#the writing is not great. pacing is weird. it’s kind of random

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads // twitter thread

In My Dreams

romcom novella

when the nature reserve she works at goes into lockdown due to dangerous fugitives in the area, an ace woman is stuck for two weeks with the childhood friend she was in love with as a teenager

[oatmealaddiction]

Okay but the weirdest thing about the whole "Brotherhood is better you should skip 03" discourse that's become commonplace now, it sort of forgets the world Brotherhood came out in and why you should watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist. When Brotherhood came out, the original Fullmetal Alchemist was one of the most beloved and most watched animes of all time. Brotherhood assumes you the audience have already seen it because of course you have, everyone has seen it, so it skips important information and speeds the story up because it doesn't want to bore you with things you already know. Have you ever wondered "hey why does the first episode of Brotherhood kind of suck, and why am I being introduced to like 50 new characters, and why are they acting like I know what the hell an alchemist is?" It's because Brotherhood thinks you've seen 03.

The first 7 or so episodes of Brotherhood constitute dozens of chapters in the manga, and the first 25 or so episodes of the original Fullmetal Alchemist. The Nina Tucker episode in Brotherhood, in FMA 03 takes up nearly three episodes. Yoki gets a backstory in 03 and it's genuinely one of the best episodes and taken directly from the manga and Brotherhood glosses over it because: duh, you've already seen it. And so if you skip the original you miss out on dozens of really great character building episodes like Ed and Al meeting Hughes for the first time and getting to spend a whole episode helping him free a train from terrorists, or Ed and Roy having a duel that expands on the relationship they have, or episodes where the brothers just help out random people in towns before the major story gets going.

The original also paces itself quite a bit better than Brotherhood and is more in line with the mangas storytelling. In the manga we don't find out about The Gate until nearly two dozen chapters in, and the same goes for the original anime. Like, that's a twist reveal in those stories, and it's weird that the most watched series is the one where they tell you all about The Gate in the first two episodes because they assume you've already seen the original show.

What's more, people don't know that Hiromu Arakawa helped write for the anime while she was still in the middle of writing the manga, and as a result was inspired to write scenes in Brotherhood that the anime did first. That scene of Edward getting impaled by a falling beam? Directly inspired by a similar scene in the original anime. There's a lot of little instances of that and they're great when you can recognize parallels and things in Brotherhood that are direct references to the original anime, but people don't notice any of that anymore. Because the original anime is just an automatic skip these days, and it's a bummer because people don't realize what a giant it was back before Brotherhood was released. They treat it as *bad,* not realizing it was one of the most beloved anime of its time and the problems people take issue with have a lot more to do with personal taste than any kind of actual flaw in the writing. Brotherhood was never meant to dethrone it, and the original anime was always supposed to be part of the viewing experience which is why those first few episodes of Brotherhood are so fast paced. So like, please stop telling people Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 is a skip, or it's bad, or you don't need it because Brotherhood is better. Regardless if you think Brotherhood is better or not, the original wrote Brotherhood's check. It was huge, it was beloved, and Brotherhood is *banking* on the knowledge you've seen all of it and loved it. And trust me when I say there is so much to love about the original series. It's still my favorite branch of the FMA franchise, and it's worth your time, I promise you.

[readyplayerhobi]

Because, I Love You | 01

; Jungkook x Older!Reader

; Genre: Fluff, slight angst, mentions of smut

; Word Count: 4.3k

; Warnings: Allusions to fatphobia, insecure thoughts from MC but Jungkook is just so sweet about it

; Synopsis: According to society, Jeon Jungkook should not be with you. He should be with a younger, hotter and thinner girl instead of wasting his time on you. It’s a good thing Jungkook doesn’t care what society thinks then.

; A/N: Got the random inspo for this and some of you said to write it, so I did...in a few hours haha. Who knows if this is good or not? I hope you enjoy a Jungkook who’s happy and in love, that’s all I wanted for this lol It was just something nice to write out...got the creative juices flowing!

; Masterlist

-

You had never imagined that you’d end up dating someone like Jeon Jungkook. There were too many things that weren’t in your favour when it came to someone like him, too many points in the negative column. Or so you’d thought.

You were older than him, by six years. Even though you’d both been well into adulthood when you’d started a relationship, it still got awkward reactions from people when they found out. Men were allowed to be older than women and it not be viewed as odd, but having the woman be older seemed to be too much for some people to accept.

He was exceptionally in shape, as in he went to the gym every other day and engaged in other physical activities on the other days. Jungkook loved to box or swim, and sometimes he’d even go running if he was bored. Meanwhile, you were pretty sure that you were allergic to the gym and liked to think of yourself politely as ‘curvy’. Your belly wasn’t flat or toned and your hips had a little more fat on them than people like, though you would always support the body positivity movement.

It wasn’t that you ate a lot, or were lazy or anything. You just didn’t see the need to personally limit your food or force yourself to go into a gym and do things you don’t like. Instead, you liked to take long walks and go exploring at your own pace whilst your home-cooked meals were easily one of Jungkook’s favourite things in the world. 

If you spent too long looking at Instagram or any news sites, then you knew that by the laws of social media, Jungkook should not be with you. He was a ridiculously attractive, super fit young guy with a good job and a great personality. TikTok would throw a fit to see him with you, just like they did with that other couple where the girl wasn’t as ‘conventionally attractive’.

And yet, Jungkook was the one who’d pursued you.

He was the one who’d matched with you on the dating app, and he’d been the one to send the first message. You’d been convinced he was just doing it for a laugh, you’d had far too many incidents on datings apps where guys seemed to react to you in two ways; either wanting sex immediately or wanting to try and run you off the app for daring to not fit their idea of a beautiful woman.

The number of insults you’d experienced had meant that by the time Jungkook had sent a message, you’d become tired of the whole thing. You’d even ignored him at first, only responding when he’d sent a sad face emoji. To this day, you don’t understand how he’d manage to get you in his results as he was below the age range you’d specified, but he had and he’d been determined.

You weren’t the best texter, so the conversation had been a little stilted as you’d tried to suss him out. Was he just looking for a quick lay, thinking that you’d be desperate? Or was he wanting the prestige of banging an older woman? Was he one of those guys who had a weird kink about women on the heavier side? Or was he one of the guys who felt the need to shame you about your weight and existence?

Although you ate healthily and did your frequent walks, people often assumed things about you. And as much as you hated to admit it now, Jungkook had looked exactly like the kind of guy who would send those mean messages.

Young, insanely attractive and aware of it, tattooed and pierced. He was like a god comes to life, and some men like that had the matching god complex to go with it.

But Jeon Jungkook had not been like that. He’d happily talked to you about whatever you’d suggested and you’d realised he was a giant nerd underneath the hard exterior. After a month of casual texting, he hadn’t once said anything negative to you but he had discussed extensively why Fantastic Four deserved a redemption arc in the MCU and you’d become weirdly knowledgeable about boxing because of him.

You’d found out he had a dog, a Dobermann called Bam who had an undocked tail and floppy ears that hadn’t been clipped. When you’d noted that, he’d told you that he’d looked it up and had cried when he’d found out what happened to dogs to get that look.

This led to the other thing about Jungkook, he was sentimental as fuck. Despite being six years younger than you, he seemed to have such a wise head on his shoulders at times and he always took things a little too seriously. You still remembered when he’d messaged you in distress, only for it to turn out that he’d accidentally killed a bumblebee.

“But they’re vital for the environment, and I killed it!” He’d lamented over the phone to you, his deep voice filled with genuine upset and regret. You’d consoled him, even if you’d been thoroughly amused, and had realised he was entirely serious when he’d sent you a photo of the tiny bee grave he’d sent later that day. He’d even made a little gravestone and everything.

It had been that moment, around a solid month and a half since you’d started talking, that you finally let your heart open up a little to him. Cautiously accepted that a man who gave a funeral for a bee probably wasn’t going to hurt you, at least not on purpose. Of course, you couldn’t predict the future but you’d decided to try.

He’d been subtly asking you for dates the whole time, casually dropping hints about a new movie coming out or a restaurant he’d heard that was good. You’d rebuffed him every time, the prospect of seeing him in person making panic flood your veins until you felt ill. Talking over text or the phone was fine, he couldn’t see you. People liked to talk to you, but dating was always a minefield.

Would it be easier for him to realise that your pictures weren’t lying about your body, or would he consider you uglier in person? You weren’t a make-up person, it always made your skin breakout and you’d get the worst headaches sometimes, so your profile only had one or two with make-up on. There were also plenty of photos of your whole body, as you refused to lie about yourself.

What they saw on your profile, was what they’d get.

But you’d finally relented and agreed to go to the movies with him to see the latest in an animated film series. It had been you to suggest it, as it was one of your favourite series ever, but then you’d felt stupid turning up to the theatre and realising there were loads of kids there. You hadn’t had much time to think about it though, as Jungkook had suddenly appeared in front of you with the same sweet smile in his photos.

He’d thought it was hilarious when you’d apologised, mumbling out that you hoped he didn’t think you thought of him as some kid just because he was younger. It had plagued your mind through the whole film that he’d take offence, or realise that you were older than he’d like. Even though you’d mentioned many times the age difference.

Yet he’d just been excited about the film when you’d come out of it, laughing at how you’d both been the only adults there without kids and the only people on a date. You’d gone for pizza afterwards, you shyly trying to hide your body from him as you got to properly take him in without the darkness of a cinema screen to cover for you. He had been just as astonishingly attractive in person with his biceps as large and muscular as his pictures. 

