#these ones lasted me 11 years so they're worth it but like COME ON | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sapphyreopal5 · 1 month

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/brookesallow/745497230415413248/ouch-these-are-all-genevieve-talking-if-you-want

Hi there I was just curious if you’ve heard this podcast and what your thoughts are on it

Hello Anon, thank you for the ask. I managed to find the podcast with Gen and Dave Hollis you mentioned, which is in this link here. This aired on 11/5/2020. I see the episode number is 119 and is titled "The Benefits of Slowing Down and Focusing on What Matters- with Gen Padalecki". A good friend of mine showed me that post and it really caught my attention based on the things I've been seeing in my divination readings, my personal observations, other posts like that one and others I have caught wind of here on Tumblr, etc. I'm going to give time stamps of some of the highlights I feel are worth sharing prior to discussing my thoughts on things.

2:10 Dave asked Gen what exactly makes her tick, how she got to where she is, and asked her to tell people "who the heck you are". "It's loaded um and I like it. That's such a great question because I feel like I'm coming into my own all of the sudden and so I feel that couldn't have come at a better time. I feel like I had this tough exterior kind of growing up but like internally had to be this good girl and you know I feel like now 39, 3 kids and I feel like what feeds me is being completely honest about my feelings and using my words to express myself. Not that I wouldn't but like I say to my kids (was a little hard to understand her here so I could be wrong about this portion) just being completely honest about my feelings and expressing that and I think what really makes me tick is finding ways that I can find happiness and for me that's my children who I didn't realize how much joy and insane love they bring to me and my husband. I also find little things like I love to read. I've just relearned how to read essentially through COVID and I am, it brings me so much joy and walking in nature and being outside, I'm really active. So things that really feed me and stimulate me and um, make me feel good. I feel like I've turned them. I don't know, you pay it forward. You know, you bring that energy with you."

4:30 (in the context of Dave and her discovering what really matters to them the most continuing from the last question): "This is the first time I lived with my husband. I know that sounds really crazy but my husband had been filming a TV show for 15 years in Vancouver so when all of this started you know he came down here. He had 2 episodes left and then that was the completion of the series. Personally, it meant that I had to live with him and deal with coparenting which was really stressful like the thought of it. And to make that work, and it was crazy because we were always in this tight bubble with just us and our kids and it really was simplifying. It was you know like the layers are gone. The interference is gone, drama is kinda out the window in a way, and we got to really simplify basic needs. It's so weird how much unlayering we had to do and that's what I'm finding through all of this is a lot of unlayering to get to the core".

6:15: Dave said "talk a little bit about the ways you have had to be creative in maintaining the relationship that you have, the love that you have with the distance that has historically existed and the complexity of what it means to do the work that you both do. To which Gen responded "yeah I think it's finding the little things and I always enjoyed having a long distance relationship with him. It's kind of silly 'cause like it's in some ways it's like this vacation you have when you're together and then they're gone and so it's almost like super- not superficial but but it's not realistic and when we were apart, what I would do is create boxes. I mean he still has this box from um when we first met he was a port drinker. And he had a bottle of this Pinto port that he loved and so I took the box and I put in you know love letters and n' what have you and then once we had kids you know it obviously gets a little more complicated and you're strapped but just making that time. It's so silly but it's work and you have to treat it as such but without it becoming monotonous I guess.

7:25 (con't from above) I'm finding creativity in that work and you have to work on, on that relationship and um find creative ways to 'cause you know especially after the two of use have been together for 12 years, we're really different people and you grow at different times and sometimes you are like "I really don't like you right now" and then the other person grows in a different direction and you kind of have to find the balance and that creativity to come back together and that commonality to come back together and you know..."

8:30: After David asked if she's enjoying descending into Austin after living in California: "I was born in California, I was born in the Bay area and then funny enough I moved to Montana. My parents said we're going on vacation and they moved us to Montana. So um I have memories of people throwing things at our car."

They apparently moved to Montana in 1994. This would make her either 12 or 13 when she moved.

11:36: "The one place I felt was the most formative was moving to Montana. And it's such a strange thing and I don't know if you've experienced this too where I had all these preconceived notions that as a spoiled California kid. You know not spoiled but just where this world was this bubble and moving to a place where in my mind I thought I was gonna ride a horse to school and have to carry a gun (with some oomph I might add ha ha) and you know I was like who are these people? and, it was the one place in my life that was so challenging and so difficult. To get through that and through the other side. I have the best memories, I'm still trying to go back. I'm trying to get Jared to go back and I'm like "we gotta figure out a way to get back to Montana just because".

Turns out she lived there for 2 years and then her and her family moved to Idaho.

13:30: she mentions here that her college counselor in Idaho told me his advice and I'll never forget it was to "pick a college that made me uncomfortable, just uncomfortable enough you know to where I would have to figure stuff out but not too uncomfortable to where you want to leave. I still take this advice with me to every day. I really feel that to find discomfort because that's where you learn. You know, you look deep and within yourself and have to get dark". She was talking in response to Dave's discussing his son's fear of not winning his class president election by saying "and especially now as a kid learn these lessons now. You don't want to wait until you're in your 20s to suddenly get uncomfortable. Get over it now, get over that hump, get over that fear of what people are thinking and letting that affect you and penetrate you and learn who you are now. Learn to fall on your face and get back up and keep on going."

21:20 Dave mentions Gen's first role as Kris Furillo who "was a troubled teen that worked at a horse ranch and as you said, you were born in LA, moved to Montana and then Sun Valley. It feels a little bit like art imitating life how does the saying go? I don't know but outside of the troubled teen part your career feels like it's mirrored a little bit with some of the moves you've made". Gen agreed saying "Yeah absolutely. You know what the craziest part is that so I was born in the Bay area and the same mountain. So this girl Kris Furillo steals this horse, she's sent to juvie or something and ends up going on this horse on this crazy ride up Mount Diablo and that's where I lived. So it's so crazy to be reenacting this story." She did say also "I don't know if I'm that troubled but I feel I felt the role at that time I think." She mentioned talking to Nicole and doing a rewatch and "reviving the show or something".

26:25 Dave asked Gen what it's like joining a show and then creating a life with them. He also was wondering about what it's like working with Jared while married and such. Probably the very best part of this whole thing in my opinion and what really made me want to watch this podcast from that post you shared Anon: "I was just talking to someone about this that my favorite relationship with him is a work relationship. Sometimes it's hard to be married to him because he's like, Jared is so interesting because he's so analytical. I mean my husband, I'm going to toot his horn because he's literally one of the smartest human beings I've ever met in my life and it's annoying because he will correct you on words you think he didn't even know. I have a book of SAT words just because I'm like I am going to get him. And so I'll just casually talk about something and use a crazy word in a sentence and he'll be like well you pronounced it incorrectly. It's so frustrating. Also in our marriage he's very giving and emotional and supportive. He's supportive in everything that I've done and I feel really lucky and grateful. I think even more so when it comes to work he is your biggest cheerleader and it's going to be a lot of time together. But funny enough, I think we'll be better at work than sometimes we are at home. Because I'm like, this is how the kids are, this is how I like them, this is the order htat I like things in. And it's hard for me to let go I think, at home. but at work, it's just a really nice exchange and I feel really lucky, and he'll sit there too. If he's not working, he'll take it, pull up a chair and talk on the phone and watch at me and I can hear him bragging about me and whether he's doing it for my benefit I don't know but it makes me feel good and I feel really lucky that he does stuff like that."

29:50 Now the second best part that wasn't mentioned in the post you shared Anon (where she responds to Dave's question about Jared being open about his struggles with anxiety). Paraphrasing here but she did admit here that both of them are in therapy for anxiety. She also said "but for us specifically we both are in therapy, actually all of us, the kids are in therapy as well. We feel really strongly like it's a workout. So you know We know we put so much emphasis on exercise." She talked about more emphasis on also exercising your brain.

39:00 (approximately, summarizing here): she talks about how for when she gave birth to Shep (in a bed) and Odette (water birth in the tub), she was in an Airbnb house in one of which the owner didn't even want guests to cook salmon. Also she started talking about how "the journey that you go through as a woman to get to that point, it just felt so in control and so giving [power]". This was in response to a question Dave asked Gen with regards to her giving birth naturally being a source of her strength. She did confirm Tom was a hospital birth where she had an epidural. She did admit also that they chose Seattle because it was closer to Vancouver for giving birth.

43:54 Gen is talking about how "their school has gone back yet and I really struggled to be honest with you [admitted she didn't send them back yet, and I'm assuming they did virtual schooling instead]. It was really challenging and I might just rip off the bandaid and put them in sports soon because I do worry about their mental health and for so long I've been like I have to do what's right for our community, I'm not gonna put anyone else at risk, we're in lockdown, our kids will not be in sports. And now I think I'm doing a disservice to my family. We've been at it now for what, 8 months? I'm like I gotta do something. So I certainly don't have the answers on this one." This was in response to a question Dave asked her during this tough how she and her family create "joy moments" with her kids during COVID-19 lockdown.

45:25 Dave asked Gen about the upcoming Walker Texas Ranger show "where is Chuck Norris when you need him?" Gen said "Yes I'm very, very excited and very humbled. I feel really lucky 1. to be able to work again, it's been a long time since I've been on a show and I also get to work opposite my husband and I get to play his deceased wife. I know we could have a field day with that one but I'm really, really excited and I've read the first couple lines of scripts, Jared shared them with me and I, I'm so, so excited for people to get their eyes on this show. I really feel that it's so well done, so well written it's so of the times and I just, I just feel it's so wholesome on the one hand and so like cutthroat and edgy on the flip side too and it's so fun".

46:51 Dave asked Gen his apparently standard end of the interview question "If there were one single takeaway that you could leave with this audience. An idea, a question, an actionable piece of advice that would help them have a little bit more peace, have them have a little more joy what is this single thing of a question that you would leave with our listeners today?" with which she answered "you know what I always say to my kids every day? I say 'say one good thing about yourself every day', and every morning when they wake up they have to say one positive thing about themselves. I started doing that with myself too and I feel that sets the tone for the day".

Now, onto my actual thoughts about this. Now when this podcast was aired it was in November 2020 during COVID. It's now March 25, 2024 as I am typing this and heard this entire podcast. I joined this fandom via joining Tumblr late December 2022 admittedly when I wanted to know more about why I was getting weird vibes about Jensen and Danneel's marriage as I had finished most of the series back then.

First thought finishing this particular podcast is "WELL Gen, you certainly were honest about your feelings here about Jared, weren't you?" I provided a link above for the other readers so they can hear it all for themselves outside of the partial transcript I gave above. I noticed that she talks about how much joy her children give her (not so much Jared but said her children bring her and her husband so much joy) but also heard some sources of her frustrations being with her husband. This may or may not sound "fair" to some people but she certainly has enjoyed a nice, comfortable cushy lifestyle minus the husband 9 or so months out of the year for most of their marriage and then suddenly now, she has to learn how to live with him. Oh my, what a concept of living with your husband finally...

