#just one of those people who talk at length about drama going on and the more they talk the more you're like....i think you are the problem

[tobiasdrake]

Fun Fact: Even in space, ACAB.

Let's talk about Jaco: The Galactic Patrolman, a somewhat more obscure manga compared to Dragon Ball that Akira Toriyama wrote in its setting.

For the most part, this is a short and fairly simple story. It's primarily a character drama, with the developing relationship between Jaco and the scientist Omori as its central focus.

The manga is surprisingly vague about its connections to Dragon Ball for nearly all of its length, until its final chapter. Jaco is here on Earth to thwart some vague threat sent to the planet from a world of hostile aliens. It's only at the end of the manga that we learn he's talking about Goku.

Galactic Patrol detected an Attack Ball leaving Planet Vegeta and making its way to Earth, so they sent Jaco to... assess the situation and then make a decision about whether or not to do anything.

In his defense, the Saiyans are the most powerful race in the universe. I can understand why he doesn't want to fuck with a full-grown Saiyan warrior. Nobody wants to fuck with a full-grown Saiyan warrior. The most that the finest police force in the universe can do against Saiyans is to try and nip them in the bud when they're babies.

It's interesting that Galactic Patrol doesn't have Scouter technology. I wonder if that proprietary? Frieza might have a patent.

But at the same time, I don't want to be too sympathetic to Jaco because. Well. He sucks.

Galactic Patrol sucks. That's kind of the bit. Jaco is a self-absorbed little shit, utterly devoid of empathy or compassion for the people he polices. He's stranded on Earth right now because he wasn't watching the road while driving.

Jaco's a prick, but what little we learn about Galactic Patrol as a whole doesn't make them sound much better.

This one time Jaco accidentally pressed the Extinction Bomb when he wasn't supposed to and wiped out a planet. Hoo boy, was his boss mad! Gave him a real talking to before giving him another Extinction Bomb and putting him back on patrol.

Universe isn't going to police itself, y'know. Someone's gotta be out there very occasionally trying to stop those real estate genocides.

For his part, Jaco's in it for the aesthetic. He likes the image of being a cop, and he spends his time practicing looking cool for when he presumably dispenses justice upon the criminal element.

But his interactions with the common people are filled with condescension and menace.

Like I said, this is the bit. Jaco is a self-important thug with a badge, with the initial conflict stemming as much from trying to keep him from doing something awful to the community under his jurisdiction as from trying to solve his problem.

Ostensibly here to protect Earth from the impending arrival of a Saiyan threat, he is as much a threat to this community as the invader he's here to assess. Without Omori there to guide him, he'd be killing people left and right.

He fits in pretty well with the cast of Dragon Ball, many of whom at least begin their tenure with a degree of amorality to them. Omori himself is a bitter misanthrope ironically thrust into the position of having to convince Jaco not to kill people.

And then there's the manga's biggest Dragon Ball connection: The introduction of Tights.

Any reader who's been picking up on the Dragon Ball-ness of this universe will know immediately where Tights came from. Her name pun gives the game away. Just like how the final chapter clarifies Jaco's target as the young Goku, we get to see the familiar faces of Tights's family as well.

Bulma basically solves the entire plot singlehandedly.

Even as a little kid, the universe's greatest heretic remains unparalleled in the field of game-breaking super-intelligence. Bulma OP do not nerf.

Again, this speaks to how little of the manga is actually about the plot. If this were a story-driven manga, having a character from another manga show up in the final issue and solve the plot in the span of two pages would be pretty disappointing. But since the plot is just an excuse to make these characters interact with one another, it doesn't really matter.

We aren't here for the story; We're here for the relationship between Jaco, Omori, and Tights. With that in mind, Baby Bulma waddling up and going "I fixed the spaceship; Are you stupid or something?" is hysterical.

For her part, Tights lives up to her family legacy of being super-brilliant.

She graduated from college at 16. She's a genius like the rest of the family. What she's not is interested in science and technology. Possibly as a justification for why we've never heard of her before, Tights goes against the mold for her family.

She honestly seems like something of a free spirit. She lives in East City when we meet her, famously the city that Nappa wiped off the map, while Capsule Corp and Bulma's family are out in West City. Rather than a scientist, she works as a body double for a famous pop idol.

As a publicity stunt, they're going to launch an idol into space. Tights's job is to impersonate the idol so she can die in the inevitable disaster instead. She is bizarrely chill with being paid a huge sum of money to get stupidly killed. Much like Bulma, Tights has a terrible sense of self-preservation and is willing to take on incredible risk for the sake of achieving a personal goal.

Tights is the best character in the manga. An aspiring sci-fi novelist who agreed to probably die in space for the sake of the experience. This family gives zero fucks.

And then there's Omori himself.

Despite its title, Omori is basically the main character of this manga. He's the one whose life situation is most heavily scrutinized. This is his status quo that Jaco and Tights enter. Similarly, Omori is the character who undergoes personal transformation as his experiences with Jaco and Tights help him find hope in connections with other people again.

The three characters click really well together. So well, in fact, that Dragon Ball would end up recycling the setup of Super Alien/Crotchety Old Man/Spunky Young Woman for one of the best dynamics they ever wrote.

This is not a copy/paste; Cheelai, Leemo, and Broly are all distinctly separate characters. but you can still feel the barebones aesthetic of Tights, Omori, and Jaco in their dynamic.

So. Yeah. Overall, for what it is, it's a cute little short story about a group of characters just living lives in the world of Dragon Ball. It's the kind of thing that the franchise needs more of, and still does to this day: An opportunity to flesh out the universe a little but also just to let us live in it through the eyes of someone else.

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 鬓边不是海棠红/Winter Begonia

Winter Begonia is the tale of the intertwined lives of a wealthy, westernized businessman and a bratty, dramatic Peking Opera performer as they navigate the historical landscape of 1930s China.

It is a slow historical ramble of a show, to the point where I couldn't really say it has a single plot. Events just happen in their lives, and the show follows them with a pleasant steadiness. Characters go away, and sometimes they come back. Interpersonal conflicts rise and then get resolved. Sometimes you just get to sit and watch part of an opera happen. The last third of the show develops a slightly more cohesive narrative, but even then, it's still mostly a loose constellation of events related to larger goings-on in the culture.

So if you're looking for tight plots and fast-paced action, you'll want to look somewhere else. But if you're the kind of person who likes to wrap up sometimes in a gentle warm blanket of a beautiful show, I have five reasons you should give this one a try.

1. Oh, they're in love

Perhaps the most notable thing about Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui is that they spend the entire show smiling at one another, staring longingly at one another, and/or making each other laugh.

A lot of danmei couples depend on having at least one partner who, if not outright tsundere, is at least stoically long-suffering -- which is romantic, sure, but also exhausting in real life. These two read about as married as any danmei pair I've ever seen because they make one another smile all the time. They're incredibly touchy and affectionate from basically the moment they meet. They're not just in love, they actually like one another.

Now, don't get me wrong: These two are both absolute exhausting gremlins who deserve one another so they don't have to be anyone else's problems. But they're good-natured enough about their respective gremlin natures that when one of them lets loose with his rascality, the other tends to think it's hilarious.

They don't even have the mandated danmei breakup! They're never mad at one another for more than the length of an episode. Most of the time they're just refreshingly normal about one another (or, you know, about as normal as two drama queens can be). And when they're being not normal about one another, it's because the circumstances they are currently enduring are not normal either.

They're so in love that by the time you get to the last episode, everyone in their lives is like, gee, those two sure are in love. For the main couple in a Chinese-censored BL adaptation? That's pretty darn in love.

2. The costumes!!!

Of course I have to gush over the costumes. Several major characters are professional opera performers, and their wardrobes are just stunning in complexity and detail -- and accuracy, apparently.

But they're not even where all of the wardrobe budget went! Everyone looks great, from the dapper upper class to the household servants to the street performers.

I also can't get over how everyone looks so cozy in their winter outfits. The show really wants to hammer home how cold Beijing is, and so most non-opera clothes are either heavily quilted or furry. Not a single outfit in this show is slimming (except maybe for some of the gorgeous gowns Cheng Meixin wears). It's all about conserving body heat, which means a lot of people walk around basically wearing mildly tailored quilts all the time. I love it. I envy it.

3. Oops! All bottoms!

This is a show of very soft men. It helps that very many of them have spent their whole lives playing female roles, but even those that haven't tend to be pretty darn soft.

(And I'm not even talking about the way people keep handing Cheng Fengtai babies and he loves it.)

Du Luocheng and Shang Xirui are absolutely what happens when you get two soft gay guys who are kinda into one another, but they're both too lazy to top, so they just become best friends instead.

Fan Lian stands as a testament to how you can be the only heterosexual in the show and still be soft as hell.

The old married gays. Softness level: off the charts.

Chen Renxiang's role is that of the opera frenemy, and he's incredibly soft about it. (This actor is also apparently in the Sha Po Lang live-action adaptation! Maybe someday it will be released...)

Opera underling La Yuehong hardens up later in the show, but even when he does, there's still a tragic softness to it.

Even the baddies are soft! Pretty much all the rival opera bitches fall into the "love to hate" category -- and nearly all of them win at least some sympathy from you before they leave the story for good.

There's one more soft boy whose presence surprised me, and that is Xue Zhicheng/Kujo Kazuma, a sympathetic Japanese character. Every other Japanese character in the show is sinister somehow -- not surprising, considering the drama is set during the brutal Japanese occupation of Beiping/Beijing.

But this little guy is a gentle, well-meaning opera fan who just wants to watch his favorite performers! When his actions cause trouble, it's only because he's so well-meaning that he couldn't see how anyone could disapprove of his attempts at cross-cultural undertanding. He even comes to the rescue a few times, at significant personal cost!

Moreover, the show uses him to make it clear that there's a difference between the Japanese occupying force and Japanese people and culture. In fact, the show is pretty critical of people who conflate the two and use interest in the latter as evidence of support of the former. That is not a level of nuance I've seen from other dramas set in this time period, and I was pleased to see it.

In conclusion, the critial war shortage in 1930s Beijing was not food or medicine or ammunition, but tops.

4. A whole lotta ladies

Again, not even counting the fact that one of the two main guys, many of his buddies, all of his heroes, and several of the antagonists professionally dress as women.

The most notable of them is Cheng Fengtai’s wife, Fan Xiang'er. They've been married for years by the time the show starts, and they have a son together. Theirs is an arranged marriage that they've managed to make work so well that they've actually wound up liking one another ... most of the time. Remember what I said earlier about his being exhausting? She knows that better than anyone.

(Sidebar: If you are uncomfortable with a love story where one of the participants is canonically married to someone else, this may be one you want to skip. That said, there are several male characters in this show who have multiple wives and/or mistresses, so the metric of what counts as infidelity in this setting is ... loose.)

