#AND THEY'RE PLAYING ALL OF ME BY JOHN LEGEND????????

[timothyslucy]

i never cry during fictional weddings because i am a stone cold bitch and never really find any of them particularly moving, but holy crap i love stellaride so much, and i've been waiting for this for so long.....

[starberry-cupcake]

I have made up from last time that was about only one chapter, this time we have 5 in a row. We finished act one, fam!

previously, in harrowbean the ninth:

this happened

I want to also thank you for all your nice comments and replies, I read every single one, I promise ♥

ch. 7 to 11 summarized terribly, here we go:

it's time to cross the river

difficult task to perform

as someone who lives literally surrounded by rivers, in every direction, I can relate

my rivers don't carry ghouls though, as far as I know

I mean, there are ghost and cryptid legends, but not ghouls that stick to the windshield of a spaceship like bugs

like these ones do

so harrow and yandere twin aren't doing fantastic

yandere twin loses it in like the first 2 seconds

harrow sees the ghosts of all the ninth kids who died for her to be alive

there's water also, but that part sounds very relaxing, actually

getting covered by water but not needing to breath

I'd be there forever tbh

but we can't, because ghoulies

mercygirl is still doing sound effects like kronk

btw we're changing her name to mercygirl because it's what I've been calling her now

I have been told by a number of you that mercygirl is your camilla so I apologize for disrespecting your blorbina

I might do it again, if the situation arises, though

mercygirl is piloting the ship and emperor the fool is just chillin' until he realizes harrow is walking about and doing theorems, which they didn't think she'd be in a state to do, so they didn't tell her not to do it

these people half-assing plans, who would have thought

mercygirl calls the emperor john

emperor johnnyboy tries telling harrow to come back from her state because she's in too deep and it's becoming dangerous

mercygirl stars talking about the death of cassiopeia (another name that's easy to remember)

says cassiopeia had a ceramics collection, which makes her worthy of all my respect

harrow was thinking "five", idk what it's about

next thing we know, we're back to our gideonless retelling of gideon

in this version, teacher explains things

he says the house was inhabited previously by "ten normal human beings of the Resurrection, though half were blessed already with necromantic gifts"

I'm tired of MATH

he says they left blueprints, he tells them about the Sleeper, he tells them how not to awaken it, he tells them about the trap door, he tells them what's under the trap door, he asks them to work together...

you know what this is like

it's like reading gideon was entering a new game and skipping every tutorial they give you

and reading this is like clicking every NPC's info and reading all that they say

ANYWAY, here is where ortus 1...

wait, this is going to be confusing

I want to call ortus from the ninth "ortus 1" and the new guy "ortus 2"

because ninth ortus was the first to show up

but new ortus is actually older and also is ortus the first

we're gonna go with ortus and lyctor!ortus, for now

so, as I was saying, this is were ortus starts becoming much more insistent in these "flashbacks" about him not being the right choice

which, he's not wrong

we know he's not wrong

and harrow is saying stuff like "unless you can summon matthias nonius" (matthias nonius is becoming a recurrent thing, let's remember harrow compared gideon to him at one point)

and ortus goes "I don't understand why you chose me" to which harrow says "there was nobody else" and ortus exasperatedly says "you never did posses an imagination"

VERY IMPORTANT THING

a skeleton turns around when they're walking and says "is this how it happens?"

we'll come back to that shortly

REMEMBER IT

(I know you all remember it, you've read this already, just act like I'm dora the explorer and play along)

next chapter starts in not!dulcinea's funeral

I'm sad I used the oliver queen grave meme already, I can't use it again to express my feelings

I'm gonna use the steel magnolias scene where they laugh at the funeral instead

so, we are introduced to the famous augustine who's name I will remember

there's some conversation about first and second generations and about not!dulcinea being chosen, and Emperor Johnny Bravo says "we were all there to meet her, all sixteen of us"

MORE MATH

I guess she was the last one of these, but maybe we knew that already, I feel we knew that already

apparently, not!dulcinea was the most reluctant to slurp her cavalier, but that didn't stop any of them, not even her, so

Emperor Johnny Quest says "for god's sake" and harrow thinks "the god who became a man and yet still invoked himself, apparently"

when she's right, she's right

that's better commentary than I could make

I have to respect augustine a little bit because he asked "which one of the kiddies did her in?" and I thought that was hilarious

he is called the saint of patience, which makes my previous comment about them being named via sarcasm very correct

it's like captain planet or the power rangers but chosen as funnily as possible

they start summoning lyctor!ortus by saying that he's interested in "you-know-what", which is both suspicious and childish and the vibes of these lyctors are all over the place

augustine thinks something's wrong, which is an understatement at this point, but ok

lyctor!ortus comes in as if summoned by the gossip and harrow calls him "the next terrible part of your life" which is saying something

lyctor!ortus comes with news of the seventh beast or whatnot that's trailing them

harrow bleeds from her ears and smashes her head on the next available surface to pass out

the mood

who could blame her

this lyctor job is terrible

it's like the end of drop dead gorgeous and harrow is kristen dunst

I'm not explaining that, in case you haven't watched a classic

we are back to the "flashbacks" and we've got a special appearance from the fifth

*studio audience claps and cheers*

they say they prefer to look into books than going downstairs, which is something one would consider if one had known what the fuck was downstairs from the start

abigail also does sound effects like mercygirl, it's catching on

abigail finds a piece of a recipe note that mentions an M and a Nigella

still no G&P

we know nigella is the cav of cassiopeia, the ceramics collector

I remember nigella's name because of the cook, which makes it funnier that it's a recipe

M could be mercygirl

abigail also gives harrow a note

abigail says that she'd like to summon the ghost of a lyctor but she's not sure how that could work or where they go when they die

ortus, magnus and abigail, in this gideonless version, are a polycule

I am convinced of that

while they're talking, magnus says "is this really how it happens?"

REMEMBER I SAID WE'D BRING THAT BACK

IT'S BACK

abigail starts telling harrow that she's got the energy of a lot of dead kids in her and harrow storms out

harrow gets angry when ortus calmly agrees about things and she doesn't want to look into why

I WONDER WHY THAT IS

harrow looks at abby's note again and now there's text on it

it's a longer version of the note she found before

it's a rant

it mentions dead eggs, implantation, some guy being sent after the OP, said guy taking pity on OP

OP is mad about all of this and doesn't use punctuation

what ortus reads isn't what harrow reads, once again

NOW THIS BIT

"ortus, I need a cavalier with a backbone" "You always did and I am glad, I think, that I never became that cavalier"

the gideon points keep adding up

harrow then goes to sleep and is like this

final thing in act I, in chapter 11, is harrowbean stabbing not!dulcinea again, which

always make sure, it's like resident evil in here

just in case, let's stab her a bunch of times

so, are these "flashbacks" happening in real time whenever harrow isn't conscious?

is it her trying to remember what actually happened?

or is it her trying to hide it?

was there actually a longer period of time between the defeat of not!dulcinea and the emperor Jon Arbuckle coming to pick them up?

a period of time in which harrow learned things that made her write those letters?

and in which something happened regarding gideon?

is the note of the implantation also related?

why was gideon born in space?

of course I'm not asking you, please don't spoil anything, I'm just asking the void of desperation and chaos right now

we'll see if any of this gets answered soon or if I just get more questions

also, guess who wasn't mentioned

see you on the next one!! I'll try to get back to the awesome replies I've been getting soon ♥

[exitoath]

What kind of DND characters would the RDR2 cast have?

Let's take a focus on the cowboys because as much as we may love Molly or Mary-Beth, if I include them it means having to assign characters like Pearson or Strauss, and as much as I would, I won't. (spoilers ahead ofc)

Sean Maguire: Sean loves being the center of attention, and as much as he may annoy the gang, he's still a lovable part of them. He's going to focus on having fun and a good time throughout the whole game, and definitely frustrating whoever has the displeasure of being the DM. Sean's energy fits that of a gnome, more focused on pleasure-seeking and going on adventures. His class being Rogue, archetype: Arcane Trickster.

Lenny Summers: Lenny is your average adventurer, he's not Bill who is so focused on making sure that everyone knows he's the toughest guy around (even though he's constantly made fun of for being not) or Sean who is focused on pleasures, he's just focused on doing what he can to survive, and that kind of simplicity in the life of the outlaw I think is a perfect fit for the Human Variant Fighter, Champion subclass.

Hosea Matthews: Hosea hates conflict, in-fighting, and is ultimately focused on living a comfortable life understanding that he doesn't have much time due to his age, reflecting Arthur's own journey of wanting to do good before his passing. However, still wishing to help the gang out, his focus is on illusions, trickery, and snake-oiling. Human Variant Bard, college of eloquence.

Bill Williamson: Bill is made fun of constantly, constantly angry and trying to act like a tough guy despite his intense insecurity. Emphasis on strength instead of intelligence, he'd ask to play as a full Orc Barbarian, Path of Berserker.

