#but also free too?? or maybe that i have a possibility of untapped potential and being free

[zafiro-anyejo]

how do any of you rent an apartment? whenever i look up prices online I feel i need to have a lie down or something fdsa;lkj fdsakl;.

my manager’s son was looking at a studio apartment and it’s $1,400 a month. For a studio apartment. Im... fjdslafjhghiew??

[psychewritesbs]

Hello, so far do you feel satisfied with how Gege handled the 10S technique? Like, there's so much abilities in this series that's really cool in concept that's just being thrown away before we get much showcases of it but I always thought Gege at least had better things in mind with 10S.

This is not even about whether or not Megumi is coming back to showcase it. It's the fact that there's a possibility what we'll get are only half of the shikigamis left in his arsenal. Like forget Mahoraga, but we didn't even see Mourning Tiger, what it looks like or what its abilities are. It just got namedropped and got destroyed alongside Agito. Not to mention the rather underwhelming showcase of this technique in the Gojo vs Sukuna fight. I know Sukuna focused on Mahoraga's adaptation that's why he was purposely tanking hits and mostly used Maho. But what was even the point of Agito? Was it made only to serve as a distraction? If so, was it worth sacrificing Madoka Deer, a shikigami that could have helped him heal much faster? He couldn't think of another way to distract Gojo while he copies Maho's slash? Like say, summoning a huge Nue that rains lightning bolts the same way he did before while he recuperates in the shadows?

There's also the problem with how vague Gege had been with the 10S. We aren't clear with its rules cause apparently even the passing of a shikigami's abilities works differently. Can certain shikigamis only pass their abilities on a particular shikigami? Is Maho's adaptation passable then?Why doesn't Mahoraga spam its adaptation-acquired abilities? Why didn't Mahoraga go for Gojo's head the two times it bypassed his infinity? Does it retain all of its attacks/quickly forgets it after it throws it out? Does it need to be told what to do? What happens when all shikigamis are destroyed? Does the technique reset? Or does Megumi get left with only his shadow abilities?

Idk, maybe Gege is cooking something. But depending on how he proceeds with the 10S in particular I'd be sorely disappointed.

And I'm sorry if you're not interested as much in this topic. If so, pls feel free to ignore my ask. It's just, for me personally, I've always noticed a callous handling with Megumi's character (if you disagree it's fine), but this one has been particularly infuriating.

anon.

I love your ask.

Welcome to jjk confession Sunday, not on a Sunday.

Today we ave a case of "anon, you're too smart for your own good!" because these are all fair points 🤣. I don't even know what to say lol.

Honestly, I just loved all of your questions so much because you had me nodding right along with you lol. You had me feeling like I should burst out with a pen and paper and start a formal letter of complaint to send to the cat--the letter would obviously start with "monsieur, please bring Megumi back or there will be consequences". where consequences is just me screaming into the void about it on the internet.

There are really good quotes that I've recently ran into that I thought were super relevant to how much more untapped creative potential 10 shadows has as a technique, to the point that it is bound only by the imagination of the caster (starting with Gege). I'll look for the quotes another time and will share them.

Thanks for the thoughts anon!

[faithfromanewperspective]

so I was thinking about the ending to the last hours like many of us and I guess reading between the lines a little at how traumatic the london possession would've been, at how much james and cordelia need therapy and the way gracelet fiasco played into both their insecurities especially in their relationship, at how charlotte must've realised how much she didn't know and wasn't there for about both her sons, how when the shock of battle wore off for all of them there's going to be a lot of grief that will be very difficult and also new for all of them, how matthew is actually feeling things for the first time and in some ways so is james, and the way that in the 6 months between the coda and epilogue so much recovery must've gone on to get them to the place they can kind of go on with their lives, and also in some ways the 4 months between cog and coi, magnus being around also, would've helped prep them for this. some things stood out to me:

I've said it before but I don't think Christopher's unfinished business with Grace is realistically neatly wrapped up with him saying to believe in herself that one day in the lab--yes it allowed fire messages to succeed but one friend who was only in your life for a short amount of time doesn't undo the psychological impacts of a lifetime of abuse. I find the canon world of ghosts/afterlife so interesting as well and I can totally imagine Kit just being really curious to understand Tatiana with the way his mind works, then coming back 'a little bit' again and again to see Grace. He'd be having a great time learning things without the constraints of a human body and idk I want to write this so badly. We know his passion in life is helping others and I think he'd be thoughtful enough to give his friends some closure as well as meddling a bit to integrate Grace, check on Matthew and his siblings, etc. and I don't think this is outside the universe bounds as though Lucie couldn't reach him at first, ghosts take some time to rise whether they stay around or not (jessamine being a great example).

And another thing that really intrigues/concerns me is the possibility of Matthew living with rapid-cycling bipolar in an age and situation where the mental health services we have now are nonexistent and inaccessible. And we have in gotsm the way Jem and Tessa talk about him and remember the pain he went though when they talk with Mother Hawthorn in Buenos Aries--I think that just cements to me the obvious that his struggles don't just completely go away with being sober. But we know that he's brave and resourceful and has incredible people around him. I want to see how he does it, and what might be realistic there. We also have Tessa saying 'Fairchilds were always practical' after the bridge and yet Matthew is constantly described being 'ridiculous' and 'frivolous' with Tessa in The Midnight Heir saying James keeps him out of trouble. I think he's going to grow up and embrace his wild side (as we see him doing when he heads off on his travel year) but do so in a really practical way, because he needs wonder to regulate him: both to give inspiration and purpose to his energy and to ground him a little when he feels worthless. It's a lot for an 18-year-old to figure out but I think for many of us, he's a character that gives us hope and we see ourselves in him. We want and need and hope for him to succeed. Again, I would be honoured to write this, feed it off my experience and vice versa.

all I'm saying is do I feel a fic coming on? Maybe. I hope so. I think it could be a really healing thing to write as these characters I relate so much to have so much untapped potential that was possibly too heavy for a YA context but it sure was hinted at. so stay tuned, and feel free to nag me if you want to know if my head's still here in the future. time-pressed for my thesis rn but I've never been able to focus on what I'm supposed to, so anything is possible!

[threequeensss]

why taka’s ultimate isn’t useless

spoiler warning for trigger happy havoc and taka’s free time events!

HIHI SORRY FOR THE LONG INTRO SKIP TO THE SECOND PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ IT ,, ok lol so i only make an original post like maybe once a year AT BEST so here we go,, anyway, i’ve seen a lot of posts on tiktok, instagram, etc. saying that taka’s ultimate makes the least sense or that it’s a “useless” ultimate. maybe it’s because he’s my favorite DR character overall (which may be surprising if you don’t know me considering how barren my blog is of taka content), but after thinking about it a lot, i personally disagree with that and here’s why. (side note: i know the original translation of his ultimate is shsl public morals committee member, this is an analysis of his ultimate overall, not just the way the english dub titles it, so it can be applied to any translation :) )

most criticisms i’ve seen surrounding his ultimate is that it’s not a real ultimate or that it doesn’t have any practical use. a moral compass one’s means of distinguishing right from wrong and to follow the morally “right” path. taka is the ultimate moral compass, meaning he quite literally acts as a moral compass, guiding his peers. on the surface level, we see this through him scolding the other students for having dyed hair (leon), heavy makeup (mukuro presenting as junko), or for students sharing a room (aoi and sakura). sure, at first glance, this may seem like a silly or pointless ultimate, but if you talk to taka during free time, it quickly becomes apparent that it’s so much more than monitoring halls and scolding his classmates for acting like teenagers.

let’s talk about why taka behaves the way he does and why his ultimate is, in my opinion, perfect for his character. we can trace this back to his grandfather, a disgraced prime minister of japan and a “genius.” his grandfather abandoned his morals as one of the most influential people in the world, effectively shaming the ishimaru name and sending the family into enormous debt that would haunt them even after the former prime ministers’ death. through the way taka explains it and how upset he gets when a well-meaning makoto calls him a genius, unwittingly implying that taka and his grandfather are similar, it becomes abundantly clear that his grandfather’s scandal tears him up inside every day. he’s ashamed to be related to such a morally questionable individual and wants nothing more than to repair his family’s reputation, to step out of the enormous shadow his grandfather cast. 

taka’s way of doing this is for everything about him to be inherently “good,” so that the ishimaru name is no longer associated with scandals and disgrace. this is why he sacrifices any sort of self-indulgence (only wearing his uniform, staying away from popular media, etc.), to remain as seemingly “good” and unquestionably “morally upright” as possible. being a model student and leading the public morals committee are the most immediately accessible ways for him to begin repairing his family’s reputation, alongside guiding his classmates (whether they asked for it or not). this isn’t meant to be a commentary or judgment of the way he interacts with others, but he’s definitely not critical of others just for the sake of it. he genuinely wants to make the world a better place due to his trauma and his own ambitions, which i’m about to delve into next. 

ok so. now that i’ve dumped enough info that hopefully explains his personality and motivations, i’m going to talk about why i believe his ultimate is useful and deserves to be recognized as a legitimate ultimate by the fandom. the most obvious cases are when he takes on a self-appointed leadership role at the beginning of the killing game. if i remember correctly (i haven’t played thh in a hot minute), it was taka who had the idea of the morning breakfast meetings, and he was also the first to suggest that everyone announce their secrets at the beginning of chapter 2 to undermine monokuma’s motive. the latter example was unsuccessful given the events that proceeded, but it was him using his ultimate and position as a leader to the best of his ability. 

i understand that this next part is debatable as to whether or not it applies to his ultimate since it’s his untapped potential more than anything, but i personally believe it’s a central part of it so,, here we go! i feel like it’s pretty much agreed that despite being “super high school level,” an ultimate shouldn’t be a skill that someone can just drop after graduation. it should be able to be applied to the real world and society as a whole, hence why they’re at hope’s peak academy. it may seem like taka’s ultimate doesn’t hold up in the real world, since he’s the president of a high school club, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. taka already plans to use his ultimate after graduation to become prime minister and establish a meritocracy. 

taka has a vision of a society where it’s an equal playing field for everyone so that individuals can build their lives through their own effort, so the history pertaining to his grandfather can’t repeat itself. (this part is meant to analyze taka’s ambitions and the reasoning behind them, not meritocracies as a whole!) he has been so badly burned by immorality and the concept of geniuses (side note. his disdain for geniuses and ambition to create a society without them reminds me SO MUCH of edelgard’s ambitions from fire emblem. anyway sorry abt that) that he has chosen to take it upon himself to one day reinvent society. he wants to use his experiences and sense of justice, or moral compass, to better the lives of other people. if he has proven to effectively use his ultimate within whatever situation he’s in and has a dream pertaining to his ultimate that will take him far beyond his high school years, then i don’t think it’s fair to call it “impractical” or “useless.” 

taka’s ultimate title may not have the same immediate wow-factor as the ultimate programmer or ultimate pop sensation, but it’s not meant to, taka regards himself to be an average man ! he acts as a guide for those around him and truly wants to make the world a better place. all of these examples can be traced back to his ultimate, which in my opinion, is SUCH an interesting concept and has too much potential to be called useless. 

