#like if I'm trying to be optimistic. given how quickly shows get canned if they're not immediately super popular. and given that this is a

[bitchthefuck1]

have you watched the pjo show?

I saw the first 2 episodes when they came out at a watch party one of my friends threw, and as soon as they ended I realized I didn't particularly care to keep going. It wasn't like, outrageously bad by any means, I just don't think it gripped me enough to want to continue, and there were enough odd adaptational choices that I thought weakened the story that I lost interest. I might have tuned back in if the changes actually built to something interesting in the later episodes, but from everything I've seen it kinda seems like they just took the teeth out of the story, which was what I was worried about.

That being said, the cast seems really great and well suited to their roles, so like, if they improve the writing and pacing in the later seasons and stop sanding down all the rough edges, I might pick it back up. But otherwise, pass.

[oneatlatime]

The Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World

I'll be watching this two part episode as two separate episodes.

Starting strong with some stunning pastoral views.

I like how Appa's shadow undulates over the clouds.

Is Aang passively airbending at all times when they're on Appa? Otherwise how do they hear each other? Unless it's a windless day and they're flying at walking pace there's no way they would be able to have a conversation.

Can you imagine the freedom of being able to throw yourself into the air with no consequences? Imagine how being able to ignore gravity since (presumably) a very young age would shape your worldview. Aang must look at the world in a fundamentally different way.

Blow dried Momo.

Could Katara stop babying Aang for five minutes?

The perspective is so funky in this shot that Appa looks Momo sized.

Did Gyatso say that Roku specifically would help Aang? He said that someone in that special room would guide him, but the only living creature in there was Momo.

Emotional support Momo. Maybe the help Gyatso spoke of actually was Momo.

Every time Iroh appears I become increasingly convinced that the creators of this show are fans of The Big Lebowski.

I love Iroh weaponizing teenage awkwardness to get himself five more minutes in the tub. I think I can also now declare myself officially used to Zuko's voice. I no longer find it muppety.

This is the environmentalism after school special.

The way this guy talks about flying Bison and airbender tattoos, is he actually old enough to have known airbenders?

Katara blindly trusts this guy because... he's old?

Pretty.

"It is the greatest honour of a lifetime to be in your presence." "Nice to meet you too." Yep, those greetings are definitely in proportion to each other.

I love the lighting in this scene. Everything has this golden glow.

The winter solstice sounds a bit like Halloween. The walls between worlds thin to almost nothing and things can cross over which shouldn't.

Aang's eyes are brown in this episode.

I love this attitude. Optimistic, upbeat. "I have to try, don't I?" is so true.

Is it just me, or is Sokka's ponytail weird this episode?

I think this is the Bumi guard voice guy again.

This episode appears to be taking place in a part of the Earth Kingdom that hasn't been taken over by the Fire Nation (unlike last episode). So for Zuko & crew, this is enemy territory. Iroh, who is a general with a fancy title, the brother of the leader of the fire nation (so I guess the next in line to the throne?), and so recognisable to the enemy that they can identify him without a single piece of insignia or even clothing denoting his country of origin, thought it would be a good idea idea to have a solo, unguarded spa day here? I bet the fire nation is happy the other brother is the one in charge.

More pretty.

Sokka racking up some major Big Brother points this episode. Aang may be the Avatar, which makes this kind of stuff his responsibility, but he's also 12 and clueless. He shouldn't have to face this alone.

This village must be close to the Avatar world's equator because that sun set ridiculously quickly.

You know, if I turned around and saw that thing following me, my first impulse would be to scream and run away, not introduce myself. This is why I'm not the Avatar.

If that's their water tower gone, this village is done for with or without the Avatar's help.

This spirit is throwing a proper tantrum. I love the way it moves too fast to see. I did not see Sokka getting kidnapped coming. I actually had to rewind and watch it again because it happened so fast that I did not see it at all the first time through.

I think the fire nation solider here is the Bumi guard voice too.

This is an insane shoulder to waist ratio. Also nice to see Zuko figure it out so quickly. This show has given me the impression so far that he's kind of stupid, but I guess not.

It's a panda! Black and White spirit, plus the environmentalism stuff from earlier, I really should have put that together sooner.

