#Because there's a lot of little things to tie together and it's getting progressively more openended

[eisthenameofme]

My class just finished the unit on ceasar literally right on the 14th, which cannot possibly be an accident

[crudely-drawn-ben]

Introducing Trilogy

Yesterday I released Trilogy, a new tabletop RPG crafted to support you in having grand adventures in worlds of your own making.

There are several reasons I started writing Trilogy, but the biggest one is that I ran a Dungeon World podcast called Crudely Drawn Swords for seven years and that was a lot of time to think about what we were playing. To a degree Trilogy is the game I wish that we could have had to run the podcast.

Starting from the question "what would a purely PbtA game for epic fantasy look like?" I started thinking more widely - what do I want from a fantasy game? And the truth is that I want a game that supports the structure of characters and their interactions but doesn't tie itself to a specific setting.

Trilogy begins with The Appendices - conventionally in epic fantasy these are at the end and document information about the wider world that might not have made it into the story, but here it is where you sit down as a group and decide what tone you want your game to have, and your world looks like. What kind of place is it? What magic is there? What is religion like? What are the major cultures where the story begins? How would it feel to be in this world? Trilogy doesn't tell you any of these things, it gives you the tools to think through how you want your world to look.

This creates a secondary challenge - without knowing what the world looks like, how could I design character classes for this type of game? Trilogy answers this by going back to the fundamentals - instead of a conventional character class, the playbooks in Trilogy represent a narrative arc. Some of them, like The Fighter, The Priest, or The Magus, look like familiar classes. Others, such as The Volunteer, The Mentor, The Weapon, or The Defeated, are a little different. Character arcs have a set of turning points, story beats that allow you to advance along your arc after you have collected a certain amount of experience. Some are positive and others negative, you choose which ones you want to hit and when, but every character's story has its highs and lows and to get the most from the game you need to lean into both. A character can pass through three arcs as they grow and change, like the three volumes of a trilogy.

The aim of the game is to create a slower but satisfying sense of progression - instead of hit points characters take Stress and Harm like in other Powered by the Apocalypse games that can have both mechanical and narrative effects. That makes combat feel dangerous, but the game also offers more ways to solve problems without getting into combat - I have played games where the player characters never got into a fight, instead resolving confrontations through an ingenious selection of alternative strategies including "lying" and "vomiting magic ink all over the floor." I'm genuinely enthusiastic about this game - I think I would be as excited about it if somebody else had written it. It leans hard into the joy of discovery and the excitement of adventure - you can play it as spooky and whimsical or gritty and hard-edged and anywhere in between.

Because I was writing it I even got to make most of the examples of play roll out as the story of someone's game, something I always appreciate when I read it. It also contains every technique I use as a GM in the hope that even before people get the chance to play it (heaven forbid any TTRPG afficionado have books we haven't got around to playing yet!) people who read it will still be able to use that advice in their other games. So that's Trilogy, the game I've been working on for the last few years. I think it's pretty great and I hope you will too:

Obviously it's a full-priced game and that's a big gamble from an unfamiliar creator - if you want an idea of what it's like in practice we've got the CDS team back together and we're starting a streamed campaign so you have a chance to see it in action. You can find that over on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxpXacko9Nc

The first episode includes me notably failing to use OBS at both the beginning and end, and I can't make any promises things will improve in that regard, but it should be a good opportunity to see how the game shapes up from this start and with this crew I know it's going to be funny and take some wild swings. If you're interested in reviewing Trilogy or you really want to give it a try but you can't afford it, drop me a message

[jaytalking]

Okay okay.

NAOOOO—

*inhaaalE*

So your Plasmius design.

*claps hands together multiple times*

Where do I even BEGIN to appreciate it OML I would fail at doing so-

Okay so.

Numero uno *cough*

The whole thing about him looking younger to embrace the vampire part. Yes. Yes I love that. That is now canon in my heart because it just WORKS. SO MUCH.

Because I feel like it could also tie into the fact that Vlad in the show is so obsessed with having lost everything and wanting all of it back, his youth included-

So he'd look younger as Plasmius EEEEEEEE

Also I LOVE how his eye shape changes as Plasmius and he looks more. Hostile and dangerous if you will—*explodes* eyes are the windows to one's soul I love eyes sm-

THE FANGS. THE FANGSSSSS—*taps the microphone* HE'S A VAMPIREEEE—

The way you turned the top of his cape into flames??? That is literally so so SO cool and amazing

Makes me wonder if he can maybe. Change the shape of it/make it appear and disappear whenever he wants?