if you’ve made it this far, tysm and i’m sorry. if anyone has any thoughts at all, please don’t hesitate to share!! i’m the only taka stan i know lol

[onrainynights]

why you can't compare buddie to destiel (from someone who ships both)

this is kind of addressing the recent negativity in the buddie tag, but it's also a collection of my thoughts and reasoning for being buddie-positive despite my experiences with destiel and spn in general. the text of 911 is not really discussed at all, and this is relatively spoiler-free, so if you're thinking of watching 911 I encourage you to read it. if you haven't seen both shows it probably won't make perfect sense, but I wrote this with spn fans who haven't seen 911 in mind, since that's most of my followers (and also seems to be where much of the negativity was coming from) pretty long post under the cut to save your dash

I just want to prepare y'all for the fact that buddie could be the slow burn will they/won't they mlm romance we've been waiting for practically forever.

at this point it's not fair to call it queerbait because where their relationship is now fits the characters and their development. this is not like destiel, where there were many moments over the years that could've ended with them getting together and it would've made sense with the story. buddie right now is in this sweet, wholesome pre-relationship kind of place, which on its own is a compelling dynamic and so fun and good to see. a resolution of it right now would feel out of character—they both still have some development to do before that would feel natural. and so, I don't think we can really call it queerbaiting unless the characters get to that point and there is still no resolution.

also I'd like to point out the overall positivity from the cast when it comes to buddie. both Eddie's and Buck's actors have said (I'm paraphrasing cast statements in this post unless they are in quotations) positive things about the pairing, and Buck's actor has said that he likes the interpretation of Buck as queer, and he would be happy if the writers took his character in that direction. also Eddie's actor with "that's what they all say" when buddie was referred to as a "bromance". Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Buck's sister (another main character), is very supportive of buddie, saying she's "rooting for it", that it would be "amazing", she doesn't "see how it couldn't happen one day". this was in response to hearing that a fan insists Buck and Eddie will be a couple. She flat-out said "I think so, too." She jokes about buddie with Buck's and Eddie's actors all the time. Also, my favorite bit from the video of her saying all this, "Let's manifest it together!"

It's safe to say this is a VERY different environment to spn. I don't think I've ever seen a cast this positive about a show's main non-canon queer ship before. NEVER. I think it's safe to say that if/when buddie is canonized, the cast will be just as excited as the fans—at least JLH will be! Add into the fact that the show's PR seems to be leaning into bi buck and buddie right now, it's a VERY different vibe than spn had, definitely. There's no gaslighting of the fans here, at least not that I've seen. also, although 911 has a large casual viewership, I think it's safe to say the GA would not be upset by buddie—there are only 3 serious, long-term romantic relationships involving main characters in this show, and one of them is a lesbian marriage with two children. And yes, the characters are shown being lesbians, it's not just a stated fact; the audience is privy to their relationship (and their interactions with their adorable kids). I think it's safe to say that buddie would go over well with the fans, even the casual viewers (of which there are many). buddie doesn't seem to be a huge divider in fandom like destiel is, either. reactions generally seem to be either "I ship it" or "I don't care either way."

Also I'd like to point out that while yes, it's possible that buddie is only bait (which would be disappointing), there's a reason queerbaiting works. people WANT to be queerbaited, because it's nearly indistinguishable from a slow burn will they/won't they queer romance. queerbaiting allows fans to make theories, create fan content (including fic), and keeps them engaged with the dynamic and the show. fans who are vulnerable to queerbaiting want a slow burn will they/won't they queer romance, which is currently an almost completely untapped market. spn could've tapped it, but despite the huge fandom they did not. there are SO MANY people outside of spn fandom who want a slow burn mlm romance, one that keeps the audience guessing, one that's will they/won't they, one that is not guaranteed, and that is why queerbaiting works so well. the audience doesn't just want the payoff, they also want the build-up. the longer the build-up, the higher the payoff, and the suspense of the build-up is gone if you know from the start that the payoff is definitely coming. that's part of why malec from shadowhunters didn't fully tap this market—there was no question of if, only the question of when (which wasn't really a question either, given there was an episode in season 1 literally titled "malec" when they got together.) the characters were always queer, the show being an adaptation of a book series where they were in a relationship and eventually had children together.

this was why November 5th was such a big deal—fans were so far past the will they/won't they aspect of destiel, firmly believing that destiel would always end as a "won't they" and not a "will they" that when cas confessed his romantic love for dean, destiel trended on Twitter over the US election. you all know that story, but maybe not everyone reading this knows that after Nov. 5 there was a case of hundreds if not thousands of spn fans experiencing love sickness because of the confession scene. the payoff of making destiel fully canon (and reciprocated, in English) would've been huge. fans would've been throwing their money at the c/w.

which leads me to the possibility (this is not at all me saying that I think this happened or even is likely, just that it's one possibility that /could/ have happened) that buddie started as bait, that the writers never intended for them to be a couple, but saw fan reactions to buddie during season 2 and started to lean into it in season 3 (and 4 so far, but it just started so I don't want to make any generalized statements about it) possibly still as bait or maybe not deciding yet if they'll go anywhere with it. and then maybe they saw destiel trending on November 5th, realized just how BIG the market for a slow burn will they/won't they mlm romance is, and said "hey, we already have the foundations for one of those. why not go for it and draw in all those viewers who clearly want one so badly?"

if buddie goes canon, because the cast and PR have been so positive about it, unlike spn, and because of the text of the show itself, the show's creatives could VERY EASILY claim that they were never baiting, that it was all an intentional slow burn will they/won't they romance from the beginning, and most people would believe them; there isn't really any evidence to the contrary, although I am sure there would be at least a few fans convinced it started as queerbaiting, and there might not be any evidence to refute that, either.

the point is that 911 is currently sitting on a gold mine. if they play their cards right, and execute buddie well, they will monopolize this market that old straight white men serving as network executives have failed so far to really tap into. they queerbait without the payoff, which gives the show a reputation among those in the market who haven't seen it, guaranteeing they will never watch it. shows in this vein: sherlock (huge reputation for queerbaiting and a finale fans didn't like) and spn (huge reputation for queerbaiting and a finale fans didn't like). spn got so, so close with cas's confession but then continued to gaslight its fans, and PR did not lean into destiel AT ALL. if 911 did buddie? the PR team would be all over it. it would be a moneymaker, big time, and Fox knows it. if buddie, or even just bi buck, went canon, tumblr would be all over it. viewership for the show, which is already impressive, would skyrocket. 911 would monopolize this market, because fans wary of queerbaiting would watch it with the knowledge that the payoff is there, and there really wouldn't be a competitor until other shows saw the success of buddie and followed suit with their own pairings, and given the fact that the market specifically wants /slow burn/ queer romances, that might take a couple years. that puts 911 in a really good position, where suddenly the fandom of the show, not just the GA, is very large and likely very dedicated to the show. the success of canon buddie might just change the landscape of TV in the coming years, showing execs that while queerbaiting does work, actually going through with it is really where the money is. 911 would not just monopolize the market for a while; it would pioneer it.

if buddie never goes canon, I would probably be a bit disappointed at the wasted potential, but unless the characters get to that point where canon buddie seems like the most logical outcome and they /don't/ go for it, I won't be truly upset because I don't think it's fair to claim its queerbaiting until then. I can't tell you how likely it is that buddie will be canon at some point, but it seems FAR more likely than destiel /ever/ did, and we ended up getting cas's confession in the end. I have hope, despite being hurt so badly by spn. 911 is a genuinely great show with some fantastic writing, and they don't leave chekov's gun unfired, unlike spn.

really, it comes down to this: if Jennifer Love Hewitt is allowed to clown for buddie, then so am I, and I'll enjoy this show—which is amazing even without canon buddie—while I apply my clown makeup.

[electricbluebutterflies]

Could you do an 'I didn't know I was pregnant prompt' where somehow Abby, who's a doctor and won't ever live it down, doesn't realize that she's pregnant until she's in labor. Possibly with it being conveniently when she's alone bar delinquents, and someone has to go track down Kane and inform him of what's going on.

Canon-divergent from early s3 ish. Also featuring Raven being awesome and Clarke trying not to have a breakdown, so hopefully I wrote those two darlings okay. Content warning for vague / non-graphic and questionably medically accurate descriptions of childbirth. PG13ish for that and also swear words. Also on ao3.

The thing about quiet is it doesn’t last. She should’ve knownbetter.

It’s been a year, maybe a little more than that. Time flowsdifferently here, but one of the kids – and Abby knows they are not that anymore,most of them are so much more capable than her, but in her mind they are stillso small – is pretty sure they saw a snowflake yesterday. So, bit more than ayear. And about a year since she broke down and let herself be reckless and…

All of this hits her in the worst way as she realizes whather body is doing. This pain is not cramps, but she can’t blame herself forgetting confused, it’s been a while since she’s had her normal cycle and-

Yeah. This is what she gets for ignoring her own body aswell as she does. Dammit.

The worst part is, Abby thinks as she paces across herworkspace because so help her she is not letting this nor anything else stopher, she justified everything. Her last implant had expired shortly after shewas widowed, and she’d passed on getting another one because she was on theedge of forty and had zero plans to ever let anyone else touch her and she didn’twant to waste resources like that, and she’d just… forgotten about that detaila year and a half later when she’d gone and taken a new lover anyways. With orwithout the implant, her cycles were always erratic and she stopped trying topredict that ages ago. Nausea got justified when she wasn’t the only person whoate bad meat (turns out mutant might’ve-descended-from-a-raccoon needs to be cookedlonger than that attempt was); a little weight gain because she iseating more, because that’s a possibility now. Said weight pooling in herabdomen is normal enough for a woman her age, right?

She justified everything, she was wrong, and now she is-

Fuck.

Okay, so right now pants are a mistake. They’re soakedthrough anyways, and somehow the idea of someone wandering in and seeing hernaked from the hips down is one of the less embarrassing details of this wholedisaster. Normal people have seven or eight months to process imminent parenthoodbefore it comes. She won’t even have that many hours. Supposedly births getquicker the more a person has had, and given her track record there…

Another wave of pain hits and she grabs the edge of the tablefor support. At least she’s having this crisis – she is trying to use everyword for it but what it is, and she will go through the guilt spiral later – inmedical. Ideal place for this nightmare. If she has to give birth on herown, as is looking more and more likely, at least she is doing so in a safeplace. That’s about the only thing going right here.

There is, after all, the small issue of her partner havingno damn clue about any of this.

Last she checked – and she tries not to hover, she is notthat kind of woman and their more recent trust in each other has eliminatedsome of her tendencies – Marcus is out on a hunting / scavenging daytrip. Whichmeans he may or may not be back before this is over. Either way, explaining howshe managed to be oblivious for close to nine months about something so significantis not going to be a good time and she is more than a little nervous about thatand-

Abby hears the door open behind her. Great. Now thenightmare is complete.

