#like it is so satisfying but its also just incredibly sad that its over.... like this is it.

[ladymortimer]

Finished my Bojack rewatch and everything is worse now

[fanfic-inator795]

SPOILERS FOR “THE END”

Okay so, much like the ending of Amphibia, I’m sure this ending’s gonna be controversial for some people for being so bittersweet and for it also ending with the two BFFs splitting seemingly forever… but honestly? I fucking loved it.

While the penultimate ep felt slightly rushed and just a tad unsatisfying due to all they had to cram in and wrap up, I love that this show’s finale was ultimately focused on just Molly, Scratch, and the latter’s series-wide arc of changing for the better and “being brought back to life”, as the TGAMM show bible put it.

Having believed in the Wraith feeling since the start, I was afraid that the Todd reveal would feel rushed given that the crew lost the 3rd season of set-up they wanted, but thankfully it managed to feel fairly natural since - while Todd himself may have been a more subtle hint that you’d only notice if you were paying attention- again, Scratch’s arc and the clear changes we see from him are made known throughout the series. So by the time you finally get to the big payoff, it feels like a natural conclusion.

For all the info dumps we got, I also felt like the ep was pretty well paced as well, still having jokes that made me laugh so it never felt too heavy or melodramatic. I also love that all the major characters in Scratch’s life got to play a role in this one final adventure. I also love that - for as important of a role that Adia played in helping Scratch regain his memories - it wasn’t framed as Scratch choosing his old BFF over his new BFF, but simply Scratch choosing to be brave and live the life he always wanted deep down instead of continuing to run away/hold himself back.

As for what could be seen as the Most controversial bit - Scratch forgetting his time as a ‘ghost’ - I feel like this was incredibly well crafted too. Like anything else in TGAMM (and as Molly herself says) there’s still that spark of hope hinting at Scratch still remembering Molly and the impact she had on him. He’s going to live with those memories and the importance she gave to enhappifying in his heart, even when he doesn’t consciously remember these things.

What’s more, the show also subtly but beautifully emphasizes that even if Scratch won’t fully remember Molly and the others until he’s officially died, the time he spent and the things he did for others as a ghost still mattered - they’re still going to be remembered by Molly, the McGees and their friends, and I LOVE how they also brought back Scratch’s silly toboggan-sneeze curse as just another way a part of ghost-him is going to stick with all of them no matter what - no matter how far apart they are.

While I would have liked one final song (which, I guess we arguably did get that in the credits) I also feel like ending the show on Libby’s Maya Angelou quote was the perfect summation on the show’s core themes - to not just do good for others, but for yourself. To live your best and happiest life.

In my opinion, this truly was just a master class in satisfying series finales. We didn’t need any big final battles or a ton more drama, just one last beautiful character piece that isn’t afraid to be somewhat bittersweet in order to fully sell its message while also still being just as fun and enjoyable and lovely as the rest of the series.

Really, the only thing that makes me kinda sad is that Scratch never said goodbye to GhostShark - but hey, he’ll see him again eventually, and honestly my hc is that the Jeoffs are taking care of Sharkie for him in the meantime. Other than that, this was a 10/10 finale for me, absolutely no notes.

Now… obviously this was the finale that the TGAMM crew was always leading up to, I assume once they realized that they weren’t getting a s3 they asked Disney to give them one final ep to wrap things up. If that wasn’t the case though and this was always meant to be the s2 finale, I guess s3 would be about Todd slowly remembering his life as Scratch and eventually coming back to Brighton alongside Adia to help Molly stop Jinx’s revenge or whatever. But… eh, I personally don’t think that’s needed.

I think the show ended perfectly, leaving just enough ambiguous for fans to still imagine how Molly and Scratch’s adventures are going to continue one day while at the same time being super satisfying - probably the best series finale that we’ve seen out of any modern Disney cartoon.

[just-antithings]

I wanted to piggy-back off the Harry Potter ask regarding performance activism specifically regarding Harry Potter fandom.

I'm a little woozy after a medical emergency I had this week but I'm scared ill forget this, so bare with me, please.

JK Rowling coming out as a TERF was absolutely heartbreaking especially as a queer person who grew up on the series. The series was a life-line in a time where I was being drowned in loneliness. I literally grew up with the books. I started when I was eleven and read the final books ad an 18 yr old.

And when she first came out, I was one of the many who wanted to walk away and no longer wanted to associate with it, but felt so wrong.

It felt wrong on many levels. On the most noticeable, it made me incredibly sad that I felt I was no longer allowed to read the books, enjoy the movies with my family, got to some of the Harry Potter exhibits with my family. A huge part of my adolescence was suddenly forbidden.

Abstaining from the series was hurting me more than it was impacting her.

Then, from a more social justice perspective, what does us abstaining actually do? I mean really, it's like the trnasphobes dumbing their beer over Dylan. Or burning merch over finding out someone is gay or whatever. We make fun of people destroying their merch because the corporations already have their money.

It's the same thing with JKR. She already made her money. She doesn't care what her fans think because she doesn't have to.

Refusing to engage with a piece of media to feel morally superior just makes the individual feel better and I think we do it because people feel powerless and like they have no other way to advocate and fight against transphobia.

It also feels like a way to feel morally superior and as an opportunity to punch down.

So, I, a queer person, let myself enjoy a piece of media creates by a transphobe, because that piece of fiction has grown to be so much more than its creator.

For advocacy?

I donate. I engage with the community. I'm mindful of the conversations I engage in. I speak when needed and listen when needed. I donate when I can. I support trans creators when I can. I vote. I learn our queer history and understand where we've come from and what has allowed us to grow into the community we are now.

Personally, I find it more satisfying and more rewarding, and more impactful than ignoring a fandom and piece of literature that has brought myself and my family joy.

Anywho, hope this makes sense. Thanks for your time!

.

[arkbeyond]

hey hoo!! May I request relationship hcs with Noan? 🥹🫶🏻 content for him is nonexistent but I love him so much, so that kinda makes me sad ☹️ Noan brainworms!!!

Thank you sm! ♥️

my first request !! cinder burns was soooo good i'm honestly really surprised at the lack of noan content ꒰˵ˊᯅˋ˵꒱ i hope this feeds your brainworms at least a little and i hope you enjoy, anon!! 🫡

noan relationship hcs

content warnings: none

➸ NOAN seems like the type of lover who is somehow both incredibly earnest and just a little bit clumsy in his relationship with you — romance is relatively new territory for him, and for all the books he may have read growing up, drama-filled romantic subplots did little to prepare him for an actual relationship.

➸ It's charming in its own way too, of course: he doesn't mind doing things his own way, but he values your input more than most. He'll often say things like, I wanted to walk you back to your room. Is that okay? or, If you want to, we could stop by that dessert store you like. He'll often end your dates with a little, Can I kiss you? before dropping you off, and even if you insist that he doesn't need your permission, there's a pretty good chance he'll keep asking, if only to see your reaction.