Javier Escuella: Javier is a great gunslinger, doesn't have the focus of brute like Bill, and knows when to have fun in life, as well as a great musician to cheer up the spirits of his allies. Human Variant, Bard College of Glamour.

Micah Bell: Bell wants to focus on Brute as much as Bill does. I wouldn't be surprised if Micah picked Paladin and breaks his oath within the first hour of the game. Perfect again for Barbarian path of the berserker, however unlike Bill he's a lot more self-assured, and has a more self-centered built philosophy by comparison. However! I definitely could see Micah playing Paladin Oath of Conquest. Due to his more established mindset compared to Bill who is too focused on his problems and angry to try and build on. I bet he'd pick Tiefling for the devilish look.

Charles Smith: I LOVE Charles so much. Tied between two identities, being black and being Native American, but with no roots, no real upbringing, his biggest problems are not understanding who he is as an individual. However, despite that and his frustrations, he's the most morally focused out of all the outlaws in the gang. He does not care if helping some people is annoying or could distract them from their goals, he will do what he believes is right despite all of that. Because of this character, I'm thinking half-elf, Paladin Oath of Devotion.

Sadie Adler: 💋 I love her maybe more than I do Charles, I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't include her. She is much MUCH more focused on vengeance, opposing the journey of Arthur and reflecting more of that of John's choice at the end. Sadie at two points in the game is referred to this relationship with death. From Arthur: "You and me? We're more ghosts than people." and telling John directly "I want to die." Sadie picks the Oath of Vengeance, not because she actually cares about making things right, but because she's trying to cope with the immense suffering that she has endured, and she hopes that during one of her many battles, that her own life ends.

Dutch Van Der Linde: The man, the myth, the legend. Dutch is in the same boat as Hosea. Though, while Hosea is more in the field of being a conartist, Dutch inspires his allies to stay together, that they're all one family and how they all can endure. Asking them to have faith, trust him. His biggest flaw is believing the same things he's selling, just as susceptible to manipulation as he manipulates others. Not to overlook his brutality and power, but his biggest focus would be perfect for the Bard of Lore.

Arthur Morgan: I mean.. Look it's in no way to seem redundant or obvious, but let's be real, Arthur Morgan fits into the Oath of Redemption. (I mean it's in the title) A man makes a million mistakes, one causes him to develop the illness that will end his life, so now doing all he can to make sure he does good before he passes.

John Marston: By no means is Marston a saint, or as good of a man that Arthur was, and I feel like that's the point of his character. John *is* a good man, but unlike Arthur, he's lived so sad of a life that it's created the uncaring character we see in RDR1. Losing all of what he called family, killing men because they looked at him funny, and even after settling down, he loses a daughter. The suffering the world has given him has caused him to only focus on living a simple life, protecting his family under any circumstances, and justifying every means to get his rightful goals. Paladin, Oath of Treachery.

[twopoppies]

"I would like Harry to be remembered for his great songwriting skills, his voice and the great performer he is, but everything is so overshadowed by the rest that in 20, 30 years I don't know if he will be remembered as one of the greatest of our generation (and he deserves it so much). I just think there's too much noise overshadowing his music"

I'm the say ranting anon as yesterday and I was gonna leave it at that but I saw this and I think is an interesting topic so I'm gonna rant a little bit more (sorry in advance).

It's impossible for anyone to know how is Harry gonna be remembered 30 years from now but what we can do is trying to compare him with the artist we consider legends today.

Lets take Elton John, Freddy Mercury, Prince, George Michael, Madonna, Whitney Houston and David Bowie for example... Each and every single one of them is considered a legend, the most successful in their field, the ones current artist use as inspiration and what they aspire to be. You know what else they have in common? Careers full of rumors, cheating scandals, drugs scandals, gay scandals, failed marriages, fake marriages, money problems, etc, etc, etc.

But those are no the things they're remember for, at the end their music and their art is soo good and made such an impact that all the "noise" sorrounding their careers just take a passive role.

I mean, as a fan, leaving through the rumors and all the nonsense is annoying as fuck and I would love if when I spoke about Harry people ONLY asked me about his music because he is so much more than his supposed girlfriends but what can I do?

And of course it is possible to be successful in the industry without playing the game, I wasn't trying to imply Zayn isn't but there's levels to that success, at least in the eyes of the general public.

Like let's be honest, all 5 of the boys has had a successful solo career so far but which one of them is more likely to achieve the legend status your anon is talking about??? Everyone under the sun knows the answer is Harry.

And why is that? It's not because he's has a powerful voice or because he's an excellent lyricist or because he's and incredible performer. Of course he's all that. But the reason he has achieved so much and is probably get the legend status someday is because how his team has marketed him. I'm sorry but without Columbia and the azzoffs Harry wouldn't be where he is today 🤷‍♀️ They're horrible people but they sure as hell know what they're doing and Harry is happy with their job and where his career is going so...

Yep. Marketing really does make a difference.

There’s something unquantifiable about the artists you mention, though. Take Madonna, for example. Cyndi Lauper came out at the same time. She had a much better voice. Her singles were huge. She had a great look. She definitely had fans (still does), but Madonna had that extra something that drew the masses in and kept them there (and oh my god did she have scandals and gossip galore—some of them very purposely manufactured).

And I agree with you about the Azoffs/Sony/Harry’s team. They’re taking him where he wants to go.

In reference to this

[jundsthoughts]

So, you want to ask for more songs to go with Burning of the Library by the amazing @wixenforever? Ones that (mostly) fit Harry and Theo's relationship? If not, too bad, here they are anyway. (Totally not casually ripping off Marcus' intro in Borderlands 2. Definitely not....) Burn It All Down - League of Legends and PVRIS Might be more for an epilogue type thing (maybe, not sure) but definitely Hermione at the wizarding world in general. Harry at the government more specifically (cause fuck the Ministry), and Harry with Theo glaring at Dumbledore and all his bullshit behind Hermione's back because of delicate sensibilities and all that haha.

Save Yourself - My Darkest Days Want angst, I gotchu, cause here we go haha. Like, this is the normal self-conscious Harry who doesn't think he deserves anything good. And, with what you've said, it could be Theo with his mum's lesson that he might take a bit further than what she meant haha. But to me, it's more Harry, with the "And you can never understand my sickness (I'll never understand my sickness)" thinking he just isn't worth or able to be loved for long cause of the Dursleys. Yes, you have brought me more pain about how they treated my boy, thank you hahaha. Beautiful Things - Benson Boone This is Harry once he's finally figured/figuring things out. Not just with Theo, though the lyrics are a love song that'd fit imo, but also just the in general stuff of Harry learning and finding what he wants to fight for and all that. And, if we want super potential angst here imagine the following: The song mentions December, so let's say it's the term post-Arthur attack, Dumbledore has been ran out of the castle and Umbridge is now in charge. Harry and Theo now face that they have to hide everything again just when they're finding everything out, where if they're in the view of everyone it could lead to them losing everything. But, fun thing, this could also totally be Theo once against just like Save Yourself and so many others hahaha. I honestly love how similar but unique they are with this specific challenge they both share. I cry lmfao All Of Me - John Legend Honestly, this would more fit to canon 5th year Harry (with how angry he was for justifiable reasons) compared to BOTL!Harry given his extra support network and everything going on that lets him (to an extent) keep more control on his emotions. But like, this is fully the boys talking to each other about everything they kinda keep bottled up, and hidden, what they feel like they can't or shouldn't show people cause it'll make them leave, or it'll just break things, so they keep it all hidden so that they can enjoy the good times as long as possible. And then the other is in front of them lightly shaking their shoulders like "Let me love you, you dense prick. I don't care about all of this, it won't change anything" lmfao. What To Know - Two Door Cinema Club More of Harry and Theo in Hogwarts keeping each other company, similar to Be My Escape to be honest. Maybe it's the inverse of it? So they play at the same time with it kinda bouncing between who gets what song based on the POV haha. Though, I will say, that second verse: "Maybe next year, I'll have no time. To think about the questions to address. Am I the one to try and stop the fire? I wouldn't test you, I'm not the best you could have attained. Why try anything? I will get there, just remember I know..." To me this is mostly Theo, after you mentioned how much of a planner and the balancing act he has for a life haha. The Jester - Badflower Harry, with (almost) everyone expecting everything from him but then discarding him each summer once his job is 'done'. With him begging for just one person to care for him rather than just the Boy-Who-Lived, someone to look out for him. 7 Minutes - Dean Lewis Okay, hear me out first: Ron and Harry's relationship. Just in general as of chapter 22 hahaha. Like, this feels like Ron specifically of just the "I miss what we had, is it too late to fix this?" variety. Harry wants to fix it too, of course, but he knows (or at least seems to know) that it won't be the same as it was, and their relationship has irrevocably changed at this point, and is (mostly?) fine with that but still wants what they had back in 1st-3rd year. Like, this is prime material for an AMV of Ron walking around Hogwarts (if this situation extends that far, which I honestly would be surprised if it didn't). Surface Pressure - Jessica Darrow from Encanto Hi Theo, how are you? Putting too much on your shoulders? Don't worry, Harry is too, you're in good company lmfao. Like, this is just such a good song for gestures broadly all of that.

