreaming about otto naked and inviting subaru to bathe with him + repeated use of "partners" for ottosuba + remsuba parallels is Super Intriguing. also the. uhhhh boytoy stuff in main route is really really funny. but also the angst in possible otto’s never voiced unrequited crush on subaru is really interesting to me (also bc ottos just. Obsessed. with subaru.) but also the bittersweetness of it bc he does want emisuba to be happy and would 1000% be best man at their wedding. 8/10.

6. it’s complicated (romantic but Asexual)

this is what i default to when writing ottosuba romance even if its not super explicit in my own fics HAH. in my. ottosuba smut fic..... i was going with the intention of otto having a (demi)sexual awakening T^TT with a bit of demiromanticism T^T and otto asexuality + aromanticism is something i go into in a few other fic wips of mine though at the time of this post they are not done yet. i do hc otto as either demisexual - or simultaneously on three A spectrums at once HAH (aromanticism, asexuality, autism, the later of which Is canon), so that does kinda translate whenever i write him anyway even if ive never said it explicitly. anyway i like this take. im fond of it. 9/10.

7. it's complicated (Aromantic + Asexual)

NOW THIS IS DELICIOUSSS i do think theres something queer going on with ottosuba - otto's end of it specifically - but MANN aroace otto hits on a different level for me. i really really love exploration of aro and or ace relationships like this in media esp as an ace person - idk if im aro but i really really like aro stories and the exploration of aroace otto. firstly bc i think its funny that he has the aroace color palette in his design but secondly bc i think otto AT LEAST being asexual makes sense to me.

i think schrodinger's relationship would have to be like. the basis of all the romance tinged ottosuba takes in different ways. its the basis of platonic friends ottosuba too probably but its Gotta be the basis of (a)romantic ottosuba. queer relationships queer love is tough and i think for subaru it comes in more with like the guys hes Really attracted to - vincent, reinhard, julius, and of course subaru has his subaru typical issues but for subaru, otto's his best friend. otto is "simpler" for subaru to deal with. otto is dependable. (this of course will bite subaru in the ass later on in main route.) for otto i think though he has like. his autism comes into this, his slight attachment issues too, and then theres ottos shame (see: otto transphobia), but also genuinely i think otto needs to be close to people to develop any sort of romantic or sexual feelings if At All.

ottos main crush is like. a cat. that he was friends with as a child. and theres kind of not much mention of any other crushes except for like one (1) blink and you miss it human girl. which you could interpret in different ways probably (kid otto genuinely having a crush on the cat and the girl vs picking one of his friends or someone he just admired from afar and going “this must be a crush! normal people have crushes!”). tappei in qnas says spring (romance) wont come for otto which you can interpret in a number of ways (otto is gay for subaru? otto aromanticism? etc etc). and then theres otto saying he cant date someone bc she wouldnt be his first priority (a woman, bc otto has got that societal cisheteronormativity going on and that paired with his neurodivergence and anxiety is him trying very hard to be "normal"). of course you can chalk some of this up to otto's kinda self imposed slight-isolation too but genuinely otto to me reads like someone who feels like he needs to get married to a woman and have kids bc thats whats expected of him to do. thats the "right" thing to do. and he's not Supposed to dress up as a woman or like dressing up as a woman or approve of subaru doing that bc thats the "wrong" thing to do.

and otto of course going "im too busy rn for a relationship i got other shit to do" can be his slight avoidant attachment stuff too or him prioritizing subaru/emilia camp (and also otto genuinely prioritizing his career)... but yeah he does read to me like someone who isnt. Completely. Allosexual or Alloromantic. it's even easier for him to go "nah im not getting too close to people i dont want a romantic relationship rn" bc of that, i feel.

well also like i think the entanglement of ottos autism, aromanticism, asexuality, avoidant attachment and other struggles in his relationships in general is a really fascinating combo and it feels REAL. this is the kind of aroace rep i want in my life. its so complicated and nuanced and i Really Really Dig It.

also tappei says otto canonically has a type in woman and ironically all of those traits are traits subaru has HAH. so like. regardless of whats going on with ottos side of ottosuba i think its Really Complicated. i think that subaru is pretty oblivious to a lot of it. also bc otto would rather subaru not know about any of the details there. and also bc otto doesnt 100% Know what the hell hes feeling about subaru other than the fact that subarus his friend that he really loves. and again if otto looked at it too closely he’d start an alcoholism speedrun any %.

anyway. i really adore aroace otto. i think i mentioned in a past post that i like demisexual biromantic otto too i just never went into depth about my ace and/or aro hcs until now. but yes i really adore aroace ottosuba - even in otto if, otto is enthusiastic about shipping emisuba together LJDLFJDF which is both hilarious and really sweet and you could interpret it in different ways. you could interpret ottosuba in a lot of ways and aroace ottosuba in a lot of ways which makes it super fun for me!!!! a very solid 10/10.