Also his hands constantly looking like they have blood on them??? AND IT CAN SPREAD ONTO THE SURFACES HE TOUCHES??? TEN OUT OF TEN ISTG THAT IS JUST SOMETHING ELSEEEE/POS

Your young Vlad looks so huggable idk why

(Sorry kinda unrelated but I feel like younger Vlad was SUCH a timid person. And he'd get shy fast but he'd also be quite confident whenever he wanted.)

THE LOWER PART OF HIS HAIR BEING WHITE. I WILL—*holds head* "yes officer it's this design right here—"/silly

AND THE SCAR

Gosh my favorite part EVER

THEM GLOWING

OH MY DAYS THAT IS AWESOME

He looks like a fiery demon from the pits of hell I love it

I'm here for it

I'll put him in a freezer so he can cool down—/silly

I think we should give him pomegranate sorbet I think he'll like it

Cuz like

It's sour, but also has a sliiiight sweetness to it, and it has a bitterness in its core because of the pomegranate seeds. Idk I feel like that is just. So Vlad. Shfjfkvkvkv—/silly

Also very randomly: Vlad be like:

"Oh look, a sophisticated business man!"

"Oh, he’s a little bit messed up, actually..."

BUT YEAH I JUST ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR DESIGN FOR HIM I'LL HOLD HIM IN MY HANDS LIKE A LITTLE CREATURE/POS

Jophofhchvv thank you I never know how to respond to but know that we're screaming together!

Here's some fun facts about EctoScience Vlad:

-I really wanted to give him a dangerous vibe, ghosts can eat other ghosts to grow stronger extremely quickly in this AU and that's partly why he's as strong as he is, the other part being... halfas are just very powerful. Simply. Anyways everyone in the Zone knows and fears him; at the start of the series he's almost a boogeyman of sorts there until Danny starts beating him.

- Vlad didn't have a ghost form at first! His becoming a Halfa actually took a long time due to how it happened, and that's technically how it'll go for Danny too, he's just further along due to his own death being wayyy more violent than Vlad's. The progression into full ghost has slowed down a lot in Vlad's case, but for the reason I just mentioned, Danny's progression is fast.

- The "I hate you!" "You're like me!" Exchange is something I've had in mind since the start. In this AU specifically the circumstances of their "deaths" are extremely similar, but above all Danny fears turning fully into a ghost will make him lose his humanity and turn him evil due to, you know, actually listening to the "all ghosts are evil" bogus his parents believe. Vlad can sense that insecurity and in this AU he latches onto it like a vice to make Danny think him joining Vlad's side is inevitable in the end.

- Yes, he CAN make his cape disappear if it starts getting in his way in a fight, but I would also like to highlight his fire core making him very warm. Cats love him.

- His general behaviour as a ghost has been changed a little, he acts and fights fairly normally at first, but if the fight drags on for too long or his opponent runs away he's going FULL HORROR MOVIE VILLAIN. That first fight in the mansion was a lot longer and made Danny genuinely fear for his life. Let Vlad be MORE unhinged when he's pissed off I say.

[deadkraker]

ok had a reblog that awoke the cTommy demons in me so let me just rant for a second about my very specific flavour of cTommy I've made up ok? ok.

you know how like there's stories of kids surviving in the woods by themselves and living among animals? well my ctom is that but with a twist basically.

he spent about his all his early childhood (1 to a 8 year old) in the woods, alone, and like, he was living his best life honestly, I think that he'd sometimes spy on some village kids on the edges of the village but otherwise he was totally content to just frolic in the woods and eat bugs n shit.

but then cwil found him and was like 'oh no whats this child doing running around covered in mud living in a forest' and just kinda picked him by his scruff and carried him home, not really understanding that the kid he just picked up might not be a human child that needed that sort of assistance, all children bite right? like it's totally normal for them to claw at the walls of the home, begging to be released back to the wild for the first week they're inside a home? yeah. and the shiny eyes and claws are just quirks he's sure. this child is perfectly normal and meant to live among humans.

after a while tommy kinda warmed up to wil even when he didn't really understand why he had to do a lot of things, why on earth were shoes necessary anyways? the shirts and trousers he got, they were soft and made him warm in chilly night but god, shoes were his worst enemy. and wil would also develop a fondness for him, and after that they kinda began traveling together.

wil mostly saw tommy's habits as just little odd quirks, and unless it intervened with thing he deemed important he let the boy be.

