#Anthony Adams my beloved

[tomcat-radio]

I rewatched Bottle Rocket last night and I’m becoming increasingly upset how little Wes Anderson fans talk about it. Pre-Fantastic Mr Fox Wes Anderson doesn’t get enough love as it is but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone except for myself or close friends of mine showing any appreciation for Bottle Rocket

Every now and then I hear people describe Bottle Rocket as “Wes Anderson before he was Wes Anderson” and I personally believe this statement is completely incorrect and as with many things comes with a fundamental misunderstanding of Anderson’s style. Many pillars of both the way he does visuals and cinematography and how he writes characters and narratives are entirely present in Bottle Rocket. It undeniably feels like a Wes Anderson film, having a certain charm to it in the way it doesn’t hold itself to any standard except its own. You can feel the enthusiasm of everyone involved in every shot, something that I’ve hardly ever seen repeated.

Call it “unpolished” “weird” “amateur” or “definitely a first attempt” but more than anything it feels incredibly genuine. It’s fun, it’s chaotic and even touching at times and it truly holds up after over 27 years. It’s a good fucking movie and I’m not afraid to say it. Bottle rocket is good, it’s great. It’s a great movie.

It’s a movie that we as a fandom even in our small numbers need to give so much more attention to, it deserves to be talked about and shown some love. So Wes Anderson fans I urge you, back me up here, we need some bottle rocket appreciation.

[macabr3-barbi3]

God, That's Good!

Chapter 4: Ah, Miss

Across town from Fleet Street, Charlie reflects on what she wants- and Vaggie reflects on Charlie.

Act 1:  Chapter 1 🥧 Chapter 2 🥧 Chapter 3 🥧 Chapter 4 🥧 Chapter 5 🥧 Chapter 6  🥧Chapter 7 🥧 Chapter 8 🥧 Chapter 9

Tags: Charlie being a Disney Princess, starstuck Vaggie, Sera is The Worst™️

Thank you as always to my beloved @fraugwinska 💕❤️

Charlie knew that Adam and Sera were lying to her- and had been since she was a child taken into their care. 

True, her memories are vague, but they are there. Her mother and father, deeply in love with one another and not a pair of criminals only interested in drugs and money. Sometimes if she closes her eyes and concentrates she can almost see the ghost of their faces- a man with a kind face and a neat mustache that looked so much like her, a woman so fair and beautiful that all she had wanted at eight years old was to be her when she got older. And she looks like her now, fifteen years later.

At least, that’s what Adam tells her. She doesn’t like the way he says it lately, standing too close to her in the tiny hallway between their respective rooms in his house, like he’s looking at her but seeing her mother. Charlie remembers him coming to their home as a child, her Uncle Adam, always quick to teach her a curse word and bring her candy that her mother didn’t think she should have. They would drink and play cards together while Charlie drew or read or played with her dolls, and she had thought everything was fine- perfect, in the way that most eight year olds think that their parents and close relatives are when they’re young.

For the most part he leaves her alone. Sera is the one that really provides for her beyond a roof over her head- taking her to Church with her daughter Emily, ensuring that Charlie is well educated and well spoken, providing the books she reads, the clothes she wears, the places she goes. And in Emily, at least, she does have a friend; someone to bond with over how strict the Beadle was, both in the home and outside of it, to talk to about the experiences that they were missing. Charlie might have turned out just like Emily; content and ignorant in her essential isolation, not knowing what else there really was in the world outside of home and Church if it wasn’t for the young man that frequently came down the street on the way to his… ‘partner’s’ house.

Anthony- though he asks her to call him Angel, short for Angel Dust, being so close to his not-quite-boyfriend’s home- is an absolute delight. Having really only had Emily for company for the longest time, he was an interesting change of pace. It had been a couple of months now since he had come to town, and the first time that she met him she had known, somehow, that they would be fast friends.

“Hey, toots,” he had called from below her balcony, while she had been so engrossed in tracing the constellation Andromeda in the sky one night that she hadn’t even realized he was there. “Ya got a light?”

She had startled, scraping her elbow on the stone of her railing as she registered his words and presence. He was tall and lithe, slender, his clothing in style but far tighter than most men wore their garments. It took her a moment before she recognized him as one of the new faces that had been spotted hanging around the ‘brothel’ in town when Sera took her and Emily to Church on Sundays, draped through the arms of the tall, flamboyant man that ran the place. Sera always led them away as quickly as she could, but that didn’t stop Charlie from noticing, even at a distance, the difference in the coloration of his eyes. That night, a few feet below her, it was even more evident- a sweet, soft brown on the left, greenish hazel on the right.

She had given him a book of matches, and since that night she was out here all the time, waiting for him to come by in the later hours of the night. When Adam was out at parties and such Charlie would risk coming downstairs, right to the wall a few feet past her balcony so that she could talk to Anthony face to face instead of from above him. He was reserved at first, a little guarded with her being the ward of the Judge and his occupation being technically illegal, but the more they got to know each other the more they trusted one another.

Anthony told her so much about the world outside of New Orleans- having come from New York City, where things were faster, vibrant, more exciting. Everything seemed so much bigger from his perspective, and Charlie needed to see it for herself.

She hadn’t yet told him of her plans to leave; she hadn’t told anyone. Sera had been pushing the idea of marrying her off, which Charlie wasn’t interested in the slightest, and Adam continued to act strangely around her. She wants to go South to find her father- if he was truly holed up in some prison like Adam and Sera told her, there should be some record of it, some path that she could trace to him so she could finally hear from him directly if what they had said was true- that they were criminals, that they plotted against Adam, that he had killed her mother before Judge Cain had him sent away. It wouldn’t change anything, but she thought the knowledge might give her closure, finally reconcile the image of her father she had kept in her head for fifteen years with the man he really was.

It would kill her to leave Emily behind. The younger girl was like a sister to her, the closest friend she had besides Angel, but she didn’t think that she would come. When Charlie spoke to her of the things she learned from Anthony- fun, exciting, scandalous things that had Charlie blushing some nights over the garden wall- Emily wasn’t as intrigued. She was content in the life her mother had set up for her, engaged to a nice young man named Peter from the Church and ready to marry within a few months and be a perfect, dutiful housewife like Sera had been before her husband died and she devoted herself to the Church and the Judge. 

That wasn’t the life Charlie wanted. She wanted to see the world and help people, people like Anthony that ended up down on their luck and made to go into whatever industry would have them just to survive. She had plenty of savings- Adam had a habit of gifting her money for things like her birthday, even though Sera rarely took her to any stores to buy anything with it- and she had enough of an idea of what she wanted to do to give her conviction in her plan. She didn’t know when, but soon she would leave New Orleans and find the answers to her questions, and do what she felt like she was meant to do.

Vaggie hadn’t meant to turn down the alley that she had- being a sailor that wasn’t in charge of navigation meant her only real sense of direction was ‘sunrise is East, sunset is West’ which didn’t help much when it was already dark- but the sight of the beautiful young woman silhouetted by the light on her balcony was well worth getting lost among the streets of New Orleans.

She leaned against the railing of her balcony, eyes cast up at the sky as she stood there, humming a song under her breath. Dazzling blonde hair fell in a loose ponytail down her back, lashes large and eyes shining in the glow of the moon. She wore a red nightgown that fell to her shins, swaying in the soft breeze of the night. She seemed calm- thoughtful, if the crease in her brow was indicative of anything.

Vaggie was no stranger to a beautiful woman, but here in the alley off the main street, nearly hidden in the shadows while she was illuminated, it seemed like she was plucked right from the Heavens themselves. 

She stays unmoving as a statue. Vaggie takes a breath to call to her, say something to catch her attention so she’ll look her way, when the wind picks up and blows a thick strand of her hair into her lovely face, breaking her concentration and making her sputter at the strands in her mouth. She casts her eyes around and they settle on Vaggie, something like lightning sparking through her veins as she makes eye contact with the woman. Blue eyes, soft and brilliant and beautiful, meet her brown ones, and breath leaves her body. She manages to send enough brain signals to her muscles to wave and offer a light smile, which the woman returns with a flutter of her fingers.

“Alms,” she hears behind her, and the beggar woman from the docks with Mister Morningstar has returned. Her head still held down low, the metal cup jingling softly with the coins that Vaggie had given her earlier in the day. “Please, Miss, have mercy…”

When she turns back to the balcony, the woman has vanished.

She sighs internally but pulls about another couple coins, hesitating before dropping them. “Do you know anything about that young woman?” She asks, nodding at the balcony, and the beggar glances to the side and flinches with her whole body, jerking away from the house with force. 