“Are you…” Raven, thank goodness, at least the intruder issomeone who occasionally has common sense. “Screw that, you’re not okay.”

“How willing are you to believe things right now?” Abbyasks, turning her head to look at her friend. Group bonding across generationsis rough, but she sees a different kind of potential in the younger woman thanmost people do. Like this one, if she doesn’t accidentally kill herself beforeshe turns thirty, has some serious untapped leadership potential. And moreimportantly right now, Raven is extremely well-connected and has a highertolerance for crazy than most people. So, again, ideal person.

“From you, pretty cooperative,” Raven shrugs. “What happenedslash who do I need to electrocute?”

“I somehow managed to ignore being pregnant and… it’scoming.” And saying it out loud sounds even more damning than realizing it herselfhalf an hour ago, dragging another person into this mess with her and puttingthat weight on someone who doesn’t need it. “Feel free to judge me.”

“Nah. Not sure what you need me to do but…”

“Get someone. Anyone. Nothing against you as a person but Ido not trust you to-“

Another contraction hits before Abby can sufficientlyexplain why she’d rather not have someone who interacts with technology betterthan people as her backup here. Great. If she factors in the number of timesthis has happened that she really did think were cramps, and how long it’s beensince closing her legs felt like a good idea… shit. Yeah no. There will be noexplaining this to her partner before it’s too late.

“What I’m hearing is radio your idiot and tell him to gethis ass back here as soon as humanly possible but do not tell him whybecause that’ll break him, grab the first person I can find who I’d trust tocatch something and send them in here to help you, and go through the storageroom and hope there’s still baby clothes in that one box I found some in lastmonth. Anything I’m missing?”

If Abby were more mobile, and/or felt less like her body wasabout to explode, she would hug Raven right now. “Yes. I… yes. Thank you.”

“And try to keep this on a need-to-know basis. Far as anyoneelse is concerned, you figured out you were incubating at a normal enough timebut you decided to keep quiet about it because you hate attention. That work?”

“I’m not sure that’s going to be believable when-“

“It’s believable if you’re a couple weeks before your duedate and you can pass that particular dramatic shitshow off as being more aboutthe timing.”

“I’m not sure if you’re an angel or an evil genius.”

“I’d like to think I’m both,” Raven laughs. “Now, if youthink you have enough time here for me to do that, I’m gonna go.”

Abby assesses herself quickly. Unless something somehow goeseven more wrong, she’s got at least half an hour here. “I’ll be alright.”

And again she is alone, she thinks as the door closes behindher. This is… not an absolute worst-case scenario, but pretty damn close. At best,she’s got a lot of explaining to do when it’s all over. At worst…

Describing this as an accident is a serious understatement. Therehas been no conversation about whether or not to have kids together. It neverseemed necessary. They’re older enough that the risk seemed so low, and therearen’t restrictions on that here, and she didn’t think…

She didn’t think. That’s what this all comes down to. A temporaryvacation from her normal instincts and look what that got her. No time tomentally prepare for a tiny vulnerable creature, no time to think about theimplications for her relationship, no time to even find out if her partnerwants this enough to stick around for it, no time to-

Getting closer. She is not attempting to measure herself butshe can feel the process. Timing-wise, she probably is a few weeks earlyhere, in that comfortable space where that won’t mean any problems for thelittle creature and a normal person’s biggest concern would be not being quitedone with their preparations. Whereas she has done no preparations, whatlittle of her fate isn’t in her own hands right now has been entrusted to atwenty-one-year-old who has even less of a baseline for this, and-

It’s all too much, and Abby starts crying. Most confusedemotional release she’s ever had, not sure if it’s stress or fear or pain oranticipation or probably all of those at once. Overload enough that the nextcontraction feels muted by comparison, overload enough to overlook how uncomfortablethis all is.

It’s just a little ironic that this started bent over atable and it may well end that way too, at the rate she’s going. That’ll be funny,in a couple months when any of this can be, maybe.

She hears the door open again and this time multiplefootsteps, this time she is too exhausted to even turn her head, this time-

“Mom? What the hell?”

Limited options, Abby reminds herself. Limited options ofpeople she would trust to be her backup here, and her own – possibly soon to beolder? – daughter is one of them.

“Clarke, I can-“

“Raven filled me in,” Clarke mutters, sounding so familiarlydisapproving. Abby’s always thought her daughter takes much more after her latehusband, but sometimes there are familiar flickers in there. “You basicallyneed me to catch it.”

“Basically, yes. There should be some towels in-“

“I know where things are. Learned my organization systemfrom you.”

“And I can grab stuff,” Raven adds. That would be the secondset of feet, the bright-red jacket Abby can see in her peripheral vision. “Iwould rather not see the nightmare fuel here but I can hold things or whatever.”

“Any luck with-“

Abby swears she can somehow hear Raven roll her eyes. “Wrongperson picked up, but we tried. The group at least knows something is goingdown here and hopefully I yelled enough to-“

The next pain is strong enough to blur Abby’s vision. “Nextone is it.” She’s amazed she can even talk clearly right now, but her presenceis not going away just because she’s in a crisis. She’s gotten through worse. Rarelybeen on this end of it, rarely felt so helpless, but she will not let anythingstop her. “Be ready.”

Around her, the girls attempt as much prep as they can. Abbydoes not know what they’re doing, does not think about it. There is only this. Thereis her, and the little creature that is about to exit her body, and her olderchild who is surprisingly calm about all of this, and another member of theirfamily who is at least trying to do the same, and a black hole where herpartner should be and-

She screams.

She lets it be a blur. She does not want to remember thesefew moments.

She knows one of the girls is hovering under her with alarge towel in hand, and the other one is yelling, and she doesn’t know whichis which and she doesn’t care. She knows that this is at least a familiar pain,and the first part is the worst, and the little creature – now officially hersecond child, she will let herself process that later – is slick andcooperative and how the child of two such stubborn people is so easy to dealwith in its first moments she does not know but-

“I have a little sister,” Clarke says somewhere in thebackground.

Abby wants to collapse. Wants to sleep for a very long time.She focuses on her body, on all the things she knows. There is still pain, waitingfor the afterbirth to come out. She suspects she’s torn but not as badly as itcould’ve been, and her breasts ache and at some point soon that too will beuseful, and-

She fades out. Exhaustion is a wonderful thing. She knowsher body will do what it needs to, and she trusts the girls enough, and… shecan’t do this anymore.

When she wakes up, she’s somehow been moved to the cot –which means someone else has seen her questionable condition, great, just whatshe doesn’t need – and she’s in a clean shirt and someone has placed cold clothbetween her legs to help the hurting and-

“You really didn’t know?”

She’s not awake enough for this shit.

Abby turns her head and yep, there is her partner (but howmuch longer can she call him that, she wonders) in a chair someone must’vebrought in, looking at her like he does not know where to start but he has alot of questions. It’s been a while since she’s had to interpret that look, andshe is concerned.

“I didn’t know,” she repeats. “You’ve known me since we werechildren, you know I can justify anything, I thought-“

“Alright.” And now for the scary-calm. That particularversion has evolved over the past year and a half or so, as Marcus has learned howto be more of a person, but she still knows it too well. He’s harder to readthis way, and more dangerous to those around him. “When I found out… I thought…”

“Do you really think I would’ve hidden this from you if I’dknown?”

“I had to ask.”

“I wouldn’t… I just went through hell,” she hisses. “Involuntarily.Again. And I wouldn’t have had to if I’d paid more attention to myself but youknow I don’t-“

“I believe you.”

She’s not sure she believes him right now, but she isstill too exhausted to move so that fight can wait a day or two. “Where is…” Shedoesn’t know the right word. My daughter? Ours? Which of those will hold longer?

“Raven’s looking after her. You needed to rest, and… I canlook after you here, Raven can keep the baby in her workshop except when sheneeds to feed.”

Abby rolls her eyes. Yeah, keep a newborn in the mostdangerous place in the settlement, great idea. On the other hand, Raven’sspace is at least warm. “And you’re…”

“Still processing,” Marcus finishes. “Someone tried to radious but we were a few miles out, and when we got back I didn’t have time tothink before someone shoved what looked like a bundle of towels in my arms and…”

“It is yours. If that was going to be your next question.”

“It wasn’t. But good to know.”

“I just… I ignored everything, and I…”

He reaches out for her hand, and even that feels like toomuch physical contact right now but it’s a nice gesture anyways. “I’m notblaming you.”

“Well that’s new,” she mutters. He’s been decent for a year,she should have more faith, but… “Are you going to stay?”

And now for the look of stunned horror, the wide eyes and haltedbreaths and for a moment she’s broken him. “Am I… how is that a question?!”

“You are aware how many bad choices I’ve made here…”

“You’ve always been a little impulsive,” he counters. “And stubborn.And usually right. And I don’t know why you think this kind of innocent mistakewould push me away.”

“It’s a screaming liability of a mistake?”

“It’s ours. And I want… if you want…”

“Yeah. You’ve never done this before. You do not realize thehell you’ve just volunteered for.”

“I’m with you. How bad could it be.”

He leans down and kisses her forehead, and the scratch ofhis beard is way too much, and… yeah. They’ll be okay.

[dialux]

Feel free to completely ignore me, but I need to yell into the void and this particular void is nicer than the others.

You know how they completely destroyed Percy Jackson as a character when they made the movies? Like they just changed him ‘til he was a different person from the books and the fans hated it? This is how I feel about Tauriel.

Except with Percy Jackson they ruined already established characters and if you read the books then the “real” characters shine through. With Tauriel it’s like they set up something with great potential and then just let it fall and I feel fucking robbed. I think @actuallyfeanor talked about it once but having her openness and willingness to cooperate is a great juxtaposition to Thranduils more isonalist politics, and more power to PJ for adding some semi-realistic oc’s ya know? Plus it’s fun to have more ladies in the Movie!verse who actually take part in the fighting and just more elves who aren’t ancient and wise and all-knowing.

But then all her political opinions (and just opinions in general) turned out to be because she was in love with Kili, and they added a forced and contrived love triangle for ‘drama’ (also it felt like a way to ‘prove’ that Legolas was straight after all the gay ships in the lotr movies??? and that’s just gross all around) AND they completely butchered canon in the process?!??!

Like Thranduil was explicitly said to have embraced the ways of the woodelves in the books (I think his wife is Nandor?) but then he disapproves of Tauriel because she’s Sylvan and therefore lesser???? Thranduil is a lot of things, but bigoted against other elves isn’t one of them. And then! She goes and points an arrow at her own king because Girl Power I guess? But in context that just would not happen???? Like PJ that isn’t some power move that’s Kinslaying and elves just don’t do that casually! (Tauriel would absolutely get exiled if not outright executed for that seriously PJ what the Hell??!!?)

Sorry this is super long and probably incoherent but I’m just so fucking Tired of great concept characters getting butchered by people who don’t really seem to care about good storytelling and keeping to already established canon.

