#see this is why part 3 is awesome bc i can think of like 5 episodes where goemon was either the focus or was actively in the plot

[low-po1y-princess]

Ok I would put my love for goemon into wprds but i... Cant. He's fucking awesome. He's a total badass. He's so silly. He's so stoic but he cares... He is so cool. He's autistic. He has genderqueer swag. I love him so much. Give him more screentime and a solo movie that doesnt suck

[toastsnaffler]

this assay is so fucking fake......

[hidingoutbackstage]

Okay I’m STILL procrastinating watching s15 bc I’m SCARED so here’s my extremely biased ratings/opinions on the episodes of s14 to help me procrastinate (episodes which are multiple parts of a single story will be condensed into one slot)

Room Zero: SO cute and good, I LOVED the animation style, it was simple and short but really well done with great colors, fun alien designs, and fluid animation, and I just like seeing the guys go on missions like that. It's a shame that the animated show never got picked up bc I would've adored seeing more of it. 10/10

From Stumbled Beginnings: Very cute and funny origin story for Simmons and Grif, and I love that they were p much always together since they enlisted lmao makes their dynamic rlly good and the humor actually got a couple laughs out of me. 8/10

Fifty Shades of Red: Sarge's humor never quite landed with me like is has for some people (my boyfriend lmao I literally have to pause episodes sometimes so he can stop laughing. Anyway) but it was a very humorous and in character origin for him as well. 5/10

Why They’re Here: Less interesting than the previous two, obviously just meant to fill in plot "holes" and to also show us the origins of the other characters. Also I am completely ignoring that one line from Tucker in the interview, just gonna chalk it up to the "edgy" humor it does not exist to me. 4/10

The Brick Gulch Chronicles: WONDERFUL stop motion, very fun and cute and entertaining, very wholesome and still in the vibe with what the show itself is. I appreciate the willingness to do stop motion for most of it. 10/10

Red Army Unit FH57’s Adventure: It was kinda interesting and kinda funny but I found myself kinda tuning it out cuz it just felt kinda whatever. The combo of the different animation styles was cool though and I thought the ship misunderstanding them was funny. 5/10

Locus and Felix: Okay I'm gonna be a black sheep for a second and say that I rlly don't care that much about Locus and Felix. I don't think Felix is a secretly deep sadboi whom I'm gonna spend an unnecessary amount of time thinking about, I don't think Locus as secretly good all along, and I don't care that much about their partnership and what they were like before Chorus. That being said, the animation here is absolutely gorgeous, this is probably my favorite animated story in the whole season, it looks awesome. The plot is nothing special but who cares like I said it's beautiful, 6/10

Fight the Good Fight!: VERY funny and well-executed propaganda video, short and sweet and nothing more to it. It does its job. 5/10

Meta vs. Carolina: Dawn of Awesome: Another one I really don't care for because literally everything leading UP to the fight between Meta and Carolina is a waste of time. Maybe some people really care about their weapons and stats, but I don't. And even then, you kinda know Carolina is gonna win the fight, the question is just how. 4/10

Grey vs. Gray: I don't know or care about the Game Grumps and the entire thing felt like a short gag that went on for way too long with a predictable ending. 2/10

Caboose's Guide to Making Friends: Again, ADORABLE art style and very cute having a story be told from Caboose's perspective. 7/10

Head Cannon: Kinda funny I guess. I wish we'd gotten it spread out more equally among the heads Omega jumped into. Ik he didn't spend equal time in there but who cares. Whatever, still funny. 5/10

Get Bent: I LAUGHED PROBABLY THE HARDEST AT THIS ONE AND THAT'S MOSTLY BC OF LESBIAN DONUT IT CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD AND IT WAS HILARIOUS (also hello, bisexual church?) 9/10

Red vs. Blue: The Musical: it was fine. it was creative. The dancing was well animated. Enjoyable. 5/10

Mr. Red vs. Mr. Blue: I haven't seen Reservoir Dogs but Kaikaina was in this which automatically boosts it to a 8/10 (I also like that they have movie nights it's cute)

RvB Throwdown: Fine but mostly forgettable. 3/10

The Triplets Story: REALLY interesting concept (y'all know I love the freelancers) that felt like it dragged on too long and only gave Ohio something to do. 4/10

Immersion: The Warthog Flip: I loved the costumes and the actual Warthog and it got a couple laughs out of me. 5/10

Red vs. Blue vs. Rooster Teeth: This was made for the fans/themselves. As someone who is neither, none of it was funny and I just kinda waited for it to be over. At least the animation of the armor irl looked rlly good

[literallyjusttoa]

Some interesting differences between Greek and Roman myths (and other things) that I think would've been really cool to explore in HoO and ToA

Disclaimer: I am no scholar, and while I have tried my hardest to check my resources for accuracy, any sort of second-hand account of mythology has a chance of holding misinformation. I sadly do not have access to many primary sources, so this might not all be 100% accurate!! If you see something and you know it's wrong, pls let me know so I can fix it!

Anyways, onto the list! This is REALLY long, but the organization is gonna go like this.

Fact about the difference between Greek and Roman myths or worship.

Reason why I think it would be interesting to explore in the riordanverse.

and so on and so forth. This is really just for me to document ideas I've had, but hopefully y'all get something out of it too, read at your own risk, I suppose.

The Romans believed that after the Titanomachia, Saturn (The roman name for Kronos) fled to Italy and took refuge with it's king. Saturn eventually shared the throne with this king, and their kingdom was known to be joyous and peaceful. Romans actually worshiped Saturn bc of this, and he had a temple at the foot of Capitoline Hill.

Imagine if Percy arrived at Camp Jupiter, and one of the first things he sees is a temple to the titan he just spent 5 years trying to defeat. Like, I know he has no memories at this point, but I'm sure it would make him at least a bit uneasy. I think this would do a lot to sell the greek/roman schism in HoO, bc that whole plot point never really hit with me. We keep being told the Greeks and Romans hate each other almost instinctively, but other than Octavian, we aren't really shown it. Also it always seems like the Romans hate the Greeks and the Greeks are just kind of offended that the Romans hate them. Having actual tangible reasons for our main Greek character to feel uncomfortable around New Rome would a lot to make this actually feel like an equal issue.

2. In Greek mythology, Zeus was thought to be powerful, but not a supreme force. He was still beholden to the strings of fate. On the other hand, Jupiter was seen as the lord of life and death, having complete power and control over the cycle of life. He was more powerful than fate, and never came down from Olympus, as Zeus was known to do often.

Again, a HUGE discrepancy that I wish the books explored. This just kind of goes with the underdevelopment of Jason in HoO, but how cool would it be if Jason had this understanding of Jupiter. Like, yeah, in canon Jason points out that Jupiter is stern and distant, but it never gets to all-powerful controller of life levels. Having Jason see his father's distance as right and just would make him an incredible contrast to Percy, who just spent the last 5 books trying to get gods to be more open with their kids. It would add so much to Jason's arc about being torn between Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood. As a Roman and Praetor, Jason understands why his father never speaks with him, but as a kid, he wishes he could know the humanity of the Greek side of his father. (ofc in pjo Zeus sucks either way but Jason doesn't know that)

3.Juno was actually seen as much nicer and more matronly than Hera, and was said to watch over every woman from her birth until her death.