➸ On that note, Noan isn't necessarily opposed to PDA, but he seems like the type to simply prefer reserving the more affectionate things for when it's just the two of you. He doesn't mind little things, though, like kissing you on the cheek, or sharing a drink, or holding your hand in public. He's developed a little habit of his own with you, too — unknowingly reaching to link his little finger with yours when you two happen to stand beside each other.

➸ Noan is very big on acts of service! He loves doing little things for you, even if it's as small as mending a small tear in your shirt, helping you dig through some paperwork, or walking you back to your room. It's a win on two fronts, if you ask him — he loves it when you're able to rely on him, and he also loves the way you smile when you thank him.

➸ He loves just...watching you, too. He loves being near you, don't get him wrong, but if the circumstances don't allow for it, he's just as satisfied to gaze at you from afar. It doesn't matter if it's just a passing glance in the hall as you both scurry over to your next appointment, or when he's able to look more closely at your face as you rest your head in his lap. You're you, and he's intent on committing every part of you to memory: the way your eyebrows furrow when you focus, or the way the skin of your palm looks as he reaches out to take your hand in his.

➸ It's a little cheesy, but his mind wanders to you often: have you eaten? Are you getting enough sleep? He saw this wildflower growing out of the pavement on his last mission and thought of you — would you let him put it in your hair? These idle daydreams often lead him to doodle little portraits of you in his notebook when he doesn't have anything else to keep his hands busy. Of course, he'll let you take a peek at them if you want; he only wishes he could somehow capture a fraction of how he feels for you with pen and paper alone.

[waitmyturtles]

Let's do this! I'm so sad this lovely show is over, despite its structural flaws. But I was with the story from beginning to end. Be My Favorite, episode 12/finale!

Before I get into my FEELINGS, of which I have a lot, I want to note that I think I misread the timelines in episode 12, of which @lurkingshan in DMs (and here's her fabulous wrap-up post!) and @grapejuicegay in her meta (thanks for the tag!) both corrected me. During episode 12, I assumed that the intimacy of episode 10 was actually with future Pisaeng. I stand corrected: that future Pisaeng goes back to the future AFTER the conversation with Kawi in the amusement park. That future Pisaeng is left assured by past Kawi that future Pisaeng can't change what might happen that can't be changed. And that life should ultimately be lived with intention in the moment, and not with a design in mind to change anything that CAN be changed.

Okay, now that that confusion is out of the way (HA!), what did I take from this episode?

First, regarding my confusion (ha), I think the narrative structure depending on the jumping of the timelines ended exactly where it needed to end -- right at the edge of it getting confusing enough for an old mom like me to start forgetting all of them, ha. Unfortunately, I always have to take away a couple points from any show where me and the clowns are left to try to piece together a narrative after an episode is over -- my biggest demand of any show is that the story needs to be told convincingly enough, even if there's mystery, for us to end at least not confused, if not satisfied. But it's a small gripe, because by way of the previous philosophical references -- we kinda knew it was going to get confusing anyway. I appreciated that we left the jumping forwards and backwards behind in the end, that the ability to do so had expired. Honestly, though -- I think it also added a lot of intrigue and movement to the plot.

Leaving structure behind: after ALLLLLLLLLLLL of the references to SO MUCH throughout this show -- the philosophical references, @telomeke's INCREDIBLE post on Buddhist and other Thai cultural references, and so, SO much more -- what I LOVED about this episode was its utterly stripped-down approach, going back to a straightforward narrative after everything we learned about the past and the future. That what we were left with was dialogue and contemplative silence as Pisaeng and Kawi discussed HOW they would live their future, driving with the top down, and enjoying the breeze together.

These were such gorgeous metaphors for what would ultimately bring them both happiness and meaning in life -- that overthinking these things, that designing better futures for themselves with whatever powers they could muster, would ultimately not lead to ENTIRELY perfect outcomes for the both of them. That instead, a life that's well lived is one that can withstand outcomes that you may not predict. AND: despite your best intentions to change things that you THINK may not work.... they may end up working, after all. Kawi lives.

@telomeke: this entire episode may have been one big commentary on the biggest Buddhist philosophy of all -- that of enlightenment. I think Kawi emanated this the best during the conversation at the theme park. I love how Shan referenced @shortpplfedup's commentary on the Serenity Prayer, because I think that's part of what we got here. That ultimately -- we need to let go of control, of the tangibility of our existence, and focus on just living and loving, in order to find true happiness/satisfaction/fulfillment.

In the face of my gentle criticisms about the structural flaws of the show, what I'm left with here is satisfaction, emotionally, for Kawi and Pisaeng. I'm thrilled for where they ended up. I loved every minute of it -- I loved their contemplative happiness in the end.

But, this is me, right, LOL, and I'll posit one last clown theory. While we're talking about enlightenment and letting life live: we still have Max wearing a Pride pin at a wedding. We have Kawi and Pisaeng talking about getting married without legally being able to. We had discussion previously in the show that Pisaeng could move out of Thailand to get married and live a happy family life. He doesn't want to leave Thailand.

The back and forth of past to future, of communication improving over time, of lessons learned, of pushing forward in a path: if I'm to look at that from a political lens, I want to say that there's a lesson that BMF is offering, that we can LEARN from the past in order to live a better future. Again, after all the philosophical references -- I believe that what we're left with is a message of hope and optimism that things will change, over the course of its own time, that life will improve for every single person if we have the patience. (I always remind folks that it took DECADES of work to legalize gay marriage in America -- DECADES.)

Maybe the lessons of Kawi's illness, maybe even his dad's illness, not only serve to tell us that we can't change EVERYTHING, to EXACTLY the way that we want it, at the moment we are living. But if we want a life that is at least IMPROVED -- with intentionality, and with PATIENCE -- we can live that and do that, if we can trust and feel that our decisions will lead to some kind of betterment in the future. We know that future Max hasn't stopped working for equality. I think the lesson in this last episode is that we all shouldn't stop working towards that equality goal, despite the obstacles that all of us -- queer family and allies alike -- will face in our work.

Y'all: I AM SO GLAD I PICKED UP THIS SHOW. I recanted on Krist, I am TOTALLY IMPRESSED, WHAT?!, with Gawin -- this show was FABULOUS, and I loved every minute of it. Will GMMTV bring back GawinKrist? I'm going to guess not, but I appreciate the both of them biting the BL bullet and focusing on a show that had so many phenomenal themes to chew on. This was a great one, and it's going on my high recommendation list.

[I ALSO LOVED TALKING TO THE BMF FAM -- HEARTS TO ALL! @dribs-and-drabbles, @grapejuicegay, @lurkingshan, @bengiyo, @pandasmagorica, @twig-tea, @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle (OOOOH, HEIDEGGER, GO OFF, I LOVE THIS!), @thegalwhorants, @rocketturtle4 -- I loved reading and being tagged in your meta! Will we assemble again for Only Friends?!]