[allamericansbitch]

Listen I’m a big believer that celebs should shut the fuck up most of the time but the thing with neutral artists who never take a stance, especially white people is that they will unknowingly invite a very racist fandom. 

As a poc in this fandom, I’m used to swifties being racist but my god over these last couple of weeks, seeing big accounts cyber bully a Palestinian swiftie for wanting Taylor to sign a ceasefire letter is so mind-boggling. They always make hypothetical scenarios where they’re like “It’s gonna put her in danger, what is they b0mb the stage?! You can’t expect Taylor to speak about everything!” And it’s just so tone deaf, rude, and insensitive. 

We reach a point in this genocide that a lot of Palestinians no 1 ask for the rest of the world just to amplify their voice because a lot of the donation trucks are not allowed to enter Gaza and the ones that do, the UN are selling the donations instead of giving them for free. So why is it such a wild concept for racist swifties that a lot of people are asking Taylor to speak up? This is the biggest thing happening in the world right now, she literally wrote “It’s time to use your voice” in her latest story and we’ve seen time and time again how big of an impact Taylor has. 

saying arguably the most famous person on the planet rn should not speak up about palestine is not only admitting they don’t care about what palestinians IN palestine are asking for but they also care more about a pop star than the life and death of millions

this is so well put and i completely agree. taylor's silence provides comfort and a safe place for hateful people because she does not give them a reason not to feel supported, her silence creates space for them whether she knows that or not. and this can apply to politics in general because she's gone fully silent and hasn't taken a stance on anything in like 3+ years, but specifically about Palestine.

The fans who are making up hypotheticals about the terrible things that could happen if taylor dares to say anything about Palestine are some of the most ignorant, unself aware people i've ever seen. 'what if she becomes a threat' 'people could get hurt' 'they could bomb a show', hey guess what... all of that stuff is currently happening. at this very moment. to Palestines. They are being bombed, targeted and threatened as we speak but thats not what they care about, they care about the hypothetical scenario of a billionaire not being safe. A billionaire who, within seconds of any hint of a threat has an abundance of resources to keep herself and everyone around her safe. Palestines cannot even imagine that privilege those fans are ignoring. Imagine looking at a Palestinian and saying 'sorry she cant speak up and support you, her safety might be threatened'. All of the worst hypotheticals they can imagine happening to Taylor are currently happening to Palestinians but they dont matter as much to them i guess.

Fans will really expose themsleves and how little they actually care about real life cruelty in order to defend a women who will never be their friend. 'her saying anything wont change anything', it might not, or maybe it will.... so human life isnt worth the chance of finding out? 'she's not a politician she's a singer' so singers cant care about genocide? singers are above the deaths of a nation? 'she might get hurt' so you care more about the hypothetical hurt of a stranger than the real life hurt of thousands, mostly children. Fans speaking on behalf of or dismissing the suffering of Palestinians to make their fav pop star not look bad is indeed a disturbing thing.

Taylor first hand knows how powerful her fandom is, with the re-recordings, breaking records, being on the biggest tour of her career and it selling out immediately all over the world. she knows her fans can move mountains, she saw it with voter registrations going up and spiking the second she finally spoke up about politics. she knows her words are some of the most heard around the world and her choosing to not denounce genocide says a lot about her, none of it surprising. that environment of indifference and silence invites hateful people and a hateful environment for those who want morality and change. people will bend over backwards to protect someone who doesnt protect others less fortune and privileged than she is. we know she probably isnt gonna say anything about this, she cant even take a stance on american politics, not even on a state level. denouncing a genocide is too much for her, it might make people mad at her, god forbid. she values ticket sales and her popularity over morality and change, it's that simple. And she’s found a fanbase that feels the same way.

[tropicalscream]

If anyone wants to even come close to understanding my brainrot and my love for Sergio Leone westerns I need you to at the very least watch Once Upon a Time in the West.

The Dollars Trilogy (Fistful of Dollars, A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad & The Ugly) is fantastic but imo best if you can watch them one after the other (not necessarily back-to-back) but you gotta make sure you watch them in order throughout a month or week like you gotta make plans to see how Sergio's style evolves and the themes that are layered and added to each one

Duck, You Sucker! (aka Fistful of Dynamite or Once Upon a Time in the Revolution) arguably imo his best work? Don't even fuckin think about it before watching his previous. Its pure brain rot for me ots good and emotional and his final western and a love letter but also a hateful spit in the face of the Zapata Western genere while ironically being an amazing Zapata western itself.