I just think this would do wonders for Hera's characterization in the riordanverse. Imagine if we got to see her actually help one of the girls on the Argo II as Juno, especially since she basically put EVERY SINGLE MALE CHARACTER on the Argo II personally, yet had nothing to do with he female characters??? Seriously, Hera was behind Leo, Frank, Jason, and Percy being a part of this quest, but as far as I can remember, she had nothing to do with Annabeth, Piper, or Hazel being there. What is up with that? It would've been so cool to see Juno watch over Hazel, or help Annabeth (Could lead to some awesome character development for both Hera and Annabeth), or even just give some advice to Piper. Seriously we were robbed.

4. This isn't really a difference, but there is actually a period in Rome where Apollo does not seem to have been worshiped at all, or at least not in any major capacity. One temple is noted to have been built for Apollo in 430 B.C.E., but we don't really see him again in any sort of public way until Augustus takes power hundreds of years later. Seeing as Apollo was one of, if not the most popular Greek deity, this is a rather large change. Of course, once Augustus brings him back to the limelight, worship of Apollo becomes hugely popular, with many emperors claiming his moniker to show their own divinity.

This could actually fill a big plot hole in the riordanverse. It makes no sense that Apollo has 6-7 Greek children as of the end of ToA, yet he has no roman kids at all? However, in this light we see Apollo as a god who never really connected with Rome, and was a bit of a late runner when it comes to Roman worship. If you look at it from a character standpoint, instead of a strictly historical or mythological view, it almost seems like Apollo was holding onto Greece. The Romans started taking Greek colonies in the 200's B.C.E, and have fully taken the area by 146 B.C.E.. In this time, and even before it, almost every Greek deity was co-opted into Roman worship. Apollo, however, stayed steadfastly Greek, until Augustus started to pray to him for victory in battle. (Fun fact: Augustus actually credited Apollo with his victory over Marc Anthony and Cleopatra in Actium) This whole thing makes it look like Apollo just didn't want to be Roman, or at least he didn't want to let go of Greece like the other gods were. And it seems like he didn't let go of Greece at all in the end, as there are very few notable differences between his Greek and Roman depictions. From this, I take two things. One, Apollo was probably never Roman, at least not in the way HoO depicts a god being Roman. This creates some interesting implications for how Apollo lived during Roman times, but that's a whole other thing. Two, because of this, Apollo might not be able to have a Roman demigod child. After all, the demigods at Camp Jupiter are classed as such for being born to specifically roman counterparts of gods. If Apollo has no such counterpart, he can't have the kids. Of course, this begs the question of Octavian, but I'll expand on that later.

5. When you look into it, the Roman god Diana is actually much closer to many characteristics of Hecate than she is the Greek portrayal of Artemis (though this is mainly because Artemis and Hecate were mixed together often, even in Greek times.) It is said that Diana has three forms: In the heavens she was Luna, the moon; on earth she was Diana, the goddess of the hunt; and in the underworld, she was Proserpine, a malevolent master of witchcraft.

Ok, ok I know this actually makes no sense in the context of HoO, but wouldn't it be so cool if Hazel worked with Diana instead of Hecate. I just think it would really expand the arc!! Seeing a different side of Artemis, one of the godesses we've probably saw the most of in the original series, would be so neat. Also, Diana as Proserpine having connections to both witchcraft and the underworld makes her a perfect fit. IDK IDK I just think it would be really cool. PLUS it would give Hazel and Frank a fun little parallel bc Frank would be inspired by Apollo while Hazel was trained by DIana. Vague sun and moon parallels my beloved.

6. The job of an Augur is actually much closer to the Greek's soothsayers than it is their oracles. While oracles are said to interpret the god's will, soothsayers and augurs see the future simply through simple acts of nature. The way in which augurs tell the future actually has a lot less to do with the gods than one might assume.

I just wish this fact was mentioned in HoO bc honestly it clears up so much for me. Also when it comes to Octavian, I think it makes more sense for him to be blessed by Apollo instead of descended from him (I know he says he's both in the book but shhh wait let me keep going for a sec) Soothsayers and Augurs were priests, directly picked by the gods to divine the future on their own. While oracles were basically the gods mouthpieces, Augurs would be allowed to divine their own interpretation of the future from what they saw in nature, all condoned by whatever god blessed them (probably Apollo). In this way, the whole "Apollo is turned mortal bc he supported Octavian" thing makes a lot more sense. In canon, we only get told through a throwaway line that Apollo was "totally swayed by Octavian's promises of power guys, trust me." It always just seemed so out of left field to me. If I were to take it in a new direction, I would lean much more into the fact that Octavian was an appointed priest of Apollo, who abused his supposed ability for prophecy to cause war. Apollo is now directly stated to be Octavian's willful benefactor, so of course he'd take the fall this. It would show Apollo's callousness. He doesn't care for Camp Jupiter as much he does Camp half-blood (see point 4) so he let the position of Augur become corrupt with little complaint. Also, if Octavian isn't Apollo's descendant, my whole "Apollo can't have a roman kid" theory is FOOLPROOF HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA

7. While both cultures had large religious festivals, Rome's were much more centralized and documented. This is mainly due to Rome being ruled by a single republic or emperor, as opposed to Greece's city-states.

This isn't changing anything in canon as much as wishing there was more of it. Man, I wish we could've seen more of the Roman festivals. We're always just told they happen, but I wanna know the specifics! These are huge religious events! Are the New Romans actually fully worshiping the gods these festivals celebrate? How do the Roman characters we have feel about the festivals? Does Jason miss them while on the Argo II? Do Hazel, Frank, and Jason try to put on a small celebration for the festivals that pass while they're sailing to Rome? Let these things be important dangit.

8. When the Greeks sculpted, they focused on the ideal form, with emphasis put on the athletic male figure. Because of this, the face of the figure was not specific to any individual, as it was not the focus. In contrast, the Romans put a heavy emphasis on the face. In Rome, you wanted your lineage to be known, so you had your face sculpted with intense detail. That way, sculptures of your face could be compared with sculptures of your forefathers, or your children.

Again, I wish we were shown more of a difference between Greeks and Romans than "Romans are strict and organized, Greeks like to have fun" They're two entirely different cultures!!! Imagine if we showed the Roman emphasis on lineage in someone other than Octavian. Have Jason be genuinely proud of the affluence being a son of Jupiter gives him, let that be a flaw of his, a point of contention on the Argo II. Show how family pride can be important in arcs like Frank's, where he learns how to accept the fact that he is Mars' son, and grow into that role. Put the emphasis of these arcs on the fact that they're struggling with the ROMAN idea of family lineage. Let being from New Rome be an real identity. I feel like the synopsis of this whole thing is that I wish the Romans had whole beliefs that were wildly different from the Greeks. They could value different things, interact with the gods in distinctly different ways. We always see the conflict of swords between the Greeks and Romans, but never the conflict of beliefs, and I think that kind of sucks. Also it makes NO SENSE THAT THE ROMANS HATE THE GREEKS ANYWAY! Ancient Romans fucking loved Ancient Greeks! They saw the Greeks as their ancestors, adapting all of their religion and art out of a genuine appreciation for the culture. If anyone should hate anyone, it should be the Greeks, bc the Greeks were the ones who GOT CONQUERED. But in HoO, all of the Greeks just seem mildly disgruntled by the idea of Romans. idk it doesn't make much sense to me.

If you got to the end, I hope you got something out of my rambles. I honestly still feel like I have more to say about this stuff, so if anyone has any questions or wants me to expand on anything lmk! If not tho, thank you for reading!