Jungkook had been unbelievably polite though, not once letting his eyes linger somewhere and he’d even complimented you a few times. You’d narrowed your eyes at him, wondering whether he was lying given you hadn’t worn make-up just like you’d warned him and he’d laughed yet again. He had a sweet laugh, one that you imagined he’d probably been a little embarrassed by when he was younger because it was loud but it made you laugh just as much.

He’d been a gentleman at the end too, kissing your cheek shyly after he’d walked you to your car. Despite how well it had gone, you’d fully expected him to ghost you after seeing what you were like in person. It had happened before.

Instead, he’d messaged you almost as soon as he’d got home, completely disregarding the fact that he might come across as overeager. He’d complimented you again, thanked you for going on a date with him and let you know that he’d enjoyed himself. Not only that, but he’d asked you on another date.

And then another, and then another.

It had taken six dates before he asked you to be his girlfriend. You’d been shocked, even though the dates had been going well, and questioned if he wanted that. If he wanted to date someone like you. He’d given you an odd look then, his nose wrinkling in confusion.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t?” That was all he’d said in response, the words simple and said clearly. Like he couldn’t understand why you’d think he wouldn’t want to date you. It had been mind-blowing for you to realise that he genuinely wanted you and all the negative thoughts you had about yourself were only in your head. To him, you were exactly what he was looking for and he wasn’t going to let the chance go.

So you’d shyly said yes, uncertain as to whether this was going to last long or if he’d get tired or bored and move onto a younger, prettier model.

That had been six years ago.

Now you were thirty-six years old to his thirty, but you had more similarities than differences. He was still unbelievably hot, he was even more attractive than he had been. Jeon Jungkook was one of those annoying men who got more beautiful as he aged. He was still more in shape than you and all those things that people frowned upon.

But you now shared the same last name as him, wore the ring he’d given you to propose with and the ring he’d given you on your wedding day proudly and carried his first child. Jungkook had never once made you feel bad about yourself or unattractive, if anything he’d always been relentless in his desire for you.

That had only increased since you’d gotten pregnant, your belly now swelling from the baby that grew inside you. You swore you were giving off some kind of pheromone or something because Jungkook had been hornier than ever over the last few months. And that was saying something because he’d always had a very healthy sexual appetite.

The first time you’d had sex had been two months after you’d started dating. Despite his assurances that he found you attractive, you’d been shy and hesitant. That had disappeared during the act itself when he’d practically devoured your pussy and left you a shivering wreck before giving you the best sex you’d ever had. Which was saying a lot, given it had been your first time with him.

But he’d just been so attentive and caring, and he’d known exactly how to use his mouth, his fingers and his dick. You’d felt like you were being worshipped with how he’d mouthed hot kisses all over your body, even the bits you disliked, and his hands wouldn’t stop roaming your body desperately. As much as you’d been turned on by him, he’d been equally turned on by you.

It hadn’t stopped either. The flames of passion had quieted down, becoming a mellow flame that was constant warmth and comfort instead of sparks and explosions. Sometimes the sex was quick, sometimes it was slow, sometimes it was filled with whispers of love and adoration and sometimes it was just growls and grunts.

He’d never made you feel uncomfortable though, always made it clear that he was turned on by you. That he loved you deeply, even through all your insecurities and self-doubt. He’d offered some of his own to you to try and level the field, noting how he felt a little insecure sometimes that he hadn’t achieved as much as you had or that he didn’t earn as much. That he felt you’d got your life together a lot better than him.

That he thought you’d have judged him as some kind of player from the start and ignored him. Or just thought he was some stupid young guy and refused to give him the time of day or find him childish. It had been a quiet revelation for you to realise that he’d been just as nervous and worried.

You would forever be thankful that Jungkook kept at it, that he’d pursued you and refused to back down from a challenge. That he’d helped you learn to love yourself and your life a little more, along with bringing so much joy and laughter. He sometimes did stupid things that had you staring at him in confusion, and sometimes he didn’t know the references you made.

But he made up for it in the way he threw himself into learning your hobbies and interests, helping you to garden and turn your yard into a paradise for plants. He’d read so many of the books that you had, just so you had someone to discuss the plots with and he patiently listened to you ramble on about horror films despite the fact he hated them.

In turn, you watched his romance films with him and didn’t tease him too much when he cried at them and you’d learnt all the facts about his favourite boxers, had even gone to a match with him. You’d supported him when he’d applied for his dream job in a career he wasn’t in, consoling him when he’d been denied and then celebrating when he’d gotten it.

Sure, you had arguments with him sometimes and you’d get a little grumpy with him, but you knew that at the end of the day, you were perfect for each other.

“Whatcha thinking ‘bout?” The man in question asks, sitting down lightly on the swinging bench he’d installed in the backyard last year. You’d both redone the whole yard, repainting the fence and creating a whole new wildflower section alongside adding a fully functioning pond with koi fish in it. He’d seen the bench in a DIY store and had bought it, with your agreement, before spending a whole afternoon assembling it with your help.

It hadn’t been any trouble to you, not when you got to watch your hot husband getting all sweaty whilst shirtless.

Looking over at him, you chew on your lips for a moment before shrugging lightly and smiling. You’re sitting cross-legged on the bench, unbelievably comfy thanks to the cushions he’d added. Jungkook thought one of the most important principles in life was being comfortable, which meant your home was full of cushions and soft things.

“You, me, us. I dunno, I just…I saw this thing earlier about a couple where the guy was super hot but the girl was…how do I say it nicely…not considered attractive enough for him? They get so many nasty comments because people can’t comprehend that a handsome man can like a woman that people don’t think is attractive.” Trailing off, you let a hand rest on your pregnant belly before reaching out and taking his hand. He instantly links your fingers together, squeezing gently.

There’s a wrinkle between his brows, indicating his internal confusion. Jungkook had always had such strong eyebrows that you’ve always found hot. There’s not much about him you don’t find hot, from the way he tongues his cheek when he’s irritated or the tattoos on his arms shift as the muscles beneath work. And that’s not even talking about the weird fetish you have for his hands.

Men liked butts and boobs, but you’d gone a little feral more than once because of his hands and thighs.

“How…how does that relate to us?” The innocence with which he asks makes your heart clench with so much love for him. Jungkook’s always been such a simple man, despite how complicated he looked. He knew what he liked and what he loved, and he didn’t care what others thought about that. It’d taken you a while for you to realise that, but it was something you’d grown to cherish about him.

Smiling, you lift his hand and rest it against your heart.

“You’re adorable, have I told you that? It’s relevant because you’ve always been god hot and I’ve just been…me. You know if we were on social media then people would be like ‘what the fuck is going on here?’.” His cheery mood disappears and he scowls, lips pursing out in that cute pout he always does and making his lip ring push out even further.

“That’s stupid, don’t say that. You’re hot.” Grinning, you shuffle over before leaning into him, curling yourself happily into his side. He lets go of your hand and takes the opportunity to wrap his arm around you, cuddling you while letting his fingertips brush the sides of your swollen stomach. It’s just light enough to be ticklish and you shiver.

“I don’t think anyone except you has ever called me that, but it’s okay. As long as you think it. You know people always have some awful opinions, and there’s probably some of our friends who had those thoughts when we first started dating. I know for a fact that Jimin teased you about having a cougar as a girlfriend.” Jungkook grunts, obviously still grumpy about how you’ve put yourself down.

“Jimin was just jealous. Still is. I was twenty-four when I met the love of my life whereas he’s now thirty-two and still hasn’t found his.” You swat his stomach lightly, tutting at him.

“Don’t say that, that’s mean. Plus, I was only two years older than him when we met.” He hums, the sound vibrating through his chest to your cheek and you sigh gently, wriggling to get a better position. You’re excited to finally be a mom, it had taken two years of trying and a year of IVF to finally get pregnant, but god, being pregnant was not as fun as it was made out to be.

“Anway, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care what other people think. And I’m not blind or oblivious, I do notice it. I just don’t care. I thought you were pretty in your pictures and I liked how you’d got your personality across, so I went for it. You know me, if I want something then I get it. It was hard to keep my hands off you on our first date, I really wanted to see you naked but I could tell you were not down for that.” Lifting your head, you raise your brows at him in shock. He’d never mentioned this before.

“We saw a kids' film! With kids in the audience!” 

“Okay, I just need to point out that you do remember I was a young, horny man. You know how much I love sex, and how much I love your body. I had a very good orgasm that night with my hand.” There’s a tingle that runs through you as he says that, and you’re pleased that it’s not shyness from his blunt words but a thread of desire.

Why has he never told you this? You don’t realise you’ve said that out loud till he responds.

“Because I didn’t want to come across as some idiot young guy that just thinks with his dick. I was on a date with this super sexy older woman who had her shit together, no way was I ruining that.” Smiling, you bite your lip and hug him a little tighter as pleasure bubbles through you.

“You never fail to surprise me, you know that?”

“Good, keeps our relationship interesting. And in answer to your unsaid question…I’m with you instead of whatever imaginary woman you’ve imagined in your head for me because I want to be. Because, I love you. You’re it, and I knew that the first time I heard your voice on the phone. Heard you say hello and thought ‘yep, that’s it, that’s the woman I’m gonna marry’.” That makes you snort with laughter, using his chest to push yourself up and give him a disbelieving look.