"I Failed." yeah you kind of did. So pick yourself up and try again.

Bird horses? Also those earth soldier helmets are probably really effective, but they look so stupid.

Proof that Katara is used to relying on Sokka to do all of her thinking and planning like I said last episode. If Sokka was the one left behind and Katara the one missing, he would not be so passive.

"All I have to do is figure out what I have to do. But once I do that, no problem." Even the most impossible tasks can be broken down into manageable steps. I love Aang's attitude.

It's so painfully in character that what gets Katara out of her funk is looking after someone else.

Where's Momo in all this?

In the spirit world, the avatar is just some guy? Can't bend. So what makes him uniquely qualified to be the guy who deals with spirits?

Dragons can talk with their whiskers. I'm sure I've seen that somewhere before.

Iroh can see stuff in the spirit world? Maybe it's an old people thing?

How stupid are these earthbender guards? Nice call back to the water heating trick. This show is really good at set up and payoff like that.

This dragon is very fluent at talking in pictures. Also the sky in the accelerated days and nights animation is actual live action footage of sky, right?

Earthbenders can skate on their bare feet. That's beyond cool. Imagine having an inborn ability to sock slide at will. I'd never walk anywhere again. Only slide.

Comforting Appa really did get her out of her funk and inspire action. Neat.

Aang and Zuko's stories do intersect this episode after all. Also I had no idea the two parties were this close to each other. Zuko showing this episode that in addition to deductive reasoning, he also has long-distance tracking skills.

I want to visit this village just to see the sunsets in person.

Iroh was right, they were clearly outmatched. These guys are just the worst. They're on a dirt floor in a dirt cave with the advantage of numbers and actual pants, and they still lose. Did Iroh even firebend?

I take back what I said earlier about Iroh being stupid for going off alone in enemy territory. If this is the calibre of soldiers he knew he would possibly run into, then he was perfectly safe all along. Although the last minute rescue from Zuko was a nice touch. Did anyone really believe that he would choose chasing the Avatar over his uncle? I didn't.

I like the creepy spirit whispering at the gate.

Did Katara yelling to Aang attract the spirit's attention to that main building? Because it seemed to be ignoring it before.

Chekov's acorn!

When Aang went to the spirit world, his body stayed behind on the statue's head. But when Sokka went his whole self was stuck there? Also that bathroom joke is payback for all the denied potty breaks.

Sokka's practicality and bluntness is just so perfect this episode. A nice counter balance to the spirity stuff. Just spent 24 hours in the Spirit world? That's nice. Can we have supplies?

Momo's back in these final scenes, but where was he the rest of the episode?

How does Aang know the island is in the fire nation? From the temple architecture?

Final Thoughts

I really like this episode! There is so much that is good: -beautiful visuals (so many sunsets!) -interesting sound design (that whispering was neat, and the single wind chime in the last spirit attack was so eerie) -so many well-executed set ups and payoffs (acorn, firebending heating stuff, how the spirit does relate to the burnt forest from the beginning) -So much good dialogue, from Zuko especially ("Now would you please put on some clothes?!?" / *sniffs* "Yeah, that's Uncle Iroh.") -relationship stuff (Sokka being big brother, Katara being lost without him until someone else needs her to be strong, Aang's relationship to his responsibilities both internally within himself and externally with how the village sees him and what it expects of him, the exasperated teenager and secretly amused parent dynamic between Zuko and Iroh switching flawlessly into a fighting team, then flawlessly back) -Everyone feels in character (optimistic sweetheart Aang, practical protective Sokka, caring Katara, super chill yet super skilled Iroh, Zuko just so fed up with everything) -The humour was downplayed this episode but the few jokes that were there were genuinely funny. Sokka getting hit with the acorn in particular. I'm thinking that there must have been a rule in the writing room that it's not a proper Avatar episode unless Sokka gets to be the butt of the joke at least once. -Zuko and Iroh finally getting fleshed out a bit. I feel like this is the first episode where Zuko hasn't come off as an asshole. -Worldbuilding (this is the first time the avatar's done his job as per the job description) -How it's supposed to be the first half of a two part episode but it doesn't feel like set up at all. It's a self-contained story with actual stakes, a conclusion that matters, lessons learned all around, and ALSO set up for next episode.