[risingsoleil]

Fic Writer Interview

My lovely friend @sheepwithspecs tagged me here, and I will spread this by tagging @yellowsalt3 @linnorabeifong @vr-tb @chiefbeifongcanrailme

1. How many works do you have on ao3? 14!

2. What's your total ao3 word count? 414,633

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Choices, Chances, Changes

You Are My Life

Talking to the Moon

The Other Side of Heaven

Lay All Your Love on Me

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I definitely try to respond to comments! The fact that someone spent time and energy to comment means so much to me, and I want to acknowledge that. I'm not the best at leaving comments, but I'm trying to do it more often as a reader bc I, too, am often dying at how awesome fics are

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

It's probably Meant To Be. Now that I think about it, I might write an extra piece for this fic just bc I feel like being salty lol

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

The Only Light We'll See - The whole fic was just an excuse to write steamy, smutty Linzin and let them have a happy life together. I guess you could argue that the main Linzin and family AU I write could also be one of them, but I haven't completed their story yet in this universe. Tbf, I don't think my Linzin AU has an "ending" but whatever happens, Linzin gets their happy ever after

7. Do you write crossovers?

Right now, I don't. But I was more open to writing crossovers when I was a kid.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I haven't thankfully, I have really awesome and sweet and kind-hearted readers in my circle 💞

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Hell yeah, I fucking do! It's prob one of my fav things to write 😂 Idk what they mean by "what kind" but I've written possessive, romantic and loving, quickies, foreplay, first times, and spontaneous stuff. It's fun and my otps tend to be...super horny vibes

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I haven't, but I would be interested in seeing one of my fics translated!

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! It's Come As You Are with picajc and @alemanriq, and this holds a special place in my heart

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

404 error. I have too many, but for now it's Lin/Tenzin

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Probably Olvídame y Pega La Vuelta just bc I lost the vision for it

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think emotions are a big part of my writing process and it comes through in my fics. I channel my own emotions into my writing and it does leave a more profound impression.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sometimes I want my writing perfect in the first draft, and it stops me from just enjoying the process. Recently, I've been wanting to write and that has manifested into writing for "results" rather than quality. I mean, I still try to write my best and for the fun of it. It's just that work sucks my energy and the time I have left for myself is recharging 😭

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I need more context with this question. Does this mean if I do something like this:

Lin and Tenzin raised their brows at the girl with the electronic device.

"어머, 죽겠다! 린베이퐁과 텐진 진짜 앞에 있다," she said aloud, though the language is not her mother tongue. "어떡해...인스타로 올리겠지"

In general, I would be open to it because it can open up new pathways for writing

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Meet The Robinsons

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

I don't think I have one. For the most part, if I want to write for a fandom, I just do it lol

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Choices, Chances, Changes. I swear a divine force guided me into writing this bc I was so compelled to bring it to life. The updates were posted every few days, and the story was completely written in 6 months.

There were 21 chapters.

Also, it was the first fic I completed in like 14 years (omg I sound old now 💀)

Thanks @sheepwithspecs for tagging me! 💜

[marygodwin-bsd]

Rating members of the ADA based on nothing but my own vibes (I haven't seen all of season 3)

I'll post a part 2 with the port mafia and a part 3 with the guild

Dazai Osamu

8/10 for looks. 4/10 for the chuuya abuse. 6/10 for the fact everytime i hear his english voice it reminds me of hendrickson from SDS bc that is the VA. overall 7/10 character but I would not wanna be his friend in real life. follow his instagram at most.

Kunikida Doppo

Y'ALL ALREADY KNOW hotness 10/10, 6/10 for the possible terrorist backstory that would be oh so fantastic character building, 8/10 for the fact i ALSO happen to be overly obsessed with my own schedule, 4/10 for the fact someone called his hair a deceased pikachu wig and I laughed, 7/10 for the fact his english VA is Griamore from sds and that was weird for a few scenes. OVERALL 9/10 solid gold good man deserves a white picket dream (the remaining 1/10 is for the fact they couldnt help themselves with his spiky hair sticking out, so now it is effectively a mullet instead of just long hair)

Rampo Edogawa

7/10 on looks in general i have no strong opinions about his ensemble except that he looks like a lil detective and the IRL Rampo wrote "Boy Detectives Club" and i think its adorable. 8/10 for the fact his brain is awesome and the cockiness. 7/10 for the rivalry with poe because i like it but i havent seen enough of it to be super into their thing yet overall 7/10 I dont have much to say hes just a good boy

Yosano Akiko

5/10 for the design im sorry i hate that the skirt is that low she can have a long skirt but it looks way awk at the hips though that may just be because the skirt goes out instead of just downward like a maxi. the gold hair clip is good i like it. 9/10 for the way she snatched that mans hand and almost took it off, 7/10 for the scenes that make this anime look way sus to my parents (YOU KNOW WHICH ONES I MEAN!) overall 8/10 for everything except that damn skirt

Kenji Miyazawa

Team baby!! 10/10 for team baby and YES hes the team baby even though kyouka is ALSO the team baby but i'll get to that. 8/10 for being Finny from Black Butler without my issues from black butler. 7/10 for his morals on cows. 8/10 for his everything about his personality. im not rating on attractiveness bc he is fourteen >:1 idk why i wasted y'alls time explaining hes 10/10 for team baby

Kyouka Izumi

Ok she was going to be the team baby but then i reevaluated and decided no shes just ATSUSHI'S BABY. 8/10 for how adorable her jellyfish cut is. 10/10 for sad backstory. 6/10 for the fact people ship her with atsushi and the show seems to lean that way as well (I was so happy when Lucy arrived for this reason). 7/10 overall for second team baby

Atsushi Nakajima

6/10 for the fact my phone always autocorrects him to At Sushi. 7/10 for that haircut. 10/10 for awful father figure. 9/10 for the headcannon about his parents engaging in cannibalism that sounded so in-line with the show i thought it was real and not a headcannon. I'm sorry 6/10 for the fact the va uses the same voice for atsushi that he uses for Harlequin in SDS and it trips me up. 8/10 for the fact his eyes cant decide what color to be. 7/10 for the fact it feels weird to see smut with him in it because he is also, effectively, team baby.

These two

This poor guy got NERFED by his own story bro this author wasn't into all this.... sister stuff... but apparently his book character was! Gimme a minute to yak anyways designs are 7/10 pretty basic but do their job effectively and Naomi's appearance actually supports the headcannon shes not real and shes just a product of his ability which i like. The sibling... "relationship" gets 0/10 for EW but kunikida gets 10/10 for telling atsushi to ignore it but then still yelling at them after he gets 7/10 for his general personality, honestly if his devotion to his sister wasnt related to the weird incest stuff i would find it a really great plot device (being devoted to protecting and taking care of your only family left) overall naomi gets 6/10 for being okay and looking properly suited for her environment unless shes around Junchiro Junchiro gets 8/10 for having a sick matrix ability and looking basic but not boring

Fukuzawa Yukichi

GOOD OL' CAT LOVING GRANDPA HIMSELF. 3/10 for the fact he knows mori, 10/10 for how he looks after everyone. also 7/10 for the fact im realizing how kunikidas hairstyle might be because he is COPYING FUKUZAWA... anyways. I don't personally find him all that attractive but to be fair he doesn't show up a lot? 8/10 for being a badass. 9/10 because I feel sad that he didnt get to pet the kitty in Wan. Overall, 8/10

Pt 2 will go here Pt 3 will go here pt 4 is here

[numetaljackdog]

what i'm listening to 8/5/2023 (SKAUGUST SPECIAL) (song notes under cut)

spot. link⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛yt link

bonjour tout la monde :3 i see you're all working on that first course...... perhaps you'd like another? :3c

now. this is no ordinary WILT. bc as i've mentioned i have been absolutely INFECTED by the skaucous skanking energy of SKAUGUST!!!! i might do a mini-WILT later in the month with some other stuff i've been listening to, but for now this is an ENTIRELY SKA playlist ^w^ well...... almost entirely. there is one exception, of course....