“I know you’re a sappy romantic but you’re not that much of a romantic. You didn’t even say that in your wedding speech, and you were a sobbing mess in that.” You tease lightly, grinning at his mock affronted look.

“Excuse me, I’m very romantic. I’m so romantic that if you open the dictionary and look up romantic, there’s a picture of my face. Which is why I never mentioned it. That fact is for me and you only, other people can’t know. Maybe Mochi can when they’re older to hear it.” At that, he shifts until he can rest the whole palm of his hand against your stomach.

There’s a pause, the heat of his hand burning through your clothes before you feel the tell-tale flutter and Jungkook grins with simultaneous pride and amusement. The baby loves hearing Jungkook, and somehow always knows when their father is touching your belly. Neither of you knew what gender you were having, and neither of you cared as long as the baby was healthy. And Mochi was the nickname that Jimin had used and it had stuck.

Ignoring all that, you reach up and tilt his head towards you and simply look over his face. This close, you get to see all the pores of his skin and even the freckles that are too light to see from far away. The subtle shade alongside his jaw and mouth as his evening stubble starts to grow in, something he’ll soon be shaving off as he hates having hair there.

But your favourite thing about Jungkook, physically at least, is his wide eyes that portray every emotion he feels. They’d been your favourite aspect of him in his pictures when he’d first matched with you, and six years later they remain your favourite thing. You hope your baby gets his starry eyes.

“I love you.” You say simply, feeling your stomach bubble with happiness and not Mochi kicking as his eyes give away his smile before his mouth does. They do this adorable thing where the skin beneath his eyes thickens, creating an adorable eye smile before he does it with his mouth. That’s when you know he’s really happy.

“I love you, too. You don’t think about this stuff often, right? Cos I love you as you, and I always have. No matter what you looked like, or what you thought you looked like. And if you’re worrying over this then I haven’t done my job right.” He sounds so serious and concerned, his brow creasing once more as he dips his head to keep your eyes in sight.

Age is looking good on him, and you fear him in twenty years. He’s going to be movie star hot, and he’s all yours.

Trailing your fingers over his lower lip and playing with his lip ring, a familiar motion to you both by now, you give him a soft smile.

“I swear, I don’t. It was just that story I read. I did when we first got together but…you’ve shown me over the years so…not anymore. I trust you.”

“Good, because I don’t have any regrets. Best decision I made to message you, and it was obviously the same for you.” Laughing, you tickle his sides as he lets out breathy giggles and tries to avoid you without jostling you too much.

As you play with him, enjoying the intimate moment of quiet and happiness with your husband, you feel your baby kick excitedly. Pausing, you look at Jungkook with a raised brow before taking his hand and resting it on your stomach.

“You’ve got Mochi all excited now, so now you need to calm them down or mommy’s not gonna get much sleep. And then you’ll probably regret messaging me when I’m being grumpy.” That makes Jungkook grin, the expression mischievous on his face and your heart thumps hard with love for this beautiful, kind and funny man who loves you so deeply despite what society says.

Leaning forward, he keeps an eye on yours as he presses a kiss to your stomach before whispering.

“Remember that, Mochi, for when you’re born. Nothing is worse than a grumpy mommy, so please be nice to daddy and calm down.” 

“Hey! You weren’t supposed to agree with me.” You whine, pouting in an exaggerated manner that makes him laugh.

“Well, sweetheart, what is it you always say to me? A happy wife is a happy life, and a happy wife is always right?”

“Well, I’m clearly wrong in this case so you should say so!”

“You also say I shouldn’t tell lies, and we shouldn’t be setting a bad example for Mochi.”

“Jeon Jungkook!”

[riahlynn101]

What are your thoughts over the movie? I have some myself (and a mild mental breakdown over the Thing™), but overall, it was good. I want to talk about it with anyone, lol

Okay, so....

Spoilers below the cut:

Firstly, I loved it. You can tell how much effort they put into this movie, and it really shows. Kudos to everyone involved.

Things I liked:

Piper Rubio did amazing. No comment beyond that. Abby is one of my favorite characters now, and if anything happens to her, I'll cry.

Actually, all the kids did a wonderful job. Especially Grant Feely. He really embodied that creepy, restless spirit vibe.

Mike and Abby's sibling relationship was everything to me!

Vanessa asking Mike if he wants to dance with her (OMG).

The Springbonnie suit looked great!

Mike having a little bit of an attitude (I love him so much)!

The animatronics were cool. I like that they took the time to make them seem friendly, and almost childlike, before switching gears.

Things I didn't like:

I'm not an expert on filmmaking, so excuse me if I'm wrong here. But the pacing was all over the place. The first act of the movie was perfect, and then the second act was....fast. Like fast-fast. Based on what other people are saying, I'm 99.9% sure they cut out a lot of footage.

This one might come back to bite me in the ass later, but some plotlines felt unnecessary. I know this is FNAF and complicated is written somewhere between Freddy and Fazbear, but did we really need some side plot about an evil aunt? They didn't go anywhere with it, and we still don't know what happened to her. Did Golden Freddy K.O her? Kill her? Who knows? Because we certainly don't. We see her legs, and then she's never mentioned again.

I don't know if this is controversial, but I hate that Vanessa's an Afton. Maybe it's because I was so set on Mike being an Afton, but I really, really hate that they changed it. (I'll elaborate on that more down below).

I felt like they could have given us some more background. Some more flashbacks to the 80s. Anything.

I know I'm being overdramatic, but having the plot twist be Vanessa's an Afton kind of killed all my excitement. Which is stupid, I know, but yeah....

I mean, I'm still going to write fanfictions about the movie, and about all the ways that Mike Schmidt is actually Michael Afton.

--Sorry in advance, but I'm going to ramble--

I have a feeling that William knows Mike better than he's letting on. Of course, he did kidnap Garrett, who could have told William everything about Mike. He could have also watched the news and seen Mike with his parents, asking for Garrett to come home.

But that's not the vibe i was getting from William during the office scene. But I'll let you all decide for yourselves:

William Afton is a skilled manipulator and actor, but the expression he makes looking down at his coffee doesn't scream, "holy shit, the brother of my victim is sitting in my office." He has no reason to look concerned. Mike has no idea who he is, and he isn't even looking at William. So, why put on a show?

Also, the change in his attitude is telling. He went from cold and distant to personable in a heartbeat.

Of course, there's always the possibility that I'm totally wrong, and William is scared he's been found out. Which could be true, given that he doesn't hesitate to fuck Mike up the second he's able to.

--

In the same vein, why would William Afton-a guy known for killing/kidnapping kids around the pizzeria, or at least close to the pizzeria-drive to the middle of nowhere, pick a random kid, and kill him? I know he's crazy, but I don't buy it.

Some people are saying that Garrett is a Charlie parallel, and that Mike is Henry's son. Which could be the case, I mean, we see a mechanic in the training video that bears a striking resemblance to the actor that plays Mike's dad. I don't know if those two things are connected, but it's interesting to point out.

But, like I said, it's weird that William went out of his way to kidnap a kid for no reason. And he likely wasn't in a costume (at least I hope he wasn't, because if he was and no one saw who took Garrett, I think a kidnapped child is the least of their worries.) So, how did he convince Garrett, who was by himself for a grand total of five second, to get in the car? Maybe he offered him candy or toys? I dunno.

I might go into all the evidence/theories so far that Mike's an Afton in another post. And where they're going with Garrett's character. But yeah....

Everyone, please, feel free to share your thoughts on the movie. I would love to hear them :D!!

((Thank you for this question btw <3333))

[g5mlp]

imo, what do you think G5 does better than G4, and vice versa

G4 started on a very strong foundation and was the result of a coherent vision being executed with a minimum of corporate meddling. It also was given a lot of time to fully develop its world, and the show's production wasn't transferred to a completely different creative team at any point. It's hard to beat that.

G5 was developed first and foremost with the intention of producing a good story for a good movie that could perform well in theaters, and creating the rest of the franchise seems to have been kind of secondary to that (who cares about the consequences?). Obviously, it didn't get to be released in theaters, but the movie is still probably the strongest part of G5 so far. I haven't watched the G4 movie yet but I think most people who've watched both consider the G5 movie to be better.

G4 benefits a lot from its main characters. Twilight is a know-it-all and she basically allows the show to introduce whatever random advanced magic they want, which is pretty convenient. Pinkie gets to break the fourth wall. All of them have strong unique personalities and are larger than life, and it's great fodder for episodes that explore their flaws and how they handle new or difficult situations. G5 doesn't benefit nearly as much from this kind of energy.

On the other hand, G5's main characters are less likely to get into an argument with each other or get annoyed by each other. They're chill and generally seem more like real people than over-the-top cartoon characters. I think the conflict in early episodes of Friendship Is Magic was for me a bit frustrating to sit through at times, so G5 generally having less intense character conflicts is not necessarily a downside for me.

Some of Make Your Mark's character portrayals are confusing to me. In particular, Sunny's ultimate ambition was achieved in A New Generation and she wasn't given any meaningful goals or motivation to replace that, and Zipp's detective cosplay is shown without any hint of irony or any lampshading, as though she were actually doing a good job. I think Zipp will end up being hired by Hitch by the end of Chapter 6, but they could have picked a better way to get there, like if they properly showed her learning how to be a detective instead of just having her bring out her pointless magnifying glass or recording voice memos. I don't think G4 had these kinds of issues, and it was generally clear what the characters' motivations and desires were.