[fuckalicent]

hotd ao3 recs that make me slightly feral

it’s finally here!!! i will potentially be adding to this in the future so keep an eye out <3 also this may not stick only to hotd and extend to the wider asoiaf world.

baby teeth by zoe_millin_writes

aemond x helaena. incredibly written aemond character analysis. chapters are from aemond’s pov throughout his childhood and into his adulthood and his trauma surrounding sex, his parents, his injury etc etc is so incredibly and profoundly done. i don’t think i’ve read anything more beautiful and intense. there is also one helaena pov and my god is it so amazingly written. the characterisation and details are out of this world. definitely read all the warnings because it is very intense and potentially triggering. the exploration of aemond’s relationship with religion and by extension his mother and sister is done so well and genuinely what kept me tied to this fic.

see, what had happened was… by daylander

aemond x rhaena. from rhaena’s pov. i can’t remember it all as vividly as i should because i read it a while ago but god is it a delight. it’s funny, sad, amusing, entertaining & overall just so incredible. there is so much about rhaena’s experience living without her sister for so long on dragonstone and how it impacts her relationship with baela. so much about her relationship with daemon and by extension the velaryon/targaryen relations. just so so great. the scenes with rhaena and aemond are just.. chef’s kiss. they’re my favourite chaotic childhood friends to… whatever they are LMAO

spring’s end by navree

oneshot (9k words) from alicent’s pov about the lead-up to her wedding to viserys. made me wince more than a few times just because she deserved so much better :( the way her relationships with rhaenyra, her father, viserys & even criston (although brief) are shown is so beautiful and haunting to me.

would that they were not by navree

i fucking cried. a oneshot (7k words) about the fateful encounter with blood and cheese. so beautifully written and the relationships between the kids, alicent, cole and otto are described so heartbreakingly.

in your grave by 136108

This is the thing you married, the voice in the back of her head whispered gleefully. You saw its pretty smile and its dainty hands and so you dragged it into your bed and upon your cock and trusted that it could never hurt you. You bred it like a bitch and you promised to cut out its tongue and all this time you should have been worried about its teeth. But you did not and now it will leech your throne and your legacy and its pretty mouth will swallow the House of the dragon whole.

SO FUCKING CATHARTIC!!! we deserved vengeful evil alicent and i’m forever mad we didn’t get her… season 2 will be her moment trust. this is a short yet incredibly impactful piece about alicent visiting viserys on his death bed. amazingly written and the most satisfying thing ever.

5 times alicent and criston almost kissed and the 1 time they almost didn’t by gracelesson

I FUCKING CRIED!!!!!!!!!!!! most healing comforting beautiful thing ive read in a while oh my god op is crazy talented i’m in awe. the way s/a, marriage, sexuality & growing up were handled here were literally incredible and i cant even begin to express how much i love this. this is a modern au and it’s probably very different from whatever you’re expecting. i adore the dynamics shown between alicent, cole & her children ugh i swear i feel giddy all over. beautiful.

my hand was the one you reached for by nuncasais

literally the best. snapshots of alicent, criston, and her kids’ lives at the keep during the time jump. i love these types of fics that cover unseen periods of time — the detail and thought gone into each chapter is incredible and so so meticulous. chapters are from either criston or alicent’s pov’s. beware u might (definitely) cry.

[runa-falls]

7, 8, 12 + 21 for Miguel O'hara please?

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I LOVE that miguel has soft spots for domesticity, bc that's all he really wants. stability + a family to care for <3 (i mean... i could make him a daddy but whatever...)

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I AM GUILTY OF THIS: making him very shallow. yes WE ALL WANNA FUCK HIM. in some cases, we write him just to fuck him, which is ok! really! but sometimes i need some angst or fluff to satisfy my need for him. i wanna know him as a person, not a portable cock :3

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

miguel is a nerd. it shouldn't be surprising as he was a geneticist for alchemax, but i like to think he always hid behind his glasses and long lab coats, never knowing how incredibly attractive he is. he blushes when he's complimented and stutters around that one person he's really into. before the disaster, he was a ball of fucking sunshine.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

there's a difference between fav and most common:

so my favorite thing: making miguel as affectionate as a cat that's obsessed with its owner 😌 miguel would rub his face all over the inside of your thighs before he goes down on you, like he's trynna memorize the feeling of your skin and imprint his scent on you (which maybe he can bc he's half-spider??).

he can be very clingy sometimes, and hoist you onto his lap at any given moment just bc he wants you near. dude also does shit like buy you something you collect or cook your favorite food bc he LOVES the way you preen and praise him. HE'S A FUCKING LOSER :*)

most commonly: i like making him an asshole who's too scared to get attached bc he's fears he'll lose the reader like he did his family :( sad but it makes for good angst + upsetting PORN -- ANYWAY

character asks

[yakichoufd]

hi!! I absolutely ADORE how you draw and characterize scott, it's so refreshing from the usual depiction of him in media *cough cough*, movies, certain comics. I was wondering if you've ever read this fic---To Rebuild a Life?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7283611/chapters/16538692

Its my all time FAVORITE scott summers fic, it's basically a retelling of his origin story based loosely on info from the films and comics (i read it before watching/reading any and really enjoyed it, might be a biiit confusing in some areas but it didn't affect the overal story tbh). It's pretty much a found family, lab rat au. You get to see this KICK ASS scott summers as he quite literally fights to survive, he's incredibly cunning, persistent, and fiercely loyal here and it's just. So good. I can't even properly explain it LMAO. But the relationships, characterization, world building, references, and most importantly the angst here are so good, I 100% recommend that you read it!!

thank you so much! I am really pleased that so many of you enjoy how I draw him! I am having a lot of fun! I find it sad that he was not that well written in some official materials but I think we all love him for specific reasons! I am super happy the fandom give him the love he deserves <3 I am not familiar with that fic! I usually do not read uncompleted fics cause my little gremlin mind can't stop thinking about the potential follow up without being satisfied, but you made me super curious about this story! It sounds like it is my jam, so I'll most definitly read it! :D So thank you so much! I am happy we are all recommending fics to each other! I joined tumblr (many many years ago, before the purge and on a different account) for the fic recommandations (and also fandom analysis and discussion)! It was always so nice! That reminds me, I should leave some comments on all the fics I enjoyed. Writing comments is hard! My english is kind of poor and never expresses the love and emotions I had while reading, so I'm kind of frustrated but I am always happy when i get positive comments on my own work. We shall all let our favourite creators known how much we appreciate their work! <3

[etherealspacejelly]

i feel like infodumping so here is my opinion of every new who companion!!