I am a bit angry with her comment about "relearning how to read" for a couple reasons. I discussed in a Tumblr my problems with her answer about her literacy campaign question she got during the Jared and Gen Atlanta con earlier this year which was a few days before my 11 year anniversary from the day I uploaded my first YouTube video. My first YouTube video was about my struggles in school and even talked about how I essentially LEARNED how to read period, not this "relearning how to read" bullshit statement Gen made, as she had a bazillion books on her shelf in posts going back prior to 2019. I decided to make a Tumblr post and a video response going with my post talking about why there's plenty of things wrong with Gen's answer. In short, her views on literacy go back to thinking that literacy problems are more or less in far away lands only and definitely knows nothing about what it really means to be illiterate. I advise she uses her computer or phone to learn more about the same literacy statistics she spews out at times and learn about the REAL causes of illiteracy in both the developing and developed worlds.

I'm also concerned greatly about her admitting her and the kids are all in therapy. Again you guys, this podcast aired back on 11/5/2020. Why are her kids who were aged about 3, 5, and 8 at the time or so in therapy? Again, this was back in November 2020 when this podcast was aired so this is about how old the kids were at the time. "To exercise their brains" as she put it? Come on all, this is a joke right? You go to therapy to GET HELP FOR ISSUES not to "exercise the brain", I've had enough of this stupid "woke" shit. I'm sorry but just no.... I spent some of my childhood in speech and occupational therapy because I needed help with speech and sensory issues. I spent some of my time as a teen seeing a psychologist because I needed help with emotional issues. I also spend some of my time as an adult today in therapy because I need help overcoming emotional issues going back to my childhood and also admittedly from trauma I've endured in my adult years and frankly just can't seem to get a break from in my eyes. Hell, as an example of how wonderful my childhood was... I have such a sweet memory of being in 4th grade under the annoying fluorescent lights in my speech therapist's office "learning" how to pronounce words like "orange" and "banana" not long after she came into my classroom to gather me and threatened me saying "I will drag your ass out of this room if you don't come with me now". Good times... now why were/are her kids in therapy at such a young age? I don't know, I doubt it's just to "exercise their brains". So this is how you like your kids Gen? Going to therapy at such a young age from whatever issues they are going through, despite living such a comfortable cushy life with dad barely around most of the time? The gall of it, seriously... There are so many things wrong with this on so many levels but you know, I know now with real life confirmation of what I've suspected hearing it straight from the horse's mouth, there's something legitimately going wrong behind closed doors without her saying it...

And I am sorry but I MUST go revisit the statement of her favorite relationship with Jared being a work relationship. I discussed previously the timeline of their marriages here, which I concluded things went way too fast and frankly talked about how there's plenty of red flags with the whole deal. I also caught wind of some curious social media tendencies of his, his family's and hers discussed here that just can't be ignored or unseen. In another post here where I mentioned in a reblog the holiday Jared broke down on wanting to die was ironically enough Ascension Day, I took the liberty of taking photos out of Jared's chapter in the book "Family Don't End with Blood". It is in the context of this chapter that made me really start to question the Pada marriage more. "Why did Gen not stay behind with her troubled husband?" Being someone who has been in therapy since she was a kid apparently, she should know that it takes time for meltdowns, breakdowns, shutdowns, etc. to occur and that there are WARNING SIGNS of something going on especially with her own husband. I'm sorry, I don't accept the bullshit answers that it's because she barely knows her husband or "she didn't know". Nope, there are always hints something is amiss, she just chose to overlook them at this time. Nope nope and just nope.

Bottom line is, even though Gen's mom the childhood psychic Penny may have foretold Gen's future husband is going to be a producer per this podcast I wrote about here BUT what about the palmistry reading Jared got where he was told he was going to be rich but have a bad love life as I posted about here? Did these 2 psychics hear from other entities different things in their divine blueprints about their said unhappy marriage? Penny didn't talk about the unhappy side of things (how convenient and frankly typical of said demonic seers) and Jared's palm reader didn't divulge who he was going to marry but implied it won't be a happy love life for him. Hmm, this is one reason I can't stand demonic seers.

On an interesting note, the Bathroom Chronicles podcast is episode 11. Around the 1 hour 10 min marker (1h10min00sec or 1:10:00 as it'd read on a timer is when that psychic Penny and Gen talk about how she learned from her psychic friend about her future husband. Overall Bathroom Chronicles podcast length is 01:17:48. This Rise Together podcast you shared Anon is episode 119, which aired on 11/5/2020. Also in this video from one of the last JIB panels from last year around the 11:33 marker Gen hesitated to kiss Jared onstage after she crashed this panel, can't unsee that for sure. Ironically while they were discussing a book called "Happy Place" in this live stream filmed in May of last year, Jared was told by Gen "No, don't wear your hat" which his fans are aware is a source of comfort for Jared, his "happy place" in a sense. What on earth is with all of the 11s surrounding Jared and Gen? As a brief meaning of what 11 could mean per that link, "The angel number 11 has a deeper meaning – it’s all about spiritual awakening and higher consciousness. Your guardian angels try to get your attention, nudging you to explore your inner self. Additionally, the number 11 is a symbol of leadership and new beginnings." Hmmmm what new beginnings? I guess we shall find out one day....

Thanks for the share Anon!

#pada marriage is a mess #anti jarevieve #anti genevieve #spn family #numerology #podcasts #celebrity readings

8 notes · View notes

duhragonball · 17 days

Note

Christ, I remember trying to watch NGE last year and falling off a few episodes in because nothing was happening and I found other stuff to binge that was more entertaining. I knew most of the infamous stuff happens in the latter half but how is this show 11 episodes in and still ass? At least now I know why Eva is mostly known for it's ending, there's virtually no beginning and thus far very little middle.

It's not a bad show, but yeah, it's kind of a letdown for me. I've been looking forward to this for a long time now, and it just doesn't seem to be measuring up. Maybe my expectations were unrealistic, but Evangelion always seemed to be this really cool, popular thing, and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.

All that being said, let me dial back some of my negativity towards this show. It has its moments, often quiet, subtle touches that I can't really document with screenshots and a text synopsis. For example, when the kids are making their way through the base during the blackout, Asuka needles Shinji the whole time, then tries to do the same to Rei, and Rei completely no-sells it, just refuses to take the bait. She doesn't dispute Asuka's claims to leadership, but she doesn't recognize her authority either. And yet, when Asuka finally comes up with an actual plan to defeat their enemy, Rei agrees to follow her lead. It's not a question of respect or disrespect. She's just waiting for Asuka to cut out the bluster and be sensible.

This show reminds me of other anime TV series I've watched in the past. Noir. Excel Saga. Cowboy Bebop. Tenchi Universe. Tenchi in Tokyo. The Gonzo Hellsing series. Revolutionary Girl Utena. I feel like I'm forgetting something else, but the point is that they all sort of share a similar story structure, maybe because they're all TV series with similar lengths.

A few years back, I learned about cours, a term for a three month period in Japanese television. It's about thirteen weeks, which is why so many anime TV series are aired in multiples of 12 or 13 episodes. Jojo season 1 was 26 episodes, which was used to cover both Parts 1 and 2, which worked out, because Part 1 was a little too short for its own 3-month run, while Part 2 was a little too long. Part 3 was like forty-eight episodes, so that's four cours. Parts 4, 5, and maybe 6 were three cours apiece.

Of course, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is based on a serial manga, but I'm pretty sure shows like the ones I mentioned above were wholly original, or only loosely based on a manga or OAV. Those shows, including NGE are designed to be 13, 26, or 39 episodes long, and the story is plotted accordingly. And they kind of operate the same way, spending a certain number of episodes introducing the characters, then doing a bunch of routine adventures, and then towards the last seven or eight episodes things start to get serious and the really plot-driven stuff happens.

I wouldn't quite call it a formula, but it explains why I keep finding NGE's pacing so familiar, even though I really haven't seen another show like it. I think what everyone remembers so fondly is the heavy stuff, where a lot of the secrets and mysteries get revealed, and all of these characters and relationships that have built up over the series get pushed to their limits. But if I'm right, that probably won't get rolling until Episode 18 or 19.

And if it is a formula, then it clearly works, or they wouldn't keep doing it. I guess that's just the difference between Japanese TV and direct-to-video stuff. I've been spoiled by shows like Hellsing Ultimate, where the episodes were variable-length, and organized for maximum effect, because there were no broadcast schedules or logistical issues to get in the way. I suspect a lot of these shows have a few weak episodes where nothing happens just to fill out the cour. They wrote 18 epsiodes' worth of story, but it has to be padded out to 26.

How you experience a show like NGE probably matters too. If I had seen Evangelion back in 2000, on the Toonami lineup, I probably would have only caught bits and pieces of it, eventually getting curious enough to make a deliberate effort to watch it all the way through and figure out just what was going on. That's how I got into Tenchi. I can imagine some small group of anime nerds getting together to watch NGE three episodes at a time, and if they're still somewhat new to this genre, it would blow them away. Sentimental value counts for a lot, but it's not something I can recapture just by watching it myself. But it's the best I can manage, and whether the show is good or not, at least I'll have the satisfaction of finding out.

#neon genesis evangelion #2024ngeliveblog #ask duhragonball

7 notes · View notes

dookins · 4 months

Text

Dear Bots, Bounties and Babes Readers and Fans. I Apologize, But The Project Has Been Put On Hold...

For the full explanation, please read below. I preface all this with the following: PLEASE do not spam or bother the other author/artist involved. They have every right to pursue the path they've chosen... For those who log onto the story now on AO3, you will notice that there is an 'orphan_account' that stands beside my handle. I don't understand the 'why' behind it, but @enigmacomics (enigmacomics.tumblr.com since the link will no longer work) has decided to sever all ties with me... They work exceptionally hard, and run many events and have a job while still attending college. They have incredible ambition, and personal life goals to meet. When it came to our story, I always tried my best to assure them that I understand school comes first. I graduated art college as well, so I understand the time that needs to be devoted to improving yourself. During our last conversation, it had been a particularly busy month, so no writing took place at all. Which was fine with me. Finals and shopping alone can destroy all your time. The last time I spoke with them, everything appeared fine. We were discussing holiday plans and decided to doodle a bit together on Discord during the break. They were even planning on sending something in the mail. A week goes by without a word or a parcel, but thats fine. Holidays are crazy. I message them once with a link to comic I think they'd enjoy. Week two goes by. Now that's odd. We haven't gone that long without speaking to each other in months. I message them a cat gif playing with a Christmas tree, wishing them a good holiday. The day before new years eve, still no answer. I ask them if they're alright, and that they can talk to me if about anything if they needed help or support. As of New Years Eve (11:30pm or so) I went to send them a doodle I did with a 'Happy New Years' attached... ....and it didn't send. They had blocked me on Discord. Than I saw their tumblr was blocked. I tried to reach out to them on Instagram, asking why they had blocked me, and that I was more than open to have a dialogue and listen if they needed. But they blocked me again. And than finally I noticed than that they orphaned our story... I've been worried sick about them. And scared that I some how am the cause. I don't know what I've done, if anything at all. If it's an outside third party causing all this, if they're going through something mentally strenuous and need help... Or maybe, if I didn't know my friend as well as I thought. If I really ever did.