[cleoenfaserum]

GOD IS OUR COLONY WON by THE CROSS of THE SWORD at THE CROSSROAD. ¿Hablas Español? (1285)

All I can tell you about the film it gripped me. The music is great specially if you love the guitar as well as the harmonica like I do was a relishing treat.. Some really damn good playing. The story, well, it is not about the story but about the music but the actors did a great job. All in all, if you prick your ear, going to be in a pleasant surprise of a great film. But to set off the mood I added some great poetry recital which you I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

1285-1 LINK https://youtu.be/3C6mKP7_dc0

128/5-2 LINK https://youtu.be/-m5gqDGe5xc

SEE THE FILM CROSSROADS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG.

1285-3 LINK https://youtu.be/lJBo9jdUJiY

1285-4 LINK https://youtu.be/vNd1kFq_M00

1285-5 LINK https://youtu.be/tPx8cSGW4k8

1285-6 LINK https://youtu.be/7kf7fujM4ag

1285-7 LINK https://youtu.be/uKYB8Bx3yFY

Crossroads is a 1986 American musical drama film inspired by the legend of blues musician Robert Johnson. The film was written by John Fusco and directed by Walter Hill and features an original score by Ry Cooder featuring classical guitar by William Kanengiser and harmonica by Sonny Terry. Steve Vai appears in the film as the devil's virtuosic guitar player in the climactic guitar duel.

Fusco was a traveling blues musician prior to attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he wrote Crossroads as an assignment in a master class led by the screenwriting giants Waldo Salt and Ring Lardner Jr. The student screenplay won first place in the national FOCUS Awards (Films of College and University Students) and was sold to Columbia Pictures while Fusco was still a student.

Crossroads (1986 film) - Wikipedia

Crossroads (1986) - IMDb 7'1

1285-8 LINK https://ok.ru/video/1682351459033

1285-9 LINK https://youtu.be/FQQ2N7stK8Y

[burningexeter]

[THIRD HEADCANON/FAN THEORY]

In my own insane (but somehow way less insane) take on the infamous (is it infamous, I just want to know that) Tommy Westphall Universe fan theory which claims not only are 500+ shows are in the same universe but they all take place in the mind of a twelve year old autistic boy with a snowglobe (yes, this is a real thing, blame St. Elsewhere), I propose that in this case for me not only are a decent handful of media are set within the same universe as each other but they all take place within the mind of the deadly, morally grey, femme fatale and early 20s sorceress Charmcaster — the Alien Force and Ultimate Alien Charmcaster to be specific.

How I see it is this is the Where The Magic Happens Trilogy Charmcaster (the pitch I did) specifically the second and third series Charmcaster where she's not only way more mature but a lot more darker, sinister, calculated and ruthless where she took all the lessons she's learned and built upon them and grew from them but not in the good way you think of at first. Obviously, as the second and third series go on, she redeems herself and this is teased throughout because in all three shows Charmcaster has a code, refusing to hurt people that she doesn't have to, expressing regret and disgust at herself for [SPOILER ALERT] decapitating Gwen when they first met, going back to when she doesn't need to to save Gwen and her friends when left behind etc.

She's torn between being a hero and a villain.

But here's where her secret universe within her mind comes directly into play, at the end of the first series, a now changed completely Gwen - no longer the spoiled, know-it-all, mean brat she was at the beginning of the series - gives Charmcaster a special snowglobe that originally meant a lot to Gwen when she was only little and in the words of her Aunt Sandra "finally being able to walk".

It turns out in the second and third series, it's a prized possession of Charmcaster that she won't let anyone else get near or even touch even Gwen who gave it to her in the first place.

How I see it is this is where Charmcaster's universe begins, all of the following are figments on her "imagination". Stories in her mind that only she knows of, it's her own personal secret that's all her fun and her fun only. One day when they're married, she'll tell her wife Gwen but for now, this is hers and hers only. That way, it makes her finally telling Gwen more special.

CHARMCASTER'S UNIVERSE

The connecting theme here are a total of three things which fits them despite being tonially and stylistically different from each other:

1). They focus on distinct but very unconventional types of protagonists and even ensembles having to not only fight the odds but face the highest stakes and the highest threats there is. At the same time, the protagonists aren't generic action heroes or the type who'd be the heroes of these scenarios but they have moral codes or just codes in general even if they're not always "good people" and always end up doing "the right thing". Way less of Tony Stark from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Frank Dux from Bloodsport and Steven Hiller from Independence Day and WAAAAY more of The Stranger from High Plains Drifter, The Driver from Drive and Michael "De Santa" Townley from Grand Theft Auto V.

2). The villains or main antagonists are always never one-dimensional or generic stereotypical bad guys. They're all fully-fleshed out or just fleshed out in general villains with their own personalities, histories and motivations. Some of them are genuinely tragic villains out of Shakespeare and some who are full-on villainous are dangerous and intimidating. Hell, some have codes too. They fall straight into the morally grey area with that if they have that. Way less Tonraq from The Legend Of Korra (ugh, that whole show sucks), Fire Lord Ozai from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Senator John McLaughlin from Machete and WAAAAY more of J. Nomak from Blade II, Davy Jones from Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest/At World's End and Thaddeus Sivina from Shazam!.

3). All of the events in them are either caused by, advanced and forwarded by or sometimes both by the protagonists. They make life-altering decisions that whether good or bad, whether they did or didn't do the right thing, will have massive repercussions. It's never something random as all hell happening to a certain individual, it's the opposite where they did something that caused or triggered this event to happen to them so they really have no one else to blame but themselves.

IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:

• The Mummy (1999)

• Saving Private Ryan

• Overlord (2018)

• Inglourious Basterds

• Thief (1981)

• Heat (1995)

• The Long Kiss Goodnight

• The Invisible Man (2020)

• Upgrade (2018)

and that's just too name a few, there's much more to it than that but this gives you a great idea on what's going on in the mind of everyone's favorite teenage sorceress Charmcaster.

[woodsfae]

Character/arc predictions made after watching s03e17 War Without End Part One. First time watcher, please don't spoil me. :) Putting these down for posterity before I watch War Without End Part Two!

Garibaldi: He's been the reseach guy, and has been learning Narnuan and studying the Book of G'Quan so I think he's going to be vital to tracking down Sheridan unmoored in time, likely while Sheridan is in the past liberating Narn from the Shadows. I don't think Garibaldi going to die. I think they're setting up the narrative to make the viewers think he's going to die on B5, so when he does his final stand, or heroic staying behind the cut the wire or whatever it'll really tug everyone's heartstrings and he'll be "dead" for awhile. But then he'll be back with...

Stephen Franklin: Dr Franklin, while trying quit space cocaine and recover from the stressful life of a space station CMO is going to thrive in the more laidback environment which is Space Doctors Without Borders slash working with the human psi escape network. He, the psi underground, and Garibaldi (somehow...Garibaldi has had a lot of screen time researching PsiCorps) are going to come in clutch against the Shadows. He's also going to bring Sheridan back to life on Zha'dum with his medical knowledge and primitive/no medical tech/supplies. 

Susan Ivanova: will also be involved in the Psi plots. Obviously, she is a telepath. Her mother taught her good enough shielding/repressing that she has been able to slip beneath PsiCorps' notice all this time. But she's going to have to accept that she's a telepath (if she hasn't already...she plays her cards close to the vest) and learn to use it. She will also be an ace against the Shadows. I think she's going to be put into a situation where she is being pressured into letting other telepaths into her mind. Bester is my first guess. Then another PsiCorps telepath. She hates and fears PsiCorps and so that would be high stakes. But it might also be any telepath/s from any species. Maybe she'll be involved with an alien, league, and/or narn telepath/s. They've been teasing her being in danger on Babylon 5 and I don't have any firm predictions about how she moves from Babylon 5 but it might have something to do with Talia.

Talia Winters: I don't know if Talia is actually dead or not. Or if her body lived along with the personality construct PsiCorps trapped her with. Or if her personality will be assumed to be dead but resurface at some point. Or if they're gonna do an endgame of Bury Your Gays. My heart says sadly that I think Talia is either dead, or will end the series dead. But I HOPE something like this (or better!) happens for her. I hope she comes back to Babylon 5 in the nick of time. Her real personality or not. She and Susan escape the Shadows' attack. This will probably be after Garibaldi is assumed dead. Babylon 5 is lost, probably destroyed. Susan and Talia work together, have sparks. If Talia has been the construct, she gets sparks of memory back. But I think she dies, maybe saving Susan. Amd leaving Susan brokenhearted having never been public about their affection. Secret love and secret loss. Worst case scenario she lives, gets her memories back, survives, and then goes back to her ex, Matt Stoner and moves into his mom's basement to support his burgeoning career as a holostreamer.