But OUATIW? Its all those distilled into one movie. It has many of my fav aspects of each and Sergio's little touches (His use of silence scenes, the lowkey tension & horror of the West, Meals as a symbol for character relations, Eyes as the camera)

Its one you can pick up and put down.and walkway from without too bad brain rot (tho i guarantee you'll never hear harmonica in the same way again)

[clarabowmp3]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals, followers and all the wonderful people on here!

agdhdjsk forcing myself to find joy in the mundane:

fav music such as folklore (besides being so emotionally raw the idea of these being tales as old as time, repetitive and arguably inescapable, it’s very ‘man is the maker and hence also destroyer of his own destiny’ which is smth that keeps me up at night sometimes) and guts and you’re just a boy and I’m kinda the man (single-handedly keeping me pushing through life god bless olivia and maisie)

edits which are so so interesting in me enough to live in my head for a good few months just ruminating twisting them around this way and that (right now it’s this and this)

watcher/BuzzFeed unsolved! Other than being interesting it’s very nostalgic for me cuz i would watch bfu episodes with a friend during recess when I was 15 and even tho we weren’t the closest friends and we’ve fallen out of touch now there’s smth so warm and cozy abt the memory

in general a lot of media but specifically wanda vision and one of my lit books who’s afraid of virginia woolf by Edward Albee. i relate so much to Wanda and how badly she just wants to keep her family safe and alive and live with them even going to drastic and unhealthy lengths to do so which makes me feel better abt my own visceral emotions/anxiety over things that wont happen (at least for a while), like it’s not even abt being unhinged but just that deep seated grief that never fully heals is soooo. yea. and for WAVW I rlly relate to Martha and her self-sabotaging tendencies and how it’s affected her r/ships with the person(s) closest to her and she’s very making the bed by Olivia Rodrigo and “would it be enough if I could never give u peace” coded but that doesn’t get revealed until the final act and until then she’s this aggressive, animalistic woman who doesn’t let her husband have a moment’s peace except for a few glimpses of vulnerability. just that this recognition of my flaws and assurance that i am normal and not inherently messed up through external media is rlly cathartic to me

meg Cabot books! 13/14 year old me was on a mission to read the entire Meg Cabot section in my school library (I think I succeeded) and I’ve not met a single person irl who even knows her and maybe she’s a lil outdated but her books are sooo my guilty pleasure even now where it’s so difficult for me to enjoy a book that isn’t entirely unpredictable

[pinkomcranger]

I agree with you about Saga! I personally don't ship Andercasey (no hate to people who do, of course! You're all great and your creations are fantastic <3) but I love love love their platonic relationship! It's so great to see male/female platonic relationships represented in media, and their relationship is fantastic (whether you like it platonic like me, or romantic!). Saga in general is such an amazing character and it's sad to see how the fandom treats her. I know this is a usual pattern in fandoms in general, not just with AW - people ignore the women (of course, woc even more so!) in general, no matter how interesting they are, just to focus on the (white) men. I do like Caseywake personally, since I find the dynamic interesting, but I don't like, ship-ship it very hard, I find it intriguing. But whether people do or don't, it's sad to see they also can't give focus to Saga and acknowledge she's her own person. They make her a prop in other people's relationships. It just sucks. Why are women always the backdrop and props to mxm relationships?? In general I find it sad that people are so quick to only value romantic love - not that there is anything wrong with shipping. Usually I'm a big shipper as well. But bc shipping is such a huge thing, then they can use the excuse of "I only like Saga and Casey platonically, but I don't write platonic things, and Saga doesn't have any interesting romantic pairings to make for her if it's not Andercasey so I just don't write her!!" And it sucks so bad. I wish this fandom was different but unfortunately it follows this very old pattern of a fandom. :(

I think everyone in every fandom needs to do some self-reflection on why they ALWAYS ignore the female characters and poc. It's always been a problem and unfortunately continues to be.

Oh, you absolutely do not have to ship Andercase romantically. It's perfectly fine to see them as platonic, it can arguably be said they were written that way! Their relationship is beautiful however way you see it. Their chemistry was off the charts, Melanie and James/Sam made sure of that!

Platonic m/f relationships do make me happy, and personally, that's Alan/Saga for me. Nary a hint of romance or even surface level attraction, and I'm here for that.

Now, putting my personal ships aside, you're very correct. In fandom, women and WOC especially get ignored to place more focus on the white men. And I've never understood that in this day and age, when women and WOC are finally starting to get the recognition we deserve. What's the point in this?

You can very much ship your fav men, while also including the woman, especially if she was such a big part of the source material. It's very egregious when it comes to Saga, considering she's the deuteragonist. She gets equal writing and treatment, in fact, I would go so far to say that if the series WASN'T called Alan Wake, Saga would be the protagonist.

There's truly no reason to ignore Saga when she drives the story we get. Alan himself admits, with no hesitation, no anger, that he needs Saga. So to see the fandom essentially go "that's nice you feel that way, Alan, but I don't need her beyond propping!" leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

You can't even give a good case of "I CAN'T create for Saga shipping-wise, there's nobody to ship her with outside of Casey!" There's her husband (and I know that's difficult considering we don't even get so much as a glimpse of him, and that's interesting to me, but that's a topic for another day), there's Rose, there's Tim, there's Ahti, there's Estevez, there's even Alice. Saga has just as many options as Alan.