Laura Les - Skaunted: it's skaunted. by laura les. i really did try to find a ska cover for this but as far as i can tell there is none. get on that, people.

Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Went Numb: very likely my favorite ska song i've ever heard, this one's been with me for a good few years now. there's just such a drama to it, lots of storytelling gravitas rather than just a fun pop song. and the HOOKS they cram into this thing, good lord. the rapid-fire lyrics and layered horn section and difference in dynamics all work so well together.... i always find myself running through the part "i don't wanna hear, i don't wanna be near, i do what i gotta do, just to keep my nose clean" over and over and over again. that and the quiet part "a little something like this, na na na na na na, na na na na na na na" i've never heard a band that made na na na's work as well as these guys, and you can take that as an insult to whichever pop punk band you like if you really want, but one way or another this is a fucking golden track and you HAVE(!!!) to listen to it at least once okay?

No Doubt - Just A Girl: probably one of the most if not just the absolute most commercially and culturally successful moments that ska has had..... and it's not hard to see why. this song is a fucking ALL TIME crusher, it's got hooks for days, the little synth part is all crunchy, it's a bona fide feminist pop anthem, and, if we can all take a second to be real with ourselves here, gwen stefani is an excellent performer for stuff like this. i have no trouble imagining young teen girls in 1995 seeing this shit on mtv for the first time and having their lives and brain chemistries irreversibly changed. this and spiderwebs but there's only so much room in the playlist, folks

Madness - One Step Beyond: considering what we still have yet to get to in this list, it's a real testament to how much i instantly loved this one that it's placed so high. it's goofy as shit but it represents so many things i love about 2 tone. first of all, the just intrusively obvious british lameness of it is quite charming, and also just really interesting from a historical perspective. as we'll see, a lot of 2nd wave ska bands hailed from the uk, likely bc of the genre's connections with new wave, which began largely as a british export. and then with third wave ska, the usa became the new hub of ska music, but i feel like that british influence remained a crucial part of the way ska presented itself even then. very interesting, if you're as big a nerd as me. i feel like this is also a tune where you can hear some of ska's jazz influences, which is awesome to think how this revival movement for jamaican dance music not only preserved its basic rhythm structure but also some of its influences. i ALSO like that it hardly has any words - they were just like here's some of the tastiest fucking riffs you've ever heard and a guy yelling "ONE STEP BEYOND" what else do you need? and i was like nothing 😌 you've given me all i need you bunch of goofy suited skanksters

Catch 22 - 9mm and a Three Piece Suit: i see this one as sort of a companion to everything went numb, which makes sense bc streetlight manifesto actually covered the entirety of keasbey nights at one point. 9mm predates streetlight's stuff by a good number of years, and i do prefer the roughness of the original version. it's more of that very fast-paced storytelling type of songwriting, and i've had this song with me for several years as well. not really much i can say about it that wouldn't be repetitious, but definitely love this one to death as well

Choking Victim - Crack Rock Steady: coming from a background of hardcore heavier music, it makes me so happy that people saw the rise of ska punk and said yeah man we need a way to make this all heavy and nasty too. and we'll sing about killing cops. and they did! ^w^ and so enter the creators of a genre named after this very song (though by my understanding of its influences it could have easily been called "crust ska" - but that wouldn't have been a fun pun now would it?). i just love that you could easily get up and skank to this song, it's very upbeat and lively, but it is also VERY about killing cops. like there is no mistaking that this is cop killing song from first lyric to last. so that's dope. or i guess it's crack

The Specials - A Message to You Rudy: the specials cover an enduring jamaican ska classic... it's a tale as old as time. i love the arrangement on this soooo much, and the pretty and subtle harmonizations. this is almost kind of a dreamy song to me, the way it just floats through the air. that has more to do with the base melody itself, but i do like the dandy livingstone original a lot as well! once again, only so much room on the playlist. the specials join madness as the two bands that i would deem most prominent and influential in the second wave, but i think the specials were a little less new wave and had some more of the original ska spirit in them. not a dis on madness, of course, i've already expressed my enjoyment of them. just an interesting difference between the two

Rancid - Time Bomb: just a girl might be ska's big moment for a lot of people, but for ME, it was time bomb. i heard this one on the radio as a kid, and it was one of the first ska songs i was exposed to, and i LOVE IT. it's definitely a little basic but it just epitomizes the phrase "ska punk" to me. so guitar-forward and with super rough vocals but also so fun and real and bouncy with an absolutely endlessly repeatable chorus. i love you time bomb

We Are The Union - Morbid Obsessions: oh, i'm sorry. did you think i was gonna make a list of my current ska favorites and NOT include a selection from we are the union's 2021 album ordinary life which documents the lead singer's journey and self-discovery? well you thought fucking wrong, dumdum!!!!!!!!!!! this was such a big album for me when i was. uh. how old was i in 2021. when i was like seventeen. i would almost go so far as to say that this album was my "transgender dysphoria blues" if not for the fact that i was also listening to that album a lot around the same time. there were some discoveries happening. but anyways this is such a great little album, i really recommend the whole thing. chewy tasty indie pop with a delightful ska base. and the band even has jer (of skatune network fame) on trombone!! how cool is that!!!! also AGAIN i kept it to only one song but if you only check out one other track from this record, listen to the closer "december." that shit makes me cry

Smash Mouth - Walkin' On The Sun: I'LL ADMIT IT. THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL TIMES THAT I'M GOING TO CHEAT ON THIS WILT. in the sense that this isn't really a ska song - it's a song by a ska band, and has some ska flavor in there as an influence. can you evar forgive me 🥺 but also like. look. it's fuckin smash mouth, okay. and this song is Loaded with them fucking HOOKS babeyyyyy. and it really is interesting, how smash mouth managed to be so commercially successful that they really existed as a goofy corporate pop rock band that had a couple big all-quadrants hits. but like you can feel that they have background in "The Scene." you can practically smell the punk on these guys, the same way you can smell the nu metal on sugar ray. these are always bands that used to be Something Else and that Something Else is undeniably cooler than what they are now, but what they are now is definitely catchier. so. walkin' on the sun! i like this better than all star, for the record, but it could also be a matter of overplay on the latter's part

The Selecter - On My Radio: this and one other song we'll get to are like the epitome to me of how second wave ska had huge crossover with new wave. the first time i heard this one i was kinda like ehhh yeah it's cool i guess. and then after a couple more listens i realized how well constructed of a song it is, and how great the performances are. the lead vocalist here is a real treat, apparently some people call her the "queen of ska" which is fucking awesome. also i love a good song about a radio, especially in retrospect now where it's like eh yeah you darned kids had better learn about what's what on the radio bc back in my day-

Operation Ivy - Sound System: this is like, the birthplace of ska punk/third wave. okay maybe not this particular album, but you could certainly make an argument for that early op ivy ep! point is, they were on the ground floor, and sound system is definitely the catchiest song i've heard from them. and, not dissimilar to songs about radios, i can get behind a song about a sound system! love it! honestly, despite being rough and punky, this song's almost... cute? like aw :) the sound system is the one thing he can depend on. i'm glad he has that kind of relationship in his life!

