#but unfortunately that's the version of the character that the writers consistently put in the show

[coraniaid]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer takes place in a world full of demons and magic and werewolves and invisible girls and convincingly human-like robots; in a world where the Russian Revolution took place in 1905 and a song released in 1957 could be a hit in 1955 and high school sports coaches can use declassified Soviet research to turn teenagers into fish monsters; in a world where vampire attacks are commonplace enough that the police have a standard lie ready to deploy about them and where weekly student deaths are not reason enough to shut down the local high school.

But so far, forty-one episodes into my rewatch, the most fantastic and least plausible thing in the show by some distance is the fact that Buffy still willingly chooses to socialize with Xander Harris.

[midnightmissionarchives]

Werewolf by Night Issue 32

Encryption status: decrypted

Opening files...

Alright first up we have the OG, the first appearance of the man we've come to know as Moon Knight. I'd like to start here so that we an see how he's grown and changed and developed over the years. Future files will probably skip around depending on which ones get decrypted first.

Anyway!

Honestly, not a bad read. Gives a little glimpse into Jack Russell and what life is like for him, but also provides us with essentially a rough draft for Marc (Mark) Spector and the character they were trying to develop. There are definitely some differences with how this version of Moon Knight is introduced, but that's the fun part!

This issue starts off with a bang! Literally. The werewolf and Moon Knight are duking it out in a New York alley.

Earlier, Jack had been on a trip with his best friend and unfortunately the full moon had other plans. Jack's friend jumped in the way as Jack went to attack a young girl named Buttons (files are unclear if that is the girls actual name or if it's a nickname). This tragically led to his friend ending up in critical condition in the hospital with doctors unsure if he'll pull through or if he'll stay in the coma. Guilt ridden and angry Jack punches the wall, which didn't help ease his lover, Topaz, or his sister's worried minds, before he leaves the hospital to go home to see his step father.

Now enters The Moon Knight. Or...more accurately Mr. Spector.

Minor detail, but one that I find humorous. The writers and editors couldn't seem to decide how to spell his first name, either with a K or a C because we see it both ways within issues 32 and 33.

Now as you can see, he might be wearing all white, but he was all about the green, taking the suit and rolling with it. Also worth noting that $10k back in 1975 is really close to $60k today. So when some weirdo "committee" asks you to put on a costume and call yourself some silly name all for $10k...you don't really say no.

This is a very different origin story than what we've come to know about this character. This version is not tied to any vengeful moon god or ancient order or anything mystical. He was just some gun for hire given an outfit and told to pretend. Very interesting origin. Could you imagine if they had kept with that?

So Marc dons the silvery/white suit and introduces himself to Jack as Moon Knight. Shortly after, the full moon works its magic on Jack causing him to flee as he transforms into the wolf causing Marc to pursue.

While Marc's name may have been inconsistent (as well as his feelings towards his hero name), one other character has been consistent since the beginning and that's...

Jean-Paul "Frenchie" Duchamp

Yes, faithful congregation, Frenchie has been with Marc since the very beginning. Now that's a good friend.

Now we come back to the present with the fight in the alley. A crowd watches as a werewolf and some guy in a white costume tussle in an alley. The crowd stands and watches the fight for a good while before being struck with the realization...

I'm just imagining these people literally standing there slack-jawed at the fantastical brawl happening before them and this guy just suddenly comes back to consciousness like he had been woken up from a trance.

Anyway.

Jack puts up a good fight, despite his hurt hand, but Moon Knight wins out in the end thanks to his arsenal of silver weaponry, armor specifically designed to fight werewolves, and his incredible resume of skills.

The issue comes to a close as the police arrive and Moon Knight is dragging an unconscious werewolf towards the rope latter of the helicopter because, as Marc so eloquently put it,

"Payday's just around the corner, and I'd rather kill this hairy monster----than let those cops cut me off from my bread."

Yes, Marc Spector said "I'm getting that bread." I love how phrases make their way back into social vocabulary.

This is a far cry from the Moon Knight we've come to know. What he stands for, who he is, his motivations, just a different person. But, getting to know this version of the man only helps us to understand and appreciate how far he's come. This Marc is laying down the foundation for every iteration after him. He might not be the mystically endowed Fist of Vengeance, but he's no wimp either. Strength, agility, skill, marksmanship, you name it this guy has it in spades. And he would need it in order to hold his own with a werewolf who has inhuman strength and speed. The way the wolf (regrettably) cuts down his friend and really anyone who stands in way show just how powerful he is in this form, but he didn't seem to be a match for Moon Knight (who admittedly had a slight advantage with those silver weapons). Granted he did get a few good hits in, but Marc wasn't down for long. Would things have been different if the wolf's hand wasn't broken? Probably not. It might have gone on a little longer, but Moon Knight would have still come out on top, but who knows!

Thank you for joining me as we dive into the archives. This is the first file we're uncovering from the archives so I hope you enjoyed the read.

[cal-writes]

I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO CHECKING OUT THOSE WRITER ASKS, so excuse me, I'm going to disturb your schedule now with some things I want to ask. For 2023 review asks: 1, 3, 9, 23, 24, and 30 please. For the AO3 wrapped asks: 3, 5, 20, and 30, if you'd be so kind. Hope you are having an excellent time and lots of rest, Cal!

at least this time im at my computer and not on mobile so it will be infitely easier to reply! thank you <3

What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again?

writing present tense actually! my dear beta has been suggesting it for years bc i mostly wrote past tense (or both i would switch in the middle of a work constantly, sorry @vaguelyreferential) so i dont even know what made me do it one piece fic just had the vibes for it i guess

What’s something you learned about yourself as a writer?

i write best at night and unfortunately like it best to write on my laptop. unfortunately bc i got an ergonomic keyboard for reasons and with the laptop thats not really compatible (i can of course conntect it but i like the vibe of the laptop yknow) i think it might have something to do with my double monitor setup on my main computer which tends to distract me so. fun things about being creative with adhd

What fic meant the most to you to write?

woof. thats a tough one. i mean to a certain degree they all mean something to me yknow. or i wouldnt write them. but i think meaningful to me personally is probably Salt of Midgar its the first long ongoing fic ive done in a while and i really tried to be consistent with uploads and stuff and try to hone the whole "done is better than perfect" with it. i sadly lost the consisitency with putting out chapters with it but i am still very dedicated to finishing it and plan to do it next year.

also have to say one of my unfinished 00Q fics has a soft spot in my heart bc i met my beta through it and got back into writing in the first place bc of the james bond fandom. i have planned to "reboot it" of sorts aka rewrite and actually finish it (bc its so old at this point my style wouldnt really work with it anymore and i also have no idea where i was going). it got shelved bc i got swallowed up my one piece fandom but yknow

Share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. What about it was challenging? Are you happy with how it turned out?

“You don’t have to have all the answers for him right now, you know that right?” Kazuha told him gently and he glanced up, feeling small and terrified at the gulf that was opening in his chest. She smiled and nudged their joined hands. “Just talk to him and tell him the truth. Left to your own devices you two just reach the worst conclusions possible.” She added teasingly and Heiji felt himself snort. She had them there. “Communication.” She stressed in a tone of voice Heiji was too familiar with from their time as a couple.  With a final squeeze, he extracted his hands and groaned, letting his head hang over the back of the chair. “Why do I have to be the mature one? Why can’t he come talk to me?” He whined.  “Because Shinichi is emotionally stunted and you are better at interpersonal relationships than him.” She said placatingly and Heiji gaped at her. He narrowed his eyes at her. Kazuha grinned as innocently as possible. Oh, she was goading him.

this whole conversation from the third chapter of One Trick Pony probably. i struggled with that whole chapter in general a whole lot. this conversation originally took place on the train before i scrapped that location change so to speak and had them stay in kazuha's place. what was difficult at the time with that chapter is how miserable the characters were and i got really into that headspace which kinda made writing hard. but im glad with how it turned out in the end!

What's something that surprised you while you were working on a fic? Did it change the story?

i think i have a lot of my "oho" moments when im not actively writing. such as kaito working for the friend of heijis mom. that was like a "yknow what would be funny" and then i implemented that and from that alone came The Simple Life of Kaito. otherwise my writing process is often just getting possessed by ideas and getting them out of my head the way they want it

What’s something that you want to write in 2024?

as said above i want to finish up Salt of Midgar which i think are 2-3 chapters by my last count.

i also had another one piece thing thats basically done that i need to polish up which is in universe and two other things that i might finish up ive been trucking away at those for a while. one is a sequel to laws eleven and the other is a new AU. also of course lucky charm. that reminds me i have to finish up the next chapter for that whoops

i'll post this now just so i dont lose it all but will reply to the other questions in a reblog!!

[egg-emperor]

while i would say im personally not the biggest fan of the writing from the pontaff games, eggman was definitely my favorite character from that era. he was consistently written in character, funny, menacing, and just a total asshole. im a big fan of ian flynns eggman and have been since archie, but i really dont think its fair to say the pontaff era eggman is inherently inferior.

I totally respect not being the biggest fan of Pontaff Eggman and I think there are fair reasons for that, it's just unfortunate that a lot of people outright hate him all of a sudden despite how a lot of people used to agree he was the character they kept consistent and faithful the most of the entire cast. It used to feel like a fairly common opinion but now people completely ignore or put down all of Pontaff Eggman, despite the way it's dismissing a massive chunk of game Eggman as a result, over a decade's worth, which I feel was important and valuable and brought us some great portrayals and moments that are sadly overlooked or misunderstood now.