John Sheridan: He is going to walk across time, learning and fighting the war across the universe. He's going to be perhaps the most famous warrior ever, with his legend echoing from a hundred points across thousands of years of history. He saved the Babylon 4 crew from Babylon 4. He traveled forward in time to save Babylon 5. I think he's going to make more stops before/after the war against the Shadows in the far past. I think he helped drive the Shadows off Narn, when they were there something like 500 years ago. Garibaldi might discover he was mentioned in G'Kar's book of G'Quan or something like that. Then, after all his timewalking, there's going to be a final showdown at Zha'dum in the main Babylon 5 timeline. And he's going to win. And die. And Stephen Franklin, bereft of his modern medical devices is going to keep him alive with 23rd century field medicine and possibly good old fashioned CPR. So Sheridan will die at Zha'dum and also live. And I'm certain Kosh is dead-but-not-gone, and will be either haunting Sheridan in specific, or Sheridan will have a packet of his memories or instincts or something like that. 

Delenn: She's gonna live. She's got to settle down with her all-american, corn-fed, iowan side of beef. She better have a crazy legend, too. I think she's going to have to steal Babylon 4 without Sheridan, because Sheridan is time walking uncontrollably. But she's gonna catch him with Babylon 4 somewhere or when. It's going to be very romantic. And she'd better get a legend of her own on the goddess level. I think that as she has yet to really explore the humanity in herself, she may have to dig deep into humanity's best and worst to think like the kind of human (Sheridan) that can out-tactics the Shadow, sacrificing her Minbari identity even more in order to become who she needs to be to succeed in catching Sheridan out of time and defeating the Shadows in past/present/future.

Lennier: He is the archetype of chivalry, specifically platonic ideals of a knight serving a lady. He's Lancelot from the older stories where he and Guinevere don't fuck. I think he will follow that archetype quietly, firmly, joyfully, to the end. I think he is going to die with the pure heart and diamond convictions he has demonstrated throughout the show. But that's as his eventual fate, which I hope doesn't end with season three. They may explore him creating his own legend and walking away from Delenn for a bit, but if they do, I think he will return to being her loyal aide until death do them part. Platonically. 

The show has made a point of saying that Narns aren't telepaths and having G'Kar imply that his telepathy was only temporarily induced by the drugs, but I'm not sure that's going to end up to be true. They've (imho) treated the Narns shamefully, and thematically the Narns OUGHT to be the ultimate aces in the hole. The alliance and rangers which have kept the Narns out of the loop, because of prejudice and pity, ought to realize that they cannot succeed without the Narns and they were wrong to assume the Narns didn't have necessary skills and information to allow them to succeed against the Shadows. And G'Kar ought to be recognized as a great leader of his people, a legendary ambassador working against impossible odds, and a hero. But idk if they're going to give the G'Kar and the Narns the props they deserve. I hope so, though. 

Londo Mollari: Aftering choosing the grasping, short-sighting path to power and influence every single time, and deeply regretting his youthful forays into the unCentauri vices of empathy and equity, Londo steers Centaur into falling into the Shadows' hands as Emperor. He blames everyone else around him till the bitter end. He might do something redemptive, like voluntarily clear the way for Vir the Reformer or something. But I expect him to choose miserably poorly for the rest of his life.

Vir Cotto: Emperor Vir the Reformer! He's definitely going to be legendary! And known for his reforms! I expect he'll spend his time till then being browbeaten by Londo by day, and helping Narns fake their deaths and escape the murder regime by night. No idea if his murderer wife is going to turn up again. I imagine...so...? But I can't imagine it ending well for either of them. 

Zack Allen: If he survives, he better be conscious for the rest of his life about his tendencies to fall in line with fascist elements and work to instead choose liberation. He seriously failed every moral checkpoint and then only chose the B5 alliance because it was getting pretty uncomfortable being one of the regime's bootlickers and enforcers. I've got my eye on him. 

Bester: My best guy is going to survive, do some very morally black shit, be my special, ominous little fellow, and trot off at the end to go found a psi-only colony/future superpower in an undisclosed location.

Sheridan's Dead Wife: Isn't actually dead now, but might be actually dead by the end of the show. 

My prediction for Sinclair is a separate post - see here.

[conspire24]

Why a Kalos game actually makes sense right now (crack theory)

So, I'm super excited we're getting a Legends game in Kalos featuring Zygarde. As a longtime fan in the XY anime, I always wished Zygarde was done justice in the game side of things, and once Legends Acreus came out, I knew another Legends game would be the perfect way to give Zygarde they're dues.

That said, this was definitely out of left field! Literally everyone was guessing we were going to get a Johto or Unova game this gen, since they're the only two that have yet to be remade in 3D. At first, skipping straight to Kalos makes no sense. But the more I thought of it, the more I've noticed a pattern, a pattern that I will now present as:

THE POKEMON GENERATION MULTIPLES HYPOTHESIS

The idea is that the region that gets remade is influenced by its age as well as whether or not the region's generation number shares a common denominator (that isn't 1) with the current region's generation number. I know, I'm bringing math into this, but trust me it'll make sense when we go through it.

Let's start simple, the first gen to get remade was Kanto (gen 1) during generation 3. Easy enough, it was the first gen where it made sense to remake past games, and oh look, 3 is a multiple of 1 (though to be fair everything's a multiple of 1).

Then we get to gen 4, where after the sinnoh games, we got a remake of John (gen 2). Oddly enough, 4 is a multiple of 2.

Then there's gen 5. Now, 5 is a prime number, so the only factor 5 has is 1, but gen 1 has already been made available on DS (along with every other gen, so it's not like they could do much anyway).

But then we get to gen 6, followed by the Hoenn remakes (gen 3), and 3 is a multiple of 6. Now, 6 also a multiple of 2 and even shares a common denominator with 4 (that c.d. being 2), but it seems gen 3 takes the precedent because it is the earliest set of games to have been released, since Johto and Sinnoh had games out more recently.

We move to gen 7, and you know, I remember back in 2017 when everyone thought we were gonna get Sinnoh remakes next. But why would we? 7 isn't a multiple of 4, 4 and 7 don't share a common denominator. 7 is a prime number, it isn't a multiple of anything - except for 1. And wouldn't you know it, this is the generation where we got a set of Kanto remakes - and 1 was the only thing that could factor into 7!

As we go to gen 8, suddenly it's apparent what would get remade next. Sinnoh was the region that had been out of circulation the longest, and 4 goes into 8 just fine, meaning now is finally the time to give Sinnoh another spot in the limelight with BDSP and Legends Arceus!

And now, we have reached gen 9, and again I say we all had thought we would get a return to Johto or Unova, but why? I mean, 9 isn't a multiple of 2, or 5. Rather, 9 is a multiple of 3. And you what else is a multiple of 3? 6! And since gen 6 had come out a year before the Hoenn remakes, it seems Kalos was the earliest game to pass the threshold for a modern reimagining.

So, in short, it appears that the region that gets remade or reused next coincides with whether or not the generation number shares a common denominator greater than 1 as well as whether or not the region's last release has been longer than other regions'. If this theory holds water, gen 10 may yield some interesting results, as 10 is a multiple of both 2 and 5. Though, there has been more time since the last new Johto games than there has been since the last new Unova games, so by my logic, Johto would be the next to be remade. Though if you count the Johto VC releases on 3DS, maybe that would mean Unova has spent more time out, so maybe Unova would be next on the docket?

Either way, I just think it's interesting that all the generations' numbers line up this way. Who knows, maybe each generation, GameFreak has been playing a simple numbers game when deciding their remakes.

Well regardless, I'm happy that we're getting another step into Kalos next year, and in a way, maybe the timing makes more sense than we realize. That said, definitely take this theory with a grain of salt. I highly doubt the numbering of generations (which I don't think GameFreak has ever actually acknowledged officially) truly factors into how GameFreak and the Pokemon Company greenlight what projects. But if nothing else, it's fun to notice those kinds of patterns. I'd take this in the same vein as that fire starter zodiac theory from a while back. It's probably not true, but it's funny how well it fits together!

That said, I'm calling it now, a Legends game in Johto is gonna be the game for 2028!

[velvet-cupcake-games]

Playing Robin's route and is it bad that as soon as I saw Lord Geoffrey, I was like, "Robin who? I'm going back to my actual groom" 🙈. Marion may have sense, but I do not and in my defense... Geoffrey's hot. I can fix him. It's fine. A little bit of corruption and questionable choices has never stopped me, askdjasdj. (I'm genuinely excited for Geoffrey's route! Will was what drew me in and I'm still super stoked for his route especially after the preview, but I've always been a villain lover first and foremost, welp.)

I can't lie, when I first got the idea for Made Marion, my first thought after, "You know, I love the Robin Hood legends and there are a ton of possible love interests," was "The Sheriff of Nottingham must be romanceable."

But I didn't want the Sheriff to be the one-dimensional villain that he is in many of the tales (both past and present). One of my big rules as a writer is that everyone believes they're the good guy. There are reasons why Geoffrey is doing what he's doing and while I certainly don't agree with all of them on a personal level, the important thing is that Geoffrey believes they are necessary measures for the greater good.