I really hope they're not in trouble. Or that I'm the cause.

I heard that they still have an online presence and that they are still uploading things elsewhere. I thought these past 10 months together were amazing, and that we were having a blast. If this is what they truly want, I'll respect that. But I admit... my heart feels like it's been shattered. The story was wild and so much fun, but it's not what I cared about most. It's them. And 'if' I'm why they wanted to leave, I gotta respect that. I just thought I was worth a bit more. A conversation. An apology. A goodbye... Sorry. It weirdly feels like I'm grieving... Anyway we managed to bring ACT 1 to a close. I'll be uploading the rest of the chapters in massive chunks, so, at least ya'll get to see what we made. And who knows. If they come back one day, maybe we can do more. Or maybe we can do something else.

#inscryption western au #inscryption bounty hunter au #otto von ram #inscryption p03 #shux howdy #distraught #p03 #inscryption #bots bounties and babes #a03 #inscryption fanfiction

18 notes · View notes

authorautumnbanks · 1 month

Text

Accidentally Dating (9)

Summary: A series of accidental dates and meetings between Kagome and Satoru over the years.

Pairing: KagomexGojo

Series Master list

Satoru huffs as he walks behind Suguru. This mission honestly should have been given to the second years.

It's so boring. A waste of time in his opinion for him and Suguru to be assigned to this. They are the strongest! Shouldn't they be doing cooler missions? Something worth some effort? So, what if he and Suguru are only first years? They're stronger than the second years and the third years combined.

Even InuYasha is stronger than the second years.

"Stop pouting," Suguru says, "The faster you take this seriously, the faster we get this done." Suguru huffs as he stuffs his hands in his pockets.

"Tch. Whatever." He rolls his eyes and then comes to a stop. Wait a damn minute. That feels like Kagome. She never said she was gonna be back today. Did she come back and not tell him?

The audacity. She knows he needs to know when she comes back home from the past. He doesn't care what hour it is. He doesn't care if he's on a mission or not; he wants to be the first person to know when she is back.

And she didn't even send him a text message.

The. Audacity.

"What's wrong?" Suguru walks over to him and then looks over at the girls running track. "Seriously?" He sighs. "We aren't here to pick up girls. We have a mission to do."

"GOME-CHAN!" Satoru calls, smirking when she nearly falls over. Kagome glares and jogs over to him.

He blinks. Have her legs always been that long? And what kind of outfit is that? She may as well be wearing underwear. And why is her hair up in a high ponytail? She's showing everyone how elegant her nape is. Where is the decency? Doesn't she realize she's surrounded by a bunch of horny teenagers? She can't be walking around like that.

Satoru bites his tongue. He outta tell Dad and Mom about this.

"Satoru? What are you doing here?" She crosses her arms. Her high ponytail and bangs are a combo he didn't know he needed, though she should only wear that around him.

Wait. He gives himself a mental shake. Now is not the time.

"Investigating. You didn't call me." He pokes out his bottom lip and wobbles it just for show. She should be more considerate of his feelings. "Or text me."

"It was so early when I got in." Kagome shrugs.

"So?" What does she mean by it was so early? He doesn't care how early or late it is. He wants to know when she is back. "I don't care what time it is. You could have called me. I would have stopped by."

"Um, hi?" Suguru says, giving Satoru a look that says they will talk later.

"Hi! I'm Higurashi Kagome. Satoru and I go way back." Kagome smiles at Suguru.

"Gojo," Satoru huffs. Is she still introducing herself as Higurashi? Even Mom jokingly calls herself Gojo here and there. Sota still calls himself Higurashi only to carry on the legacy.

"She knows who you are." Suguru shakes his head. "Geto Suguru."

"No, her name is Gojo Kagome. Last I checked, we never got divorced."

"We never got married either."

"I'm not the one holding up the ceremony."

"You never even asked."

"Ask? I said —"

"Stop!" Suguru interrupts, pressing a hand to his temple. "I missed some milestones. Wife? How do you have a wife when you are only 15?"

"I'm not his wife," Kagome says, shaking her head.

"You said you were."

"We were like 11."

"So, you admit it."

"Toru," she warns.

"Where's the rest of your outfit?" He motions with his hand. How long has she been running around in that getup? Is that why she didn't want to tell him she was back? She must have known she'd be wearing this today. Satoru frowns. Is it another guy?

Nah. Kagome wouldn't see another guy. She has him.

She glances down and frowns. "This is the gym uniform."

Uniform? That is not a uniform. His outfit? Yes. Her outfit? Absolutely not.

"Where's the principal? I need to talk to em."

Suguru grips his shoulder. "We have things to do, Satoru."

"Ehhh, nothing is more important than Kagome, and that is not a uniform. Look at those boys ogling her," Satoru rants, and then pauses. He presses his face close to Suguru. "And where are your eyes looking?" His temple throbs. Has Suguru been checking Kagome out this whole time? He glares. Suguru isn't fooling him. Kagome is his type.

Suguru better not be getting ideas. He saw that smile Suguru flashed at Kagome.

"I'm the only one focused on the mission!" Suguru huffs and pushes against Satoru's chest. "Did you forget why we came here?"

"Tch." Satoru directs his attention back to Kagome.

"Kagome!" some girls yell, running over to her. Satoru inhales. Why are they coming over here? Can't they see that he and Kagome are having a conversation?

"Whoa!" a girl with short black hair exclaims. "Are you new here?" She leans forward and Satoru grimaces. Why is she so close to him? "I'm Eri," she chirps. "I can show you around if you want."

"Uh Eri," another girl says. "I think these are Kagome's friends?"

Kagome sighs. "This is Satoru and Suguru. This is Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi."

"Oohh, so these are your friends, then Kagome?" Eri asks, trying to wrap her arms around Satoru, but he sidesteps her and twists his lips back.

"I'm her husband," Satoru deadpans, throwing an arm around Kagome's shoulders. "Can't you show us around? We'd hate to get lost here."

Suguru smacks his face and groans.

Eri pouts while the other two girls scratch their faces.

"Fine," Kagome sighs. "Girls, I'll catch up with you before the next period." Kagome waves goodbye to the girls and leads them inside the school. "So, why are you here?"

"Mission. You felt anything weird around here?" Satoru tips his sunglasses down and looks around the perimeter. There are some curses here, but they seem to be hiding. Maybe because he and Suguru are here, but most likely because Kagome is here.

"Wait... does she know?" Suguru asks.

"Of course she knows. Kagome is my wife." Satoru shakes his head. What is with Suguru? He doesn't normally need so much hand-holding. "But she isn't a sorcerer, and I don't want her to be."

"I'd rather not attend Jujutsu High," Kagome quips. "I've got enough on my plate without having to worry about missions on top of studying."

Satoru nods. Plus, she's still collecting shards in the past. Not that Suguru knows that. No one outside of the family knows that.

"I have so many questions, but I will wait until after we are done. Has anyone gone missing around here? Someone not showing up to classes that normally does?" Suguru crosses his arms and stares at Kagome, waiting for an answer.

Kagome blinks.

Satoru sighs. Kagome wouldn't know that. Hell, she fits the description of a student that doesn't show up half the time.

"Never mind that," Satoru cuts in. "Feel anything off?"

Kagome taps a finger to her lips. "Now that you mention it, Hojo-kun was being weird."

Hojo... kun?

"But I don't think that has anything to do with why you two are here. There are some curses that like to hang out in the music room, but they're mostly flyheads and don't do too much. They just watch." She shrugs. "If there is anything else going on, then it's probably not the school itself."

Suguru sighs.

Satoru rolls his eyes. Why is she coming this way? He tightens his hold on Kagome and makes a point of looking away from Eri.

"Kagome!" Eri yells. "Sorry for bothering you. Would you be able to help Hojo-kun out? He's back by the field."

"Uhh..."

"Thanks so much!" Eri reaches for Kagome's hand and pulls her into a hug. "He's by the field, right next to the equipment. I can show Satoru around." Eri beams, and Satoru swallows the disgust down. He doesn't need anyone to show him around. It's a school, not a maze.

"Well okay," Kagome says. "Satoru, be nice."

"I'm always nice."

Suguru snorts. Satoru flips him off. He is a nice guy. He hasn't told Eri off yet. And he had that dog house built for InuYasha. He's very nice.

"Eri, was it?" Suguru asks, after Kagome heads back out of the school. "Do you know of anyone that's missed a lot of classes lately? The principal asked us to investigate."

"The principal did?" Eri hums. "Kagome misses a lot of classes because of her diseases." Eri glances at Satoru and then looks away. "But other than that... well, there is one other person who hasn't been around much. He had an outburst in class the last time he showed up, and it was freaky. The room started shaking, but there was no record of an earthquake that day."

"Oh? What's his name?" Suguru smiles.

Eri glances at Satoru again, who angles his body away from her. Why is she looking at him? What a creep.

"So, you're Kagome and Sota's brother?" Eri asks, ignoring Suguru.

"Kagome is my wife, and Sota is my brother-in-law." Satoru rolls his tongue over the top of his teeth. He's getting antsy. First, she asks if he and Suguru are Kagome's friends and now she's asking if he is their brother. So, she knows of him but is downplaying his and Kagome's relationship.

He didn't come here for this.

Eri laughs. "That's so cute, but Kagome doesn't need an overprotective brother. Trust me. I have one and it's caused quite the strain in our relationship."

Satoru's eyes twitch. Is she hard of hearing? "Suguru, come on. We're wasting time." He turns right as Eri tries to latch on to him.

"That was weird," she mutters. "Well, anyway, I can show where his locker is. Kato-san's locker. There's a rumor going around that he's cursed, but I think that's silly. It was just a weird coincidence. I wish people weren't so mean," Eri sighs. "Everyone deserves a chance." She bats her eyelashes and Satoru wants to hurl.

How could Kagome just up and abandon him like that to help some guy out? Kagome is far too nice.

"Thank you, Eri," Suguru says, shooting him a look. "We're just worried about him, is all."

Eri leads them to the locker and stands there. Satoru sucks in a breath and tries not to sigh. Can she just go? How are they going to break into the locker if she's standing there? Satoru glances at Suguru, who nods.

Yeah, they're gonna have to come back tonight. This isn't working.

"Oh!" Suguru exclaims. "We're nearly late, Satoru. We need to get going."

Satoru snaps his fingers. "Right! Let me say goodbye to Kagome and then we should be good to go." He runs out of the building, leaving Suguru and Eri behind.

He can't take it anymore.

Why is that woman so clingy?

Kami, she is worse than the women in the other clans. For whatever reason, they or maybe their fathers seem to think that with enough money, his marriage with Kagome won't go through. Father should shut it down completely.

It's annoying. He doesn't want anyone else, and he will not change his mind.