Once I had gotten a good look at firebending in the Southern Air Temple episode I started wondering how the fire nation hadn't completely decimated all their enemies. After I saw Bumi's bending skills I understood how the earth kingdom had resisted the fire nation for a century, but Bumi really was the exception to the rule, wasn't he? If these earth kingdom soldiers are typical of the earth kingdom army, I'm going to have to switch back to my original opinion and wonder why the fire nation didn't win the war 85 years ago. Because these guys are bad. They are surrounded by their element. Their prisoner is standing on their element. Just make the ground grab his feet! He'll be a sitting duck and they'll be able to do whatever they want to him. Better yet, just bury him completely. Or make handcuffs out of rock instead of metal. That being said, the soldiers' stupidity set up a really cool fight scene. How did Zuko not break his foot with that kick?

Everything is woven together so well in this episode. Almost nothing feels contrived - you can't tell me that Zuko didn't wait behind a bush somewhere so he could time his rescue of Iroh to have maximum drama. But otherwise this episode feels organic - like we were actually watching a couple of days in the life of these people.

I really liked this one.

[tekabecca114]

I'm sorry but I have to gush over the new PSO2NGS Dark Falz Aegis fight. Specifically its music but I do have to give credit to the fight itself as well. Full thoughts under the cut. Warning: Very Long

It's super fun throughout the whole thing. The fight opens with the standard enemy gauntlet as you approach the boss itself, which is massive and wholly visible in the distance. As you finally close in, phase 1 begins. The music is a remix of the Dark Falz theme from your first battle with it in NGS. Aegis blends in with the darkened skies in a way that sells how powerful and insurmountable it is. You scramble around to kill more adds and dodge incoming lasers as you summon your own firepower, a portable cannon. The retaliation begins as you fire barrage after barrage at Aegis' barrier of guns.

It's fun as hell, but after enough damage is done, the Central Cannon fires a huge blast, weakening Aegis and beginning phase 2.

And holy shit-

The song opens with vocalist Anya Floris reprising the opening melody to Song of Mourning as the boss reveals its true form. Its attacks are easily called but devastating, prompting you to quickly learn its patterns for efficiency and to prevent a low rank. This somehow creates a battle that feels rewarding to master as you dodge perfectly while also maximizing damage done, which will be important as there are multiple DPS checks throughout the fight.

Anyways, the music.

I haven't found an official title for the song yet but I will add it here via edit when it is released. After the opening, the song Our Life, Our Scars properly begins with some anxious, doubtful lyrics.

Official Lyrics

Thought I knew what I struggled for Thought my future would bring me more The beginning, so enchanting, seemed so right before I've seen death and what goes with it Numbing childish dreams for justice and whatever flows with it I admit, I am lost

Given the themes and context, it's not hard to see who this song is about;

It's Aina, your companion.

Despite what you may or may not think about NGS' story as a whole, Aina has been through a LOT of shit, with her father Garoa and hometown getting nuked by the very thing you are fighting and her being thrust into battle alongside you to try and carry Garoa's legacy despite her lack of experience. You've seen her grow and learn where her skills lie and how she can help and not feel like a burden to her team.

The intensity dies down a bit to allow you to focus on a chance for some big damage. Platforms raise up and you find debris to launch back at Aegis to chip off some more HP.

And then another voice joins the song.

What's your story? Where's your heartache? Hold out your hands to me In the dark times when you feel alone, let's find what we're here for What's the reason? Who's the target? Where is our tomorrow? (What's the reason? Who's the target? Where is our tomorrow?) I will find the answers (You can find the will to fight to follow the sun) The battle is ours, our life, our scars! (The battle is ours, our life, our scars!)

There's a bit of speculation over what character this voice (EN: Aimee Blackschleger) is meant to represent but there's two main theories. It could be the Player Character, although personally, I'm pretty sure they are represented through a male vocalist (ex. PSO2's Dark to Light).

The other, more straightforward answer is that it's Manon, your other companion.