And there's no excuse to ignore her in another pairing. You can EASILY write CaseyWake without using her as a prop, or just an aside to say "see? I remember she was in the game!" Where are the ensemble fics? Why can't she be written with all of her characteristics and agency that was she given in-game? Does a black woman who isn't a stereotype that uninteresting or frightening to the general content creators?

Again, this isn't something new to just Saga in this fandom. Alice suffered from it the most, by virtue of being the most important woman in the previous games. And she got pushed aside for ScratchWake. But with the release of AW2, she's been given more love, I've seen more fics for her, I've seen quite a few Alan/Casey/Alice fics. Which also tells me that fandom finds it easier to write for a white woman than a black woman.

There really isn't anything I can do about that, I can't FORCE anyone to relate to Saga in the same way I do. I know there's difficulty writing for WOC, there's difficulty relating to them personally if you're not one. But again, in this day and age, when we're being shown more on the big screen/small screen, in books and video games, there's truly no excuse.

POC in general are still nowhere close to being represented as much as white people, but seeing a character like Saga so well written, so wonderfully portrayed, so loved by her creators get ignored for the basic white men, while this same group of people claim they're tired of decades of white men being the focus but continue to personally make them the focus, shows an extreme case of hypocrisy and covert racism, because again, there's no excuse.

I understand the fixation on fictional and FBI Casey. There's so much we're not shown, that we can fill in the blanks and easily fit it into canon. But at the same time, you can do the exact same thing with Saga, because we're NOT shown or told everything about her and her life.

I want this fandom to be better and do better. Like you said, all fandoms need to take a good, hard look at doing some self-reflection. Don't choose to ignore the beautiful women we're given just because they don't fit your narrative.

[disclaimeryikes]

Epic swerve drawring = instant follow. Tell me about soundwave.

Thank you!! I'm glad you like it :3 I rerendered it a few times n i'm happy with out how came out in the end!!!

I am very mentally ill over Soundwave. Canon vs Fanon is very different and I am a VERY specific Soundwave enjoyer. I do enjoy others' takes on Soundwave though! Most of my soundwave headcanons are based on those of others or from other media I like!!

Fanon either makes him child like or makes him a cold and uncaring beast. Both of these do lend hand to actual canon Soundwave, however actually reading canon material made me like Soundwave soo much more.

Canon Soundwave is an opportunist like starscream, but Soundwave can not read the room for his life so he always eats shit. For a spy, he sure loves enacting plans that always have just a little more to them so he fucks up. Example, getting stuck in cassette mode thanks to bludgeon, he got his head torn off/shot off multiple times in IDW and he always comes back like,"damn, I'll get em next time". How many fucking concussions do you have??? In TFP not only does he eat shit (somehow allowing confidential information out in the open, allowing a child to hack into his security base, getting stuck in the powerlines) but he also does show off a bit of strength! Not only that but RID2015 does have him make an appearance which suggests he managed to survive years in the shadowzone with no fuel??

TFP is arguably my favorite in terms of aesthetics, design, and the eerie silence. However I do prefer the backstory of IDW more. Some fanon, some canon of course. The general: born of high caste, couldn't get a grip on his telepathy so he was shunned (functionalism), gets found n picked up by ravage, brief ratbat unfortunately, and then gladiator.

So where does my fav (fanon) Soundwave fall? Tfp in design, but IDW in background. I also do have thoughtz about his previous life because, implying he couldn't get control on his hearing which allowed him to be swept into everything, also implies that he is young? Everything says that he is like super old, but if he was in fact an adult at this time, how had he survived that long and just suddenly lost control of his outlier? It is y'know spotty silly IDW writing but just thoughts!

N E ways that's the short of it. I entertain multiple different takes on Soundwave so I have no set in stone,"this is MY soundwave". The flexibility of his story adds to my interest!

[bonitalissa]

A How-To Guide for Mastodon!

What is Mastodon? - It is a social network that is decentralized and part of the Fedivese.

Okay, but what's the Fediverse? - The fediverse is an ensemble of federated (i.e. interconnected) servers that are used for web publishing (i.e. social networking, microblogging, blogging, or websites) and file hosting, but which, while independently hosted, can communicate with each other.

Essentially, what "decentralized" means, is that each server in Mastodon (called "instances") is interconnected to be able to talk to each other on any instance but also each instance is a sort of micro-community of similar interests and/or values that can be managed as a smaller community within the Fediverse.

So, how do I use this? It sounds complicated! - It honestly does sound complicated and it's easy to get overwhelmed at first, but what new technology doesn't when you first look at it?

Let's take a look at signing up first! (long post I'm sorry, but I try to break things down as understandable as possible with pictures!)