Rose Tyler

shes the og, shes That Girl, she is the moment! (lol, get it?) Rose was one of the best companions fr. her love story with the doctor is so beautiful and so tragic and honestly, he Needed her. ninerose >>> tenrose i said what i said. 9/10

Jack Harkness

very fun character! they kinda ruined him in torchwood a little bit. some of the earliest explicit queer rep in mainstream media i ever saw, if not the first! i loved his dynamic with rose and nine. 8/10

Mickey Smith

my sweet boy, my babygirl. he deserved so much better fr. dont get me wrong, i love Rose, but the way she treated Mickey was so mean. also the doctor hated his ass for no reason other than he was competition for Rose's affection. plastic Mickey was iconic. 8/10

Martha Jones

ICON!!! QUEEN!!!! i Love Martha soooo much. she was the only companion to Get Out and i love that for her, she deserved it. she slayed fr. however i do kinda hate that most of her character was simping for ten like. girl. stand up. 9/10

Donna Noble

Oh My God, incredible. cant wait to get her back!!!! the adipose scene through the windows???? hilarious, i can quote every word!!! she gave the doctor a run for his money and i love that for her. she was exactly what he needed after Rose and Martha, just A Mate. 10/10

Amy Pond

my favourite companion!!! eleven was My Doctor tho so thats probably why. every episode of season 5 is a banger. i love that she and Rory and River became a family to the doctor. love her. little Amelia is so cute and grown up Amy is a total badass. fish custard/10 10/10

Rory Williams

my beloved <3 hes so boyfriend fr. raised my standards as a kid. he waited 2000 years for her ;-; 10/10

River Song

hello sweetie :)

i love that her story was told backwards, very interesting narrative choice! knowing that she was always doomed to the library was so tragic. learning all of her secrets over each series was very fun and satisfying!! 10/10

Clara Oswald

hmm. not one of my favourite companions. she's ok i guess? the impossible girl thing was kinda cool but i dont really like her as a character. 5/10

Bill Potts

YESSSS! i love lesbiabs. lessbiens. women. her ending was super sad tho :(

she was cool and fun and gay 9/10

Yasmin Khan

hrm. boring. didnt have much of a personality, not really her fault the writing was just so shit. she had potential!! thasmin 4 lyfe! 4/10

Ryan Sinclair

yea. no. dont like how they made his dyspraxia a fun quirky thing that he just. magically got over somehow??? its a literal disability. my brother has it. it could have been so interesting to see how that manifested over the course of his travels with the doctor but its almost like they just. forgot about it?? also he was boring as hell. 2/10

Graham O'Brien

i literally didnt even remember his surname, i had to look it up. he was just kinda. there. a little more interesting than Ryan i guess?? but. still. 2/10

Concluding remarks

looking forward to Donna coming back and meeting the new companions!!! i hope the writing is better in this season :/ chibbers was Not It. anyway. thanks for reading my silly little ramble!! special interest go brrrr

[ourladyofmaplemurder]

Emily: Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute?

Stage Manager: No.

Pause

The saints and poets, maybe--they do some.

I'm working on an essay about Riverdale now that the finale is out...but I'd like to say a few things now.

Namely, I'd like to talk about the fact that Riverdale ending with a homage to Our Town is so painfully fitting. So, unbearably fitting.

Our Town is a story, much like Riverdale, about a town. It doesn't have the fun twists and turns, for sure, but it is about the lives of the people living in Grover's Corners. It's a love letter to simple, American living.

(And I do say "American" because Our Town is quintessentially American.)

The first time I saw Our Town, I was 14 maybe. I found it incredibly boring. It was slow with tons of boring details about people and their simple lives. I really didn't get it.

It wasn't until, years later, I was in a production of it. A very lovely production. After 55 performances, I still didn't understand it. I don't think you can that young, but I started to.

Today, I still don't understand it, but I think I'm a step closer. You really can't, I think, understand life while you're in the midst of it. As Emily says in the final act:

"They're sort of shut up in little boxes, aren't they?"

We are. We can't help it. None of us can. We're all moving too damn fast in our little lives to be anything more than troubled from sun up to sun down. We strain so much in our little lives that we have to lie down and rest every night. We can never look at everything hard enough.

In any case, Riverdale culminating in an homage to Our Town just makes so much sense. The show has mentioned the play several times over the years, for starters, but it's more than that.

It's the button on a lengthy, 137-episode conversation about American culture and the nature of life itself. Exposing the dark underbelly. Celebrating the triumphs. Life is the trauma and the healing. The epic highs and lows of high school football, of course…but life is also incredibly boring. Peace is boring. At least, it can seem so when you’re not ready for it. If you’re still fighting and eager to do so, peace feels flat and horrible.

But, for these characters, this story, that has struggled and bled for 7 long seasons, I think a peaceful ending is well-earned. I walk away deeply satisfied.

I’ll leave you with one more thing. (Again, I’m still working on a bigger essay that will be more organized.)

 Riverdale is deeply haunted by its own past as much as the characters are.

It’s haunted by the Archie comics, by its own previous seasons, by Archie’s Weird Fantasy, etc. I think Riverdale ending on a peaceful, sentimental note is really beautiful.

It feels like Emily in the graveyard in act 3, learning to let go, and joining the other ghosts on the hill. We look back and remember. We grieve it and love it in kind. We live and we die. It’s all so small and yet, immeasurably huge like a starry night sky. We wish we could stay forever, but we know we can’t.

The first 6 seasons fought and bled so hard. The seventh season was a gradual slowing than settled into peace.

I could say a lot more about how healing and finding peace are not as exciting as people might like. I’m sure I will in time.

Riverdale was not a perfect show, but nothing is. I would have done things differently, but so would we all in a commentary on life.

I’m happy though.

We all have to go through our lives to appreciate them. That’s the joke. That’s the tragedy. That’s the truth. Happy/sad endings are the best, aren’t they?

Yeah. Because they’re real. They’re life.

And I can’t believe a silly little CW show handed me something so profound like that. Riverdale, I can’t believe you. You lovable scamp. You sneaky bastard. 

I can’t believe a goofy Archie fanfiction had the nerve, the audacity to say something so heartbreakingly and beautifully true.

“To look life in the face. To look life in the face and to know it, and then, to put it away.” - The Hours

I’m sorry this was so disjointed. I love you all, everything.

Unrelated Notes:

-It's a love letter to American cinema and theatre, which I think is covered under "culture", but I wanted to point that out specifically.

-The final season, more than any of them, is about American theatre and poetry. Death of a Salesman. The Crucible. Howl. Langston Hughes. Our Town. (And dozens of others.)

-The only way I can categorize Riverdale, truly, is as Americana Gothic.

-I think it makes sense to return to classic Americana in the final stretch. We've riffed on horror and thrillers. Soap operas and hell, even modern marvel movies. Returning to the Golden Age for one final look, where Archie itself began, truly feels full-circle.

