#esp if it's something that involves multiple episodes

[t-u-i-t-c]

rewriting a bunch of my notes bc i can't read them 🙃

[planetaryaether]

the thing that drives me insane any time i think about the lalnas is like. there was bare minimum at least 2 or 3 of him running around at one point because we had the magic cops vs flux buddies faceoff. the implications of the fact that lalna even EXISTS if lalnable is indeed the originator. were xephos and lalnable ever friends? if he was willing to make a copy of lalnable that was friendlier, less violent, doesn't even answer to the same name anymore - how many other people has xephos potentially edited?? or was the tinkering the reason WHY lalna is currently four different editions of himself? we will never get answers but i crave them so badly

No because I am obsessed with this too! Like we see (what seems to be zombie) lalnas in the cloning episode of SoI so that implies one of many things depending on your views on the timeline, but all of them are really interesting.

One thing I don’t see talked about a lot with time travel/ Yoglabs -> SoI -> Yoglabs theories is what loop/layer of the spiral we are on (since it wouldn’t really be a closed loop). Thematically, I think the more loops in we are the better it works, and if Lalnable really is the originator/main person behind the invention of the clone system, there is a distinct possibility that he went back with Xephos!Prime as well. If that is the case, how many loops has he been through? How has his and Xephos’s relationship changed between loops whether he traveled back with him or not?

And I think Xephos and Lalnable were close. I don’t know if they had a tense relationship or not but even if it was tense, I think it would have been based on a deep mutual respect/sense of caring. Keeping Lalnable around long after he was no longer needed for either the cloning program or for his own clone line says so much about Xephos’ relationship with him. Xephos is not exactly slow to take extreme action, even/especially thay which ends up killing people. Choosing to keep him alive but still somewhere where he can keep an eye on him says that even if he can’t justify having him around anymore, he can’t let him go. He can’t get rid of him.

I’d like to think that Lalna came about after Xephos’s friendship with Lalnable went sideways because he couldn’t stand not having him in his life in some way and/or he thought of only xyz was different, then ‘it never would have gone down that way’. What is post interesting about this to me, is (as far as we know) there isn’t a Lalna involved in managing yoglabs cloning after Lalnable left. Xephos didn’t feel the need to replace Lalnable as a scientist, but couldn’t live without him as a friend.

I think with (among others) episode 55 of Yoglabs shows that Xephos can/does (temporarily or permanently) change things about other people’s memories/personalities. I don’t know exactly what kinds of things (besides finding something out about yoglabs or getting in the way of his goals) would cause him to change others, so I also have no idea how to estimate how many people he has done that to, but it is almost certainly not zero (minus honeydew who we already have canon examples of that happening to him).

I do really want to know what multiple versions of people (esp Lalna) running around at the same time is about because there are just so many interesting possibilities

[the-wayside]

I'm at the laptop with not my first alcohol beverage but definitely my bougie-est - a salted caramel espresso martini.

I am once again bountiful of unnecessary opinions, my drum a lonely beat. This is not a complete rundown, an initial pass shall we say.

Firstly, the issue with this episode is a ripple effect. Tharn was involved in multiple plot points and in multiple capacities. So getting the breathing space was hard to come by, but I'm going to focus on the culmination and why it worked for me.

The groundwork. The veil/tether that Tharn has been holding onto is made of gossamer. His front, made of paper. His yearning was a whole moment last episode (thank you, Babe, your face is a blessing). But Way, all of the arguing--exactly. Phaya and Tharn with other people and Phaya and Tharn together in their bubble are two very different things as we know.

I will tell you the exact moment I knew it had flipped. Tharn standing with Phaya's art, the deep expressions of his creativity, his passion and Phaya admitting his fear and the steps he had taken to overcome it and Tharn saying I'm trying too. He's trying to get to a place where he isn't terrified to love Phaya because he does have these feelings which he goes on to inadvertently admit with tears in his eyes.

What I find so beautiful about them is that it isn't explosive. To have loved someone in a previous life (lives), it's like coming home and recognizing on a deeper level, it's you. Phaya voices it in his own way, that he feels like he has longed and liked Tharn longer than he can remember. Sometimes the world doesn't end with a bang but with a whimper. One man shooting his shot with his beloved reincarnated soulmate who *chooses* to lean in and kiss him.

Tharn and Phaya don't function like they do alone with other people. It's honestly so interesting to see the walls, esp. Tharn puts up. He's so secretive and squirrely about Phaya that if someone hears a lick of emotion from him the whole deck of cards will come falling down. And I still feel in my bones that Dr Chalothorn's presence fucks with people. Like a poison, he seeps in everywhere. It hypes Phaya up because he's so scared Tharn will disappear like smoke and Tharn, in his denial/not as in tune with his true self, can't understand.

So I see the tenseness in Tharn but also how it unspools as he spends an evening with Phaya's family. How naturally he could fit, how easy it would be to be with Phaya. He is in a constant state of war and when Phaya says, I'll take care of it. I will carry your burden, your heart and keep it safe. Karma, past lives, it's ephemeral. Phaya. Phaya is real. Doesn't Tharn deserve something real for once in his life? To take one chance in a sea of doing exactly what he's told? Him allowing himself to allow Phaya in...*emosh*

And I love intimate scenes because you can't bullshit with them. If the emotion is off, it won't land. It won't feel honest. When I tell you the DETAILS had me chomping, I was full fang into it.

Tharn being covered by Phaya and his hand over Phaya's wing tattoo. Phaya is the freaking bird god. He is covering Tharn and protecting him with his wings (tattoo) being exposed to the rest of the world (side note: feral for the camera angles because Billy *covers* Babe) and Tharn is embracing and stroking them intimately. Like *growls*.

The straddle of showing desire versus intimacy versus delicacy over Tharn's first time. It's not awkward but the details, Phaya's hand is tucked under Tharn's chin and he checks in with him wordlessly before he touches the curve of his hip, slope of his rear (Babe, thank you again, your body is *nonsensical hand gestures*). It's the unspoken question and answer that flows between them. Tharn biting his finger when he's entered. You don't see it, you don't need to. It plays out perfectly. All of Phaya's feelings and care go into how slowly and carefully he cherishes his/their first time.

It's not an explosion of feelings but a steady confirmation of them and I--. Rawr. With them, it was never gonna be about the high heat horny bang, god how we love her. They're beyond that. They're an epic, spanning continents, destruction and death in their wake. Them being together is taking a breath and coming home. Being afraid but being taken care of anyway.

I just really, really loved how they did this; however, I do think it got a bit mishmashed in the convergence of plotlines but no one's perfect and I'm having a great time.

[crossover-enthusiast]

YOURE SO RIGHT YOURE SO RIGHT !!!two ideas FUCK this suck

in the secret ending/just at the very end of the ep:

Radford is seen breathing, his glasses have come off and you can see that his eyes are cyan. he sits up and stuff, puts his glasses back on, BUT because of the scuffle his shirt came undone a little REVEALING A BIT OF GOLDDDD UNDER ITTTTTT!!!

OR at the end of the episode he's still alive, not bc of cult but bc kev missed a vital spot or something, so hes just suffering, but the culT JUST GRAB HIM AND PUT HIM IN THE DOOR. KILLED FATHER GREGOR AT THE END OF SM6 STYLE. im really just picturing Radford either a, begging or his life like his brother just was or b, fully, 100% silently just accepting his fate

JRABGHRIJKTNSKEJNAU help

OOOOOO DUDE THESE ARE BOTH SO GOOD

Honestly I prefer the first just because. Well I like using characters to their fullest sdkjfkj, I feel like Radford now just fucking GUNNING to kill Kevin in revenge has so much potential

Esp given the fact that Kevin is. Probably letting Robert stay with him atm given John is wanted for multiple crimes and Robin's probably ALSO a shitty older sibling (though not to Radford's extent obviously. Probably just tired and grouchy all the time), it'd be two birds with one stone if Radford can get it right

Also consider: Rick being forced to get involved

[rou2464]

Granblue 10th anni event thoughts (semi-spoilers)

Part of me wishes it revolved a little more around Abramelin; yes, we pretty much knew all about him but I feel like there could’ve been something more.

It was nice seeing Sandy taking on his role as Supreme Primarch (not like he hasn't been ever since WMTSB, it's just nice to see a little more emphasis on it)

Archangel crumbs

Ennead's (visual) designs are amazing! I like all of them equally, but if I had to choose one as a favorite, I'd say Bennu.

Speaking of Enneads, it was nice to learn about them and their origins. I'd like to see a side story in the future that explores more about them (or if they become playable, their fate episode is similar to the archangels where it shows how they're fitting in skyfaring society).

I understand anni events (and collabs) split the story in multiple parts for pacing, but for some reason I had some confused when the second part came out.

I can't put it into words, but it felt like the second part was like a summary of the events in the first part and then had the actual 'present' events slapped on (if what I'm trying to say is the transition felt a little off).

Despite this, part 2 was helpful in filling in some plot holes/possible questions about Abramelin and the Enneads, a little sad about Hauhet though :/

Nanashi🫶🏼

Speaker's Lore/ more archangel crumbs

Part 2 also turned me into a Ceodric lover to a Ceodric hater (when ur goat is washed 😔)

Part 3 is made up for part 2, in terms of transitions. It just felt smoother I can't really explain it.