Less Than Jake - Nervous In The Alley: LTJ is the first ska band that i really became a fan of, probably bc of how accessible they are, particularly to the typical pop punk or skate punk enjoyer. they have three songs in this playlist that i have enough history with to warrant including but i don't have much to say about any of them. the fast part of this song is the best part, obviously

The (English) Beat - Mirror In the Bathroom: it's so funny to me that they're called the english beat but only sometimes. sometimes it's just the beat. i understand why but it amuses me. anyways THIS is the total new wave song i mentioned, and like with on my radio i didn't really "get it" at first. but man, what a track. not only does it have great composition and a delightful balance of new wave polish and ska beat, it's also just kind of a unique concept for a pop song. self-obsession pushed to the point of madness, framed entirely through the listing of different common objects one can look at themselves in while carrying out everyday business. just an interesting little chune :3

Less Than Jake - Bomb Drop: honestly this one could probably go higher i fucking love bomb drop. but once again i don't have much to say about it. i will say that i didn't realize until watching the music video while making this list that this is apparently about like, cyberbullying? the video's kind of lame honestly, but the intentions are good. i've had this song so long i forgot how recent it is, but i guess it's a testament to how consistent LTJ has stayed, and perhaps as a consequence, how little they've changed. you could send this song back to 1998 and apart from the slightly slicker production nobody would bat an eye

Derrick Morgan - Tougher Than Tough (Rudie in Court): had to get at least one first wave song that wasn't a 2 tone cover in here, right? this is another classic that earns the title of "rude boy anthem." without getting too serious, i do think there's something to be said about rude boys' existence as a subculture and the way that blends with the punk ethos later but also how the term exists more in isolation in jamaican ska. as the title suggests, there's definitely an element of getting into trouble here - was that something that inspired the revival of ska at the hands of rock bands later on? i can't say. but i think about it

The Aquabats! - The Shark Fighter!: if i'm 100% honest i don't tend to really like the aquabats. i wish i did but i don't. but this song is sooooo catchy. i did watch the full episode of the super show that the song appears in (which is in the youtube playlist btw) and it was some campy fun but not anything that made me want to watch more. what i will say is that not long ago i was rewatching robbydude's vods of reel fishing: road trip adventure, a vod series that contained a lot of ska references (not the least of which relate to the title and the continued botching of it to instead say "reel big fishing"). but one of the bits was that every time he went to catch a hammerhead he would play this song. so now it's lodged in my head forever. go make the same happen for yourself

Less Than Jake - Goodbye in Gasoline: some b-side action for you. the video for this one that i have in the youtube playlist is so funny, it's from SUPER early youtube and it's just a bunch of stupid random pictures over a low-quality mp3 of the song. there's only two comments and they're both people being like "this is dumb why did you make this." as far as i'm concerned this may as well be the official music video for goodbye in gasoline

Rancid - Hooligans: HOOLIGANS! rancid! RUDE BOYS! rancid! HOOLIGANS! rancid! RUDE BOYS! rancid! on a loop forever in my mind

Lazy Town - We Are Number One: once again i am super cheating bc this shouldn't count as a bonus track really, it's just not on spotify anymore. so whatever there's 20 songs, sue me. i don't need to introduce you to this song but what i do have to say is MAN is this a banger or what?! like yeah it's a kid's song and yeah it's a meme, but i really do love it! i've never seen an episode of lazy town in my life! i remember a tomska & friends video where they did a meme review of the 2010s and tom (who, as you may guess, is a noted ska fan) picked this song for 2018 or whatever fuckin year this blew up, but he noted that while he didn't really have very strong feelings about it one way or another, he had to take the opportunity to be excited that a ska song had become popular online. i can respect that. rest in peace of course to the actor who played robbie rotten, he seemed like a nice man and i'm glad we all are preserving something he worked on so passionately :)

wouaghhh. so that was the skaugust special!!!! thanks for reading, i hope your love of ska is improved by the work we've done here :3 i feel the need to give thanks to the wonderful violet of the gec (hi :3), fellow musicgirl and the creator of skaugust, because. oh man. i have not felt this energized to listen to and talk about music in MONTHS. in case you were confused about the thing i said about a first course earlier, go check out vi's batch of songs for some more certified bangers. do it NOW. okay thankies see you next month ^w^

[newhologram]

A post by Stopworkplacebullies that reads: Signs of a High Soul Vibration: 1. Animals feel safe in your presence. 2. People stare at you in public. 3. Random strangers love to come to you and tell you their stories. 4. You can feel energy shift when you enter a room. 5. You irritate toxic people just by being you. *sigh* Okay, sorry to be That Guy, but this is the kind of stuff I call out in the "High Vibe" community because it lends itself to toxic positivity, toxic spirituality, spiritual ableism, and creates blind spots. I generally do not agree with what people say is "High Vibe" and feel like it can cause issues in perception and further blinds us to seeing problems within our circles or ourselves. Let's break it down. (Disclaimer: I'm a spiritual person, whatever that even means anymore. My spiritual practice is a really important part of my daily routine and how I process trauma and life in general. It's a creative mode of knowing that helps me make sense of the overwhelming and traumatic world we live in and to cultivate hope. So I'm coming from a place of being in these communities for a long time and seeing these problems first hand.) 1. "Animals feel safe in your presence." This isn't a sign of being "High Vibe". My bullies and emotionally unhealthy family members are generally good with animals. Most of them know how to respect animals' boundaries and some even do animal rescue! They have BIG hearts for animals. But they still abused me and traumatized me. They'll take care of a sick animal but if I'm having a chronic illness flareup, I get emotionally abused, gaslit, and neglected. So we can't measure "vibration" or "being a good person" this way at all. 2. "People stare at you in public." People stare at me because I'm unusual. I move weird, dress weird, interact weird. This doesn't make me "High Vibe." Also sometimes people just stare, it's different across cultures. I don't know what it means nor do I care. "People stare at me bc I'm high vibe" also just sounds, Idk? Eew? 3. "Random strangers love to come to you and tell you their stories." Having worked retail for many years, I can tell you this has nothing to do with high vibe because again, even my abusers have this effect on people. I don't know why customers treated me ringing them up like therapy sessions. Maybe they were just lonely or hurting and I felt safe to them. I don't think this makes me "High Vibe." And yeah, I'm gonna keep putting that in quotations. 4. "You can feel energy shift when you enter a room." I am very sensitive to energy and can often "feel" someone else's anxiety like sandpaper against my skin. But I'm also a neurodivergent trauma survivor whose nervous system was wired to read people for signs of danger. The "energy shift" that I feel is usually my CPTSD responding to microexpressions/posture/etc. 5. "You irritate toxic people just by being you." I mean, yeah, I irritate my bullies just by being me because they're incredibly insecure and self-centered people. But I also irritate NONtoxic, cool people, probably just because I'm ND and don't always read social cues. I also get irritated by awesome people who I actually like because I have a lot of random triggers, but I work hard to keep it internal to work out on my own because it's my problem, not theirs. This doesn't necessarily make me toxic, nor does it always make everyone who gets irritated by me toxic. It's fine if "High Vibe" stuff resonates with you, but just be sure it doesn't cut you off from compassion or from doing self-investigation.

[evansbby]

Girl I was literally one of your first likes but I couldn't respond right after I read it because I was running late for my lecture. But this is what I think of the latest POYT chapter

IT WAS AWESOME : 11/10

1) For the first time I did not hate Steve and was actually hurt when he hurt in the very end. It was as if I had the mark and I could literally visualize him being hurt seeing Omega being taken away just after she's aid yes to marrying him, after he told her he loved her and after she told him she was pregnant. That's absolutely devastating.