Pontaff personally aren't my favorite writers of all for Eggman but for me it's not for what they did write, it's what they didn't get to- which is hardly much of a criticism when it just comes to me thinking there was potential in some areas that weren't explored as far as I would've liked. And it's all plot related, not characterization in the slightest. I feel like in some Pontaff era games, Eggman could've and should've had a chance to shine more in some areas. But as script writers, they did their job well at understanding him and who he is, what he wants, how he thinks and feels and interacts with others, etc and capturing it well through dialogue.

But yeah I have a lot of high praise for them because I truly don't feel like there's literally a single moment and line written by them that felt out of character, and I've watched and analyzed it all over and over. They were great at writing his humor whether it was his silly goofiness or the darker more morbid aspects of it, I always find it very funny personally and their best of all are definitely the Eggman PAs in Colors, which I know a lot of people can agree on because they're pure gold. XD And the menacing threatening moments they got to write were fantastic, I actually even prefer their dialogue over some of the JP versions of the scenes in some cases. :O

I don't know why people have suddenly started acting like he was terrible because he's always been the most consistently well captured and written of all the characters. Classic, Adventure, and modern game era Eggman all feels the same to me, he isn't less evil and threatening than he was prior. It's just the overall story tone shift that makes the focus more on the humor in some games but Eggman's evil actions and goals aren't any less extreme and he isn't any less of an evil bastard. He's the funny evil asshole he's supposed to be, who can be silly but also pure diabolical evil and a serious threat. The balance is really well done in terms of characterization.

I also love Ian Flynn's Eggman, (which is why it's frustrating when people think I hate it or even Flynn himself just because of my criticisms. I criticize as much as I praise but people only pay attention to the former) game Eggman as a whole will always be my favorite version with my favorite writing over everything else, though I have to give credit where it's due. I really adore a big chunk of what he wrote in Archie when I felt it was accurate to game Eggman and there was actually a lot of that. Same goes for IDW Eggman. And even Frontiers Eggman now! I do think he understands a lot about him and I agree on a lot of his takes and his best work is some of my absolute favorites in all Eggman media.

So yeah I don't think it's fair to say Pontaff Eggman is inherently inferior either, their Eggman characterization wise isn't any less accurate than Ian Flynn's best work on it. I personally think Pontaff has been more consistent because my only sort of criticisms with Pontaff era Eggman lie in the story aspects, while with Ian Flynn's it's the actual characterization that I have some criticisms on in some cases, but I think both of them do equally great in all the things I enjoy and praise. But people seem to be quicker to overlook, ignore, or deny Pontaff's writing's qualities over Flynn's which is sad. I wish people would look back to see they're judging too harshly.

It makes me sad when people trash Pontaff Eggman to me on my posts, videos, or inbox because their Eggman has been so precious and loved by me for 12 years, I get endless joy and entertainment of him and always will. 💔 The insistence by a large majority of the fandom that Pontaff Eggman had next to nothing going for him isn't fair and I think they're missing out a lot in recognizing the great entertainment and characterization their writing brought to him, I wish they'd reconsider instead of acting like he sucks and Flynn "fixed" him. Game Eggman has always been great and has never stopped! Because he's wonderfully consistent.

Of course it's pretty obvious that game Eggman as a whole is my absolute favorite of all time and is the main form of inspiration behind all my fan creations as a result- but Ian Flynn's Eggman inspired me a lot too, all the way back from Archie and deserves credit. People deny that game Eggman is as evil as my favorite parts of Archie Egg- but I like them specifically because they feel accurate to game Eggman to me. And I know game Egg is evil enough of a bastard to do all of those evil things he does in Archie that I love so much too and he does in fact do stuff on that level in the games, the stories just often have a more lighter hearted tone overall.

Anyway I love and adore Eggman portrayals as long as he's both funny and also a threatening evil asshole and I think both Pontaff and Ian Flynn both do a great job at capturing that in their best works. When the humor makes me laugh and the threatening evil moments bring me great excitement and a thrill, especially when Eggman gets extra fucked up in both his humorous moments and his serious threatening ones, such as the darker humor and the darkest threatening moments Eggman for example that both have delivered in great amounts- that makes a damn good Eggman portrayal hehe 🥰 It's all super entertaining and appreciated!

Oops this turned into gushing about both because I couldn't help myself lol, I'm very passionate about it 💜

[ceph-the-ghost-writer]

been waiting for work to be over so I could send these!! for the Behind the Scenes game!

‼️"what has stayed consistent across all drafts?"

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

Hey, K! Hope you're getting at least a little rest here and there. Or at least this evening is treating you well.

From the Behind the Scenes Asks

‼️"what has stayed consistent across all drafts?"

You saw the answer about Apophenia, so I'll talk about a WIP I've never posted but have written a few drafts for. Since the question isn't about what's different between versions...I'll make a game of it and put anything that's stayed the same in bold in the description.

XIII is/was a fantasy story I wrote at the tender age of nineteen. It's set in a magical realm adjacent to Earth called Arasind. The fmc is an orphaned teenager named Flora who was adopted and became the apprentice to a vampire shadow sorcerer called Radu. Of course, she's outspoken, beautiful, impulsive, and she discovers she has extremely powerful magic, of the death/necromancy variety. Unfortunately, Radu has nefarious plans to use her as a weapon for his own gain. Unbeknownst to him, there's another evil vampire with plans of his own for Flora. However, with the help of her friends and lover our protagonist makes her own fate, becoming a sorcerer powerful enough to not only change the course of her world's history but others' as well.

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

Fanfiction. Not writing it--that wouldn't come until my twenties--but reading it. Before discovering fanfic at, like, thirteen I'd had this nebulous idea of how one becomes a writer. You'd have to be super intelligent to start. Go to one of the best universities, of course. Get apprenticed to a senior writer to learn the trade? Seriously, I had no clue how it happened other than it involved adult business somehow.

But fanfic showed me that to be a writer, you just...write. And people only a few years older than me were creating stories I enjoyed and putting them on the Internet! If they could do it, maybe I could too! So, around fifteen, I made up some OCs based loosely on the fanon versions of a pairing I liked. They soon grew and developed personalities and backstories of their own. The world and cast continued to expand as I learned from studying what I dis/liked about the books I read, and my skills improved after joining an online writing forum. And I continue to learn and improve even now.

On a more individual basis, most of my early fantasy WIPs grew from creating that first world and filling it with different types of characters I liked. Or wanting to write a story that covered something I felt was lacking in a book I had recently read.

Apophenia/Phagophobia and The Primrose Path both came from an Ao3 prompt event. I just didn't stop developing the worlds and characters once the event was over, and now they're out of control.

[xxgothchatonxx]

Rightio, here is my full(ish) review of Peter Pan & Wendy.

My recommendation is to not go into this thinking it’s going to be a remake of the animated film. Because while there are nods (i.e. YOU CAN FLY IS IN THE SCORE!! WAHOO!!!) it’s more of a reimagining of Barrie’s novel. And when it comes to reimaginings... yeah, I think these writers did it pretty well.

I love that it starts off as the classic perception of the Peter Pan story being this wonderful, fun campy adventure, and then goes “hang on... there’s something pretty messed up about all of this... hey, what’s the deal with Peter and Hook?” and then it turns into more of a character study story. Ok it doesn’t turn into a full-on dark, gritty horror story but it does take a more serious turn.

How do people deal with growing up? Do they run away from the idea, do they grow up ‘wrong’ in Hook’s case, or do they accept it’s something they need to do and they’ll view it as the “greatest adventure of all”? Which, while the writing isn’t the same as it is in the book, that is what Barrie wrote. That thematic element has always been part of Peter Pan. So kudos to David Lowery for understanding that.

And I thought the new take on Peter and Hook’s relationship was a good predictable twist. It made sense and I thought it was emotionally impactful. I also like that the ending is ambiguous about what their relationship will be like in the future.

Ok, some more pros:

JUDE. LAW. AS. HOOK. I will go more in-depth about that but maaaaaaan I was so pleased with his performance and with the writing. Also this film continues the tradition that Mr. Smee is one of the most consistently perfectly-casted characters ever.

I really enjoyed Ever Anderson as Wendy. Yara Shahidi was so freaking cute as Tink (that final scene made me sob, ngl). I thought the Lost Boys were fine, they cute kids. The pirates were clearly having the time of their lives in these roles, they were so fun to watch. And Tiger Lily was pretty cool.

The way they got to Neverland was pretty creative. I actually rewound that scene a couple of times.

The ending. This will be the only comparison I make to the 2003 version (which need i remind everyone is literally my favourite film of all time...) - kudos for keeping it bittersweet.

Now for the cons, because this film isn’t perfect:

The pacing is... not the worst but not great.

Some of the editing transitions made me laugh and go “..huh?”

While while the lighting in Neverland looked a lot better than the trailers, the nursery scene was pretty hard to see.

I also wish Alan Tudyk was given more to do as Mr. Darling... and no, they don’t do the dual-casting with Hook.

I swear they cut out that epic jump Peter did in the trailer... did they cut that? If they did, that’s unfortunate, cos that looked badass.

And that’s... basically all the cons! Well, that I can think of.

So, again I can’t call this a flawless film but I also refuse to call it a soulless cash-grab because there was way too much effort in the writing for it to be dismissed as “soulless”. For a modern Disney live-action film, this could have been sooooo much worse, and you all know it. But I am very pleased with what I saw.

So, I’m giving it 4/5. And on my rankings of Peter Pan adaptations, I’m putting this at... three :)

[hierarchyproblem]

1, 2, 19 for book asks

1. book you’ve reread the most times?

I don't really tend to reread books tbh. There's so many other books I wanna read that I'd get more out of than a second go at something I already remember, y'know? That said, I have read the bible cover-to-cover four times. Normal behaviour.

2. top 5 books of all time?