“Charlotte,” she says, his voice soft and mournful. “Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte- he took her, Judge Cain, won’t let anyone near her- you’d best be off before he catches you lurking- horrible things he could do, you can’t know what he’s done, poor Charlotte…” 

She starts to pull away, ducking her head away from the house, and Vaggie drops the coins into the cup before it’s gone. “Wait,” she asks, but the beggar is deaf to her calls. She mutters under her breath as she slinks off, back into the shadows, leaving Vaggie alone with only a name and a vague sense of unease.

A shuffle of noise had Vaggie turning to spot a young man- tall, lithe, he wore clothing that was form-fitting and bright as he entered the alley, dragging a hand through his dark blonde locks with a sigh. He spotted Vaggie and gave a little wave as he approached.

“Fuckin’ looney, am I right?” He points at the beggar as she wanders away. “I try to avoid her when I can- ya never know if crazy is contagious. Hey, ya got a light?” He asks, holding up a ‘V’ in his fingers like he was holding a cigarette between them. “Looks like my gal ain’t out tonight.” He gestures vaguely upwards, towards the young woman, and Vaggie’s heart leaps with hope.

She fumbles in her vest for a lighter. “Of course, here.” She waits until the cigarette is lit and he’s taken a drag before she nods her head towards the balcony. “You know her? Charlotte?”

“Who? Ya mean Charlie?” An eyebrow cocks upward as he looks back at Vaggie over his cigarette. “Yeah, I know her a bit. She comes down to talk some nights when she ain’t so lost in her thoughts she doesn’t notice me, or when the Judge ain’t home.”

“The Judge?”

“Judge Cain.” He takes another drag. “I guess he’s a big deal around here- she’s like his adopted daughter or somethin’? She don’t get too specific with me when I ask but I get it. I ain’t too eager to be pokin’ around in my line of work, ya know?” He gives Vaggie a wink, waving his hands down his body conspiratorially. “Ya need to talk to her about somethin’?”

“No,” Vaggie says, “no, I was just… wondering, I suppose.” She eyes the balcony again, and the young man must see something in her face because he whistles low and chuckles. 

“One sec,” he tells her, then- “Charlie!”

The shout echoes in the alley and Vaggie panics, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him down to her face. “Are you fucking insane?” She asks him, but he just smirks as they hear the click of a door above them, light spilling into the area once more.

“Angel?” Charlie returns, her face peeking over the edge of the railing to spot Vaggie essentially throttling him in her frustration. Her face transforms, something akin to rage creasing her delicate brow and then she’s gone again.

“What did you do?” Vaggie demands of him, and he laughs in her face as another door slams somewhere towards the house- and then she’s there, standing at the gate to the yard in her nightgown, barefoot and beautiful.

“Release him at once,” she demands, hands braced on the metal of the gate, her voice strong and determined, and Vaggie hardly hears the man- Angel?- apologizing on her behalf, saying he provoked her, as her hands release him. “You have to be careful,” she beseeches him as he brushes off his shirt, and then turns to Vaggie and seems to lose her nerve, the anger that had propelled her down the stairs and outside. “Hi,” she says sweetly, and Vaggie steps closer to the gate.

“Hi,” she parrots. “I- I wasn’t really going to hurt him,” she says, “I just- I didn’t want him to disturb you.”

And Charlie smiles, wide and earnest, catching Vaggie off guard. “I should have known,” she says. “He’s a troublemaker- I’m Charlie,” she says, holding her hand across the gate.

“Vaggie.” Angel is snickering under his breath beside them, watching the scene unfold. “It’s nice to meet you.”

The skin beneath Charlie’s eyes crinkles. “And you! Are you a friend of Angel’s?”

A voice interrupts Vaggie’s response. “I believe that is quite enough,” it says, soft but commanding, and the trio of them turn to see a woman step into the alley- Charlie stiffens immediately at the sight of her, tall and beautiful and terrifying. Her eyes are cold, the tiny smile on her face insincere, and she looks at Charlie with a look of what can only be described as disappointment. “You know better than to be out at this hour, Charlie,” she says. “What would Adam think? It would be in your best interest to go back inside, my dear.”

Charlie ducks her head and finally releases her hand from Vaggie’s- she hadn’t even realized they were still touching one another over the gate. “Yes, Sera,” she mutters, breaking eye contact with the older woman and looking back to Vaggie. She mouths something to her, and had Vaggie not been looking she would have missed it.

“Please come back,” it looked like. And Vaggie would- she didn’t know who this woman was but unless they locked the sailor behind bars she couldn’t be kept away.

Charlie disappeared, leaving Vaggie and Angel with Sera. “You’d better run along,” she directs at Vaggie. “Judge Cain doesn’t take kindly to outsiders around his property; especially not those that seem too interested in his ward. And you,” she says looking at Angel with a cruel smile. “I should hate to think what Valentino would have to say about you loitering with others for no pay.”

Angel blanches, the color leaving his face as his head drops. “Yes ma’am,” he says quietly, angrily, and he takes off to the right, rounding the corner and disappearing from Vaggie’s sight. 

With one last look at the balcony, at Sera with her lovely but unkind face, Vaggie follows suit.

Act 1:  Chapter 1 🥧 Chapter 2 🥧 Chapter 3 🥧 Chapter 4 🥧 Chapter 5 🥧 Chapter 6  🥧Chapter 7 🥧 Chapter 8 🥧 Chapter 9

[tjarry]

find a blorbo!: a tag game for the new NHL season

thank you for the tag my beloved @mikathemad !!

RULES: Go through the roster of each NHL team and find at least one player that you can root for.

Yes, even the team you despise. Yes, even the team everyone despises. Yes, even the team who you dare not speak of.

(I used a different color for teams I actually root for.)

Anaheim Ducks -Jansen Harkins

Boston Bruins -Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman

Buffalo Sabres - Bo Byram

Calgary Flames - Nazem Kadri, Ryan Lomberg, Devin Cooley

Carolina Hurricanes - Freddie Andersen, Tyson Jost

Chicago Hockey Team - Pat Maroon

Colorado Avalanche - Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Alexandar Georgiev, Gabe Landeskog, Nikolai Kovalenko

Columbus Blue Jackets - Elvis Merzlikins

Dallas Stars - Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, Tyler Seguin, Magnus Hellberg, Jake Oettinger

Detroit Red Wings - J.T. Compher

Edmonton Oilers - Leon Draisaitl, Stuart Skinner, Connor McDavid

Florida Panthers - Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky, the rest of the Panthers roster

Los Angeles Kings - Darcy Kuemper

Minnesota Wild - Marc-André Fleury, Jake Middleton, Kirill Kaprizov

Montreal Canadiens - Nick Suzuki

Nashville Predators - Scott Wedgewood, Brady Skjei

New Jersey Devils - Kurtis MacDermid, Jacob Markstrom

New York Islanders - Anthony Duclair

New York Rangers - Mika Zibanejad, Igor Shesterkin

Ottawa Senators - Linus Ullmark, Claude Giroux

Philadelphia Flyers - Travis Konecny, Ivan Fedotov, Erik Johnson

Pittsburgh Penguins - the whole damn team next question

San Jose Sharks - Ty Dellandrea, Macklin Celebrini

Seattle Kraken - Brandon Montour, Philipp Grubauer

St. Louis Blues - Mathieu Joseph, P.O. Joseph

Tampa Bay Lightning - Jake Guentzel, Andrei Vasilevskiy

Toronto Maple Leafs - William Nylander, Anthony Stolarz, Mitch Marner, Joseph Woll

Utah Hockey Club - Alex Kerfoot

Vancouver Canucks - Teddy Blueger, Thatcher Demko

Vegas Golden Knights - Ilya Samsonov, Tanner Pearson

Washington Capitals - Brandon Duhaime, Logan Thompson

Winnipeg Jets - Adam Lowry

tagging: @psyduc @marcfleurys @ullybug @thebrood1979 @sidsthekid and anyone else who wants to play!!

[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: "Fionna Campbell"/"Simon Petrikov" (Fionna & Cake, Eps. 1-2)

If you had told me on the day that Adventure Time was canceled that almost a decade into the future, I would still be writing reviews about new episodes, I would have never believed you. And yet, today saw the release of not one, but two new episodes. (It seems that the fun really will never end!) What a world we live in!

----

When I first heard that Fionna and Cake would be the focus of the newest Adam Muto-produced Adventure Time spin-off, I was a touch apprehensive. It is not that I disliked the characters... I just worried that they might not be able to anchor ten 22-minute episodes. After all, the two were always something of a funny gimmick. Other than explaining if they were real, what more was there to say about them?