Beyond her, though, there are many more female supporting characters in this show, from all different socioeconomic levels, in all different kinds of situations.

A caveat: Some of the women (one in particular) are at times frustrating as hell because they're too often written as jealous shrews who believe all the terrible gossip they hear and act on it without having actual adult conversations with anyone first. I dislike this trope, mostly because it relies on making some smart women artificially very stupid for the sake of forwarding the plot. I have little patience for situations that could have been solved five episodes ago if somebody had just been willing to ask clarifying questions.

That said, I can't be too mad about that, because there are many, many more women who are not written like that. Some of them are good and loyal! Some are sneaky and self-interested! Some are callous and manipulative! Some are meek and traumatized! Some make terrible decisions! Some make terrible decisions but, like, you get it! You know, just like in real life?

The answer to better representation is almost always more representation. When a character is the only one of whatever they are, everything they do is kind of an indictment of that category, especially when that category has a history of stereotypical negative representation. When there are several others, the characters stop being representatives of that category and start being just plain characters.

5. It just feels good to watch

Don't misunderstand: This is not a happy fun time show where everything in sunshine and roses all the way down. There are plenty of tense and emotional parts. Not everyone we like makes it out of the drama alive. Not all love stories get a happily ever after. People disappoint one another all the time. Awful things happen when soldiers occupy civilian populations. Poverty is a bitch.

But the show itself remains a nice viewing experience. It's absolutely a feast for the senses, what with all the music and costumes and sets and props and old-fashioned cars and everything.

The story is very straightforward. It's never trying to do any complex schemes or mislead you before some big reveal. I imagine this could be a good show to put on in the background while you're doing something else. You're never going to be too desperately confused about what's going on if you zone out for a minute -- and if you are, just hang on for a bit, because by next episode, it'll probably be onto whatever storyline comes next.

I have not read the novel, and I cannot judge anything against its standards. However, my friend who has read parts of the novel tells me that the adaptation is much preferable, because in the novel, you get to hear everyone's internal narration -- and everyone's internal narration makes it clear they're all bratty, insufferable assholes. That is not the case here! Or, rather, they are often bratty and/or insufferable, but from outside their heads, it's a lot more charming.

Finally, it's legitimately a very good love story. Shang Xirui is the only person in Cheng Fengtai's life who loves him for who he is, not what someone else needs him to be. Cheng Fengtai goes from being enraptured by this beautiful little weirdo to basically wanting to wife him. They spend a lot of time taking care of one another, sometimes in the only ways they know how. They're capable of operating independently -- there are several episodes where their storylines diverge completely -- but they'd prefer not to. They've just each found their soulmate, and that's all there is to it. (The red thumbprint in the palm is about the most romantic thing I've ever seen.)

I'm a little surprised by how little I hear English-speaking fandom talk about this one, especially since (see below) it's a widely available, high-budget show that even has a Shang Xirui figurine, and there's no question about how in gay love these two are. But if you hop over to AO3, there's only 257 works total in the Winter Begonia tag, a scant 57 of which are in English, and if you've tried looking into the Winter Begonia tag on Tumblr, you know it's pretty quiet 'round here.

I can't be sure, but I'd assume that's partly because this is both a) a relatively low-stakes drama, and b) so enmeshed with actual historical events and concepts that you'd have to do at least a baseline amount of research before making any fan media. I would imagine that for some folk, this is a barrier to entry.

And it is 49 slow, gentle episodes long. I saw Tumblr posts asking which episodes are important, because the posters don't want to or can't commit to watching the whole thing. But the answer is ... all of them? none of them? There's no plot you'd be getting or missing with specific episodes. There are very few things I can think of that would even qualify as spoilers. It's just a walk through a couple very eventful years in the main pair's lives. I understand if folk aren't up for that, but if you are, this is really a gem.

Have I convinced you to give it a try?

I would say that Winter Begonia is perhaps the most easily watchable of any c-drama I've come across. Here's where you can find it:

iQiyi

Viki

Amazon Prime

YouTube

We watched most of it on YouTube, where the subs were perfectly fine. However, there was one episode where we had to switch platforms because the English subs were all out of synch, so we went to Amazon and they were fine there too. Other than that, I don't really have a sense of which translation experience is the best. Try them all!

(PS: If you feel like putting on a tinfoil hat, I'm just going to say, they look at one another like that in real life, too.)

[cheesecakeluvrs]

Why are X-men relationships so messy?

I want to mostly talk about Jean and Scott and Rogue and Gambit since the internet is getting mad at everyone in those four (except for Gambit)

Now the main reason these relationships are so messy is that it’s Marvel comics, hard to find something not messy. They need an interesting story and they most definitely go the lengths to get exactly that

But I feel like another big reason is due to the isolation of mutants. They have not been able to go out and experience relationships to learn and grow

Now Jean and Scott have been together for a long time. Their romance started there day they first met and has since been going strong… well kinda. Both Scott and Jean have not dated other people and had the opportunity to grow for each other. Most relationships take the experience of past ones and use them to grow. While I can’t say the amount of drama is usual for people who have only been with the same person some of it makes sense when you put it in the marvel comics lens. In these ‘97 episodes Scott and Jean have been tested due to their immaturity when it comes to romance. While it could end any way I do still have hope for the two and believe that they will be able to overcome this because they are both very much in the wrong

Now I have talked A LOT about Rogue and Gambit but the more people I see talking smack about Rogue and calling her a “bop” the more I need to defend them. Now Gambit has definitely had much more experience when it comes to romance compared to Rogue and I feel like that’s where a lot of his understanding for her comes from. Unlike a lot of people on the internet he is able to be patient with her until she is able to understand her own feelings. While he would like to have a relationship with her he does understand the struggle that she is going through. Now that’s not to say Gambit is completely not in the wrong because his flirting in the original was just more reminders that she is not able to touch the man she loves. Now when it comes to Rogue she has the romantic maturity of a thirteen year old girl. I’m not even saying that as an insult she just hasn’t experienced a proper relationship since she was thirteen. We see her flirt with others but when it comes to an actual relationship that’s where we see her struggle in ‘97. Her whole world has revolved around not touching people and since she hasn’t gone out and been with people due to her thinking that she can’t be in a relationship without touching someone she hasn’t been able to learn that that’s not what a relationship is about. The only way she is able to learn that she doesn’t need this is if she has it… and of course that’s where Magneto and the dance comes in.

Now moving onto Magneto I mentioned this a little in my post about how toxic Rogue and his relationship is but it definitely feels like he’s taking advantage of Rogues romantic immaturity. Unlike Gambit he never tries to show her that there is more to a relationship than just intimacy he is just using the fact that she is so desperate for intimacy to get with her

I don’t know what my thing is with making a post right before a new episode comes out but it’s about Storm and Forge so maybe I’ll write something tomorrow morning

[tuliptic]

You As A Famous Person

I swear to god I have every intention in the world to make this a short one but welp I guess questions just naturally flow out from my Gemini Moon brain. Guess this will be a middle length reading so yeah let’s go!

Now. Breathe in with me, and then breathe out. And then look down.

Pile 1    -     Pile 2

Pile 3    -     Pile 4

Disclaimer: This is solely for my entertainment purposes. Take only whatever that you feel like it. If it doesn’t resonate, it’s okay to just drop it. That aside, I do not consent to my work or images used here to be used by third parties on this platform or other websites.

Decks used: Luna Cat Tarot Deck (Major Arcana), Linestrider Tarot Deck, Sweet Dreams Oracle Deck, Starcodes Astro Oracle Deck, self made lyrics deck.

Pile 1

Overall theme of querent: The World

You’re giving me the vibe that you’re someone who’s at a comfortable place right now, where things have pretty much fallen in place and you’re in a sense, enjoying what life’s giving to you. I’m also seeing that you’ve probably worked hard so that things fall in place, and now you’re enjoying the feeling of success, and ready to pick up more challenges in the future.

You As A Famous Person:

You’ll be a star. That’s it. Maybe not so well received? but still a Star, nonetheless. I’m seeing something more actor than singer/artist.

I’m seeing something like… Family issues? That has brought you to the eyes of others. I’m somehow seeing scenes of like… Your family attempted to use your fame in a negative way and you got so tired of it that you’ve cut ties with them and yet they continue to pester you, saying that you’re not kind to your own family, and this and that. The cliche drama. They tried exposing you as someone negative but you have your own set of evidence and you turned the tables. But yeah, that raised your fame and people just got to know you from that.

I see that the scandal above happened during the peak of your career. And I feel like your manager is someone who knows how to use these uhhh… News? Lemme rephrase myself. You’ve gained quite an attention with what has happened, and your manager used that to get more roles for you (if you’re an actor) or to get more advertisement contracts for you during then. You’ve probably been painted as the victim and people tend to sympathise more, resulting in more… Traction? I hope I’m working this correctly.

People, especially the public would think that your uhhh fame came at the wrong time. They probably will feel a lil pity for you. It’s like… You have great works that should be significant, to lead you to proper fame, to let those works represent you, not to let your family past represent you. It’s like,,, when people talk about you, it should be “Oh yeah that person who sang for the Opening of Concert!” and not “Oh that person whose family’s an ass” kinda thing.

Your supporters/fans are drawn to you because of how open you are with your life. You tend to share the ups and downs, telling them that you’re also human. You inspire them to be able to face their fears, to understand that people on the top also face hardships, especially mental and emotional ones. This transparent side of you resonates with your fans and this is how you gain more and more supporters.

Your fame brought some form of burdens to you? But you are glad for them. Because through your fame, you’re able to help a lot of people who have similar problems as you. You’re determined to set a good (read: great) example, an inspiration to those who are suffering, who are going through a similar shit as you in the past. There’s a nurturing side in you that tries to reach out to those who are in pain, and you may use your wealth to help charity. It’s a tough battle but you’re still charging ahead to achieve your defined victory.

Overall energy: The Emperor, Wheel of Fortune rx

You see yourself as the emperor, someone who’s wise and in charge of your own life, of your own destiny. You’ve been through not so nice times, but you’re still able to steer yourself back to the path with better clarity. You expand your existing knowledge and have faith in the unknown, believing the best will show up in wondrous and unexpected ways.

Pile 2

Overall theme of querent: Justice

You’re… Yeah you like the themes of justice and usually will uphold it whenever and wherever you can. You’re also someone who’d focus on balance. Let’s say someone treated you to a meal, you’ll find any chance possible to treat that person back. It will be at the back of your head until you’ve returned the favour. You also seem to be able to see through a person easily.

You As A Famous Person:

I’m seeing that you’ll be an author. You’re good with words and may write stories, poems, screen write some of the legendaries.