2) I STAN OMEGA. The way the girl finally let her real emotions out this time. For once her inner Omega was stiffened by her other feelings. Each time she hit him for each of his bs was so so so stress busting. Fr she was under so much pressure. I am so happy she finally put herself first and stood up for herself. The way Steve treated her was absolutely unacceptable.

3) FUCK OFF BUCKY. Tf is wrong with you?! What kind of sick person leaves a girl out in pouring rain and laughs? The audacity he had to think Omega would cheat. It doesn't only show how bad of a friend he is but also how low he thinks of Omega. You really think she would be unfaithful to Steve because he did that to her? And even if she was - trust me lad - not happening with you out of all the people. Fucking knob. I wish Steve threw him out of the house.

4) Even tho Sam was shitty throughout the series seeing him sincerely apologize was kinda nice and sweet. Made me break into a little smile between all the angst.

5) Peter, baby ik you're heart's in the right place, but respectfully ...... piss off. Not happening. Also hilarious that he's the one GRIPPING Omega and dragging her away. WHY CANT THESE BOYS LEARN A BIT ABOUT ✨️CONSENT✨️

6) Jensen getting to play was so sweet, now all he needs is some nice company who actually treats him well.

7) As a reader I want to feel like a part of the story, I DID. IT WAS FUCKING AWESOME. I felt as if I, myself was in that poytverse. I saw Omega cry and imagined Steve sketching her at night in the dim moonlight when her skin glows and she's so peaceful and finally looks like an angel cause she is one. I felt the love, I felt the rage and I felt the hurt. There was so much that I can't even begin to comment on everything. I bet I missed out a lot but I really wish I got to comment on each and every line.

It was everything I imagined and more. It was so well written, love. Honestly, it probably made my entire week and will get me through my hectic schedule. I also recommended it to my best friend and I Def think she'll love this too.

Btw, the I love you and I am pregnant at the football game after they won the game - straight out of a fairytale. It think Steve might truly deserve Omega now. And the one where he exposed his neck for her to mark - MADE ME SO WEAK.

Ok I should stop now or else I'll get carried on-

~A <3

ooof bestie so many opinions!!! firstly thank you so much for reading, ily😩💕 lemme answer them in order!

1. Poor Stevie😩 finally poured his heart out (as much as someone as heartless as him can) and it was all thrown back in his face when his omega left him. His perfect life — future wife, baby, everything — was ripped away from him and I wonder how sadistically he will react to that🤔

2. Yassss omega finally let Steve have it! I wanted to write this for all of us, bc all my readers have hated how she was treated — so i was hoping it would be super satisfying to see her voicing her frustrations!

3. Bucky is kind of delusional… I guess he just can’t seem to grasp that Steve got to omega first. He’s insulted that she’s not interested in him — bc he’s slowly becoming obsessed with her😮‍💨 her rejection insulted him so much that he not only locked her out in the rain, but he also twisted her arm painfully😭😭 the villain of poyt, and we haven’t seen the last of him!

4. Sam showing signs of maturity! But also… omega didn’t forgive him and she doesn’t have to hehe.

5. Unfff exactly!! All these boys need to chill and give omega some space to figure things out for herself!! 😤😤😤

6. Jensen played well!! I didn’t write it in the chapter, but he played well and even Steve was begrudgingly impressed. Not nearly as good as Bucky would’ve been tho.

7. Oh bestie, as a writer this is so lovely to hear!! All I wanna do is make sure my writing invokes some kind of emotion within the reader, so I’m so so so happy that you felt that when reading!! Thank you so much!💕💕😌

[kiichu]

Tagged by @pomegranate-belle!! thank u!!

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

WIP List:

-NOPE found family fic, part 4! (of 4?) -Trane (Troy/Jane) soulmate mark AU -something something movie William Afton pov? -Hongou + Kurashikis Zero team (but they're manipulating him) bark bark bark dog metaphors -Kieran lives -Ashley Graydon is the Masked Apprentice

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

That'd be the NOPE fanfic, which is 3422 words so far. I know, it's not a long thing, but I have bits and pieces for my WIPs before I polish and publish them.

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Maybe the Ashley Graydon Masked Apprentice AU? Depending on if I ever write more of it to create chapters.

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

The Trane one is fun because Jane is just so unapologetically mean as a narrator. And she bashes Troy a lot, which is awesome.

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Probably the bark bark bark one bc I want to match the beauty and darkness of the two pieces of fanart that inspired it. And I want people to read it, I don't want it written off as "oh emi, making hongou and the kurashikis like each other just like you tried to peddle back in 2012, huh?" Like, no - that's not what's happening there. They're working together but Hongou is very much a bastard and very much getting what's coming to him anyway.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

See above tbh. And I get nervous about the NOPE fic bc it's a finale of sorts to my series.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

I don't use betas/sensitivity readers ever, so. None.

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

LMAO like ALL of them? Plus several more I have let fall by the wayside for years??

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

None of them have OCs...

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

The Trane soulmate AU's got some smut in there, so that one.

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Tie between Kieran and Ashley. Kieran just deserves a hug and Ashley... well, he can have one too, but doesn't deserve it as much.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

I... I don't know. Lots of them feature characters with just a glimpse of a canon personality, so it's unclear how "accurate" they are written.

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

I like the NOPE fic. It's a sweet piece from Emerald's POV - she gets to talk with Ryder this time. c:

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

Hard to say tbh. I think they're all about even.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

I... think the Kieran one would probably be the most popular. The rest are pretty obscure haha.

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

Dreams... I dunno, I don't think so.

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

I mean they're all kinda complex in their own way? I have to keep checking wikis and thinking over characterization.

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

I think the NOPE fic! Em has a lighthearted POV for the most part. :]

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

Most of my WIPs don't have to do with ships, so

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

I really have no idea sorry.... I don't really know what I've said about them and what I haven't, lmao

Tagging: YOU!!!!!!

[macisms]

my pre-rewatch personal enjoyment episode ranking for s16 bc. lists. everything between 3-7 is muddy though i can be swayed to think otherwise.

1. shoots - probably the best pacing of the season, the only episode where i feel every character felt complete. good episode for both the characters’ pasts and where they stand now wrt to their families. dog frank. mac and charlie’s legacy :)

2. inflates - still had a fairly good pacing and good division of screen-time between characters. fun character dynamics especially between frank and all the others. charlie “won” at the end. there was only one bed.

3. celebrity booze - before you yell at me hear me out. this is where my ranking starts to get silly and more personal. i love breaking bad i was excited for this episode to come out before i even watched iasip. mac was serving. charlie threw up nickels over some guy. however frank dee and charlie were sidelined hard. this episode isnt that great im just heavily biased because of braaron. if it was any other celebrity this would rank in the bottom half for sure.

4. bowling - lost points because the men vs women stuff was handled poorly. dennis should not have won that strength competition against the waitress. i could go on about how this episode failed at the actual competition and ways they could have improved. i loved all the side characters though. i liked mac charlie and frank in this ep but they were kind of useless to the plot. also dennis’ misogynist rants were too on the nose. good sibling lore though.

5. dtamhd - some of you are going to kill me for ranking this lower than celebrity booze which is deserved just remember that im hugely biased because of braaron. also because this was the only episode i had any expectations for, which you should never do with this show. plotwise pretty solid though parts of it did get repetitive (we get it, its the systems not the people). i wont lie though ill never like "it was all a dream" endings. also in general i dont enjoy watching episodes where the majority of the gang dont feature in general (part of the reason why i found mfhp boring too). also the gore. i loved the gore. you did so good sweetie.