My tentative apprehension started to dissipate when I learned that the one, the only Simon Petrikov would play a major part in the miniseries. Simon was always a strong character, and there was much to his story that still needed to be teased out. His presence in the miniseries signaled one thing: Fionna and Cake would not just be a fluffy romp, but rather one of mythological significance! Needless to say, my interest was fully piqued, and I began to count down the days when the miniseries would debut.

And now that the first two episodes are out, I am happy to say that my tentative fears were likely misplaced. Indeed, if "Fionna Campbell" and "Simon Petrikov" are indicative of the overall quality of this miniseries, we're in for a good time!

So let's dig in!

Airdate: August 31, 2023

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Haewon Lee, Jacob Winkler

Directed by: Ryann Shannon (supervising), Hans Tseng (art)

The miniseries kicks off with "Fionna Campbell," which follows the story of Fionna the human... No, not that Fionna the Human. This Fionna does not live in a magic land, and it is only in her dreams that she's a swashbuckling hero. Instead, the Fionna we meet lives in a mundane world very much like our own. This Fionna seems to feel as if she fundamentally lacks any sense of purpose. Accompanying her throughout her non-adventures in this alternate reality is Fionna's (non-magical) cat, Cake. The main plot of the episode begins after Cat and Fionna have a strange dream, whereupon Cake begins to act erratically; it is almost like she desperately needs to be in contact with ice of all things. After a series of humorous set pieces in which Fionna repeatedly discusses the dullness of her reality with a variety of uncannily familiar characters, Cake goes bananas and makes a mad dash for an ice cream cart. As Fionna gives chase, Cake dives into the cart, which turns into a magic portal and teleports Cake to a different world...

Of the two episodes discussed in this review, "Fionna Campbell" was the least impactful. Do not misunderstand me: It was still a fun, charming episode, but it did little more than introduce us to our heroines and set up the plot of the miniseries. The issue with this is that it makes much of the episode, on a strictly narrative level, superfluous (for instance, were you to have Cake dart over to Fionna's ice dispenser and have it—rather than an ice cream cart—the overall story would still work just fine). But while much of this episode is technically "unnecessary," it nevertheless mines a lot of goodwill and humor by introducing us to gender-bent "real world" versions of beloved Adventure Time characters (e.g., "Queen" [Queen of Ooo], "Ellis P." [Lumpy Space Prince], "Gary Prince" [Prince Gumball]). Perhaps I am biased as a Marceline fan, but hands-down the best of the gender-bent bunch is Marshall Lee, played once again by the uber-talented and oh-so-witty Donald Glover. (That said, Pen Ward's oddball hobo-vet character, "Ellis P.," is a close second.)

Regardless of any narrative weirdness, I applaud Muto et al. for approaching this Fionna and Cake storyline from a different angle. It would have been very, very easy to simply drop us back into the genderbent world that we have already visited in the main series. This, honestly, is what I was expecting the series to do. Instead, the writers decided to introduce versions of Fionna and Cake that feel more like they are from our world. This makes them solid audience surrogates. Over the course of the episode, I came to see Fionna as a character in and of herself, not just as a female version of Finn. Likewise, Cake felt less like "feline Jake," and more like a goofy house cat (albeit one that has a case of the Zoomies from Hell). "Fionna Campbell," in a word, gives Fionna and Cake a chance to become their own people before throwing them into the wider world of Ooo.

Airdate: August 31, 2023

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, Jim Campbell, Lucyola Langi

Directed by: Steve Wolfhard (supervising), Hans Tseng (art)

After the purposefully abrupt ending to "Fionna Campbell," we are suddenly thrown head first back into the familiar Land of Ooo with "Simon Petrikov."

This episode picks up several years after the main series. Simon is now living a, shall we say, "unorthodox life in a museum-like facility, where he is treated as a relic of the past. He has lost his sense of purpose and direction, and he struggles with loneliness and boredom. Simon, in a word, is depressed. It does not help matters that people keep asking him about "his" Fionna and Cake novels--novels that he repeatedly emphasizes Ice King wrote. Alas, it is no use, and so Simon goes to the tavern owned by Dirt Beer Guy (A+ cameo) to drink his sorrows away. It is here that he runs into a 20-something Finn in all his himbo glory. Finn sees that Simon isn't doing well and insists that he must go on an adventure to reclaim his joie de vivre. Simon reluctantly follows Finn into the most primordial corner of Ooo, where the two are nearly killed multiple times.

At the end of the episode, Simon returns to his museum-home feeling just as bad as he did before. After sneaking off into his closet, we learn that his depression has driven him to create a shrine to GOLB; using the demoniac power of Evil Choose Goose, he subsequently attempts to summon the deity, presumably to reconnect with Betty. But, just like the best laid plans of mice and men, Simon's scheme fails to summon any eldritch abominations, but it does open up the portal we saw at the end of "Fionna Campbell." And out from this portal pops Cake the Cat!

The episode immediately shifts to Prismo's time room, where we see an alarm on the wish-master's remote begin to blink ominously…

Wow, what an episode!

I appreciate the focus "Simon Petrikov" places on depression and the struggle against nihilism. Simon, after all, is a man thrust into a new world. Everything he used to strive for is gone. Even the madness that took his old world away from him is gone. This might sound like a good thing, but interestingly, it seems to have had a deleterious effect on Simon’s psyche: Previously, when Simon was metaphorically locked within the recesses of Ice King's mind, he had something to strive for: He could overcome the crown’s curse and regain his sanity. And then he did! Thus, Ice King ended and Simon was back. But alas, his arrival occurred at the literal end of the story. The big bad was gone. The goal had been reached. All that was left was the ride into the sunset. But Simon could not do that, because even though he regained his sanity, it ultimately cost him his love, Betty.

I won't lie: I found Simon's story to be deeply relatable. For those who don't know, I recently earned my PhD. It was a long, uphill battle, and after I earned that degree… I didn't know what to do. In truth, I still don't know what to do. I have been a student almost my entire life, and now the rest of that life lays out in front of me. I achieved what I originally wanted; it is time to figure out what I currently want. Honestly, it has been an occasionally gloomy time, and I won't lie, I have struggled quite a bit with depression these last few months just trying to figure everything out. In doing so, I have realized just how much of my life I have sunk into my degree. It has been a bit disheartening to realize that while I have a doctorate, but it cost me the entirety of my 20s to get it. So yes, while I did not lose the love of my life to an eldritch demon-god, I still empathize with Simon's listlessness and his existential angst. (As an aside, post-PhD depression is very a real thing, y'all!)

When you have gained what you thought you wanted and lost that which was really important, what do you do? Of course, it is easy to simply collapse in despair. This is capitulation to vulgar nihilism, and it is something that I have struggled with ("Why even bother doing anything..."). At the start of "Simon Petrikov," the titular character is very close to this collapse, too. Indeed, Simon starts off in a dark place, but paradoxically, this darkness holds the seeds that can grow into a life-changing journey. After all, when we are at our lowest, the only (productive) way to go is up. Put most simply, Finn was actually right: Simon needs an adventure to reignite within him that sense of drive and purpose. But the catch here is that that adventure needs to be meaningful to Simon. It needs to spark something unique within his soul. The bizarro arrival of Cake may thus be exactly what he needs. Cake is not just a mystery—she's a mystery that perhaps only Simon can solve, since it was Simon (or, at least a version of him) who dreamed her up in the first place!

Simon now has a purpose.

Purpose.

Once again, Adventure Time is reminding us of the importance of "purpose." Purpose, the show seems to be saying, is what gives meaning to our lives, what motivates us to overcome challenges, and what inspires us to contribute to society. Without purpose, we may feel lost, empty, or hopeless. What, then, is the show suggesting we do to gain this sense of purpose? It is hard to say, given that the miniseries isn't over, but my guess is that the show is emphasizing that while meaning can emerge from even the most chance of occurrences, it is not enough to just recognize these coincidences. Instead, we have to seize them, embrace them, and make them our own. We have to act on our purpose, and not let it slip away. At the end of "Simon Petrikov," Simon is put in this exact spot, and while he might show some reluctance to seize the moment, something tells me that he'll eventually act in a major way.

Am I on the right track? I guess we'll have to wait a few weeks to find out!