Alright, so I didn’t want to make this into a defense of the Hobbit movies- I still haven’t watched AUJ, so I’m... not the person for this, maybe- but I am nothing if not contrary, so here we go:

1. I actually liked the PJ film (I, again, have only watched one of them) (the only thing I remember from the movie is the scene with all the gods and goddesses at the very end- and, my god, was that a revelation of a scene)

2. I don’t, actually, think there’s much use in looking for similar themes and overarching plot devices from a movie than from a book. And the Hobbit films were handicapped from the very beginning with the desire to make them into multiple movies; there’s no room for character development as in a tv show but not enough material, really, for two films much less the third they ended up making. It was the worst possible decision they could’ve made.

3. I don’t think that Tauriel’s political opinions are motivated solely by Kili. I think he may have been a catalyst- by giving her that stone, by talking to her as less of an ancestral enemy and more as the dwarf that he is- but there are wider and more far-reaching implications to her politics. Not to mention that she has few compunctions about challenging Thranduil before she ever really has any relationship with Kili. The narrative tries its best to reduce Tauriel to a love interest, but it doesn’t achieve it.

4. When one of my aunts brought home a friend from college, my grandmother looked at his tall figure, looked at my 5′2″ aunt, brought her to the kitchen, and told her that she could study however she wanted so long as she didn’t fall in love with him, all because he was too tall for the wedding photos to be good. No, my grandmother did not- and does not- understand the point of height differences. And I’m not saying that Thranduil is like my grandmother, but I’m not not saying it, you know?

5. It is the Power Of Love that drove Tauriel to aiming that bow at Thranduil. Have you had your ancestral enemy to quasi-lover (that you couldn’t even bang to release some of that overwhelming tension) die in front of your eyes after trying to save you? No? Don’t judge then!!!!!!!!!

6. (On a more.... serious note: I don’t think threatening someone would lead to outright execution; there needs to be some, you know, follow-through on that threat.)

7. I do get your anger! There are numerous (SO MANY) times when I’ve just given up on media because the actual storytelling felt lacking, or weak, or- well, I don’t want to use the word exploitative, because I don’t think it’s meant that way and there needs to be motive for it to be that- but it certainly feels like it, doesn’t it? Like liking a character/looking for a meaningful ending/interacting with the source is being actively discouraged, over and over and over again. And I don’t have an answer for you on how to keep digging for those sparks of joy or meaning in a piece of work that feels increasingly meaningless: none except to say that there are 18929 works in the Hobbit films tag on AO3, and 6559 works in the LOTR films tag- and those 12000 more works are a product of the heartbreak and sadness and untapped potential that people like you and me saw in the Hobbit. The Hobbit ended: AO3 picked it up from there. That matters, because if nothing else, you’re in a community of other gremlins digging for bright things out of a morass of sludge.

[bigskydreaming]

homez18 said: Could be wrong, but I think they feel that way because jason didnt want anyone else to do it. I mean If writers wanted, they could have done something where Jason and Dick’s relationship shifts because of it. But I think for most, it had to do with Jason’s love for bruce and not simply the act of killing joker himself.

I totally get what you’re saying, and its not that I don’t think there’s nothing to that - I think absolutely Jason wanted BRUCE to do it, specifically, and nothing else was ever going to have quite that same effect. Its just that, like, on the next tier below wanting Bruce to do it is to my mind just the general ‘wanting to be avenged’ feeling in general. I don’t think it was about the Joker, per se....it was about someone just saying “fuck no” to the Joker walking around free and happy despite having taken someone they loved, aka Jason, from them.

And Dick still like....accomplished that, or sent that message, via beating the Joker to death specifically because despite already having the Joker beaten and on the ground, his brother’s murderer goading him with a taunt about how he beat Jason to death....saying “fuck no” to the Joker walking around free and happy despite having taken someone Dick loved from him, is pretty much the underlying sentiment beneath Dick losing it on the Joker at that point.

And that’s why I can’t agree that it wouldn’t be hugely significant to Jason to find that out, even though it wasn’t Bruce who did it - the message is still there. The sentiment of “this is how this monster taking my loved one from me has affected me right here in this moment we find ourselves at” is still there. 

And I just can’t see any angle by which that just...wouldn’t matter to Jason, y’know? As if it wouldn’t be a HUGE deal.....perhaps not as momentous or gratifying as having Bruce do it like Jason had dreamed of....but then again, perhaps ending up more momentous than Jason expected because the reason he wanted Bruce to do it was because it had never occurred to him someone else might. Like, he didn’t think he mattered enough to anyone else who might be capable of doing the deed, to like, envision any specific scenario there the way he did with Bruce. 

So to find out he did, that he mattered more than he realized to his brother, that he’d still gotten the essence of what he’d wanted just from an unexpected corner...*shrugs* Who knows how that could play out, but personally I think there’s so much potential there, and even more than that.....its just kinda mind-boggling to see it regarded as not being at all relevant or noteworthy to Jason and his character arc and storylines, and thus just.....so rarely brought over into those stories to play a role in how he and Dick view each other now and act towards each other.

So honestly, my frustration here mostly comes from how often we see stories kinda......acting like it can only be Bruce in that role in stories and if its not him who does it, it might as well not be anyone....idk, not putting it right, but I just kinda hate the tendency of so many stories to act like Bruce and Alfred are the only ones Jason mattered to, you know? 

Brothers in Blood might have been a shitty arc, but Jason made it clear that he’d always seen Dick as family, and Dick’s actions at various points certainly made it clear he saw Jason the same way, so this insistence on acting like Bruce and Jason are their own literal micro-family within the greater macrocosm that is the Batfamily.....tbh, I think it does both Dick AND Jason a disservice. 

Its like people actively pretend that Dick doesn’t like Jason because they don’t like that its DICK who so often provides actual canon proof that he does in fact care a great deal about Jason. (Even though at the exact same time, even the HINT that Dick might actually NOT like Jason or care about him is trotted out to cite as a reason Dick sucks, lol. Always love those little dichotomies).

But yeah, tbh I just don’t understand the logic of being like, I’d rather see a fave character feel isolated and alone and unloved if it comes down to that or seeing them embraced and understood by a character that’s not to my liking or who I’d prefer it to be, y’know? But hey, that’s just me.

I’m just like....let Jason be loved and be as important to other people as he is to Bruce! Let Jason KNOW that he is! Why wouldn’t people want that for his character? I honestly don’t get it.

Especially when like....he already has it. You literally only have to let him know that he has it, and let him and Dick have that relationship, that dynamic, instead of manufacturing obstacles from thin air and making up reasons for why they hate each other when they really, truly don’t and never have, lmfao.

Its also not insignificant to me that upon coming back as the Red Hood, Dick’s the only member of the Batfamily he DIDN’T go after. Even when they faced off in Brothers in Blood, Jason’s whole approach was almost more......trying to get a reaction from Dick rather than going after him the way he did with other members of the family. Personally, I’ve always favored the idea that Jason actively avoided Dick when he first returned because he DIDN’T feel he had any reason to fight or resent Dick, and thus he didn’t want Dick caught up in it, not just because he didn’t want to face off against Dick if he didn’t have to....but because Dick’s presence, and the reminder that he has more family than just Bruce and always did.....could have in Jason’s mind presented a threat to his convictions, like it maybe could have weakened his resolve to make Bruce and everyone else associated with him pay for not avenging him. 

My point being just.....there’s so many ways and angles by which Dick and Jason’s dynamic is so chock full of untapped potential at MANY different points in canon, but after his return most of all. 

And yet, pretty much everyone just keeps going with the one singular take in which Dick just doesn’t understand and never will and honestly never cared too much about Jason anyway other than feeling guilty for his death, and Jason mostly just resenting Dick but other than that like....barely even thinking about him or acknowledging him and being totally fixated on Bruce and Tim, like Dick is pretty much a non-entity to him instead of the first person he willingly CLAIMED as seeing as his family after his return.

It would be different if there was more variety out there, more varied approaches to examining how they could potentially view each other and interact with each other at times or points like that one, but there’s not. There just really, really isn’t, lol. There’s an obnoxious sameness to how so many authors approach that, like, ultimately its hard to end up anywhere other than at the conclusion that a lot of writers just flat out don’t want to be bothered with having to write Dick and Jason having a relationship or dynamic at all, and so they’d rather keep them apart and Dick offpage as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

Which, I mean, like I always say these days to cover my bases, lol - this is absolutely every fanfic writer’s right, they can do whatever they want for whatever reason. I’m not saying they can’t, or implying it, or anything like that.

I’m just saying I find it dull and pretty petty and also just kinda fucking annoying, lol.

BUT I DIGRESS.

[squidmangoes]

Royai Fic Rec

Sooo I compiled a small list of some of my favorite Roy/Riza fics both for my own reference and for anyone else looking for some good fic to read?  

Just a point of reference, I have a BIG OL’ Riza Hawkeye bias so I tend to gravitate towards fics that are more Riza-centric? Also I have a preference for AU’s so there’s going to be a disproportionate amount of those in this list lol.

If you like any of the fics listed PLEASE make sure to leave the writers some comments and give them lots of love!!

                                    [ ❤️ = links to gratuitous fanart ]

❤️  Our embalmed hearts, our desolate kingdoms by spooky_bee (T, Multi-Chapter, Complete) Summary: "He leans back, palms connecting with the concrete, and looks up over their city, their desolate kingdom. In the rain, Central City might as well be the ruins of Xerxes, empty and grey, and he and she may as well be the last two people on earth." Or, Love in the Time of Giant Robots.

Possibly my favorite Royai fic? It’s a Eva AU with a really well executed but SLOW build. I’m going to try not to ramble too much about this fic but uhhhhh it’s one of the main reasons why I even started making this list to begin with, just so I had an excuse to shamelessly suggest people to read it. There’s a lot of love put into the writing, world building and character development and it has one of the most extensive Riza characterizations I’ve ever read? It’s just a beautifully introspective piece of work and the way Roy and Riza’s relationship is written is so sincere and earnest that it KILLS me that this fic isn’t more popular than it is.

You definitely get your action fix but the character interactions and relationships are really the star here and it’s done PAINFULLY well. (Also spoiler warning for major character death but it’s left kind of ambiguous tbh so it didn’t bother me too much)

❤️  Well-Behaved Women by ehmazing (T, Multi-Chapter, Complete) Summary: If she'd known she'd be entangled in so much politics, dog hair, and personal business, maybe Sheska would not have become the First Lady's personal assistant.

Recently came across this fic and it’s also become one of my top favorites! Really good character writing and third person perspective done so well you wish it wasn’t because you want! to know! more! Though I have mixed feelings about whether or not Roy and Riza should/would get married in canon, if it were to happen, this is probably the only way I could see it working.

Basically: good writing and gREAT re-readability factor for those little understated and subtle character interactions. Also Sheska/Maria as a pairing has a lot of untapped potential that the writer takes advantage of lol. They’re!! really!! cute!!

❤️  A GOOD ASS FMA UNI FIC!!