*Note - this information is up-to-date for 4.0 version on Tuesday, November 15, 2022

So, first thing you might see when searching up how to join Mastodon is that there's tons of instances (or, servers) that you can create an account with. I'd recommend first looking at the official server page found here to see what kind of options you have! The biggest thing to keep in mind is that this list is absolutely NOT exhaustive and there are many, many more options than are listed. Ones that are even more exclusive to interests or cultures or other groups! You can search up your special interests in Google to see if there's a Mastodon server that is currently taking applications or are open to all account creations. Alternatively, you can use something like this instance helper in order to find an instance that is more geared towards your values and interests. Once you choose your instance and go to sign up, it'll look similar to this. As you can see, there's two links under the normal boxes for username and passwords and such.

Most, if not every, instance (worth their salt, I might add) has a list of rules and TOS that must be agreed to when you sign up. Please make sure you read these carefully as these instances are very serious about moderation.

Let me show you an example of what the rules list and terms look like from my instance (mastadon.lol)

This is all located on mastodon.lol About page. While your instance won't look exactly like this it may appear similar with the dropdown and explanation of everything you might need to know.

Now that you've read all the TOS and Rules, you're ready to click the "I agree" checkbox and create your account!

Now that we've created the account which is, arguably the hardest part, let's jump to see what your home page looks like and what all the buttons do!

Down the center of the page is your "home feed", in which anyone you are following, their posts will show up there, also anything that people you follow have boosted (boosted, in this case, means "reblogged" or "retweeted"). One of the biggest differences between Mastodon and other socials is that your Favourites (which are akin to "Likes") will never show up on other people's pages and do not affect any type of algorithm. It's just for you to Fav and the writer will see the notif you Faved their Toot (which is what we call the posts and yes, we know it's silly, but calling posts on Twitter "tweets" was also silly) and that's it (well, plus the little feel-goods that someone saw and liked it enough to favourite it!)

On the top left is the Search bar. That's one of the best ways to find people and topics you're interested in! Mastodon relies on a generous use of hashtags in your toots. You can also use the search in order to find people directly by their @ and server name!

Under the search bar, it's your handle and a quick dropdown under the three dots to ceartain pages (such as follower requests or editing your profile or muted words, etc).

Finally the last spot on the top left is box where you write your toots. Going clockwise from top left, there's where you start your toot, then ou've got your emoji picker on the top right of the box (including special, server-specific added emojis), bottom right is your character count which updates in realtime so you see how much more you can write, and then there's a slew of buttons on the bottom left: (from right to left as is clockwise) Language picker, Content Warning (creates a bar above your toot that you can explain what cw's there are), privacy levels (Public, Unlisted, Followers Only, and Mentioned People Only), Poll maker, and finally the Upload for pics/gifs/vids.

Now we focus on the right side of the screen:

We'll focus on the top portion in a minute.

At the bottom are the top 3 hashtags trending and roughly how many people (only in your instance) are talking about it.

Just above the trending section is your "Preferences" button. That will take you to your Preferences & Settings page which will have all the sliders and bells and whistles to customize your Mastodon experience to your liking. That might become another post but it is too much for this guide which is just an introduction.

Now we focus on the part that really seems to confuse people (including me when I started) - the whole top right section

(idk why it's not centering I'm sorry)

So at the top, is your Home button, as previously stated, this is the feed in which you'll see everything from people you follow and whatever toots they boost.

Underneath we have your Notifications tab where you can see who follows you, who favourites your toots, who boosts them, and any replies or mentions of you.

Then we have the Explore tab, as indicated by the little picture to the left of the word, this is where you can see what is going on. There are 4 tabs at the top of the page when you click it

Posts is all trending posts and boosted posts that are gaining traction on your instance. The Hashtags tab is similar but more like a top 10 of trending hashtags from all over Mastodon. News is what is being talked about by people on this and other servers of the decentralized network right now (kinda like Google News page which links to official news sources and websites). Finally, the For You is just a list of people who you might potentially want to check out and see if you want to follow!

Next we're going to talk about the following two tabs: Local and Federated. The Local tab will show you posts from just your instance you are on, it's a slightly more isolated feed of just people who share your interests. The Federated tab is a bit more of a free-for-all because it shows posts from all over the Fediverse, all different Mastodon servers will throw up posts as fast as it can (but don't worry, somewhere in preferences is an option for "slow mode", though with how many people are on Mastodon now, slow might still be too fast for some people).

Direct Message tab is pretty straight forward. It's where your private messages between other users go.

Favourites, Bookmarks, and Lists; all important all do different things. Favourites is the place where any post that you like goes to, as said before, it doesn't do anything to the algorithm, it doesn't mean your post will get shown to others when they get favourited, it's just a nice feel-good moment that someone showed appreciation to your post, that they vibe with you in that moment. Bookmarks are very different in that no one will ever be alerted when you bookmark a toot, they are there for you to refer back to when you need to so I would recommend being more selective about what you bookmark and periodically clean up your bookmarks tab. Lists are super important in that you can create lists for different categories of topics or users that you want to see at a given moment: have a Twitch list, an Art/Artist list, a Sex Worker list, etc! Lists will allow you to scroll through those feeds individually so you won't have things that don't pertain to what you want to check out at that moment.