but then the wars happened and wil became very strict on how tommy should act, how he made the state look bad by climbing trees and walking around barefoot getting his uniform all dirty and untidy, and tommy you have to wear the tie, don't you care what they will think of us if my right hand man won't even dress properly?

and despite all the efforts he made to understand why the things that his brother- no, his general said were important and should matter, the uniforms made his skin itch and the long depatings and peace negotiations made him miss the vague memories of the days where all he had to be was himself in the forest. at least he had tubbo, he'd never leave him.

woops, wil dies, other shit happens, tubbo becomes the president and then exiles him, leaving him, cdream's abuse makes him both regress and progress with his masking, he's never been so much of a starved animal and a obedient follower as he was now, a wild thing kicked and tortured until any form of affection got his complete trust. only for it to be blown up like everything else.

he escapes, finds a safe place, get betrayed, flees again, holes up away from everyone else, because apparently this people thing that everyone seemed to be so in on just wasn't his thing.

some people offer to try and help him, and he accepts. once again.

they say he needs closure, which sure, he'll get closure, dream's in prison now right? it'll be safe right?

one cracked skull and revival and he's proven wrong.

but is it just me or is he kinda..odd now? a boy that once couldn't stand still to save his life, now just watched in the background, with those creepy dead eyes that were nowadays covered by those bangs of his. he seemed more like a ghost than ghostbur ever was.

he just wanders around in the woods, and the claws that had been clipped short by wil now were untrimmed, I swear I saw him hunt a bunny and kill it with his hands alone one time!

he doesn't really talk to people like he used to, mostly he sticks to chatting with tubbo and cranboo, cphil's tried to talk to him, tried to apologize for how things turned out..but he doesn't really get anything back from tommy. he seems more busy with collecting bugs and skinning small rodents for their skulls to try and unpack years worth of complicated feelings towards everyone in his life, maybe things would've been better if he'd stayed in that forest of his, at least he sometimes wishes so.

[reggies-eyeliner]

THE CLASSIC MATCHUP - @littlelilbun

THE "HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH WITH YOU" COUPLE

#now playing ... video games by lana del rey!

miguel o'hara had never been big on physical touch. or talking. or purposefully making funny jokes. he actually wasn't a big fan on a lot of things. the only person he really regularly talked to was lyla, but that was only because he had to in order to get things going in the spider society-- but someone he could never find himself pushing away from was you. at first, being completely honest, he'd been so busy with monitoring the whole spider society that he'd neglected to realize that you and lyla were attached at the hip. both of you got along great, both having similar wardrobes and the occasional matching sunglasses. what began with conversations with solely lyla, even after work hours, ended with miguel joining in with the occasional wry joke every now and then. that slowly began to grow more into full fleged conversations with the three of you, and you and miguel had created a bond that seemed to be just about unbreakable.

he isn't big on romance, he likes to think, because he doesn't have the time for it. sometimes miguel says the words "the fate of the multiverse" and you and peter b. look at each other and snort a little, but sometimes you see the the corner of his lips twitch.

the first time miguel o'hara does anything remotely romantic is in battle, when some random universe's doc ock decides that you'd be the perfect victim. you weren't awake for most of it, but lyla tells you that miguel had practically dropped everything to save you, refusing to acknowledge the possibility that you wouldn't make it. he had stayed at the hospital every night to look after you, and every day grew into a week into two weeks before you were discharged, and during that time, both of you talked like there was no tomorrow.

when miguel actually realizes that he's in love and he's not having some sort of allergic reaction, he kind of sneaks in a small, quick question, even leaning against the wall to sound extra casual to lyla, "hey uh what's that new album taylor swift released" and lyla drops everything because . why is this man even asking this question . but it doesn't take long for her to connect the dots, and realizes that he wants to know more about your interests and what you like. lyla tells you, obviously, and fortunately, things progress from there.

once you two are actually together, miguel treasures lazy saturday mornings and cozy friday evenings. he even loves the "i'm so exhausted i might die" monday mornings on his way to the spider society, because he's with you. if you struggle with anxiety, while he might not know the best thing to do at first, he'll talk you through it every step of the way. but he won't ever pity you or see you as something broken, he sees you as someone who's deserving of respect, and most importantly, love.

oh man this guy starts keeping an extra hair tie on his wrist for you, or he literally keeps make up wipes in his storage cabinet (he asked peter b advice on what he keeps on hand for his wife 😭<33), and he definitely thinks it's awesome that you're studying six languages, and he'll also definitely ask you about it !! also he loves holding you while sleeping beacuse if a man is touch starved it's him