"Kagome!" he yells, skidding to a stop next to her. Kagome coughs at the dust he kicked up in his haste to make it over to her.

"I'm right here. Why are you yelling?" she grumbles.

"I'm coming back tonight. We can't get any answers with that girl around."

"You mean Eri?" Kagome blows out a breath. "She just has a crush on you."

He gags. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"If you aren't doing your mission now, shouldn't you be at school then?"

"Got it. I'll meet you at the gates when you get out." He leans forward and kisses her forehead. Kagome flushes and slaps her hands to the spot he just kissed.

"Seriously?" she shrieks.

His heart beats faster. There's a pink hue to her cheeks. Is she blushing? Satoru grabs his jacket, right over his heart. What is this feeling?

"Satoru?"

"I'm fine," he says quickly. "I'll uh... see you later today." He backs away and trips over Suguru.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Suguru groans, pushing him off. "You've been out of it since we got here."

"I'm fine!" Satoru points to himself. "Just fine."

"You don't seem fine," Kagome comments.

"No, he doesn't. Perhaps he's the one that's been cursed."

"Shove it," Satoru says. "I'm fine. Kagome's fine. Everybody is fine."

Kagome frowns and looks past him. "Eri doesn't look fine."

What?

Satoru looks over his shoulder. Ugh. That chick is persistent. He waves at Kagome. "See you later!" He dashes away with Suguru hot on his heels. The faster he gets away from that Eri, the better. Kami, help him if she waits at the gates with Kagome.

"Satoru," Suguru calls, huffing. "Seriously, who was that?"

Satoru smirks. "My wife."

And Suguru better not forget it.

***

A/N: Had a dream that Satoru came back but he didn't come back the same. Like Shoko had to give him an order because he was so out of it. Kind of like how Meliodas gets in seven deadly sins whenever he comes back from the dead. I think it's a sign that Satoru needs to come back in How To Tame lol.

And I have a question...why am I being drafted to fight Sukuna? Gege hasn't run out of characters lol. I wouldn't even try to fight Sukuna, I'd rather have a cook off against Uruame and take their spot instead. I know my strengths and fighting is not one of them lol.

"Will InuYasha have a friendship with Suguru?" - I think so and it'll be nice to see a different dynamic between them. If anything Suguru's calmness may remind InuYasha of Miroku.

"What do the others think of InuYasha?" - At first they thought he was a cosplayer, but Ito had to hose him down one time and realized that he was in fact not a cosplayer. To anyone else, InuYasha is similar to Panda. But those closest made a binding vow and know that he's a demon.

"Will InuYasha call them mom and dad?" - He'll call Mama H mom, but Papa G is still old man.

"Is Ryu in the story?" - He might make an appearance.

"Was someone trying to get rid of Syouma?" - Nah, it was a mistake on their end. Curses are getting stronger and Jujutsu society isn't keeping up. We'll see this come up later.

"Is InuYasha from the Kamo clan?" - I didn't even think about that...but now I can see the Kamo clan and the Zenin clan having beef with the Gojo clan for taking away prized clan members.

Side note, I had to go back and make Satoru and Suguru first years here because I started on the next chapter and the timing wouldn't have worked otherwise. Hope you're ready for stalker Eri lmao.

Hope you are having an awesome week. Take care of yourself. Get out and get some sun if you can. Take your vitamins and drink your water. Next update will be One night. It might come out on Saturday, just depends on how busy I get.

#gojo satoru x kagome #crossover pairings #gojo x kagome #jujutsu kaisen x inuyasha #kagome higurashi #crossposted on ao3 #kagome crossovers

8 notes · View notes

kyouka-supremacy · 3 months

Note

happy blog anniversary! 🎉 this blog is one of the first i followed when i was new to the fandom, its really well curated! thank you so much for the edits, funny posts, masterlists, resources (and more!)

here's to more sskk posting as well 🥂

Ooowwww thank you love!!! If this blog made even one person happy, then it was definitely worth making (˵ •‌ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

When I had just made the blog, I was like, I'll just be waiting for Akutagawa to show up in the manga, to at least experience that before leaving, and then I'll move on to the next hyperfixation. Then Akutagawa showed up (right after mcr comeback, wow), and I was like alright you know what? I want to see at least one sskk interaction unwrap before me in the manga, then I'm leaving. Then chapter 105 dropped, and it was super romantic, but then I was like. Okay I'll wait for sskk to actually meet in the manga AND THEN I'm leaving for real. After that, sskk met at the airport, had a “I know you're still in there” moment, Atsushi smiled at Akutagawa, had the oh so anticipated homoerotic bloodsucking scene... And I'm still here ahah. In the meantime, chapters 84-88 were animated (which, as I had said several times before season 5 was announced, I would have NEVER dreamed to witness within my lifespan), and it was terrible, and then they had that one minute at the end of episode 11, and it was glorious. I feel like I've checked everything on my sskk to do list, and still I have yet to get over them!!! And I'm still here, and I can't wait to see what is to come next (ㅅ´ ˘ )♡

I got into bsd to start conversation with a girl I liked, that I knew was into the show; in the last two years, she turned out to be homophobic‚ got together with a guy, got over bsd and I got over her. I cosplayed the character I hate the most and got shipped a magazine from Japan. I made masterlists and more sskk posts than I can count and I still haven't finished the Akutagawas apartment project I started two years ago. I created another four different bsd side blogs and they're all still active and thriving. I got shadowbanned and un-shadowbanned four times. I received compliments on my themes that could fuel me for centuries. I got 2,466 anon hate asks and not answered to a single one of them. And I've met so many more people that were nothing but kind and lovely, and I couldn't be more grateful for it! Here's to a lot more sskk posting, and to many more nice moments in the fandom ⸜( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵)⸝♡

#Thank you Anon and thank you to everyone who made the last two years so fun and exciting!!! Please keep being amazing!!!!!!#people asks me stuff

8 notes · View notes

ctrsara · 1 year

Text

Stuff I'm Reading That I Love

(and you should read them too)

December 2022

Here’s stuff I’ve recently read, or am reading, that stands out to me, and I wanted to recommend. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the good stories I’ve read lately, but a few that are worth sharing!

Plus, the more of you that read and love and leave the authors some love, the more likely it is that these lovely stories will make it to completion! No ulterior motives at all here…

(Also, if you know these authors are on Tumblr, but they're not tagged, please let me know, or let them know or something, so I can be friends with them and tag them!)

The Meaning of Inevitable Series by (Mendeia) If you haven’t been reading this series, you’re missing out, I promise. Mendeia is a master storyteller!

The first four books are complete, and the fifth is in progress.

Words: 470,673 Works: 4 Complete:No

Eleven-year-old Peter Parker's world is shattered when both his idol and his uncle are killed in the same week. Even while grieving, Peter strikes up a friendship with the local maintenance man, Tony, who shares Peter's love of science and technology - and who may be more than he lets on.

the ghost at the back of your closet by niniblack (48238 words) This one is so hard sometimes, but also amazing, and I'm always at the edge of my seat!

Published:2022-06-10 Updated:2022-11-05 Words:48238 Chapters:9/?:

Some set-up: Tony survived Endgame, obv, but with a long recovery time. He’s fine now! But skrull!Fury still got ahold of EDITH and gave it to Peter on his Euro Trip, so we’re picking up after Peter was arrested in NWH.

I'm waiting and fading and floating away by lemonlillybee (21701 words): This one is an expanded Whumptober story, and is very whumpy! (But with lots of comfort, too) Lemonlillybee's whole Whumptober set is so impressive!

Published: 2022-10-17 Completed: 2022-11-03 Words: 21701 Chapters: 5/5

“Sleep deprivation,” Bruce whispers to Tony the next morning. “And maybe something else. I don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

Peter hears the words, but he’s too busy pacing to really process them.

@lemonlillybee

Fostering Hope Series by happyaspie The first and second stories are complete, and are amazing, but I hear there’s more to come!

Words: 96,213 Works:2 Complete:No

“Not much of a talker is he,” Tony casually stated, making Peter stomach churn with unease. He had no idea where the man was going with his assessment and wasn’t really sure how to properly defend himself. Thankfully, he didn’t have to.

“Peter has what they call selective mutism,” the social worker replied. “So, no. I suppose he’s not much of a talker.”

@yes-i-am-happyaspie

For We are Bound by Symmetry by kingdomfaraway (21834 words) I love a good biodad AU, and this one has been fantastic so far!

Published: 2022-11-18 Updated: 2022-12-12 Words: 31840 Chapters: 6/?

“I know we just met, Peter, but Tony is just down the hall and so very excited to finally meet you."

She was wrong, of course, Tony Stark was not excited to meet him. If he was excited to meet him, he would have met him at some point in his 13 years of life. Not now, not only after he had nowhere else in the world to go. Now he’s just stuck with him, unable to pretend Peter didn't exist, as he'd done since the day he was born.

@asyouleft

Chase You Down Until You Love Me by OK_ButWhy1 (17448 words): Love love love love.

Published: 2022-06-25 Updated: 2022-11-29 Words: 29281 Chapters: 8/?

Just who is this teenage boy that Tony Stark takes to get ice-cream?

Peter-gets-outed-as-Tony's-kid trope. Featuring: paparazzi and public backlash, Pepper Potts being her gloriously competent self and teeth-rotting IronDad/SpiderSon fluff.

Irreplaceable by for_the_night (40044 words): This one is so sad, but so good!

Published: 2022-04-07 Updated: 2022-11-29 Words: 46193 Chapters: 11/?

It starts with a cancelled lab session. Then two. Then three.

When Peter finally plucks up the courage to ask what he’s done wrong, he finds another kid in the lab with Tony. The teen feels a pang of hurt seeing the pair laughing and joking together, but the fatal blow is seeing Tony ruffle the boy's hair.

Tony doesn’t hate Peter. He’s replaced him.

Men of Iron by spdrmain (41899 words) This one is super interesting! The author is doing a great job with this AU!

Published: 2022-10-24 Updated: 2022-12-04 Words:66672 Chapters: 8/?

At four years old, Nathan Stark, Tony's only son, was found dead months after being kidnapped. What happened to him during that time, and how he died remains a mystery. Ten years later, Ben Parker is shot dead under suspicious circumstances. His nephew, Peter, is adamant to catch his killer. Two deaths, a decade apart, and a war on the horizon - there lies only one truth.

little pieces of home by mysterycyclone and seekrest (14202 words): More Spideychelle than Irondad, but a really interesting take, pretty AU-ish, and very interesting so far!

Published: 2022-02-02 Completed: 2022-11-17 Words: 14202 Chapters: 5/5

“You still really suck at lying,” Michelle says. She checks her phone. “You’ve still got time for lunch before work, right?”

Peter checks his phone. Eleven in the morning. “Yeah, I totally have time.”

He doesn’t really have time, but he makes it. He has to make it.

He’s missed them. He’s going to make time for them.

@mysterycyclone @seek--rest

the long game by niniblack (19377 words) This one is rough (for me), but so, so good so far.

Published: 2022-11-08 Updated: 2022-11-29 Words: 28447 Chapters:10/?