We won't be seeing a ton of Lord Geoffrey on Will and John's routes, as these routes focus on different sets of antagonists (John's on those three guards you met during the carriage heist, Will's on... SPOILERS). So perhaps he will be a bit less distracting until the Nottingham routes come out. ;)

[maskedteaser]

hii i just saw the rdr2 matchups you did and i love them AND HOLY SHIT APEX FAN‼️‼️ i love how detailed you are!! love your writing!! so if ur not too overwhelmed with requests id like to make one :3 and honestly if ur doing matchups for apex id love that too there's so little apex ffs, especially x reader </3 no pressure tho!!

anyways as for me. uhh. i don't use labels (aside from being asexual) but am pretty masculine in gender, and my love is for any gender. my pronouns are he/him :3

more about me,, im vegetarian, my favorite animal is the octopus, im chronically ill & disabled, which means i have chronic pain and have pretty bad sleep (literally writing this at 10 am after not being able to sleep all night) but despite that i have a weird paradox where i am kinda strong? like i can pick ppl up. but can't have much activity for a long time lest i cast spell 200 bpm on myself. but for the sake of the ff i could totally bench press arthur morgans 180lb of pure muscle. its true <3

in apex i main wattson and bloodhound! but i also like crypto, octane ofc (who doesn't), loba, and... im sorry.. wraith 😭 i got wattsons heirloom after. a very long time of opening packs AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH no regrets!! french girl with giant nessie plush!!!!! tho i haven't played in forever (and honestly may keep it that way with how much they're nerfing bloodhound.. like.. c'mon man.. not my main.. they've already been nerfed so much 😭)

i recently started playing rdr2 cause im visiting family that has it (theres actually been a lot of funny stories being on an unfamiliar console, like playing 22+ hours and reaching chap 2 without knowing how to save.. and i didnt know how to tell arthurs weight so i kept him underweight for so long my poor starving man </3) after playing rdr1 quite a bit. i also vibed with john hard in 1 but i lowkey thought he was an angsty young adult in rdr2 and not a FATHER. my favs are arthur and javier tho i can barely see the latter cause where tf is he on the map?? same with charles where IS HE??? but anyways i also vibe so hard with kieran.

tho i could talk forever about my interests, other than that for personality: id describe myself as actually kinda confident around strangers, i love to compliment ppl i come across. for friends, much of the same, i like using improv as humor if that makes sense, ive been told im easy to talk to, i consider myself intuitive (also contributed to me being a tarot reader i believe), but i am the type to have a veeerryy hard time expressing negative feelings im having, and never crying in front of people, so no shortage of bottling emotions. im also rather rigid on cleanliness and WILL start tweaking if me/my space goes too long w/o cleaning. i really, really care about people (i would want to be a paramedic!! if my body could allow it..) and i so want to make peoples lives better!! but also can rather easily stop people from walking over me, should they try. i care about kids a lot, and get very peeved when other ppl dont know how kids brains work and mistreat them because of such, and cause they just have no respect for children. honestly with thinking like.. about formulating matchmaking requests i never really seem to think about what id want out of a person. honestly, just when someone cares (wow, such high standards) but should the time come, mmmost times im not afraid to make a selfish ask. most. maybe. sometimes. and im very, very empathetic and it SUCKS i take psychic damage every time someone even remotely, even HYPOTHETICALLY feels bad. this is not a virtue.

for hobbies, i like to play video games as you may have guessed, i also like to read (non fiction, classic lit and danmeis especially), make art of all kinds but mainly physical sketches, and im always looking to add more shows/movies to my watched list.

i love to visit restaurants and cafes and interesting places surrounding food!!! my idea of a good time is eating with people, even if its in a crappy chuck e cheese. i love to try new foods (but it's a bit hard since becoming vegetarian), and i love matcha! i also love visiting just interesting places in general. why go to disney when you can see a beautiful spot in nature, or an art exhibit, or a park, or just the lively downtown? but other than that, i love my dedicated space 💗

i dont like rude people. mean people. people mean to kids and animals. bigots. assholes. any synonym for that. but honestly, not much else. there are other things that sure tick me off but can be pretty easily taken care of or compromised for.

i hope i didnt write a damn essay. half of it was geeking out over interests but. im guessing the brainrot is shared. but thank you so much for even reading my request this far!! (*˘︶˘*)

hii! sure thing! i love doing matchups especially when you guys give me lots of details :) let's get to it :) THIS IS NOT PROOFREAD!!! I'M REALLY SORRY FOR ANY MISTAKES!!!

okay, first things first - let me tell you why I didn't choose other characters :)

❝ im chronically ill & disabled, which means i have chronic pain and have pretty bad sleep ❞

Well, I need to be honest with you, I believe that despite your strenght, REVENANT would just make fun of your disability, he would NOT care at all, he'd probably pick on you and be REALLY rude. I hope it's not offensive (i'm sorry if i'm insensitive, it's not my intention), but I know he'd want to offend you. You could actually have a good hate-ship (if you know what i mean), where the only thing you guys do is fight with each other but I don't think that's what you want.

❝ im also rather rigid on cleanliness and WILL start tweaking if me/my space goes too long w/o cleaning. ❞

I'm sorry, have you seen OCTANE'S room? Let me remind you of that...

Can you see what is happening on his floor? This guy would probably drive you insane with how messy he is and I know he wouldn't care if you tried to ask him to clean it up... It would probably lead to many arguments and fights between you :(

❝and im very, very empathetic and it SUCKS i take psychic damage every time someone even remotely, even HYPOTHETICALLY feels bad. this is not a virtue. ❞

I have this feeling that Loba would see you as an easy target to manipulate, she'd think that she could use you after seeing that you feel really bad when someone feels bad, so she'd probably talk about her past a lot around you - trying to make you feel like you need to help her with everything. I doubt that it could work out :( I hope you see my vision and I'm not weirdly delusional with my ideas.

BUT NOW FOR A RESULT... (NGL I HAD A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS ONE SINCE YOU SEEM TO BE A GOOD MATCH FOR AT LEAST 2 LEGENDS, BUT I DECIDED TO PICK...)

VANTAGE

I feel like you and Vantage could have a really good relationship! You both seem to aim high with your ideals and I just think that you both are really empathetic, a little bit emotional even... You share the love for animals. She has her Echo and she'd probably die for him. Vantage would never let any animal be mistreated when she's watching.

" why go to disney when you can see a beautiful spot in nature, or an art exhibit, or a park, or just the lively downtown? " - I think she thinks exactly the same! She seems to be a big fan of nature and she is an explorer. Born on a cold planet where everything wanted to kill her, she knows that nature can both be beautiful and deadly. She is also really nice, and I think that when she gets closer to someone, she actually CARES, like...A LOT. You'd probably be treated really well. I think that Vantage would be really patient when it comes to you and expressing your feelings, she'd never let you just walk away if she saw that you were upset, I think that communication and trust is a priority in every relationship.

She'd listen to you when you tell her that you have chronic pain and she'd do exactly the things you ask her to do, always trying her best to help you and she'd make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard.

Thank you for reading 👽👽👽

[neon-green-reagent]

50 Underrated Horror Films: Part 4

What in absolute hell. We made it to part 4? Well, here we go then! Oh, also, links to the other parts: One : Two : Three

Undead : Starting off with an absolute banger. This is an Australian zombie apocalypse film. If you're familiar with Ozploitation cinema, then you know how nutso it can get, and this is a perfect example of just that. The action sequences are wild crowd pleasers, and the plot twists until it nearly breaks off.

Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory : I realize that sounds like porn. Just stay with me. It's a giallo! With a werewolf! For me, this was like finding the holy grail. Best of both worlds, truly. With... not the best looking werewolf, but this is an older movie, so cut it a little slack. It turns into a fun mystery with that special Italian flavor to it.

The Outwaters : Everyone was talking about Skinamarink. No one was talking about this. It has a similar conceit. To make a horror film that defies the idea of plot. It starts like your average found footage, then becomes a drug trip straight to the depths. It really does feel like witnessing a cosmic horror story where the horrors are, indeed, impossible to describe.

Tomie : This is the first of me cheating and actually recommending way more than one film. The Tomie film franchise is a series of loose adaptations of Junji Ito's manga of the same name, and there are nine at the moment. They get wild and weird, and they explore parts of Tomie that even the manga doesn't cover. Female monster! You need these in your life.

Murdercise : Low budget silliness trying to be throwback 80s and mostly just being hilarious and noticeably cheap. I love that. It's stupid and seems like the kind of movie that was a blast to make. I definitely felt like I was laughing with them and not at them, which made it feel really charming. A great one for a dumb movie night.

Zombie Death House : Zombies in jail! Directed by John Saxon who strangely didn't case himself in the lead like some vanity project. Rather he plays a character I have dubbed "Colonel Herbert West" if that sounds at all appealing. I mean, it clearly was to me.

Dead Birds : There aren't a ton of horror films that crossover with westerns, so this is a rare gem. A bunch of outlaws take refuge in a deeply disturbed location, and things get super dark.