-Cheryl let go of her grief. She left Thornhill. She built a family. She loved and was loved. God, that makes me so immeasurably happy.

She’s doing a puzzle in the Pop’s Choklit shop in the sky right now. I wish I could tell the Cheryl of 1x13 that.

“You are loved. You are safe. You’re going to be ok.”

Ah, but she wouldn’t understand just as my younger self wouldn’t understand my silly, peaceful life now. They would both scoff and roll their eyes at me. That’s ok though. They’ll figure it out.

[moononmyfloor]

I made a Baidiequn as well!

This time I didn't follow any guides but the memory of making the Mamianqun, but now I can tell you what the heck I was doing because this time I wasn't as lost and new as the first time!

Important: Don't take this as a word to word guide, I'm no sewing expert and I'm very bad at following instructions myself. I'm only sharing what I did.

1. This time the fabric was lighter and crisper than the mamianqun one. So yay for that! I washed it and sun dried it first, because some fabrics tend to shrink after washing and better not risk any deformation after I've made the whole thing.

2. Then I considered the width I want the belt to be, and chopped a horizontal strip of that size off the fabric.

3. Then I decided to sew the hemlines. I thought it would be much easier to get that over with, than struggling to sew a consistent line after all the pleats are done and the skirt is unwieldy.

Now, don't quote me on this, but I thought if the hems are wide, it'll help the final result to be neater. Because I've had dresses with barely there hems get twisted and undone after multiple washes and wear. So I made all three (bottom and 2 sides) hems an inch wide each so they would remain flat and compliant of the numerous pleats to come.

4. Now onwards to the pleating hell! I got fed up with pinning one pleat after the other, and unlike a Mamianqun which only had two separate bundles of tiny pleats at the sides, a Baidiequn has tiny pleats throughout its length! And there was 2 and half meters of fabric to go so I just went ahead and started sewing, pushing the pleated fabric underneath the needle as I went with the help of a protractor I had nearby.

It went surprisingly well though! And the colors were SO SO BEAUTIFUL, it felt like a dream, incredibly satisfying to see it take form in front of my eyes.

5. Let me tell you, pleated skirts are a void of length! Before I knew it, the 2 and half meters had dissappeared and turned out it wasn't enough! And I have a tiny waist to begin with! Initially I planned for a baidiequn with pleats throughout, but I had to unpleat the front lapel and the lapel beneath it to gain more volume. Very sad times. I had to give up on the pleat-pocket trick that I used for the mamianqun as well.

6. Pleats done, now the time to attach the belt. I attached the strip of fabric I initially cut off, first from the underside of the skirt, then folding it over on to the good side and closing it off. (I hope you understand what I'm saying haha)

The idiotic thing I did was though, as you can see I left a good portion of the skirt inside the belt.

I thought it would give strength to the belt lmao. Only later I realised "Hoo boy, it gonna be a pain to wash, dry and iron this belt" It's CHUNKY now. Not recommended. However it's quite cusion-like around my waist now?😆

7. Finally, the tie. I didn't use a tie for mamianqun so I've been wanting to try it anyway, also I thought now the front portion of the skirt is flat due to unpleating, a tie-decoration would make it look nicer.

8. All done! It took like 4 hrs. With less idiocy and more planning, it would probably take even lesser time.

.

If you promise to not judge, here's me wearing it!🤭 Night had fallen when I finished it, and the artificial lighting only highlighted the imperfections. It doesn't look as pretty as in the photos above! :(

Anyway, lessons learnt. So that's something, right?

.

More posts by me

[twilidramon]

Just found Tinystars Beginning and binge read Into the Wild in less than a day. They should hire you to write for the main series ngl. Any plans to do something with the Super Editions?

Oh wow, thanks!

As far as the Super Editions go, I do have a few ideas - one mirroring Bluestar's Prophecy, one mirroring Firestar's Quest, and an original one that rolls in a lot of the concepts and locations from later SEs. Honestly, I think that's all I've got in me, since I've got a very definite end to the TB series in mind, whether I finish it or not.

I also don't intend for these to be required reading to understand the main series, which is always a pit the canon Super Editions fall into - so I don't have to rush to work on them, and I can figure them out when I feel like it.

Brief concepts for the three (without obvious spoilers):

Tinystar's Quest - (their titles are not meant to be 1:1 with their canon counterparts, I just don't have a confirmed title for this one, as, frankly, its the least important one in my mind) after learning that Fiona has been having visions of a StarClan warrior, Tinystar and Cloudtail must help her forge her destiny and rebuild a tragically forgotten piece of Clan history - SkyClan.

Like Fire - this one is about Bluestar! Because it details a lot of prequel stuff, obviously, and follows Bluestar's story from kithood to tyrant :D Being a prequel, there's a LOT of family-tree and timeline stuff that I am trying very hard not to mess up, so this one, while exciting, is probably the most intimidating!

The Wander - since I revealed it in an ask, this one is about Sandstorm's journey home! It's a very emotional story! Out of all these concepts, I think this is the one I'm most likely to work on before the others.

I've toyed with the idea of condensing my Po3/Omen of the Stars arc into three super-edition length stories, mainly because having four different PoVs might be hard to make satisfying over six books, but I have no idea if that's what I'll do yet lol

I'd love to write for the Warriors series, but I think I'd like to duck the main books if I could, lol. The output is just too fast. The TB AU isn't perfect by any means, but if I were forced to write at the pace the Erins are at, I'm pretty sure I'd get unbearably sloppy - or I would upset the editors for not working fast enough, lol.

Side note - I know during the early years of the TB AU, I was pretty open about trashing the Erins. I regret that now. A series this big is incredibly difficult to produce and keep things straight - some of those issues are their fault, but I think most of the blame is on their editors and timelines. They're just not given the time or space to really flex themselves, and that's sad.

[disaster-daydreams]

See You Later pt. 9

Mammon (Obey Me! Shall We Date?) x GN!reader

See You Later Masterlist

A/N - Okay so this isn't going to end sad I swear. It won't end with a pretty gold ribbon but I won't end sad. Anyways, I know I literally dropped off the face of the planet. Uh,,, I can't go into detail about what happened but basically I got my entire life yanked out from under me wHOO! But I also started college and uh,,, 15 hours with 9 of them being writing intensive? Not a good choice. But I'm an English major now!! And next semester will be easier.

CW! Trauma, and MC collapses. Also, crying, bc MC was laying on the FLOOR for WAY too long.

See You Later Masterlist

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“It’s not bad, I promise. It’s just… problematic.” Barbatos sighed, pulling back to sit on the balls of his feet. “And I suppose I’m not being entirely truthful. That has happened before, just…” He hesitates, and glances at Diavolo.