----

When news about the series first started to leak, I remember there was a lot of hubbub about its more "adult" tone. I was a bit apprehensive when I heard this; part of what I love about Adventure Time is that it is capable of being scary and profound without having to stoop to the shock value of cheap swears and bloody violence. After seeing these episodes, my worries have mostly been put to rest. After all, most of the "swearing" is pretty mild, and it seems to be used rather judiciously. (That said, I did a double take when Cake told Fionna to "Puke [the bad guy] up"—I thought she said another "-uck" word!) On top of all that, it was often just funny! Queenie shrieking "Jesus!" when Fionna ripped her pants off was comedy gold, as was Finn's line about "bust[ing Simon's] balls" back in the day. I'm a bit more ambivalent when it comes to the gorier elements (e.g., Finn killing that mudskipper in a bloody splatter), but that's largely because it feels a bit incongruous with the lighthearted Land of Ooo that we know. Adventure Time was often violent, this is true, but it was rarely gory. That said, the violence in these episodes is not over the top—this isn't Superjail! or anything—and I hope the show continues to maintain that nice balance. Right now, everything mostly feels "right."

All in all, these were solid episodes. In addition to all the positives that I outlined above, there were a variety of other things that made me smile. I'm quite happy that the show is returning to the multiverse lore, as I always felt that was a story thread that the show never explored to the fullest. The various cameos were also delightful (I had a lot of fun guessing who all the gender-bent normies were supposed to be representative of), and I loved the little post-Mushroom War Simon & Marcy moment. And of course, hearing Marceline say that someone is "pissed" is something that I didn't know I needed to hear!

I cannot wait to see what the series has in store for Simon, Fionna, and Cake.

Final "Fionna Campbell" Grade: B

Final "Simon Petrikov" Grade: A

[crossbackpoke-check]

find a blorbo (nhl tag game)

RULES: Go through the roster of each NHL team and find at least one player that you can root for.

tagged by @bondedpairs!! when i say too many teams to count and here for the narrative um. i may not have lied. this is not an extensive list of my blorbos but in order to make it not ten thousand years long i made up the rule that i had to do it straight from memory :)

anaheim ducks: as evidenced by recent events i DO like mason mctavish and trevor zegras but i have to honor laura and mention troy terry and beloved goalie gibbie*

boston bruins: oh for sure brad marchand… can i say patrice? one of the charlies got traded but i think mcavoy is still there because gryz is gone, brandon carlo is there still i think

buffalo sabres: cozens & thompson, owen power, rasmus dahlin, ukko pekka luukkonen

calgary flames: is chris tanev still here? is markstrom still here?? noah hanifin?? as a last resort i’ll say blasty

carolina hurricanes: aho & jarvy & teuvo teravainen & brent burns is still playing maybe? i know sepe got traded

chicago hockey: the bedsy narrative is compelling but ANDREAS ATHANASIOU MY BELOVED reunited with tyler bertuzzi… that’s the real story. also i like foligno

colorado avalanche: gabe landeskog, whatever ross colton & miles wood have going on, natemac + jo, mikko

columbus blue jackets: have long been on the merzlikins train, have been swayed to the darkside of umich boys (brindley, kent johnson, fantilli, blankenburg who is now on nsh)

dallas stars: seggy! mush! roope + miro and otter and robo and wyjo (rip ty dellandrea) and harls! etc.

detroit red wings: MOST players. dilly larks, moritz seider, jv, raymond, rasmussen, kitty, lyon, etc except for k*ne

edmonton oilers: mcdrai, ofc. nugent-hopkins, nursey, rip vinny & skinny

florida panthers: tkachuk, reinhardt, sasha barkov, verhaeghe (is there still?)

los angeles kings: adrian kempe… kevin fiala… danault… quinton byfield & alex turcotte

minnesota wild: kirill, marat, fleury, brodes, fabes, boldy, moose, middsy, spurge… god’s perfect idiots

montreal canadiens: going out on a limb here to say martin st. louis but also xhekaj (both), slafkovský, suzuki, my austrian reinbacher, yes fine cole caufield

nashville predators: MOST BEAUTIFUL D PAIR IN THE WORLD GRADY SKJEI AND ROMAN JOSI!! juuse, evangelista, isn’t stamkos there and also someone else who absolutely should not be

new jersey devils: nico… tuna (tatar), dawson mercer, siegenthaler, dougie hamilton, yes the hugheses whatever

new york islanders: barzy, zeeker & marty, anders lee, noah dobson lol

new york rangers: mika & chris, lafrenière & k’andre, shesterkin

philadelphia flyers: frosty & beezer and tk and sanny and the new baby michkov and coots and scooty loots and foerster etc etc. you know the Guys

pittsburgh penguins: the two headed monster but also compelled by rutger mcgroarty, and kevin hayes was there!!!

ottawa senators: timmy stü & brady! josh norris! the evolution of shane pinto! ullmark now and brännström and claude giroux and chabot

san jose sharks: ekky, thrun, mario, borde, logan couture, shakir, that other vaguely blond rookie

seattle kraken: brandon tanev, andre burakovsky! grubauer & d’accord also

st. louis blues: jordan kyrou, nathan walker (is still there?), rob thomas? is parayako still there?

tampa bay lightning: hedman, point, they dumped so many guys after the cup run… is kucherov still there or is he in nashville?? anthony cirelli (notable for being made out with by pat maroon)

toronto maple leafs: mitch, jt, willy, alex nylander, kniesy, dewar, et

utah hockey: crouse, keller, tuba

vancouver canucks: quinn, brock, petey, jt, garly, höggy, i want to say dakota johnson, elias lindholm?

vegas golden knights: brandon montour is here now… alex pietrangelo, so sorry to one i can’t remember who loves the lions it will come back to me

washington capitals: full of love and stupidity. oshie, nicke/ovi, pierre-luc dubois, dowd, vrána, milano

winnipeg jets: adam lowry!! josh morissey and kc and morgan barron, also vladdy my beloved

tagging @stillfertile + @colap1nto + @songsandswords + @moregraceful if they haven’t done it yet, i know they follow at least a couple teams. if anybody else wants to play i love adopting blorbos!!

[yourinterestisnotcringe]

°•◇ Smoshblr Tag Game ◇•°

I was tagged by @smoshidiot and @smoshmonker (thx & sorry for the late reply) ♡

°•○☆○•°

1. How long have you been watching Smosh?

Since early 2006.

2. Favorite Smosh cast member(s)?

Ian, Anthony, Amanda, Spencer, Chanse, Courtney. But I love so so many :')

3. Favorite pairing?

My favorite duos rn are Ian & Anthony, Ian & Amanda, Courtney & Ian and Shayne & Courtney & Spencer. But i love many dynamics.

4. Favorite recurring character?

That's tough because I truly love many. The first one that popped into my head was Redacted though ♡. (But I miss really old ones :'))

5. Favorite Smosh video?

(Thinking only main for this one, even though it's probably meant as in general. But there's too many!) This is very tough for me lol. Answered this here but also I love: Paranormal Easy Bake Oven, Stranded, Survival Hack, Stop Copying Me (both), Axe Murderer, Mr Beast Copy Cats, Sleepwalking Disaster and My Dead Friend. 🤭😚✌️

6. First video that got you into Smosh?

The Pokémon Lip Sync video ♡

7. Favorite picture of the cast?

(current) (ish) (yes i cheated)

8. Favorite picture of your fave?

You know what? I originally had like 5 pictures on here and got frustrated because I just love too many pictures of him that i also wanted to kinda summarize stuff I love about Ian. But I gave up and will just give you 2 that regularly make me feel a lot of things (in an almost painful sort of way). Other photos also make me feel that way but I don't wanna cheat too much. So have Ian as Adam, my absolutely beloved, apple of my eye, precious himbo and ancestor of Dom Perignon (in my hc). And Ian hugging Sarah Whittle :'), because their friendship means a lot to me and that photo makes me feel warm & fuzzy.

9. What Smosh series do you want to see more of?

Let's Do This (but only with Ian as the host tbh. Ofc I'd enjoy others doing the hosting probably but I think Ian's host energy was perfect for it).

10. Dream guest on Smosh Mouth?

Ian's Mom, OGSoG

••••

Thank you! :)

I'm tagging: @smoshkidtv , @squig-s , @japhan2024 and @thequeerlibrarian-fandoms and everyone who wants to do this :)

[mostbelovednjpwtournament]

Most Beloved AEW Wrestler Tournament Round 2 Statistics Dump

Followers: 168

Total Votes: 13,148 + 11,439 = 24,587 (Considering round 2 only lasted half the time as round 1, nearly matching the vote count is impressive)

Times I accidentally included a wrestler twice without noticing: 1 (fuck you Matt Sydal for being so generic and sorry to the 74 people who have voted for him at some point, he's now my personification of every failure I've ever had)

Beloved By Gender

So before starting, we had a ratio of 23.9% women, 0.7% nonbinary and 75.4% men

After round 1, that shifted to 24.8% women, 1.5% nonbinary and 73.7% men

After round 2, the numbers have shifted even more in favor of not-men

Which means women and nonbinary wrestlers are kicking the men's asses in terms of overall belovedness

Voting Trends

We're still on an upwards trend for votes, still featuring the epic highs and crushing lows of popularity days, but had the first day to break 2000 votes!