Satan's Princess : A neo-noir detective story with supernatural evil at its core. Imagine if Angel Heart was dumber and way cheaper looking. With Robert Forster giving a really fun performance and an ending that had me laughing out loud.

Werewolf Bitches from Outer Space : Do you love Troma movies? Do you wish they were worse? Do I have the film for you! With scenes that were clearly filmed without permits. Random bystanders interfering with the production. Terrible werewolf masks. And pizza sex? It's a laugh riot.

Butterfly Kisses : A genuinely upsetting found footage movie that understands exactly how to use the urban legend format. There's a beastie out there that, if you stare at it, it will imprint on you like a baby duck. Then if you blink, it gets a little closer. Try to imagine how long you can go without blinking.

To Die For : Wanna watch a really shitty, late 80s Dracula? Here you go! It's dumber than a box of rocks. No one's motivations make any sense. Dracula seems like kind of a jerk despite being a romantic figure. But most of the actors are hotties and know the silly movie they're in, so it comes out fun in the end. Oh, and no one can agree when it came out. But rest assured I don't mean the one with Nicole Kidman.

Home for the Holidays : Made for TV Christmas slasher! Starring Sally Field. With a whole lot of family drama, which makes it feel authentically connected to the holiday. Merry Christmas! It's March. Ahem.

Welcome to Hell : Heavy metal horror strikes again. This time, a black metal band impregnates and kidnaps a groupie for their dark ritual. She escapes, but they're hot on her trail. The ending is nothing short of a religious experience. WINK.

Isolation : If Alien took place on a farm. With mutant cow fetuses. I swear, there is science that makes some sense of that. And it's not a comedy, I swear! It's actually very nasty with some wonderful body horror.

Dr. Crippen : Based on a real crime of passion and clearly cashing in on the Psycho craze. It's a strange one to recommend, because it's based on a true event, and the movie leans pretty hard in the bad doctor's favor. But it's worth it if you're a fan of Donald Pleasence. He gets to be his strange, little self and also be the star for once.

Tamara : What a mid-2000s romp this is. A good girl gets treated like garbage and goes bad in a witchy-demon-spell kinda way. Jenna Dewan as Tamara is perfect in every way. Gives me the gay.

Dark Harvest : Don't be like "oh, I've heard of that, didn't that just come out last year?" Yep, and everyone ignored it. When it was pretty fucking great. Set in a cursed town that openly sacrifices their kids to a fantastic monster by the name of Sawtooth Jack. His head is full of candy. Like. Go watch it.

Night Screams : Regional 80s slasher where a guy dies getting his face grilled. I'm pretty sure that shouldn't have killed him. And there are like three killers by the end? Did it before Scream, just saying. Enjoy the vibes on this one.

The Third Saturday in October Part Five and Part One : Speaking of slashers. These low budget gems came out last year, and there was a cute, little gimmick to it. You're supposed to watch five, then one. It simulates growing up pre-internet. You walk into the video store, and all they have is part five. You decide to rent it, even though you've never seen the first one. Then a week later, you find one. This really worked for me. Gave me nostalgic feelings. Please, if you watch them, try it this way.

The Vampire Doll : What if Japan made a Hammer film? Well, here it is. With one of my favorite tropes: a super cute couple investigates the horrors!

Night Feeder : Genuinely the best shot-on-video horror film I've ever seen. It actually fooled me. I thought I was watching a bad VHS rip, but no, this was not shot on film. It's stylish, clearly better than you'd expect, weird, dark, and has a really bad rock band in it.

Older Gods : Low budget and full of heart and also Lovecraftian horrors. If you're reading this and care, to me it felt as if someone wrote an original story around Azathoth. Which is cool, because no one ever uses him in anything. Also, if you're like, "so what does that mean?" It means that reality is up for debate in this one.

Cheerleader Camp : One of those that people clamor for when you talk about movies that still need a proper physical media release. I see why. It's extremely fun with its tongue lodged in its cheek. It uses every slasher trope and laughs hysterically while doing so.

Below : I love my underwater horror, and this delivers wonderfully. Haunted submarine, dude. But honestly, that wasn't the scariest part. The plot was cool, and I enjoyed the mystery, yeah yeah. But more to the point, everything that can go wrong... does. Imagine being trapped at the bottom of the ocean in a giant, metal coffin. BRR!

The Werewolf and the Yeti : How many werewolf movies are on this list? Uh, shut up. As I was saying, this is great. Paul Naschy brings a massively enjoyable werewolf flick our way again. With all his swashbuckling charm. By the time the yeti shows up, so much awesome shit had happened that I forgot he was supposed to fight a yeti. I mean...

Subspecies : And how many vampire movies are on this list? SHUT UP I SAID. Anyway. Another where I mean the whole series. All of them. Radu, the main villain, is a joy. Michelle's story arc is super dramatic and full of that Interview with the Vampire angst. Special mention to the second film, which goes all out with the gore effects.

The Hills Run Red : A horror movie about horror movies. A lost film has gained a cult following, and a bunch of dumb college kids decide to track it down. You can guess how that goes. William Sadler steals the entire movie when he shows up. Babyface also has iconic slasher energy.

Abby : This one's underrated because the filmmakers got sued by the guys that made The Exorcist and lost. This is essentially the black version of The Exorcist, and it's so good that I'm depressed we'll never get a great release of it. Carol Speed is amazing as Abby. William Marshall, Blacula himself, is in it. Track this down and get mad about it with me.

The Appointment : What the hell is this. Even I'm not sure. Edward Woodward crashes his car. I mean, I don't know what else to say about it. The film ramps up the tension and dread until a ridiculously Rube Goldberg thing happens, and you have to experience it.

Frostbiter : Another of those movies made with ten cents and a lot of gumption. A bunch of people wanted to make Evil Dead II, and so they did that. They even put an Evil Dead II poster in the cabin they filmed in, so that you wouldn't even wonder about what inspired it. Also, special mention to the chili song.

Hell's Highway : Have you ever seen a movie that was really cheap and goofy, but you could see EXACTLY how it would've looked if they'd just had the money? This is that movie. Every special effect fails. Everything's so awkward and odd. But you can tell what they MEANT for it to be. So bad it's good and then some.

Dance of the Damned : Vampire. Sorry. So this one is about a vampire who wishes he could stop living eternally, because it sucks to live that long and be so alone. He finds a sex worker who is also feeling like she wishes things would just end, and they share their pain with each other. Way better than it has any right to be, mullet and all.

The Werewolf of Washington : Werewolf. I really am sorry. Dean Stockwell plays a truly adorable werewolf. And nothing about it is meant to be taken seriously at all. Gives An American Werewolf in London a run for its money in the goober department.

The Curse of Kazuo Umezu : From the man who brought you The Drifting Classroom comes... this! It's a pair of strange tales. One about a vampire, fuck, I'm sorry. And one about a haunted house that even the narrator can't figure out what's going on. Horror anime!

Lo : A young man has recently lost his love. She was dragged to hell. That old chestnut. So he summons a demon named Lo to try to get her back. With a twist that'll make you go, wait, I thought this was a comedy?

The Spider Labyrinth : This one recently got a really nice release, and I'm so glad, because it's bonkers. A young fella is sent to Budapest to find a lost professor. Instead he finds a cult. Uh oh.

End of the Line : Apocalypse horror that turns your brain inside out just a bit. A religious cult has decided it's the end of the world, and they start executing innocents so they'll "go to heaven." Are they brainwashed or is the world actually ending? You decide!

Off Balance AKA Phantom of Death : Just barely a Phantom of the Opera riff. A pianist discovers he has a rare genetic disorder that threatens to cut his career short. Also, he's kinda losing it. Starring Michael York, Donald Pleasence, Edwige Fenech, directed by Ruggero Deodato, oh my GOD!

The Lure : Killer mermaids. Well, sirens. Kind of a mix. It's also a musical. And about how awful the entertainment industry is for young women. It's also super gory, and they eat people. Truly little else out there is like this.

Redneck Zombies : What do you want me to say? It's a Troma film. It's called... that. I'm pointing. I'm pointing at the title. That's the movie. Just... Right? Yeah?

The Killer Reserved Nine Seats : Another of those gialli that is really just And Then There Were None. But the nice part is that Italy likes to get more sexual, violent, and fucking awful than Agatha Christie ever dreamed. This one also takes place in an old theater, so the vibes are choice.

Mary Reilly : I always include at least one entry in these lists that begs the question, "how did this become underrated?" And obscure, that too. When it's a Jekyll and Hyde retelling with an emphasis on the gothic and lush, starring Julia Roberts and John Malkovich? By the way, I heard people hated it because of Roberts' terrible Irish accent. Damn, dude, I've heard way worse, fake accents than that. Anyway, this is fantastic. Watch it.

The Forest : One of those slashers where I thought I understood what I was getting into, but I did not. There's a man living in the woods who went postal on his cheating wife one day. The ghosts of his family are also haunting the woods. And he's a cannibal who feeds a guy his own girlfriend. I need other people to watch this so that I can be assured it was real.