Cagliostro🫶🏼

Pandemonium lore? (kind of?)

Six Dragons mentioned

WMTSB, OLD BOND, ...and you lore intertwines a little

Nanashi🫶🏼

Learning more about the whole 'Phoenix being split in two' thing was v interesting and lowkey had me at the edge of my seat.

Actually, it made me grimace a little (tugged on my heartstrings).

Another summary of Abramelin lore, but with a little more details (cygames please, you can't leave me off like this, I need more).

Thank you Seofon for dealing with that FRAUD

Cagliostro-verse

The buildup to the final fight was really nice + the fight itself had me like :0 (in a good way). Now I'm curious, is Gran's/Djeeta's power limitless?

Learning more of the Phoenix was great, but to paraphrase

Learning about the Phoenix was great, and to paraphrase the story, it really is a confusing entity with strange wagers (Maybe in the future there'll be more about it).

The resolution of the fight was a bit disappointed, but for lore reasons I understand why it happened.

The ending was okay? I have mixed emotions.

It wasn't necessarily bad, it's just a little cliche imo. IIRC we knew everywhere we've been/heard of was connected (the Moon, The Rift, Estalucia, etc.), but I feel like that ending was just like "Oh yeah! One more thing." Regardless, I do want to know if they plan of delving into it in for a future story event (or maybe even the main story).

tl;dr

I like the event, though there are some things I wish that were explored a little more with Abramelin, the Enneads, and the Phoenix. It was nice to see recurring characters and their involvement (esp Cagi). The final fight was great and it leaves me wondering about MC's potential, and I hope to see another story or something in the main story that continues on from the ending.

[peekintoeternity]

omg i think im so out of loop (never check any naruto blog aside from ones ive followed tbh for the past 2 years lmao) that i didnt know people have pointed out the similarities between vaderkin and tobito?? damn i thought i was all alone LOL 😭 (psss id be more than willing of course to listen to your take on their similarities and differences)

hi there! so i think others have done this extensively, i usually find such jokes / mini "thought pieces" on reddit (you can try r/naruto or r/dankruto and search relevant keywords) or youtube comment sections, and especially the YT vid from Death Battle, although other (smaller) creators have also posted (more serious) video essays about Obito, where Anakin / Darth Vader has been mentioned as a parallel to Obito's character :)

unfortunately i can't remember the exact video & all the information is a bit scattered, even in my brain lol, so the best i can do is point u to some sources 🥲

for instance, there are many YT video essays & even reddit posts on Obito's character & how misunderstood he is, like Swagkage's "Dissecting Obito Uchiha", "How Strong is Obito?", "Leave Obito Alone" (lol)

i'm not sure i can ever make a post listing all their similarities, esp when the Death Battle vid has already pretty much done that, and more comprehensively than any comment / reddit post at that, haha

you can also check their wiki for a detailed breakdown of the vid, but perhaps go straight to the Trivia section to see a list of their many similarities! :D

(of course as with all sources, there are some things i disagree with, for instance DB lists Obito as having "less combat experience" than Vader, but we actually don't know what Obito does during all those nigh 20 years that he was living as "Nobody" / "The Masked Man" / Tobi, i mean he could've been training and participating in duels, espionage, skirmishes, battles, etc., i mean he was the secret leader of the Akatsuki, the real Fourth Mizukage of Mist/Kiri, also basically the real leader of Land of Rain too ("Amekage" if you will?) since he is the reason Pain & Konan were able to overthrow Hanzō and the two take orders from him even if they are not loyal to him, so there could've been countless of combat / military and political missions he was involved in that happened "offscreen", and add to all that the fact he was a child soldier starting from around age 9 (when he became a genin and began taking on missions) and that, of course, he was a main player (war criminal! lol) as both fighter and strategist and military commander in Narutoverse's Fourth World War—but hey, the whole point of fandom & media is that there will also be multiple interpretations, so i see no point in "nitpicking" a fictional fight analysis lol)

maybe something new i can add is the meta parallel of how, in real life, vader's identity reveal was a plot twist that shook the whole of star wars fandom and beyond, shocking audiences & remaining iconic to this day

similarly, though i wasn't there (in the fandom or following the anime), at the time, when obito was revealed to be The Masked Man ("Tobi") in the anime, apparently sooo many streaming sites straight up broke down due to the sheer number of people immediately going to see the episode (guess there aren't that many manga readers compared to anime haha)

so yeah, vader broke cinema (insert martin scorsese meme), and obito broke the internet, quite literally 🤣

and these are just accounts from english speakers, who knows how much potentially crazier things got on chinese & japanese & other non-english sites lol

i might add some stuff if i have the energy to organize my thoughts more later on, sorry if this isn't the answer you were hoping for, but i hope the links & sources above can be helpful to you! :)

[purkinje-effect]

I visited Tanagra Town in my hunt for Royal Jelly while working on my Tadpole Cook merit badge, only possessing a vague understanding in advance that it’s one of those “Lovecraft vibe” locations. When I got there, I expected to find the usual culprit in a hidden cave, so the first time I combed the location, I missed it... because I didn’t think to look up.

I’m still stuck on what sort of reference the town name could possibly be making. It’s hard to make sense of it, fittingly, and I have some vague thoughts.

Literally, Darmok + Jalad feels like it might be a “Tower of Babel” type of implication. In the referenced Star Trek episode, the Enterprise struggles to forge meaningful communication with an alien race whose language is entirely contextual: to know what the words mean, one must know the culture behind it.

Figuratively, Tanagra feels like it might describe multiple individuals and/or factions overcoming a shared threat through an unlikely alliance. If so, my best guesses are that the heavily-contextualized communication involves that one Kanawha Nuka-Cola Plant note about hiding something “in that place where I put that thing that time”...

...or I’m mega reaching and supposing that Tanagra itself could represent the franchise’s referential dialogue with its players, as a sort of fourth wall jab at itself.

Does Nuka-Cola factor into any of this? The Enclave scientists? The miners? What did the Nuka-Cola coworkers smuggle out of the bottling plant in Kanawha, and did one of them hide it in Tanagra? Was the metal head a part of any of this? Is there any correlation between any of the Capital Wastes metal face locations, esp. Point Lookout (and the Dunwich Building) one state over?*

The details in Tanagra Town could also be a standard “alien/interdimensional communication attempt” trope, and referencing the ST as one iconic example.

It also weirds me out a bit that Tanagra Town is a plant-choked location, and the only other location to mention the place is a (bottling) plant.

* I don’t know why it’s sticking out to me in particular that Bysshe Co. was directly involved with the tunnel in Harper’s Ferry, the closest named town or city to Tanagra.

[Edit: Still haven’t booted it yet, but now I’m stuck on the fact Picard used Gilgamesh to communicate with the Tamarian alien, and then there being a Gilgamesh reference in 76 in the form of One Violent Night. I think I’m going to start my dive at the Sons of Dane compound... (Edit 2: I got Beowolf and Gilgamesh mixed up. Sorry about that.) At the end of "Darmok," Picard is brushing up on his human mythos by reading the Homeric Hymns, which are poems addressed to various Greek deities, in the hopes that doing so will expand his ability to communicate with the Tamarians. There's something here. There's got to be.]

[annecoulmanross]

In which the author does a philoTerrological Analysis, feat. color-coded Charts™️ [link to pdf version]

a fill for @theterrorbingo square “scientific observation” because God knows I spent more time on this than I have on certain things that I’ve called a Terror bingo square in times past and! It’s good! To sometimes! Push the boundaries of fanwork! (This is a meta, I’m just gonna call this a meta. Good? Good.) 

The data contained in these charts comes, in part, from this lovely post by @handfuloftime and this brilliant addition by @catilinas – I was inspired to make this because of a lovely message from @glorioustidalwavedefendor (thank you!) 

So, what on earth are these charts, and what do they say about AMC’s The Terror (2018)? Find out, below the cut! 

BASICALLY this chart is my way of visualizing every time the words ��Name” / “Names” / “Named” (&c.) or “Call” / “Calls” / “Called” (&c.) are used in The Terror. There are two charts – on the left, the “Name” chart, on the right, the “Call” chart, both organized the same way: the rows correspond to episodes (episodes are only skipped when no variation of the relevant words appear), and the columns correspond to four “categories” referring to the object being “named” or “called.” These categories are:

Named Individuals (i.e. named in the show AND with their name known to – or immediately learned by – the character speaking.)

Unnamed Individuals (i.e. unnamed in the show – like Goodsir’s “Inuk man,” aka the historical Eenoolooapik – or unnamed with respect to the character(s) speaking, such as David Young is to Goodsir and Crozier in episode 10 – because they’ve forgotten – or as Silna is to Lt. Little in episode 3.)

Non-Human Things / Beings (i.e. ANYTHING non-human, from summer to God.)

Undefined and/or Groups (i.e. things that are less clearly separated out than the other instances of “named,” and “called,” which largely have a single person or thing as their object; this is a loose category and there are “groups” that sometimes slip out into the “individuals” columns.)