The works that you’ve done touches the feminine soul. I’m seeing a lot of feminine energy. Maybe your works have talked about the tendency and delicacy of the soul, the beauty of pain and journeying through it, how clear the sounds of mornings are like, and stuff like that. There’s something soft here that I can’t put into words. Your works just have that. Maybe poetry. Yeah, sounds about it. This poem you’ve written touched the souls of so many. Yet, something this beautiful came from the broken shards of your soul.

Your fame will come to you maybe 20 years later? It sounds late but then again, writing is something lifelong, you’ll prolly spend the rest 50 years continuing writing, not only cuz that’s your occupation, but also your passion, your comfort. I would say that would be around the middle of your career? Cuz your fame will continue to rise, more and more people will know of your name.

People will think of you highly. You’re very eloquent with your words, and they evoke a really calm and serene vibe among your readers. It’s just… I don’t know how to describe it. The words are gentle, flowy, calming. Your readers immerse in your story easily and they are the type who’d turn to your works for comfort. Your name is well known among all ages because your works are for all ages. You may have even written some stories for kids and some motivational non-fictions. Yet your works that tell the stories across various lands are the ones that are the people’s favourites. 

Your works are so beautiful that people tear up, crying in the night as they flip to the next page of your book. Comfort and healing is what you’ve brought to them. You bring tranquillity and harmony. Your words are like needles, sewing up the broken hearts, piecing up the scattered souls. Your readers may cry, but your works tell them about the existence of light, of daybreak, of the future that’s just slightly further away. They pull your readers out of the darkness, giving them strength and hope to go through the days that may seem so dark.  

You’ve gotten more independent and know what style you’ve wanted to approach. Despite your flowy and soothing words, you’ve gotten more and more rational, knowing your boundaries better, knowing who to trust and who to not. There will be more and more energy vampires around you who’d try to feed on your fame and success, and you’ve learnt how to differentiate them from those who are close to you. You’re ready to act on your passions and dreams and let them lead you through your career, but not towards the people who’re waiting to take advantage of you. 

Overall energy: The Moon, Three of Wands

There’s a gentleness here that works together with a fiery and active nature. This pile is someone who can enjoy their own presence, and also can enjoy the times hanging out with their friends, someone who’s pretty balanced. This pile also may be attracting a lot of good relationships into their lives, probably some sort of collaboration will be happening in real life or collaboration as an author. Weirdly I’m also seeing song writing so some of you may be interested in this?

Pile 3

Overall theme of querent: The Star rx

I’m feeling that you’re kinda down right now, with the stress of whatever that’s been going on with your life? Like… You can’t really see the light of the tunnel and maybe you’ve been anxious? Relax, have faith, know that things that are meant to be yours will come to you.

You As A Famous Person:

Weirdly I thought of Subway Masters from Pokemon Black and White, so maybe a gamer/streamer? You’re prolly the type of person who’d wanted to play games/create content all the time and decided to make content based on your interest. It was difficult because you’re betting on everything. You’ve fought hard and continued until you started to see the results you’ve wanted to see. 

Your persistence and the number of contents you have made you famous. You’ve probably tried and streamed horror games and either passed it with an expressionless face or you were screeching the entire while. But consistency is here. Your fans have been enjoying your content and may have made memes out of certain screenshots and… Yeah there’s no turning back. Remember the doge face? Miette? That cat at the table with the eh face? Something like that that made you iconic.

I’m seeing that you’ve gotten this fame when you’re at a lower point of your career. Not to say lowest, but pretty low. Probably a meme or a short video of you streaming has gone wild and it expanded your career. I’m seeing that this happened and caught you out of nowhere. You’re shocked and you don’t know how to process this new found fame and your old fans/viewers had fun watching you suck at games/your streams because of how you’re not used to the influx of new viewers. But after a while you got used to it and was able to get back to how you usually stream.

Somehow, I feel that your fame is something that’s very satisfying, like a wish had come true. If you’ve been wishing success on this road, then yeah you’ve very much achieved it. And people around you actually are pleasantly surprised with how your career turned out, and they are happy for you. Your fame also brought some abundance to you which you gladly share with those you care about. I’m also seeing that there’s a chance of you expanding your field of contents as well? Maybe not just game streaming, but also some other streaming or game dev?

Your fans/viewers are drawn to how charismatic you are. You’re well aligned and dynamic, knowing what to say and what to not, where you stand and where you head. Your visions are well placed and you honour everything in your life, the good and the bad, and your fans/viewers know about it. You work with your dreams to reach your highest good. Your highest good here doesn’t mean your fame, but your best in your career, and your best in your life.

Your fame has made you ambitious and you’ve wanted to manage your channel well. You’ve also learnt to think on your toes faster, instead of following a planned SOP. Companies may find you wanting to sponsor you on certain things but you are selective of who you wanna voice for. I’m seeing that you’re attempting to spread more awareness in your streams and maybe include certain messages in your streams as well.

Overall energy: Strength, The Magician

There’s some strength here in the sense of persistence. I think that this persistence is how you’ve proceeded with streaming until you’ve reached a certain burst of fame. There’s this phase of transition from the quiet you to a slightly more talkative, charming you. There’s also some air energy here so there may be times where you gotta think of an answer or a reply on the spot. Thinking energy for future content planning as well.

Pile 4

Overall theme of querent: The Magician

You’re someone who’s sociable but also I’m seeing that you’re capable of doing a lot of things? Something like Jack of All Trades? You have a lot of interest in a lot of things, and you tend to easily pick up on things and continue with it for quite some time before you catch on to another thing that interests you. It’s kinda like rinse and repeat, but at least there will be some slight mastery here.

You As A Famous Person:

Manager. You know those business people who appear in magazines? Yeah that. I’m also seeing a star manager, so maybe you’ll be well sought after in the field of entertainment to manage their idols cuz of your connection, resources, and how protective you are of the idol you manage.

I’m seeing that you’ve risen to your fame because of your skills in damage control and companies have been wanting to recruit you to their company. See, a good manager fights for those who are under their wings. This. As a corporate manager, you’re known for getting sales and protecting those who may have caused blunders at certain intercompany meetings. As a star manager for celebs, you’re known for fighting for certain resources that are suitable for your idols.

I’m seeing that you’ll get famous somewhere early to mid career? Where you’ve gotten enough experience from this field. You have a keen sense of perception that somehow has fused together with your intuition and you’ve been working your ass off to be this person you’ve wanted to be. You’re okay with working at the frontlines or behind the scenes, as long as the desired results have been achieved. Tho your fame is more within the professional field, which means most of the public won’t know about you, but you’re also fine with it.

Your fame is pretty harmonious and that people would think highly of you. It’s like you enter other people’s life and pair up with them so that they can reach their highest point. Like I said in the previous paragraph, your fame is more within the professional field, but there may be chances of the public knowing you as you often appear beside your child/idol. Y’know, like that bodyguard beside IU? Yeah that kinda vibe.

Your passion towards your job is what draws your supporters to you. If you’re a star manager, the idol you’re managing will idolise you, no joke. You do your job well and manage things so well that people around you will be amazed by you. You do not give yourself any excuse and just try out everything and anything. If you’re a corporate manager, your team will look up to you, and you’ll also attract your partner company’s employees as well. That’s the charisma you hold.

There’s some sort of fatigue I’m seeing. There are too many competitions that you’ll need to deal with, may it be fighting for your idol or the company you’re representing. You just feel the tension in your back and your muscles, but you just push it away and continue working, continue striving. Sometimes, you just need to ask for help from people around you. You don’t need to put up the strong front all the time. Just allow yourself to be vulnerable at times. It’s alright.

Overall energy: The Star, Nine of Pentacles

You’re someone who has hope for whatever that’s happening in the future, in whatever you do. From this fame of yours, you probably will be able to accumulate a certain level of financial wealth, but also abundance in some other forms, for example, connections. You tend to inspire those who are learning under you and you help them to embrace the logical and creative side of them. You tend to bring good news to people around you as well, due to how hard you’ve worked.

[smahell]

otaku fm sinful sounds - the disappointing reply to the fans' outcry.

this morning i wake up to a notification from the obey me! official channel - a new otaku fm episode? celebrations. fantastic. i'd been waiting ever since i saw a photo of kada and yamashita back in the iconic studio. we hadn't received a new otaku fm episode for roughly two years, and of course, when a new one is announced there's going to be expectations surrounding that. expectations that will originate from the previous seasons and episodes.

so after watching the one which came out today, i was just genuinely disappointed.

"that's it?? that's the episode?"

you might even notice that the episode doesn't stay loyal to its usual 35-45 minutes format. in fact, anime and chill had the longest episodes, and is what I'd call "peak obey me™". these episodes are half that length. and i'm expecting the newer ones to be even shorter.

sinful sounds (ss).. was never advertised to be as short as almost the otaku fm mini series with the side character's vas-

even worse? the twenty minute time frame was meant to be shorter. they went overtime.

i'd totally understand if it was labelled 'otaku fm mini - sinful sounds', but this was meant to be a return to formula. with the abundance of paid content coming from solmare recently, this was meant to be something that those without dispensable income could actually enjoy. yes, it was also stated that listening to the asmr would "make the episode that much better", but assuming that i'd enjoy it regardless is an overstatement. whether you listened to the audio drama or not, this was just a disappointing way of coercing people who don't use twitter to listen to it. and another disappointing reminder of what obey me has become.

be warned - i talk about the actual episode here. so maybe go listen to it first before reading on.

yes, hearing the voice actors come back.. of course i'd love that. that's one of the main reasons i wanted it to come back. they even acknowledge how long it's been since the last time they did, but then it goes straight into "what is ASMR??"

like.. the fanbase is full of deluded white women /j .. i think we all know what it is!!! i guess it's helpful nonetheless, but then they're like:

"let's listen to a clip!!!"

hey...what?!?