Another!! top fave fic

OKAY so this one does get pretty steamy at some parts and I know minors follow me, which is why I’m choosing not to include a direct link to this fic. BUT if you’re 18+ and want a link feel free to drop me an ask (off anon pls) and I can send it your way! The modern characterizations of the fma cast are fantastic and everyone vibes really well together! I have a super soft spot for this fic bc i’m sentimental about my uni days and it made me hardcore miss my friends lol so uh kristine if you ever read this just know you’re vry talented bravo you got me good

无用 / you might get what you're after by roxast (T, Multi-Chapter, Ongoing)  Summary: “Is Mustang being bossy again?”“It’s called 'delegating'.”[Or, Roy spends his senior year of college wrapped up in more ways than one.]

Hehehe another uni fic that I really like! ....I feel like I’m exposing myself lmao it’s very obvious what au I’m most partial to but ANYWAYS super fun concept with two other great follow-along stories in this series (The first being scar-centric and the other through riza’s perspective). All the character interactions are super sweet and I’m looking forward to where it’s going next!

Lucidity by orphan_account (T, Multi-Chapter, Incomplete) Summary: Inception AU. Roy Mustang was one of the finest Extractors in the business until he broke ranks and left his old job behind. Now he and his trusted Architect, Riza Hawkeye, are risking their lives to undo their former employers.

A short and unfortunately abandoned fic but I still really like it! There’s a good sense of atmosphere and I think the writer did a good job of maintaining a level of intrigue in Roy/Riza’s relationship. Definitely worth checking out for the little soft moments of interaction they have.

❤️ Infernia by mitsys (T, oneshot) Summary: Some stories aren't told in headlines or newspapers, but in the touch of hands and minds. A Pacific Rim AU following Riza Hawkeye and her partner, Roy Mustang.

So...listen. I have low standards when it comes Pacific Rim AU’s…because they already automatically meet my one standard. But!! This fic is short, sweet, and really well written. The writer really captures what I think makes the Roy/Riza dynamic so interesting to me in the first place: unspoken understanding and subtlety!! Their interactions with each other definitely has a subtle established relationship feel without being too over the top or out of character. Overall just a really solid oneshot. I love it.

Where is Our Gravity? by the_musical_alchemist (T, Multi-Chapter, Incomplete) Summary: Ed remembers the hopelessness of the arena and how it sunk under his skin like poison. It’s a curse that never leaves you, just something else you resign yourself to in order to keep on living.

Hunger Games AU: Roy/Riza in roles of Finnick/Annie and Ed/Winry in roles of Katniss/Peeta. Not really spoilers if you’ve read the book series but warning for major character deaths. However the events aren’t ordered chronologically so you can...technically...trick your mind into thinking it didn’t happen and you’re still in the past lol. Writer does a good job of both keeping the tone of Roy/Riza as adults and also maintaining the right amount of intrigue in their relationship in a way that implies a lot of weight and shared history. Which I dig! A lot!!

Larded All with Sweet Flowers by FullmetalArchivist (1stTimeCaller) (T, oneshot)

Summary: There's enough on Riza's plate as it is; closing night of one of the most famous plays in the world, press conferences and trying to herd actors to their places. She really doesn't need the extra headache of having to navigate her feelings for the star of the show.

Short, fun and sweet theatre AU! I love when modern AUs give Riza positions of power; in this case she owns the theatre, so...BIG OL’ thumbs up here. Make sure to check out their other works too! All good stuff.

And the Band Plays On by sceptik (G, oneshot) Summary: Roy ran a hand through his hair, and, as he did about twice a day, wished he’d never been hired by Bradley and Son, all those years ago.

Lawyer AU. Subtlety. Intrigue. Themes of corruption. Also uhhh what’s that trope called, where there’s slow dancing but also tension from the subtext of “we must keep up this façade that we’re not close,” I love that shit!! This has it.

Another Military Party by ryfkah (T, oneshot) Summary: Shockingly, certain traitorous conspirators are finding this year's Central Officer's Ball a little tense.

Again, dancing + tension + good writing, I love it.

Take Aim and On the Line, or Five Times Roy Mustang Drunk Dialed Riza Hawkeye by glamophonic (T, oneshot)

I won’t go too in depth with these fics since you’ll most likely see these two on a lot of peoples’ fic recs and yeah it’s well deserved. Basically if you love Riza Hawkeye, you’ll probably like these! Solid characterization, good chemistry, and sweet character interactions.

You’ve Got Mail! by tootooroo (T, Multi-Chapter, Complete) Summary: Just like high school students who like to text during lessons, the teachers are pretty much the same—except that they do it by e-mail, using their PC, so that their supervisors think they are doing work errands. A little bit of Royai.

I’m usually not a fan of texting/email formats in fic but it works well here! The writer does a good job writing comedic character interactions in a really charming way and for the most part it feels very in character (or as much as it can be when transferring canon personalities to modern AUs). In short: fun universe, good writing! 

***So there’s definitely a lot of other good fics out there that I haven’t gotten around to reading but that’s all I’ve got for now! aaaand again If you like any of the fics listed PLEASE make sure to leave the writers some comments and give them lots of love!!

[makeyourownmyth]

Favorite Heard in 2018.

Same caveats, but even fewer.

There really weren’t any songs that everyone loved that I thought badly enough of to list as antis here. I will say that the Drake-ification of rap has had even worse effects that we thought it would, with mumblerap dominating everything. And there’s some notable absences on the lists, but those are definitely purposeful. 

Honorable Mentions:

Troye Sivan - Blue Neighbourhood. Bloom was OK, but it took me to Blue Neighbourhood, which I had somehow missed. He’s amazing, I’m in love.

Black Panther Soundtrack. The Kendrick influence and brand is strong, but it’s really the more outlier-y style songs (like “Redemption”) that make this album as good as it is.

Alex Lahey - I Love You Like A Brother. This album actually came out last year, and it should have been on my list then and it wasn’t and I’ve spent a year embarrassed by that fact.

Billie Eilish - She didn’t actually release a new album this year, but all the singles were great and she’s a phenomenal talent.

Travis Scott - Astroworld. If this list would have been completed the month Astroworld came out, it might have been #1. But it lacks the sticking power to make something part of the truly good list. But he definitely made me a believer after spending time being at least partway a hater.

The Internet - Hive Mind. This album is good with a side of weirdness. Earl’s album is weird with (maybe?) a slice of goodness. And yet his album is ending up on a bunch of best of lists and Syd’s band isn’t. That’s wack. This one’s the winner if we’re comparing the two. But we don’t even need to do that. This one stands up all on its own.

Meek Mill - Championships. From the banging intro to the collab with Drake to “What’s Free” with Jay and Ross, this one goes hard. It’s a great Meek Mill album. You know exactly what you’re getting.

Pusha T - Daytona. Better than all the other rap albums on this list, almost made the real list. He’s so good at what he does, and “If You Know You Know” is one of the best openers of all time.

Tierra Whack - Whack World. If you haven’t heard this album, you should be ashamed. It’s only 15 minutes. Go listen! Then appreciate it and listen to it again. It’s great. She’s gonna do amazing things. 

Jeff Tweedy - Warm. I’ve been thinking about Jeff Tweedy and Wilco a lot this year, maybe because I read the book Learning How to Die. And I know this isn’t a Wilco album, so I know it’s apples to oranges. But I can’t shake this thought, regardless. I’m not sure there’s another band we have whose “universally acclaimed ‘best’ album” is almost certainly NOT their “best” album? I mean, post-YHF Wilco is super different. They stopped trying to be that band, but between Sky Blue Sky and A Ghost is Born and now this solo record, I’m pretty sure those albums (and this one, which I know isn’t a Wilco album) are actually better? It’s just really, really, really good. 

boygenius - boygenius. The best thing about this EP is that all the songs are solid and some are lifetime best material. The worst thing is that we’ll probably never get this collaboration again. 

Beach House - 7. Shockingly good after their odd turns on the last couple. I’m not ready to have complete faith in them just yet, but I’m glad they’re coming back around. 

Snail Mail - Lush. Solidly good, almost to great territory. Soccer Mommy got all the love, but I think this album is actually better? 

Charli XCX - Pop 2. It’s good. She deserves more credit than she gets, and she already gets a lot. 

Soccer Mommy - Clean. Not as good as the near-universal critical acclaim, but still a very strong album.

Cat Power - Wanderer. That cover of “Stay” is incredible all on its own, but the album really holds up on its own merits too. I can’t believe she’s still making music this good. 

Chvrches - Love is Dead. It took me a couple listens to actually think it was good, but it is. It’s a side step from their last 2, which I don’t love, but I’m happy they’re doing what they want to do. 

Buddy - Harlon & Alondra. Remember when he was next up and had an awesome voice? It seemed like his potential was gonna go untapped, but this album shows it’s not dead yet. It’s not quite Best material, but it was unfairly slept on. 

Best Songs:

"Backpack” - Alex Lahey. Same comment as her album. I know this came out last year. But I’ve spent a year being embarrassed by forgetting it, and she deserves a spot. 

"Thank U, Next” - Ariana Grande. Sweetener wasn’t bad, but this was way better. It took Mac dying, her concert tragedy, and breaking up with Pete to get the best Ariana we’ve ever had. 

“DJs Gotta Dance More” - A Trak. This is the type of song that I could listen to non-stop for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. 

“Missing U” - Robyn. She’s a queen. What do we expect? It’s solid gold. 

Dirty Computer Quartet - From the start of “Screwed” until the end of “Make Me Feel” Janelle Monae has my heart for all time. It doesn’t get much better. 

9. “Nice For What” - Drake. He’s fine. The best thing about this song is the Lauryn Hill. But it’s catchy as hell.

8. “Apeshit” - The Carters. It’s been a long time since my jaw dropped on a consistent basis listening to Jay. I’m happy it’s happening more, and even more with his wife outrapping him.

7. “Havana” - Camila Cabello. Earworm.

6. “Lemonade” - NERD. The Vampire King returns, recruits Rihanna to rap, and it sounds so good.

5. “Shallow” - Lady Gaga. I honestly haven’t even seen the movie yet, but this song is almost perfectly crafted. It sounds like it could have come out of any classic era. It does exactly what it aims to do. 

4. “Look Alive” - Blocboy JB. I don’t really even want to talk about how good this song is. It bugs me how good it is. 

3. “I Like It” - Cardi B. The album wasn’t bad, but she literally could have released just this song, and it probably would have sold just as many copies as the album did. The perfect song for driving during summer with your windows down. 

2. “The Story of Adidon” - Pusha T. My favorite song of the year. It taught the kids about real rap beef. From the cover art to the line about 40, it was shocking. Did he go too far? Yes. Do I think he shouldn’t have? No. Too bad the kids all ignored it and still rock with the Canadian. 

1. “Girls Like You” - Maroon 5. The most perfect pop song of the year. It sounds like it was cooked up in a magical song laboratory, and I don’t mind that at all. 

Best Albums:

7. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour. This album goooooeeeesssss in. She sings about all the typical things you’d expect from a country album, and then changes directions, too. 

6. Mac Miller - Swimming. We can’t ignore the fact that his death almost certainly affected the placement of this album. But even if he was still with us, Mac was progressing and growing, just like he has with every single album, and this would have been a serious contender. I still can’t listen to it without crying.  