AND THAT'S IT!

I have a whole slew of tips to give out but this post has gone long enough. I hope that this helped you and anyone you chose to share this with understand one of the biggest growing new social media on the internet right now.

You can always find me at this Tumblr, or on Mastodon at https://mastodon.lol/@bonitalissa or on Twitter (for however long it's around) @BonitaLissaTTV

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

[quackle]

Frankly, I think Ripper should be eliminated in episode 5, he and Axel’s plot have basically complete. He leaving now could allow Axel to develop her own character.

Also episode 5 is the episode where Nichelle quit AKA one of the most WTF moments of all time. Like why? what? how? Nichelle deserve to stay more than 5 episodes.

gonna go on longgggg ramble about this under the cut! (per usual lol):

after some thought, i've realized that my main problem with s2 isn't the elimination order persay, but the lack of characterization we got for certain contestants. this is mostly because the reboot cast is such an interesting group of characters, so when we don't get as many details or content for some of them, it kinda sorta sucks. there's only so much the writers can do, and ultimately, this was the way they went about it. (it's similar to how i feel about the gen 2 cast. i swear i wish we got more from them before they dove into an all stars season w/ gen 1. gen 2 cast were so fun...)

you're right: axel definitely deserved some more to her character. going from second out to seventh out should be enough time to give us a little something more, but the farthest we got was her love for the arts (poetry + her painting (also she's so good at art, can we all talk about that more???)), along with her participation in ep 5's challenge (as much as she's working on changing herself, she's still an act-first-think-later kind of girl, resulting in her flopping when she could arguably dominate almost all of those obstacles).

but at the same time, i think that way for ripper, too. i found myself wanting more from his character. his placement in s2 didn't matter to me much unlike how i originally felt after watching s1. he got the girl! he beat the odds! he even wrote a poem! but after that, he just mostly kissed axel over and over and as funny as it was (to me!!!!!), i would have liked to see him more on his own. like i stated earlier, ep 5's challenge was so fun. he actively participated with his team (or, technically, the cheating side of his team)! not a single lip lock during that challenge! i was enthralled!

ultimately it's a sort of a similar case to how i view priya and caleb. i want these characters to exist outside of their partners, because they're so much more than sole romance. we need more individual moments. otherwise, i'm just gonna go "oh... who are they when they're not with -insert person here- and why didn't we get to see them as much...?"

(maybe one of my main cons is romance in this show in general though? the more i think about it, the more i can come up with negative points about a lot of canon ships... then again i am on the ace spectrum and my perception of romance can be quite different to others, so take my views with a grain of salt. it's all internal opinion at the end of the day. i know people are bigger fans of romances like this, which is valid!)

as for nichelle quitting right before the merge—disappointing of course, will always think about what could have been (especially if we never get another season...), but it also makes sense. whether she's a relatively new actress or started her career as a child in the td timeline, at the end of the day, she's a product of hollywood. she'd do anything for a chance to be back in the spotlight, so much so that she'd blindly listen to some shady, copy-pasted contract rather than think things through. add that with her need for positive perception from the public view, and you basically get s2 nichelle. the show presents her as more of a gag character rather than one they want you to take more seriously. once again, disappointing, especially because sheMs my fav, but with the way they wrote her in s2, i couldn't imagine her staying longer than she did, even though i also wanted her to 💔

[louisisalarrie]

Louis doesn’t put f in the spotlight at all, you are just obsessed. No one has ever been forced to have a fake kid and your ‚proofs‘ are laughable at best. The people you call antis are literally just normal people who respect boundaries and don’t get jealous over the fact that their fav is with a woman.

I’m feeling generous tonight so I’ll indulge this, instead of just replying with a meme.

1. Why would he not take a paternity test when 70% of his fandom don’t think it’s real? Wouldn’t he want to show that F is his son and dispel these rumours? Here is a list of celebs who’ve taken paternity tests in the past, and also a quick google really helps you to know what you’re talking about! I’d recommend that in the future, babe. Also, we’re in a fandom where the closeting has been more extreme than ever. Larry has been the most talked about theory in pop culture probably more than anyone. This is different to Freddie Mercury and Elton John. We’re in a different age. If you don’t understand demographics and PR and how to make money off a young boyband, I think it’s worth doing some research. I work in the music industry baby, have a squiz at all the baby gate resources very readily available at your fingertips.

2. Antis respect boundaries?? I would loooove a longer explanation on this, because reposting and reblogging and sharing photos of a minor and having fan accounts for him don’t scream boundaries to me. I get death threats, arguments, anons hating on me EVERY DAY and I don’t do that to any antis. I’m just out here living my life and believing what I believe in. I am being extremely kind to you even though I don’t believe in what you do, so, keep that in mind.