(and said clip takes up a good chunk of the episode..)

my point is.. it's not really them gisting about anything. the whole thing just feels scripted and stiff. i don't feel that liveliness that i feel from rewatching previous episodes. sure, yes, asmr is meant to be calming and relaxing.. but that's not what i think of otaku fm. they're spoonfeeding me a product like it's baby food.

it's just a 20 minute ad. really.

some could say "well duh, that was the point of otaku fm, to advertise obey me and give more fan content!!"

then tell me, genuinely. did this episode give you any fan content of the vas or character that you've either already heard before OR content that really satiated you.

let's use anime and chill as an example. the anime and chill series was made to advertise the anime, but they didn't spend all the time talking about it. and you didn't exactly need to have the money to watch the anime to enjoy the whole thing. the voice actors themselves are performers. they're used to taking the reins on a project and creating an entertaining experience, which is why even though a segment is based on asking one question, we learn so much about them on a personal level. if a radio episode can make me feel like i'm chatting with two friends, then its done its job. this episode felt like watching two unskippable ads in a row on youtube. end me.

for me it's bringing up the question - all this paid content might just turning more fans away rather than bringing more in. i'm suspecting they've ben losing money since the decline in popularity after lockdown.

it's just making me think, well, five years in the future, will obey me as a game even survive? because trust me, after this disappointing episode, i'm starting to turn to ex and bee as my lord and saviour.

this isn't a diss at the voice actors at all. they were told and paid to do this, and they've done it perfectly well. this is more at a poke at the higher up executives calling the shots for this. because it always is- /hj

think i'm the only one who hates it? read this other post from another person on youtube who's also another avid fan of the voice actors. i might be repeating one or two of their points, but i saw this before i ever listened to ss, and trust me, it was a red flag for what was to come.

again, i'm not making this post because "arghhh i hate solmare i hate the vas".. no. i'm doing this because i can see that in another universe, this new series could've been amazing. it just falls flat. and i feel like it will continue falling flat until the developers and higher-ups behind this game acknowledge the scraps and and shreds of a fanbase the game has left.. i'm disappointed.

before you even begin praise this episode, listen to every single episode featuring sumi shinya, miura ayme, and/or takuhei yamamoto, laugh your heart out, then come back to this post. and mourn what has been taken from you.

[elfieafterdark]

I'm trying a thing, we getting a happy ending and here's why.

Preamble

Okay, @locked-in-the-tomb has me thinking about this. So let me outline why as a writer, I believe we're getting a griddlehark ending.

Firstly, credentials. I have written over a million words, 70+ works worth of fan fiction over the last 2 and 1/2 to 3 years. Including some that got pretty popular. However I will admit that I am not classically trained, I have a computer science degree not an English degree so bear with my horrible layman way of describing these things.

Lastly, I could just be full of shit. This could just be a whole bunch of cope. Because by the tomb I am coping so hard for a satisfying ending.

Beginning

So let's talk about the ending of the locked tomb. And also the beginning. I find my best received works are the ones that don't trick people.

An example would be my fanfiction called There's No One Like You, it's the most popular one I've ever done, it is novel length, it's a combination of a high school drama with a mystery thriller.

And I very clearly telegraph what the mystery is in the very first chapter. I won't spoil it too much just in case someone wants to read it, but in the first chapter is a very clear hint of where the story is going.

It's classic setup, you set something up, you telegraphed that it has been set up, you let it hang there for a bit, and then you pay it off. That's how you create a satisfying element to a story.

Now I'm going to argue that the entirety of Gideon the Ninth is setup. The entire book is, at its core, about Gideon and Harrow coming to terms with how they really feel about each other. What is my proof for such a bold claim?

Well let me ask you a question, what did we all think when we realized that Harrow spent all the previous night burying bones just so Gideon couldn't escape? We all thought the same thing, who the fuck would do that? And, why the fuck would you do that? And then we all got it, ahh, these two are enemies to lovers. Gotcha.

And let me ask you another question about Gideon the Ninth. What is the one scene that sticks out to you the most? When you think of the book what's one of the first scenes that comes to mind?

The Pool Scene.

The pool scene is arguably the most important scene in the entirety of the book. It's the scene in which we get answers to most of this book's mysteries. Why did 200 children die in the 9th? Why didn't Gideon die? Why was Harrow so vicious to Gideon?

All of these questions are answered, The 200 children were murdered to create Harrow, Gideon didn't die because the nerve gas had no effect on her, Harrow was so vicious to Gideon because Gideon was a reminder of what Harrow is.

Notice how most of those mysteries have to do with Harrow and Gideon. Because whatever themes you can extract from the story,

I would argue that Gideon the Ninth is about their relationship. They both need to come to terms with the shitty lives they've had, and they need to come to terms with the fact that those shitty lives aren't their fault.

Gideon forgives Harrow, and all but explicitly declares her love for her. In that pool, and Harrow is so happy. It's the emotional crux of the story (heh)

And it's setup for the series

If you haven't noticed, this series is about two people. Everyone else is incidental to that story. The series is about Gideon and Harrow. It's about their relationship.

Gtn is about them actually coming to a mutual understanding and respect. The very instant the other is in danger all of the pretense is dropped and that goes both ways.

Htn is all about everybody and everything telling Harrow that she should give up and move on, and her resoundingly telling everyone to fuck off. It's about the sacrifice she made to save Gideon's soul.

Now I've only seen Harrow mentioned twice in Nona so far, and both of those times are her hanging out with who I suspect to be God? I don't know I don't want to analyze that too far. We haven't seen Gideon at all so I'm not going to talk too much about Nona.

But the pool scene very clearly sets up the endgame, and that end game is cemented by the letter Harrow writes to Gideon, knowing that Gideon survives being consumed.

One Flesh, One End. Aka, I love you. I've talked about how this phrase is really a declaration of endlessly devoted love before, but they come to terms with their relationship, they sleep in adjacent beds which is as close to sleeping in the same bed as you can literally get without doing it, and they fight like hell to save the other.

Subverting Expectations: the Devil's Writing Trick

It's a pretty compelling setup isn't it? Fate has cruelly ripped them apart, and neither of them is willing to accept that, to the point that Gideon willingly became a part of Harrow; not to mention the point that Harrow is willing to lobotomize herself to preserve Gideon's soul.

That's a big setup, with Gideon's death, we understand the emotional conflict for the rest of the series. A conflict that is only confirmed by literally every single page of Harrow the Ninth.

How are they gonna fix this and be together? Remove all the awesome world building, remove all the excellent supporting characters, remove all of the religious theming, carve away all of the gay shit; and I earnestly believe that's what you have left.

How are they going to fix this? How are they going to be together? These are the questions that keep us all coming back. These are the questions that have us chomping at the bit for Alecto.

Now imagine after all that setup, after all that telegraphing, imagine that the answer to this question was

"they don't fuck you."

Let me ask you all something? Is that a satisfying ending? Is pouring all of this effort into these characters who in turn pour all their efforts into saving each other worth it at all if they don't succeed in the end?

Now some people might say that there's a beauty in tragic endings. And there is. I just think most of the time they're cheap.

I think I speak for many people when I say we want a story where characters go through all sorts of Hell, get beat the fuck up, struggle mightily against impossible odds, and maybe they lose some stuff along the way; but then they triumph.

The setup in Gideon the Ninth, that is continued through Harrow and I suspect we'll also be present in Nona is that they're going to fight everything in order to be together.

And based on how Harrow blatantly refuses to look back at the end of Harrow? The obvious trajectory of those decisions and these character moments is that they're going to succeed.

They've come this far, they've defied death itself. I just can't see the books ending any other way. Any other ending is going to feel like muir is spitting in our faces.

You paid attention to all that foreshadowing? Go fuck yourself on an iron fence.

Like do you all see what I'm trying to say here? The setup is that they get together, and there better be a goddamn payoff otherwise I'm going to riot.

Anyway, I would apologize for the length of this but I had a lot of fun writing it. And that's all that really matters in the end.

Thanks y'all, more to come soon 💖

[bcbdrums]

I saw the Reddit drama. Please explain why Drakgo is a more interesting ship than KimRon.

first, thanks for the ask! second, whoaaaaaaa i wouldn't presume to label one ship more interesting than another. some people will find ships interesting, others won't.

i'll give a diff example. in my other current hyperfixation, soul eater, my friend adores Ship A while i'm all about Ship B. her ship IS interesting to me! i think those chars are the most shippable in the show, they're basically canon w/o PDA, and they are deeply complex both as individual chars and as a couple.

they're just... not the ones i'm hyperfixated on. doesn't make them uninteresting.

what makes a person's brain and heart grab onto one ship and not another? who can say.

a lack of personal interest in a ship does not make it objectively uninteresting, or worse... and a ship having way more attention than another in fandom doesn't objectively make that ship more interesting, or better.

CAN a person make canonical objective arguments for or against ships? certainly.

let's just grab characters from KP to use as example. Bonnie and Brick. canonically a couple for more than one episode! we do not get a lot of canon info onscreen for them, so most of the interest in them would have to come from fan creations. compare to Kim and Ron, who have infinitely more screentime together, infinitely more individual character development than Bonnie and Brick both as individuals and as a couple...

one could argue that Kim/Ron is more interesting than Brick/Bonnie. there's more to grab from the canon at least. but if a person wants to draw/write/talk at length about Brick/Bonnie? why not!

no reason to be hating on any ship. if it's not your ship, then just...don't engage?? especially if you're against said ship.

now me, personally, i find Drakgo more interesting than Kim/Ron. (altho recent convo with @creatorping got my Kim/Ron juices flowing again). Drakgo just appeal to me more as characters, with their gritty backgrounds, a lot more unknowns to explore, the challenge of two villains developing a mutual trusting relationship so they can have a happily ever after... that just grabs my mind and heart more than the perfect girl and her adorkable boyfriend. it doesn't mean Kim and Ron aren't interesting, cuz ohhhhh they are! mostly post-canon for me because...who ARE they, after high school?? who is Kim other than the student who saves the world? what's she gonna do with her life? and what is Ron gonna do? he absolutely can't go to the same college as her, and she can't ditch a good opportunity to go to a community college with him... my hang-up has always been that Kim wasn't given enough individual development onscreen to do anything interesting with her post-canon. but aforementioned convo with Ping changed my mind, heheh. 😏

in any case, the point... one ship isn't more or less interesting. one ship isn't better or worse than another. it's us, the viewer, who either will or won't be interested.

so as i've always said.... ship and let ship. don't like? don't interact. don't hate on someone else's ships or headcanons or POVs... (reddit...)

and, that's not the same thing as discourse. discussing characters, discussing points of view, interpretations... sharing various headcanons... with willing parties who want to enter into that conversation! THAT is a major part of fandom! but it's all in how one goes about it. and! should people come to disagree about interpretations of characters, also fine!

i think the issue arises when people start to act like... my interpretation is correct OR, my interpretation is the only valid one. when people get up on that horse, that's where the problems arise... it can be tough if you feel like you're the only person WITH a certain POV, but... again, if the folks you're chatting with aren't into it, then find other people. i'm in that boat with some soul eater headcanons, but, that's okay. i don't need to convince everyone else in the fandom in order rto enjoy my thoughts. i'll still talk about them, but, not with the idea of telling anyone my view is the only view. that's the antithesis of what fandom is about. i'll talk about them because i enjoy talking about them, to like-minded folk, and on my own blog which is what a blog is for.

and, idk why it shows up so often in the KP fandom, especially the Drakgo side, that people can't simply say "hey i have this headcanon!" and someone respond with "oh that's neat!" and just. happily co-exist. everyone creating their things, sharing their things. and people will like what they like, as they always have, in every fandom. and if they don't like someone's idea, that's fine too!

but it's not worth fighting about?? it never is! it's just not that important. it's fandom. it's fun. it's our escape. if one feels SO strongly against a concept, or ship, or whatever.... then you don't interact with it. you don't make it your mission to disprove the other person. you don't actively seek out opportunities to hate on a point of view you dislike. that's not how fandom is supposed to be. find your people, and chill with them.

let's all be positive in the various fandom spaces.

i hadn't intended that to be such a rant, but...well, there you have it. sorry it probably was not what you wanted to hear, but yeah. thanks again for the ask!!