As I noted here, the issue of “who gets a name” breaks down into these numbers – pulled from the first chart, columns 1, [2] and (3) – ignoring column 4:

(3) [David Young]

(2) (God)

(2) James Fitzjames

(2) [Eenoolooapik]

(1) Edward [Little]

(1) The Barrows / (the Admiralty)

(1) Lt. John Irving

(1) William Wentzall

(1) (summer)

(1) Sir James Ross

I think it’s interesting that, if you remove unnamed individuals [David Young and Eenoolooapik] and non-human entities (God), Fitzjames is the only person about whom “name” is used more than once. BUT it’s Fitzjames using that word, “name,” and he does so twice in quick succession to reach that total – “My name… Even my name was made up, for my baptism.” Which makes “Myname Evenmyname” into a sort of proxy for “James Fitzjames” itself – equally artificial, like Odysseus’s moniker OuTis = NoMan. (And now, as per tate’s tags, “odysseus son of laertes snipes me with a bow and arrow” but at least I can die knowing that I, at least, have managed to mention the cretan lie.)

The other important thing to note about these charts is that they’re color-coded by who is speaking, so each character who uses “name” and/or “call” more than once gets a unique color (blue for Crozier, teal for Goodsir, purple for Fitzjames, yellow for Hickey, &c.) In the “names” chart on the left, what this shows us is that Crozier & Goodsir do most of the “naming” at the beginning and end of the show, and Fitzjames does most of it in the middle. (Crozier & Goodsir also never “name” already “named” individuals, whereas Fitzjames almost exclusively does so, and in the one instance where he “names” an undefined group, it’s because he’s lamenting that said undefined group is composed of “men” who “need names yet.” As tate said, “fitzjames is both named And called things because as much as his identity is “””deceptive”””, it doesn’t have another secret double-self, it only hides parts of itself.” Fitzjames lives in a world where things are neat and orderly and can be defined; he never once truly strays from this – though I think few of us think of him as fervently religious, the text does reinforce that Fitzjames sees the world as following a divine order: from “More than God loves them,” to “What in God’s name is happening here?” and back again to “More than God loves them,” before ending with that heartbreaking last, “God wants you to live.”)

OKAY time for the second chart aka the chart on the left aka the “calling” chart. 

This is based HEAVILY on this incredible post by @catilinas (though I did put back in the “all 12 times it is used to mean shout or summon” because I think some of those are…. shrimpteresting.)

The issue of “who gets called (both named OR summoned)” breaks down into these numbers – pulled from the second chart, starting with just people, i.e. columns 1 and [2], for now:

(4) Aglooka (or, well, the same two times twice, because the scene’s repeated)

(4) Crozier (Francis vs. Captain)

(3) Goodsir (Harry vs. Doctor)

(1) Hartnell

(1) Crozier’s head (“Sir John will have your head.” Dare I say…. caput Crozieris = caput Ciceronis? Sir Pompey will have your head... if he doesn’t lose his own, first.)

(1) [Silna’s tribe]

(1) [the old lad on the Prince Regent the doxies used to call ‘Six Pounder’]

(1) Fitzjames

(1) [another shaman]

(1) “A man called Cornelius Hickey”

As tate said, “i do think there is Something going on w the fact that ‘call’ is only used multiple times this close together for a) aglooka and b) this scene [don’t ever call me francis again], and Both are wrt crozier, and both involve him Not being / not wanting to be Called by his actual name.” There IS something going on, and I propose that the missing piece is that, just like w/ “names,” Crozier & Goodsir are tied together – Goodsir is to “Harry vs. Doctor” as Crozier is to “Francis vs. Captain,” but flipped: Goodsir wants the intimacy of a first name, while Francis (initially) rejects it; but they are both stripped of their titles regardless – by the end, Goodsir insists that, “If ever I was a Doctor, I am one no longer,” and Magnus Manson says to Crozier, “Mr. Hickey says I'm not to call you ‘Captain’ any more.”

AND next we tally tate’s 8 singular “Things” (aka column 3)

(1) watch duty

(1) David Young’s liver (“you wouldn’t call this cirrhotic”)

(1) Irving’s ‘discretion’ (“call it anything but help, mr hickey”)

(1) Inuktitut

(1) Nunavut

(1) “this thing [Crozier] calls truth”

(1) Victoria, Texas

(1) The Northwest Passage (“his own chilly shortcut to china, he calls it”)

To which we can also add “Things” that are “called” as in “summoned,” rather than “called” as in “named.”

(2) the Tuunbaq (“Haven't we been calling it right to us all day?” / “So call it with me now, boys.”)

(1) the cannon (“[Mr. Blanky]’s calling for the cannon [for to shoot the Tuunbaq]”) 

While I don’t have any additional thoughts on this collection of objects in and of themselves, I think we do need all of them to get the full picture of the chart esp. re: the color-coding of the speaking characters. Basically, when we look at who is using “call” repeatedly, it’s a 4-(or 5-)part narrative arc:

[Rae] (aka the translator, whom I’ve “named” John Rae for simplicity) & James Clark Ross (at the very beginning)

Goodsir, LOTS of Goodsir (color = teal, episodes 1-5)

Crozier, LOTS of Crozier (color = blue, episodes 5-8)

Hickey, running the gamut from “this thing [Crozier] calls truth” to summoning the Tuunbaq (color = yellow, episodes 8-10)

(The 5th part comes in when you take into account the repeated Rae & Ross scene in episode 10.)

So uhhhh that’s a classical ring composition folks: 

[Aglooka] 

“Goodsir, the Good Sir,” 

[Crozier] 

“E.C. who Is Not ‘a man called Cornelius Hickey’” 

[Aglooka]

The narrative backbone of this entire miniseries is the idea of what you are “called,” (Crozier) and the details are fleshed out by how you are “named” [or, perhaps, unnamed.]

[riickgrimes]

Rules: answer the questions and then tag 10+ other creators to answer the questions!

thank you so much to @askmetostays for mentioning in your post! Your so talented and your gifsets are amazingggg!

I feel like most of my gifs I made this year were for my turkish blog, so they’ll be some of those included!

first creation and most recent creation of 2020: This grease set was my first one, I actually loved this coloring that I did here! My most recent one was this Pacey gifset about Joey in one of my favorite scenes.

one of your favorite creations from 2020: This Marilyn gifset was definitely a favorite of mine, I thought it (and she) looked gorgeous. Also this Pacey one I made from my all-time favorite scene and episode of Dawson’s is a DEFINITE FAV just bc he’s babyyy

a creation you’re really proud of: I’d have to go to my turkish blog for this one. This one I made the other day of Aydan’s relationship growth with Eda took so longggg and I had to remember and sift through like 22 two and a half hour episodes to find the scenes, but it came out so good. And it’s one of the very, very few long, cumulative, “multiple gifs into one big one” gifsets I’ve ever made.

a new style you tried this year and a gifset that uses it: I had a couple of gifsets on my turkish blog that were like pastel-y and had text in it which is something I never do. This one with text from a tweet and this one with text from a song.

your favorite coloring: OOooh I actually have a couple, this Pope one I just loved, this Kie one I loved, and this JJ one too! I liked this Niall one a lot too, so vibrant and pretty. And this Finn Hudson one was a true win bc I always thought glee was so hard to color, and I finally did it and it came out great!! I was like damn girl u really are the shittttt

a creation that took you forever: again the one from my turkish blog with Aydan definitely took forever, between finding the scenes, figuring out translations, piecing them together and just general photoshop annoyances, it took like 12 hrs. This one I made of Eda’s outfits took forever too.

your creation from 2020 that received the most notes: I think this other Marilyn Monroe one had the most notes.

a creation you think deserved more notes: oooh prob my “#same” one about Pacey, idk i guess ppl don’t want to be swept up in joshua jackson’s arms or something, whatever, oh and this Watermelon Sugar one too!

a creation with a favorite scene/quote: Def this one from the shaving scene from Castaways. The fact that I made like 5 gifsets from this one scene aloneeee. I think I still have one in my drafts too lmaooo

a creation you made that breaks your heart: this scene with Jack and Jen FOR SURE

a ‘simple’ creation that you really love: prob this Lara Jean/Lana Condor one. The coloring was great, the sharpening was great, it just looked so pretty!

a creation that was inspired by another one (add both your creation and the one that inspired it!): sad as it is to say, i don’t think i made anything that was inspired by anyone... 

a favorite creation created by someone else: ok but definitely @askmetostays Pacey and Joey every episode one and her Pacey and Joey™ one, because whew the time and effort put into those is incredible. And even though I’m not even in the fandom I had to reblog these Witcher gifsets, this one by @yenvengerberg and this one by @anya-chalotra because they were truly so gorgeous. This Winter in Avonlea by @laurens-german is just beautiful. This one with the Hargreeves Siblings by @seance is truly amazing. And this Shape of Water one by @antoniosbanderas and this Chicago gifset by @madalainepetsch were both so gorgeous and colorful!!!

some of your favorite content creators from the year: @askmetostays is definitely a favorite, since I’ve gotten into Dawson’s Creek, she’s been a definite bright spot on my dash. The fact that she’s running two other Dawson’s blogs on top of her main, and is still gracing us with The Content™ is impressive. I don’t think I follow them, but @livelovecaliforniadreams has been supplying the Pacey/Joey fandom with some quality gifs. The gifsets are so involved and all-encompassing, they must take forever to make, so I have to applauded them for that! @inejghafta has been out here making quality gifs for Anne with an E, Community, New Girl, This Is Us, and this list goes on. She’s gotten experimental with her coloring and her concepts and it’s been great to see! @baharsahins is another great one! She is like single-handedly giving the rping community an unlimited supply of Turkish celebs. Her gifs are always on point, the coloring’s always amazing and her sharpening is so soft and pretty. And @imikhailo has such such such gorgeous gallavich/mickey gifset!

a for good measure, another a couple more creations of yours that you love: oooh ok there’s this Pacey and Joey + Docks one, this Deckerstar one, this one with Kie and Sarah bc 👀, this Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist one, this Lara Jean Valentine’s Day one, and my Sen Cal Kapimi icons from my turkish blog bc i just love making icons sm

I don’t think I’m gonna tag anyone, esp since the new year already started, but anyone was already tagged or anyone that just wants to do it, feel free!!!