Day 16: also known as the day everyone decided that if Punk wasn't going to move on, he may as well lose to Willow. Also the day of everyone deciding that if someone from the BCC had to be eliminated, it was Chuckie T who had to do it to em

The Great Ties

In round 1, as we all know, Darby and Jack tied exactly at 85 votes apiece. It was decided they would both move on to round 2 in order to duke it out once more. Then they both lost. Darby lost to The Butcher by 20 votes and Jack lost to Trish Adora by 35 votes. This marks the end of both of their journeys with Darby getting a total of 193 votes and Jack finishing one slot above him at 216 total votes.

No one brought it up, but there was a tie in round 2 as well. Both Kota Ibushi and Mr. Brodie Lee earned a total of 79 votes. Working from the great tradition of precedent, they'll both be moving on to round 3.

And the near-tie that broke everyone's heart, Anthony Bowens VS Hangman Adam Page. The closest contest thus far that was separated by a single vote in Bowens' favor. Our cowboy will ride into the sunset and Anthony will live to scissor another day

Teams and How They Fared

Any team member not listed in the group lost in round 1

BCC: Bryan Danielson (122), Jon Moxley (147) and Wheeler Yuta (152) have passed the second round but Claudio Castagnoli (106) was taken out by Chuck Taylor.

Best Friends: Kris Statlander (147), Orange Cassidy (177), Danhausen (217) and Chuck Taylor (224) all continue to round 3

The Elite: Kota Ibushi (79), Nick Jackson (126) and Matt Jackson (130) continue to round 3. Adam Page (168) lost to Anthony Bowens.

BCG: Juice Robinson (87) and Jay White (124) move on to round 3. Colten Gunn (38) lost to Abadon.

The Acclaimed: Billy Gunn (101), Anthony Bowens (169) and Max Caster (174) all move on to round 3.

House of Black: Malakai Black (98), Brody King (110), Buddy Matthews (117) make it to round 3, but Julia Hart (95) lost to Athena

Dark Order: Mr Brodie Lee (79), Alex Reynolds (112), Evil Uno (124) move on to round 3. John Silver (35) lost to Kris Statlander and Stu Grayson (38) lost to Isiah Kassidy.

The Outcasts (I know they kinda broke up, but it's an easy grouping to make): Ruby Soho (110) and Toni Storm (120) both make it to round 3

Jurassic Express: Luchasaurus (142) moves on but Jack Perry (131) lost to Trish Adora (and a moment of silence for Marko, who is dead)

Jericho Appreciation Society: Anna Jay (140) moves on. Jake Hager (3) lost to Maki Itoh, Angelo Parker (32) lost to Toni Storm, Matt Menard (53) lost to Brody King and Tay Melo (61) lost to Buddy Matthews.

Death Triangle: Penta (104) moves on, but Rey Fenix (72) lost to Malakai Black

Teams Who Are Still Fully Intact

(Forgive me if I miss some)

Aussie Open: 374 between 2 members

Better Than You Baybay: 431 between 2 members

Butcher, Blade & Bunny: 637 between 3 members

The Acclaimed: 724 between 3 members

Hookhausen: 732 between 2 members

Lowest Votes

The top 6 lowest votes after 2 rounds (they're the 6 under 30 collective votes)

Aaron Solo (29)

Tully Blanchard (28)

Carlie Bravo (23)

Mance Warner (21)

Eli Isom (18)

Madi Wrenkowski (17)

Highest Votes over Round 2

Just the votes earned during round 2 (not collectively)

Willow Nightingale (343)

Chuck Taylor (224)

Danhausen (217)

Orange Cassidy (177)

Nyla Rose (175)

Top 10 Highest Collective Votes

Willow Nightingale (651)

Danhausen (418)

Chuck Taylor (400)

Riho (379)

Orange Cassidy (363)

Eddie Kingston (343)

Wheeler Yuta (338)

Hook (314)

Athena (291)

Hikaru Shida (288)

Thanks everyone who's voted so far and keep an eye out for round 3 tomorrow (reminder that I will be lowering the daily polls from 10 to 5)

[benoitblanc]

arwen’s read in 2023!

the spiritual successor to my read in 2022 and, as always, excluding a shitload of rereads.

periodic tales by hugh aldersley-williams (★★★★★)

nona the ninth by tamsyn muir (★★★★★)

as you like it by william shakespeare (★★★★☆)

persuasion by jane austen (★★★★★)

the empire striketh back by ian doescher (★★★★★)

northanger abbey by jane austen (★★★★☆)

little women by louisa may alcott (★★★★★)

darth plagueis by james luceno (★★★☆☆)

the thursday murder club by richard osman (★★★★☆)

wild women and the blues by denny s bryce (★★★☆☆)

hell bent by leigh bardugo (★★★★★)

daisy jones and the six by taylor jenkins reid (★★★★☆)

invisible man by ralph ellison (★★★☆☆)

a thousand ships by natalie haynes (★★★★★)

if beale street could talk by james baldwin (★★★★☆)

moonflower murders by anthony horowitz (★★★★★)

emma by jane austen (★★★★★)

song of solomon by toni morrison (★★★★☆)

stiff by mary roach (★★★★☆)

the radium girls by kate moore (★★★★★)

the word is murder by anthony horowitz (★★★☆☆)

killers of a certain age by deanna raybourn (★★★★☆)

beloved by toni morrison (★★★★☆)

the ten thousand doors of january by alix e harrow (★★★☆☆)

working on a song by anais mitchell (★★★★★)

yellowface by rf kuang (★★★★★)

everyone in my family has killed someone by benjamin stevenson (★★★★☆)

the blind assassin by margaret atwood (★★★★★)

mansfield park by jane austen (★★★★☆)

cloud cuckoo land by anthony doerr (★★★★★)

upgrade by blake crouch (★★★★☆)

the children of jocasta by natalie haynes (★★★☆☆)

piranesi by susanna clarke (★★★★★)

the woman in the library by sulari gentill (★★★★☆)

the city and the city by china mieville (★★★★☆)

a is for arsenic by kathryn harkup (★★★★★)

cymbeline by william shakespeare (★★★★☆)

will in the world by stephen greenblatt (★★★★☆)

atonement by ian mcewan (★★★★★)

dirk gently’s holistic detective agency by douglas adams (★★★★☆)

a room with a view by em forster (★★★★☆)

fahrenheit 451 by ray bradbury (★★★★☆)

artemis by andy weir (★★★★☆)

murder your employer by rupert holmes (★★★★★)

memory wall by anthony doerr (★★★★★)

the appeal by janice hallett (★★★★★)

the twyford code by janice hallett (★★★★☆)

summer sons by lee mandelo (★★★☆☆)

salt to the sea by ruta sepetys (★★★☆☆)

the graveyard book by neil gaiman (★★★★☆)

the beautiful ones by silvia moreno-garcia (★★★★☆)

the button house archives by the writers of bbc ghosts (★★★★★)

[beevean]

I'd have to disagree there

The handling of Hector's character alone surpasses the way Samus was treated in her own game

Sure, having Samus being reduced to a submissive little kid for the sake of douchebag who we're told is supposed to care for her is awful

...but it doesn't even come close to the sistematic stripping down of Hector's literal personhood, nor does it come off nearly as masturbatory. Sure having Samus in her Zero Suit during crucial moments of vulnerability is in supremely bad taste and I have no doubt that somebody in the dev team had a hand down their pants, but Hector is literally with his dick hanging out in the open on screen, he gets treated like a literal dog and is raped on screen for no real good reason other than shock value, same with Alucard, only for him to get mocked about it by Lenore in front of her sisters as she straddles her leg between his legs causing him to recoil in disgust-yeah no nothing in OM is even remotely in the same ball park, S3 may have more forgettable moments but when it gets bad it's not simply offensive

I can't accuse Other M of any of this, not even at its worse.

Plus at least OM has Anthony so at least it has one likeable character going for it. What's NFCV's excuse?