“It’s nothing. Just know, for now, do not use your pacts. They will not work correctly, and you may end up hurting the brothers if you try.” Barbatos stands up and sighs, squeezing his eyes shut. “I will have to work on a solution. Lucifer,” he looks over, and suddenly Barbatos seems much older than anyone else in this room. “I will be out of commission for the time. Keep things under control.”

Lucifer nods, and Diavolo glances between them. “Do I… get any context for this?”

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t be able to comprehend it now. Go to sleep. Your distressingly overdue paperwork can wait.”

Diavolo cringed, nodding and choosing to take this small mercy over questioning the butler. Barbatos, satisfied with this, turns to leave. Just as he makes it to the door, he turns. “Listen. The magic that was required to change you… it is incredibly powerful. You will find its equal in no books or legends. Do not attempt to alter it.”

The door slams as he leaves, and Diavolo lets out a shaky breath. 

“That was… concerning, to say the least,” Diavolo laughs, and Mammon decides that he has definitely been crying. Part of him wants to comfort the prince, but he also doesn’t know if he can get up yet. 

“What is he going to do? Being out of commission… and he didn’t ask, or even wonder if there could have been another way.” Lucifer murmurs, still looking at the doors. “There has to be some other way. He shifts, rolling his shoulders as he stands and pulls Diavolo to his feet. “In any case, I can’t carry them together. I’ll get Mammon; he’ll be the strongest. And heaviest.” Diavolo nods, uncertain. “Just to a bedroom, for now. We all need sleep.”

The shuffle down the hallway was slow and painful and tense. So many questions, and soreness, and exhaustion. Apparently Mammon had been out for only a day, and Diavolo had been inconsolable. Lucifer had barely slept since the beginning of this ordeal, he just didn’t show it as much. Barbatos had been by his side the whole time, and Satan had been running around doing his best to research the magic required to pull the human out of their trance. 

Mammon, halfway to the bedroom they would stay in, was able to stand on his own. Lucifer was going to help Diavolo, but by the time he even thought about it, Mammon had glued himself to the human’s free side. They were both breathing heavily, and the human’s hand had begun to spasm, even in the clasp of Mammon’s. 

“I feel like Barbatos knows something and won’t tell me.” Diavolo sounded crushed, like all the air had been taken from his lungs. The group kept walking.

“We are going to talk later about your impulsiveness, Mammon,” Lucifer’s voice was low and quiet, no trace of the threat the words conveyed. “You could have never come back.” The group kept walking.

“I feel like there’s somethin’ wrong with my head.” Mammon blinked rapidly, wavering dangerously. Lucifer grabbed his arm and righted him. The group kept walking.

“I hurt.” A squeak, barely audible, sounded before the human completely collapsed. Diavolo caught them, and he carried them bridal style the rest of the way to the room.

It was comfortable and cool, with a thick comforter on each of two wide beds. Curtains billowed in the breeze the doors created, shifting across the carpeted floors. Diavolo gently placed the human in the nearest bed, pulling the covers up to their chin. They smiled at him and made a small noise in the back of their throat, but the effort seemed too much and they gave up. Diavolo smiled and turned towards Mammon.

“You have the choice to stay in the second bed, but,” Diavolo blinked slowly, rubbing his eyes. “I think they would appreciate it more if you stayed with them. Go easy on yourselves, and sleep as long as you need.” His smile fell, and his gaze shifted past Mammon and Lucifer, focused on some distant point. “I think Barbatos may take a while.”

Mammon nodded, muttering a ragged “Thanks,” before pulling himself in with his human. Their hand twitched against his chest, and they nestled into him, pulling into his warmth. They were cold, unnaturally so, and shaking even more.

The sniffling started soon after the door creaked shut, their tears dripping onto his neck and hands gripping his shirt. Mammon pulled them closer, interlocking their legs and wrapping his arms around their waist. It clicked for him that this wasn’t over; they were in pain, of course they would be, they were in that horrible place for much longer than he was. There was so much he wanted to ask them; how many times they had lived through those memories, how much they had thought of him, what they were feeling right now.

He buried his face in their neck, breathing them in and wishing that this could have been under better circumstances, that one day they could be together without pain, or sadness, or some threat hanging over their heads. 

“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed that on ya so suddenly,” he started, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I should’ve given ya time. I should’ve thought about all this before. I just-” 

“Mams.”

“Right.”

He sighed, pulling them in. The drift off to sleep was slow and often interrupted; One of them would shift, or jerk awake, or have a nightmare, and the other would be there to comfort them. Time held no meaning - the door stayed closed, the view from the window never changed, and the only noise in the room was fabric shifting and steady breathing. For the first time since the exchange program began, the two were allowed to find solace in each other without fear or hesitation.

For the first time since they had met, they allowed themselves to love each other.

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See You Later Masterlist

[finitefantasy]

someone i follow is indirecting you about calling this episode of buddy daddies filler, saying you just sound like a mad gay person about a straight plotline

truly do not want buddy daddies drama of all things but that really was just a joke post that wasn't... that serious?

i'm not ~upset about him being with women (as a bisexual i can recognize bisexuality is real and always viewed him as a fellow bisexual). i just think in general this backstory does... very little for his character? or rather what it does for his character isn't worth fridging a woman over.

it's a very tired and tried trope and speeedrunning it in a single episode after teasing it multiple times kind of demonstrates... how little value it truly adds to his story and his arc. if you're going to make him a 28 year old widower with a dead child, you have to rEALLY commit to that plot. i enjoyed the mystery of figuring out who the money was going to (was it her family? was she in a coma and this was for medical expenses? did the child survive? etc) and i enjoyed the angst potential but ultimately... this was heavily underexplored.

and ended up just feeling kinda generic. and rote.

using about... 5-10 minutes of a 13 episode season to have him be confronted about his past AND overcome it is not satisfying storytelling. for him to avoid karin for FIVE YEARS and have her just go "my sister would want you to be happy" in ~1 day and suddenly he's like... okay with the guilt of moving on... is... not... compelling? especially when so little of the guilt was explored.

especially when the guilt was only really explored via the money he left for karin (which is something that had AMPLE room for relevance, like when they couldn't get work and were going broke, he should've been stressed about payments) and... in tandem when he was experiencing generalized caretaker burn out, where you're then meant to understand that "actually, it's not so bad, he was just feeling guilty for moving on and projecting that guilt onto rei being a fail-husband and miri acting like a kid." like... that was really it. they needed to intersperse that guilt more heavily into the text.

if you can do an episode where you jump from playground to DOG SHOT THROUGH HEAD to playground, you can mix in more 'my wife is dead, my child is dead, and here i am playing house with my bestie and this child's whose dad i killed' a bit more.

this felt... cheap. the fact that he 'killed' his wife by her... randomly being next to a truck that exploded was cheap. and just soooo overdone in general.