Aw fuck. I dunno. I'll assume "books" here means "novels" and I'll list five of my top books of all time:

The Dispossessed, by Ursula K Le Guin. I need not labour the piont here 'cause I know you've read it, so I'll simply say that Le Guin is possibly my favourite writer of all time, and this is her at her best.

Ubik, by Philip K Dick. This book gets weirder by the page. PKD loves poking at the nature of reality, and this is the exemplar. A lot of his output reads as surprisingly adventurous work to come from a 60s sci-fi guy, and this is among his most interesting. Several carefully-crafted "wait - oh, shit" moments in a deliberately-contradictory narrative. Head-spinning stuff.

The Fifth Season, by N K Jemisin. A lot of SFF is, like, fun, and that's cool; I like to read that stuff too. This is art, no two ways about it, and of a kind I'm not sure you could easily translate into a different genre or medium. Bold and nuanced exploration both of the apocalypse and of parenthood. Also rocks are magic, and magic is rocks. When people ask me to recommend a book, this is my go-to.

Version Control, by Dexter Palmer. This is pretty lit-ficcy compared with my usual intake (ie. genre fiction that wears it's genre-ness like a tiara). If an act 1 full of normies having brunch doesn't put you off - and it shouldn't, because the characters are extremely well-drawn - then it'll be very satisfying when all the little bits of wrong-ness come together. Also far more prescient as near-future spec-fic than any cyberpunk.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant, by Seth Dickinson. Unlike most in the tumblr-popular "SFF imperialism but with lesbians" genre, this one sketches out an imperialism that's mostly plausible and worth exploring. The worldbuilding is really very good. This is mostly a pretty light read, for all it deals in heavy themes. I basically don't believe that spoilers diminish one's enjoyment of a story, though that might just be me, so I still think it's worth reading despite your having looked up the ending on wikipedia. The rapid series of increasingly-punishing gut punches in the final few chapters is worth experiencing first-hand.

19. most disliked popular books?

I'm sure I've bitched about this to you before, but I thought Harrow the Ninth mostly sucked. I respect the ambition of the book's structure, but I felt that it fucked the pacing unbearably. Gideon is way more interesting to read about than anyone else in these books, and I might have felt better about being dragged through 400 pages of Harrow moping by having "you're gonna find out what happened with Gideon soon, I swear!" dangled in front of me like a carrot for a donkey, if the payoff was worth it. Unfortunately the denouement largely consisted of everybody standing there and stating out loud what their master plans were, I guess because the stupid B-plot where I'm somehow expected to care about Ortis at all(??) took up too much space so there was none left for a proper ending. There were some fantastic scenes, but in my opinion they couldn't save the book. I thought Gideon was truly excellent, so this was a bit of a let-down.

Also - if you'll allow me a brief tangential rant - I can only assume the publisher (correctly) decided that the meme references were highly marketable, because otherwise an editor that let that shit through should surely have been let go. It's baffling, because these books are frequently hilarious, but never when referencing Bone Hurting Juice or whatever the fuck. "Oh it's a worldbuilding thing, it shows that John-" no. It's stupid. Piss off.

Thanks for the questions!

[manofsteelform]

Rules

INTRO

This blog is an independent single muse rp blog. I’m mutual only.

Piotr has themes of internalised homophobia, familial trauma, loss of bodily autonomy and non-consent (to use of his body or mind). I will tag these accordingly and honestly will be unlikely to write them in detail as they make me distressed but they do exist and I thought I’d warn you. 

1. threads

I try to keep track of my threads. Unfortunately, I’m not great at that thread tracker website. Often I draft things if I can’t reply to them straight away. If you feel I’ve missed something please just tell me nicely. I love reminders, what I don’t love is consistent nagging daily about a thread.

2. memes & asks

I love memes. I try to reply to those that I’m lucky enough to get, however if there’s no muse for something I try not to force it. Same goes for random asks. However, please don’t let that discourage you from sending anything! I appreciate any effort on your part to interact with my characters

3. godmodding & power play

I do not accept Godmodding. However, I do realise in a thread there can be NPCs and actions that need to happen to move the thread along. I’d rather we talk these out and plot things beforehand to come to a decision we both agree with and are happy with before putting it in a thread.

I also accept interlacing, feel free to reference my version of any muse in other threads.

4. shipping

I ship chemistry and I do like shipping. Developing relationships of any kind over RP is fantastic fun. I think the best way to do it is thread and plot for a bit and see how our muses mesh.

5. plotting

I LOVE plotting. Plotting is what allows us to come up with whole story arcs and then write them out together. It allows us to grow as writers and as friends. So please, I am always open to plotting. And I have a discord and skype for those that want it, just drop me a line.

6. courtesy

I just graduated from college, I have a job, and health issues, an insane home life andddddd other RP blogs. I get busy and overwhelmed. Feel free to message me but please give me time and space to respond. If I’m not chances are that I have other things taking up my time.

I am mixed race POC, however I’m Australian and not American so I apologise if there is inaccuracies in terms of geography or culture. I try. Let me politely know if something is wrong.

Communication is key. If I’ve offended you in any way please talk to me about it. It is never my intention.

No hate for me or for my partners. You don’t have to like me or my blog but simply unfollow. I will also not accept disrespectful asks, misogyny, anything against the LBTQIA+ movement, racism, pedophilia, incest, bodyshaming, mental health shaming, disablity shaming, autistic spectrum shaming,bullying, or plagarism.

I’m a little hopeless about tagging people’s blogs on replies, etc, but I’m decent at tagging triggers. My current tags are set out ‘tw TRIGGER NAME’. If I’m not currently tagging something that DOES trigger you, as I may miss some people’s triggers, please just ask me to tag it and I will.

If you feel that I’ve done or said something insensitive, or wrong, please come to me in my askbox or IM and just talk to me about it. My intention is never to hurt anyone, I’m a person and I make mistakes. I try to do research and broaden my horizons and I’m always open to learning. I believe in self improvement and education, especially as I grew up in a very restrictive fundamental household. So please, if I’ve done something, come to me, explain and I promise to learn and do better.

The best way to contact me is to send me an ask or IM. If we’re mutuals OR talked you’re also welcome to ask for my discord or skype.

7. follow backs

I generally follow back, but depending on the frequency of which we end up RPing or talking, or if your blog (a) contains triggers (b) violates one of my courtesy rules or © would never work with my character then I may not follow you or unfollow you if I have followed back already.

8. nsfw & triggers

My triggers are dissociation, multiple personalities, seizures, incest, snakes, and I appreciate epilepsy warnings. I don’t RP incest, pedophilia, or power abuse.

I do not smut with underage. I don’t generally smut on the dashboard, though I will tag NSFW if I reblog something of that nature. Mun and some muses are 18+. In threads where a muse is NOT 18+ they will not be participating in anything sexual.

9. about me

Hi! My name is Nita. I’m in the AEST timezone.

10. unplayable blogs/characters/storylines

I will not roleplay with characters or blogs of Split & Glass, Psycho, Bates Motel, Fight Club, Jekyll and Hyde, Magenta from the Flash TV Show [she is completely warped, the comics version with good characterisation I’m open to], Caitlin Snow as portrayed in Season 4 + of The Flash, and Legion. I’m also careful with Hulk rpers. This is for my own mental wellbeing as the above shows and characters have bad representation of people with dissociative identity disorder/multiple personality disorder. [you can read some more of my feelings on this here]

[onlychaosnosense]

Unpopular opinion about Edwina

Alright, I have been putting this off for far too long because I wanted to do this when I wasn’t spiralling and being pulled in all directions regarding my feelings.

Please remember my criticism is for the way the character has been written, not for Charithra or her portrayal.She was fabulous in her role. And I cannot believe that I have to state it in this day and age, but sending hate to the actors or writers or producers is not okay. And also that CRITICISM DOES NOT EQUAL HATE.

So here goes

Book Edwina was beautiful, sweet, gentle and very much the diamond of the season. But she was in no way just the diamond. She was also very perceptive and self aware. She has a mind of her own, is interested in philosophy, likes reading and wants to marry a scholar. She is well aware of her family’s financial situation and constantly feels the stress of marrying well for her mother and sister’s future. And she still hopes to find a love match. So we did not get to read a lot about Edwina, but she was her own person with her own interests and expectations and thoughts and fears.

Show Edwina is everything nice and pure and innocent. But she is extremely sheltered and the writers reduced her purpose to solely being married to a handsome, charming and titled man. What about her interests, expectations, fears and dreams? I am glad she realized how naive she was and that she got to lash out and express her anger and disappointment. I loved her growth from ep 1 (I hope they like me) to ep 8 (what can they possibly say that we haven’t heard before). But this awakening or growth could have happened over a period of time and I so wish it hadn’t come due to a conflict over Anthony.

I understand that she was trying to live upto expectations or was conditioned to want nothing but a good marriage. But she did not heed Kate’s warnings when she was adamant against Anthony and even asked Kate to persuade him to propose. If Edwina were so naive and obedient that she had always lived upto Kate’s expectations, she wouldn’t have been so set on marrying Anthony. I found that inconsistent with Edwina’s character and contradictory which I blame on the writing. And that is why I found her entire speech about how she would take her own decisions for herself post the wedding drama a bit immature. Especially when Edwina wanted the match with Anthony despite Kate’s disapproval.

In an attempt to flesh out her character they reduced her to a plot device, to act as an obstacle in Kate and Anthony’s story. The very thing the writers claimed they were trying to avoid. But in the end when Kate and Edwina both acknowledge that they both needed to find and understand their own selves, it was far more consistent with the Edwina we were first introduced to. When she gives Kate her blessing stating ‘You have spent so much of your time shining your light on me. It is time to finally shine all on your own’, that’s growth. The book never claimed she was not a plot device yet unfortunately the fleshed out show version comes off more as one.