G4 has better writing, pacing and humor, especially compared to Make Your Mark. There are a number of scenes in the latter where the plot doesn't progress and the characters accomplish nothing.

I liked "Dear Princess Celestia". It seems to have been generally a good way to make sure that each episode actually had a meaningful moral. Make Your Mark is a bit messy on this front, as are some later G4 episodes. I think in some cases Make Your Mark attempted to have two characters independently realize the same moral, but it didn't seem very justified or meaningful.

Make Your Mark's big ambitious idea seems to have been to put Opaline and Misty into basically every episode, even though Opaline stays in the castle and can usually only interact with Misty. It works, and the portrayal of Misty is very interesting and not something G4 was able to do, but there are a few episodes where it's just an unnecessary distraction that doesn't meaningfully progress the plot.

I think it was probably a mistake for them to have two concurrently running shows that needed to be coordinated together, even if it was necessary in order to allow MLP to have some sort of presence outside of Netflix. The need to avoid continuity issues produced weird results like Sparky not appearing in Tell Your Tale until September 2022 even though he was introduced in Make Your Mark in May 2022. Tell Your Tale does demonstrate you can tell a good story in 5 minutes, but it seems to be held back by having to be secondary to Make Your Mark. They don't seem to introduce new recurring locations, for instance, and there are still a bunch of continuity issues in spite of the efforts to avoid creating them. Having concurrently airing shows on YouTube and on Discovery Family worked in G4 because the Equestria Girls shorts were literally in an alternate universe and couldn't really affect the Friendship Is Magic episodes.

G4's music has a certain charm to it, or at least the well-remembered songs do. Sure, it's Daniel Ingram using the same instruments over and over (aside from the orchestral arrangements in seasons 8 and 9), but he didn't otherwise restrict himself to a particular genre or style in his songwriting. The music of Tell Your Tale and Make Your Mark is consistent in terms of production quality, but maybe too consistent. All of it is made to sound like it could have been on the radio in the last 10 years, and some of the songs sound a little too much like they were precisely modeled on, you know, "I Gotta Feeling", "All I Want For Christmas Is You" or "Uptown Funk". A New Generation's music is easily more memorable, but it's harder to compare since it only has a few songs and they're so qualitatively different from everything before and after.

G4 tends to miss the mark when it tries to incorporate allegories for social issues, and it doesn't help that (at least in season 1) they made Pinkie sing about the respective situations. A New Generation does it quite well, but the rest of G5 basically doesn't bring up those themes again (aside from Make Your Mark Chapter 1, and the less said about it the better).

A New Generation's 3D animation is beautiful, but the way they got Atomic Cartoons to use Boulder Media's leftovers was clearly not very good. If Hasbro had kept the animation in-house they might well have avoided some of the silly production problems that Make Your Mark ended up with. The show being 3D also evidently massively restricted what locations they could explore and what non-pony species could be shown, and it was probably pretty expensive too. I think it's probably for the best that Make Your Mark isn't going to be the main show in 2024. Friendship Is Magic's animation did not suffer from this kind of weird inherent logistical flaw. It was simple and not detailed but looked fine, and was appropriate for the resources that they had to produce the show.

I know some people still hate how Tell Your Tale looks but it doesn't seem to be something that Hasbro was ever concerned about, oddly enough, given that the show looks exactly the way that it was internally pitched within Boulder Media in 2019 (even though they didn't end up making the show themselves). I personally don't mind it, although it looked a little weird to me at first. It's nice that they tried something different and gave the ponies stylized and varied body shapes, which G4 didn't have much of aside from, like, Bulk Biceps.

G5's first-party toys generally seem to look better and more show-accurate than G4's, but G4 seems to have had a lot more variety and just generally more stuff in the toy line.

The G5 tie-in video games generally seem to be better and more fleshed out than most of the G4 ones (aside from My Little Pony World, in which nothing of importance happens).

Overall, I think G4 would win in a fight. G5 is only two years old, though, so maybe if we wait a few more years it will be a more even match. Or not.

This post represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the other admins of this blog. I may be biased or wrong and there may be gaps in my understanding. ~overcast

[otakween]

Digimon Hurricane Touchdown / Transcendent Evolution! The Golden Digimentals (2000)

This was weird...I didn't really like it. It was pretty at least?? Okay pretty might be an understatement, some scenes were aesthetic af. It was just the writing, pacing and inconsistencies in the animation that tanked it for me. I got so bored that I took an hour break 30 minutes in lol. I thought I'd be mad that they cut these movies (OVAs?) up for an American release, but now I'm thinking that might have been the right move...

Digimon introduced: Gummymon, Chocomon, Terriermon, Lopmon, Antylamon, Wendigomon, Gargomon, Kerpymon, Seraphimon, Magnadramon, Rapidmon,

Notes:

-Dang those titles are long! I wonder why Digimon has this weird history of having movies that aren't really movies. I read on some wiki that the Ojamajo Doremi movie was sandwiched in between the two parts which is...a choice (kinda reminds me of the Angela Anaconda thing lol).

-I liked Wallace's design, voice and concept (even though he couldn't pronounce his own name lol), but I didn't really like him being so aggressively flirty with the girls? Felt awkward and forced. Also, Western stereotypes strike again!

-How could Wallace possibly not know about the digital world by now?

-The concept of twin digimon is really cool and Terriermon and Chocomon are adorable. I liked Terriermon's voice a lot. I thought he might be voiced by a young child, but I guess his VA was in her 20s...

-I'm kinda confused about who worked on this. There were times when it seemed like there was an attempt to mimic Mamoru Hosoda's style but then it would switch to a style with really heavy line-art that was like almost the opposite style. Also, they would sometimes freeze frame randomly or use shots from the show which was jarring for a theatrical release.

(Look at this cursed Patamon with lips!)

-Some of the best shots in this were close-ups of things (a digivice, a mouse, an airplane, etc.) Like whoever did the background/object artwork really popped off.

-Mimi's star hair looked so good in this style! It looked awkward in the TV series but here they made the stars kind of holographic and dialed back the colors.

-Literally every new digimon introduced in this was great, but I feel they kinda blew the Seraphimon and Magnadramon introduction. They appeared for like two seconds and didn't do much. If you're going to introduce digivolutions that epic, they should probably take the final blow in my opinion (in other words, they should have just been introduced some other time).

-A Wendigo reference!? In MY Japanese cartoons?? I guess they did their North America research...His design is pretty wild, but I like it.

-Not a whole lot of explaining going on this movie. Chocomon "disappeared one day" and then reappears as Wendigomon and is all confused. Where did he go? Why did they treat all of Chocomon's digivolutions as some kind of disease? Usually when digimon digivolve they call them by their new names, but they never used anything but Chocomon. Were the "bad digivolutions" kind of like Skullgreymon?

-Terriermon's ears are spectacular. I love that they drag on the ground and that they puff up when he flies. A+ mon design.

-I kinda wanted to laugh when Wallace was like "there are digimon in Japan!?" But then I remember "digimon" is a portmanteau of two English words so there's that. Why do his digimon mostly speak in Japanese? For convenience I guess, but it's confusing...

-Seeing Hikari and Takeru ride Amtrak was a hoot. Also, I think this is my first time hearing Denver mentioned in an anime (my friend used to live there lol).

-Why did this billboard look so weird?

(It looks like an animation/editing mistake?)

-The whole "random American movie character" thing reminded me of Melissa from the first My Hero Academia movie. I feel like anime has the tendency to go abroad when they want things to feel special.

-Kinda funny how the dub censors guns but then there are characters like Gargomon who literally has funs for hands. Good luck with that!

-Everyone's baby versions were adorable. I especially liked Daisuke's lack of teeth :)

-Did they break a rule at the end there with Chocomon's digiegg reappearing in the real world? Probably.

Yeah this plot was just...weird. And then there there were a bunch of drawn out scenes with no soundtrack and kinda creepy vibes. It just felt like they didn't know what they wanted to do with this one. Nice to look at, but left me kinda hollow.

[onetimetwotimesthreetimess]

some ppl are stupid and take fanfic writers for sake. Sorry you had to deal with this person pls take care and update at your own pace. luv your stories💕

Thank you.

I honestly do not care for assholes like that one but I was extremely pissed off the other day and that ask annoyed the fuck out of me.

I am deeply grateful to every single person who supports my stories and waits for it—and as a fanfic reader longer than I’ve been a writer, I understand how everyone waits for an update. I really do.

But when I tell you that every writer wishes they were able to update more. I can’t stress this enough but not being able to write makes me incredibly sad and frustrated but the past year has been so weird (and great) but it has not been easy to find time to write. I can’t explain it and I shouldn’t have to tbh.

But I’m thinking about these stories and my characters all the time—and I mean all the time. And I have new fic ideas every day lol. And it’s so difficult to shortlist like 5 out of 50 options. And I love sharing that with you through snippets. So, to have some random asshole shit on that—I’m not hurt at all but I’m angry at the entitlement and the audacity. No writer deserves that.

So please, please be kind to writers.

P.S. Anyways, that was a shit day and I’m 700% over it and I’m moving away tomorrow which is super stressful lol. But I’m very very very excited to decorate my new home lol.

[theninjazebra]

As someone who has watched too much tv for a long time i thought i should share with the group.

TV recs for the upcoming drought:

Some of these are harder to find, the tone and quality vary wildly, they're in no specific order. I tried for not too obscure, but not too obvious. Some are still airing, some are 20 yrs old. I swear I have a life.