[ksmutclub]

Let’s take a step...

Good Evening Everyone. Admin Tomi here.

I think we’ve reached the need for a full stop. 

There’s going to be a lot here - please hang with me. I ask that you read this thoroughly, because I would like to have this be the cease fire for the current situation.��

Firstly,

We are deeply sorry for any hurt, pain, trigger, or traumatic essence that has arisen in the midst of viewing the Monster Smash prompt list. 

These prompts are based on popular horror movies and books. Things that we easily associate with Horror via authors like James Patterson and Stephen King [which a good chunk of these prompts come from]. So to us, and a majority of the voters/members, who wanted it to return? There was no issue. 

The club rules *specifically* state that we do not allow the following

WHAT WE DON’T REBLOG

Sexualization of minors,

Incest,

Eating disorders,

Self harm,

Glorification of mental illnesses,

Animal abuse,

Any controversial topics,

Political topics,

Masterlists,

WIPs posts,

Domestic violence,

Abusive relationships,

Pedophilia,

Necrophilia,

Homophobic topics,

Racist topics.

Rape.

That has been the long standing no-no’s of this club since its inception.  We didn’t understand why the anons, and few members that came forward, would think that we would: 

A - allow any story that breaks the rules to pass through. B - that any of the writers/creators/esteemed members of this club would dip down to those levels to create material that does exactly what we ask not to be done.

We’re all adults, and trust that everyone knows right from wrong, and understands the ramifications of such issues.

We in no way intended to cause trauma, downplay anyone’s trauma, or ‘insult’ anyone with mental health issues. 

But.

We cannot stop creators from writing things that may include dark topics. 

We believe in the portent of trigger warnings required on each story. Because what could be a trigger for you? Could be a cathartic release for someone writing from a similar experience, or someone with an interest in said experiences.

We trust and believe in you all to believe in self-care. Meaning that if someone happens to post a yandere story with a trigger warning for blood? That you would move to the next story. We believe that every reader and creator are the masters of their Tumblr experience and will act in accordance with the safety of their well-being and mental health in consideration.

With that all being said? The h***ler prompt was missed/misstep. Again, we profusely apologize for that one making the list. There is no excuse, I will attempt to offer none. The K Smut Club Admins will do better to be more mindful/careful/watchful of such things in the future.

Now, a point was made during the back and forth of the evening. That one message cleared most of the confusion. A trigger warning on the prompt list. Which in hindsight, may or may not have made a difference. But, it would at least show that we DID hear you about the certain prompts [esp. the h**ler one, cause that should've never gone up. So we thank that member for catching it]. 

So going forward, since this has been a lesson, we will make sure to trigger warning as best we can for the next Monster Smash event. As a reminder, the prompts are purely voluntary to serve as an example of what you could possibly write. None of these were mandatory, or necessary to participate in the event.

Again, with any event the idea of your story and where it goes is always up to you, the creator.

To the matter of the prompt examples list? 

We can all agree to disagree. Everyone perceives things differently. Again, we trust you all to be mindful of the rules and not write anything that would be considered illegal. For example:

A brother and sister find an old door in their basement that wasn’t there before.

Hansel and Gretel; or Brother and Sister monster hunters, sister gets kidnapped by demon that’s been lusting over Brother. Or in secret relationship with brother - sister is kidnapped with ultimatum to come on over to the bad side or they’ll make the sister disappear. So, no incest. 

The abused animals of a zoo are unleashed and wreak havoc on a small town.

Based on James Patterson’s Book ‘Zoo’[and there was a miniseries]. Animals of the world suddenly developed a genetic abnormality that caused them to rise up and try to take the planet back. Believe it or not? There was romance/sex involved in the people trying to save the animals, the world, and themselves. One of the scientists fell for a reporter as they worked together for a cure. The story written could have the two people getting together and that amount of care they have for solving the menace - solves it. So, no abused animals.

Deceased soldiers return to their Civil War-era homes.

Based on multiple episodes of the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits. People that may have died with strong regrets and the people who miss them terribly are given an opportunity to come back for one day. Fully alive, flesh and blood, breathing living - to spend one day with each other to help them move on. Also the movie Warm Bodies where a zombie regains his humanity, and undoes the curse of the undead by falling in love, of all things. The ‘zombie’ fully regains his humanity, living breathing, and bleeding - there’s even a kiss. So, no  necrophilia.

A monster is terrified by the scary child who lives above his bed.

Based on Monsters Inc. and I’ve seen some Monster Inc Kpop fic smut out there, so it’s absolutely possible to have a single parent cleaning a kids room and shenanigans ensue, or not, and just be a super crack horror fic.

A family dog runs away from home. He returns a year later to the delight of his family. But there’s something different about him. Something demonic.

Based on Pet Sematary, Stephen King classic. Synopsis could be that parents lost a family pet, trying for a child, pet returns, horror ensues. 

A child sleep-walks into their parent’s room and whispers, “I’m sorry. The devil told me to.”

Based on Case 39. A movie where the kid was a literally a demon posing as a child, and manipulated everyone around her and caused a bunch of deaths/mishaps. 

I’ve made these few scant examples to prove there was no ill, illegal, or sick intent with the prompts posted. Each of them can be connected to a movie, book, or television series that many are familiar with. 

Even though the rules state smut is required, where the smut happens within prompt depends on the story. But, wherever it should so appear would be required, of course, to act within the bounds of the clubs rules. 

Because we trust you, the creators, to abide by them.

In closing,

Everybody has had different experiences in their lives. We are not going to pit pain against pain. No one’s pain is greater. Pain is pain and we all have suffered it, or will at some point. We must do what we need to in order to protect ourselves from things that hurt or trigger us. 

I believe every network feels this sentiment and uses the trigger warning requirement in order to protect their readers from consuming content which would hurt them, while allowing the creator the opportunity to explore and create in the medium they see fit. 

We are all humans trying to navigate a difficult time. We all have our ways to deal with these traumatic and painful happenings in our lives. We either talk about it with our peers who have the same experience, write to forge a path forward to some sort of healing in our own way- or we simply remove that reminder from our sphere of existence. 

We will do the best in our capacity, in this network to create a space for both the reader and the creator to do what is best for them, while following all legal statutes set forth by Tumblr and the laws of the US where it is based.

If there are any club members that have issues with any of the prompts - we ask that you please DM the admin staff off anon, so that we can get an accurate count of the individuals that take offense.

There will be no bashing, no repercussions, or public shaming. 

We want to make sure that the people in our network have a say in what happens within the club events. Just because we can see the story in the prompts, doesn’t mean everyone can. We would be happy to discuss the prompt or prompts in question, with examples or sources to assuage any fears that you have. 

For those who were hurt, disturbed, disappointed, or felt the negativity wrought by this? 

We again, humbly apologize that you have. We hope that we can move forward with the event and the growth of the club with your blessings and participation.

Sincerely, The Admin Team 

P.S. - Death threats, threats of any kind are not ok. We’re all adults here. If you disagree then your blog is the space to do it. Stay out of folks DMs with that bullshit because you disagree - that goes for anybody that has spoken out disagreeing with the club and anyone outside toward the members within the club. We have differing opinions they should be respected. No one should be victimized any further than already experienced. 

[drunklander]

Drunj!Der Yells About Outlander

Thoughts on Ep. 511

Ok so this episode is like the perfect embodiment of my love/hate relationship with the books. And the show, but since the author wrote it, the books too, and her writing/plotting in general. I hated the other episode she wrote so my expectations going into this were *rull* low.

This episode was like a series of character-driven vignettes, which is what I like most about her writing (and why I bother even sticking around): random scenes here and there that I really enjoy as standalone bits. But, in true Outlander fashion, it also like ticked a lot of the boxes for stuff plot-wise that I can’t stand. Namely, yet more violence against multiple women, Marsali and Fergus getting shortchanged, Lord John crossing just over the creepy line for a sec with Jamie and the situation with Ulysses’ legal status. It didn’t check the rape box, but we may have to revisit that next week. I sure as fuck hope we don’t have to, but seeing as this show never met a rape it didn’t think was ToTaLlY nEcEsSaRy to include... *preemptive sigh*

Show-wise this very much felt like a penultimate episode and in that respect it accomplished what it was supposed to. In the overall arc of the season though, much like when considering the whole book series, a few solid standalone scenes here and there do not equal a good whole. To be in this fandom is to be an expert in eating around the moldy parts of the bread to get a few nibbles of good stuff.

Anywho, SCIENCE!JIZZ 5EVA!

Fuck yeah PB&J, and Claire is forgiven for not mastering fluff yet. But fluffernutters are also a staple in any growing kid’s diet.