5. The Carters - Love is Everything. Continuing the trend of old people being able to rap and do it well is an important reason this album gets to be this high. Also, it puts on fitting cap on the Lemonade/4:44/Love Trilogy. 

4. YG - Still Dangerous. It’s crazy how shit falls off when you don’t have a press-baiting single like “FDT” but YG is still making crazy good music. This album is not as good as the last 2, but it’s still super important to have an older perspective out there, representing for Cali G Funk in 2018. 

3. Vince Staples - FM! I will never forget where I was when I heard this album for the first time, and that’s an increasingly rare thing. In a time when there’s plenty of weirdo kids who are really good rappers, with the amount of praise that Vince gets, it’s still a possibility that he’s UNDERrated. He’s a voice we need, and this album is a perfect little piece that he created to share that voice. Everything he’s done has been great, and this is no exception. 

2. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer. Give me all Janelle everything. This album could easily have been #1. Every part of it feels purposefully thought out and well executed. The video version was great, the singles are all bangers, the lyrics are necessary, and the themes are pushing all the right buttons. 

1. Camp Cope - How to Socialise & Make Friends. I knew from the moment that I listened to this album that it was going to be my #1 in December. The fact that I’m still writing that in December, when the album dropped in March, is a testament to its staying power. From “The Opener” to the very last track, there’s not a moment of let up. These kids are super promising, and they have already done something phenomenal. I cannot wait to see what comes next for them. 

[lionheartslowstart]

Eevee

This past year I’ve been discovering a lot about my gender identity. I came out as gender-fluid, and I’ve been expressing that fluidity a lot more openly in public spaces and on the internet. I’ve also been encouraging others to use non-binary pronouns (they, them, their) as well as masculine pronouns (he, him, his) when appropriate. It’s been a lot of fun and quite self-affirming to be able to essentially play around with my own gender and gender expression.

As time is passing, I see my gender slowly evolving and deepening. I’ve been referring to myself as non-binary and genderqueer in addition to gender-fluid. More and more often, I feel as if I have no gender at all (agender), or that maybe I’m all genders at once (pangender). It’s confusing to be sure, but also liberating, because for the first time I feel free to express myself and experiment openly, and I have support from the people in my life.

I know labels are just that: labels. Some people say labels are for soup cans. I think it’s much more complicated than that. It’s certainly true that some people take labels too far, narrowing it down further and further and further, almost to the point of making it seem like we shouldn’t have labels at all since we’re all so unique. But labels are important too. They give people a sense of identity, as well as a sense of community. Putting a label on oneself can make a person feel secure, and I’m not going to lie, I’d really like that security.

No matter what, I am me. That will always be true. Still, I hope I can find the label that fits my identity best. I know I’m not transgender, and I know I’m not cisgender. I exist somewhere in-between, swirling around in that nebulous galaxy of genders without a box. Is it possible that I am all of these things at different times? Maybe sometimes I am agender, sometimes I am pangender, sometimes I am fluid, etc.? If you’re not a cookie cutter member of society (ie. the norm), it’s definitely harder to pin yourself down than you’d think.

I feel like right now, my gender is untapped potential, like the Pokémon Eevee. My gender could be anything, depending on how it’s nurtured and what I place on it. There are so many possibilities, so many outcomes, and they’re all amazing, so I don’t have to sweat it. I have no idea if my gender will turn out to be Vaporeon, Flareon, Jolteon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glacion, or even Sylveon. No matter what, I’m excited to continue this journey, and dig deeper into myself. For the time being, my label is a big fat question mark, and I am totally okay with that.

[myfriendpokey]

reality fever!!!!

(drawing on robert yang's new post!)

awkwardness of realism in videogames as result of their highly mediated form - so should we not "be real" (spins around chair quickly and sits on it backwards, facing teens) about these same annoying mediated qualities as well?

by mediated i mean awareness of the multiple discrete layers of technology and labour involved in even most basic videogame representations.

the felt lack of "noise" and mimetic residue in the form, the way that representing even the most basic thing can mean re-creating all the constituent pieces and then placing them around as elements to be encountered by a videogame camera in ways which annul whatever aura they had as external pieces of the world - every act contaminated by the human, by a signifying quality.

i think we should avoid the question of whether eg painting or photography simply contain fewer layers of mediation as forms. whether or not they do, they certainly involve SOME inherent mediated property, and our comparatively less obtrusive awareness of this can be put at least partially down to the historical processes by which that mediation becomes convention.

as a friend said, "we can only talk about it as just painting when jeff koons having hundreds of min wage interns or paint tubes being for sale anywhere or the specific qualities of oil/canvas panel painting changing the demands of the market became normalized".

i feel like videogames as a format are simply assuming a similar conventionalisation will happen somewhere down the line. we can all ignore the actual awkwardness of playing a videogame until it goes away..

which is not even necessarily wrong: it's easy to imagine videogames "growing as a medium" in this way just as a testament to the sheer idiot inertia of all the capital invested in the form, which will keep going long after most of the specific people involved in the format have burned out or left or died. a sort of abstract prosperity that rolls happily on even as it becomes less and less indicative of anything in everyday life, like the artistic equivalent of the GDP.

katharine neil has written strikingly about the sense of videogames as a format kept "artificially young" by constantly burning through a labour force of easily replaced recent graduates, the constant replenishment of which allows the format to keep putting off a full recognition of its own structural problems (both economic and aesthetic).

but what if this endless deferral of consequence was not a design kludge but the whole point of the format, whose value as new media is in part dependent on the sense of untapped potential it conveys? and where that potential is itself valued in part as a magical, interventive fix to structural problems, which will thus eventually work themselves out without the need of any specific human interventions (videogame unions, etc...)

there can be a lot of power in claiming an imagined future: it can be an effort to call something into being, to change the sense of what's feasible. but the kind of futurity here is the opposite: it's the kind we can't imagine NOT happening, which is unthinkable in the sense that so much of our current activity is dependent on this future to be meaningful. what's uncanny and alarming is the thought of videogames failing to develop - imagine still awkwardly spinning your guy around on the spot and crashing into walls in 20XX! "the crisis is that everything just goes on", as walter benjamin once said about the crash bandicoot series.

conversely the most powerful critique of realism has always been that it clings too closely to the present moment, that it can misrepresent that specific moment as an eternal and inviolate "reality" untouched by either historical origin or alternative - when we call a work of fantasy or historical drama realistic all we mean sometimes is that it doesn't do too much to challenge our sense of how the world works. but that same insistence on the present can become powerful at a point where the present is denied, replaced by the bland conception of it as a transient staging platform for the future.

when i think about a useful realism i think about one which does not treat the present and the lives of those who live there as a down-payment for some impending payoff that likely nobody but a few shareholders would ever benefit from anyway, which could insist upon the present as unfinished business. not just examining possibilities but also the deadlocks and tensions that prevent them from unfolding.

to see some of the problems in videogames as potentially permanent and irrevocable can be to re-encounter problems currently sort of shrugged off as "something the market will work out later" in the guise of immediate imperatives. like, what IS the point of releasing another 10-hour mid-budget indie game that goes straight into everyone's steam wishlists with all the others, or even a free 10-second one that similarly no-one has the time or energy to play? i'm not saying there's no point, and there can be value in trying to reposition this stuff in conceptual or praxis-based or spectatorship terms. but i also think it's worth considering that this whole format might really, genuinely be a stupid waste of time with no redeeming purpose whatsoever, not even pleasure, which frankly has never been that influential a presence with this stuff to begin with. and then if they really are just a fussy and discouraging provisional historical format of consumer technology with no ability to do anything but re-propogate their own horrible decisions, which nevertheless have a vast amount of people and resources devoted to aiding them in doing so - what does that mean???

maybe the videogame format really does have a "naive", organic and unmediated connection to reality, material, the unexpected and unwilled - in the form of their own existence and use, the paradoxical contemporary existence of a "new medium" and all the weird ways that new- and hypothetical- quality connects with and adjusts the present. a realism focused on the irritating ways this format really works could have a lot of merit - not least for when the next new medium rolls out on a wave of venture capital and promised future contracts, claiming this time it'll all go right.

(image credits: madao monogatari, tecmo’s deception)

[taltos-seidmadr]

Hello, I rebloged your post. Bday: 07/03/99 My question is how Eros, Morpheus and Hypnos feel about me? Thank you in advance! -S. Cancer

This is reading 3 out of 8 (they may be out of order). At the moment of me writing this, there are no slots left, but you can still get a reading in exchange for a small donation.

I saw, thank you S! I have prepared some respectful offerings and invited them in to speak. But you should know that I never interacted with these deities before so if you feel like something is not quite right or I have misinterpreted something, trust yourself before what I say. I will also try to describe the cards in the most neutral way possible so you can make your own judgement.

Eros

eight of cups: abandonment, letting go, looking deeper, reading between the lines, freeing yourself from a bad situation, feeling weary king of coins: prosperity, provider, breadwinner, faithful partner, positive father figure, loyalty knight of cups: gentleman, following your heart, proposition of romance, invitation to action, imagination, creativity king of wands: optimism, a wise but also practical leader, charisma, taking control

Okay so that's... a lot. I dont know if you have worked with Eros before but if you haven't, they would REALLY like to work with you (keep in mind this is still up to you, you can say no if you want). However based on these cards I rather get the feeling that you and Eros know each other very well, and Eros would really like to play a much more important part in your life than he does currently. I thought that the eight of cups represents you or something you have gone through, in the past. It seems like... something bad might have happened? I'm sorry if that's true. The reading doesn't really go into this and it doesn't seem completely relevant... it could also simply mean the wish that your connection becomes deeper.

The person cards seem like all these roles that he wants to take on for you, he wants to provide for you, be your loyal foundation, etc. It's almost as if he wanted to take some kind of major guiding role in your life. Undeniably, the knight of cups very explicitly means a romantic proposal so... 😳 If that's a thing that has been discussed between you two then the answer seems like a very enthusiastic yes. But if you don't have that in mind, I wouldn't jump into it too hastily since his domain is so close to romance. Maybe he just plans to bring a new relationship into your life.

No matter what, based on these cards I would think his opinion of you is very affectionate and positive.

Morpheus

the magician reversed: lack of mental clarity, untapped potential, deception queen of coins: constantly renewing wealth and success, witch, mother figure, nurturing, prosperity

You have a very impressive talent - most likely in a form of magic - that you haven't tried yet or paid enough attention to. Given that we are talking about Morpheus, I'm thinking of dream magic or something dream related, or else why would he bring it up? This was markedly the only thing he wanted to say. When I asked him if he actually wants you to work on this with him or just wanted to point this out for some reason, I pulled

ace of pentacles: new job, investment, manifestation

Whatever you decide, I don't think he feels any type of way about it, but he would be absolutely open to a collaboration if you are interested.