Slings and Arrows. Early 2000s Canadian dramedy about theatre and shakespear. Fun without being shallow, aged ok, lovely performances, great writing. nuclear grade comfort watching.

Halt and Catch Fire. 2014 - 2017, US drama. Follows four characters through the 80s tech industry. First time I got the hype around Lee Pace. S1 is ok, but nothing special, s2 is a lot more interesting but kinda goes round in a circle. S3 and 4 and some of the best tv I've ever seen.

Somebody Somewhere. This is actually a new show, but has 2 seasons out if u want a gentle but never shallow comedy. Fills my sad gay heart with joy. And if want more new tv with middle aged gays Deadloch is streaming on amazon atm.

The Expanse. Finished recently. The sci fi I've always wanted. Big and scary and wonderful and pew pew pew space battles and adventure. Balances the grim with a surprising amount of hope? Has repeated themes of redemption. Also a whole book series should u need more.

This Is England. UK drama. A film and 3 mini series set from 1983 through to 1990. Grim, sad af, also funnyand sweet? And characters that I love. The start of my undying love for Vicky McClure. Big ol CW for violence, sexual violence, and era specific racism (esp the first film). Very good, but very hard tv.

Kingdom. 2014. Can be a pain to find because so many shows are called Kingdom. About MMA fighters having drama. Also families, mental health, addiction, etc. Excellent performances. Both a very dumb and very sweet, painful show.

Animal Kingdom. Legit only watched it because I was searched Kingdom posts and AK was out around the same time. Awful family having drama and heists. Adaptation of an Aussie film into a southern California TV show. Kind of a mess? but very compelling mess.

Obligatory Succession (Kardashians for annoying people, aka me. I am the annoying person. this is my perfect tv show), The Bear, (hospo stress and family grief show) and Severance (people talk about workplace horror, but tbh it also gives big mega church horror vibes too)- new shows that live up to the hype, esp if you like sad people. I don't think they really need recs, but i really liked them.

The Thick of It. 2000s UK political comedy? Tragedy? Though these days it looking fuckin utopian compared to UK politics now. Feels a bit like a partial villain origin story for Succession. I like how sad and broken hearted it is.

Outrageous Fortune. 2000s nz dramedy that is the source of my love of family crime drama. Aged badly in places, but still very good character drama. Also, for The Boys fans, Antony Starr at his absolute best. It's a big nostalgia fest for me now. Cheryl West is a forever fav.

Justified. 2010 - 2016ish. i'm lazy i'm not looking stuff up. Yes a cop show, yes a dad show, but also rock solid tv writing and timothy olyphant in a hat. I've watched it so many times, and every time it rewards. and yes, am watching Justified City Primeval atm.

White Collar. A dumb, total fantasy art crimes and capers show. Shit, but if you need to not think and also have Matt Bomer do a shirtless painting montage for vague plot reasons then oh boy there is no other.

Being Human UK. A ghost, a vampire and a werewolf share a flat. it's sweet and agonising and 10+ years later I still love these characters so much.

Legion. 2017 - 2019. Why make tv comic adaptations that are trying for realistic and boring? When they could all be like this? Why make anything that isn't as visually interesting as this?

Doom Patrol - same for doom patrol - superhero tv that cut out the boring bits and just went for the weird and painful. I read a couple of random doom patrols years ago and was so surprised and delighted and loved them. the tv show has the same effect.

The Boys. new, and still going, as far as I know. but two kiwi leads means under nz law i have to be a fan? also it's awful, pulpy vicious popcorn viewing. appeals to the shithead 12 yr old in me. yes, it's vicious anti corporate thing is deeply ironic for an amazon show, but considering amazon saved the expanse with no sense of irony at all I figure take all their money and keep yelling.

Preacher. Another comics adaption. The Boy's weirder, less obscene, more disturbing cousin. Tulip is another forever fav tv character.

Banshee. Continuing the tradition of heth and i starting dumb Dude TV and then getting overly attached. kinda pulpy trash, but if you can stomach the violence it's surprisingly good.

All Star Treks. I love them so much. They're so weird, and uneven, and dumb, and they're all the best and I love them.

One season wonders -

Trust. about the John Paul Getty III kidnapping. also about italian countryside.

State of Play. UK. the tv show, not the film.

I dunno. I could do a whole separate post for sit coms and brit coms and the weirder, more obscure shows and movies, but ffs this is so long.

[twst-drabbles]

some fun twst questions for u <3

[i'm sending these to random ppl, feel free to answer if you see this and/or tag/send it to another person!]

would you be a mer, a beastman, a fae, or a human? (or other!)

would you be at rsa or nrc?

what dorm would you belong to?

what character(s) would you be best friends with?

what character(s) would you hate?

what character(s) would you date?

what would floyd’s nickname be for you?

and rook’s?

what twst character(s) are you most like? (personality-wise)

which subject(s) do you think you would excel at?

what club would you join?

how do you think you would survive in twisted wonderland/what would your life be like in general?

[optional!] what would your unique magic be?

Huh, certainly wasn't expecting this. Putting this under the cut cause I ramble.

would you be a mer, a beastman, a fae, or a human? (or other!)

Honestly, I would rather be a human. Sure, it's fun to imagine the reader as something else entirely, but when we're talking about myself, then I'd much rather be born a human. There's something nice about being able to show a beastman, fae or merpeeps up while also being a simple human. There's this implication among the three species where they see themselves as better than humans, so I'd much rather be a human that can beat them in certain things just to humble them.

would you be at rsa or nrc?

Hmmm, honestly, RSA, but I would imagine circumstances would happen where I end up being chosen by the Dark Mirror despite wanting to be at RSA. That, and it would make for a funnier story. Cause, knowing me, I will grit my teeth and tolerate this situation because it's not as if I'm going to an inferior college. I'm just in a college who's Great Seven I have no admiration for. (And who keeps losing to RSA like the losers they are why the FUCK am I here!)

what dorm would you belong to?

Ah, preference wise, I would want to be Ignihyde, but it has come to my attention that I would probably suit Pomefiore of all dorms. Sure sure, I know quite a bit of coding and I do have a high interest in seeing the marriage of technology and magic, but ultimately all my efforts are always focused on enhancing my creative arts. Doesn't help that I have a fuck ton of pride and have no insecurities about my appearance. I'm perfectly at peace with how I look and am content to lay about while building my abilities to write and sing at my own pace. I'm also an literature nut which seems suiting for Pomefiore. I would imagine I'd have the ability to get on Vil's nerves because of how I refuse to follow anyone else's pace but my own.

what character(s) would you be best friends with?

Hmmm realistically wise, I'd probably be best friends with Epel. We both have some restrained anger that needs to be let out, and we both don't come from an affluent background so there's some common ground to explore there. Out of place peeps must stick together. That and a part of me thinks that Epel would not be able to leave me alone when he sees how bad my food habits are(I skip breakfast a lot), so he'd probably share what snacks he manages to get. It be the kind of friendship where we'd rib at each other, cussing at each other without actually hurting one another. I would probably pull from my singing experience and give Epel some pointers when he needs the help. Another part of me wants to say I'd be friends with Leona, but I know what would happen is that we just happen to be in the same space, chilling for hours, not saying anything cause we're too stubborn to move. We'd never talk, we'd never even get each others names, just a weird silent contract to not bother one another while we chill more than 5 feet apart.

what character(s) would you hate?

...Sebek. I'm sorry, the minute he refers to me as "human" in that derogatory tone of his, he is not worth my time. I'd ignore his existence or look at him with disdain. I will never acknowledge him as superior and until he apologizes for all that we will never be friends. Hell, if he insists on bothering me, I'd ruin his poor ears with my cussing language.

what character(s) would you date?

None of them, since I am aroace. Never had a crush, but It's not as if I'm opposed to dating, it's just I never feel the urge for more or to change the regular status quo. So, in that vein, never expect me to have a preference for who I want to date or be the one to ask people out. I just don't get that urge. However if asked who I would be in a queerplatonic relationship with, the person with the highest chances of that would be Epel. Or, shockingly, Vil. I feel there will come a time where Vil and I come to an understanding since, to a certain extent, we do hold ourselves to a high standard that almost ruins us. But also because I'm a person that has no interest in celebrity culture with a forever chill aura, Vil would eventually adopt some of those habits.

what would floyd’s nickname be for you?

Mmmm honestly, I would think Floyd would call me Cobia, since those fishes are usually pretty good alone, but can be seen tagging behind other predators. And as that would imply, I do have moments where I just want to be by myself, tuning out the world with my earbuds, but the minute I make friends with a big scary bud, you will see me tagging along with them, when I do see them that is. Remora would be another good candidate for a nickname but I don't tend to stick to people like glue so that's out the window. I don't exactly stand out so I'm fine being by myself.

and rook’s?

Knowing Rook, he would catch me singing while I was in my room. I'm not exactly quiet, and with my preference for choral, opera, and other songs with high and low notes, he'd probably call me Monsieur Chanteur and would proceed to bother me to sing more with an audience to watch. Nope buddy, not happening.

what twst character(s) are you most like? (personality-wise)

I would have to say Leona, though I take my grades pretty seriously, even though I will leave studying to the last minute cause I want nothing more than to continue sleeping. Along with the whole thing about people remarking about how we're wasting out potential because we're not working 24/7. Though, I am remarkably easier to get along with since I do try to make a good first impression when I can. But yeah, we're very much the "my pace" kind of people.

which subject(s) do you think you would excel at?