Poor burned girl. It’s not her fault she vaguely resembles a walker so I spent the whole time thinking about TWD.

Omfg I got like PTSD flashbacks when I saw that dress in the title card. KILL THAT DRESS WITH FIRE!

There may not be fluffernutters, but Bree and Claire fluff and Young Ian and Jemmy fluff are good substitutes.

This kid is adorbs tho.

They’ve been really blasé about mentioning time travel in front of folks this season. First Marsali and now Young Ian. The latter will be remedied, but I’m still lowkey annoyed that Fergus and Marsali aren’t brought into the circle of trust... Esp. when there was a perfect opportunity for it later on.

I cannot with men, tbh. Seeking justice for a daughter who’s been “dishonored” by killing the dude is like the most overused trope of toxic masculinity ever. And now we’re supposed to be all like oh look how relatable the Brown guy is! Because our tropey men wanted to kill a dude like that last week! Hard pass. Also, fucking his kid wasn’t raped, she loves a guy who happens to be married, but everything was super consensual. Sooo like double gross points for you, dude.

And yes, I know it’s ThE pAsT, but I am not in the past, I am in the present, and the show is airing in the present, so thinking this sort of behavior is gross is totes ok. So the fucked up squad of randos who always jump into my notes about how they like “their men to be men” can just shove it, ok? Ok.

They’re like really not subtle with the foreshadowing this episode are they. But then again, when has subtlety ever been a thing on this show. That’s a nice still you got there, shame if anything were to happen to it...

I’m really digging the decor in this living room.

Oh hey! They finally decided to stop pretending like Young Ian was dumb and didn’t notice literally *gestures* everything about Claire.

I’m still salty they never told Jenny and Ian in S3 tbh.

Shockingly, considering who wrote it, so much of this episode is directly from the books. So I’m sure the Cult of Herself folks will be obsessed. And like yeah, some of the stuff in this episode is some of the bits I really like from the books as individual little scenes. However! I know some in the cult will use this as a reason why the show should StAy TrUe To ThE bOoKs more. And please, for the love of fuck, fight that instinct. Parts of this episode aren’t good “because they’re from the book,” they’re good because they’re emotional moments between characters, which is where both the books and the show are strongest. “Sticking with the book” on everything would make an already not great show even worse. I mean, the show ain’t great, but thank fuck they’ve streamlined the book stuff as much as they have.

Yes, I did notice the Pamela easter egg from the book. No, I’m not one who gets excited about shit like that.

Aaand here we get the problematic af bit about Ulysses and his legal status. In the book, he was offered freedom and turned it down to stay with Jocasta. Which is twelve kinds of fucked up. Here, he *is* a free man and he chooses to stay and cosplay an enslaved person so he can chill with Jocasta? FUCK THAT NOISE. That is some “benevolent slave owner” bullshit. They don’t get overt with the Ulysses and Jocasta are banging stuff from the book, which is also epically fucked up considering the power dynamic and how a fuckton of men enslaved their own fucking kids because they’d raped the mothers and children take the status of the mother. I’m glad they didn’t come right out and say that. But it’s like lowkey implied and even if it’s not supposed to be taken as canon, having a Black man be given the option to get the fuck out of there and choose to stay with someone who enslaves other Black people is like some dangerous white fanfic nonsense.

Also, thinking about the slave/master relationship dynamic today really makes me wish I saw Jeremy O. Harris’ play while it was running...

Oh yay, Bree and Roger are actually leaving. Much like the Bonnet shit, credit where credit’s due, I’m glad they’re not dragging the will they/won’t they go out for another season.

Don’t sound so butthurt that you didn’t get to murder a guy, Jamie.

Poor Young Ian. Buddy needs a hug. And more screentime for his story. Like, do we really need something else traumatic to happen to Claire when we could explore family dynamics instead? This time with Young Ian and his wife and their Mohawk family?

THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER WAYS TO HAVE DRAMA AND CONFLICT THAT CAN TAKE UP THE RUNNING TIME OF A SEASON THAT DON’T INVOLVE CONSTANTLY PUTTING THE WOMEN IN PHYSICAL DANGER.

Lol at the thought of LJG “working the land.” Like, buddy, have you seen yourself?

“No doubt there a great many things I shall miss about being here.” Don’t make it weird bro.

Yes, I know he’s like gonna miss their friendship and stuff. But he’s always been just a smidge too intense about it. And by a smidge I mean the gay guy openly in love with his straight best friend a gross trope and I don’t like it.

Ok so if we’re following the “rules” of the show that the production used to recite ad nauseam to justify why Jamie and Claire barely seemed to even like each other for a few seasons (”they’re married, we don’t need to see them fuck!” “we already know they love each other, it’s a given!”), this sex scene shouldn’t exist. Because it’s really not essential to the plot. Which just proves the “rules” are and always were bullshit excuses. And the author/writer of this episode def spouted that bullshit too, so she can also shove it.

Because this scene *should* exist and those “rules” *were* complete crap. Because Jamie and Claire are very sexual/physical people and, especially when they’re going through things, use sex to center themselves where they are and in their relationship. Bree and Roger are leaving. Jem’s leaving. They’re sad about that. But they’re also happy that they made a family and got to be together as a family and are glad to have had that chance. (And, they just like to fuck.) So of course this is a good character moment. This is the kind of shit we should be seeing instead of just a constant barrage of plot and violence. And the crew can fuck all they off with their not at all convincing talking points about “rules.”

Also this is a much better use of sex than them constantly having them fuck after a fight instead of actually working through the issue between them.

Also, fuck yeah, get it gurrrl.

SCIENCE!JIZZ! (I’m gonna need a gif of Claire’s face when Jamie’s figuring it out because that’s gonna be in heavy reaction rotation.

I just love Claire fuck yeah science Beauchamp.

It’s also another scene that does nothing to advance the plot, but is a nice respite from the constant trauma. The show has yet to find a balance between the two, which is annoying af because they’ve had five seasons to figure it out. So like whenever there is fluff, folks pounce on it like starving animals. Which some in the crew (and some fans) like to point out like “see, you all like everything now!” Or “look, why are you whining so much, we gave you this!” Or “wow you hate the show but now you like this part? Hypocrite.”

But like, no, that’s not what it means. Not giving someone water for days and then throwing them a small canteen doesn’t mean everything is hunky dory. It’s still super fucked up. So no, enjoying the fact that there are a few fluffy scenes in an episode doesn’t mean the show is good. If they made more of an effort to center the characters and spread the fluff around a bit more instead of waiting until there was like trauma fatigue and throwing in a fluffy life raft, the show as a whole would be stronger.

</rant>

Ok it’s super fucked up they hadn’t told Bree about Willie yet, but I’m glad Jamie is the one who tells her.

“And it wasn’t a matter of love between us, but it was her choice, and that’s all I’ll say about it.” BECAUSE SHE RAPED HIM. COERCION IS NOT CONSENT AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT HOW “HOT” THAT SCENE WAS ARE FUCKING DISGUSTING AND THE PRODUCTION IS DISGUSTING FOR SHOOTING A FUCKING RAPE IN THE MANNER THEY DID. AND ALSO FUCK THEM FOR HAVING IT BE A RAPE IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN IT COULD HAVE SO FUCKING EASILY BEEN CONSENSUAL.

This show is so fucking not good.

This scene with Jamie and Brianna is super nice, but like, we saw nothing of them building their relationship. He didn’t even fucking hug her after Murtagh died. The scene loses so much of what it could have had because they never did the legwork to show us what they mean to each other.

It’s the same old shit they pulled with Claire and Jamie. “Oh they’re together and endgame so we don’t actually need to show you them building and working on their relationship that much. Because you know they’re together so just go with it.” Like no? Fuck you? That’s not how this works?

FERGUS AND MARSALI DESERVE BETTER!

Of course Marsali’s preggo again. Why the fuck should she do anything but spit out babies. Also, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PERFECT TIME TO HAVE THE FRASER KIDS TALK ABOUT TIME TRAVEL.

And Bree’s become a sister to Marsali? We saw one fucking scene of them together. See above rant. Fucking show us them becoming sisters. Sorry to interrupt your constant stream of violence and trauma, but fucking actually SHOWING characters building relationships instead of TELLING us they did the thing is how this is fucking supposed to work.

I’m rull pissed we never got quality Fraser kid bonding, y’all.

And ditto with this scene with Lizzie. We saw more of Bree and Lizzie than Bree and Marsali, but like we never really saw them becoming friendly post Bree’s rape and Rogergate.

All the goodbyes are like making me feel inch deep feelings because they’re rooted in nothing we’ve actually seen. And I’m not a Bad Fan or dumb for not filling in the feelings myself. I’m the viewer. It’s not my job to fill in the show’s gaps. It’s the show’s job not to have emotional gaps.

Oh hey! Another shitty man who hurts his wife and another woman trapped in a physically abusive relationship who thinks the abuse is her fault! On Outlander? Who’da thunk they’d have something like this?!

I’m so tired, y’all. So. Fucking. Tired.

I HOPE YOUNG IAN FINDS HAPPINESS TOO, ROGER.

Ok but for real, every time Lord John talks about how Willie and Bree are like Jamie it has that gross tinge to it. Like I know he’s not meaning it like a creeper, but they leaned so fucking hard into him being so into and not over Jamie that the layer of grossness is always there.