But what is most disappointing is that the fandom is putting Edwina on a pedestal stating she is a saint or that she made no mistake. That’s a huge disservice to her character because she does grow and become a better and more self aware person. We need to stop infantilizing characters, they need to be held accountable because it means they do have agency and they are thinking,feeling, real and relatable. When we gate keep characters and label any criticism as hatred, we are refusing them the privilege of making mistakes.Let WOC, in fact, let all women be human. Women can be kind OR cruel, gentle OR ferocious, generous OR selfish, humble OR arrogant, pleasant OR annoying. Let women make mistakes and call them out when they do. Allow them to be imperfect and let them grow.

If you are still here, thank you for hearing me out. I applaud your patience. This is what I feel and think and we do not have to agree. I welcome your thoughts and comments but please remember to be respectful.

[shititbe]

Anyway, HSM2 is about internalized homophobia, and no one can tell me otherwise.

High School Musical is one of the most beloved franchises in the world. Teenagers all over the world grew up watching Troy and Gabriella harmonize together. Three movies, and nearly a decade later it’s still beloved by all. The first film easily forgotten in the ashes of the early 2000’s, the third film stuck in a purgatorial limbo of the rather unfortunate late 2000’s. The second film on the other hand sticks out between the ruckus. 

The second High School Musical film takes place at Sharpay and Ryan’s family country club, during the summer between junior and senior year. The Wildcats are working summer jobs on the country club, often forced to the beck and call of Ryan and Sharpay themselves. Sharpay uses all her prestige to help Troy with college instead of starting at the bottom ( or rather, in the kitchen washing dishes) with his friends. In the time she’s helping Troy, she is also pushing her brother away; replacing him with Troy in their musical number for the talent show, and refusing to hang out with him in preference for Troy. Ryan becomes vengeful to his twin and starts hanging around the Wildcats in the kitchen. At first, he was met with some distasteful looks and words (most of which from Chad). With the help of Kelsey, and her neutral party, Ryan fits in smoothly with the other teenagers, eventually giving the WildCats all dance lessons.

 Throughout the movie, the main conflict continues to be the internal conflict of Troy Bolton. He debates over and over again if he should go through with Sharpay’s shenanigans, or if he wants to “listen to my own heart.”  This of course involves Gabriella, as she is Troy’s love interest. She’s not in the second film except for the beginning, then, where she leaves in the middle of the film - in order to create angst for Troy - then when she shows up again in the finally to sing/rejoin Troy. 

The conflict in the second film  is the combining of Troy’s two worlds. His first - his main world in the first movie, that hence became his secondary world - which is represented by Chad. Then his secondary world - which becomes his main world in this movie - which is represented by Ryan. Chad represents Troy’s masculinity, or his more idealized version of himself. Ryan represents Troy’s femininity or his current version of reality. These two worlds collide in the iconic song “I don’t dance”.  

Since this movie - and hence this scene - came out in the early 2000’s, a lot of the innuendoes went over people's heads. Luckily, as the children who watched this movie grew older and more experienced, and the world became more accepting, we’re able to see this song for what it is. 

Before getting into the lore and symbolism of the iconic “I Don’t Dance” sequence, context is needed. For most of human history, homosexuality was seen as a sin in all places except ancient times (see: Greece and Japan). The modern age is the most accepting on all fronts, such as sexual orientation, race, and religion. In the early 2000’s, High School Musical director Kenny Ortega was not publicialy out yet. He wouldn’t be till 2014. 

Originally, while writing this, my first thought was  that Kenny - the director - would be using Troy as a y/n type character to project his insecurities and struggles with masculinity, and what that means in defining his orientation and societal views that would be placed upon him. Then, it came to me later that this is in fact not the case, Troy (and Gabriella - who is in fact a y/n character for the female audience) is more of a character for a man of his time, confused with his own ideals of masculinity and the views of society because, “oh god, I can’t like theater/drama because only queer people and girls like it!” The second point is pushed further with the Troy and Sharpay sub-plot. Sharpay tries to further Troy’s career as a basketball player, though that’s not what he wants anymore, and Troy is no longer sure if that is what he ever wanted to begin with (enter the song “Bet on it” and the hilarious meme “no dad, I’m giving up on your dream”). 

Keeping these things in mind - Kenney’s queerness, and Troy’s struggle to realize you can in fact sing and be a heterosexual, wow, revolutionary - it became clear to me that Kenney’s y/n characters were Ryan and Chad. 

For those who aren’t into the arts, or find them too difficult after a singular attempt thinking they could write a world class novel on the first go, let me be the first to tell you every author has a y/n character. First, for those who don’t know what y/n stands for, it’s a popular fanfiction trope where a writer will write a story about a character dating, being friends, and so on, with the reader. The y/n stands for “your name” so anyone can be the main character in this story at any time. For a writer of mainstream fictional work, such as High School Musical, Game Of Thrones, Lord Of The Rings, Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, even most comics. Now, most writers or directors aren’t going to be as obvious as having a character not named (or named y/n) or even named Jane (looking at you Jane Austin), the y/n character of many mainstream authors/directors/comic artists and so on is usually the character they feel or have given the most attributes similar to themselves. 

It’s the same reason people have favourite characters. You see a fictional character and you either 1. Want to Bob the Builder them, 2. Some sort of weird sex thing, or 3. See more/the most of yourself in this character. Number three - thankfully - is usually the main reason. Some people just create their own favourite characters. An even easier way to think about this, is just projection baby, that’s psych 101.   

Before I went off on a small tangent of fictional works and how human emotion plays into creating them (except anything Disney has made in the past decade, and no you can’t change my mind on that) I mentioned that Chad and Ryan are Kenney’s y/n characters. As a queer person myself, it’s clear for me to see the different struggles each of these characters face and how these reflect the queer experience. 

So, let’s finally get into it. 

Ryan, without it being explicitly said is clearly a character of what people in the early 2000s think a gay man is. He is effeminate, wearing bright coloured outfits with lots of accessories - namely his signature hats - he is also in the theater department doing musicals, and passive/subservient to any of his twin sisters' wills. Yes, now we know gay men aren’t just feminized men, but in the early 2000’s a gay man who can do "masculine" things like change their car oil, like sports, and so on, break the "effeminate" stereotype thus confused many cishet people. Sharpay is painted as more confident - or, for sake of comparability - masculine to her twin in the first movie, and most of the second movie. Making Ryan a bit of her dog who would do anything to get by - painting Ryan as lesser than human, once more, playing into the homophobia of the early 2000's.     

Despite the clear stereotypes playing into his character, Ryan is consistently one of the most confident characters in the movie. The other, being his sister of course. This confidence in himself is what gravitates the other characters towards him, either by being intimidated (Troy, thinking Ryan and Gabriella were a thing), or admiration (Chad, by the end of “I don’t dance”). 

Chad, on the other hand, is a whole different ball game. While he is confident in the first movie, and the first portion of the second movie, he begins to break more and more when Ryan becomes a more integral part of the Wildcat group. To keep in mind, Chad is also the most vocal about his distaste for Troy’s artistic past-time. When the other Wildcats join Ryan and begin learning how to dance for the talent show at the end of the movie, Chad is also the most vocal about his distaste. The baseball game where “I don’t dance” takes place, is the climax of Chad’s arc and his turn towards acceptance to Ryan/Troy’s hobbies. 

Of course, there is more to the “I don’t dance” sequence than just Chad’s realization - the exact one Troy comes to terms with in the second movie as well - of “oh my god I don’t have to be gay to enjoy stereotypical ‘feminine’ things.” That is the main part of the song though, that and all the sexual tension. 

Going back to what I’ve stated previously, Chad and Ryan are Kenney’s projection or y/n characters. Let me do a small recap before we get into the nitty gritty of the famous “I don’t dance” video. 

Thinking back to the first few paragraphs, I stated that Kenney wasn’t publicly out till 2014, about 7 years after the second movie came out. This could be due to the fact that a) it’s the early 2000’s and everyones still very homophobic, or b) self-doubt that comes with the queer experience. The most likely reason is a mixture of both of these. Because of this, Ryan is the more self-assured version, or idealized version of Kenney that he wants to be. Ryan is confident, never being swayed about his lifestyle (could be read as: sexuality) even though Chad - and most of the wildcats in the first movie - put him through relentless “teasing” and humiliation. He’s confident, almost to a fault, he’s sure of himself, and yet still reaches out a hand to Chad and the other wildcats to show them that they’re just being, kinda dick-ish. 

Every queer person wants to be Ryan. Despite his heavily stereotyped characterization, I personally believe he is one of the stronger written characters in the movies, mainly due to Kenney putting the time in to really make Ryan feel like a real person, to give himself some sort of relief of his own anxieties, a chance to see the world through a person who truly has no fear. Unlike Kenney himself. 

This is where Chad comes in. 

Chad is seen as “confident” in the first movie, the second Troy “leaves” basketball though, all that confidence comes crashing down. His best friend has another hobby - one he thinks is “not right” (it’s okay, you can say gay), - they wont be spending all their time together (first, can you say dependent relationship much, yikes).Chad’s defining characteristic up until their fight that instigate act three of the second movie, is being Troy’s best friend. I’m going to take this as if this were truly the case, and not a decently written character arch. Some people base themselves around their friends and their whole identity on being a friend, that they lose sight of themselves, this mainly in high school of course, when your whole world is really nothing but school, and friends. Newly developed independence is there, but that’s scary, so instead of worrying about the future, cling to something that’s reliable. I’ve seen this happen, mainly at the end of high school, when the “real world” is coming a bit too close for comfort. This could generally be the case if a person is lonely, but for timeline sake I’m going to say Chad has got some anxiety about graduating (considering the second movie takes place the summer of junior year). 