[snap-oversteer]

Is there any things you recommend to start learning about cars? Especially from a complete beginner standpoint

hi hi hi anon!! first of all thank you so much for asking this question and second of all: I binge youtube, and go to car shows. And play videogames.

A little bit of (disclaimer?) info is that I was never really allowed to do anything in my life, and that included driving and working on anything mechanical. We're still in that phase of getting out this box and branching out, so in a sense, we're both beginners on this together :)

Youtube - So there's a lot of youtube channels out there that talk about cars (and of course other automotives) my picks are the really silly funny ones. I personally watch MartiniWorks, spearheaded by Alex Martini. This channel is mainly focused on history and drama and of course useless fun facts about cars I wish I can afford. He has builds like the junkyard Ferrari and racetrack S2000 that keeps blowing up in retaliation against the government - Hmm, not into the history aspect of things? Want something more hands-on? Still want it to be silly so it doesn't bore you to death? Look no further than Garbage Time ! This channel is focused on mainly restoring weird little creatures and the video lengths are not too terribly long to make you wish you were in math class instead. Things to expect: trying to run the engine with chocolate / WD40, replacing the coolant with Pepsi, and restoring weird goobers you've never seen in your life. - What if you have a car and want to work on it? Getting serious about it? Then I must introduce you to every car guy's holy grail, CHRISFIX. This channel is all about the specifics and step-by-steps on how to destroy modify your car. Or maybe you just like the guy. Or like knowing how people work on cars. Either way, ChrisFix is a wonderful channel if you're interested in actually working on cars! - "But I like experimental vehicles and racing and cool expensive builds!" We have a classic for you, then! TopGear showcases the latest and greatest of cars, from the Tuthill GT ONE road legal Le Mans race car to the Bentley Blower, if you're one to simply appreciate great pieces of work, or you're a history nerd with a knack for enjoying sarcastic commentary, you're looking at the right channel.

Car shows / meets - My first experience with cars was a car show I went to by myself. The show included supercars, built JDMs, local cars, bikes... pretty much everything you'd expect out of a car show. I even have a tumblr sideblog where I post my photography. My tip when going to shows is don't be afraid to ask around! Car guys are simple people. You can come up to them and say that you're just starting out and would like a little explanation on what's going on with the car in front of you, they'll be more than happy to entertain you! You'll even make friends along the way :) There's different things to expect when going to a show vs a meet, I recommend going to shows rather than meets because meets are more closed and most likely held just amongst people who own said cool cars.

Videogames - Videogames remain a great way to learn and be accustomed to cars, and there's a lot of titles out there like NFS, Burnout, Gran Turismo, etc... so which one is for you? - Most mainstream racing games like NFS and Forza Horizon focuses on the gaming aspect of things. If you're looking for something uncomplicated and fun, those games are the way to go. - Lets get a little bit technical. Wanna learn how to build an engine, but you don't want to ruin your own? Car Mechanic Simulator. I'll admit this isnt the most detailed, theres so many things going on with a car and so many different platforms and complications, but from a learning standpoint? Really great if you're just getting into it or want to learn names of different parts effectively! - Ohh. Maybe you're that type of person. Experimental tuning and racing person. Assetto Corsa / Competizione, iRacing, Gran Turismo is for you, buddy. There is a steep learning curve that will force you to learn about different specs and how they affect the car holistically, and if you're into that, then I don't see why not.

Honorable mentions - [HOONIGAN] for very insane car builds. - eletor for really cinematic drift vids. - Misha Charoudin if you want to know what it's like driving a performance vehicle around nurburgring.

And REMEMBER, have fun! Everyone develops a taste in cars differently, some like muscle, some like JDMs (like us). There is no right or wrong way to enjoy cars.

I've only been into them for about 2 years, let's go insane together.

[reiderwriter]

Hello!!If you were part of the writers on criminal minds,what would you have done differently when it came to the romantic relationships of it all and whats your opinion on some of the ships?Which would you erase and which are your favorites?I'm willing to read as much details and analysis you are willing to give on this lmao😂I loved the analysis on Reids sexual evolution season by season and am really curious on what you think on the ships like Reid and JJ,Reid Lila,Reid and Maeve,Reid and Elle😂Personally I would have created a diffrent character as a love interest for him all together.

This is practically an essay so I'm just going to apologise in advance of this. I'm not going to say I'd change much because the end product we got is my favorite show for a reason but yes, here is me talking about all the romantic relationships I can think of in CM and my opinions on them!

(Spoilers for season 1-15 of CM, CME, and season 8 of NCIS - yeah that's how long this post is).

Reid Ships

I think Reid ships are the ones most people have issues with in Criminal Minds so I'm going to start here with personal headcanons and my personal highlights. It's going to become clear that my biggest pet peeve in CM is when the writers want to give the characters a love interest and then just gender-bend their personalities, so let's start with Maeve and Spencer.

I've already talked at length in other posts about how I think the Maeve/ Zugzwang plotline wasn't my favorite. It was some amazing acting from MGG and Beth Reisgraf, but personally, I think it suffered from "serialized cop drama" plot line status. This show airs week after week with another case to solve in 45 minutes and they don't have the time or the format to pause through moments that in a standard drama would be very impactful.

To go on a slight tangent, that is partially why the relationships between the main cast are usually the only ones developed very well over extended arcs (I'll return to this when I talk about Jeid).

So, when you're trying to have an emotionally resonant moment, and you only have a handful of cold opens and one full episode to do it, you're going to have to make the characters motivations, personalities and back stories mesh in a way that makes you think: "holy shit they're perfect together."

Maeve and Spencer aren't that. I hate to use this term, but Maeve is like a manic pixie dream girl for Spencer? She's written as if she's too good to be true, which is why we're supposed to feel so sad when she dies. But they also tried to make her a complex character and didn't have the time to really do it, which is why we're given a back story that makes no fucking sense (as Spencer's DOCTOR no less) and some hints that she probably doesn't feel the same way as Spencer does for her (fiancé she never told him about etc.)

When Spencer's character starts evolving in later seasons to being more than just a genius, but a genius with trauma, they pull a similar stunt with Cat Adams/ Max

The show runner Erica Messer did mention that the Maeve plotline was always designed to be a three act plot: she's introduced, Spencer is in love with her, she dies. But, in my opinion, we didn't get enough of an introduction to her for me to feel really all that bad about it? They banked a lot on the audiences attachment to Reid, so when you feel bad about Maeve's death it's all about Reid - why do bad things keep happening to HIM, I wonder how HE will get through it - when she is the one who was just murdered. Those kind of dynamics always kind of throw me in romantic relationships.

I'm going to be clear, I do not ship Cat Adams and Reid either and I have pretty much no opinion on Max other than that if she were real I'd probably avoid her (teachers who hate teaching and blame the kids are weird! And I'm a teacher so I can say that I think lol).

Cat Adams is girl-Reid if he had a villain arc. She's 100% again there to push Reid's character development, and she's used as an action rather than a character. Max is the same. In season 15, with the entire team at a crossroads, they have to allow Reid two outs: one villain arc where he gives into his lust for Cat Adams, and one happy ending where he gets to start something with someone who is totally normal and a way out of the BAU the way Savannah was for Morgan. But it can't be as easy for Reid, and that's why we're left with the Cat/Max dilemma because he is really attracted to Cat, despite the fact that she was threatening to end the lives of members of Max's family.

By the end of the show, Reid had been actively on the team the most out of all the cast members (bar Penelope, but she wasn't out on cases first hand, so there's not as much emotional baggage there for her). He can't have an easy exit, so I kind of view this "love triangle" bullshit as a metaphor for Spencer choosing a normal life vs a continuation with the BAU.

Which is why I think that if CME continues, I think we're unlikely to see or hear from Max, because that means he's picked the BAU.

Okay now, not to sound like a broken record but, Jeid:

Before Truth or Dare, there is one single suggestion of Jeid being a possibility and it's a suggestion, from Gideon of all people, in season 1. It is CRAZY to me that after thirteen seasons they just decided to develop that one plotline again because jesus CHRIST.

My main problem with Jeid is that, actually, I think it had a lot of potential. Like I said, serialized dramas only have time to develop relationships between their main cast members, which is why we end up with a pseudo-found-family vibe no matter who happens to be on the team at any given point. A lot of similar dramas go down the route of coworker/ team mate relationships (think Ziva and DiNozzo in NCIS or Mulder and Scully in The X Files).

There was absolutely the potential for an opposites attract relationship with Jeid, but I think the minute they abandoned that after that small dialogue we got something WAY FUCKING BETTER. Their friendship is entirely underrated, Spencer regularly babysits her kid, she comforts him after Emily "dies," enough for them to have arguments about it after the fact. Your honor they are SIBLINGS. That is UNCLE SPENCER. Not your future step-dad.

When they decided to commit to JJ and Will, they should've stuck to it, and as a big fan of the Season 7 finale + Hit and Run it is very shitty seeing them trying to retcon both of these characters amazing developments and growth over 14 seasons and have them regress to shit tier versions of their Season 1 selves.

"But Kacie, there must be some Spencer relationships you like," I hear you ask. And there ARE:

Lila Archer is a great foil for Spencer. She has a happy, glamorous life until their paths cross, and then we can assume from dialogue in season 6 that she continues having a pretty fucking glamorous life after everything goes down. I don't think Spencer works best with characters that are traumatised or overly smart the way he is, because he needs something to return to after the cases that switch off that part of him, to help him forget the horrifying shit he sees on the job.

So Lila Archer was kind of a great love interest.

Another one that I'm so annoyed they didn't explore more is Austin. She's the bartender in the Season 4 Episode "52 Pickup" that is charmed by Spencer's card tricks. She is never mentioned again, but they had a great chemistry, she was quick on her feet and managed to spot the unsub first, and she was a really great foil for Spencer as well; it was a street smarts/ book smarts kind of dynamic. If they'd carried that character forward and had her reappear a few times, it could've been a great romantic plot.

I will just quickly note that the reason we most likely didn't see many romantic plots for Reid was because Matthew Gray Gubler didn't like the idea of giving him a romantic plotline, stating that there were so many more interesting things to do with the character - and he's right!