Also like, grannie and grandda, we got like one scene of Claire and Jamie playing with Jem. WE COULD HAVE FELT SO MANY MORE FEELINGS ABOUT THEM BEING SEPARATED IF ONLY THEY HAD TAKEN THE TIME TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS ON SCREEN.

Claire making everyone PB&Js is fucking adorable and I love her.

Old timey forks will never not be fucking weird looking.

“And now it’s just you and me again.” Uh, Fergus, Marsali and Young Ian might be a tad offended by that sentiment, Clairebear.

Ok but like do they really think a rope is gonna hold up to fucking magic time travel rocks? It’s gotta just be like a mental security blanket thing, right? Because if not, loooooooooool.

Ok but the really just let their kiddo run off like that in the middle of the magic time travel rock circle? Dumbasses.

Ok but like what’s the betting they ended up in like a RenFest type thing and think they haven’t traveled but they have and it’s like lol look at them fitting in with their old timey clothes vs. skipping them going back to the future and doing the going adventuring around the even past-er past part but with them all together instead of Roger and Buck?

I’m just hoping it’s something completely different than the books because I have zero interest in Bree and Roger in the 20th century and hate the Roger and Buck nonsense with a fiery passion.

Erm, that’s a little close to the house to build a privy, my dudes.

Is the setting a guy’s dislocated shoulder thing supposed to be a cute callback? Because like hey wink wink, first she was kidnapped and then set a shoulder and now she’s setting a shoulder and then getting kidnapped is kind of a fucked up “joke.”

But how about we get more of Nurse!Marsali and less of Marsali just being constantly preggo.

“Sort of like the opposite of what you do when ya joint a hog.” I JUST LOVE NURSE!MARSALI A LOT OK.

Aaand now that we’re all good and docile little fans who have been placated with some fluff and Fraser fucking as a treat, we can go back to the regularly scheduled violence against women. Because we literally just had a violent abduction last week. So clearly it’s time for another.

Everything in this story has been done before...

I swear to fuck, if they do the thing I think they’re gonna do next week, I hope they get rightfully dragged by fucking everyone.

And if by some fucking miracle of Caitriona putting her foot down they don’t do the thing next week, they get zero brownie points. You don’t get rewarded for doing what you should have done the whole time.

And of course the closing is Jamie lighting Flaming Dildo 2.0. His men swore oaths to him, not any government or crown, and protecting his family has always been the top thing for Jamie. So good choice there with saving Claire being the reason he calls up the men.

[mydoorin]

this is long and made for no one but myself

I like certain aspects of C1, and a lot of Vox Machina is endearing and wonderful, but I find all of the first campaign really hard to watch

From a player and a DM perspective I just cannot watch a 5 1/2 long episode with half the cast yelling over each other and the other half doing world-breaking shit. I know there was a sort of loosey-goosey transition between their Pathfinder homegames and 5e, and Matt and Taliesin are used to editions older than 4th even, but there were a lot of times when I felt basic rules got swept under the rug for Vax and Percy but were unfairly or even sometimes incorrectly applied to Keyleth and Vex. Vax literally broke the game multiple times, and I know a lot of the campaign was like Matt’s gift to Liam, but it’s a campaign with 8 of your friends that you’re now producing as a show so it can’t just be about the one guy anymore. No one likes playing D&D where one character is literally touched by fate and can move 120 feet and doing 5 attacks a round. even if the rest of the team are like, high level barbarians fighters and spellcasters it feels unbalanced and it isn’t fun to watch.

a lot of the combat mechanics in C1 feel sloppy too, in terms that PCs didnt know their own character abilities or had a misunderstanding of how Action-Bonus Action-Reaction 5e combat works. It’s not really anyone’s fault, that happens when you change game systems, but to the point that I actually skip combat scenes, which unfortunately can be like a majority of the episode (and have really important character moments, like death). the Kraken fight comes to mind (there aren’t 40 feet fast eels Keyleth I’m sorry), it felt like Grog had the best grasp on his character’s mechanics and goals, and I was yelling at the screen for the other PCs to look at their character sheets. i dont know why Keyleth wasnt a water elemental to start or why Vax didn’t spend all his time stealth-investigating for the lodestones or why Percy didnt think to try luring the beast or talking to it or why Vex didn’t- actually Vex did everything she could Rangers have massive drawbacks. But!! These are issues I have with VM in most fights, theyve gotten better in their level 20 one shots, but still there I want them to please read their character sheets, bc Keyleth is an archdruid who doesnt use spell components anymore and can cast from Wild Shape and that’s tight as hell. Vex’s character mechanics still suck at level 20 but that is not her fault at all 5e literally just hates Rangers. And can we talk about that? Why do Rangers not get half the shit other classes get? How come Rangers have to wait until level 17 to use hide as a bonus action? Rogues get that at 2nd level. Anyway.

I think another part of it comes from player experience, and what kind of PCs are and are not fun to have at the table. Personally I dont like the fate touched concept, I don’t have fun as a player when one character is designed from the start to be more special and important, esp when that character talks about hating it so much all the time. TBH I don’t know why Vax is such a shit about the Raven Queen deal it seems like you got something no one else has ever gotten (she let you have your sister back bro) and you literally signed up for this. A God is giving you Special Awesome God Powers that make you more of a terrifying game breaking monster and you’re gonna keep calling the Raven Queen a bitch? for what? because you didn’t check for traps? because you didnt have a spellcaster that could use telekinesis? what about that situation wasnt entirely character choices lmao

betwen Vax and Percy (dont get me started on Mr. I Know Better Than Everyone, i really fucking hate PCs like that and i will fight about my distaste for percival von frankenstein monsterenergydrink the third) there are a lot of moments in C1 that aren’t fun to watch bc I know they arent fun for everyone at the table to play. it can be really cool to watch someone else’s backstory unfold, but if that’s all you’re doing it’s super easy to check out (I dont think it’s an RP decision when Grog has no idea what’s happening, I too haven’t been listening to Percy argue about this inconsequential thing to no one in particular) think of all the early C2 Caleb-Beau moments when it was clear half the tabl wasn’t paying attention, and how quickly that was resolved after people voiced their opinions on it (Matt for sure talked to them about dominating RP and making too many smaller moments that leave out the rest of the table, I wish a certain wizard would take it to heart), but that didnt feel like a conversation anyone had during the first campaign.

maybe it’s because i didnt watch C1 live or because I watched C2 first, but I have- not even a preference really a deference to the Mighty Nein. I think they’re more fun, more entertaining to watch, more emotionally involved and driven, better developed and created, better in all aspects, smarter and funnier and sexier than Vox Machina. I dont care about high fantasy stories with legendary heroes that are basically gods that is such a boring way to play D&D, I want the dumbass characters to use and magic to play pranks on local shopkeepers and i want the lesbians to have a slow burn romance.

I dont even wanna touch on C1 romance bc like, gag me with a spoon I don’t like the way Kashaw or Vax interact with Keyleth theyre both so fucking annoying. Idk why men cant be normal and talk to the fantasy girl they have a fantasy crush on, but Fjord managed just fucking fine.

i need to go back to sleep but in essence my opinions are that C1 was a classic 1980s D&D campaign that would have made Gary Gygax proud. And now that D&D is a lot better than it was in the 80s, more accessible and a lot less shitty, we can have cool modern fantasy stories that expect more from PCs, DMs, and the audience. We can do cooler, better things than we used to, and the structure of 5e actually helps facilitate more roleplaying between characters. The 5e PHB has whole sections devoted to roleplaying your character, and now Tasha’s gives everyone a way to get rid of stupid racist features and make your characters cooler. I’m really happy to see the progession of both WOTC and Critical Role into better, cooler, more awesome and less shitty versions of themselves (this isnt a WOTC defense post im not a shill they should pay the Dragonlance writers)

[tellywoodtrash]

Sanjivani - Weeks 2 + 3

This is now my lunchtime show (replacing random topical news comedy like Late Night with Seth Meyers, Last Week Tonight, Patriot Act, etc.) It’s a nice show to consume that way; I’m not super-involved in it, but it decently holds my interest for a solid 20 minutes as I shove something in my gaping maw.

Overall Plot

Marginal improvement in plot as the show and characters settle in. We learn more about the backgrounds of Ishani and Sid, and their relationship becomes much better. The Shashank/Anjali/Juhi/Vardhan dynamics are also nicely built up, and frankly the more interesting overarching plotline of the show.

The Medical Stuff

They seem to be going for a Grey’s Anatomy type of vibe, I think, focusing on one or two cases over the week. Nothing as interesting as in Grey’s, here it’s more routine kinda cases, but there does seem to be more focus on medicine than there ever was in DMG, which I’m kinda thankful for. While yes, I’m interested in the interpersonal dynamics, I also wanna see these people do their jobs (rather than just canoodling/having angsty fights in stairways and on-call rooms.) With other shows, I really really hate when a day goes on and on for weeks, but in this show, it’s realistic. Residents do often have to do 24 - 36 hour shifts, and each week being about one shift, it’s well-encapsulated; I like how the show flows from one day/shift/case to another.