Anything having to do with literature analysis. English has always been my best subject. History would probably be my worst subject, though it would still be passing, around the high 80%. I can't stand failing grades.

what club would you join?

None. I kid I kid, in order to get teachers off my back, I'd probably join the writing club, if there is one. If not, then I'd probably join the choir club, as that's familiar as well. If both clubs exist, I would imagine I would end up joining both at Rook's or Vil's insistence. I only give in because I genuinely like singing so I don't see it as extra work.

how do you think you would survive in twisted wonderland/what would your life be like in general?

Really depends if I have magic or not. If not, I would constantly be covered in bruises cause some dumb fucks decided I make for an easy target, if I have magic, then I'd be another unremarkable note in NRC's history. If, only a bit disappointing because I didn't want to invest in a magic career, just wanted to be a writer. I know it sounds arrogant but I would probably be born with a whole lot of magic potential, so there would be this expectation that I should be in a field that uses it, but then I turned around and decided to invest in my writing skills instead. So while people aren't saying they're disappointed in me choosing this path, you can feel the disappointment for not realizing that potential. I was always treated as the golden child after all, so I know what's that like.

[optional!] what would your unique magic be?

It would probably be another case where I have discovered my unique magic early. It'd probably be a unique magic where I can make an environment or character appear off the pages I just wrote and manipulate them at will. Probably call it "Words Off The Page." Though anytime I use it, the page or sentences I used will be destroyed, including copies. Which would deter me from using it at all.

[pissfizz]

Looking back on it, It is such an objectively bad franchise. Stephen king is honestly NOT that great of an author, his writing style almost incoherent at times, on par, if not worse than eragon when it comes to over describing things, the time jumps in this book are jarring and almost random, and you can TELL he was high off his balls the ENTIRE time he was writing it in many ways, not to mention the extremely questionable content (cough cough sewer orgy), AND the 90s movie was incredibly MID at best. A family movie more than a horror movie, AND made for TV, and also like kind of boring, meanwhile the 2017 movie has such a jarring tone between eerie music, corny jumpscares, random extreme comedy, and whatever the fuck bill skarsgard had going on, also finn Wolfhard was there and then the sequel was also like WHAT since they tried to include missing kids scenes that weren’t in the first movie but TOTALLY fuck with everything about the pacing and relationships also they made it canonically gay. Etc etc there is so much weirdness and craziness and objectively BADNESS about almost everything in this story but by god if this isn’t one of the biggest things that shaped me as a person. This story is more important to me than almost anything else. If anyone else criticizes it I WILL take it personally btw

[writers4all]

Hey, so I saw your post about chatgpt and I was wondering, Can someone who has an expressive language delay and receptive language delay use chatgpt to help. I have those two language impairments plus autism (the kind of autism that gives me aphantasia and makes me struggle with writing) so is it okay that I am using chatgpt to help me write? I use it in a guide kind of way where I send in my writing then ask it to refine it and tell me what I did wrong. I also ask it things like 'how do I fix my imagination when I have none' and "how do I write dialoge/pacing/show and tell" is that fine? I would ask an actual human but the questions I have are so weird that they always get sick of me and they judge and condescend me so I prefer an ai like chatgpt who really helps. I write myself for the most part and chat gpt has helped me improve but I still lack so much clarity in my writing and so I struggle. Also I can't read other things sometimes so I have to send in that to help it explain it to me cuz its just really hard for my brain to understand.

Please help, I don't want to do the wrong thing but if my brain can't understand some writing then I kinda have to use a tool to help... Also audio books didn't help

Hello, anon!

That's an excellent question! I genuinely see nothing wrong with people using it due to impairments, disabilities, disorders, and whatnot. Let's take Stephen Hawking for example. He basically used an AI in order to speak. And let's not forget that the GPS is basically an AI that gives us map locations and the best routes to get from Point A to Point B. We also have voice-to-text as well and various programs that allow us to speak words into our documents and turn it into works of art.

Something else I recommend is going to your local bookstore or thrift shop to see if there are any textbooks or writing guides on how to improve your own writing. In fact, I plan on making posts in the future talking about various textbooks and writing guides that I own along with going into detail about my thoughts and opinions on them. They're rather neat. Now if, for whatever given reason, you're not able to afford said books I would just write down the Book Title + Author and then go to Library Genesis's website to see if you can download it for free.

AIs are great in practice and to genuinely help people. Heck, I don't even mind people using it to get some ideas for their fanfics or to have it give randomized prompts. It's just that I'm not too keen on the whole "I want ChatGPT to write out a 50,000 word fanfic or story for me so I can upload it, publish it, and claim it as my own originality." fiasco. Stating that you had an AI write the whole thing is one thing. But if you used the AI to help you get into the right direction because you genuinely need help? That's okay! There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, I promise. Why? Because we all need help. Not only that but socializing is hard.

I also want to say that I'm genuinely sorry that people find your questions annoying. As someone who struggles with properly wording and phrasing thing properly, myself, I feel your pain. One of the reasons for this is because vocabulary and definitions have never been my strong suit — it's always been spelling, ironically enough. I always feel like I'm going to confuse and/or annoy people with my questions because I'm a genuinely curious person who loves learning new things but am unable to properly phrase anything. So I can 100% sympathize and empathize with you on that!

There's also nothing wrong with audio books not helping. It's not for everyone. Some people do better reading in silence. Some people do better reading aloud. Some people do better reading with music. I'm sure you get the point by now. And the same is equally true for white noise and ASMRs. I often think people forget that it's never a "One Size Fits All" kind of scenario. The same can be said about clothes, medicine, makeup, programs, video games, languages and the whole nine yards. We're not made out of clay and made to be exactly the same. We're all uniquely different. Besides ... it's like one of my best friends says, "I don't want to be normal. Normal is a cycle on the washing machine."

With that being said, I definitely recommend you doing whatever helps you and makes you most comfortable. I can guarantee that there's no judgement coming from my end and the most I would ask is "Why?" Simple as that.

[mystery-moose]

BOOKS

Sometimes I read books! This time I read Dan Chaon’s Ill Will.

This was a real fucked up piece of work! (affectionate)

Okay, maybe not entirely affectionate. This is a hard one to read, not in terms of prose or structure (the nonlinearity and unconventional scene transitions and typographical tricks are actually a lot of fun for me!) but because of raw content. I haven’t read something this fucked up since I was going through Berserk and that should REALLY fuckin’ tell you something about the sorts of content I’m talking about.

I’ll say it’s never quite as... lurid as Berserk got in its worst moments? Part of the consequence of being a prose novel and part of it is just what the writer chooses to describe or focus on and for how long. But it is just about every upsetting thing or taboo subject that can come up will come up, and eventually it just got to be sort of... numb? Like at first it hits you REALLY hard but as you go on you’re just like “yeah, of course, sure. What the fuck else could happen to this family?” And it stops feeling upsettingly real and starts feeling like... well like reading a fiction. Which it is, so this wasn’t actually a problem! It never crosses over into being cartoonish or contrived, really, it just... I dunno! People can get used to a lot, I guess, and I got used to horrific shit being discussed!

It’s largely a psychological thriller and a character study, and it succeeds wildly at both of those things, because I learned a ton about basically every major named character, and felt absolutely propelled to keep reading by around the halfway point. It uses multiple perspectives, nonliinear storytelling, and a few weird tricks that feel pulled from Danielewski to great effect. Chaon really knows how to pace out his reveals, explore his characters and their lives and the events that shaped them, and how to fuck with your head and make you fall into the same traps as he’s writing about -- seeing patterns that don’t exist, making connections between unrelated events, and feeling paranoid when nothing is out to get you.

But he also builds such a thick atmosphere of suspense, dread, and the uncanny that you’re never quite sure where the story is going to go or how it’s going to land! UIntil about the three-quarter mark, anyway. Then you kind know who done it, or who’s gonna do it, or who’s been at it the whole time, or whatever. The trick then is how it all shakes out, and in trying to decide whether or not you can really trust that you know... what you know.

Some examples: numerous characters feel a looming sense of dread or unease, as if doom approaches. Multiple people feel as though they are being watched, or that someone is right behind them. Several describe a kind of “presence,” a malevolence, an idea of evil that is outside of traditional reality. These are all vague feelings, never concrete, never quite enough to make them or you believe in anything supernatural occurring.

But then why does it seem that multiple people echo each other across time and space? Why does one person see someone and call out their name, and then days, weeks, months later, someone hears it in the same place? Why do two different people, decades apart, who’ve never spoken and have very different knowledge of events, imagine the same two robed figures? Why does Guland represent drowning?

We don’t know. We’ll never know. We see dots, and we connect them. The individual stars in a constellation are separated by hundreds or thousands of light years. They exist totally apart from each other.

But what if they are connected?

What’s worse: suffering that is random, disconnected, dispassionate, and fundamentally meaningless? Or a perfectly designed cruelty, a work of malevolent clockwork?

In summary: killer pacing, sick use of typography, wish it had ended stronger, gonna have weird dreams tonight, four outta five I enjoyed feeling bad!

[analyzingadventure]

Catching up on Ghost Game, episodes 43-49 Oh boy have I fallen behind, lmao oops

Quick note, since I do want to watch these episodes in one go without it taking forever I might try to keep the commentary to a minimum because. Commenting on shit takes time (since I need to pause, take a screenshot, crop it, save it, add it to the post, write some commentary... It slows things down)

43 - Red Eye

Man this episode is gonna be rough to anybody with a fear of eyes, huh

NO NO

NOT IN THE EYE

HHHHH

OHHH I DON’T LIKE THAT, I DON’T LIKE THAT A LOT

So what the fuck is Eyesmon really after? Just? Does he just want to see and know things for the sake of seeing and knowing? Having eyes on everything? Or is he looking for something in specific?