The biodad au where Peter gets arrested for selling drugs, and that actually improves his life.

@niniblack

The Grey Area by Lansfics7 (121895 words) Lansfics7 is hilarious, and this story is super interesting, and I’m definitely enjoying it!

Published: 2022-07-06 Updated: 2022-11-23 Words:121895 Chapters:10/?

Peter’s in college, rooming with his best friend Harry Osborn, crushing on his partner in crime, MJ, and making fast friends with Ned Leeds and Gwen Stacy. He's living the dream, interning at Stark Industries under a watchful eye of (mentor???) Tony Stark. But he has his hands full as Spider-Man with a gang spreading fear in the streets of New York, putting civilians at risk and bankrupting the city. Peter is determined to do whatever it takes to stop them, even if that means going in over his head when the web of lies and greed turns out to be way more than he signed up for.

Understanding the Spiderling series by AthingcalledR has been really great so far!

Words: 79,606 Works:2 Complete: No

Peter Parker is a homeless orphan who dedicates as much time as he can to helping the people of New York.

Then he gets hit by a car :D

As Tony Stark and Pepper Potts try to learn more about the troubled young man, Peter tries to reconcile himself with the painful act of letting people into his life.

@athingcalledr

but only hope and sorrows end by iron_spider Recently complete, and is insane, but amazing. Fantastic. Highly recommend!

This is going to be a rough one. It has a child in danger, kidnappings, experiments which feel like torture to those who are enduring them, and long periods of being trapped and presumed dead. It spans over a decade. It is a Hydra fic, an AU about the origins of Spider-Man and Iron Man. Please plan accordingly, but always know there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Published: 2022-03-16 Completed: 2022-08-17 Words: 126339 Chapters: 13/13

@iron--spider

Long Story Short (It Was A Bad Time) Or AIs Don't Forget by peacockgirl (70140 words): My one true love, haha. She’s been adding to this fantastic story, and every chapter is a treasure!

Published: 2021-12-21 Completed: 2022-12-07 Words: 77440 Chapters:14/14

Turns out magic doesn't affect AIs. Karen is Peter's only link to his old life, and helps him hold on when he gets low.

Meanwhile, in Upstate New York, Tony struggles with the inexplicable certainty that he's lost a kid.

Until Peter gets hurt, and Karen tells FRIDAY ...

Set in that wonderful AU world where Tony survives Endgame, and our boy (eventually) gets all the hugs he needs and deserves.

And, finally, a less recent author, not writing for Irondad anymore, but I just binged pretty much anything by Sahiya recently, and it's all amazing. (thanks @junker5 for that recommendation!)

#irondad fic recs #fanfiction recs #fic rec list #irondad & spiderson #all these authors are amazing #and i could put another 20 stories without blinking #but my hands are starting to cramp up #so next time

65 notes · View notes

paragonraptors · 2 years

Note

Hello, I absolutely adore that last piece of yours. The one from Andromeda. My question is - what are your favourite aspects of the game. I played the demo version (first ten hours) and I have mixed feelings about it. So I would like to know what kept you hooked on it if that's alright?

Thank you! You've just asked me the one question I have spent the last like 5 years thinking about. So, well...[cracks knuckles]. As much as I hate saying it, I feel like the first 10 hours are a poor representation of the game, depending on how quickly you progress through the main story. For better or worse, Andromeda's first act frontloads you with a lot of side quests, and I think a lot of the ways it presents its setting and ideas in that time can leave someone apprehensive about how it grapples with its themes later on. If you're willing after reading this, I'd grab it on sale for super cheap or borrow it from a friend/the library and give it at least until finishing the mission to rescue the Moshae on Voeld. (This is around the 15-20 hr mark.) Loyalty missions begin to trigger after that and you really start getting into the thick of it. Though I think they're worth doing as you progress (you are rewarded for it in the final mission), anything that's not in the main quest and companion tabs of the journal can pretty much be ignored without consequence and completed post-game.

Despite all the online shit, it was love at first sight for me. I played at launch and got close to finishing before the first major patch came out. A lot of what probably kept me in my first playthrough was that the idea I had for my Ryder fit really well into what the game gave me, so I was deeply invested in my PC. I think that can really influence one's enjoyment of an RPG.

Ryder is not Shepard, and Ryder's canonical backstory as a 22 year-old nepotism baby who, from what we can tell, had a fairly cushy life growing up on the Citadel until fairly recently is kind of essential for the story to work. I joked in a caption that ME:A is a YA dystopia, but I'm also completely serious about that. It still has a lot of the core cosmic horror themes of the original trilogy, but with a much more scrappy, unexperienced, underdog flavor that you get with a younger protagonist. I liked this in contrast to Shepard being highly and unquestionably competent and having already experienced significant trauma before the story starts via their origin or psych profile. It almost forces you to create an entirely different perspective on Mass Effect's universe as a whole.

Beyond that, it really hit on things I felt were missing from the original trilogy, and especially in comparison to ME1, it's an incredibly compelling introduction to a new trilogy. (I believe it is a disservice to compare ME:A to the original trilogy as a whole, and have come to these opinions by almost exclusively comparing it to 1.)

I really enjoyed the roleplay system. I think the casual/professional/logical/emotional wheel and the impulse actions were a good move away from the paragon/renegade thing. It allowed for choices to not get locked into the appearance of being "good" and "bad" or a kind of set personality type. I like that Ryder gets a psychological profile and relationship bios that are updated as you progress.

I'm a huge fan of all the characters. They carry this game. I think their flaws are interesting and add depth to what's appealing about them. I think the voice performances are just fantastic across the board. I really loved how the NPCs interact with each other and that they have distinct and active relationships outside of Ryder, which is something we didn't really get for the Normandy crew until 3. I love that the Tempest is a small scouting vessel with a crew of 11 all sharing *one toilet*. It's a MIRACLE they are not actively trying to kill each other! Especially when you consider the Normandy was so big it had a whole staff you just straight up didn't really get to know, and Shepard's squadmates were sometimes actually trying to kill each other-- And they at least had three toilets!!

The male characters were written with a vulnerable emotional depth we rarely get to see, especially in video games, and especially in the Mass Effect universe. Hearing them openly talk about their emotions without deflection, and sometimes even gawking at the idea of deflection, was really refreshing. Its easy to get caught up in Alec's whole thing, but the themes of masculinity and fatherhood in other characters' stories (Drack, Vetra, Gil, Jaal, and Liam particularly) offers some nice balance and reflection to that narrative to the point I believe they are intentional supplements/foils to what Alec's got going on.

This game is PACKED with ambient dialogue and text, and it makes the world feel so alive. The message boards, emails, and data pads you find throughout are so good. The ones on the Tempest and New Tuchanka in particular are my favorites, but even the text you can pull up from the forward stations have some delightful little bits. It's unfortunate that ambient dialogue/banter can get cut off by the slightest thing, and the only workaround is to just stop dead in your tracks the second you hear someone talking, but I love listening to the dialogue. It's crazy to me how much made the cut to be recorded and put in the final product despite the known time crunch issues of the game's production.

I've always favored Bioware's map design over of a lot of open-world games, and this one isn't any different. Though I wish they were more fleshed out, there's a solid attempt at introducing different mechanics for different areas of the game to switch things up. I lament the loss of controlling squadmate powers, but the combat is still fun and I enjoy the fluidity of the class system for mechanical and narrative purposes. I really enjoy Remnant sudoku.

For all the flack Andromeda caught about bad animation, it has some of my favorite bits of animation in an AAA video game. For every awkward animation there is a wonderfully charming and well-done one. I wish I could get into specifics without spoilers, but there's a list of ones that get me every time. I've also always considered these cosmetic flaws to be a feature I enjoy in games. So what Ryder runs kind of weird up and down stairs? Geralt Witcher3 can't walk stairs very well either, yet that somehow never came up when people would compare the two.

Your mileage could greatly vary when it comes to the main story. Upon several replays (through the whole series), really getting into the codices, and reading the novels, I think they were setting up a lot of really cool things that expanded on the ideas of the first three. Cosmic horror, creationism, the integration of organic life and artificial intelligence, regulation vs deregulation, autonomy and self-governance, resilience against entropy and destruction. However, I can see how it could come off as half-baked, thoughtless, even irresponsible. It's not perfect. It's clearly rushed in places and unfinished. I don't really have a counter-argument to this as it does also deal with sensitive topics- specifically colonialism and genocide- where people's tolerance can vary significantly. While Ryder can be fairly principled about the problems you encounter, and can often speak out or refuse to be complicit, not everything is handled delicately. Sometimes you will say "Man, I wish I could do this other thing instead of the options I'm given." or "Oof, that could have been written A Bit Better." It struggles to balance the shoot-em-up gameplay with the Moral Questions. I take it as the necessary, but flawed, result of not hand-holding and spelling everything out for an M-rated open-world RPG that can only offer so many variables, but not everyone feels that way, nor do they have to.

With all that said, this is just one of those games I keep coming back to and finding something new to love about it or a detail that illuminates something in an entirely new way. I think it's a shame that as far as we know, subsequent sequels have been cancelled. Much like ME1, the ending left me ready for more.

#ive been working on this all day hopefully i dont regret expressing Opinions online

83 notes · View notes

pinkpruneclodwolf · 2 years

Text

Wired Take—Chapter 2 is About Nature v Nurture.

Why Savanclaw chapter is about siblings relationships

Before I get into why Chapter 2 is about Nature v Nurture we're gonna unpack the Savanaclaw chapter and why it was actually the hardest chapter for me to grasp because of

1: How short it was—

21 episodes compared to Heartslabyul's 28, Octavinelle's 39, Scarabia's 41, Pomefiore's 69, and Ignihyde's 89.

Listen, I'll give Savanaclaw the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Pome and Igni bc they're later chapters meaning Yana had time to put more than enough effort, but Heartslabyul having 7 more episodes (plus the strong ass start from the Prologue) and Octavinelle having 11 more episodes feels weird asl, especially when you consider how iconic the Lion King is. Becoming the highest grossing movie in 1994 (it beat out Jurassic Park) not to mention the Lion King Broadway that's been running for 24 years, rakes in 1.6 mil a week, and has a gross value of 9 billion and counting.

And you're telling me it's the shortest out of the chapters??? Be fucking fr.

2. How the characters were characterized in a way that you'd have to read the next chapter (or personal stories) to grasp the fundamentals of those characters.

Cramming three hyenas into one boy was a choice and some change but I'm willing to say that Ruggie is a solid ass character, could there have been more? Absolutely. But Ruggie is holding his own pretty well.

Leona actually gets more characteration through Vignettes, Personal Stories, Events, and other chapters and I appreciate it because he was done dirty.

In his own chapter.

But Jack, the one non-Disney character and based off the wolf-dog in White Fang, written by Jack London. The story is about how the wolf dog is rescued from his abusive owner and slowly becomes domesticated through patience and compassion to a point where he protects the father of the man who adopted him.