Autopsy (2008) : I put a year, because there are around 800 horror films with that title. To further narrow it down, it's the one where Robert Patrick plays basically Herbert West fused with Mr. Freeze, and Jenette Goldstein is his nurse, and they chase a bunch of college kids around for science. Kind of a pitch black comedy with torture porn aspects, and I loved it.

Glorious : A guy gets trapped in a public restroom, which is horrifying enough. Then a cosmic horror god starts talking to him from a bathroom stall. He gives him the assignment of helping to stop the end of the world. The god is J.K. Simmons, and the whole thing is a delightful bottle movie.

Nightmare Detective : From the director that brought you Tetsuo: The Iron Man... Do I have your attention? Comes the Japanese Nightmare on Elm Street! That's oversimplifying, but that is my elevator pitch. It involves all sorts of dream powers and psychic battles that will blow your socks off.

House of Lost Souls : Directed by Umberto Lenzi, which means it feels as doobery as Ghosthouse. It's about a hotel desperate to decapitate you, and it has the silliest dialogue and acting known to man. Special mention to psychic powers being cited as a "rational explanation."

The Cleansing Hour : A priest who livestreams fake exorcisms has to rumble with a real demon. Super fun character piece where a conman has to look his sins dead in the eye. Truly obsessed with this one. Also, super fun demon effects. With Kyle Gallner, everyone's favorite scream king.

Deathrow Gameshow : What if Airplane was super violent? Or The Running Man was a dumb comedy? This hits the sweetest spot, where the humor is idiotic and the violence is cartoonishly nasty. This will speak to the sort of person, like myself, who wants their comedy to be indigestible for most audience goers.

Double Blind : This is a very recent release. A diverse group take part in a double blind drug test. Things go so extremely bad. I won't give anything away, because part of the fun is the unfolding chaos.

I can't believe I managed to do that again. Enjoy! I hope you find some new favorites from this list.

[ivorypiano]

rating various doublecastings in assassins 👍

balladeer/lee harvey oswald: THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND!!! no one's doing it like them... i think it's really important to the show because of the running theme that anyone could end up like the assassins, and the balladeer being a representation of the audience getting turned into an assassin is really powerful imagery. i LOVE the way the 2021 off broadway revival stages the costume change because instead of the assassins forcing the balladeer into it it feels more like the balladeer has been pushed to the point where he does it willingly. and im so normal about that!!! i looove the broadway revival's staging of the assassins surrounding the balladeer to reveal him as lee harvey oswald because it feels a lot more surprising/shocking . i also saw a production that had the assassins force the balladeer to change at gunpoint, which was interesting. 1000/10 (the only drawback to this is the one production i found that had a female lee harvey oswald which. was a choice.)

proprietor/john wilkes booth: i'm ok with it! i think my main problem with this is that the proprietor to me represents the disillusionment with america turning into violent passion against it, so having him also be a person feels weird to me. also i think it gives too much power to booth, and i think it's important to show that like everyone else, john wilkes booth was never really that special. also i like it when the proprietor is influencing other scenes and if he's doublecast with booth he's only really in the opening number. it doesn't really affect the show on a surface level though. 5/10

bystander #3 or #5/emma goldman: i don't really have that many thoughts on it, low score because i don't think it detracts from the show but it doesn't really add to it either. i prefer them played by separate actresses but like 100% of the time they're doublecast because the ensemble isn't big enough. also when they're played by the same actor they have to costume change during what does a man do, and i think it's a little distracting for what's meant to be a powerful rally. 2/10

ensemble/the assassins: not a fan, i think it detracts from the assassins feeling like outcasts from what the ensemble represents as society. i guess it could represent the assassins being people/blurring the lines between us vs them?? i think the balladeer/lee harvey oswald doublecast is a more effective way to do that. i dunno, i think it's too distracting to be worth it but also i really like some productions that do this so it doesn't really matter that much. 1/10

bystander/lee harvey oswald: OK i'm going to do something unheard of and talk about the watermill theatre production. i think this doublecasting is really effective in a specific context, like how watermill theatre sets it up. for some background they don't have an orchestra, so all the instruments are played by the assassins and the ensemble. one side effect of this is that the ensemble is on stage a LOT more than they normally are, and for the most part they don't have costume changes, so each ensemble member is very recognizable and you feel like you know them. because of this, when one of the ensemble members is turned into lee harvey oswald, it has the same affect as double casting the balladeer and oswald. it feels like a representation of the audience is being turned into an assassin, while avoiding the ramifications of the balladeer (who is female in this) being oswald. the only negative drawback is that this ensemble member wears a high school letterman jacket for most of the show so it makes oswald feel a lot younger. this is something most productions do but booth feels much older then oswald, who in real life was a year older than him. oswald feels like a kid being manipulated by an older person who knows what they're doing, but i think it's important to show that he's also a grown man who fully knew what he was doing when he chose to shoot jfk. anyways in any other production where the ensemble isn't on stage a lot it doesn't have the same affect, oswald feels like an entirely new person who you have no introduction to, because most people won't recognize him as one of the actors in the ensemble. 10/10 for watermill, 1/10 for everyone else

balladeer/the proprietor: so i've only seen one production that does this and i have a lot of mixed feelings on it. for context this is a college production that has the entire ensemble play both the proprietor and the balladeer. i think this gets rid of the duality between the proprietor and the balladeer, especially in another national anthem when they're supposed to be fighting but instead the same people are singing both the proprietor and the balladeer's lines. i think the only good thing about this is that the proprietor and the balladeer feel a lot more like forced of nature/ideas rather than individuals. 3/10

[seriouslycromulent]

OK. So I finished watching Hysteria!

And let me say, it was waaaayyy better than I thought it'd be. That's not to say that I thought it would be bad. But I must admit that because it was on exclusively on Peacock, I didn't have a high expectation in terms of storyline, character development, or special effects.

No shade. Peacock is not Tubi, but it's not HBO Max either.

Well, don't I feel foolish! Because in terms of storyline, character development, and effects, it was surprisingly well done and I can't wait for season 2.

To be fair, I really only decided to give the series a chance because 1) the one and only Bruce Campbell has a meaty role in it, and 2) even though I technically lived through the Satanic Panic myself, I didn't experience any of it at all, so I was curious about how they would portray it.

Overall, the story was pretty solid and the performances were impressive. As a matter of fact, there were two incredible standouts in terms of acting:

1 - The amazing Julie Bowen, who was pitch perfect throughout the whole series, from sweet-yet-stern-suburban-mom to scared-out-of-her-wits-delusional-paranoid to demon-possessed-bride-of-Satan. It's a shame the Emmys don't give genre/horror/sci-fi its due because her nomination would be all, but certain for next year.

2 - The cheerleader "best friend" of the lead mean girl/love interest Tonya Perkins played by Aline O'Neill. I know most of the audience's eyes would've been on the leading troublemaker Judith Sanders played by Jessica Treska, but I had to hand it to Aline as the true scene-stealer in the final episode, "Heaven's On Fire."

Mild spoiler alert --

When the would-be cult is trying to decide what to do with Tonya because Judith told them Tonya was the one who ratted them out, Aline gives a brilliant performance as the young teen begging for mercy from her peers. I mean, it was like a John Turturro-in-Miller's Crossing caliber performance.

The cast had a lot of talented folks across all generations, but to me, Aline is the one to watch in the future.

As for the entire 1st season, I'm interested to see where they're going to go for the 2nd season? Because even though Spud writes off the town's behavior as the product of the power of suggestion and collective hysteria due to fear, that is clearly not the case for the audience.

We saw poor Linda (Julie Bowen's character) get pulled up the stairs and thrown about her living room like a ragdoll. We saw the blotchy hives appear on different members of the town, even if they weren't buying into the fear. We saw Chief Dandridge (Bruce Campbell's character) talk to a demonic voice on the phone that turned out not to be plugged in.

There is some definite spooky sh*t going on in that town. And the finale does not explain it away at all. Especially with that last visual in the final moments of the show. (That Tim Curry in Legend-looking thing was lurking around the corner, was it not?)

So yes, I'm definitely interested to see where this goes for next season, if they get another season. Because the idea that a small town in Michigan somehow actually opened a portal to hell or summoned a demon right in the midst of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s is a great premise for a film, but how do you keep it going for a TV series? 🤔

[randomvarious]

1990s Breakbeat Playlist

Added a few sweet gems to this 90s breakbeat playlist of mine that I've been slowly growing over the past few years. This week brings us a remix by Lol Hammond, aka Girl Eats Boy, who provided an update to his own Drum Club duo's 1991 progressive house tune, "U Make Me Feel So Good," in '97 that transformed it into this super soothing atmospheric thing with a terrific combo of soft horn and subtle string to go along with its chugging drum break 😌. And in addition to that, we've also got something a bit out there by acclaimed Ninja Tune act DJ Food, who perform here as The Illuminati of Hedfuk with "The Worm Turns," and a song by UK group Globo, whose "Breakdown" was mixed by none other than Jack Dangers of pioneering trip hop and breakbeat group Meat Beat Manifesto. The "U Make Me Feel So Good" remix is sitting at somewhere under 1,000 plays, "The Worm Turns" has a little over 38K plays, and "Breakdown" is only at over 6K plays. So some pretty dope, underheard stuff for you all to savor this week.