His lashing out at Troy’s hobbies and at Troy’s neglectful friendship, make more sense with that background, and are seen more in the second movie where Troy begins spending all his spare time with Sharpay (trying to collect that BAG!). Chad - and others (read: father) - insists that music is not a feasible career option, and Troy should just stick with basketball (like...that is a feasible career option). The tension Chad creates in the studio only grows when the other wildcats decide to take up Ryan’s offer for dance lessons and move from the kitchen, to helping out with the talent show. (Next essay idea: how high school musical two was really about class all along, cause Jesus). 

 Chad is the less obvious option for a y/n character. Though again, the 2000’s were not as cool people like to pretend they are. Chad - for Kenney - represents what he actually feels, this fear of being rejected for how he is and how he chooses to live his life/lifestyle, so he sticks to something reliable. Ryan is new, and exciting, and confident in a way that Kenney/Chad wish they could be, but in order for that to happen they need to understand that maybe people are complex creatures, and can enjoy multiple hobbies (aka: the same lesson Troy is teaching the viewers, but far less boring). But, for Kenney/Chad facing that thought and that realization is scary, and thus, they lash out at anyone (read this paragraph as: Chad mad jealous of Ryan cause Ryan bomb as fuck). 

All this build up, finally comes ahead in the employee baseball match 

                                                       ******

The baseball game is probably the most memorable scene in the whole High School Musical franchise (minus Sharpay’s “Fabulous” solo, but that’s also from the same movie, and it’s kinda rude to give what’s already the best more points); the tension in the scene, and what it implies makes it the best written segment of all three movies, let alone the most entertaining. 

Some things to keep in mind from our background information: Chad is missing his bestie and struggling with what being “masculine” really means for him and others. Ryan of course makes this confusing, because the traditional method is being thrown out the window. In short, Chad has internalized homophobia, and Ryan being open - or as open as Disney would let him - is causing all sorts of problems. 

Despite the song, “I don’t dance” being logged into our collective skulls for all eternity (you’re probably humming it right now, sorry about that), the very brief interaction of Ryan and Chad before the game is lost on the public consciousness. The two are clearly comfortable with each other, though the distaste seems to be on Chad’s side more than Ryans. So, the two start playfully jabbing at each other before deciding to do a bat toss to see who will be in the outfield first. 

Before they begin the bat toss, Ryan says “You don’t think dancing takes some game?” Chad then very clearly checks him out, doing a simple but effective ‘drag-your-eyes-over-them-top-to-bottom-then-smile’ and says “you got game?” (Seen in gif below) 

I don’t know how much you know about sex metaphors and how many of those baseball has in it (seriously though, it’s a lot), but with the bat toss, Ryan’s hand ended up on top, and Chad’s under Ryan’s. Let’s ignore this for now, it’ll be implied again later. Ryan’s team starts out in the outfield because he won the bat toss, and hence, the song officially starts. 

The first lyrics (ignoring the chores of “hey batter batter, hey batter batter, swing”) is 

I'll show you that it's one and the same

Baseball, dancing, same game

It's easy

Step up to the place, start swingin  

This part is sung by Ryan, who is taunting Chad out in the outfield. Before the game, as stated, Chad was taunting Ryan about his lack of “game” (both sexual and not sexual metaphor are implied), and now, Ryan has turned those tables around. Baseball - is seen as more masculine than dancing, not as masculine as football or basketball, but it’s up there. Chad is someone who cares about his masculinity, enough to the point that Ryan playing baseball makes him loose his mind. Makes him question his own personal definition of masculinity, if you will. 

Ryan says, “baseball, dancing, same game,” impyling that, to him, baseball and dancing are one and the same. That is baffling to Chad, cause well, how can something meant for girls even be close to something meant for boys. 

Chad comes back with: 

 I wanna play ball now, and that's all

This is what I do

It ain't no dance that you can show me, yeah

This only proves my previous point. 

I had a conversation with myself about this, and I’ve decided not to include it in this essay, but a second essay may or may not be possible. Basically the premise - the dancing/”musical” moments of High School Musical are conjured up images by those meant to see them (ie: like a visual hallucination, but, not really) but this scene kinda poo-poos that idea. 

Now, the thing I am talking about is Ryan and Chad’s  peacocking at each other during the time they sing these lyrics. The movements they’re making could be mistaken for dancing - as we automatically assume it is because of the title and themes of the movie - or it could be them just getting ready for the baseball game. Ryan swings his leg over the pitcher's mound, tossing the ball up and down into his glove, making wavy hand gestures, etc. Chad brushes off his gloves, swings his legs, hits the bat on each foot, and so on. 

For the peacocking, Chad makes a mock of the ballerina foot stance before strutting over to the home plate. Ryan laughs at this, which earns quite the smirk from Chad himself (see gif below). 

This is when it becomes a conversation.   

You'll never know - R

Oh I know - Ch

If you never try - R

There's just one little thing - Ch

That stops me every time, yeah - Ch

Come on - Ch

When Chad says “Come on” it’s when Ryan throws the baseball at him, starting the game, and giving Chad’s team their first strike of the game (get it, it’s funny). Now, obviously we need to talk about the “there’s just one little thing that stops me every time.” As a queer person, I assure you, two of the things that kept me from living my Best Life were 1) my own ignorance of what asexuality was and 2) the fear that everyone I love would hate me for who I am, and what I have no control over. 

Sorry to get deep like that on main, but, can any other queer person say different? Obviously, your first point may differ, but my point still stands. In the video/scene there is a very short moment (to which I have condensed into a gif for you all, you’re welcome, and I’m sorry about the quality in advance), of the camera moving over to Chad’s team (or his friends in this case since it’s an employee baseball game) as he says this line (gif below). 

I will not be explaining the use of subtly in this essay, but I’m sure you get the metaphor Kenney is trying to use. If not, let me spell it out for you in very simple words. This song has a lot of sexual innuendos (as mentioned pervious with the baseball bat scene and still, more to come), with that in mind, and clearly queer themes at play (as mentioned before, again), this scene only shows Chad isn’t as straight as he leads on. His fear/phobia of Ryan/the arts come from a much deeper place. 

In shorter, and much simpler terms: Chad queer. 

But, let’s get back to the boy's conversation. 

I don't dance - Ch

I know you can - R 

Not a chance, no - Ch 

If I could do this, well, you could do that - R 

Translation: “If I can do this weird, sweaty, dirty, Male thing without blowing a fuse, you can and should be able to dance just fine.” 

But I don't dance - Ch 

Hit it out of the park - Both 

I don't dance - Ch

I say you can - R

There's not a chance, oh - Ch

Slide home, you score, swingin on the dance floor - Both

I don't dance, no - Ch  (This is just the chores, you’ll see it multiple times throughout the essay, I just figured if the song is going to be in your head, go all the way right). 

Two-steppin, now you're up to bat - R

Bases loaded, do your dance - R 

Here we are with the baseball metaphors you’ve all been waiting for ladies and gentlemen. Girls, gays, and non-binary pals. For those who have somehow managed a sheltered existence with access to the internet, lemme help you. Ryan is talking about “loaded bases” both in the context of the game (where it shows each base has one person from Chad’s team on them) and in the term of sex. While you go out there dating - while it’s mostly douche bags and people using it ironically - your nosey friends may ask you how far you got. 

“First, second, or third base?” They may ask. Or something like, “oh wow, did you get to home plate/base?” These are simply the rankings of the stages of a sexual relationship. First - kissing, sometimes just handholding, Second - making out, some light groping, Third - full on groping, no clothes come off, but it gets close. While each person has different boundaries, these are the general accepted definitions for the bases. 

Home base is obviously full blown sexual intercourse. Since Chad has his “bases loaded” it means he’s done all these things before, just never gone completely to sexual intercourse with someone - in the terms of the song and the history we’ve already established, it’s most likely a male character. This is only proven by Chad’s uncomfortable nature towards Ryan (internalized Homophobia, thank you, returning theme) but his easy, and cocky personality towards everyone else. “bUt thAt DoEsnT pRovE” hush, that’s the final cherry on top. Remember this conversation. 

It's easy - R  

Again. Previous points have been made.  

Take your best shot, just hit it - Ch 

I've got what it takes, playin my game - Ch

So you better spin that pitch - Ch 

You're gonna throw me, yeah - Ch 

I'll show you how I swing - Ch

Ah, the famous “I’ll show you how i swing” a very strong baseball metaphor for everyone. Keeps queer people from defining themselves to dangerous (straight) people, and, well, that’s it actually. This term is mostly used by bi/pan people, though if you want to stay in the closet or are in a dangerous place, it is also used to subtly tell other queer people you are in fact, not straight. My favourite is when this term came into play when President Buchanan got elected in 1856 (for those that don’t know, he’s the first and only gay president). 

You'll never know - R

Oh I know - Ch

If you never try - R 

There's just one little thing - Ch

That stops me every time, yeah - Ch 

This is again, the same lyric as before it doesn’t pan, and the tone is much different. The camera stays on Chad as he says this line, meaning he’s reflecting, he is now his own problem, the person that is keeping him back. His friends are not on his mind anymore, which is good, Ryan’s Gay Propaganda has been working. 