Bro, you have seen the insane rants I go on when someone mentions N!Hector. I 100% agree with you that his writing is beyond disgusting, humiliating, spiteful, mean, and it uses literal dehumanizing (both in-universe and meta-wise, since again, Hector barely counts as a character after S2) as fetish material, to then turn around and shove into my face the accidental theme that real maturity is forgiving your abusers if they're nice enough to you. And yes, thankfully Adam doesn't deceive Samus into sex with the purpose of forcing her to work for him. Yay.

(and thank you for reminding me of Lenore touching Hector's crotch with her foot as she gloated that he was inside of her when she put the ring on him. So much care went into humiliating him in all sorts of ways. Oh but go on and tell me how Lenore always meant well, even back then.)

But spirit-wise? OM Samus and N!Hector have a lot in common.

They are much, much weaker, meeker and more passive than the versions most people are familiar with (or were, in Hector's case :^) ). This was allegedly done in the name of "giving them depth".

Their weakness (dare I say femininity, since Hector is very much designed and written to be a feminine man compared to others) is a prominent plot point in their story. You cannot escape from the plot beating you over and over about how pathetic they are.

They are repeatedly compared to children, in a derogatory way and maybe even nonsensical. Samus calls herself a child because she disliked being picked on for being a woman and for daring to be worried about Adam's brother; Hector is called by others a manchild because he loves animals and trusted Dracula.

They accomplish nothing substantial in the story - and here OM is worse because Samus is the protagonist of the story, of the whole franchise! Well, NFCV does the same with Trevor, so I guess it compensates, hah. Even when they could do something, the story repeatedly blocks them and gives the moment of glory to someone else - Adam and Anthony for Samus, Isaac for Hector.

They mindlessly defer to an abusive figure who shows no care nor empathy for them, who orders them around like a dog and even physically subdues them.

Said abusive figure is beloved by them, with little to no turmoil. The ending of their stories is a touching moment meant to make you feel sorry for these two characters who caused nothing but harm. (at least Adam sacrificed himself for a good cause, unlike Lenore who just flounced out of an uncomfortable situation)

They are both sexualized - yes, Hector's story in S3 is nothing but him being submissive and breedable, yes they took care of drawing his penis while he was getting beaten to an inch of his life in case he wasn't miserable enough, but that doesn't make Samus' gratuituous ass shots during dramatic scenes that much better.

Again, don't get me wrong, you will never catch me defending anything from that foul show that fills me with nothing but bile and anger. But I'm not forgetting how OM made me viscerally uncomfortable too, and being less bad doesn't mean it's not bad.

The only difference is that OM got so much shit since it came out that at this point there is nothing to add to the conversation. Everyone has eviscerated Adam and plucked his bones clean, we all know how awful he is. NFCV is still beloved by and large, Lenector is still hella popular and touted as a tragic romance that should have ended with them getting together, I still read with my own poor eyeballs horrible takes about that story that would not fly if the genders were reversed (going back to the foot thing, imagine a man groping a woman's breasts for the sake of making fun of her), and this is the source of my anger.

... uhhhh well NFCV has the captain who lols and lmaos at Isaac's face for his edgy misanthropy? Can he count as the show's only saving grace?

[tamsinbeybey-she-no-porcupine]

2023 Character Wrap

Top 9 characters for the year.

1.) Major Anthony P. Havers-BBC Ghosts

aka my soft boy.

(Surprise the self-proclaimed Havers lunatic loves Havers 😉) Just know this man stole my heart in 2021 in under 4 minutes (the microexpressions fml) and this year it was my highlight to see him again. He's kind, protects the man he loves from ridicule, has a boyish grin and a cheeky streak. He likes dancing. He fell for his beau because he was attracted to his kindness. He's been through it and continues to go through it 😢Also PSC answered my question about him and I'm still screaming about it to this day🥺💖

2. The Captain -BBC Ghosts

aka my creaky boy.

He is silly, kind, gay and autistic, a dad, sometimes bitchy and one of my most beloved characters ever. Also so gorgeous and a little bit pathetic. I adore him with all my heart and soul. Blorbo from my shows.

3. Thraxus Boorman -Willow 2022

Sarcastic, great fighter, loyal, kind but he'll jump of cliffs to deny that (literally), the funniest character of 2023 and an absolute iconic bi disaster. He's a classic rogue, as is his absolute badass girlfriend.

4.) Joe Pritchard -The light in the hall

aka Joe, babes

Such a brilliant character, somehow really dark and mysterious but ultimate kicked puppy vibes. He'll keep you (and himself) guessing until the end if he really killed someone. He has amnesia due to traums. I really wasn't sure until the end if he did it or not. Amazing character. My Boy needs 1 million hugs.

5.) Graydon Hastur-Willow 2022

aka Graydon, babes aka Prince of darkness

A prince who loves learning esp. languages, very, very dark past, kind, loving, just some guy in love, easily corrupted but he's fighting it. and as it turns out he has a gift for magic. The sweetest love confession ever.

6. Barbara Parker/Sophie Straw-Funny woman

Gorgeous, hilariously funny, smart, sweet, standing up for what she believes in and makes her way in an industry that only treasures her because of her looks. But she makes them see how brilliant her brain is.

7. Sir Humphrey Bone -BBC Ghosts

aka Humphrey my goldhaas

Awkward, kind and odd. He deserves all the love in the world and to be seen and loved for who he is. This year he's getting revenge on those who ignore/mistreat him and I am here for it. Boy is not the best listener though.

8. Lord Adam Quinn -A kind of spark

aka my pretty evil princess

He is legit evil okay. But idgaf. Great villain and his modern day equivalent makes me weak in the knees. Portrayal wise he is also a small amount of ridiculous and I love that.

9. Robin the caveman - BBC ghosts

aka my chaos gremlin

Kind, wise, chaotic little gremlin also sometimes more the family dog than anything else. Loves space. Utterly hilarious and tragic at the same time. His worst trait is incest according to him. I love him so much I'm gonna get a tattoo that's just about him.

To be fair I have a plethora of beloved characters that rotate in my brain 24/7 but these nine were either new or in special focus this year. Ghosts hyperfixation is at it's absolute peak, I was barely able to watch anything else. Also I watched some things that didn't leave me with a favourite character 🤷🏻‍♀️However honourable mention has to be Allan from Barbie.

I'm tagging @hollow-ghost-fire , @unusual-ly ,@ineffablelunatic , @tonightwedance and @realismreading

[vaultdwellerbarbie]

blog stuff

intro hello, you can call me august! i'm twenty-one years old (twenty-two on election day...), and my pronouns are she/her. i can't disclose too much personal information because of my job, but that's not necessary for us to have a good time on here - this blog is about movies and stuff, not me! i've been a fan of anthony ramos since hamilton so i love him a lot. i'm interested in movies (special interest in twisters and trap right now) and taylor swift!

what i write fem!reader inserts and ofc (original female character) fics. i am comfortable writing angst, fluff, smut, and anything in between those genres. i will accept requests for oneshots, multi-part fics, and headcanons.

what i won't write i won't specify the race of a reader so as to not exclude people. i would never want someone to feel excluded on account of race. i'm uncomfortable discussing disordered eating or body image issues because i struggle with disordered eating. other than that things like SA, glorification of domestic abuse, and stuff like that are also things i'm uncomfortable writing.

who i write for (in alphabetical order!) for twisters, addie, boone, dani, javier 'javi' rivera, kate carter, lily, scott, and tyler owens. i will write twisters related stuff, too. so, if there is a character that a twisters cast member has played that you like and want me to write about - let me know! i've seen nope 5 times, angel is my beloved. outside of twisters, i take requests for cooper adams and would consider writing for some of josh hartnett’s other characters if i am familiar with them!

[unfortunate-arrow]

general disclaimer: expect spoilers for both the book and the show, although my stuff usually has more book elements. auggie basset & ernest livingston are only in a modern au. in addition, all the important links to my bridgerton: next gen ‘verse can be found here.