The Illuminati of Hedfuk - "The Worm Turns" The Drum Club - "You Make Me Feel So Good (Girl Eats Boy mix)" Globo - "Breakdown (mixed by Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto)"

But with the YouTube update, we've got a couple more adds that can't be found on Spotify too, and one of them comes courtesy of the legendary Chemical Brothers, who, by the time they'd remixed UK duo Deeper Throat's harmonica-infused "Mouth Organ" into a lovely big beat jam all the way back in '93, weren't even performing under that name yet, and were instead going by The Dust Brothers, who are not to be confused with the popular American electronic group that they'd actually taken that name from 😅. Wait for this one to all come together towards the end, with the drum break, the hazy harmonica notes, and the looped-up, sampled, energetic rap vocal all firing in tandem to yield something that actually sounds great, but really has no right to. ~31.6K plays across a handful of uploads on YouTube.

And then we've also got something by a one-off trio called S.D.S., which actually consisted of a couple classic UK punk rockers—drummer Rat Scabies from The Damned and bassist John Jennings from The Ruts—and versatile dance musician Steve Jones aka Steve Dub. Here, the unlikely three-piece delivers "Solar Flares," a dark and futuristic bit of groovy breakbeat dystopia from 1998 that exclusively appeared as their only song, on the otherwise awful Hypnotic Records' compilation, The Chemistry Set. Sounds like the drums on this one were recorded live rather than sampled, and if I had to guess, they're almost certainly provided by Rat Scabies himself. Song currently only has a little over 340 plays, and is deserving of so many more, because it could've easily slotted onto something like The Matrix soundtrack and enjoyed a much more fruitful legacy.

Deeper Throat - "Mouth Organ (Chemical Brothers mix)" S.D.S. - "Solar Flares"

And this playlist is also on YouTube Music.

So this update now brings us up to 18 songs on Spotify that clock in at 104 minutes, but over on YouTube, we're now at 40 songs that clock in at 223 minutes. So if you want a much more fulfilling trip into the land of 90s breakbeat that includes both legends like The Chemical Brothers and ephemeral acts like S.D.S. alike, as well as so much more, give the YouTube playlist a listen!

And here's a list of all the comps and mixes that I've used to put this playlist together so far:

St John's Playhouse: Fierce Club Classics by DJ Dave Matthias (1997, Sony Music Special Products) Science Fiction Jazz Volume 1 (1996, Mole Listening Pearls) The Desert Sun: A Higher State of Trance and Chemical Music (1997, Hypnotic Records) Artificial Intelligence (1992, Warp Records) Ninja Cuts: Flexistentialism (1996, Ninja Tune) Tresor.4 - Solid (1997, Tresor) California Dreaming (1994, Internal / FFRR) The Chemistry Set (1998, Hypnotic Records) Funky Breakz 2 by DJ X (2000, Xquizit Records) Eclectic Electric (2000, eMusic) Amberdelic Space II: Angel of Ecstasy (1997, Dressed to Kill) The Best Rap Album of All Time (1999, Dressed to Kill) Pacific Rhythm - The First Wave (1996, Harthouse America) The Uncertain Future - The Fourth Barramundi Sampler (1996, Barramundi / Antler-Subway) Monsieur Dimitri's De-Luxe House of Funk by Dimitri From Paris (1997, DMC Publishing Ltd.) Jackpot Presents Guerilla by Phil Perry & Danny Howells (1997, Jackpot) DJ-Kicks: by Kid Loco (1999, !K7 Records) Further East-Westercisms (1998, Law & Auder) The Vertical Iris (1998, ZoëMagik Records) We Are Reasonable People (1998, Warp Records) Live and Rare (1998, F Communications / PIAS France) A Jedi's Night Out by Tom Middleton (1999, DMC / Mixer) Electric Kingdom: Episode One (1999, Language) Bakchick EP #4 (1999, Basenotic Records) 4am Eternal (A Truly Twisted Post-Club Chill-Out Selection) by Osymyso (2000, Mixmag)

Another breakbeat update next week!

Enjoy!

More to come, eventually. Stay tuned!

Like what you hear? Follow me on Spotify and YouTube for more cool playlists and uploads!

[multiplekittens]

was looking thruogh the neopets seasonal attack pea insider trading notes and was having difficulty finding an explanation. as someone who used to be REAL into it but hasnt actively played neo in maybe 2-ish years i would love to hear what the hell is going on so much

Happy to oblige!! This is going to be a long post, so I'm putting my answer under the cut

Alright, so I think part of why you're having trouble finding an explanation is that there isn't a definitive answer yet! With that in mind, I'm going to divide this post into a fact-based description of what happened, followed by my personal speculation. I'm not someone who's big in the community, so all of this has come from me reading (mostly on the neopets reddit); my perspective is bound to be biased because of that, so take my speculation with a grain of salt!

The facts as I heard them:

---First day of the Advent calendar. People are shocked and surprised to find the seasonal attack pea is part of the prize pool for the hidden prize. For anyone who's reading this who doesn't have a neopets background, the seasonal attack pea is an extremely rare, powerful battledome item (the battledome is what it sounds like, and has both a PvNPC and PvP mode). Its going price before all this started was 2 billion neopoints; that is significantly more than the average player will ever make in their lifetime. Some (imo, most) people are excited that this item is going to be affordable (still steep, but possible to buy); some people, (I think?? Mostly long-playing wealthy players and/or battledome players) aren't happy because they're worried it'll break the neopets economy OR unbalance the battledome.

---Second day. Someone on Jellyneo, an extremely popular fansite whose mods have some level of communication with the neopets team (TNT), makes a note on their advent calendar guide saying that the seasonal attack pea has been removed from the prize pool. This note is now deleted, so I don't know what exactly it said; I saw some people say that it indicated the pea was removed because of ambassadors complaining to TNT directly, but since I never read the post I can't confirm that. (I don't really understand what ambassadors are; I think they're long-running fans that can communicate to TNT in order to bridge the gap between the fanbase writ large and TNT, but I'm not 100% sure about that).

---People are FURIOUS. Some people are saying they'll cancel their premium subscription because of this, others are saying they'll leave the site entirely. Some people are saying this is proof TNT can act fast, but only will when rich players complain (previous snafus in events have taken TNT like a week to react to, so hours/days is out of character). People who got the pea and sold it for 20 mil because they thought it was about to be deinflated to hell are devastated. People's posts on the subject were getting deleted off the neo boards by the neopets team, who have not released a single statement. People were going to John Legend's Instagram to ask him to fix the neopets economy. (I saw at least one person post something along the lines of "look, I still got a pea today," but I don't think a lot of people saw that; maybe they just assumed that person was secretly getting last day's gift.) It was a mess!

---Third day of the Advent calendar. People get the pea as a hidden prize.

---Now people are upset AND confused. It's highly unlikely that TNT would be so fast-moving (and wishy-washy) to remove the pea for exactly one day and then put it back, so people start speculating if the pea was even removed in the first place. They start turning on Jellyneo, since the website quietly deleted the post saying that the pea was removed from the hidden prize pool. This is where the insider trading accusations come in; I'm going to talk more about that in the speculation section.

---JellyNeo releases a statement, shown here (picture stolen from satansboyussy on Reddit)

---People extremely do not trust this post.

---Day 4 (today): talk about this has died down a lot, especially since TNT put a Kadoatie in the normal prize list for today's Advent calendar. Most people are kind of just joking about it now

Speculation:

Most of what I'm about to say is unsourced, outside of "this is what people on Reddit said," so don't believe everything I write here! But here's why people are thinking of insider trading specifically:

---ive seen people say that the "complaining ambassadors" I referenced earlier might be either someone on JellyNeo's mod team or someone close to JellyNeo's mods; the calls might have been coming from inside the house, as it were

---ive also seen some people saying that they saw someone on JellyNeo's team buying up cheap peas and selling them for a gigantic markup, but I have seen absolutely no actual proof of this. I'm absolutely sure people have been flipping peas like that, but I don't know if that's insider trading specifically or just neopets economy being neopets economy. Huge if true, though!

---I find it extremely strange that someone would, in good faith, see no one posting peas on the trading post for two hours between 12 and 2 AM PST and decide that definitively meant that peas had been removed from the pool, then post that as fact on an extremely popular fansite. The majority of neopets players are US American, so that seems like a natural dead time to me.

--- On a side note, People seem to buy that the pea chance has indeed been lowered by TNT; I'm not really sure if I do, just because TNT historically has not reacted that quickly ever since the new team was founded, but who knows!

I hope this answers your questions!! Please let me know if you have any more; you can ask in the replies and I'll do my best to answer. I think a lot more info might be able to be found on the Neopets discord, but I refuse to join any more discords lol