Come on - Ch

I don't dance - Ch

I know you can - R

Not a chance, no, no - Ch

If I could do this, well, you could do that - R

But I don't dance - Ch

Hit it out of the park - R

I don't dance - Ch

I say you can - R

There's not a chance, oh no - Ch

Slide home, you score, swingin on the dance floor - Both 

I don't dance, no - Ch

Lean back, tuck it in, take a chance - R

Swing it out, spin around, do the dance - R

I wanna play ball, not dance hall - Ch

I'm makin a triple, not a curtain cal - Chl

I can prove it to you til you know it's true - R

'Cause I can swing it, I can bring it to the diamond too - R

You're talkin a lot, show me what you got - Ch

Again, like the beginning of this song, this is a heavy base for flirting and sexual tension, which this song is drowning in. 

Stop swinging - both

Hey - both

This is the part where they all start a flash mob in the middle of the baseball diamond. Again, alluding to the conversation I had to myself earlier, this only proves my own theory as no one takes notice of this. But, that’s not this essay, this is where I mention how close Chad and Ryan are at the end of the group dance.  

Come on, swing it like this - both

Oh, swing - both

Jitterbug, just like that - both

That's what I mean, that's how you swing - both

You make a good pitch but I don't believe - both 

Here is yet another (and the final) sexual innuendo. This is actually a rather quick one. Pitching in queer culture is considered the person who tops (because queer people even had to straight-ify their sex lives to “top” and “bottom”), this is the person who is giving, if you know what I’m saying. 

I say you can - R

I know I can't - Ch

I don't dance - Ch

You can do it - R

I don't dance, no - Ch 

 Here is where that mosh pit ends, and how they get a little too close to comfort. 

Nothing to it, atta boy, atta boy, yeah - both

The rest of this song is simply a mash-up of the baseball game being finished, and this lovely gem. 

Now, clearly, Chad’s self conscious nature towards his sexuality is gone, he’s sitting close - if not squishing - Ryan, and talking to him like they’ve been friends forever. Take note of the change of close, most likely due to all the tension at the end of the song, and maybe a little of Chad’s own natural human curiosity built in. Now, I leave you with this note: 

If there is anything that confirms all this more, its Chad’s girlfriend wearing the pride colours. 

Also note: this could also be seen as a friend helping his bro discover his sexuality and fighting internalized homophobia, but, that’s ignoring the sexual tension, so go off I guess. 

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.  

Watch the full thing here

[heartfragment]

The long-awaited update to Book One is finally here!

A ton of new & high requested features are now available, including:

Art style selection between "style a" and "style b" for more consistency than the previous version

A male MC variation

Pronoun selection (she/her, he/him, and they/them)

Optional voice acting for Xani / the MC provided by Jessica Spencer (feminine voice) and Jerron Bacat (masculine voice)

Extra scenes & options to build romance prior to the endings

Art Updates:

The number one requested feature / update was more art style consistency. A lot of people found it off-putting that the style of the CGs was so different from the sprites. While Momoriin, the original sprite artist, was unavailable to work on CGs, the help of amazing artists Drulle and Saigogogo has allowed for a new version of CGs that match more seamlessly with the original sprites.

For those who already love the CG artstyle, you can select "style b" to see sprites & CGs both by the lovely artist who did the original scenes, Mintstea! You can also switch between the two styles at any time during gameplay, and both styles of any unlocked CG can be viewed from the gallery menu.

Main Character Variation:

As unlocked by our amazing Kickstarter backers, you can now play as a male/masculine version of the protagonist! It was highly requested that pronouns be interchangeable, and indeed they are. You can switch the protagonist's appearance, voice, etc at any time while you play the game.

This difference is not just cosmetic. A lot of scenes (especially in Clive's route and the upcoming Book Two release which includes Shannon's route) have dialogue and choice variations depending on which version of the protagonist you play as. And if you want to take it a step further, you can also turn on option MC voicing as well!

Upcoming Price Structure Change:

After the unfortunate incident that went on recently (detailed here), I've made the decision to change the price structure. But rest assured, anyone who got Book One prior to this change will still have access to the upcoming DLC for free. I'm in contact with Steam support to get this arranged, which will essentially mean anyone who has Book One right now will get access to a free DLC package, while anyone obtaining a copy after the change will get access to the paid DLC package. 

But the good news: that means anyone who hasn't yet picked up Book One because they couldn't afford a copy can get ahold of it for free! And if you like it, you can buy the future releases. <3

Book Two Progress Report:

First off, I want to offer a huge apology for the release delay. A lot has been happening, both in my personal life, general health, and my work life. As the sole writer of Heart Fragment aside from a few additional scenes provided by Nico H (developer of Entropic Float), any issues that I face directly impact the speed I can work at.

Book Two: Belief Fragments will still be available this summer (2022). Lana's route is finished aside from end programming + beta testing, and Shannon's is nearly finished being written and will then be moved into the programming stage as well. I really appreciate your patience with me!

Lastly, if anyone runs into any issues with the new update, please feel free to contact me any time, whether it is via the Heart Fragment discord server, by email (heartfragmentvn@hotmail.com), the Steam community page, or right here on tumblr.

Have a lovely day, everyone!

[the-melting-world]

Oh damn. I’m about to give my actual 🧐opinions🧐 on the arcana. Scary stuff!

By the end of the Asra tale, I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. And thankfully it wasn’t because I was practically asra-starved and surviving so long off my own damn content, but honestly because there were several key elements in the story that appealed to me personally. I’ll be going over those below the cut.

I’m also going to discuss how my apprentice Kipling and her specific connection with magic fits into all of this. Once again, that wasn’t really something I was expecting to develop so easily as I played the tale, but the experience was just too delightful to just keep to myself until I’m ready to write a fic.

There will be spoilers!

*Everything is under the cut!*

I’ll start with the basics first and then move onto Kip.

Locked boxes. Ok, not what you would expect in terms of things from the tale that are supposed to light up a reader’s brain, but whenever I see this little device (be it metaphor, motif, or just a plot developer) I go a little feral. First of all, I KNOW the box is empty. They almost always are, but that’s not the point. Locked boxes (and to be clear, I’m talking about the chest Gavin hands over) could represent a lot of things — a personal challenge, an unnamed reward, possible disappointment, tiny little worlds that the characters are entrusted to protect. They spark questions like: why me? Do I have what it takes (to open this bad boy?) Is this what I’m meant to do? What does it mean if I can unlock/protect/discover its contents? What does it say about me if I can’t??? As a writer who LOVES to drag out simple devices until there’s not a single crumb left, I was LIVING for that chest as soon as it was placed in Asra and the MC’s care. If I could extend the tale, it would be such that Asra and the MC end up taking the box with them in addition to the Hyberian spices. Or at least some version of the box (which I am happy to elaborate on in a future fic!)

Asra’s character was sooooo consistent! Y’all. With the unfortunate decline of the quality of writing in Muriel’s route, I was losing faith in the devs’ ability to maintain Asra’s character. We all know that he’s a little flighty — a trait that I find endearing and also a little personal because I’m also kind of spacey as well as naturally prone to overlooking details because of either (1) daydreaming (2) don’t think it really matters. Sorry — Anyway. Back to my point. Even though Asra’s supposed to give off the head-in-the-clouds vibe, they took that way too far in the last couple chapters of Muriel’s route to the point where (for me) he seemed rather childish and unreliable. For that reason, I was worried that this would be the case in the new tale. But it wasn’t! I felt like this tale showed all the sides of Asra that we came to know and love from his original route. It was so balanced and refreshing that for many points, I sat there staring at the sprites and the text, just processing all of the warm feelings I was having. And on top of Asra being consistent, he had also changed! The MC pointed out that Asra had been hiding his feelings for so long and now he no longer had to. I thought the scene where he got really protective of the MC was a great example of that. I don’t think that’s a side of himself he shows very often, especially in front of the MC because he doesn’t want to freak them out or push their feelings in a certain direction. For most of his route, it’s clear how much effort he puts into letting the MC make their own decisions and removing his personal desires from the equation in order to minimize any bias. But by the time this tale takes place, you can see that Asra is fully comfortable with being more open about his emotions. Instead of seething and shooting judge mental glares with salty comments, (because he also does this a lot) he actually elaborates on what he finds upsetting about the situation. He defends the MC without holding back as much as he has in the past. It was so hot 🥵 cool to see Asra stand up to Gavin like that! At the same time we got to see the bashful side of Asra in the bar. There were just so many sweet, fun small moments between him in the MC. I can’t wait to explore them in some way in the future!

THE CG???

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???? Y'ALL REALLY AIMED A MAGNIFYING GLASS ON THOSE DIMPLES AND LIPS AND SAID LOOK AT THIS???? I WAS SWEATING. I WAS CRYING. I WAS LIVING. I WAS DYING. HNNNNNNNNNN 😩🥴👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽🫀🫀🫀🫀

.

Now I'm going to get a little bit into Kipling's magic...

For the record, my apprentice Kipling wields two types of magic: plant magic and teleportation magic. Though she relies on her plant magic more on average because of her job, it’s actually her secondary skill. Teleportation or grey magic is her primary and her mastery over it has taken much longer due to the fact that it’s tied to her culture, which she was not only separated from when she moved to Vesuvia, but also didn’t have a lot access to in the first place thanks to the centuries of cultural genocide that took place on her home island.

My timeline for Kip’s mastery of her primary magic doesn’t really sync up for when this tale takes place in the arcana timeline, so I have to repurpose it to fit the Door Lord timeline that takes place in my fics.

LOL I said all of that just to point out that during a lot of the chase scenes, Asra and Kip relied on her teleportation to evade the guild thieves. And since Kip is something of a locksmith when it comes to her magic, she was very intrigued with the box and was more concerned about opening it to see what was inside rather than delivering it to the marked location.