The Acting

The seniors (Mohnish, Gurdeep, Sayantani) remain the best part, as expected, turning in consistent performances. Surbhi’s performance has toned down considerably, and that’s a big relief. The show would have been unwatchable if she hadn’t. Namit is still weak in some regards (like crying; god that one scene in Week 2 was really bad) but is getting better. He’s best in scenes where he has to be soft and considerate (comforting Anjali/Ishani/Sanya/Neeti etc.) or taking charge of things, coz he plays both these aspects confidently. I also like the chemistry when paired with Surbhi, because he plays off her really well. Only upwards from here, I should hope. The others are.... eh. They’re background characters, so they do what is expected of them.

The Characters

Sid: Sid’s the character that’s grown on me the most compared to the first week. They’ve thankfully toned down his fuckboy-ness waaaaaay down (not sure why they decided to introduce him that way, when it doesn’t even seem to be true of his character aside from in the pilot.) We find out a little more about his social background/family, and it explains why/how he is the way he is. I appreciate his camaraderie with Ishani; he’s obviously fond of her, and attracted to her as well (but in a casual way), but knows she has a lot to learn about how this place works and tries to be a good supporting team member to her, but not to the point where he lets her run amok. He tries to justify his ways to her, but is also willing to let her try her own things in the off case it does pay off; but always has a Plan B in his back pocket, because he knows things don’t work out as expected around here. I like his quiet confidence and integrity, but that he’s also willing to not mince words and/or throw hands if and when absolutely required. Not very realistic of a doctor, but eh, this is Tellywood. Chalta hai.

Ishani: Thankfully, Ishani has mellowed down quite a bit and isn’t as intolerable as she was in the first week. She’s quickly learning that things at Sanjivani are not as they appear and that her initial judgement of Sid was way too hasty/harsh, and has formed a delicate alliance with him. Not to say that she isn’t a stickler for rules anymore, or approves of his on-the-fly, jugaadu/sometimes outright wily ways to skirt around the rules, but she’s trying her best to maintain a balance; in how she tries to help the people who need it, in the most forthright manner. But she’s definitely more comfortable being flexible with “the rules” than she realizes. Her germophobia prevents her from getting comfortable with Sid’s physical proximity whenever he tries to comfort her/express thanks, but I think she appreciates the sentiment.

Shashank: God, I’m so grateful he’s still here. He’s kind of out of sorts due to the surgery, but he’s still very aware and involved in what’s going on in Sanjivani. His gentle battle with Anjali persists, with the latest episode making him give some leeway to her, quite unwillingly though.

Juhi: Beyond Shashank’s surgery, she didn’t really make much of an impression on me in these 2 weeks. She takes the COS job in a spur-of-the-moment decision, purely in an emergency situation, than really actually wanting it. She does a good enough job, stern and smart with the rioting mob/Vardhan, and compassionate and understanding with Ishani, but I do anticipate lots of trouble coming her way in the position. Especially with Rahul lurking mysteriously in the shadows, in cahoots with Vardhan.

Anjali: NOT ENOUGH ANJALI AS I WANT!!!!!! All we do see Anjali doing is either be hysterical during surgery, or sulking over not getting the COS post. For godssake, she’s an HOD, a competent doctor in her own right, can we see her at work too? I want to see her be the kickass boss bitch I know she is; maybe taking a few of these many million juniors under her wing and mentoring them? (She seems to have a good relationship with Sid, it would be nice to see that extend to some others too?) There was one good scene between Shashank and her where they peacefully discuss their issues at the end of this week, but I really need Anjali to DO more than just be standing around feeling bad for herself/manipulated by Vardhan/sniping at Juhi/being passive-aggressive at Shashank. I like that she was upfront enough with Juhi about not liking her, but I don’t like how they’re centering her whole character around just that. You’ve already done this character dirty in one iteration (DMG), please do not waste this chance to showcase the complex personality she is!

Vardhan: A kinda compelling asshole. He has a son that he keeps talking to on the phone, whom seems to dote on and wants to make the best impression on. But harkatein kaafi kameeni. But I also feel marginally sympathetic to him, because he’s trying his best to keep Sanjivani afloat financially. Drs. Shashank and Juhi’s bleeding-heart ways are admirable and all, but the ground realities of running an organization are quite different; and Vardhan is answerable to multiple people above him about it. So yeah I do hate him when he’s doing pettyass evil shit like booting a poor person off a donor list, but in some cases - esp. PR/admin/financial issues, I can see where he’s coming from. I just wish they’d stop making him so caricatureish in his villainy at times and kept him a slick evil, like most corporate types are.

Rishabh: Asshole Jr., but not at all compelling or complex like Vardhan. Just an outright classist asshole, looking to suck up to Vardhan and other richie-rich fuckers and get Sid in trouble. He’s the most annoying part of the show, honestly, constantly lurking around with his phone and filming Sid. Jeez, get a damn life, loser.

Rahil: So sweet and unproblematic, why don’t we see him more (instead of the irritating Rishabh)????? GIVE US MORE RAHIL!!!!!!!

Asha & Aman: They might as well have made them twins, coz they’re so alike (even have matchy-matchy names!) I despise when they unthinkingly run their mouths and blurt out whatever the hell they’re thinking, even to waaaay senior doctors like Juhi and Shashank. Their no-filter admonishments are quite welcome in the case of Ishani though, where they drill some sense into her head. Ultimately, they do have their hearts in the right place and are sincere doctors (if not the most knowledgeable), and I enjoy them in limited amounts; like in the scene where they’re watching Sid and Ishani brawling over the liver.

Asha: Tu idhar mitti ka dher bana khada hai, inki fight rok na??? Aman [watching Sid and Ishani literally bucking at each other while holding an icebox with a liver inside it]: Abbe pagal ho gayi hai ke, baukhlaaye hue saand se ho rakhe hain. Dulatti nahi khaani maine inki!

Neil: Like Rahil, he seems to be sweet and unproblematic, but I get the feeling that he suffers from some kinda health issue? He fainted at the first case out in the field (the bomb blast), Aman mentions he fainted again seeing a corpse that could donate a liver, and he seemed very out of breath when he came to inform Sid/Ishani about another liver donor. I find it hard to believe that a first year resident could be this squeamish about things you get used to by the end of med school, so I really think there’s something else going on here. Is he going to be the Dr. Omi equivalent (the tragically ill character) of this season? I would like to see more of him (than the other jr. residents), because the actor is very measured and likable.

Rahul: We haven’t SEEN him yet, but we have heard him and what we’ve heard......... Does not bode well. I haven’t seen Sanjivani 1, so I don’t know the character as such, but wasn’t he the lead? They’re bringing him back but as an antagonist? Seems quite out-of-character, but I am veryyyyyyyy intrigued about this development, and especially how Juhi fits into all of this.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

[firebirdsdaughter]

Realisation…

… Or, rather, a clear way to describe how I feel about [redacted for poor writing choices].

It doesn’t feel like we’re picking up right from where episode 35 left off.

It feels like multiple major developments went on in the show universe while we were watching the recaps. It feels like there’s a whole set of episodes with necessary character and relationship development occurred in between this and the end of 35, rather than a direct continuation. Like there was a whole section of the show going on there that we missed, that was happening during the recaps and filler.

But here’s the thing—the fact that they flashed back to a scene like that means they were apparently planning… ‘This’ before the lockdown. Having to pause production and fill in isn’t an excuse. They could and should have been setting this up from the very start of mbjr contracting [name removed to protect subject]. Missing those few Sundays is no excuse, since this was apparently what was supposed to follow the week directly after episode 35. There’s no ‘the development would have been in those eps that were missed,’ bc there was never meant to be anything in between. This was supposed to come directly after episode 35. This, w/ no break.

But it feels like there were important developments occurring in the show world while the filler was going on that we didn’t get to see. Like I stepped out of a movie theatre to go do something to come back and find the story and characters have progressed w/out me. This development would never have been the development that was missed—this existed at least in draft form pre-lockdown, the content that they would have to cut would be future content. There is no reason I should feel like there’s a whole section of the show that I missed, bc there wouldn’t be any.

And yet there is this massive block of content that is just… Not there.

That might be a believable leap for some people. But, esp considering the characters involved, it sure as hell is not for me.

[theskyexists]

Spyfall part 1 (spoilers)

Ok so.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I really was.

I thought this was going to be another disaster ( which for me watching a chibs ep means: I am stewing in frustration during and afterwards I think what in the heck was that,  it doesn’t make ANY sense)

I appreciate how the trailer (the good one) was almost completely taken from this first episode - that was well done. I’m not as happy that the motorbiking was much more fun and cool in the trailer than the episode in which it didn’t really involve any stakes only reinforced by all the bullets hitting the motorbikes - harmlessly??

I have to say - that twist. Uh.............???? All I could think was, really? REALLY?? Already? Huh?? I couldn’t believe it. I literally was like - surely not. You’re not now implying this. How can you reboot Missy after ONE series break? That’s really...like, it did not feel right. And I’ll be honest, I was just straight up disappointed by a male Master. Then I thought, well, maybe we’re going to get a worthy opponent for the Doctor.....? :/

However, I like the actor. He gave O a lot of humanity - interestingly. Like O as a character - bit sad he doesn’t exist.

I actually liked the directing, i noticed that the very, very up close stuff - it now really gave a little more subtle panic vibe. The music was.

The pace seemed high to me - so check. Chibs fixed a big problem of mine.