I'm a fanfiction writer, and the allure of characters like Spencer Reid is they are mostly romantic clean slates - you can write whatever you want for them within reason without having to disregard canon relationships. This is why similarly, Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Venom, and young "Marauders" fanfictions are pretty popular here imo too - canon compliance isn't disregarded, the reader is just written in. So I don't think I'd change a thing for Spencer to be honest (apart from maybe not kill Maeve off and give her the actual villain arc, but I say that so regularly I'm beginning to sound like a broken record).

Also I'll just quickly mention Elle because you mentioned her - outside of fanfiction there are literally zero hints (imo) of a thing between Elle and Reid lmao there's more of a case to be made for Elle and Morgan, but for some reason, writers and fans alike don't like committing to giving Morgan more than simply platonic connections. THEY SHOULD!! THE MAN IS SEXY AS HELL!!!!!!! GIVE ME A MORGAN WHO IS REGULARLY FUCKING!

Hotchner Ships

Speaking of characters that have a long time where they are single! Aaron Hotchner is another fandom favorite to write self-insert fanfiction for, because of the gap between Haley Hotchner's death in 100, and the introduction of Beth in season 7.

In general, I like the way Hotch's relationships play out on screen. Let's start with Haley:

You can tell that the writers really enjoyed the dynamic between work Hotch and home Hotch, because they played on it so much across the four first seasons. The very first time he is introduced he's in his bedroom picking out baby names with his childhood sweetheart, so any further scenes of him being more stern or serious are always in contrast with that introduction. It's a cold open to his character that immediately let's you know that there is more going on in his world than just the BAU, and he is the only member of the season one team that has that.

Then, they really LOVE taking that shit away from him. I'm not going to go into detail here about how fucking wack the time line is for Criminal Minds, but it is stupid and that's important here because:

I think Haley's reasons for divorcing Hotch are stupid.

She says that she married a man who was a prosecutor, not a man that was an FBI Profiler but realistically by the time of their divorce, he'd been in the BAU like 10 years. They rely more on the audiences sense of time (we're two years in, so they've all been on the team two years etc) to push this character motivation off. And for a while it makes sense that they were separated, until the events of 100. But also: in sickness and in health, for better and for worse, you literally signed up for whatever the FUCK happened, that's what a marriage vow IS.

Now I'm a sucker for the angst of 100,but would it not have felt 10x more emotionally disgusting if Hotch and Haley were talking about reuniting? If they had never celebrated in the first place, and had just finished working through their marital issues when Foyet comes back into their lives and Haley has to be whisked away again? Yes. Yes it would.

There's an episode in season 9 that really pisses me off, and it's the one that Hotch passes out from an old tear in his Foyet stab wounds and he goes into surgery and talks with Haley and Foyet in heaven while watching the rest of his life after the events of 100 on a cinema screen. It's cliché and also has no pay-off because it doesn't change the way he views his relationships after that, and it's not like he's at a crossroads at that point, so it means nothing to the audience except as a remembrance of an issue and an episode so far in the past that it feels like flogging a dead horse. They do this twice, btw, and this is the more successful use of this plot (the first time they do it to Elle in Season 1/2 during the events of The Wicker King - she talks to the father we didn't even know was dead, who died decades ago in an unrelated time. Not to keep bringing NCIS up, but I think the only time I've seen it done well is whenever Gibbs kept seeing Mike Franks in the diner scenes). They do not out enough effort into these plots to achieve the emotional resonance they are aiming for in my personal opinion.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think this could've been the beginning of the era where Gibson was having a lot of issues with the cast, because it just felt like they didn't want to use him in the on-location shoots for a while lmao. Anyway, all that to say, Haley should've stayed dead, and not come back as a stupid phantom.

After the dust has settled on Haley and Hotchner though, we get Hotchner and Beth:

This is going to be a short note, because I actually really like the relationship between these two characters. They have the very slow cold-open build up that Maeve and Spencer get, but there's a lot more and a lot less to Beth's character that makes the dynamic between them really enjoyable to watch.

We're once again treated to the out-of-work Hotchner that had been missing since Season 4 (his in between scenes with Jack are cute but there's always the tragedy hanging over them). Beth is running a marathon in honor of her dad, Hotch is doing something similar for the FBI Triathalon, they train together the tension builds, they start dating. Now obviously it wasn't the purpose or aim of this character introduction to build to tragedy, and I think they just genuinely wanted to show a happy Hotchner again, but its still a valid criticism of the weird voyeuristic Maeve build-up that they literally succeeded a more sympathetic and audience engaging late minor-recurring-character EARLIER THAN THE MAEVE ARC.

I'll shut up now, but yeah, I like Hotch and Beth.

Penelope Ships

This post is getting ridiculously long, so much so that I'm even contemplating adding a fucking word count, but let's continue and dive in to my next issue.

Penelope's romantic life is used as a punch-line for the first 11 seasons and I HATE it.

There is no easy short to say this, but I despise Kevin. He is stupid, and a joke, and I hate him and I am SO HAPPY that she dumped him. They made her really pathetic about him for a few episodes, and then he kept fucking coming back too which was even worse.

Kevin is literally male Garcia but with all the worst attributes. He's clingy, and needy, and he may be smart but in a very "incel" way. In my opinion, Kevin is less a fully fledged character and more a joke line/ convenient plot point for when they need more tech analyst work. The best moment in the Kevin/Penelope arc is during the The Gathering, where she really lays into him and tells him off for being jealous of her ukelele instructor AFTER THEY'D BROKEN UP.

Penelope deserved so much better than what they gave her romantically in these seasons. First, her date tried to kill her, her boyfriend was a joke, etc. She never gets the serious romantic plotline that her other teammates do (Hotch/Haley, Spencer/Maeve, Derek/Savannah, JJ/Will, Emily/being a big old lesbian etc). Penelope is really great levity for the rest of the cast because she is happy and she is positive and she is unapologetic in her positivity. It's annoying that they don't let her be more than that in the romantic relationships they give he during these seasons.

Then Luke Alvez is introduced and there is some hope! Galvez truther's please, rise they are so adorable.

Anyone involved in the writing of CME - what the hell was that? Now I haven't seen it myself, to be completely fair, but I know enough to ask the question - really what the HELL was that?

Tl;dr Penelope's sexuality and romantic relationships should not be used as punchlines.

The Aversion to Homosexuality

This is just a general note, but the writers originally did plan to have Emily Prentiss be gay - amazing, great, it's a completely different time now, please let her have a gay awakening soon. It was obviously scrapped early in, but there's a lot of subtext that can be interpreted in that way.

They did commit with Tara, and she gets a gf in CME, so I want to see some Temily in the future if we do get more CM seasons.

So just so you know, everytime I mention Emily flirting with someone in my fic, assume it's a woman if you aren't already, lmao.

(They did also talk about making Reid bisexual as well, which would've also been great, but again, I don't think we're ever getting any more romantic plotlines from Reid).

Other Characters

Here's just a rating and short mention for all the other character couples I can think of in Criminal Minds, because this is already thesis length lmao:

Morgan + Savannah - 8.5/10, no notes, really just the gender bent love interest but done right.

Alex Blake + Husband - 7/10, solid couple, very much enjoyed when they started bringing in the people in established relationships again lmao.

Kate Callahan + Husband - 5/10, same as above but I wasn't as attached to her character rip.

Matt + Kirsty - 10/10 really no notes, I too would be called a breeder if I managed to lock that man down, damn.

Rossi + His 3 Ex-Wives - Make total sense for his character, very enjoyable to me, love that he has a nice moment with most of them again throughout the series, not going to rate it lol.

Rossi + Strauss - 3.5/10 - Last ditch attempt to make Strauss a sympathetic character, but I felt more attached to her growth after being called out by Derek rather than the effect that her death had on Rossi.

Gideon + the friend of his who is murdered by that Frank guy at the end of season 2 - stupid, worst way to go out, made no sense for the character, but I know Mandy Patinkin wanted OUT and honestly, anything for you Inigo Montoya.

Why I think Criminal Minds is Better Without Romance

Generally, I really do agree with Matthew Gray Gubler when he said that there were more interesting things to explore with these characters than their romantic attachments. It does frustrate me to no end that they focused on some of them more than others, and that post Henry, most of JJ's big moments are tied to motherhood and being a mother/ wife, but that change in her character is still amazing and leads her to a lot of growth (not mentioning Truth or Dare again, sorry it doesn't exist at this point in the post)(also I didn't have much time to mention Will and JJ, but I do love them).

Their best moments are the ones we get of them together as a team, saving people and putting away murderers for life, it's a perfect Found Family!!!

Also, no more romance = Spencer Reid can be mine. In conclusion, I am delusional. Thank you for reading this far.

[dangermousie]

"I will help you protect your family" thinks the ML.

SIR, YOU ARE THERE IN DISGUISE TO INVESTIGATE THEM FOR TREASON ON BEHALF OF PARANOID EMPEROR.

And nothing clicks in that empty skull of his.

But then, this is the man who thought it was an awesome idea to send his either traumatized or disabled (not clear) sister to live with a bunch of strangers who he is investigating for treason and whose family has already been exiled/impoverished BY THE FREAKING EMPEROR HIMSELF! There are so many bad scenarios there - from the emperor suspecting him and his sister of collusion, to his sister being implicated, to all sorts of violence and just NO BRAIN ALL EMPTY is the ML.

This said, perhaps I am unjust to him. I am pretty sure I'd not be able to handle a super powerful job like chief of secret police in such a fashion that it apparently leaves him all this other time to wander around with FL, be a martial arts teacher and what not. Any man who can do chief of secret police job in about .7 sec a day like he does without being fired certainly is skilled.

PS What is the point of him walking in that mask all over and nobody in the court except the emperor knowing he's the chief when literally every single one of his employees sees him without a mask. Are you telling me none of these dozens of people could be bribed? Forget "two can keep a secret if one of them is dead" - this is a literal crowd!

PPS Does the heroine have face blindness, lack of spacial awareness and is utterly deaf? He doesn't change his voice between personas and how many 6'2 dudes are wandering around town? But then his own family seems to have no curiosity about where he goes all day so perhaps he's just utterly forgettable.

PPPS This drama is written by Till the End of the Moon screenwriters. That drama had its flaws in terms of narrative and character understanding (and that ending was a MESS) but it was largely coherent. But this is more holey than a colander. How?! (This said, Moon always worked best when it stuck close to the novel; but this has a novel too so...)

PPPPS If you are dying to watch female empowerment through trade with a dreamy secret police torturer ML set up, you are much better off going to A Dream of Splendor. I found ADOS morally repugnant for reasons I've talked about at length when it aired, but it was well-acted and narratively coherent. I didn't have to like those characters and found a lot of its POV gross but it actually made sense - these felt like people in a consistent world, not whatever this mess is.