Also, in the Herbalist Hideaway, Kip’s first instinct to trade the box for the Hyberian spices because she felt that making Selasi happy was worth more than all this craziness with the chest. 😆 Asra of course, had to talk her out of it and encouraged her to give the merchant a reading instead.

There was definitely more that I loved about the tale, but these are the strongest highlights for me. Thanks for letting me brain dump on your dash!

[artemis-entreri]

Entreri began during 2e. His fighting prowess makes no sense. Humans couldn't duel class. Even in 5e it makes no sense. The premier fighters in the world would be required to devote all their time on combat alone to reach that level. Training in a second class will allow pure fighters to easily surpass his skills. The only way it works is by discounting all the rules players are required follow. How do you make sense of this?

[[ Hey there! 

Here's the short answer: You’re right, Entreri doesn’t make sense as a player character, so to make him true to how he is in the books, you would have to discount all the rules that define player characters. However, Entreri's not a player character (PC), he’s a non-player character (NPC). The rule restrictions for building a PC did not and do not apply to him. 5e’s way of modeling NPCs seems to be to give them custom stat blocks, with a bunch of custom abilities to reconcile to how they appear in the novels. Take Jarlaxle’s 5e stat block for instance, he needs a unique feat to be able to wear and use as many magical items as he has, in a system where the maximum number of attunements is 3 at the time that the stat block was first released. Later on, an item was introduced that’s similar to Jarlaxle’s that allows PCs to exceed the 3 attunement restriction, but it’s not as good as Jarlaxle’s custom item, so by the same logic as you were applying to Entreri, Jarlaxle shouldn’t have been possible either. This is true of many NPCs. 

Longer answer: If we look at other characters that appear in narratives in the context of D&D rulesets, none of them “make sense” as PCs, especially not with the various stat blocks that are given to them over the editions. Entreri is consistently described as an assassin, yet to build him following PC rules required putting most of his levels into fighter. Drizzt’s 5e stats are pitiful at best, not even a fully min/maxed PC of -5 level to him could easily best him in combat, he’s certainly not the unbeatable god of melee that he’s portrayed to be in the books. Part of the reason for this kind of thing is that Salvatore has never been well-versed in D&D, but more generally, it’s just never been viable to hold NPCs to PC restrictions, as NPCs are often designed specifically to surpass those restrictions. Other writers of D&D spin off novels have been more successful at keeping their narratives reasonable within D&D rulesets (and the shared world of the Forgotten Realms as a whole), but I don’t know that any of them follow the rules exactly. It is probably possible to do so, but what a lot of these author say about why they don’t do it is that it makes for a flat narrative. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing those authors for doing what they do, while I certainly enjoy characters who are at least reasonable within D&D rulesets, if they can’t be that, I’m ok with an explanation of, “I needed this character to be this way but I had to stretch the rules to make them this way.” Please note that this is different from, “The rules shouldn’t apply at all and I can write whatever the heck I want,” which is unfortunately the tack that Salvatore takes.

Due to that, Entreri is hardly the element that should stick out when it comes to what “makes sense” in Salvatore’s novels as pertaining to D&D rules. Guenhwyvar is perhaps the earliest and most glaring example, to this very day she remains a one of a kind “item” that continues to gain new powers seemingly with each new book. No other figurines of wondrous power have ever been like she is, nor possessing of all the abilities that she has. One could argue, “Well, Guenhwyvar’s not really a figurine of wondrous power”, except that she clearly is a modified version of one, and no other such modifications have existed. 

Then, there’s how resurrection apparently just doesn’t exist at all in the Drizzt books, whereas in D&D there have existed many different ways of bringing someone back from the dead, available to multiple different classes, and not even being something that one had to be a super high level to get. 

And of course, there’s the entirety of ridiculousness and rule-breaking that is Catti-brie. Just to name a few things, she is the only known character with two spellscars that are both beneficial, with zero drawbacks whatsoever when the whole point of (and reason why they are called) spellscars is to mark individuals touched by the Spellplague with repercussions. She can perform great feats of weapon and armor smithing the literal first time that she attempts it while dwarven master crafters dedicate their entire lives to practicing their craft and still not be able to pull off what she did. Oh, and let’s not forget how she can throw around wish spells left and right (but somehow still not know how to resurrect). Really, the list goes on, so if we go back to how I make sense of Artemis... he’s an NPC, but even if he weren’t, compared to all the other fuckery going on that results from Salvatore writing whatever the fuck he wants with zero concern of D&D rules or the contributions of other authors, it’s really just the least problematic thing to worry about.

And all of this is only about things as pertaining to D&D rules. I’m not even touching on any of the societal, cultural, philosophical or practical elements. ]]

[theheroheart]

What ‘Ted Lasso’ gets right about resistance to therapy, according to a therapist

By Erin Qualey Sep. 10, 2021 6 AM PT

The following contains spoilers from Friday’s episode of “Ted Lasso,” “Man City.”    (Originally posted here.)

Wherever you go, there you are.

In my work as a therapist, this is a concept my clients and I often explore. No matter how far or fast you run from your troubles, the one thing you absolutely cannot escape is yourself. Wherever you go? There you are. It’s a saying that Ted Lasso himself would surely love.

In the first season of the Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso,” Ted (Jason Sudeikis) travels across an ocean to coach a professional football team with zero experience. He’s an aw-shucks Kansan with a can-do attitude, and his perpetual positivity proves infectious to almost everyone he meets. Although “Ted Lasso” is a comedy, Ted’s tortured inner life has been hinted at from the start — in the form of conflict with his ex-wife and a panic attack he experienced late in Season 1, triggered by a karaoke version of “Let It Go” from “Frozen.” For Ted, the song served as a crushing yet temporary reminder that he was putting off the inevitable. It’s only in Season 2, the adjustment to a new life and job complete, that Ted has been left to sit with his feelings — and realize he might not be able to outrun himself after all.

Enter Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles), sports psychologist, whose presence clearly rattled Ted. Niles imbues Dr. Sharon with an even keel and disciplined temperament: Whether she’s engaging with a client or observing the team at practice, her active body language and ever-searching eye movements indicate that Dr. Sharon strives to treat each moment at her job with the utmost care and seriousness. She sets personal boundaries but also knows when to head out for a drink with the team after a particularly needed win.

It’s the addition of the enigmatic Dr. Sharon that catalyzes the central action of Season 2 — which, though it’s received criticism for a lack of dramatic momentum, has been laying a trail of biscuit crumbs to Friday’s game-changing “Man City.”

Ted’s insistence that life has infinite happy endings already bordered on toxic positivity, and it catapults over that line into maladaptive behavior in Season 2. As Ted starts to strain against the weight of the trauma he carries, he shifts into near-manic mode. The pressure to be himself — a man who consistently puts others’ needs above his own — finally becomes too great, and he experiences a debilitating panic attack in the middle of a crucial match. In a striking scene, Dr. Sharon finds Ted curled up in her darkened office, finally asking for help.

Therapy is all about sitting with and processing uncomfortable emotions in a safe space. Unfortunately, much of Ted’s ethos runs completely counter to this idea. His “be a goldfish” saying and his staunch belief in “rom-communism” both center on selective amnesia of the negative and overemphasis on the positive. But Ted has another mantra: “bird by bird.” Originating in the book of the same name by Anne Lamott, the term connotes perseverance and patience: It means to take things one step at a time until a daunting task is completed. So when Ted finally decides to engage in therapy with Dr. Sharon, he’s determined to not give up. And, wouldn’t you know, there’s a bird involved.

When Ted finally sits down for his first session with Dr. Sharon, he is a mess. He spies a bobbing drinking bird and taps it. The bird, much like Ted, can say only “yes.” But in a powerful moment, Ted begins to gently oppose the bird, shaking his head “no” as he watches the toy come to a stop. Shortly after, he pops out of his chair and leaves the session. Something similar happens during the second session, but this time he picks a fight with the good doctor before storming out.

The bird is an important visual illustration of the cognitive dissonance Ted is experiencing. He’s programmed himself to use relentless positivity as a coping mechanism, always saying yes to every experience and aiming to please in every interaction. Therapy is an unknown for him, and his fear of uncovering the truth is far greater than his fear of not being liked. So he bolts.

This scene could well have been lifted from many of my sessions over the years. There’s a bit of Ted in every therapy client I’ve ever worked with, and an instinctual pushback to therapy is understandable, given there are deeply entrenched societal stigmas associated with reaching out for help. Asking for help is an act of courage, as therapy can be scary and even at times unpleasant: As Dr. Sharon says, “The truth will set you free, but first it will p— you off.”

It takes a leap of faith to engage in therapy, as it’s a process often filled with challenging emotions. Ambivalence is normal and even expected. “Ted Lasso” delivers a raw and honest portrayal of how — with the right therapist — a person can overcome their fears and begin to pursue a more hopeful path. (It’s worth noting here that Ted represents the best-case scenario for someone seeking therapy. He has a quality therapist who has time for him, is conveniently located and is presumably free of charge. In real life, availability, location and cost are major barriers that can prevent people from even getting in the door.)

Still, though Ted is staying for the duration of his sessions with Dr. Sharon at this point, he’s not actually doing the work. So she tries a different angle: Following a traumatic accident on her bike in “Man City,” she worries she’ll be too scared to do one of her favorite activities going forward — and shares these feelings with Ted, using self-disclosure to model behavior for her client. When she’s vulnerable and honest about her emotions, it gives Ted the license to do the same.

A day later, Ted witnesses an altercation between Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) and his abusive father, and it triggers a reaction. It’s easy to imagine the old Ted swallowing his own feelings and trying to smooth the situation over, but that’s not what happens. Instead, he races outside, calls Dr. Sharon, and tearfully confesses to her that his father took his own life when Ted was 16. And Ted Lasso — both the character and the series — has fully earned this moment, as we’ve witnessed absolutely every step that has led up to his breakthrough.