And 3: How Leona's motivations were ruined because of how much his story ties into Scar's.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with Leona after Savanaclaw (bc he had his magical mental breakdown and came to terms with the fact he'll never be king... not) and the sure as hell isn't anything wrong with a "what if" version of Scar who didn't kill his brother and attends school where he can pretend he's king for little whilst that it looks like he's got his shit together and isn't fighting the constant inferiority complex that gets fueled whenever he's sees Malleus exist a likkle too hard...

However, in the face of Riddle (based off the Queen of Hearts) and how strictness ties into his character, how—despite relying on rules—he's actually pretty mischievous, how his mother essentially played God with his life from his very conception until he got to Night Raven and sharing motivations with the protagonist.

In the face of Jamil whose life was decided to be less than Kalim's because of the longstanding history of his family being subservient to the Al-Asim's to a point where his family told him not to overshadow Kalim, but even so he still yearns to be greater than who he is and be able to show the world that his life has as much of the same worth as Kalim's.

In the face of Azul (based off of Ursula) who had been ostracized to a point where he refuses to return to his original form, still keeps every secret, problem, and trait of his childhood bullies who wants to burn away the last vestiges of who he was before NRC yet is still ruled by his old world...

Leona falls short. His motivations are rushed, his backstory a watered down version of Scar's, and his OB scene barely memorable besides the cool ass fit.

Chapter 2 upsets me because Lion King came from Disney's Renaissance era, was the highest grossing moving of 1994 meaning people lined up to watch Mufasa die in a theater to a point that an entire generation is defined by remembering that one scene in that one movie.

Vines and memes centered around the scene and people shaking and crying and throwing up more than Simba did in the damn movie and you mean to tell me Leona rode on those coattails and still flopped????

The Devil is a damn liar.

In an effort to make Chapter 2 less eldritch than it is in terms of incomprehensiblility, I've decided to come up with a better explanation (and fix it) for Savanaclaw.

Only the real will understand.

1. How Short it Is.

I mention how Savanaclaw is the shortest chapter in the game, which is insane considering the game has no sense of time-frame—I would say the Overblots span over a month, but Octavinelle proves this wrong when Jade says "you were the one spying with Riddle the other day" in the JP translation which means Leona's Overblot was the "fastest".

But that makes no sense considering it takes, 3 days~ (making a timeline up) for Jade and Floyd to propose Yuu confront Azul, and when Grim and Yuu take Jack's proposal the Savanaclaw students literally say "Aren't those the guys that trespassed on our dorm the other day?!"

Savanaclaw takes place in October and Octavinelle takes place in November, if I recall most midterms start after 5 1/2 weeks into school, especially in colleges, meaning from the last two weeks in November should be prime time... And this is for a college, not a Highschool, and while NRC is based off of UK schooling they don't refer to the Mid terms as Finals because BrE doesn't have midterms, they have end of the year examinations and this is considered a recent development. [Though I cannot speak from the Brits I just read through a couple articles I will be linking below]

So, yes, I know that Octavinelle starts with Yuu and Grim waking up and then taking the exams but like,,,,, I refuse to believe charas are saying the other day and referring to a week or so ago.

Time is a social construct but it's a prevalent one for a damn reason.

Anyways, why is Leona's Overblot the fastest? Riddle starts accumulating Blot early on because it's a tutorial Chapter to show what you'll be dealing with, Azul doesn't start accumulating Blot around the time Yuu offers Ramshackle as collateral. (Or am I misremembering???) Which becomes a track record as Jamil, Vil, and Idia start accumulating Blot nearing the middle of the chapter and everything starts derailing into Overblot and it wasn't even Idia accumulating Blot, it was Ortho.

Leona does accumulate Blot but it's after the dorm leader meeting which is directly after Ruggie is shown to be the culprit which still threw me off.

The rant about not being told he couldn't be number one should've been reserved for a one on one conversation or after said convo.

I physically cringed when he started off his rant with that bc it sounds like he's in cahoots with whomever is causing students to be injured, he's lucky no one in that room took a moment to process what he said—ntm Azul reacted with interest when he proposed an alternative to defeating Diasomnia.

Leona got as far as he did not bc he was displaying smarts or cunning but bc the ppl around him were dumbed down/not paying attention to his words. Which is crazy since Leona is propped up to be NRC's top student in academics and he's sitting here in front of someone who discovered and honed their Unique Magic at 10. Merman who got bullied to the point of obsessively studying magic and discovering it naturally. A world class actor and model who knows multiple languages and multiple sports, and genius enough to create a poison strong enough to take the Dorm Leader spot of Pomefiore. Kalim who has (possibly) been advised to be very careful of his surroundings due to multiple assassination attempts, a genius who made a robot in his brother's image. Crowley who runs the show essentially throwing his motivations on the table.

Like,,,, get a fucking grip, save the villain monologing for after you're sure you've won.

Thing is, this goes on for the entirety of the chapter—The fakeout of Ruggie seeming like he's the one accumulating Blot since he's doing all the leg work and Leona throwing out his plans for anyone to hear, the whole point of Jack confronting Leona stems from the first year overhearing his conversation lmaooo.

You can throw your hat in the ring and say that Leona doesn't care. That he genuinely believes that he or Ruggie will get caught and stopped feeding into his complex of "if there's no immediate reward what's the point?"

But why the hell would start by injuring students for funzies if he thinks at a moments notice he'll get caught? Why go on a monologue ab how the Great Seven secured their positions through wisdom and cunning and have the table of Dorm Leader's (besides Idia) rallying behind him if he thinks Crowley will just pull him aside and call him out??

The math ain't mathing.

But it will.

Some events in the chapter need to be reordered.

Jack should approach Leona and tell him about the students dropping like flies—I genuinely believe that Leona should've allowed some students in Savanaclaw to get injured, it looks suspicious if the only dorm not suffering from losses is the one that wants to win the most.

Leona should dismiss his concerns or imply that he'll start investigating the matter and when Jack leaves, cackle evilly with Ruggie to set up the chapter.

You could bump up the Meeting scene but I'd keep it where it is, why? Because Azul can say, "due to recent injuries, if you want to swap students out of your previous roster it will be an additional fee; submitting your Magift forms late will also cost you."

This would imply that the dorm leaders already put in their Registration Forms and the process of changing students can be difficult because the VIP guests, Newsbroadcasters, and scouts will have to be informed of the decision.

Again, that villain monologue Leona through it was insane work, like he was the only one praying on his downfall. So I propose a different monologue:

"Denying students the chance to be number one?"

"You expect Savanaclaw, founded off the Tenacity of the King of Beasts, to lay on our backs and let that monster stomp all over us and our dreams?"

"Magift isn't just about physical prowess. Technique, magic; that lizard only relies on two of those components."

This is Leona's complex talking bc Sebek says that Malleus summons mountains and thunder during Magift because it's all based on spectacle. Think of it is the U.A. Sports Festival in MHA, it's all about spectacle and showing off in an effort to get noticed, which emphasizes another point:

The whole reason Leona is even doing this is bc a part of him believes he owes his dorm members a win. He assumed the Dorm Head's position and since then has lost to Malleus and thus cutting down the opportunities his dorm students can get, thus saying he will never be a true king.

Again, I said that if the scenes were played out right it could've been subversive. We still don't know who would OB between Ruggie and Leona (exactly like Jamil and Kalim) because after the meeting two Blot splatters appear and Ruggie attacks two students.

A lot of people have even said Ruggie should've been the one to Overblot bc Cjapter 2 trivialize Leona's struggles with never being King, relegated to a spare heir who will never see the seat because Cheka is sitting there.

His magic is said to be the manifestations of his people's fears: drought, famine. It wasn't a Unique Magic he discovered like the rest of the OB group, he was born with it.

Imagine your first display of magic being met with disgust and horror while your brother's UM (discovered later in life) is met with praise.

Play it up!!!

Leona has a good grip on his magic but with Overblot let him melt some stairs! Let him dry out the air! Let him have a conversation with his Brother (over the phone/face to face) and turn a door handle to sand/leave a trail of sand in his wake!!!!!

Have students complain about the growing frequency of sandstorms at Savanaclaw, how dry the air feels, have Jack's cacti nearly die!!!!

Stand up Savanaclaw damn!!!!!!

2. How the characters were characterized in a way that you'd have to read the next chapter (or personal stories) to grasp the fundamentals of those characters.

JACK, FIGHT BACK

RUGGIE, STAND UP

LEONA, GET UPPPP!!!!

The Chapters are there to help sell a character, to make you roll for them and get you invested in their arcs and growth throughout the story.

So why in the hell....?

Lemme ask yall this: Who are your fave characters in twst? What attracted yall to them? What was your fave chapter? What characters stand out to you?

I've scoured the twst tags and I've noticed that Savanaclaw ranks lowest amongst the people. Or they are never properly characterized in headcanons/yumeships.

Ofc we can chalk it up to the rampant racism that is within twst—I've seen yall hcs of Savanaclaw being smelly and full of jocks as if these students don't have heightened senses and would probably be the cleanest dorm in Night Raven, beating out Pomefiore.

Or the fact that yall characterize Savanaclaw students as only violent despite the fact they are a martial artist dorm (which requires discipline) as well as a dorm that is the major contributor in Magical Shift leagues (which is like football, you need good grades to even touch HS football not to mention College Football).

But I digress on that—Savanaclaw isn't popular bcccc the chapter was asinine.

Like I said, you'd need to read the charas Personal Stories/Vignettes to get a grasp on them whilst other chapters and characters (besides Pomefiore, Rook, Vil, and Epel are hard as hell to grasp, I tried to do a case study on Rook and was sniped twice)

Personal stories are meant to expand on a character and their themes, yet that's all Leona, Ruggie, and Jack can rely on bc they were written with failure on the brain and defeat in the heart.

The way Savanaclaw should've gone was characterizing Leona.

Someone who has a dichotomous relationship with his family, friends, kingdom, and public perception, the weight of being the black sheep, the scapegoat, ostracized for a power he was born with to a point that he gives up. He's stuck in a cycle of hubris, self hatred, procrastination. He wants to be praised bc he was denied it for so long, stuck in the shadow of the golden child that is his brother, his chance to be accepted swept away by his nephew.

When he graduates he will have nothing to return to but upholding an image.

He is stuck.

That right there is grounds for a reasonable Overblot. Bc I'm sure anyone has felt those feelings before—played those roles before.

And somehow Savanaclaw fails to show that and Ruggie steals the spotlight.

Thing is, I'm not even against Ruggie Overblotting bc the hyenas do eat Scar at the end of the movie.

However.

As much as I fw Ruggie Obing, I'm trying to fix Savanaclaw lmaooooo.

Anyways, Ruggie also is stuck.

Born in poverty with possibly no prior education, he has no mother his father abandoning him and the only person raising his us his grandmother, it's been implied that Ruggie's been picking up odd jobs prior to Night Raven—meaning he's lied about his age and the rich simply did not care. Children in poverty grow up with adult eyes, wisened up to the world in an effort to survive before the hole that is poverty consumes them. Adults hold child eyes because "hope" is the only thing keeping them going, Ruggie knows that one day he will look to the world with "hope" so having Night Raven choose him out of all kids is his golden ticket, surrounding himself with rich kids, mooching as much as possible until he can live a comfortable life...