𝓥𝓲𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓽’𝓼 𝓖𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓷

Edmund • Miles • Charlotte • Mary

Charles • Alexander • William • Violet

Agatha • Thomas • Jane • George “Georgie”

Amelia • Auggie • Belinda • Caroline • David • Edward

Amanda • Oliver • Penelope • Georgiana • Frederick

John • Janet

Katharine • Richard • Hermione • Daphne • Anthony “Ant” • Benedict “Ben” • Colin • Eloise • Francesca “Frannie”

George • Isabella

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓹𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓼 (𝓪𝓴𝓪 𝓜𝔂 𝓞𝓒𝓼)

Juliet Knight • Grace Hill • Rupert Townshend • Arthur Townshend

Nell Shepherd • Emma Rutledge • Róisín O’Connolly • Jonathan “Jack” Fullerton

Stephen Ridlington • Eleanor Dane • Morgan Howell • Olivia Sharpe

Ernest Livingston • Phoebe Wycliff • Molly Campbell

Alice Linfield • Christopher “Kit” Barrington • Lucas Wivenly • Beatrice Winslow

Adeline Meadows • Jasper Prentice

Gabe Montgomery • Elizabeth Winslow • Neil Pemberton • Timothy Macmillan • Felicity Holroyd • Evie Wright • Vivian Marsh • Adam Howe • Nathaniel Moore

Lilliana Steele • Patrick O’Donovan

𝓢𝓷𝓪𝓹𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓽𝓼 𝓘𝓷 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮: 𝓐 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

Note: As they have canonical spouses, I have not included stories for Amelia Basset, Belinda Basset, Caroline Basset, and Amanda Crane. Auggie Basset and his story are set in a modern AU. Each story is a one shot with snapshots of moments in their love stories.

TBD [Edmund Bridgerton & Juliet Knight, 1843]

TBD [Miles Bridgerton & Grace Hill, 1844]

TBD [Charlotte Bridgerton & Rupert Townshend, 1846]

TBD [Mary Bridgerton & Arthur Townshend, 1851]

TBD [Charles Bridgerton & Nell Shepherd, 1846]

TBD [Alexander Bridgerton & Emma Rutledge, 1847]

Don’t Care About Religion [William Bridgerton & Róisín O’Connolly, 1848]

TBD [Violet Bridgerton & Jack Fullerton, 1848]

TBD [Agatha Bridgerton & Stephen Ridlington, 1847]

TBD [Thomas Bridgerton & Eleanor Dane, 1853]

TBD [Jane Bridgerton & Morgan Howell, 1851]

TBD [Georgie Bridgerton & Olivia Sharpe, 1860]

Tempting Into Marriage [David Basset & Phoebe Wycliff, 1844]

TBD [Edward Basset & Molly Campbell, 1859]

TBD [Auggie Basset & Ernest Livingston, 2043-44]

TBD [Oliver Crane & Alice Linfield, 1847]

TBD [Penelope Crane & Christopher Barrington, 1849]

TBD [Georgiana Crane & Lucas Wivenly, 1850]

TBD [Frederick Crane & Beatrice Winslow, 1857]

TBD [John Stirling & Adeline Meadows, 1855]

TBD [Janet Stirling & Jasper Prentice, 1851]

TBD [Katharine Bridgerton & Gabe Montgomery, 1848]

TBD [Richard Bridgerton & Elizabeth Winslow, 1856]

TBD [Hermione Bridgerton & Neil Pemberton, 1854]

TBD [Daphne Bridgerton & Timothy Macmillan, 1852]

TBD [Ant Bridgerton & Felicity Holroyd, 1860]

TBD [Ben Bridgerton & Evie Wright, 1863]

TBD [Colin Bridgerton & Vivian Marsh, 1863]

Hypothetically [Eloise Bridgerton & Adam Howe, 1861]

TBD [Frannie Bridgerton & Nathaniel Moore, 1862]

TBD [George St. Clair & Lilliana Steele, 1855]

TBD [Isabella St. Clair & Patrick O’Donovan, 1850]

𝓜𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓸𝓾𝓼

Next Gen Fics:

In Which William Bridgerton Is Born Prematurely

I’d Still Dance with You

To See My Son Become a Father

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[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: “Cake the Cat”/“Prismo the Wishmaster” (Fionna & Cake, Eps. 3-4)

I wish I had the strength to stay up until the exact moment these episodes are released, hurriedly consume them in a haze while writing down my thoughts, and post my review before the sun has a chance to come up. But alas, as an old man—i.e., a 31-year old—I am not quite as strong as I used to be. (Remember dear friends: Eram quod es; eris quod sum!)

In other words, please excuse me if my reviews take a day or two to post! I have to watch 'em after I get home from work!

Airdate: September 7, 2023

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Jacob Winkler, Haewon Lee, Nicole Rodriguez

Directed by: Ryann Shannon (supervising), Hans Tseng (art)

Like the title card I have included here, the plot of "Cake the Cat" is relatively straightforward: After finding herself in Ooo (and gaining speaking abilities thanks to a universal translator), Cake explores the world around her. Along the way, she befriends Squirrel (from season five's "Up a Tree") and accidentally destroys an outdoor market. Meanwhile, in her own world, Fionna tries desperately to find her missing pet. But after Simon tries once again to summon GOLB, Fionna suddenly finds herself transported to Ooo, where she reunites with Cake.

"Cake the Cat" might not be the deepest episode from the "Adventure Time Extended Universe" (hmm, maybe the "ATEU"?), but what it lacks in depth, it makes up for with humor. In particular, the episode manages to get considerable mileage out of Cake just acting like a normal (albeit talking) cat: she scratches people, tears things up, snatches food away, and very nearly massacres a small woodland critter, etc. As someone who adores cats and has long put up with their, shall we say, bullshit, these scenes were right on the money. Cake might indeed mean well, but she is still a cat, and cats get into all sorts of hijinks (that's part of the reason why I love them).

"This episode, out of the four that have aired so far, feels the most like "old school" Adventure Time, largely due to the allusions it makes to older episodes: For instance, one subplot in "Cake the Cat" sees the titular character scratch the dickens out of the insane "Tree Gang" from season five's "Up a Tree." (In fact, one could even make a compelling argument that the first half of this episode is basically just a sequel to "Up a Tree"!) Cake's market shenanigans and the ire they raise with the forest folk also echo the events of season two's "Storytelling" (in which Finn makes a gaggle of forest critters' lives hell in a half-baked attempt to find a good story). Like its season two predecessor, "Cake the Cat" heavily relies on the main character's obliviousness, which often leads to some great bits of dark humor (e.g., the shredded pillow man, who, while 'bleeding out' feathers, wheezes, "I… clapped for you!"). But despite these similarities, "Cake the Cat" has enough flourishes to make it its own thing, thereby preventing it from feeling like a tired retread."

One such "flourish" is the heavy focus on Roz Ryan. Most of the past Fionna and Cake episodes have underutilized Cake, treating her as little more than a sassy one-liner machine. "Cake the Cat," on the other hand, not only makes use of Ryan's acting skills, but it also lets her flex her musical prowess by having her sing the song "Cake on The Loose." Ultimately, the decision to not relegate Cake to a secondary role allows for some much-needed character development. Her interactions with Squirrel, for instance, let us know that she's a survivalist who will not tolerate bullies. We also learn that Cake sees Fionna less as a family member and more as a bossy (albeit beloved) roommate. True, these are small glimpses into an established character, but because Cake has long been underdeveloped, they help to flesh out her character, allowing her to come into her own. This is a trend that the following episode will continue…

Airdate: September 7, 2023

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, Jim Campbell, Lucyola Langi

Directed by: Steve Wolfhard (supervising), Hans Tseng (art)

Like "Simon Petrikov" before it, "Prismo the Wishmaster" is a darker installment that subverts the levity that preceded it.

And I'm OK with that!

The episode begins with Prismo beaming up Fionna, Cake, and Simon and revealing to them the truth behind the whole "Fionna and Cake" thing: This "fan fiction" is actually a fictional universe of his own creation. Tired of constantly bringing other people's realities to life, Prismo decided to create a universe of his own. There was just a tiny problem: Doing so violated the cosmological rules that Prismo must follow as the god of wishes. He thus decided to hide the "Fionna and Cake" world in the mind of Ice King—out of sight, out of mind (literally). Unfortunately, GOLB's resetting of the crown threw a wrench into these plans, resulting in his "unauthorized crossover" being detected. This violation consequently summoned Scarab, an antagonistic "god auditor" who yearns for Prismo's job as wishmaster. The episode concludes with Prismo zapping Fionna, Cake, and Simon to Farmworld seconds before Scarab can capture them.