6. fvr - the hysteria surrounding that episode was so fun but honestly i think the actual frank versus russia part is soo underdeveloped that it throws the episode off balance. also i didnt love the character writing, especially for mac, he was a little too cartoonishly stupid for me here. oh and unfortunately i had expectations for this one too (mac having a bf) so while the catfishing stuff was CRAZY it didnt fulfill my need to see mac be gay onscreen. please let him be gay onscreen. to me the episode is full of pieces that didnt quite fit together. why did dee disappear for the last few minutes. why was uncle jack there he was so useless and unfunny. the sinned system reveal and the dating sequence was awesome though.

7. cursed - i really need to rewatch this episode. none of the plotlines feel fleshed out enough so it all kind of blurs together. why was cricket involved? why was uncle jack there again someone needs to kill him fr. i liked mac's chase utley lore but other than that i feel like nothing actually happened this episode lol?

8. risk-e-rat - i just. cannot get past how nearly every scene is some iteration of "wow i dont like X, that's not how it was when we came here!". the characters barely did anything they just kept saying shit. this season has episodes that are so goddamn repetitive and this by far is the worst. it was boring. they didnt even fuck the rat. not even their criminal activities can make up for that.

[116t98]

Hackett’s Quarry Summer Camp Tag

Thanks for tagging me @drylan and @stressedanime!

Favorite counselor and least favorite counselor. Why?

I love characters like Dylan so much oml. He’s funny, kind, smart, resourceful, and I just know he has really good taste in music. Also, I appreciate that he’s not super brave bc that’s something I can relate to, and the fact that people still adore him despite that aspect is comforting to me

Ig I’d pick Jacob as my least favorite, solely bc of how he disregards Emma’s desire to not deepen their relationship, and how his selfish actions kicked off the events of the story

Favorite chapter and least favorite chapter. Why?

Help I can’t choose between chapters 2, 5 and 9 😭 I really enjoy all of the foreshadowing and double entendres throughout the dialogue in chapter 2, and it’s the last chapter before shit hits the fan. Not to mention it’s the chapter where we first get solid Radioheads content. However, I also really enjoy getting to know “Dylan Dylan” and seeing his mind in action in the radio hut in chapter 5 (plus more Radioheads content). And chapter 9 gave us the superior Dylan and Kaitlyn besties dynamic, as well as the famous scrapyard scene (it’s also the chapter where Constance can get her face blown off 🤭)

Honestly, I’m not super fond of chapter 7; it’s an important part of the narrative, but it’s such a long chapter and it’s almost entirely a flashback. Tbh it kinda interrupts the flow of the narrative, kinda like those “we interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this breaking news” announcements that cut off whatever show you’re watching on TV. Also, most of the people who play or watch the game can piece together the mystery by this point, so a lot of the info we get feels a bit redundant; if we already know we’re dealing with werewolves, then we don’t really learn anything here we didn’t already know

Favorite ship (you can pick a maximum of 3)?

Radioheads (they just hit all of my favorite ship tropes ok 😭)

Biggest counsellor crush:

I don’t really have a crush on any of the counselors tbh, but ig I’d choose either Dylan or Nick

How would you survive The Quarry?

I’m being completely honest when I say I don’t think I would survive The Quarry; I’m the most like Abi personality-wise, and if I were in her position, I’d 100% die in the pool house bc I can’t aim or shoot for shit

Favorite The Quarry fanfic writer and fanartist:

I really like @chipper9906 and @ssstarlighttt’s fics on ao3, and @drylan has some really good prompts too

Oh I’ve got quite a few favorite fanartists: @kawaiifryingpan, @denkicide , @donutdrawsthings, @demendeh, @hristbran, @divomria, @nicca11y, and @mangodonutss

Shoutout some friends you have made being involved in the fandom!

I’m so glad I joined @hyperfigations’s The Quarry discord, bc that’s where I got to meet such cool people like @stressedanime, @kitkat-tat, @lowonmelatonin and @donutdrawsthings. I’m not super social, so the fact I can say I’ve made friends in this fandom is super awesome 😊

[r3d-f3rn]

my study habits

i haven’t been focused or motivated recently, but once my schedule picks up again i’ll probably be doing better.

Pomodoro 50/10 - ok i didn’t know there was a name for this until yesterday, but this is the timing method i find best. 50 minute study, 10 minute break. bonus is on that break, i make sure to get up and move a bit. occasionally, and if my walking buddy is out of class, i’ll take a full hour and force them to go on a walk with me.

Body doubling - i only recently discovered this one, and i don’t exactly hate it. for those who don’t know, some smart person somewhere was like “hey, people especially with neurodivergence (such as i) typically do better focusing if someone is also focusing on a similar thing” or something like that. i tried this both with another person (i love my walking buddy) and following along a youtube video without music (reason why is following). i think, personally, it’s best i do it with other people in-person because even if they don’t listen (they usually do bc i have awesome friends), i’ll recount the information, which often leads to some connection i wouldn’t have made otherwise.

Music - what a shocker. for me, my music depends on the day: i recently got over a break-up so i’ve been playing a lot of shit-talking music (waterfalls coming out your mouth by glass animals <3) but i constantly make new playlists to keep in fresh. also, i just recently bought a pair of noise-cancelling headphones because they were 40% off, but if you can’t afford them you honestly can just play white noise very quietly behind your music (or ambiance idk i know ppl use rain noises). it works better for headphones, but earbuds work too. but yeah that’s how noise-cancelling things cancel said noise, life hack ig.

Environment - on really bad days where i need more than just a coffee and literally spend 2+ hours trying to focus to no avail, i’ll go to a local café (SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS !!), order a redbull spritzer and a cheap plate of food (to make up for the ~$8 well spent). then, i force myself to sit down for at least 2 hours. i think it’s me romanticizing being mysterious, but if it works then i’ll do it. if i need a break, ill give myself 5 minutes to discretely people-watch. once, i saw my middle-school math teacher while i was doing this and i just- i think seeing teachers in public is fascinating, but i think everyone’s a lil interesting so idk.

RITUAL - i think this one is most important, especially if your schedule is too chaotic to set out a decent study schedule. mine starts off with filling a bottle with cold, infused water (trying to reduce my sugar so i’m not always tired) and lighting a candle that i associate with studying. mine used to be this lemon scrub from bath&body, but i ran out so now i’m using some rose water one.

part of my lack-of-studying recently is that my study space fucking sucked ass (tiny desk, don’t ever get wall-mounted desks) but i have a new desk coming in on Tuesday so i just have to cope til then. plus, i just got a 60+ year old lamp from my honorary grandma and i’m just too excited that i get to rearrange my room. :D

[zephersspace]

Photos that have nothing to do with the post, yuhuuuuuu!!!!

Hey there, strangers!

This post it's sponsored by my mental health being slowly but surely getting better✨

Sooooo let's get into it! [Disclaimer: this is gonna be a LONG ASS post bc I owe Lulun three questions by now so... buckle up, strangers!]

Keeping with the lovely oh so enjoyable Lunlun's autumn reading challenge!

Day 5: Who is/are your favorite book character/s? And why?

This one I gave real thought... and it was incredibly damn difficult! I couldn't choose my /favorite/ buuuut two that I do like a lot are grandma Eudeviges and María José Berenguer, from El mecanismo del miedo, by Norma Lazo. Such an amazing book, with a fantastic plot... just awesome I loved it.