That's also grounds for Overblot, especially when you consider Leona throwing everything back at his face and nearly strangling him to death.

His golden ticket turning to dust before his eyes.

No wonder yall fw Ruggie Overblotting, that boy was putting in the legwork!!!!

Jack is objectively the most normal mf in the TWST cast, I see yall try so hard to project Trey as normal and it's laughable bc the dude who literally asked to be ignored is the sneakiest mf in the cast, beat out by Rook and Jade.

Like Jack is easily overshadowed in the chapter and after. Only working when hes bouncing off of another character which is crazy bc he's based off of a feral wolf that slowly gets domesticated through compassion and kindness (a reason why he easily warms up to Yuu) him being all about just actually could work in his (and Yuu's) favor when you consider the fact that Yuu is the most proactive (read: forced) in stopping fighting Overblots.

Yet his character is never truly explored, even in his vignettes. Which is crazy work bc, like I said in a previous post, when Jack assumes he's in the right when that Justice comes into play he will shake you down.

He does it with Leona, Ruggie, Azul. FLOYD AND JADE LEECH BOTH??? Like that boy is a force to be reckoned with and somehow,,,,,,

Like I'm grateful Portfest is giving Jack crumbs but this should've been implemented, especially if you're going to sell what is essentially an Original Character in a game that focuses on Disney villains...

Which brings me to Crowley, who is also an Original Character based off of a real person—Aleister Crowley. A real life occultist who was dubbed "the wickedest man in the world." And that mf has been the basis for so many theories, esp popular ones like him being behind Mickey's entrapment in the mirror (it's going platinum in my delusions lmaoo).

So,,, why the hell is Jack?? Getting the short end of the stick??? See where Yana messed up was not expanding on Jack, Ruggie, and Leona.

The entirety of October is dedicated to Magical Shift they have enough time to plan, revamp, and execute Leona's plan. I honestly wanted Leona to come down on Malleus like he did to Azul, and THEN recreate the scene where Mufasa dies.

Thus leading to my next point!:

And 3: How Leona's motivations were ruined because of how much his story ties into Scar's.

Gonna give a strict rundown on what happens in Savanaclaw before we begin unpacking what should be changed and why:

As we know Savanaclaw starts of with Ruggie snatching the cutlet using his UM who then gives it to Leona, and they talk about his status as second Prince. Skip to the Dorm Leader meeting—which is where things pick up for Leona before dropping off the side of a cliff— he explicitly is against Malleus being inducted into the Hall of Fame, rallying the other dorm leaders (Excluding Malleus, obvi) and Crowley concedes.

Ruggie then breaks two other students' bones before prancing off, leaving Yuu to be tasked with investigating the strange circumstances behind the injuries. In that time Trey gets hurt and so Adeuce, Cater, and Riddle investigate those injured and on the possible hitlist to be injured.

In that time Yuu is taught Magical Shift, a game that while on the surface seems focused on brute strength and force ends up being a strategic game that has flashy spells to Wow the crowd.

Jack later ends up listening in on Leona and Ruggie discussing further plans. Fast forward and Yuu and the Investigation troop find out crucial evidence that points to Savanaclaw, but with no solid information they can't fly off the handle.

Thus leading to the final showdown: Ruggie procures a performance enhancing potion and recreates the march that killed Mufasa but—oh? It's all Cater clones? Heartslabyul warned Diasomnia and the other dorms in advance? Leona gives up and Ruggie tries to knock sense into him? The Investigation troop and Lilia give him a stern talking to?

He Overblots.

This is a pretty frustrated retelling of the chapter but I want to reiterate that Savanaclaw is the SHORTEST CHAPTER IN THE GAME and Leona only has a handful of scenes in the entire chapter, if I said he had 3 major scenes (EXCLUDING HIS OVERBLOT) you would assume I'm lying but 16-20 is a whole four episodes where he just ISNT THERE but you wanna know who is?

Ruggie and Jack.

I'm going to maul a small family and eat a couch.

It's not like Leona needs to show up to tell that his actions are harming everyone, other chapters have full on episodes where the Overblotee isn't there, however, it's that for everytime Leona isn't there Ruggie is—a sponge that soaks up and steals Leona's thunder and leads many to believe Ruggie is the one who should Overblot instead.

And the thing is, I want to say I don't care about how long Savanaclaw is because impactful storytelling doesn't need to bee stretched across say,,,,, 89 episodes but I can't lie, I believe many more people would rock with the Savanaclaw trio the way the rock with Octatrio if they had just a couple more episodes, a better vision and maybe coherent plot too.

But here are some things I'd change.

Emphasis on VIP guests, many royal families (especially Kingscholars) and scouts/recruiters. If Magift is supposed to be anything like College football it'd make sense that there would be an emphasis on recruiting and scouts as well as scholarship and internship opportunities. Savanaclaw is basically an all you can eat internship Hotspot, having Diasomnia usurp that means that internship/scholarship opportunities are becoming unevenly distributed

Sebek said that Malleus can summon mountains and thunder during Magift, meaning that Magift is about spectacle, which again harkens back to recruiters, internships, and scholarships. Magift is a big sport in NRC bc it showcases the overflowing potential and thus puts NRC in a position for more funding.

I mentioned VIP guests and royalty. Maybe Leona's brother is one of those guests? Maybe Cheka shows up? Maybe Falena attempts to reconnect with his brother through a sport he enjoys after years of being apart and nearly no contact? Maybe Cheka sneaks off more into NRC and is indentured into the Investigation Squad? Maybe Leona feels more pressure because not only is Malleus in line to be put on the throne but his Dorm might get washed in front of Falena and thus exacerbating his fears of being less than his brother? Maybe, maybe, maybe.

MORE 👏🏾 SCREENTIME👏🏾 FOR 👏🏾LEONA👏🏾 Have Leona have a dichotomous relationship with Ruggie, keep the audience on the feet and guessing who the hell will OB, I don't know ab twst en players but b4 the translations we had a TimeLoop theory and Leona Overblotting instead of (who we believed should've OBed) was essentially the golden puzzle piece when it came to those theories, entire theses and theories were built off the back of Leona OB being an error/change in the Timeline. Having the story alternate between those two? Twst jp theories wouldve carried over frr.

@/najmaviper already said this, but have Leona use his UM as a way to vent!!! Show that his grip is slowly loosening in the face of all these problems arising? Show that even with him learning to leash a UM that the pressure has his grip slipping!! That the divide between managing the innate magic he's been born with is growing thinner and its harder to grasp something that melds into a foundational problem!!!

Ruggie! Like I said society would advance just off principle of the Savanaclaw fake out! Make it look like Ruggie's gonna Overblot while also balancing the many reasons why Leona should OB as well!! Bc the hyenas ate Scar it would make sense thematically that Ruggie should also hold some burden of Overblot as Chap 6 said that it can have an area of effect and there have been instances of ppl OBing by proxy!!

Savanaclaw needs to be longer.

Now that we've gotten all of that out of the way. Here's my analysis for Savanaclaw.

Nature v Nurture��The Eternal Struggle of the Wild.

As we all know, the wilderness is a dangerous place to be in. To be vulnerable in the elements could very well cost you your life.

That is exactly why Jack London's White Fang, while not known, is still a profound body of work bc of the topic it tackles—The struggle of man v nature.

But we aren't talking about just the struggle of man v nature, we are talking about the struggle of man and nature, where animal and human begin and end and mix and blend.

It is through that that I present to you my analysis on Savanaclaw as a whole.

Leona, as we all know, had been ostracized and stuck in the shadow of his brother since the day he was born—this further exacerbated by the fact that not only are they born a decade a part (ten years apart) but their roles had already been decided.

Falena was destined to be king, and as such was whisked away into learning how to lead his country—to continue the reign of Kingscholars and make sure that balance and harmony would prosper in Afterglow Savannah.

Because of that, I believe that they never truly had a chance to bond—one always running away and the other always standing still; aimless.

It didn't help that Leona was a progidy, that his Unique Magic that he'd been born with essentially being a culmination of his people's fears— "I am your hunger, I am your thirst."

We know that when Scar had assumed the throne he'd allowed a disproportionate amount of hunting that led to food running scarce—I'd assume that Twst!Scar had such a devastating impact on Afterglow Savannah that droughts would forever be associated with him—I also believe that there is still an area of land in Afterglow Savannah that has yet to recover.

So, to be associated with someone who'd killed his brother for the throne, to be associated with droughts and famines, and to have a personality that wasn't favorable you could see now that Leona was doomed from the start.

Because it didn't just start with him being denied kingship—he was denied something essential.

Compassion. Attention. And love.

We can see that Leona doesn't yearn to be king, but rather he yearns for what he should've gotten as a child—recognition. Instead of his efforts being deemed less than his brother's by right of him being king and him being the spare what Leona really yearned for was to have that same attention on him.

Just for a moment.

And if I said that Leona's scar could've been borne from that want—that need to be doted on, to finally be free from his brother's shadow and not be compared to him would I be wrong?

Because at the core of it, what Leona was denied subsequently is what he begins to abhor. We see this when, despite many students of Night Raven coming to him when they face a problem, he actively avoids them. Despite his grades literally being a selling point at NRC you see him not trying at all to come to class. Despite him overseeing on of the most competitive sports in Twisted Wonderland, you see that he doesn't put in that same effort divided to Magift as he does his PE class (as seen in his PE vignette)

Because why strive for something that you know will not be given to you? Why put in effort that will be overlooked? Why do anything at all if there is nothing you can do?

But I wouldn't go as far as to say that Leona is entirely apathetic—moreso inert in his position in life. He was supposed to be the spare king, a thing to look forward to, but as of Cheka his role is now essentially moot. His achievements as a Magift player overshadowed by Malleus, who has been considered to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for his achievements—Something that Leona probably has already done and more but bc Malleus beats him out in sheer magic factor you can see why there'd be some bitterness in that.

He doesn't have to strive to be a king, but he wants to bc thats the closest he'll get to his brother and, in spite of his self sabotaging ways, ultimately have purpose in life.

I do not believe that Leona is lazy, but rather because he believes he has "no place" in life he finds himself meandering through it.

Savanaclaw is the best and worst that happened to him—because for a moment, he was separated from his title as second prince, for a moment he had a purpose.

Only to have it snatched away.

It's why I think that Malleus and Leona are direct parallels of each other at points. First v Second Prince, Treasured v Discarded, Fae v Beastmen.

Because the struggle of human v nature, the struggle of human nature, and the struggle of instinct are all things that have been written and talked about.

If Leona was raised better he'd be able to handle the disappointment, the dejection, and the shortcomings he faced. But that is an if scenario, and we know that if he were a better Beastmen he wouldn't have Overblotted.