For a show such as “Ted Lasso” to depict the initial stages of therapy with such care and nuance is an act of generosity. Just as Dr. Sharon modeled desirable behavior for Ted, the series successfully modeled a very real experience that can and does hold people back from finding the support they need. Perhaps Ted will eventually be the catalyst for many of the people in his orbit — looking at you, Nate, Rebecca and Jamie — to seek out time with the doctor as well.

Qualey is a licensed therapist specializing in addiction and trauma with more than a decade of experience in the field. She also works as a freelance writer, often focusing on the intersections among mental health, addiction and pop culture.

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 2x12 Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next season Wildcats

[hakasims]

Shitty Luca Movie Recap, Episode 4

Can’t Watch Nina, Even For Luca?

Don’t Worry, Me Neither. Goodbye.

.

..

...

Ok, fine, I’ll talk about the damn thing.

So it’s a warm September night, and I’m in the mood for a Luca Marinelli feature. In my infinite wisdom I choose Nina. “It’s directed by a woman,” I reason, “and women know what’s up.” ‘What’s up’ in this particular case is code for ‘how to frame beautiful men for the female gaze’. Because women can be auteurs, too, and being an auteur means making movies about your own personal wank material.

Turns out, sometimes a woman’s wank material consists less of a gorgeous male form and more of fascist architecture. We’ll discuss the former in due time, but for now, what’s Nina even about? Well, at its core it’s a simple story about a young woman who doesn’t know what she wants, set against the backdrop of the Rome that is almost entirely empty due to most people leaving for the summer. This could have been a fairly straightforward coming-of-age film, but Nina is too indie and up its own ass for that. Literally nothing of note happens in this movie, and it’s all long static wide shots of empty streets, endless stairs, and domineering largeness of Rome’s most famous fascist buildings such as the Palace of Italian Civilization, the Sapienza University of Rome, Palazzo dei Congressi, and, most prominently, the Fountains Hall. (Google what they look like if you don’t know.) Now, I’m guessing those locations weren’t chosen by accident. They could have easily added to the creepiness of the movie — and I’m assuming creepiness was intended; otherwise how do you explain these hoverboarding nuns?

Anyway, the employment of the locations could have been atmospheric and thematic had the shots not been so bland. But they are. Bland, flat, and always looking the same no matter what is happening in the scene. Usually audiences are willing to sit through slow uneventful movies because of interesting visuals or characters worthy of attention, but Nina has neither. The titular character herself is tedious. Even her bad fashion sense is bad in a boring way that doesn’t tell you anything about her. Is she stuck in perpetual adolescence? Is she searching to get in touch with her sensuality? Who knows. The only thing I’m certain of is that she needs to learn to tuck her tops into her bottoms.

Nina spends her days giving singing lessons, going to Chinese calligraphy classes, eating cake, exercising and taking midnight walks in the empty city. She wants to go to China in September — it’s the closest thing to a goal she has — yet she’s done no preparations, and instead of learning Mandarin she’s studying calligraphy. And she’s real bad at it, too.

There are reoccurring visual elements in the movie besides the vast emptiness: stairs, white columns, a jogger, a red dress, animals… You’d think those were very straightforward symbols, but they’re used too sporadically and inconsistently to hold any meaning. For example, animals. Nina is tasked with both helping out in a pet store and house-sitting an apartment with a German shepherd (a good boy named Homer), a guinea pig and a tank full of fish. The instructions she’s given are absurd, like feeding the dog sleeping pills and putting the guinea pig on a diet. And then there’s a supposedly American TV show always playing in and out of diegesis about dogs living in cages and swimming happily in pools, and it looks and sounds like a video off the political section on the dog version of YouTube. It contains timeless classics like “You are a dog born in the age of consumerism” and “Depression is an evil illness now spreading amongst dogs of every breed, dogs belonging to every social class.” The butter commercial from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could never. And I wish the whole movie was as surreal as this TV program but unfortunately it’s as bland and directionless as Nina herself.

And boy is it directionless. There aren’t any subplots in the movie, no cause and effect, no acts, no structure, no flow; only scenes that happen, and I can’t even find any reasons for the order in which they happen. The scenes also don’t start or end; they just interrupt each other, not leaving any emotional impact. For example, there’s a scene where Nina sees her future self. She’s on one of those midnight walks with the good boy Homer when she sees a couple being romantic. The woman is wearing a long red dress, and the man is in all black. The shot is wide, so it’s impossible to see their faces, but the woman is obviously Nina:

And the man is definitely Luca. I recognized his ass. I’m not joking, guys. It’s his ass:

Also I was later directed to the website of the photographer who took the set photos, and yes, it’s Nina and Luca.

I never forget an ass.

Anyway, Nina, who at this point hasn’t properly met Luca’s character, Fabrizio, sees herself from the future acting romantic with him, and doesn’t react. We don’t even know if she recognizes herself or him or whether it’s even a real scene or a dream. How are we supposed to empathize with a heroine who isn’t allowed to react to her environment?

Whatever, it’s time to talk about Fabrizio. He plays the cello and he’s obnoxious. That’s it. He first appears as a patron of Caffé Palombini, the real-world café Nina frequents (and buys her cakes at). She’s drinking her usual milk shake and reading. At some point, their eyes meet, but neither says anything, and then Nina gets up and runs after the good boy Homer who decided to take a little stroll by himself. She leaves all her things behind: her milk shake, her handbag, at least three books, a whole stack of paper for calligraphy, and her diary. It’s obvious she’s going to come back as soon as she gets the dog. And yet before her feet are even out of frame, Fabrizio gets up, goes to her table and fucking steals her diary!

His next several appearances are random and sporadic, and it looks like he’s stalking Nina, but by the time of his first actual scene she is following him for some reason. Obviously, he can’t let a woman outcreep him, so he ambushes her:

He tells her blankly, “You’re following me,” but I think this scene deserves better dialogue. Thankfully, we have a whole well of predator/maiden media to pull from.

Though I personally believe this is the most appropriate line:

Fabrizio lets Nina know he has her diary in the dickiest way possible: he quotes from it to let her know that he’s read it. He then informs her that he’ll only give it back to her if she continues following him. And it’s not blackmail; “it’s an agreement.” What an asshole! I’m weeping for the dignified cuckoldry of Joseph.

And what was the purpose of that “agreement” plot point if the next time they meet is by chance? Quirky love interest writing, duh. So quirky that the accidental meeting happens when Nina is walking past a phone booth where Fabrizio is… doing a phone prank? I don’t know, I got nothing. Anyway, he’s annoyed their meeting is unintentional on Nina’s part, but he returns her diary, and I guess they start dating? He watches her sing once with what could only be described as a complete absence of emotions:

In the next scene she watches him play the cello after which they go on a date. Nina is wearing the red dress from the vision, but Fabrizio’s shirt is different. I fucking give up.

Their next (second?) date is a romantic dinner on Nina’s roof, and they’re dancing for entirely too long. She then tells him she’s scared of how much she’s enjoying his company, gives him a ridiculously chaste kiss goodnight and… completely ghosts him afterwards. And if you didn’t dislike Fabrizio before, you will now as he starts calling Nina at ungodly hours (including 5:30 am) and leaving her very whiny and increasingly more passive-aggressive, entitled, and accusatory voicemails. At some point he even leaves a voicemail for the fucking dog! He’s like, “Homer, I’m worried, meet me at the café.” Again, quirky love interest writing: extortion, phone pranks and a voicemail for a dog.

Fabrizio then lets Nina know he’ll be leaving town in three days in case she’d like to see him one last time or whatever. And she never fucking does! In any other movie she’d be chasing through the airport, but here she just drops him like he’s a well-tucked shirt! She tells the kid she’s befriended (she hangs out with an eleven-year-old boy the whole movie, don’t worry about it) that she’s afraid to be “like everyone else”, with a job and a boyfriend, so she doesn’t even say goodbye to Fabrizio. At some point she goes for a walk with the good boy Homer, and Fabrizio is also there, and they just miss each other. Even fate isn’t interested in that romance.

And then all the fascist buildings get covered in gigantic paper figurines, and the red-dressed Nina runs into Fabrizio’s arms. Because of course.

Nina is one of those movies where the main theme — a struggle to grow up — is obvious, but the rest of the elements are a mess only the writer-director could decipher. And I don’t really care. Again, I had to read Japanese postmodernists at university. What I do care about is the male form I mentioned at the start. I know I have no one but myself to blame for my expectations of how the director should have framed Luca’s body or face, but it’s one thing to frame him blandly and a completely different thing to isolate him as the only character (or actor) she’s deeply uninterested in filming competently. Everyone else in the movie gets their fair share of close-ups and decent lighting whilst Luca — whose name is literally second in the credits — gets, um, neglected.

This is his introduction:

These are literally all his close-ups:

Should I even count this last one? What’s with the lighting? Like, this is as well-lit as his face gets:

Oh, the shot is too wide and you can’t see his face properly? Well, tough poop:

Are you kidding me with this shit?

Nina may not be objectively the most terrible of the movies Luca’s been in: I’d argue both Mary of Nazareth and L’ultimo terrestre are worse, as is Slam, whose time’s a-coming. Nor is it the movie where Luca appears the least (The Great Beauty’s literal one minute of screen time is saying hi). But it’s the only movie I have no reasons to watch: it’s blandly shot, poorly structured, badly themed — and it’s actively obstructing Luca’s beauty and charisma. So no matter which film you’ll ask me to do next, at least in terms of the visual component of my posts, we have nowhere to go but up.