3. Louis isn’t with a woman?? He’s not “dating” anyone in the public eye babe. They’re apparently just besties who coparent after knowing each other for like a day. It was a “one night stand” and the paparazzi very luckily caught that photo of them, the one time they went out, which was used in articles for yonks as the “conception” photo. Which, mind you, doesn’t add up to the timeline. But that’s fine babe. Louis doesn’t care, he sleeps with every woman and won’t take a paternity test even though he is a millionaire celeb and, according to the media, slept with a non famous chick and had a baby. Doesn’t that seem a little suss to you? If he cared about that kid, if he WAS his kid, he’d keep him out of the spotlight, or prove it by a paternity test because AGAIN, a huuuuuge majority of his fan base are larries.

If I was in his position, I’d prove to my fans he’s my kid, because he’s “my little lad” and I don’t want anyone hating on him. I’d keep him out of the spotlight. We’ve been shown how private Louis and Harry can be, just by the fact they have been entirely MIA for the past 3ish weeks, and Harry is arguably the biggest pop star on the planet. Just take a second and do some research. Google is free xx

If you have any productive questions, hit me up again. More than happy to point you to some resources.

Thanks!

[tame-a-messenger]

(Warning: the last couple times I tried to do a separate paragraph it somehow condensed into one paragraph when you posted it for some reason so I apologize in advance for what might end up being a huge wall of text lol)

Omg my top five starkid musicals?? That’s so hard 😭 I definitely don’t have a set ranking so these won’t be in order just general top five.

Obviously I have to have AVPM in there. I mean it’s a classic and was the show that introduced me to Starkid when I was a big Harry Potter fan and found this show. I was obsessed with the Very Potter Trilogy in middle school and would listen to the soundtrack every day while getting ready for school lmao. Honestly if I could put all three in my top five I would (like Coolest Girl helped me get more confidence and is so important to me) but I gotta save some room for other shows cuz they’re all amazing. But AVPM gave us “Hufflepuff’s are particularly good finders” and Quirrelmort and that alone is enough to put it in the top five (not even counting all the other iconic parts of the show)

Maybe an unpopular opinion but Holy Musical Batman is definitely in my top five. Idk what it is but I just love that show. The puns, the costumes, Nick Lang acting, Joe walker (I miss him ok), Jeff Blim debut in arguably one of his best roles? It’s all SO good. Also the opening number is *chef’s kiss* like Dylan didn’t need to go that hard. ALSO THE ACAPELLA SECTION IN DARK SAD LONELY KNIGHT?! It’s amazing. Anyway I love that silly little show.

Maybe it’s recency bias but I love NPMD. I literally have the soundtrack on repeat. One of the best StarKid soundtracks FOR SURE. The show is just so funny and has good characters and has amazing songs what more can I say? Also Angela as Grace is a standout

Idk if this counts since it’s shorter and not written by the Lang bros but A VHS Christmas Carol is so special to me so it’s in my top five. I love the 80s soundtrack (lowkey Clark’s best work) and vibes in general. I also love how we get to see some older Starkids who aren’t in the current stuff anymore again. I literally screamed (ok maybe not literally but internally I screamed and freaked out lol) when I saw the video announcing the cast for the first time bc omg my favs are returning!! Also I am obsessed with Brian and Lauren as a duo (SIBLINGS) so seeing them actually play siblings and the little spin hug they did just warmed my heart.

Honestly for fifth it’d probably be whichever I watch most recently bc they’re all so good and I can’t decide so I’ll at least say tie between Trail to Oregon and Black Friday. They’re both so good but so different so it’s hard for me to decide but I love them both. OMG AND TWISTED!! Bro I literally can’t pick a fifth they’re all so good 😭

THIS IS WHAT I WAS SAYING!!! ITS SO HARD TO CHOOSE!!

I feel like anybody that like Starkid has to have AVPM in the top 5, it’s usually the first introduction to them! 

You’re making me want to push Holy Musical Batman further up on my catch-up to Starkid musicals! I skimmed it a while ago and it didn’t grab me so I watched something else, BUT IT SOUNDS SO GOOD WITH HOW YOU PITCHED IT? It’s next on my list for sure!

NPMD really is pretty killer, I LOVE the music! I put it on some playlists and everything! from Lauren's solo to Grace’s “bully/Bury the bully” THE INTRO?! JON MATTESON !!! “I’M NOT A LOSER!” LIKE DUDE?!

moving on

GOSHDAMN ANOTHER ONE I HAVENT SEEN! VHS Christmas Carol! I ALSO skimmed this one and didn’t finish it! I’ve really gotta start watching stuff! You make it sound so GOOD!

RIGHT ITS SO HARD TO CHOOSE. I’ll agree to have all Starkid musicals as our #1 beside “me and my dick”. 