Before talking about the meat of the episode, let me briefly talk about the [Psychic Tandem War] Elephant in the [Time] Room: Prismo's voice. In the initial series, as I am sure many of you are aware, Prismo was voiced by Kumail Nanjiani, a talented comedian perhaps best known for his role in the HBO series Silicon Valley. There was something about Nanjiani's voice that really clicked with the Prismo character—his laid back, somewhat monotonous way of speaking just really fits with Prismo's "chill deity" thing.. Alas, Nanjiani does not reprise his role in "Prismo the Wishmaster" (instead, the character is voiced by Sean Rohani). What? you might be asking, Was there some drama? Did the actor have a falling-out with the crew? No. The answer is far, far more infuriating: Nanjiani's reps apparently declined to tell the very actor they were working for that the Adventure Time folks had wanted him back! Nanjiani has often said that Prismo is one of his favorite characters that he has had the opportunity to play, and so I can only imagine how crestfallen and mad he probably was when all of this came to light. Absolutely nothing against Mr. Rohani, but considering that the voice actor he replaced never wanted to be replaced, I hope that the studio can let Nanjiani overdub Prismo's lines for future streams of the episode. (Ya know, to fix the time line and all that jazz.)

Now, back to our review! Just as "Cake the Cat" recalls the vibes of older episodes, "Prismo the Wishmaster" also echoes with the past, feeling in many ways like a spiritual cousin to season six's "Is That You?" (the masterful episode, solely storyboarded by Jesse Moynihan, that skillfully undid Prismo's death in a way that felt neither cheap nor forced). The similarities between "Prismo the Wishmaster" and "Is That You?" are largely due to their setting (both episodes take place almost entirety in Prismo's time cube), and their shared interest in what I guess you could call "character duplication." But just like "Cake the Cat," this episode is fun and familiar, while still managing to be new and exciting.

I particularly enjoyed the episode's deepening of the already complex cosmology of the Oooniverse. Back in 2020, in the first edition of "Exploring the Land of Ooo," I speculated that the world in which Finn and Jake live owes much to the dualistic cosmology of Gnosticism, specifically the religious movement known as Manichaeism. This approach to reality views the world as fundamentally divided in two. On one side, there is the "Father of Greatness" (roughly equivalent to the Judeo-Christian idea of "God," who creates and orders reality), and on the other side, there is the "King of Darkness" (roughly equivalent to "the Devil," who embodies darkness and death). Adventure Time seems to draw inspiration from this conceptual split, with GOLB being the Oooish version of the "King of Darkness," who revels in chaos and destruction, and "Prismo's Boss" being akin to the "Father of Greatness," who is interested in order and structure. Additionally, Scarab and the various gods who govern the universe remind me of the Gnostic concept of archons (entities that rule over the day-to-day affairs of the physical cosmos), but perhaps that's a topic for another day...

Speaking of Scarab, going into Fionna and Cake, I was particularly curious how the show was going to one-up the Lich. His story arc was nicely capped off in "Together Again," and so I appreciate the producers' decision to create a new villain for this series. As someone who often deals with inane bureaucracy, I quite like the idea of a "god auditor," and Kayleigh McKee does a great job infusing Scarab with a dignified sort of malevolence. Scarab feels textbook lawful evil to me, but unlike a lot of the other baddies in the Oooniverse who are doin' it up the only way they know how, Scarab does not feel affable in any way. He's a cold, sterile regulator, akin to the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, who is interested in only one thing: eliminating his targets. In a word, he feels like a legitimate threat, and that's exciting!

Another major triumph of "Prismo the Wishmaster" is that it fully justifies why this entire miniseries is happening. One of my biggest worries going into this string of episodes was that, while fun, it would not do a good job of legitimizing its own existence. This was largely due to my own biases. After all, I've always enjoyed Fionna and Cake, but I have never adored their episodes. In my mind, they were fun excursions; nothing more, nothing less. However, "Prismo the Wishmaster" expertly grounds their existence in the Ooo that we know, demonstrating that the Fionna and Cake series is not a dull victory lap, nor is it a masturbatory exercise in excess. Instead, it is a bona fide extension of Adventure Time's mythology. Fionna the Human and Cake the Cat are now just as "real" as Finn and Jake ever were. Instead of being simple parodies, they now have a certain depth to them.

Simply put, they matter.

Final “Cake the Cat” Grade: B+

Final “Prismo the Wishmaster” Grade: A

[aninsecurewriter]

100 must-read books!

This is a list of books considered "must-reads" from various lists and online posters. I'll be reviewing them as I go but mainly keeping track of what I have and haven't read here.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Secret History by Donna Tart

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Norwegian Wood bt Haruki Murakami

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Lolita Vladimir Nabokov

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Ulysses by James Joyce

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Wild Swans by Jung Chang

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Gulliver's Travels by Johnathan Swift

The War of the Worlds by H.G Wells

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt

Persuasion by Jane Austen

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Beloved by Toni Morrison

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

Macbeth by Shakespeare

The Lord of the Rings (trilogy) by J.R.R Tolkien

The Outsiders by S.E Hinton

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally

London Fields by Martin Amis

Sherlock Holmes and the The Hound of the Baskerville's by Arthur Conan Doyle

My Man Jeeves by P.G Wodehouse

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Gladys Aylward the Little Woman by Gladys Aylward

Mindnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

Dissolution by C.J Sansom

The Time Machine by H.G Wells

Winnie the Pooh (complete collection) by A.A Milne

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

The Castle by Franz Kafka

Dracula by Bram Stoker

All Quiet on the Western Front by Eric Maria Remarque

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Misery by Stephen King

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis

The Shining by Stephen King

The Odyssey by Homer

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson

Tell No One by Harlan Coben

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

[peccatula]

some gifs from my latest art fight attack on @oracle-milkman

full video here !! some more gifs + stills under the cut

anthony and adam my beloveds

[mostbelovednjpwtournament]

Most Beloved AEW Tournament Round 1 Statistics Dump

Thank you all for participating in the wonderful first two weeks of my silly lil poll

Followers: 130

Total Votes: 13,148

Times I accidentally forgot to include a wrestler: 1 (sorry ZSJ)

Beloved By Gender

So the original count of men, women and nonbinary wrestlers was 205/64/2, demonstrated in a pie chart as:

(The fact that this is the chart is a separate problem that won't be addressed here)

But after voting, the ratio looks like this:

Which means, from an overall standpoint, women and nonbinary wrestlers are more beloved than men

Voting trends

As the tournament got more popular, more votes started coming in, which is how some winners got so few votes. Over the last two weeks, the vote counts look like:

(Day 6 was the Great Riho VS Kip Sabian Battle of 2023 and also featured Ricky Starks and Nick Jackson in the voting with just shy of 600 votes just between the four of them. Day 11 was the Roderick Strong VS Trent Beretta debate and also Danhausen, garnering well over 600 votes between the three of them)

Teams and How They Fared

BCC: Bryan Danielson (31), Claudio Castagnoli (70), Jon Moxley (133) & Wheeler Yuta (186) all passed first round

Best Friends: Kris Statlander (51), Chuck Taylor (176), Orange Cassidy (186) & Danhausen (201) all made it to round two. Trent Beretta (207) lost to Roderick Strong.

The Elite: Matt Jackson (25), Adam Page (51), Kota Ibushi (58) & Nick Jackson (119) made it to round 2. Kenny Omega (160) lost to Willow Nightingale.

BCG: Jay White (76), Colten Gunn (97) &Juice Robinson (105) made it to round two. Austin Gunn (42) lost to Stokely Hathaway.

The Acclaimed: Max Caster (59), Billy Gunn (104) & Anthony Bowens (117) all passed first round.

House Of Black: Buddy Matthews (68), Brody King (102), Julia Hart (128) & Malakai Black (136) all passed first round.

Dark Order: Stu Grayson (25), Alex Reynolds (31), Evil Uno (36), John Silver (74) & Mr Brodie Lee (101) all made it to round two. Alan Angels (18) lost to Anna Jay.

The Outcasts: Ruby Soho (107) & Toni Storm (149) made it to round two. Saraya (55) lost to Brent Tate.

FTR: Dax Harwood (28) lost to Dalton Castle and Cash Wheeler (12) lost to Samoa Joe.

Jurassic Express: Luchasaurus (33) & Jack Perry (85) made it to round two (thanks to the voters deciding Jack should move on). Marko Stunt (52) lost to Komander.

Jericho Appreciation Society: Angelo Parker (33), Tay Melo (44), Jake Hager (50), Matt Menard (84) & Anna Jay (111) all made it to round two. Chris Jericho (23) lost to Rocky Romero and Sammy Guevara (10) lost to Tay Melo.

Death Triangle: Penta (41) & Rey Fenix (119) made it to round two. Pac (56) lost to Jay White.

The 100%ers

Out of the whole tournament, only 3 wrestlers got a perfect score with not a single vote against them

Powerhouse Hobbs (35)

Sting (50)

Rey Fenix (119)

Thank you to all who participated thus far and watch out for the round 2 voting starting tomorrow!