While Manon's story is still very much open, leaving a lot of her past and motives unknown, she certainly fits the bill to be supporting Aina's vocals here. She's very serious and "no-nonsense" when it comes to her job as an ARKS Defender, but she is still somewhat empathetic towards others. You finally see some of her emotional cracks show during the Stia campaign as being unable to save some of the fellow ARKS soldiers weighs on her mind heavily.

The song is more optimistic, but there's still an air of anxiety to it. Lots of questions, but they're slowly replaced by certainty and confidence. Nearing the end of this long encounter, you hear your allies sing with hope as you near the final DPS check.

I am here on a mission. "Purpose," I have gained it from you (There's a mission. There's a purpose. I'm at your side) Taken out of my darkest hour, and leading the way (In the dark times, when you feel afraid, the way will become clearer) There's an answer. Life is with us. There is our beginning (There's an answer. Life is with us. There is our beginning) We have seen the sun (We can find the will to fight to follow the sun) The battle is ours, our life, our scars! (The battle is ours, our life, our scars!)

The final DPS check begins as you have to stop Aegis from absorbing enough energy to wipe you out. Dashing from meteor to meteor, you smash each rock as the music swells to begin finally playing the main theme, A World Beyond The Sky. This is notable because this is the first time this has happened in PSO2NGS, despite it being a staple for Urgent Quest bosses in PSO2 with its main theme.

As Aegis' final attack of desperation backfires, it lies limp, fully allowing you to finish the job. And I'm just gonna let you watch the finale cutscene because... wow.

There is so much to go over here.

Crawford firing multiple volleys from the Central Cannon, making damn sure it does not escape this time

All the comrades you met through the regional campaigns giving you the power of a goddamn Spirit Bomb

GAROA???? pushing you to advance

Your character becoming a fucking METEOR as you focus all that Friendship Energy into a single punch that blows CLEAN THROUGH AEGIS

And then finally dropping you off in a field of flowers, a tradition I hope they keep going with future Final Bosses.

It gives you somewhere calm and beautiful to reflect on everything that happened (while also sorting through your presumably low-tier loot).

This fight proved to me that PSO2NGS is still worth playing despite the lackluster launch and basic story and I hope this at least convinces a couple people to give the game a proper shot.

[writers-worst-nightmare]

Hello Sir!

(is Sir okay?? I noticed you went by what I assume to be he/they pronouns so I presume it's okay?? At least compared to Ma'am!! I'm sorry, I sort of have the need to address people formally!!)

Besides that, I was hoping I could request a matchup! (either platonic or romantic, whatever you think would work better)

Fandom: either dsmp or even tftsmp if you're willing!

I'm a cis female, and I go by she/her pronouns (though, he/him and they/them usage for me always makes my brain happily shocked, just like feeling a bit masculine does, soooo)

How Others Would Describe Me

From what I've heard, I seem to be a pretty well-liked person. I get a lot of people calling me things like 'kind', 'optimistic', and 'smart', because generally that is the way I like to present myself to the world. I can get quite loud when I'm happy (like when I'm with my friends. Being with them always makes me happy), but I always end up trying to catch myself and be a but quieter! I'm very much a social person, often overwhelmingly so, and so always find myself desperately trying to join in on my friends' conversations. However, I think my social anxieties offset some of the annoying parts about being social. If someone even stopped responding to me I'd think I messed up and eventually leave them alone :)

Also, everybody knows that I'd never hurt a fly! Despite my size, they know that I'm way too 'kind' (as well as way to much of a skittish scaredy-cat) to hurt someone intentionally!

How I Would Describe Myself

Unfortunately, I don't think as highly about myself. The best way to describe it is like a 'personality-based imposter syndrome'. I always hear people call me 'kind', but it always feels as if I'm forcing myself to be kind so as to not be hated--which is kind of a stink feeling to have. Added onto that is my fear of breaking rules instilled in me by my parents, and I need full, coherent permission to do things and complete instructions or else I panic and overwhelm myself. Fun :) I'm also quite jumpy/skittish-- I quite literally curl up into myself when somebody looks at me after I make a bad joke! I think it's caused by both my childhood friends (they were fun, but they did play rough with me like I was a dude too) and my little brother (he gets VIOLENT when he's mad, I have to watch out to make sure he doesn't drown me! /hj). I was raised with the masculine stereotypes (only girl in a boy friend group), meaning I've been left with an aversion to things like crying in public and showing weakness (things that I, in a twisted sense of irony, often end up doing a lot). My mind runs quite quickly, and I often end up confused. I have a terrible memory, too :)