Hypnos

queen of wands: a person who accomplishes a lot, multitasker, charismatic and funny person, carreer woman eight of wands: movement, change, momentum, progress, energy four of wands: homecoming, celebration, being proud of an achievement

Based on these cards I think that he is extremely proud of how far you have come, and this is doubly true if you have been working together or if he has been teaching you something. This seems like a very "constant" opinion if you will, like there's nothing that's supposed to change from it. I pulled another card to clarify this, which was

nine of cups: a wish coming true, happiness and joy, success

If you ever doubted yourself whether what you are doing is good enough, be assured that he is very pleased, you are on the right path and there is nothing that you have to change in the bigger scheme of things. Just keep up the good work! 😊

tip💖

[awesomeblogsforlife]

The Benefits of Solar Power

What are the benefits of solar power and how does solar energy work?

The simple answer is that the energy from the sun and light gets transformed by the solar panel into electrical energy.

The way people and businesses use solar technology to their advantages is growing by leaps and bounds.

Solar Energy for Businesses:  Solar Home Lighting System, Solar Led Street Lights

Big solar projects-Businesses have discovered that they have an untapped resource. Their roof tops and the sides of the buildings that they occupy have become a potential income source. Solar energy panels are showing up on business rooftops and the sides of structures now. The economy of recent years has caused many businesses to rethink their costs and assets. Solar technology has been able to help companies reduce their energy costs.

Additional source of income- A business that produces more power than it needs simply sells the energy back to the power company for an extra income stream. Businesses or maybe I should say power vegetation, are springing up where there were none before. Think about this; should you have a large roof or field and you install some solar panels you now have a small business or an electric company depending on the size of your solar array.

Job opportunities Creation: New companies that maintain the solar power panels create new job opportunities.

Taxes credits- Current year's tax incentives have really helped push renewable energies like solar to the front of company owner's minds. Solar panels performance has greatly improved from the '70s panels which were around 7%. The majority of solar photovoltaic panels are around 20%. The price of the panels offers come down in recent years as well. Given these current developments most roofing tops are usually wasted area and what business can afford waste?

Marketing Boost-Companies possess increased their market share when they label their products as being made with an alternative energy like wind and solar energy. Many people purchase items that use renewable energy over those that don't.

Using solar technology makes sense for companies when it comes to lighting solutions aswell. Using green solar energy on things like street lamps in the parking lots and to light up their signs is practical. Signs and car parking lots get plenty of sun.

The advantages of Solar Power for Homeowners and Consumers:

Renewable power is turning homes everywhere into power sources. I have seen many houses that make use of solar thermal power for their hot water, solar electric to reduce or wipe out their electric expenses and solar and wind energy combined.

Here are some of the opportunities that homeowners and consumers have.

Solar Electric-New programs such as solar gardens and other projects that companies are working to put together now make it possible for people who live in a forest or an apartment to take advantage of community solar expressing projects. So if you live on a tree farm you can use solar technology and have your trees. If you cannot afford solar energy panels or reside in an residence, you may use solar technology for your home by becoming a member of a local community solar garden which creates an opportunity for people of every income level to use solar energy, no matter where they live.

Additional source of income: Families of all ages and incomes have the opportunity to lower their electric bills also to gain some income. When you have a roof or a sunny spot on your property at this point you have a way to have the small business you have wanted to have. Which bring us to...

Solar Tax Credits- There are tax credits available for numerous areas. Here in the United States it varies from state to state, then sometimes counties and towns possess incentives as well. The best place to check is the DSIREusa.org website.

Energy independence- Should you have power bills that are eating too much of your paycheck the idea of producing your own green solar technology should appeal to you. The efficiency of the panels is constantly improving and the cost has drop recently. If you need energy independence because you or a family member has a medical device such as for example an oxygen tank, wheel chair or some other piece of medical devices that requires strength, having a solar array to provide power to your home is a reliable answer to an unreliable energy grid.

Solar Hot Water- People spend 20 percent or more of their energy bills on warm water. The sun's power creates hot water naturally most of the time. Using solar thermal energy to heat the water you know you are going to need is common sense.

Small Solar Products-

Home owners and gardeners use free solar energy to gentle the gardens, yards and driveways. Choice energy comes in the small things like Directed Torches or Flashlights, lanterns and more. Then there are the cool electronic gadgets like our cell phones that are powered by solar battery chargers. Solar outdoor lights are everywhere in almost every shape and size. They make it easy for everyone to decorate their back yards quickly for events, weddings and family gatherings, and may be used for safety and convenience by illumination walkways and paths at night.

Solar technology has made it easy for us to light locations that were not easy to lighting before. I just placed a solar run motion sensor light in my backyard. It used to look just like a black hole during the night. Now when the movement sensor senses motion it turns on the Directed light bulbs and the dark hole is no more. Causing the porch gentle on will be less expensive when you use a solar driven lighting and you can see where you are going. Signals and driveways are easy to locate with solar spotlights; your friends will thank you for helping them get to you without getting lost.

[briangroth27]

Tomb Raider Review

I had a lot of fun watching the latest Tomb Raider! Having never played the video games and barely remembering the two movies starring Angelina Jolie, I essentially went into this one fresh and thought it was a solid start to what will hopefully become a new franchise. I'm a big fan of pulpy treasure hunter movies, and this certainly hit the spot!

Full Spoilers…

Alicia Vikander is excellent as Lara Croft and she’s the strongest element of the film. The script gave Vikander a lot to work with, showcasing Lara as a charming smartass, a brilliant puzzle-solver, a badass survivor, an orphan determined to survive on her own, and a daughter grappling with the apparent death of her father Richard (Dominic West). I thought Lara not signing the papers that would declare her father dead and secure her inheritance because it was his money, not hers, was an interesting and unique spin on the billionaire orphan trope (of course her reasoning was also—if not moreso—about not wanting to admit her father was dead, which played really well for me). I liked that they didn’t have her immediately turn to his money the moment she got in trouble with the police, which legitimized the idea that she wouldn’t use it even if she absolutely had to. Had Ana (Kristin Scott Thomas) not shown up to bail her out, it seemed Lara was content to be fined/jailed for the illegal street race she participated in and for me, that defeats the “fake poor” criticism I’ve seen online: Lara wasn’t just acting poor until it became inconvenient. The early scenes do a great job of showing Lara knows how to handle herself and has a likable, winning way about her despite her tragic family history, making her a captivating action hero and lead. What really sold me on the action hero part (aside from Vikander’s clear dedication to the physicality of the role), however, is that the film takes time to show Lara getting winded and hurt by her incredible feats and fights, both of which clearly take a physical toll on her; she isn't an invulnerable superhero. Vikander is great in those moments and even better when the movie takes the time to show Lara's reaction to killing someone for the first time. That desperate fight to kill or be killed was extremely powerful and it made me wish other action movies would take more time to deal with the gravity of their heroes taking lives. Lara's connection to Richard was strong, but I wish we'd seen more of their relationship than him constantly leaving her in flashbacks (though that does connect nicely to their role reversal at the end of the film and as I’ve seen pointed out elsewhere, each flashback ends with her being self-sufficient after he’s gone, which is a cool touch). In addition to the gamut of emotions Lara gets to show off and the thrilling spectacle of the gauntlet she's put through once she reaches a secret island, the film is very clear about how smart she is and I loved that she had to use her intelligence just as much as her fists. Vikander makes a meal out of all of this, playing every aspect of Lara to the fullest, and is clearly having a blast. I hope she gets to come back to this role in a sequel.

Lara's search for Richard (and ultimately, her journey towards letting him go) was a good through-line for the film and I liked what West brought to the role. Seeking out the supernatural as a way to reconnect with his deceased wife was an interesting and understandable motivation. However, we didn't need to hear about the legend of Himiko twice and eliminating Richard’s opening narration would've held the mysteriousness of the island of Yamatai until Lara finds out about it. The film doesn’t really gain anything by putting the audience so far ahead of her and I didn’t need to that hook to keep me interested. I did like that Richard’s madness on Yamatai involved seeing visions of Lara reappearing to him after he'd abandoned her all those times in search of the island, but I wish that madness had been turned into a stumbling block for Lara at some point instead of just something he talks about. He could’ve seen “Lara,” only to have it be an illusion that puts him in danger; the fact that he’s apparently cured of his madness as soon as Lara finds him felt too easy.

Daniel Wu as solid as Lu Ren, Lara’s expedition partner whose father went missing with Richard. I would've liked more to Ren finding out Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins) killed his father; there seemed to be a lot of untapped potential there. That Lara didn't actually lose her dad could've been seen as unfair in Ren’s eyes too. Why not use Ren being such a parallel to Lara's orphan arc to create some drama and possibly division between them? I also found it movie-convenient that Ren wasn't killed for inciting a worker rebellion that lets Lara escape; even with the justification that he'd be a useful slave, he'd been shot and wasn't at full strength anyway. There really isn't a plot purpose to his being around after freeing Lara from Vogel’s work camp either, so while I liked his character and Wu’s performance and certainly didn’t want him to die, I wish there had been more justification to such a ruthless villain not just executing a problem-causer beyond "he's the co-star." I did like that Ren and Lara kept saving each other, though, and would be up for him joining her on her further adventures. I wouldn’t mind a romance blossoming between them at some point, but I also liked that this movie makes no attempt to even suggest that Lara needs a guy to swoon over.

I thought Vogel not wanting to be separated from his family for the entirety of his search for the tomb was not only a clever parallel to Lara, Ren, and their fathers, but gave him dimension most villains in these films don't get. Instead of wanting to rule or destroy the world—or even just getting a big payday—his biggest concern was finishing the job so he could go home. I didn't sympathize with him—obviously his methods were horrid—but I was glad he had that human quality instead of being some monstrous caricature. Vogel is also used exactly as much as he needed to be (except when it comes to the potential fallout of having killed Ren’s father); he has enough presence to be a threat, but he isn’t overwhelming and felt like the cog in a larger machine he is.

I liked that the film fleshed out several facets of Lara’s life with human connections; friends (Hannah John-Kamen), coaches (Duncan Airlie James), gym rivals (Annabel Wood), coworkers (Billy Postlethwaite and Roger Nsengiyumva), and even a lovestruck customer (Antonio Aakeel) on her delivery route gave the sense that she had a full life (despite the hole her father's vanishing left in her) with a lot of history. Even if they only briefly appeared, it was great that the movie took the time to include them rather than limiting Lara’s interactions to plot-centric dealings with Ana and Croft Holdings. I hope to see many or all of these connections continue in any potential sequels: their reaction to Lara's wealth alone, to say nothing of her new day job, would make for some great stuff. Can she keep her normal friendships and be a globe-trotting archaeologist billionaire? Will she find that she’s become more comfortable without the Croft money? Will she need those grounded connections to keep herself level? Would she bring her friend Sophie along on an adventure?