and when it's that cheap, the value really just boils down to 'forced sad heterosexual backstory' and 'we haven't reminded you that kazuki sleeps with women/hangs with FEMALE sex workers to cope' in a while.

which isn't all bad. like there was PLENTY of room to play around with that and give kazuki more layers as a character and more edge.

but... it didn't work here for me. and i say this as someone who thinks ultimately this show does FAIRLY amazing character work, handle subtleties INFINITELY better than expected, and has handling the gay implications of its plot incredibly.

it's just... all of the leg work of this episode could have been done by exploring him being abandoned by his parents and an orphan. tie in complicated feelings about adoption into how he adopted this girl. make it feel like he gave up on idk reconnecting with his bio family and how he doesnt' want to move on. let him have resentment and guilt. or maybe tie this into how he MURDERED MIRI'S FATHER and how it feels wrong raising her.

there's sooo much room for like Angsty Exploration of Kazuki's Feelings and it felt like this is the most gneric path they could've taken. i have seen sooo many women fridged and this exact storyline play out so many times.

if you're gonna do it again, do it better than this.

i also feel weird about this entire plot happening with like... zero rei relevanec? and this isn't even a ship thing. it's just like... if you guys are dads together, matter to each other, it's... weird that kazuki's entire hang up about his DEAD WIFE is something that... never matters in his friendship with rei?

this plot is SO fucking isolated from the rest of the story, it feels unnecessary.

kyu is the middle man and has like... very little involvement.

if you remove this storyline, the show is ultimately the same minus a few good heartfelt scenes.

(and, yes, karin's speech and his connection with her WERE good and heartfelt!)

i'm allowed to complain about weak this exploration was without being written off as someone who is just mad about straight shit in my gay show or whatever.

[ambalambs]

I ended up writing a little something on Asra for once and maybe its late enough now I dont have to be embarrassed to post it and have too many people see it xD but idk I just felt like sharing cuz he's fun to explore and ive been consumed with his voidsent's backstory lately. Again im not good at writing but im having fun with it :'D also Leon belongs to the lovely @e-dragoons u3u

Asra finally slumped himself down against one of the many trees on the Sharlyan campus. It was a particularly warm day so the shade was welcome. He took a brief moment to take in the scenery, the sounds of the nearby river rushing along, the birds in the tree above him, the wind in the reeds and leaves. For a moment if he closed his eyes he could almost trick himself into believing he was back home in the forest.

But reminiscing was not why he was here. He quickly gathered up the reeds he'd harvested and set about weaving himself a basket. It was a silly thing to be doing really, what with the more modern cultures having plenty of shops with baskets already fully made and available for purchase. But Asra needed something to occupy his time. Leon and the rest of the scions were conducting their heroic daring-do in the library and he was of no use in such an environment. Probably more of a distraction really. So he resigned to a moment to himself on the grounds and once these reeds growing by the river had caught his eye he knew exactly how to waste his time.

He expertly began to braid and weave the strands together in smooth and quick motions. It had been some time since he'd made anything quite like this but the fingers never forget and as he let them do the work his mind was left to wander.

He was suddenly reminded of the time he made his first basket. He was so young, a small kit at the time. His older sister had sat him down and helped teach him claiming they had to hurry up and make some while the berries in the meadow were ripe.

Thinking back now it seemed like such silly timing for a lesson when they should've just gotten already made baskets if they were in such a hurry.

But at the time he was too young to question it. So he followed her instructions as best he could and crafted a basket of incredibly questionable durability. But he was so proud and his sister seemed satisfied enough with his work that the two immediately set out to gather their quarry.

Once their baskets were filled to the brim, although some berries being consumed along the harvest, they began to make their way back to the village. But tragedy struck when the bottom of Asra's basket had come completely unraveled, spilling the entire contents of the berries within. It was only then did he realize he had been leaving a trail of berries along the entire trail and had been stepping on them the entire way. Feeling heartbroken at the loss and embarrassment that only a young child can experience, Asra had begun to cry. His sister had quickly ran to his aid and did what she could to dry his tears and gather whatever berries could be salvaged into her own basket. She somehow managed to calm him down enough to guide them the rest of the way back home and by then Asra had calmed down and the two were able to sit and enjoy the berries from his sister's basket. As they munched and Asra observed his destroyed basket mournfully, his sister promised to help him get it right the next time.

Asra smiled softly at the memory. Such a memory of his sister brought up others then. Small moments in their childhood. Most happy, some sad, some just silly. Moments that felt like an entire lifetime ago.

"You miss her." Asra jumped slightly at the familiar and unwanted voice inside his head. He suddenly realized his lapse of focus in the moment. Moments like this when he almost feels as though he's alone and forgets to keep the wall up in himself against his unwanted passenger were rare. He quickly ran a check over that wall and catching the small window that had formed within it. The wall itself was still firm, keeping the creature at bay on the other side. But it was there and it was watching and had gotten a full view of his reminiscing.

Asra paused in his weaving then and did a quick scan about his surroundings. It didn't seem like anyone was around to hear his mad ramblings so he judged it was safe to respond outloud.

"I do, yes," he said softly. Funny how responding to the voidsent lurking in his mind aloud made him feel less crazy. Anyone to witness though would no doubt feel otherwise.

There was a pause then. Asra held his breath as he waited for that brief wave of exhaustion to run over him. The telltale sign of the voidsent feeding off his own aether while his emotions were full of sadness and longing for those halcyon days. However that feeling didn't come and Asra, though suspicious, let out the breath.

"You claim to miss her but that seems awfully silly with how you little rabbits live," the voice finally continued. Its voice was uncharacteristically casual. Although in hindsight it had been as such more often lately, Asra noted. "When I found you hadn't you already left her?"

Briefly Asra tried not to think about the moment it had "found him" so he quickly shoved that memory down. He instead looked out at the water in the river before him rushing by, chewing his cheek in thought.

"It's different now, I think," Asra began. "Before, its tradition and my duty to return home every few years so it was always guaranteed I'd see her again. But now..."

Asra paused. Now...yes what about now? He glanced in the direction of the library. He thought about Leon then. Of all the places they'd already journeyed, the lives they'd saved, the lands they'd seen that he could never have dreamed existed. Before, when he was first burdened with this occursed creature bound to his soul, he believed he was still serving his duty to his tribe by taking the danger with him out of the wood. He even kept his forest name in the foolish belief that he hadn't technically left the wood if he was still protecting it by leaving. But things were different now. Felt different. The thought of leaving Leon and the scions caused more pain in his heart than the thought of never returning home now.

"But now it's harder knowing I may never return at all. That it means I really will never see her again," Asra continued. He waited again for that feeling of the voidsent feeding knowing this wave of emotions was ripe for the picking for it. But again nothing came.

After a moment the creature spoke again, "I see..."