On another note, I absolutely love listening to music. Even if it's a stupid joke song from a random video I watched, it entertains my mind. Thus, I often need a song playing at any given moment of the day, whether it be in my head or in real life. It keeps the stray thoughts away :) (yes, I have at least three songs stuck in my head every day. It's become somewhat of a guessing game). Listening to music would be the only thing I class as a 'hobby' because I really am that boring. I hope that one day I get good at singing, but unfortunately I'm too awkward to ask to apply for singing lessons.

Also, I have the weirdest, most gen-Z-esque sense of humour ever. It's honestly quite shameful how easily I'll laugh at some things, especially when they're internet-related.

TL;DR

Others seem to like me a lot. I don't, but that's not without reason--I'm generally anxious, insecure, and I feel quite obnoxious at times. I'm very much a people-person, and I tend to make new friends pretty easily. I can be very loud and excitable, but try my best to be a but quieter when I'm in an area where people don't like loud. I'm also very skittish/jumpy, possibly stemming from some childhood stuff. Raised with masculine stereotypes, despite being a girl. Super speedy mind, not as speedy memory. I absolutely love music, it makes the brain worms happy. Also gen-Z humour. :)

Fun Little 'Quirks' Of Mine

- Remember how I said I have a terrible memory? Well, my memory definitely impacts my social abilities. 9 times out of 10, it's because I always forget which interactions I've had with people, meaning that sometimes I end up telling one person a single story about 5 times.

- The way my mind works while speaking is either:

^ I'm thinking about the next thing I'm going to say while still currently speaking--this ends in a lot of situations where either I stumble over my words as my mind tries to compute the next sentence (I've developed somewhat of a stutter, especially when I'm excited and talking fast), or I'm unable to come up with anything else so it just leaves an awkward pause.

^ Blurting out literally anything without a second thought. Whether this is me loudly quoting a stupid video I saw the other day or me randomly singing one line from a song, it's sure to stir some conversation.

- I cannot stay still. I always sway on my feet or bounce around when I'm standing, and I tend to bounce in my seat or do little hand motions when I'm sitting.

^ Sidenote: Walking/running around on tip-toes is really fun! It makes me feel quite light (which isn't something I usually get to feel) and energetic!

- Casual overachiever, due to being raised a gifted kid. I always either barely put in effort and do well, or I end up forcing myself to go way past expectations. Unfortunately, that's what you've got to do when 'nearly' perfect gets you disappointment instead of praise.

Physical Description

I'm a bit taller than average, with an uncomfortably curvy figure (both in 'that' sense and in the sense that my spine curves like an 'S'). However, I'm also a bit chubby, though some (a.k.a. me, my childhood friends, and some especially rude people who've only ever interacted with me to mock me) tend to call me 'fat'. I have QUITE pale skin, with cheeks that apparently get pink very easily. My eyes are a mix of green and hazel, often with occasionally visible eyebags underneath. Apparently, I've had those eyebags since I was a little kid. I have long, dark brown hair that is often left unintentionally hanging over half of my face.

I tend to put very little effort into my appearance, because I don't want people to judge me for 'trying too hard'. That, and I'm not confident enough to even tie my hair back. I always like wearing oversized clothes, especially big hoodies/jerseys that cover up the curves of my body. Unfortunately, I'm never really able to buy more big clothing.

But anyways, I hope you have a lovely day/night, whether you do this request or not!

Sir is OK, thank you for taking the time out of your day to check my pronouns :)

LOADING PERSONALITY

LOADING LOOKS

Shadow paires you up with....

TOMMMY!!!!!!