Emma what the fuck were you gonna do with those scissors 8V

You know there’s an Eyes of Nine joke to be made here somewhere

Yeah this episode was fine, nothing great, but not bad, just fine

44 - Rust

So we got shaking buildings, rusty water, limited edition items... Unknown Digimon is stealing shit for the kid in school who redistributes them or something? Anyway Espimon don’t be a dick and steal Gamma’s choco >:(

OH WE GOT TINY DEVA BUNNIES

Ah, so the monster of the week is Jellymon causing problems dfsghfdg

Tiny Antylamon are so fucking cute tho, and funny in comparison to the Lorge Antylamon from Tamers

That looks so much like a toy it’s so fucking funny (also, the design is interesting actually, like, would an egg shaped, round phone be easier for most Digimon to hold since their hands can be all sorts of funky?)

Oh the tiny bunnies are big bunnies now

This is definitely more of an action episode than anything and all things considdered, it was a nice change of pace! Again, it was a fine episode

Oh wow we still have a few minutes to go lol

OH THE ANTYLAMON WERE MAKING SHIT FOR HOKUTO?? Huh

45 - Ghost Newspaper

OH RYUDAMON’S BACK! That’s nice

Oh jesus the girl got ran over, oh god

OH THIS IS THE EPISODE WITH THE NOT-APPMON, RIGHT (although I’m really behind I haven’t really avoided the usual Twitter spoilers, so yes I did see all the Digimon who’re appearing in these episodes, although I kinda forgot most of them). And he’s voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi, of course

Man Publimon looks so much like an Appmon lmao

We’re not done with this episode yet but this is definitely my least favorite I’ve watched so far, like, actually kinda boring

Oh shit, Publi straight up just... died. I mean, kind of earned, but, man, brutal

Yeah, meh episode at best. NEW ENDING THO! Cute!

46 - Queen’s Banquet

Oh man, Kotaro’s hallucinating, that’s bad, that’s rough, Hiro please notice, dude’s clearly not okay

Oh man the animation on the new flower Digimon is so excessively smooth

Jellymon, couldn’t you have gone with Ruri soshe wouldn’t have been alone

Oh no the Digi wants to vore Kotaro... time for Digitamamon 2.0

Oleamon, eh, that’s a lovely name

HOKUTO AGAIN... YOU ABSOLUTELY USELESS FUCK

I’m actually happy Oleamon isn’t Digitamamon 2.0, that’s fun and charming. This episode was fine once again

47 - Memory of Eternity

Oh this is the Nanomon episode, okay. Dude’s just... allowing Digimon to linger longer through human bodies?

LMAO

Man couldn’t they just go directly to fucking Mummymon and ask him for help?

OH THEY DID, FANTASTIC

Omg he has a lab coat now, that’s so fucking cute

Mummymon is so fucking cute I’m SO HAPPY he’s a reoccuring character

Oh man Nanomon is TINY

Oh man I was literally just wishing Mummymon would show up guns blazing AND LOOK WHOSE FUCKING HERE HELL YEAH

Oh man... poor Shadramon...

JKGHFJKHDFJKHDFG don’t scream that’s not polite to your doctor

OH UVER?? I mean yeah he’s there for the egg but also Nanomon?? And another letter to Hokuto, okay

48 - The White Bride

Ah this is the new Mushmon variant eh

Ah random Geremon...

Ah, Ryudamon is in this episode too

Is it weird that these Mushroom Digimon eat mushrooms?

I love this Geremon lmao LOOK AT ‘IM (and ah, this is why the Geremon was here, to be a lil helper, how nice)

Wait don’t tell me the Geremon is actually evil and behind this all, oh no

RYUDAMON EVOLVES??? RANDOM BUT COOL??

Chamblemon, eh

Limit Break!

Oh man these Chamblemon are STRONK

Why does this look like a fake sub screenshot lmao??

KIYO WHY ARE YOU EATING YOUR OWN SHROOMS?? Bro that’s really weird

GEREMON??? WHAT???

THAT?? I??? WHAT???

Good episode, uh, unsettling ending???

49 - The Crimson Harvest Festival

Aaand last episode for now, a Halloween episode! And Witchmon is here, how fun!

So Witchmon is pulling Vamdemon’s shit all over again

I wonder how Mummymon would feel seeing Hiro and Gammamon dressed up as mummies for Halloween lmao

So Witchmon wants a world for just witches... bro just go to Witchelny jdfhgdsfg

Oh she wants a castle? I mean valid but excessive

PUMPMON IS BACK! HOW?! HOW DID YOU COME BACK I MEAN I’M NOT COMPLAINING I’M HAPPY, IT’S A HALLOWEEN MIRACLE, BUT HOW

Please tell me we’re gonna see Pumpmon and get to know how he’s here, I’m gonna be really sad if he got blown away and we don’t see him again this episode

Okay we got to see him again, I’m happy

LORE BOMB??

WELL, I GUESS WE KNOW WHY GAMMAMON’S BEING STALKED.... Those are totally his former followers

God

Man, no explanation to how Pumpmon returned, that’s balls

That was a fine episode again, nothing great though, but man... that lore bomb

Next epI OH OH MEICRACKMON?? MEICRACKMON??? OH MY GOD???

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 047: Mayhem By Moonlight (ASM 187-190)

MASTERPOST

In this batch, Captain America fights Spidey!

We also see kidnappings. A LOT of kidnappings.

Last time, a lot of things happened. Peter almost graduated, Betty dumped Ned, but it looks like she'll go back to him soon if Spectacular Spider-Man is anything to go by, we met Big Wheel, Peter Parker was hot, he also proposed but it backfired, oh and Doc Ock died in a side novel!

Here's a status update for Aunt May: she's been moved to a nursing home. Good for her!

Want the art style update?

Well. They tried!

So Peter's still hard on cash because he refused merchandising offers, yes, even the edible underwear, which I now want to see. He gets closer to a house guarded by SHIELD agents, and thinks about the date with Betty that he didn't outright refused. OoOOooh!

Spidey ends up stumbling upon none other than Captain America, who eventually makes him leave after a short fight. Cap's here to rescue a kid who's been taken by Electro. The latter hasn't appeared in 8 years of SM magazines, would you believe it?

Why is this panel so good when most of the others are... not?

Anyway, unfortunately for Electro, the kid he stole from his parents has "the Plague", so he yeets him and tries to absorb all the power station's power. Obviously, he dies, just like the Lightmaster a few SSM issues ago.

This issue had me flabbergasted for a myriad of reasons. The strange fading, the Ditko-style layout, the weird pacing... It's a strange one!

#188 opens with another kidnapping!

What do they want with Jameson Jr.?! Oooh, I don't like that. I don't like that one bit!

Meanwhile, at the hospital...

Betty, that's really not an appropriate outfit for that kind of place, what the fuck.

Anyway, I really love how Peter's upper clothes are drawn, I don't know what it is about them, maybe it's the shading, but it works. But Betty, for the love of all that's good in the world, what the fuck.

In a seedy bar, Jigsaw, aka the most nothing villain ever, wants to do a heist, but without any super-beings involved, because it's too much of a mess otherwise.

Liz brings Peter to a midnight cruise with their friends, which is fun because I like to see this cast interact. Of course, MJ's also there for her monthly ASM cameo where she dates a random guy.

I need more drama. Go further! Peter, you have to sleep with her. Gimme soap! I need soap. And Ned has to come back, of course.

And while Harry and Liz watch them from the sidelines, we learn that it's Liz who said to MJ that Peter would be there in the first place. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happened at the disco...

Jigsaw and his crew suddenly get on board and more importantly, I'm starting to get used to that weird shading.

Like... I can't deny the style.

So Jigsaw kidnaps (what the heck, how many of these are we going to see?!) Harry and Liz.

Hah, the third panel is a new one. Some of these panels (here, the middle one) also look like they could be taken out of context and displayed in a frame.

Spidey's main worry is that Harry relapses on being the Green Goblin. I think he'll be alright for a few years, but who knows!

In his hideout, Jigsaw's so clueless that he decides to let the lovebirds go.

That's a cute scene, aww <3

An interesting chase follows, with Spidey eventually coming face to face with Jigsaw and challenging him to pull the trigger and use his last bullet.

Okay, that's... good.

That's a lame final panel, and might the shocking guest star be Man-Wolf? Hopefully I'll really be surprised.

This reminds me that Marv Wolfman was also the one to write most of Tomb of Dracula, and I'm not exactly fond of the direction the comics took after the first issues (which I found much more interesting). I should continue reading Dracula, shouldn't I?

...We'll see about that.

#189 time!

That's a great first page!

Peter says his goodbye to May (can't he visit her at her new home though?) and that asshole finally gets his comeuppance.

Later...

I'm sorry Spidey but I kind of... don't care about all that. At least it's a nice recap. On the right... It looks like the Kingpin's son, or Silvermane, or that guy who made the Spider-Slayer several times. Are we getting another Slayer storyline? Please, no!

We then get a quick scene of Marla comforting Jameson (after all, his son's still missing!).

A r m s. They could probably choke me both.