[sapphic-luthor]

I don’t know if you agree but there’s something about listening to a new song through car stereo speakers that just makes it extra good for some reason? Or just music in general I guess. I find sometimes I like certain songs a lot better when I’m in the car than when I’m like working at my desk. Funny how that works! Hope you have a good week ahead and sending lots of good vibes your way! - SMA

i fucking LOVE music in the car i love it and as happy as i am to live in a walkable city and have easy affordable public transportation options i miss listening to music in the car every single fucking day because it just hits so, so, differently.

i implore you to listen to the following eurovision bops in the car:

Tattoo by Loreen (the winning song and my fav going in to the competition— absolute banger)

Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä (arguably deserved to win over Tattoo, but is more chaotic and is a fan favourite rather than a judge favourite)

Who The Hell Is Edgar? by Salena and Teya (ROBBED!!!!! ABSOLUTELY ROBBED SO BADLY. ITS A SONG ABOUT BEING POSSESSED BY EDGAR ALLEN POE AND ALSO ARTISTS NOT GETTING ANY ROYALTIES FROM SPOTIFY WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE)

[turboacek-blog]

My Ash SV anime team prediction

Spoilers for Paldea Dex and Scarlet and Violet

Just putting it out there so if/when it’s revealed I can look back at how close or far I was

My explanation

Pikachu: Self-explanatory

As for the Flying Tera type, just the flying Pikachu they were promoting and distributed, possible to be electric as they may not do the “wow this Pikachu is special” again but I think they would given GMax Pikachu, small possibility for a completely different type like water for surfing Pikachu, plus would most likely have to replace Electroweb for Tera Blast

Armarouge: This is the starter/ace replacement as I don’t think he's getting the starters again, even stat wide it's like a starter,

I think Ceruledge doesn't fit Ash as much even though its the fan fav between the two, and arguably fits Ash’s fighting style more, but i think the Scarlet Pokémon seems like the one they would give him,

Ghost Tera type as a homage to Ceruledge otherwise can see just fire

Tinkaton: was mostly because of the Sirfetch’s success as weapon users,

But now Tinkaton is becoming a fan favorite so can see Ash getting just on that now, plus a fairy type that isn't Mr. Mime seems due

Dark tera type to play into the little gremlin menace it is lol, plus I can see it having brutal swing before it gets Gigaton Hammer so will boost that

Dudunsparce: Ash wanted a Dunsparce since BW, and now it has an evolution so now is a good time,

Dragon Tera type mostly for the fun “wow it's a dragon now” moment plus a nod to the fan arts that thought it would evolve into a dragon for generations now

Palafin: the zero to hero concept is fun and the hero form seems like an Ash mon to me,

Plus the most likely water type for Ash, and one of the Pokémon no one seems to have in the games despite its power

Tera fighting type as it seems to be the most fighting-like and could know Focus punch, but can see it being something else like water, ice, or something

Lokix: just seems like the bug type Ash would catch,

Spidops is a contender but Lokix seems to be the pick from what I've seen via the fans and that one fanart that had people thinking he was 18 now and is the most normal mon that Ash could battle with as everyone else needs some adjustment battle wise, as it is fast agile and can fight up close

Grass Tera type just so he can have the starter three type core without actually having a grass type but can probably stay as a bug or dark tera type as I think this will be one of the early ones he catches so can keep it simple

So through the main and Tera typing it covers 14 types and the other types that aren’t touched at all (Rock, Ground, Poison, Ice) can be moves on the Pokémon like Ice Punch for Palafin, and Dig on Dudunsparce

Honorable mentions/swaps

If one of these goes to a companion and in Dudunsparce case is a Nemona Pokemon these are the others I had in mind

Meowscarda (starter): think it’s the most likely of the three but can see any of them

Annihilate (his Primeape evolved): if he gets to reunite with it of course

Spidops (Lokix swap): like I said either as I do think he could make either bug work, and Spidops fits the more recurring bug types Ash has had like Leavanny and Butterfree

Tauros (either form): just a Pokémon I can see the giving him because he has the 30 Tauros, and this could be the new leader or something

Cyclizar/Miraidon/Koraidon: don’t know how they’ll tackle that story but as a protagonist good chance this would be 7th member

Gimmighoul: its evolution seems like the silly Ash Mon they would give him

Nacli line: just fun as it’s more defense and Nacli is such a Mario nod I can see them giving it to a main character just for that

Farigiraf: was promoted and can see a companion having it

Wooper: similar ^

Flamigo: Ash could make it work lol

Paradox Pokémon: decent chance he’ll get one don’t really know which ones tho,

If I had to pick, Iron Valiant for the future and Slither Wing for the past as Gallade/Gardevoir and Volcorona are Mons that Ash could have and this could be a good workaround

Not Gen 9

Eevee (fan fav for Ash to catch): and can now be “two” types covering multiple branches or something else

Tyranitar: similar reasoning to his Gengar in JN (can see being filled by Iron Thorns)