Suddenly a flash of a memory that was not his struck Asra like a lightning bolt. He jerked at the suddenness of it, his hands gripping the half made basket in his hands. It was just a moment of a memory. As if he was looking briefly through another's eyes at a young man. His hair jet black, his eyes a soft green. He'd seen eyes like that before. They were a near match to the ones he'd seen belonging to his unwanted passenger but instead of the pale sickly green that matched that of moss on a pale corpse, these were soft. A color more akin to grass dusted by the frost of an early dawn. The young man was looking back at him and he flashed a bright grin, a laugh escaping him. Asra felt like he had to squint just looking at him. The man was so bright. Like he was a beacon of light.

But then there was a cascading wave of emotions that came crashing down upon him all at once.

Love. Admiration. Pride. Hope. Love. Pain. Loss. Grief. Grief. Grief. Love. Hollow. Anger. Betrayal. Hate. Rage. Rage. RAGE. RAGE.

And then there was one word that almost seemed to scream through his mind: Brother.

Just as quickly as the flash appeared it was suddenly yanked away. Asra gasped audibly at the abrupt absence of it, gasping for breath that he didnt realize he had been holding. It felt as if someone had struck him across the head and he was reeling as he tried to recover. It was only then did he realize the loud hiss that was ringing in his head. Asra found himself reaching out for that wall between them in his mind and felt himself recoil. It was not just the wall he had made now, no. There was a darkness enshrouding it, keeping himself at bay.

"I-I'm sorry," Asra stammered, not exactly sure what he was apologizing for. The brief moment of accessing a memory he wasn't supposed to see? For whatever caused these emotions that were clearly the voidsent's from a life before?

"Keep your pity, little rabbit, and leave me be," the voidsent snarled. The casual nature of his words before were now gone and the familiar animalistic venom had returned. Asra winced at the volume of it as it rang through his mind.

He tried to take a moment to compose himself then. Steadying his breathing and recollecting his thoughts. There had been times when the voidsent had let its own memories slip through. They were mostly ones of its mortal life, moments of its cruelty even then. They were never like this though. Something unbidden and so rich with emotions. So strong.

Finally after a moment of silence Asra glanced down at the crushed basket in his still tight grip. He relaxed his fists and tried to smooth out the weaves, finally sighing heavily as the tension in his mind began to calm. The voidsent was silent, curled within a corner behind the wall it had reinforced. Asra chewed on his lip a moment.

"Im sorry...It's hard losing someone you care about," he said. Not really sure why he felt the need to say it considering all the torment this creature had put him through. But all the same whoever that man the memory was, he...was good. Asra had felt certain of that and the man deserved some kind of word.

The only reply Asra received was a guttural snarl. He half expected more. Maybe a tear at his aether but again surprisingly nothing came.

Asra waited a bit longer, the silence becoming painfully obvious that this would be the end of their exchange for the day. He took one final glance at the library and the surrounding area around him self consciously hoping nobody witnessed whatever it was he just experienced. When it seemed he was in the clear he quickly straightened himself up against the tree, wiped the tears that were not his from his eyes, and tried his best to return to crafting the basket in his hands.

[honshew]

thoughts on bg3

overall, i had a lot of fun and would recommend to anyone interested! very ambitious game, and i'm amazed it exists tbh. there are so many really, really great aspects of it. however, i'm also glad to be done with it, bc i started to have less and less fun with it at the last part. which is an unfortunate place to have the worst part of the game. i really wish it wrapped up in a more satisfying way, because i became really attached to the characters and the incredibly detailed world. a shame it had to be rushed toward the end of development. it's incredible, though could have been more still.

i'm spending some time trying to figure out what i liked about the game, so this may or may not be updated as thoughts come to me. there will be spoilers all the way thru the end of the game so here's your spoiler warning

i think while people unfamiliar with dnd can play and still have a good time, it probably will feel overwhelming and there will likely be things you won't understand unless someone explains it to you. i can't even really call the tutorial a bad one as much as it's barely there. but i do know plenty of people with zero dnd experience still having fun and simply enjoying learning on the go!

on the other hand, being someone who plays dnd, once you figure out the interface it's a pretty smooth experience. there are some things that are a little different to accommodate how the game works (e.g. second-story work reduces your fall dmg rather than increasing your climbing speed, since the game doesn't really count climbing as distance), but those are pretty quick to learn. seems to me that the devs thought people who didn't play dnd wouldn't be all that intersted in bg3, but a ci'd be curious to see how many bg3 players will look for a dnd group to join from here.

act 1 was solid and was paced well. i really liked how many characters ended up showing up later in the game, as opposed to characters you save once and never see again. i think what was most fun was getting to know what i could get away with LOL not just an exploration of the world, but an exploration of the game itself. i have video of me talking to auntie ethel while my friends set up and set off a circle of flame barrels, so i got a front row seat of her being blown to smithereens.

act 2, also solid. i really enjoy quests that involve impacting a place in a really tangible way, like in okami, so the shadow-cursed lands were pretty cool. unfortunately, the game doesn't really show you this happening except a liiiiittle bit at the end, so it doesn't feel as good as it could. still, i liked exploring the area a lot. all of the mini-bosses of the area were unsettling, but we got past literally all of them via high charisma rolls. actually aside from the exploring, a lot of the fun was seeing how we could cheese boss fights, which carried into act 3

act 3 felt way more all over the place and buggy, which significantly lowered my enjoyment. ofc a game this massive will have issues, but i'm still sad that the last part of the game where everything crescendos is where i enjoyed the game the least. small things not working the way they're supposed to (e.g. certain npcs not running or climbing up a ladder when they are fleeing I'M TALKING TO YOU ZUMBO PUMBO AND FEATHERWEIGHT FALSON, astarion falling sleep to a spell even tho he's an elf during his end-of-quest fight). what sucks about things being so frustrating too was that the main quests had really great setups or concepts, but the execution was messy. still, we had a lot of fun messing with bosses. cazador couldn't do anything bc he was forced to dance while we killed him, orin was disintegrated, gortash turned to stone. kinda wild having a bard with 100% spell hit rate....!

i do wish we got to explore baldur's gate more. i totally get that would be a huge undertaking tho. i had a thought that maybe act 3 should've been its own game, but then i guess you couldn't call it baldur's gate 3 if you never get to baldur's gate. i didn't play the previous bg games, but i liked how they wove in the story from the previous installments and ttrpg modules without leaving newcomers to the series out of the loop too much.

i liked shadowheart's, astarion's, and wyll's quests a lot. the ansur part of wyll's was really cool. i adore trials to test character as a setup, especially ones administrated by some major figure. but also? fuck balduran for what he did to ansur and later to me. he's the city's hero, but he only really looks out for himself. which is cool for me as a viewer, not cool for the character i play as LOL

i have more thoughts but i will type them up here later maybe this has gotten long enoguh