The reason I'm naming them it's bc they are really engaged in their part for the balance... they know what they have to do and understand it naturally. I like how brave and responsable they are, without missing their humanity... it's just very well written.

Day 6: Who is/are the book character/s you dislike? And why?

Well... I /do/ have this character I really really FUCKING REALLY dislike, BUT before her... and continuing with El mecanismo del miedo, there's Augusta, mother of María José (the protagonist) bc she denies her responsibility with the balance... but not just that, she's selfish and not the greatest mother ever... there's a lot to see in her character.

The main one I truly do dislike A WHOLE LOT it's Justine, from Justine o los infortunios de la virtud, by Sade (yes, that Sade)... I just got like pretty fucking damn frustrated with her and all her choices which sucked every fucking time, I swear!

Tbh her sister is not better, she was boring and predictable af.

BUT those are my opinions, I could clearly be wrong or missing smth from them soooo, one never knows.

Day 7: How many books do you want to read this year?

This one actually left me lost jajajajaja

I never EVER have put myself a number. I try to read the most I can and everything that I truly like or have interest in so... that would be my answer: as many as I can. (Tho' this left me thinking... I'm definitely keeping track of my readings, starting in October, let's see how much I read, together!)

Aaaaand that's it! We made it!

Thank you so much for keeping up with me <3

🎃 Don't forget you're absolutely beautiful, stunning and everyone that gets to know you (truly) is lucky to. You're an incredible being! I love you so much!🎃

That's it, that's the post!

⟨Salut, strangers!⟩

[mtsodie]

tell us your thoughts on miss lizbert :3

lebert.... i dont draw her as much as i want 2.... i love her tho butches rejoice all around the world for her and eggabell

shes sooo. full of ideas and topics. rattles lizbert around ngl im surpised to see there isnt a lot of religion themed lizbert art. idk if its just me but i can 4 sure connect the dots between her and like. christianty or smth. martyrdom i think. idk i never grew up with any kind of religion. its strictly forbidden 2 be religious in this part of the family. NOT THE POINT the point is that i think some rlly interesting stuff could happen with connecting the dots between lizbert as queen and christianity

i love that she loves her wife/gf (idk if theyre actually married or not LOL) so so so so much. its rlly nice to see people care for each other even if its just silly muppets with issues... i love bugsnax a lot bc of the themes of relationships and connections and how. umm. nuanced they can be.... thats why i wish they werent in a sort of "buddy system" and interacted more outside of their pairs... o well.

shout out to lizbert ok she is awesome

its 5 am good night

[selfcarecap]

Thoughts for when you wake up. I also didn't proofread bc I'm sleepy and lazy. Apologies:

Escape Room 1: it was a nice concept! Fresh and fun, I though. Plus, I really love psychological thrillers, so this movie was up my alley. I think the characters behaved quite naturally for people placed in the situation they were in, and they were all unique enough to where they evokes certain emotions from you. The cinematography was awesome and I enjoyed a majority of the film. The ending was a bit, "eh..." for me. Mostly bc wtf was that plane scene? I also didn't like how they "seemingly" won, but it turns out they just got fucked over again by some allknowing being like...shut up

Escape Room 2: the ending from the last one didn't have me too excited for the second one, ngl. I was happy so see Holland Rolland in it, however, so it was okay. I said, "they finally got her in something other than teen wolf" ☠️☠️☠️ anyway. I'll be real, the second one didn't have my full attention one hundred percent of the time lmao. The scenes were still very pretty, but the premise was too similar to the first one. And like...of course it's gonna be? Bc they're in the same type of situation?? But damnn, I didn't need a lot of this. And it was very :/ bc the main girl (I forget her name) was acting more reckless in the second film like...wasn't she supposed to be the cautious one? And the dude who didn't gaf was more logical most of the time? Come on man... I also didn't like how they were all like, "ooh, in my game..." like...this isn't your first game, focus on the now omg

And don't get me started on how they kept bringing back people! Why didn't the military vet die?? Her plot and why she was making the game was stupid and it felt like someone pulled it out of their ass at the last minute 😒

Part two was annoying and I barely remember the ending. I feel like they set it up for a part three? But who knows...

Now, I have another question. Have you ever seen The Exam or The Lodge (both psych thrillers)?

Ahh thank you for sending them <3😌 (probably) big rant ahead lmao

Omgg I agree, I enjoyed the first one, it was an interesting premise and it had a good set of characters. Also at first it wasn’t quite clear (to me at least) who the MC was or if there even was one and I thought that was kind of cool too? Or for example I knew Zoe (?) wasn’t actually dead when she died from that poison but still. Predictability doesn’t always have to be bad. Omg it was annoying that they all kinda worked alone tho? 💀 like whenever someone found a clue/hint/whatever they would spend 5 minutes trying to solve it on their own like I’m sure at least one life could have been spared if they actually talked to each other dhsks

But I didn’t like the end either like I hate how nowadays they’re always setting everything up for a part two like ofc I get they want to make money but chill. If you’re a good writer you can easily make a part two even if you didn’t set up the whole plot in the previous film. And tbh even after the second film I didn’t understand how the ‘boss’ (idr his name) knew EVERYTHING. like i was so sure there was gonna be something supernatural involved bc even with all the technology we have today and genius people.. it’s just way too unrealistic that they planned everything THAT well. And idm unrealistic films but like this was supposed to be a realistic psychological thriller so.

I was happy that Holland was in it too! And yeah I think I’ve only ever seen her as Lydia tbh 😭and she looked so different (and more grown up obv) but I was happy to see her. And omg yeah I mean maybe it was just the novelty of it but I liked the rooms in the first one more too. And same same same I mean Zoe was so shy in the first film and I liked that she became more confident but at the same time.. aren’t you traumatised lmao. And I would have liked if they gave her a different arc with her confidence like idk in the first one she was shy and got a bit more confident bc she solved some clues and obviously the end but idk. They did talk about the trauma tho which I liked bc usually in those type of films the go through a life altering situation and two days later they’re sitting on some beach and chilling like shouldn’t you be in therapy💀 good for them if they’re not traumatised but it’s usually so unrealistic. And yeahh they kept talking about their old games that, in the end, had nothing to do w this one as if they had any time to waste lol.

ALSO i didn’t realise that they were not together??? At the end of ER 1 i thought they were together and on a date and in the second one i also thought they were together but then when he “died” she was like ‘he was my best friend’… ma’am didn’t you see how you were looking at each other? They didn’t kiss but that didn’t matter like they were clearly in love and I was at least hoping for friends to lovers bc it was just annoying that nothing romantic actually happened between them. And yeah the end of the second one.. I think they set it up for a part 3 but I stopped paying attention by then shsksjssk but the girl (the actress who plays that esther orphan girl) locked her dad in and said she’s gonna make her parents proud by making even cooler escape rooms but like i said i wasn’t fully paying attention so maybe that’s not what she said lol

Okay that’s enough sorry shsjsjsks

I haven’t watched either of those but they seem interesting 👀 but there are a few films called the exam so is it the one with Gemma Chan? And omg Jacob Barber is in the Lodge? Shsjs he’s everywhere lmao but I get it he’s perfect for those genres lmao there’s something weird about him (or he plays it well i mean he’s probably not like that irl but idk i’ve never watched an interview i think). Seems interesting but also like it’s a bit more horror than thriller? And I have to be careful with horror bc then I have trouble sleeping for weeks to come shsjsjsj so lmk how scary it is bc it does seem interesting 👀👀👀