The film reveals an overarching villain and that felt fresh for a treasure hunting franchise, if not Hollywood's affinity for sequels. One thing I found kinda cool about this setup is that Lara probably won’t be raiding tombs for museums (taking artifacts away from their cultures just because), but she’d be negating dangerous potential weapons, which seems more altruistic in a modern context. I liked the reveal of Ana's true motives for wanting Lara to sign off on her father's death, which convinced me of the viability of evil entity Trinity being at least somewhat run by Croft Holdings. I wonder if Richard's search for the supernatural was the basis for Trinity and if he'd been unknowingly feeding them information until his disappearance. If her father inadvertently started/fueled it, that would make Lara's quest to stop them even more personal. Maybe he reached out to those nefarious connections out of desperation on purpose, which could create an opportunity for Lara to see her father as a flawed man, not just the idealized figure whose only sin was that he was always leaving. I'm interested to see what Trinity wants to do if they get their hands on supernatural (or just very dangerous) artifacts; I hope they're not going to be cliché "take over the world" villains. I also wonder about keeping the size of Trinity as an organization to a scale Lara can stop on her own, but that's an issue for a potential sequel.

I've seen criticisms online that the film is clichéd, and while I'll grant that it doesn't have the most distinctive voice in terms of "action movie dialogue," I still found it engaging and thrilling. It's very solidly of the treasure hunter genre and though it doesn't subvert those kinds of tropes often, it executes them very well. A boat crash, river/plane adventure, and fight through a decrepit tomb were all very exciting sequences. I loved the death trapped-tomb and thought the film's spins on classic traps were fun (as was the minor trope subversion that they were in place to keep someone in, not out). I have zero problem with these kinds of pulpy movies embracing the supernatural elements at the center of their mythical legends—in fact, I usually prefer it—but the more grounded approach worked very well here, honoring the supernatural while maintaining a sense of realism and danger. Even without playing the video game this is based on, I'm a casual enough gamer that I caught homages to modern adventure games, like Lara monkey-barring over a destroyed walkway and stealthily sneaking through the villains' camp. Honoring those source material bits didn't pull me out of the movie at all and I liked those nods to the games. On the other hand, Lara getting her iconic twin guns did feel a little more like fan service than a natural evolution of her character (she never seemed to need guns on her adventure and mostly seemed to favor a bow to picking up dropped guns), but that may also be my unease with what felt like a slight glorification of guns (though granted, this wasn’t anywhere near the gratuitous glorification of AR-15s in Thor Ragnarok). Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a little fan service and Lara can have a different opinion of firearms than I do without me disliking her character. That brief throwaway nod to the games didn't sully the film for me or anything.

The action throughout the film was solid and surprisingly brutal. The only sequence that I thought felt extraneous was Lara's chase after—and then flight from—a trio of muggers in China, but it was a well-structured chase and did include a moment of Lara hesitating to leap off a dock after them, showing some early limits to her derring-do. That chase also coincidentally leads her to Ren, and he could've been introduced as belligerently drunk (entertainingly so, for sure!) to Lara by herself without having to scare off the thieves. Otherwise, the action was great and had a really nice variety to it. There were only four or five shots where the CGI was noticeable; in the other action sequences it was totally convincing (if there at all). The sense that they were doing practical stunts (even if they weren't) and the danger in Vikander's expressions definitely helped sell the impact of the injuries Lara sustained as she narrowly escaped death over and over.

Despite a few missed opportunities for greater interpersonal conflict among the heroes and perhaps a need to punch up the dialogue beyond what's expected of this genre, Tomb Raider is a blast! The mystery is cool, the action is great, and Vikander is outstanding. I'd definitely follow her on another adventure and absolutely recommend this one!

 Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

[junker-town]

The Warriors trade for Andrew Wiggins was not about Andrew Wiggins

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Warriors’ window for contention cracked open even further after the trade with the Timberwolves.

After five straight years reshaping how the NBA is played, the Golden State Warriors are a sleeping giant in the middle of a much deserved nap. Last week they traded D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, and Omari Spellman to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 top-three protected first-round pick, and a 2021 second-round pick. The move flapped open one of their eyelids like a window shade.

The Warriors are currently the worst team in the league. Their offense is vomit and their leading scorer is a 23-year-old rookie named Eric Paschall, who’s averaging 13.4 points per game. But for those who might have forgotten, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green will all be healthy next season. They now also have Wiggins, a positional upgrade over Russell who contradicts the cerebral persona that best fits Golden State’s system.

Most coverage of the deal has centered around the players involved, which is natural but, as we’ll eventually get to, besides the point. It’s OK to think Wiggins will bundle up inside the Bay Area’s auspicious basketball preserve and finally learn how to maximize elements of his limitless potential that would’ve forever gone untapped in Minnesota. Even though winning has been a foreign concept, the Timberwolves were better with Wiggins on the court in every single season of his career heading into this one. What the Warriors will now do is introduce the former No. 1 pick to a different slice of NBA life, where great expectations are annually overshadowed by tangible achievement. Who knows, maybe Wiggins was miscast from the start?

From the Warriors’ perspective, it’s also fair to wonder how much of this deal was about ego. Golden State is seemingly betting on its culture to rehabilitate the NBA’s most expensive lost cause. Even if they end up being wrong, it’s OK for the Warriors to try and milk, if not all-star potential, a useful two-way cog who elevates those around him by making smart decisions and efficient shots while finally understanding that possessions don’t exist just so he can take them for granted. They are precious.

Wiggins receives more criticism than any player who’s scored over 8,700 points before their 25th birthday — with good reason, considering only nine other players are in that club and they’re all either in the Hall of Fame or headed there someday — because there are no easy ways to explain why he can’t be great. He’s his own worst enemy, a tragic antihero who’s selfishness blends with frustrating indifference. Wiggins is an objectively talented solo act who doesn’t know how to sacrifice, let alone express a willingness to try.

Golden State’s front office wasn’t born yesterday, though. They know how hard it was to reach the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant, the two hottest shooters who ever lived, and a defender who forever changed defensive strategy. The denouement of their dynastic run will not be dictated by a player who epitomizes disappointment. Bob Myers is not delusional and Wiggins is not the answer; picturing him in the Finals wearing a Warriors jersey is like seeing a penguin in the Sahara. As one rival executive risibly texted one day after the trade when I asked about the viability of this new relationship, “Maybe Kerr can help Wiggins find joy.”

To that end it, factoring in the three years and $95 million that remain on his contract, Wiggins will not be remembered as the most consequential part of this deal. Sure, it’d be a boon for the Warriors if measurable strides were made, though filling a void left by Harrison Barnes ignores the irreplaceable contributions made by Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston, let alone the age, wear, and tear of Golden State’s remaining Hall of Fame trio. It’s too hard to fathom a world where he helps an all-time juggernaut find its legs. This team must evolve, not chase their own ghosts.

Instead, it’s Minnesota’s 2021 first-round pick, the honey-dipped asset that every contender wishes it had, that I can’t stop thinking about. It’s no coincidence that this was the only future first that changed hands last week. They’re priceless for small market teams (like Minnesota) that can’t attract top-tier talent in free agency. When a pick like that is originally owned by a team that’s still rebuilding, with zero cap flexibility, an infestation of inexperience, and either James Johnson or Josh Okigie as their best defender, it becomes a diamond. (This may not matter, but it being unprotected in 2022 is a low-key stunner.)

Now, all is not entirely hopeless in Minnesota. Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns are all-star talents who will give birth to an unanswerable pick-and-roll, and if Towns finally treats his defensive responsibilities with the seriousness they deserve, the pick’s value drops. When the Brooklyn Nets make the playoffs Minnesota also receives their pick, giving them two first rounders in this year’s draft. Their own has a 12.5 percent chance of being No. 1 and a 48.1 percent chance of landing in the top four; perhaps they move one or both for a player who can help them win sooner than later, or even select a prospect capable of giving the organization a B-12 shot next season.

All that’s possible but not very likely because the Timberwolves have been bad for approximately one million years. Since they picked Kevin Love fifth overall back in 2008, they’ve had five top-five selections, not including Jarrett Culver, who they traded up to take at six last June.

The Warriors now add that pick to all their own — Golden State does owe the Memphis Grizzlies a top-four protected pick, but not until 2024 — and assuming they Curry, Thompson, and Green pick up where they left off there’s a good chance all of them will be shopped, if not as picks then as invaluable rookie-scale contracts.

Even though no clear path to trading for a key contributor can be seen today, what happens over the next year is anybody’s guess. The NBA’s future is a total crapshoot, at the whim of impatient owners, insatiable stars, and desperate front offices. Moves that seem unfathomable at the moment will be made, and the Warriors are positioned to lure someone significant.

What if the Washington Wizards are lottery-bound again next year, and before the deadline Bradley Beal discloses a desire to leave. Would Washington take Wiggins (who’d only have two years left on his own max contract) if tethered to whoever Golden State picks in this year’s draft plus that Minnesota pick? Another team may be able to present a better offer, but how many would also be confident enough to re-sign Beal when he hits free agency in 2022?

What if the Sixers are finally ready to pull the plug on either Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid? Or the Houston Rockets implode and a lifeline is offered for James Harden? Or Rudy Gobert gets upset because the Utah Jazz aren’t willing to give him the super max? Or Victor Oladipo starts to feel out of place in Indiana and the Pacers fear he’ll test free agency? Or, in an all-time best-case scenario — assuming Golden State doesn’t drift above the tax apron — Giannis Antetokounmpo is willing to take a pay cut and agree to a sign-and-trade?

Yes, some of those read like a pipe dream, completely unrealistic in a world where Wiggins is static. But let’s momentarily ignore him altogether and take things down to a less glitzy reality, one where the Warriors exchange unproven assets for more established prospects — even extension candidates who may reach an impasse with their current team. Think Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Luke Kennard, or Jarrett Allen. These are expensive propositions, sure, but ducking the tax this year allows them to avoid the repeater.

Down the line, Wiggins’ contract may be intriguing salary filler when attached to another asset. What about teams that may suddenly need to change direction, like, say, the Milwaukee Bucks, if Antetokounmpo wants to play for the Miami Heat (him choosing Bam Adebayo with his second pick in the all-star draft was ... something?). Golden State could go after Khris Middleton. They could pounce on Nikola Vucevic or Tobias Harris or Jrue Holiday. What about Buddy Hield?

The Warriors might also look around the Western Conference and think what they have is good enough to contend. They draft someone like James Wiseman then tinker around the margins with exceptions that can actually land a meaningful player or two, given the dearth of cap space and favorable destinations in this year’s marketplace.

From there, assuming Minnesota’s pick lands in the top 10, let’s say they keep it and find another young gem. (Easier said than done, but I’m a glass-half-full type of guy and am not about to stop thinking Golden State’s front office isn’t one of the NBA’s best.) Suddenly the Warriors can straddle two functional timelines, and may be able to stiff arm the harsh rebuild every regime inevitably sees on the other side of extravagant success. All that’s too far down the road for speculation, but it’s worth thinking about.

Point being: the Warriors are not in a bad spot. Even without the pick, their ceiling with Wiggins is probably higher than it would’ve been with Russell. With it, they have endless options to explore over the next 18 months, and a better chance to scale a mountain top they used to live on. If they return, we’ll look back on this trade as the move that kick started it all. And there’s a very good chance Minnesota’s draft pick is the first reason why.