However, for all his carefully crafted apathy we know that Leona still wants—we see that when he objects Crowley's proposal to induct Malleus into the Hall of Fame by arguing that everyone should have a chance to best him. Because to be in Savanaclaw is to have Tenacity, to claw for what you want regardless of birth order and predetermined circumstances.

In the end, we know that Leona has a competitive streak and clear cut goals—he wants to come out on top regardless of the odds.

And as we know, lions are group hunters, while reliant on their female counterparts male lions still have to hold their own.

The clear cut goal is—hunt and catch prey. There's nothing more and nothing less to be added.

And yet, his defeatist attitude always wins out in the end. A reality check that Leona had known since the beginning yet to hear it from the mouth of someone who, by virtue of being in Diasomnia and thus closer to Malleus (someone who would win by default), sends him over the edge.

Either way, even after his Over Blot I believe it's important to note that Leona does not truly change who he is fundamentally—its an act of defiance, because in the end he still gave it his all even if it was underhanded, even if it meant he'd possibly injure Malleus in the process.

In the end, after all those years spent being inert and constantly shifting gears to please that competitive streak in himself while also doing the bare minimum, he learns to go at his own pace.

He learns that he can't strive for a goal without truly, actively chasing after it. We see this in Chap 3 where he participates in Savanaclaw Magift training even mentioning that there is a RSA v NRC tournament coming up and that gives him the drive to train for it.

It might not be satisfactory, the fact that Leona hadn't drastically changed like Riddle and Vil had but it's a change that fits him. Because he'd lived his life wanting to have the odds play in his favor while actively sabotaging himself with his own defeatist mentality.

He doesn't change for the sake of changing, but rather he changes for himself and to make it easier to better 'hunt' for his goals.

#twst #twisted wonderland #Savanaclaw #leona kingscholar #ruggie bucchi #jack howl #dawgggg #do you know how long this mf had been sitting in the drafts just stewing?#this mf is my magnum opus #my great analysis that could put all my works to shame #i am god and this is my new testament #i really have become deranged yall this is it #Savanaclaw my beloved #This is the Savanaclaw manifesto i swear yall hop on the wave rnnnn

58 notes · View notes

tellthemeerkatsitsfine · 2 months

Text

Over the last year or so, a few of my favourite singers have released new albums, and I’ve been really excited about it, and thought I’ll listen to it and then write a post about it. But every time, I found the albums just a bit disappointing. Not bad or anything – some of them have had great songs on them. But all of them have made me think, this is fun but not as good as some previous stuff they’ve done. I didn’t post about any of them because I don’t need to write a post about an album that’s pretty good. I write about things when I get so excited about them that I just have to share it with someone.

That is some context to keep in mind when I say: holy fuck, the new Grace Petrie album.

It came out two days ago, and I've already listened to it all the way through twice. I try to do that at least once with new albums, as I don't like that the album is becoming a dying art, now that we can just pick and choose the tracks. I mean, 95% of my music listening is done by just picking the tracks I like, but every once in a while I try to listen to an album from start to finish like it's 2004 again, because some albums are meant to be listened to that way, and sometimes you get more out of it in context. I try to, at the very least, do it once when a new album comes out.

This one I did twice in a row, because it felt so much like a coherent album that it seemed worth doing again. The track order seems intentional, starting angry and cynical and political, moving into more personal but depression-based, then into hopeful optimistic cynicism-free love songs, then circling back to the political stuff but this time from a more hopeful perspective. It works so well as an album, and the songs are lovely, and it's been a long time since I've been this excited about a new album.

If you want to listen to the whole album in a row, you can do it here:

youtube

But if you're interested in that, you really should buy it on Bandcamp at the link I posted above, it doesn't cost that much and it's a way to support this kind of music, both directly with your money, and she sends things to her mailing list about how this affects chart position and that affects other things, I don't know how it all works, but I do know that if I like something that's available on Bandcamp I try to buy it on Bandcamp because that supports artists. I mean, I take media for free all the time, I don't pay for any streaming services (besides NextUp) because they're largely shit for both the artist and the consumer, but Bandcamp is actually good for both sides, it's great for the consumer too because they let you download correctly labeled DRM-free MP3s of all the tracks and it's really easy to use. No annoying extra stuff, just a folder with the 11 songs and a JPG of the cover image, which is also the thumbnail of the above YouTube video, which is. I mean. I don't wish to objectify Grace Petrie in a post about her feminist album that was released on International Women's Day, but Jesus Christ.

Anyway. The actual songs are so very good. I think her voice must have gotten even better in recent years, it's always been good but I don't remember being struck this hard, when listening to her previous stuff, by the power of her vocal range. There's also so much going on instrumentally in most songs, but then a couple of lovely stripped back ones near the end, and I like the combination.

I always say with my very favourite music and comedy things, they feel like the person wrote and performed this because they had something they really cared about saying, and not just because it's a new year or a new cycle and they're supposed to be put something out. This feels so much like the former. All these expressions of love and anger and engagement.

Meanwhile in Texas is the song that I've been waiting for someone to release for nearly two years. There was so much anger when Roe v Wade was overturned, but I remember at the time, reading all the stuff and taking in all the ways that artists reacted via some form of art, and none of it felt like it captured the situation enough to give me the vicarious catharsis I was looking for. Grace Petrie's written one that does.

The album starts on a ridiculously high note, I think the first track is probably the one I'll end up listening to on repeat the most times, though it's always hard to tell that when an album is so new. The Best Country in the World, just a classic anti-Tory protest song, where her vocals get to soar in this trademark way that Grace Petrie does so well, but I think it might reach higher heights than ever in this one. It builds and builds into a perfectly placed swear word at the end and I assume this is her new live show closer, right? It has to be. God, I'd love to see another Grace Petrie concert.

I could go through every song and explain why it's so great, but I'll cut the post off here and just say: it's not a long album, it's 11 songs and about 42 minutes in total. Do yourself a favour this International Women's Weekend and listen to it all in one go, it really rewards that. Also buy it on Bandcamp. Trust me. You won't be disappointed.

#Bandcamp

4 notes · View notes

ohc-and-the-music-tapes-archive · 9 months

Text

Archived blog post by Optical Atlas about "2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking" and hand drawn Music Tapes t-shirts

[copy below, in case link would not work]

In 2002 Julian Koster of the Music Tapes notified those on E6 Townhall that he was going to begin selling CD-R copies of his upcoming albumThe 2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking. A little while later he came through with a first shipment, and fans received a CD-R with a strand of Julian's hair just hanging out from under a label depicting crayon-colored clouds. Because of a long delay in shipping the orders, he sent a hand-drawn "Friends of the Music Tapes" tee-shirt with each package. Julian also mentioned that he had so much fun sending out these packages that he was considering self-releasing the album instead of sending it out via Merge Records. He told us that what we had was a rough mix, and was already becoming more layered and complex as he worked on it.

My wife and I sat down to listen to the 2nd Imaginary Symphony on September 11, 2002, finally turning off the television after endless retrospectives that featured the same footage of planes crashing into the towers. The album begins with a little bit of singing saw, and a narrator--not Julian, but the sort who might narrate one of those old Walt Disney storybook records for children--tells us the story of a young boy named Nigh who follows a mysterious older friend to a factory that produces the clouds of the sky. Apart from the saw (which succumbs to a lovely crescendo in the finale), there's no singing, and no songs. But it's quintessential Music Tapes.

A little while after that we received a second package, a second CD-R, and two more tee shirts. Apparently Julian lost his first shipment list, found our letter, and send one tee shirt for my wife and myself, thinking we hadn't received the first one. I gave the CD-R to my brother-in-law as a birthday gift; I don't believe he ever listened to it. The tee shirts we haven't worn, and they're a bit wrinkled in these photos because for a couple years they've been tucked into a dresser. Now they're hanging up, and I'll have to iron them and take one out on the town when the weather gets warmer. It's almost four years since Julian sent the CD-Rs out, but last August Julian recently posted at the Townhall to reassure us that more Music Tapes material is coming, including the official release of the 2nd Imaginary Symphony. He wrote: "Hello, hello! Goodmornings, afternoons, and evenings to you all! I just wanted to share with you all that the song album is being mastered in early September, and has in fact left the womb, and though I love it very much It is now time to let it go lead its own life. The final version of the story record has already been mastered, and is worth waiting for (rather than seeking out the early versions i promise). There will not be any word on release dates untill early fall, so I'm afraid there IS still a wait before you, but much shorter than those you've grown use to." In the meantime, I know some have been curious to see what the shirts* looked like, so here are some photos. The most elaborate shirt features the following text (all grammar and spellings are "sic"):

"Late August, corner of W. 80th St. and Amsterdam Avenue in New York City. 2000 and two. And old woman in a rain slicker is loading most of her belongings into a trunk on the street. Her belly is full of Hominy Grits. She learned the recipie from her Grandmother as a little girl. She still remembers drawing pictures with her bare Fingers in the Steam clouded windows accross from the stove. She still remembers fealing warm and Safe. How her grandfather could make a spoon float several feet in the air above her, without even lifting a finger. He seldome Spoke, and never Smiled. This parlor trick was the Sole means of Communication between them. I hope she doesn't mind me writing all of this down. She does Not know me, nor I, her. I am familliar only with the warmth that traveled A million human miles and took the care to visit her image upon me for even the briefest of Moments. She will load her trunk intoo the Caboose of a Great passenger train. She will fall in love with a man her own age. Together they will invent a methode of playing the piano that allows for the Storage and Compartmentalization of time. In this way they will begin the Capturing and preservation of indevidual moments. They will build themselves a Workshop in a functioning German Clock tower. They will begin with the preservation of random moments, and eventualy find themselves drawn mostly to moments of sentimentality. The Old Woman sits and blows on her fingers. It's winter. Her hands are cold. She Plays a moment from her childhood. A windy day, the Sun filters through the clouds. It's 1920. There is a great wind, and the mustache of a distinguished gentleman is blown clear off his face. The moustache, a trimmed handlebar, takes flight, Flapping through the air in a birdlike fashion. It is soon joined by the moustaches of Several other men. The wind blows and blows. The moustaches, now numbering in the thousands, migrate Southward for the winter. The old woman stops playing. The Old man walks over to her and Smiles. They love each other dearly. In time they will run out of moments of their own sentimentality to distill and preserve. And so they will begin to detail yours. At 1st you will apear to them in dreams. Only when you wear this Shirt. They will coment on their common dreams, and begin to compare notes. In their dreams they will always try to read this Shirt. They will never succede. My Writing is too small and illegeible. My spelling to difficult to decode. They will grow fond of you, and look forwards always to the next time you put on the Shirt. They will share with you your moments of sentimentality. Play them over and over again on their Piano. In time you will come to feal them....and Never again will you feal alone."

*On the subject of Elephant 6 shirts: lou2ser wants your E6 tee-shirt photos for his flickr archive. His shirts are less wrinkly than mine.

#the Music Tapes #Julian Koster #visual arts #2nd Imaginary Symphony for Cloudmaking #fan's stories #photos #2002 #2006 #merch

7 notes · View notes