[kerubimcrepin]

Episode 51 - High-Temperature Trap (part 3)

They're insane.

Took him long enough. Also, love how Kerubim recognizes him by his evil-ass smile. Do you stare at him smiling a lot, whenever he comes to beat the shit out of you, Keke? Is this ingrained in your memory?

This, too, is doomed toxic platonic brotherly yuri.

"Not my favorite brother" I know that a lot of people interpret this line as him casually dropping the ecaflip demigod lore, because, sure, they have like, 20 brothers, but... 

But considering what we know about the Crepin family from the comic, — I like to think this is Kerubim trying to hurt Atcham by implying that he likes their dead brothers, — whom they barely remember due to those dying when they were like 7, — more than him.

This might be a reach, but it's a funny reach, okay?

It's so nice of him to correct Kerubim on the exact wording of the death threat he usually uses. 🥰

I'm insane. Just so you know. Like I have no comment, other than saying that I am insane. "My dear Kerubim," and "your beloved brother" make me lose my mind.

This is beef between two people who used to be besties. The affection they held for one another is used as a sort of sarcastic ammo. From Atcham's side, with "dear," and "beloved brother," and from Kerubim's side, with "not my favorite brother."

There's a lot to unpack here, and a lot of it was unpacked in previous posts, — but...

Atcham viewing Kerubim's situation when they were kids as better is depressing.

Despite this being a perfect plan to kill Kerubim, even the idea of besting Kerubim in the self-esteem psychic warfare makes him grin. If he can't get rid of him, he will put him in his place.

To Atcham, Kerubim is the egotistical one, obsessed with what other people think of him, — and to Kerubim, Atcham is the psychotic insane menace to society. And neither really stops to think about the fact that they hate the other for the things they do themselves

You just know Atcham is thinking about how narcissistic and mentally ill Kerubim is to be caught in a saw trap like that. Despite being the "so obsessed with Kerubim that he keeps building him saw traps" guy.

Yet again, I'd like to reiterate, that I NEED Kerubim to drop the Atcham lore.

This is what I keep saying about Atcham being edited out of Kerubim's life — and about Atcham probably building other saw traps for him.

Here, Kerubim attempts to reach out and let Indie know that, despite everything, he does like him. Indie's response is that when Kerubim dies, his body will be an awesome to display in his museum.

I already talked at length about how fucked this moment is, in the long Kerubim analysis. God.

I really do think that Kerubim had a lot of warm feelings towards Indie that may not have been entirely reciprocated, which lead to him playing up his own hatred towards Indie.

...And he had to deal with Indie saying this, while the other person he tries to hate but can't quite manage to, was present.

I would say this is worse than going to a battle too.

From Kerubim's point of view, Indie didn't lose because he might have deep, hidden feelings of camaraderie for him. He lost because he was a better person.

While Kerubim proved himself to be exactly who Atcham thinks he is: someone so egotistical that he'd rather die, than be embarrassed.

Drinking tea from a dainty little cup while his evil twin is dying. Freak.

He assumes that everyone is as obsessed with their self-esteem issues and hatred as he and Kerubim are.

Just like it didn't occur to Kerubim to stop giving a damn and prove his brother wrong for once, it didn't occur to Atcham that Indie might not hate Kerubim that much, or care about winning.

You won the war for Indie's heart, Keke, and all it took is a near-death experience and him learning even a bit about your insane familial drama. We are so back.

One of the crack theories I used to have, is that Atcham might have killed indie sometime before the movie, — however, considering he doesn't recognize Lilotte, I think he's just saying shit to be scary here, in hopes Indie changes his mind.

Very eloquent. sdfgsdfgdsfg

[sophia-sol]

8 original fiction recs (4 short stories, 3 novelettes, 1 novella)

One Flew Over the Songhua River, by Qi Ran, translated by Andy Dudak

➤ scifi short story translated from chinese; originally published in 2021

➤ it's a fascinating outside-outside pov, a nephew telling the story of his aunt, whose story is that of her famous physicist-astronaut husband

➤ the multiple layers of abstraction work well for this story -- and the narrative loops around itself in how it's told, too, wandering forwards and backwards in time to circle around the heart of things

➤ which is really a story about family and about place and about how you decide what to prioritise in your life

➤ it's lovely and thoughtful and wistful. I really liked it!

➤ 7k words in length

Himalia, by Carrie Vaughn

➤ Scifi novelette about growing up somewhere you always know you're going to have to leave eventually, because it was never intended to be permanent

➤ and leaving your best friend behind, who wants to never leave, because it's home

➤ it's really good!! I had a lot of feelings about the characters, and the way Niri is drawn in Jenny's life through her absence in this day of her return

➤ also it's set in space, on one of the satellites of Jupiter!

➤ 8k words in length

The Weight of Your Own Ashes, by Carlie St. George

➤ scifi short story about a multi-bodied alien in a relationship with a human

➤ questions of identity, of whether you're being seen for who you truly are by people who want to interpret the whole world as being inhabited by people like them, eyes closed to the reality of differences

➤ I loved the intertwining of the worldbuilding and the relationship drama, and I loved that we got to see Yonder's relationships with other people, friends and siblings and so forth, the ways those relationships are different than the one with Alice

➤ 6k words in length

Half Sick of Shadows, by Elle Engel

➤ post-apocalyptic novelette about a girl who's the only survivor left in a tower that protected her and her ancestors from the outside world

➤ the whole story is just Lena and her interiority as she faces the realities of her situation, as she grows and changes and develops the strength of will to do what needs to be done

➤ and it's so well done! I was captivated the whole time

➤ 10k words in length

Blackjack, by Veronica Schanoes

➤ fantasy novelette about a jewish grandmother, after the death of her daughter, facing and dealing with the ways her troubled first marriage affected her life and her daughter

➤ Schanoes is so good at character and setting and emotion!

➤ and it's always great to have a story where the hero is an older woman

➤ 12k words in length

The Spindle of Necessity, by B. Pladek

➤ short story about a trans man who's obsessed with the m/m novels of a dead historical novelist who he's convinced was trans

➤ and about the dreams he has where he meets her and talks with her

➤ it's a story that feels unsatisfying but like, in a satisfying way?

➤ idk how to explain! it makes me want to reread it 3 more times and think about the way one's relationship with oneself is mediated through the stories one reads and loves

➤ it's really good

➤ 6k words in length

An Intergalactic Smuggler's Guide to Homecoming, by Tia Tashiro

➤ a scifi short story set in space, about a smuggler who left her sister behind when she left the shitty planet she grew up on

➤ but her latest mission has her returning to that planet to deliver the goods

➤ (the goods are hundreds of teeny tiny sentient bioluminescent jellyfish fleeing civil war)

➤ I enjoyed the worldbuilding, and the difficult emotions about family, and how the things that felt world-endingly true at 17 don't need to be true forever

➤ 7k words in length

Between Blades, by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko

➤ a full novella published online for free the same way a short story would be!

➤ secondary world fantasy about two women from the outskirts of empire, who don't fit the identities their cultures expect of them but who are also out of place within the empire

➤ they're gladiators in a partnership where one in a pair of gladiators takes a "swordform" and the other wields them

➤ great characters and great worldbuilding and great reflections on identity in this context!

➤ I loved Leris and Gerthe, and Ulmo too

➤ and the Empress herself and her story is fascinating, and I can see how in a different narrative her backstory would be the focus of a heroic narrative, and I love that that's not the story we get, this isn't a "monarchy is good with the right person in charge" kind of story like so much fantasy is

➤ the narrative perspective on religion is really cool too

➤ 36k words in length

[bookwyrminspiration]

(warning: this is... long. i had to put post dividers on this to make it readable. i would have put a read more but i can't in an ask, sorry.)

i think the most puzzling thing of all about this drama is that like.... i've been doing this forever. i've been posting keefe/fintan stuff (not regularly, but still!) since at least feb 2022 on the dolentsnows account. hell, i KNOW i've even talked about tam/linh specifically before then, though i can't remember if it was public or not.

and there was no problem! people just blocked each other and filtered and it was fine!

i'm frankly just. SO confused as to why that post of all things is what set it off. like guys. what.

also, re: "it normalizes pedophilia/incest/abuse/whatever" my posts get like ten notes max, most of those being likes from my dear mutuals who dont necessarily love the stuff i do but still wanna show they support me anyway.

if you'd just think for a minute, i think it's pretty easy to see that no one's gonna be converted into a sex freak any time soon.

and the fact that people are calling me a pedophile for... *checks notes* writing about characters that are the same age as i am or older in relationships with adults is. something. especially considering that:

in all the ACTUAL content i've made, excluding ONE post about alvar being keefe's gay awakening, the characters have been over the legal age in france (my country), so even the "it's illegal" argument falls apart.

why do you immediately assume i'm imagining myself to be the adult here? you don't know what's going on in my life. you don't know my reasons for doing what i do. i started shipping those kinds of ships ever since i was a pretty young kid, and i don't have to explain myself to anyone. (note: i am not a victim of csa, just want to make that clear. i've got other shit going on. but also you guys don't actually care about survivors and it's obvious.)

and fun fact: incest is legal in france as well, as long as it's between two consenting adults. i have decided, right now, effective immediately, that linh and tam are both over 18 in those drawings. since it's legal it means there's no problem right?

all this to say, let's just drop the whole "legal = moral, illegal = immoral" train of thought right here.

i do have one thing to apologize for, though: i didn't properly tag the first post. that has since been rectified and i've added community labels for good measure. i have and will apologize again for that mistake because it was entirely on me. i'm genuinely sorry to the people who saw that with no warning and i won't make that mistake again going forward.

but i also know that there are people who clicked on some of my posts even after i added the community labels and then complained (in my ask box, no less!) and to those i say: just read the tags, guys. they're still visible even with the community labels hiding the post.

sorry for the angry tone, but i am kind of miffed about all this. mostly that it turned into such a big deal when it really didn't have to be.

to conclude: stay strong out there guys, hopefully modern fandom will develop basic internet skills one day.

No worries about the length or tone, you're good.

I believe the reason that one post sparked issue is because, I don't know if you're aware, there's actually been a pretty significant surge in new fans in the past few months following info about Unraveled.

So while you have been here and posting your stuff for a while, for a good chunk of the currently active people, I think that was their first time seeing you. And also possibly one of their first times seeing art/ships like that up close, since keeper tends to be a first/earlier fandom.