(Can be seen as platonic or romantic)

You and Tommy are like twins. You guys are literally conjoined by the hip. You both randomly shout out lyrics to Wilbur So it's song and quotes from the dream smp. He loves when you ramble about the little things in life. Whether it be about some song that has been stuck in your head or how you feel insecure about the way you look.He is always there to comfort you and try to pull your away from overselling yourself. Saying that you shouldn't burn out yet. I feel like he would give you a lot of fidget toys (some of his own). And he doesn't know what to do with you sometimes so he kind of gives you presents. Like some bubbles or something. He gets a lot of those like bff charms as a joke and the two of you love to stream together. He makes fun of your height (no harm meant to it of course) and introduced you to Ranboo half as a joke and half because he thinks the two of you will get along together.

[justaradioguy]

Fuery can't get himself to do much more than sit up. He reaches up to pull his glasses off, wiping the lenses as clean as he can get them with his sleeve before he puts them back on.

Dust and a couple of cracks keep them fairly hard to see out of, especially when he's trying to shove himself into a small crawlspace. Now that he's fairly sure that White Cloud - what a name, really - isn't going to immediately attack him, he can breathe and take a moment to let all of this soak in. When he blinks after his glasses are back on his face, he realizes he's looking the other person directly in the eyes.

And White Cloud's eyes are... strange. Kain would never dare mention something like that, of course, but they're definitely not like any eyes he's ever seen before. They're pretty, a shade of green that Kain might want a blanket of to brighten up his space. The pupils, though, those are the most strange part.

On top of that, does he have horns? Several of them, not just two like a typical horned creature, and made of what seems to be crystal.

This whole situation just keeps getting weirder, but who is Kain to ask a question like 'why do you look like that'? He keeps his observations to himself, deciding to answer White Cloud's questions first. If he's being promised help from a doctor, he won't deny it. He's sure he's dehydrated by now, and a safe place to rest is almost a necessity at this point. He won't complain about how tired he is though - that's never been in his nature.

"I doubt it'd be a good idea to stand, but I can try if you don't want to carry me," he says, still purposefully avoiding looking down at his leg. The last thing he needs is to see anything particularly wrong or gruesome and make a connection between it and himself.

"I don't know how I got here. Not surprising, though, that I'd end up in... any situation, at this point."

It's an attempt at humor followed by a dry, almost-humorless laugh that's gone as quickly as it showed up. He's always been optimistic, or at least tried to present himself as such. It helps him cope and sometimes helps those around him, as well. Plus, he'd rather come across as friendly to this stranger, given there's probably more to him that Fuery hasn't even noticed yet.

"The last thing I remember was putting down some communication lines. I'm not sure how long ago that was, but it feels like days or maybe weeks. I'm sorry I'm not much help... Can I ask if the other Amestrians are there, and if you know any of their names? Do you like them?"

It'd make him feel a lot better if he were lucky for once and White Cloud was friendly towards people he already knew, or, at the very least, not at odds with people he didn't but who came from the same place.

The man is crawling out of the space he's stuffed himself in and oh dear he looks worse for wear. He certainly hopes that this one will be able to trust him enough to allow him to carry him but he somehow doubts that if he does, he will let the Misterican get off the ground. His leg doesn't appear to be weight baring and it makes him wonder just what hells Wonderland has already put this one called Fuery through.

The Misterican is bringing himself down to the other man's level so he is no longer towering over the sitting form and he finds themselves similar in physical size once he does so. Crouched down, the white clad man continues to look the other over until jade green stops on deep onyx and somehow this one reminds him of Eversti. Perhaps Eversti knows him, that man and Miss Riza seem to know just about all of the Amestrians that keep popping up as of late.

"Now I must ask." He starts in a soft tone as to not startle. "Can you stand? You look like you've had quite the time since entering Wonderland. Can you remember how you arrived here or how long you have been here since you did?"

He sighs and smiles behind his mask, allowing the emotion to continue to reflect in his eyes.

"Wonderland has not been kind to you since your arrival, has it? If you are unable to stand and will allow me to do so. I can carry you. The other Amestrians are currently at a place known as the Comodeen. I guided most of them there myself. The Comodeen is a refuge of sorts and they will happily help assist you until you can get used to Wonderland as a whole. The Comodeen is also the location of Cid, he is my personal doctor and would be happy to give you the medical attention you look, pardon me for saying this so boldly, but the attention you look quite desperately in the need of."