Oh, I recognize those lips. It's that asshole for sure. Can't be bothered to remember his name.

OKAY OKAY. FIRST OFF. Once again, the shading in the first two panels is amazing, I love it, I don't understand it but it's absolutely beautiful. It's also there in the lower panels.

But also! That kinda dubcon-ish kiss! That's my jam. Love it. Excellent.

When we see Spidey again, it's several hours later. Methinks there was more than kissing here...

Soon, a mummy attacks J.J., and Spidey defends him.

The right panel is neat.

Of course, Man-Wolf's under the bandages, and he kidnaps his dad. That's the end twist.

#190 time!

As predicted, Smythe's the culprit. He calls himself Spencer, but I thought it was Alistair. Regardless, I recognized the haircut and the lips. Turns out Smythe's dying thanks to regular exposure to radiations in his attempts to rid the Earth of Spidey.

I don't mind this as long as you regularly show sexy Peter too.

Almost there!

In a belated continuation of the Daily Globe's rivalry plotline with the Bugle, we get a glimpse of their offices, where the chief orders an underling to print money. Figuratively. They might go after Peter...

So Jameson's genderfluid. I knew that haircut was dubious!

Jameson successfully gets through his son, but Smythe's really angry and orders him to throw himself in the ocean.

This is stupid! I hate it! And showing me beautiful legs won't make me appreciate this bad ending more! It sucks! It really does!

...And then Jameson Jr disappears before he hits the water. What.

Well, this is still stupid, just differently.

In the letters, a fan also thinks that recent issues had a Lee/Ditko vibe. And the team answers that it was intentional! Good to see I wasn't just hallucinating. Also, the team says that the next issue features the "final-forever" Spider-Slayer. Ugh.

[thetarttfuldickhead]

A Jamie-centric pre-OT3 Christmas story told in 25 short chapters.

Masterpost / AO3

13.

”All right, listen up,” Roy said, glaring down at his sister, Keeley and Phoebe on the couch in his sister’s sitting room. “I’m not kidding around, all right? If either of you are the one pulling fu— fudging Twelve Days of Christmas on me, I need you to tell me right effing now, because if it’s not you, then I need to figure out what the he— heck is going on, because this sh— stuff is getting out of hand.”

His sister raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. ”Roy, I work irregular and insane hours. I love you, but do you really think I have the time for anything like this?”

“Yeah, me too, babe,” Keeley chimed in. “And I mean, hiring a banner plane? That’s gotta be like at least a thousand quid, and you know I think you are an absolute legend, I really do, but I’m not going to spend that much money writing it across the sky. I’d much rather tell you in person.”

She would, too. Did, on a regular basis. Roy accepted her denial with a curt nod, and turned his stare on Phoebe.

“Roy,” Sophia said exasperatedly, “Phoebe is six.”

“Yes, Uncle Roy, I don’t think I could do all that.”

“Yeah, but you could have had an accomplice.”

“Roy.”

“Yeah, all right,” he muttered. But he’d had to ask, hadn’t he? Of all the people in the world, he was pretty sure Phoebe was the person most likely to want to do this kind of stuff for him, even if she didn’t quite have the means yet.

“Did you talk to Ted?” Keeley asked. “Sounds like it might be right up his alley, yeah? Always thought he’d make a great Father Christmas.”

Roy grunted. “Called him this morning. He said it wasn’t him and spouted a bunch of American nonsense at me. I think he was telling the truth.”

But who did that leave, then? Was it really just some random and insane fan? Feeling oddly deflated, Roy sat down on the couch next to Keeley, who immediately took his hand. “I’m sorry, babe,” she said. “It’s really messing with your head, huh? Not that it shouldn’t, it is fucking – sorry Phoebs – weird. And a bit creepy. Maybe you should talk to the police? Or I could talk to Rebecca, see if she has any ideas?”

”I don’t fu— I don’t know. Because I don't think they're about to take an axe to my head or anything. It’s all just so… random and thoughtful at the same time. This morning, a bunch of carollers knocked on my door but instead of Christmas songs they burst into a Sade medley!”

Unexpectedly, Keeley’s grip on his hand tightened. “Did you say a Sade medley?” she asked slowly.

Roy turned to look at her. “Yeah. Why?”

“Um,” Keeley said, looking both confused and a little worried. “This is going to sound mad, babe, but I think that maybe it’s… Jamie.”

Roy barked a laugh. Then he noticed that Keeley wasn't smiling, that there was no teasing twinkle in her eyes.

Roy stared at her. Then he stared at her. And then he stared at her some more. Then he got up at started pacing.

“What,” he said.

And: “That’s not mad, that’s so far beyond absolutely batshit crazy that if it went supernova the light from that explosion wouldn’t reach batshit crazy in a billion fucking years.”

(“That’s a quid, Uncle Roy.”)

 “Why the fuck would Jamie Tartt send me fucking gifts and decorate my porch and send fucking carollers after me?”

(“That’s another three.”)

“I knew something was up with him, it’s another fucking TV show, isn’t it, the little idiot’s signed up for another one, it’s a fucking prank, and we need to check the entire house for cameras. Jesus fucking Christ, I’m going to fucking strangle the muppet, I will actually fucking kill him.”

(“I think I lost count. Can we say ten?”)

“Babe,” Keeley said, rising from the couch to put a hand on Roy’s shoulder. “You need to calm down, yeah? For one, you’ll go bankrupt if you keep swearing like this around Phoebe, and for another, I— Listen, I have no clue what Jamie is up to – if it is Jamie, we don’t know that, but if it is, I don’t… I don’t think he means any harm.”

“It’s Jamie,” Roy said darkly. “Of course he means harm.” But even as he said it, he remembered the expression on Jamie’s face in the restaurant. Maybe… “What the heck is he playing at?” he asked the room at large.

“I don’t know, babe. But we’ll find out, all right?”

[veebs-hates-video-games]

Ok let's do the thing and be caught up for the first time this year probably. Ys 8: pretty good actually?

Ys is another series I have a weird relationship with. Like I remember when bump combat was still a thing, and the most recent one I had played was Ys Origin when it was still newly released in English, and I liked it enough to finish it but that's about it. I kind of gave up on the series at that point because I'd never been very invested in it, and I didn't expect much from it going forward.

Finally after hearing lots of people say lots of good things about Ys 8 and putting it on lists of their favorite RPGs next to a bunch of other stuff I really like I gave in and decided to give it a try, but I didn't really expect much. I was pleasantly surprised though, and it's really come a long way from those older games.

It's another one of those games that doesn't quite do anything amazingly, incredibly well, but pretty much everything it does do it does well enough to be pretty satisfying, and there's not much it does wrong enough to get annoying.

Adol Christin continues to be The World's Least Interesting Man (who has the most interesting things happen to him), but most of the other characters are fun to have around and have a lot more personality than he does, and the story was a lot more involved than I expected from last having played Origin like a decade ago, because that's pretty story light and has pretty weak writing. Ys 8 doesn't do anything totally groundbreaking or revolutionary, but it's a pretty enjoyable story and paced pretty well alongside the mechanical game progression side of things (except for toward the end where it drags a bit in a few spots).

And on the gameplay side of things they've definitely refined the concept a lot over the years. There's still a bit of room to improve on the ideas and polish stuff a little more, but it has a pretty good loop, and running around exploring or getting perfect dodges/guards and all the bonuses those give you is pretty fun. I kind of wish there were slightly more depth to the skill system beyond find the strongest one that feels good to use and spam it whenever you can afford to, but oh well. At least the accessory that increases your run speed basically gives you bump combat back (which isn't good, just like it never really was, but it's kind of nostalgic). Also bonus points for doing a much better job than most things I've played this year at having actual variety in boss fight mechanics and making you approach them differently.

Image quality playing handheld on the Switch is kind of questionable like a lot of early Switch games, and there's tons of aliasing and texture shimmer that gets a little distracting sometimes, but aside from that it looks nice enough. The music never quite does anything that really makes me stop and go wow they did something really interesting and unexpected there, but it's catchy enough and gets stuck in my head sometimes.

I could write an entire separate post about the game's take on gender, which sometimes is vaguely 2010s progressive with several female characters who can do anything any of the guys can just as well or better, but while the game simultaneously has weirdly regressive "women and children" attitudes like 20 seconds later in a different scene, and half the female characters are in ridiculously contrived half naked outfits. Super weird and jarring sometimes, but also kind of interesting how odd it is that it managed to do both at the same time.

Random other thoughts:

Fishing is fun and it's amusing that there are boss fights for the fishing minigame, but seriously please we've moved beyond having to button mash for stuff like that. Spare my poor fingers.

Sahad surprisingly ended up being one of my favorite characters because he's so genuine and just seems like a good dude and is great with kids, but he's also the only character I can think of who talks about peeing themself more than that one girl from Death end re;Quest, and I could've done without that.

Speaking of kids, I actually liked a lot of the kids most of the time and thought they were handled better than average (which I know isn't saying much with how terrible they can be in some games). Quina in particular is a little gremlin, and that's great.

And speaking of great, Silvia is great, and they should let me play as her.

So yeah, pretty good game overall, enough to get me to finish like 95% of stuff in it and make me want to play Ys IX: Adol Goes to Goth Jail, and now that my faith in Falcom's ability to make good games has been restored I'm more interested again in playing the Trails games. That would require my computer though since hardly any of them are on the Switch, so that'll have to wait until I have a comfortable way to play games on there and actually see the screen.