Lots of character moments. Check. Though not being a native speaker and having no access to subtitles i had to really listen very VERY hard for those interactions. I liked the ‘iced tea - possibly.’

We briefly get to find out how the companions are dealing with travelling in combination with their regular lives. Check. Alright then. Graham even discusses it - the temporal disorientation.

The companions are PUT IN DANGER. check, fuckin hell finally. There’s just a bit of suspense in this.

Loved the decided focus on Yaz and Ryan. Check. Ryan being a normal kid not trained for this shit and Yaz smoothing the conversation, taking risks, asking sharp questions, modelling herself after the Doctor - I really like how they contrasted that.

I suspect Ryan casually noticing the weird statue in the glass case is going to be relevant however. (if not - sigh)

Really really liked how Chibs really worked at NOT undercutting the Doctor -  giving her clear moments of authority and genius and unaffectedness as the Doctor is supposed to get.  ‘i got an upgrade’ and having the Doctor chewing people out, interrogating them, negotiating with them - WITHOUT getting self-conscious or self-deprecating - lots of confidence - all of that helped along by multiple special agents coming for the Doctor - implying the need for more force, C mistaking Graham (i like that lil moment) but losing his argument to her, O being such a fan, and the Doctor sassing so much - he really worked on rendering her authority.

He only put in two moments:  ‘I don’t understand’ and ‘I think it’s laughing at you Doc’ - ‘I know that!’ which was so similar to the Tsuranga Conundrum I guess Chibs is going to buckle down on this specific stuff (and I can see how the Doctor sometimes simply admitting to not knowing might be a deliberate and interesting choice) - well if it’s balanced like this it’s alright. NOT so happy about this RANDOM SPY DUDE telling her to go back inside - which is clearly something Chibs wanted to emphasise AGAIN because that bit was completely isolated, that she should listen to other people - always just your regular self-sacrificial well-meaning men!!! (turns out lol they always get killed if she listens to them but the narrative doesn’t acknowledge that.) And i Hate it.

Also actually, that ‘i don’t understand’ was about multiple earths, and she’d just heard that the aliens were going to conquer the ‘universe’, implying they were from somewhere else. Like, if the very normal viewer (me) can see the writing on the wall, then why the fuck can’t the Doctor. I just wish Chibs would stop emphasising his need for his character not to figure out the plot at that moment - at great cost to the character and accompanying power fantasy.

Most of all, I thought the acting was great. Jodie built in a LOT more calm and authority (the script explicitly allowed her that) but also lots of quirkiness. Graham really got a wonderful supporting role dynamic with the Doctor as he does at his best - emphasising her go go go attitude and genius, and Yaz got to have a near-death experience. Bit weirded out that once again, it’s not the Doctor who deals with the fallout of a mission which she’d explicitly sent Yaz on. I also got some VERY ominously heterosexual vibes from Ryan and Yaz there....mostly because of the sister angle.... hmmmm

I liked the topicalness of ‘VOR’ and the dependence of national governments on their expertise and resources but I have no idea where it’s going or whether Chibs just wanted to point out: yeah tech giants (esp google) are powerful. kay. true.

Liked the Doctor doing some computer stuff bc it tickled that women programming narrative.

Loved Graham and Ryan bantering. Loved the moment in the TARDIS with the creatures getting in and Yaz pulling Doctor to attention. Loved the moment that the Doctor was playing a totally different game from blackjack extremely seriously. hahaha. strangely enough loved the moment between O and Yaz in the casino as well though I don’t know what it means. Maybe nothing. (MAYBE YAZ BECOMES THE MASTER)

Anyway as a viewer who’s not super good at theorising - i was like.....????????

A lot of stuff is uh - strange. e.g. Why can the scanner identify 93% human dna but not the 7% alien (or whatever it is) dna? Not sure why Yaz would be able to wipe the camera images of them from a distance (???) but then Barton got them recovered no probs. The car stuff took a bit too long but eh. I also in retrospect have no idea why they’d try to assassinate them via car. Also let’s not talk about everybody sprinting at the same speeds as a plane during take-off.

Anyway. The ‘monsters’ sure are - not exactly scary - but a bit typical. I liked the implication of them not being from this universe bc it’s a bit different. But if the Master is in league with them it’s uhhhh well it’s quite typical. I enjoyed this episode riffing on the spy genre. That is to say, they carried it off - watching the preview i was like...why spies??? but they asked the same question and it worked.

I feel like it would have been possible to make this a little bit more scary, just a little bit more scary. I appreciate that them playing with the lights was supposed to be  that - but surely there’s a more scary way to represent creatures not from this universe - for horror purposes? there is such a primal fear you can tap into.

ANYWAY

the Master literally spelling out ‘everything you know isn’t real’ or whatever makes me feel hopeful about this being not just the face of it all. Multiple universes, multiple masters?, and Yaz got hella zapped and then zapped right back into the midst of the team? interesting huh....

what a weird episode to start off a season with and whether he makes it work or not - that IS quite brave.

forgot to say: they really love instantly killing off their famous guest actors. think Fry did quite a good job with what he got.

also one more thing i LOVED; the Doctor threw herself against the door of the cockpit when the bomb went off in some sort of attempt to protect her companions. wanted that from the Sonic Bomb in Tsuranga (it just fit) and glad i got it here.

when part 2 gets here i might still think: what in the heck that didn’t make ANY sense.

[hoshiumies]

Nique didn’t even do anything, so why are you telling people to stop interacting with her?

i was actually planning to make a post about it since ppl keep asking me, so i guess i can just make it here, myself.

but like, when nique first announced they were doing a catfish episode, i had defended them and also tried to comfort them, because people were being kind of disproportionate in making fun of them, esp when the entire episode wasn’t centred around the rpc or anything, they were just talking about it. so i completely gave them the benefit of the doubt because i had assumed that this thing would be about her and her struggles, especially about her r/s with alice.

come the date of the actual catfish episode, and it borderline triggered me, like. real hard. you can handle or interpret it however you’d like, but the way i, and the people i was watching it, were seeing it, it seemed really gaslight-y and guilt-trippy on nique’s part. which, don’t get me wrong, i know they were anxious and they were feeling a lot of difficult emotions because of stuff like alice having different phone numbers, or not wanting to video chat, and especially when she told her not to come to LA.

however. however – all of these things were things they could have directly come to alice about, instead of taking it to national tv. when i watched the part where they called alice and she said she couldn’t do this on tv and begged them not to come to LA, it was very obvious that she was having some sort of anxiety attack and whatnot.

and while i understand this wasn’t their intention, the fact that they all still went to LA anyway, and asked alice again to meet up, made it seem very much so like she had no choice but to say “yes”, because how the hell do you say no to that request when it’s being made on tv ???

don’t get me wrong, i do think it was sweet that nev said they could go to LA for themself and not for alice, but imagine yourself in that kind of situation as alice: if you said no in that kind of situation, could you imagine how people would react to that, or regard you as a terrible person ?? hell, people are STILL doing that, even though alice did talk it out with nique in the episode.

which brings me to the entirety of the situation.

i don’t know or care if this was staged, like nique has claimed.

if it was staged, then i still don’t think this kind of behaviour, especially on tv, was okay. it was subtly geared towards gaslighting alice ( and alice even says herself she didn’t want to say a hard ‘no’ to nique in fear of embarrassing her on live tv, but she was saying ‘no’s multiple times, which nique still interpreted as ‘maybe’s or ‘yes’s ), and is representative of a very toxic mindset. all of these problems could have been solved if nique had literally just talked to alice about it.

but i really don’t think it was staged – not what with what’s been happening after the matter.while i don’t want to divulge what has been happening on alice’s end, i do know that nique has more or less stood by while terrible things have been happening to her, and is instead liking / retweeting tweets bashing alice.what makes me the most alarmed, however, is that nique is straight up blocking everybody who so much as points out that the way they interpreted her behaviour in the episode was not a positive interpretation.

because to me, the way i interpreted it, is that while nique’s emotions and distress involving the situation were 100% valid, they should NOT have completely violated alice’s boundaries like that, especially on national tv. and now alice is receiving the blowback for all of this.

i get that mtv might have changed some things or anted up certain aspects for the drama, but the fact of the matter is, nique is not letting anyone come to their own conclusion about things. and if the general consensus among people in the rpc who have seen this is that this kind of blatant disregard of consent is unacceptable, and the entire situation was geared towards only attacking alice for situations that she had no idea were even happening in the first place ( aka she legitimately had no idea nique was even into her AND BEFORE YOU BRING UP the fact that they shared certain “pictures” with one another, i want to remind you that it’s not that unusual for friends–especially lgbtq+ members, whose entire existence relies on us disrupting determined binaries and expectations in society–to send nudes to one another. like, i have a friend who straight up will post random nudes on her priv twitter to affirm herself. additionally, nique is a sex worker; they should also be aware that not every picture of that nature sent to someone is in a romantic sense. yes, it’s definitely charged in something, i won’t lie, and i don’t blame nique for seeing it as a romantic gesture, but like i said — COMMUNICATION ), then maybe that’s indicative of a larger problem.

yeah, the situation was kinda sucky. alice and nique both should’ve communicated better.but please don’t try to tell me nique did nothing wrong when multiple people have claimed that their actions in that episode were indicative of past abusers in their lives.