Hence the stronger reaction. Though I don't think it's fair to blanket statement say they don't care about survivors. That's the sort of strawmanning/ad hominem talk that leads to shutting down/self-defense that doesn't get us anywhere. We can all rise above logicial fallacies <3

But anyway, the worst seems to have passed, unless we all feel like regressing for some reason :)

[coimbrabertone]

Indycar at Thermal

So, Thermal happened. For those who don't know, the NTT Indycar Series had a non-points exhibition, vaguely all-stary race at the Thermal Club, a private racing club in southern California. This was billed as the "$1 Million Challenge" for ironic reasons that I'll get to in a moment. Anyway, for the event, the field was split in half with two ten-minute heat races, the top six cars transferring from each heat into a final. In the twenty lap, twelve car final, the drivers would race for $500,000, because they couldn't even get that part right.

The first heat race was pretty good, with drama off the start leading to Romain Grosjean getting spun out and collecting Rinus Veekay, while Indycar legend Scott Dixon was penalized out of contention for starting it. Felix Rosenqvist led, but Scott McLaughlin was hunting him down at the end.

The second heat was a bit more mixed. The Chip Ganassi Racing cars of Alex Palou and Marcus Armstrong controlled the pace, but the McLarens put on a show fighting for the final transfer spot. Callum Ilott filling in in the #6 started just outside the transfer spot, but then got swallowed up by his teammates, Alexander Rossi and Pato O'Ward. Rossi and O'Ward proceeded to put on a show fighting for the sixth and final transfer slot, with Alex winning out in the end. CGR's pace was ominous, but McLaren kept it entertaining.

Then the race hit rock bottom with the first half of the feature race. The $1 Million race was twenty laps, but it was divided into two ten lap halves, with a ten-minute break in the middle, and drivers weren't allowed to change tyres in the middle. Knowing that, the teams figured that they would just save their tyres in the first half knowing the field would bunch up for the second half, meaning they'd have more tyre to attack with in the second half. So, on a long, twisty road course without many passing opportunities, we had to watch the drivers one by one decide that they couldn't push any further so they should just save for the second half. Colton Herta was the first to do it, then Agustin Canapino, then Alexander Rossi...soon enough, everyone all the way up to Graham Rahal in seventh was driving seconds off the pace saving their tyres.

Then we get to the ten-minute break with the NBC commentators practically pleading with the viewers that the race was going to get better in the second half. Alex Palou finished lap ten, and then the race just kept going because Pietro Fittipaldi was evidently underfueled and it took him about three minutes to cross the finish line. Then, in a strange, quiet mid-race break where nothing else seemed to be happening, Graham Rahal retired with a technical issue and Pietro Fittipaldi was disqualified for not having enough fuel. The fun, all-for-money, twelve car all-star race was down to just ten cars.

Nevertheless...the second half was better. Alexander Rossi pushed his way up the field, clashed with Josef Newgarden, and both went wide while Colton Herta went underneath them both for the position. Cars were actually racing now! Herta charging up the field and Rossi hanging on a few cars behind made it look like this saving strategy might actually amount to something after all...only for Alex Palou to dominate the race anyway. This was better, but for most of the fans, the damage was already done.

Indycar twitter was dominated by people talking about this race being a terrible mistake, rock bottom of Roger Penske's series ownership, and a horrid waste of time. Me? My reaction was mostly to just disassociate and laugh at the trainwreck. I love Indycar, I want Indycar to do well, I love Indycar so much I'm writing a novel-length fic about it on AO3, so it sucks to see a dud of an event like this. The worst part in my opinion is that we're stuck with this being the most recent race for a month, because the Long Beach Grand Prix isn't until April 21st.

It's been a rough offseason as an Indycar fan, and seeing an uncharacteristically dull St. Pete race where Josef Newgarden dominated following by this confused little Thermal Club event where reigning champ Palou came out on top...it's not great. I just hope Long Beach brings a return to normalcy, with good, hard, unpredictable American open wheel racing...in a month.

[thefauxsport]

Ok, so, here is the long awaited breakdown of the Danny Amendola story. I'm going to call this....

Friends Don't Let Friends Date... Danny Amendola

Maybe we turn this into a series about other athletes?

Anyways, here we go (this is long because I'm legit transcribing what's going on in this podcast and I probably shouldn't, but this is how I take notes!)

First off, I am relistening to the Barely Filtered Podcast with Aurora Culpo and Kristen Louelle Gaffney. Olivia was on their show that came out 5/24/2023 where she spoke at length about a previous "abusive" relationship. She never specifically names Danny Amendola as the culprit, but Kristen gives it away very early on in the episode.

For the uninitiated, Kristen is married to a guy named Tyler Gaffney, who at one time, was a bench warmer on the Pats. That's how Olivia and Kristen know each other. Tyler went to Stanford, that's how he knows CMC. They set the two up after she ended things with Amendola for the last time.

Now, the first question she gets about the topic is Kristen saying that she knows Olivia spoke on her show about being in an abusive relationship and how she has grown so much since they met. Kristen asked how she got out of that part of her life.

Olivia said it was challenging, and said that in hindsight she was addicted. She was in a cycle, and she couldn't break it. She said as it went on her self esteem plummeted and she became a shell of herself. "When someone beats you down so much, mentally, and then you become susceptible to that treatment and it doesn't stop. You get addicted to the highs because the highs are so good and the lows are so low and you know you're not supposed to be in it. But you hold out hope for those small positive moments."

She said she had to work at it a lot, to love herself enough to get out. "Very, very, very, very bad situation". She recalled being in a hotel room, praying on her hands and knees for clarity, and that was the moment she knew she was done. She said is was praying to her family that passed on for help in figuring out what to do, and something clicked and she was done. She said she blocked this person and never saw him again.

Then Aurora tells a crazy story. This was the part of the podcast that really stuck out to me. She was telling the story about how she had just given birth to her kid, I think the second one, and Olivia was with Christian, but they were still pretty new. They were going to go visit her, so she asked them to pick up some diapers on their way. They had just started dating. She bumped into Danny while at the store. Olivia interjects at this part and goes, "we think he was following me".

Apparently, Danny bumped into a diaper laden Christian. She said it must have been nuts because her ex also played football, but arguably not as well as Christian. So to imagine this guy bumping into his ex girlfriend's new boyfriend who is better than you and he just goes "hey. uh, you had a good season" and CMC just said "yea" and that he was going to go check out.

The next part of the podcast goes into how CMC helped get her out of rock bottom. Aurora said part of it is not manifesting the same relationship. She then asked how she could find happiness with a normal guy after the drama train that was Danny. Olivia admits to having some PTSD, and said she's afraid to talk about this person because he's scary. She said she struggled at the beginning and would cry because she didn't like who she was coming out of that relationship. She said she was scared Christian could be capable of that, but that was because she wasn't whole after escaping that relationship. She also admits to not being super confident in her relationship, but she can acknowledge that. He has his read receipts on and his location on.

Apparently, she'd wait up at night because Danny would be out there cheating on her "with tons of people" and she'd just be sitting there waiting for him to get home. "It's hard to be naive and think that everybody is going to have your back when you go through something like that because you really do figure out that wow, people are really capable of horrible things".

Aurora said that some guys would view the location on and read receipts on as being a red flag in girls. She said that people shouldn't apologize for needing some things and that Christian realized she was asking this of him not because of him but because of the trauma she had. Not sure I agree totally, but to each their own.

Apparently, Christian researched the cycle of abuse (which he probably already knew because if you listen to his mom's podcast, his grandfather was an abusive drunk).

This is when she mentions Danny being abusive. She said it's easy for people to question why you didn't leave when he broke her things, or when he was scary and threatening and "horrible things that I am not going to get into".

Never ask a surviver of DV this question, ya'll.

Also don't like that she takes blame for staying there, but I digress.

Aurora said part of her problem was Olivia would send her some of the things Danny would say about her to ask her if it was true. Belittling her and her career. "These are the guys, they want the hot bikini model on the internet, but they don't want you posting hot bikini pictures on the internet."

Olivia talks about the cycle again and reminds Aurora to not get into it too deeply again.

They (Aurora and their friends) started to try and gather evidence of all the times he was cheating by looking at photos and spotting his hand or his bracelet in girls photos and figure out when he was with other girls. They didn't want to go to Olivia with half evidence, and Olivia admits she saw some of it on her own. And apparently, people started to get annoyed because they would tell her what he was doing and she'd ask for advice and then ignore it all. Said that sometimes you might be done but the person in the relationship needs to get there on their own.

I think I'm getting a sty, which is annoying me at this point. So is the reference to Marianne Williamson. Quack.

Now they move onto social media and stuff and a lot more surface level stuff.

I'm gonna end this here, because I'm pretty sure this was all they talked about on him. BUT, I feel like she also touched on it on the Not Skinny pod, so I may relisten to that this week and if there's more to add I'll add to it!

Drop the next name you want me to delve into.

[kepnerandavery]

ppl seam to forget that Frannie was the one who wanted a baby she literally said it to Micheal when they're walking around after he comes back from India.

Also this is not related to anything but can people please stop spamming the Michael Stirling tag with Stuff about Michaela... like tag properly guys please... Especially since they all hate Michael so much how about they just stop talking about him altogether and simply talk about Michaela! make a tag for her and stick to it. It's also very much a way to keep discourse away from both sides!

Let us book readers have the Michael Stirling we enjoy and love and let us talk about him in the Michael Stirling tags.

And you all who love the changes and are excited for Michaela have her and talk about her in the Michaela Stirling tag.

This way if anyone wished to not see the other they can simply block the tag and save everyone a lot of drama and trouble.

You are so right anon! People act like Fran was a naive teenager that was so easily swayed by everything. She had more conviction and common sense than they give her credit for. And the same people make Michael out to be some predator that brainwashed Fran when she was the one who initiated their first kiss and gave him the green light to finally pursue his feelings for her after YEARS of respecting her marriage to John, her grief, privacy, and boundaries. This was a man who was desperately in love with her, wanted to marry her, and give her children which she deeply yearned for. He didn't do anything that she didn't want or was unaware of. And he wouldn't have even dreamed of those things if she wasn't clearly interested in him.

And you said exactly what I've been thinking about the back and forth arguments in the tag. This new instant Michaela fandom needs to conduct their celebrations in their own space and leave us alone to process our shock and grieve in peace. The Michael Stirling/franchael tag is now the book fan's space.

They can easily create a new ship name and leave us be. They keep trying to make everyone forget Michael and get on board with this change as if we are signing petitions to have this new character removed. Idk if others are, but I certainly am not going to those lengths to make the showrunner include Michael in the show when it's clear that they used him for a half arsed woke agenda. It's kinda clear this was the bare minimum the writers did for representation. If they truly cared about representation, they would have created an original female character to end up with Fran so that the people who asked to see that representation could enjoy that without all this drama.

It's so crystal clear that the creators of this show don't give a damn about its fans. So I'm quite relieved that Michael will not be in this show cause I've been kinda hoping that he wouldn't anyway because he will be ruined by these writers if he were. Now we can keep the untainted/idealistic book version of him forever cause some adaptations can't do justice to fictional men anyway.