RANDOMIZED TROPE:

" SHARING A BED "

-> within two weeks of dating, miguel o'hara has realized a lot of things, mainly being that you thrive on physical touch-- something he's tried his best to shake himself away from. but as he watches you, arms opened wide for an embrace laying on a hospital bed after a particulary taxing day fighting doc ock, his heart stutters. slowly, hesitantly, he takes your hand, lying down beside you. he immediately warms up to your embrace, letting your head fall to his chest. lyla takes photos<33

a/n: thank you so so much for the request!! i am so so sorry that this took so long!!! if i missed anything please let me know >:D!<3 i hope you're doing alright + things are going okay for you!! remember to hydrate and eat well, take care!!!

[noahsartt]

My reservations with the 2022 Interview with the Vampire tv series:

My thoughts on amc’s Interview with the Vampire (2022) tv series compared to the 1976 source material and what I liked about the 1994 movie.

Some reflections before the second season airs. I watched the series as it was coming out in 2022, so these thoughts have been sitting for over a year.

This is a subjective critique of the show, not me hating on it. I liked the show a lot & watched it twice. Many of the key changes were extremely creative ways of exploring those characters from new perspectives, instead of just pointlessly remaking something that's been done before. Distinct creative change should be the basis of every remake, no point is making something 'new' if there's nothing new about it. This show knew that, and the changes for the most part were written beautifully. ...But the movie is still my favourite despite its many flaws. Camp classic right there.

Issues with the show:

Making it take place 100 years later, it ruins the specific aesthetic of the book for me. (But I understand they had to in order to re-write Louis & Claudia as black).

Aging up Claudia. The way Bailey Bass played Claudia was amazing, no notes at all for her. I just wish they kept her younger because that was a very symbolic part of what made Claudia’s original character so tragic. She suffers in an entirely different way to Louis because of her age. New Claudia is supposed to be in the body of a 14 year old, but the actress was 18/19 so she looks much older already,  and no matter how well she played it, the age factor can’t be helped. Being stuck eternally in the body of a 5 year old (book) is so different to a 14 year old, who looks much older (tv show). Kirsten Dunst who was 10 in the movie, was able to play the little child - adult vampire progression a lot better. People say Claudia's original age is too 'disturbing' to see on screen... but that's the character...

Daniel being old… WHY?? Just so they could tie together the storyline or him meeting Armand multiple decades before ???? I only read IWTV and some of the TVL so I don't know everything that happens down the line for him, or what amc plans for the character in the show... but I don't understand the aging up except for 'diversity' reasons. Which, ok, but just to check a box? Louis and Claudia's race change make sense as a creative decision. But the Daniel in the book and film is a 20-something year old which is why he's so fascinated by Louis' 'gift', and doesn't understand the message Louis is sending, instead wanting to become a vampire too. Why would old Daniel want those same things? Changing Daniel's age is such an inherent thing... it's like if they didn't make Lestat blond. Eric Bogosian plays him funny though, I will say that. Christian Slater kind of just sat there.

Louis having no money and needing Lestat's financial support for his business ventures????? When it’s supposed to be Lestat leeching off Louis' estate … WHY. Why did they change something so fundamental about their dynamic. Lestat moves in because he needs wealth and Louis has it. And then he starts acting like it's both of theirs and Louis just lets him. Funniest thing ever. But in the show Louis moves in with him instead. That's just wrong.

Louis asking (basically begging) Lestat to make Claudia when Lestat is supposed to be the one to do it in order to ensure Louis doesn't leave him. Another fundamental part of their relationship that just got flipped around completely... and for what? Why did it change the things it didn't need to?

Antoinette... girl why are you there... we don't need more characters. Go away.

The guy that Louis gets with to make Lestat jealous …. why is he there either? In the book they don't need to bring other people in to irritate each other.

One of the most perfect scenes from the film was when Lestat was tormenting that girl and trying to get Louis to kill her. The show’s version with the opera singer wasn’t the same. The original scene is such a good depiction of their dynamic with each other: Lestat's eccentric killing methods and Louis’ shame and guilt. The show’s version didn’t live up to it. That scene was so excellent in what it set out to do. It captured their back and forth in such a simple way. That dynamic follows them forever, even as Louis begins to accept his nature, that spark of annoyance towards Lestat is ready to become a full fire at any moment. That scene is enough to be a full character study. The show has little bits here and there which capture something similar. But they should have recreated that scene at least.

Claudia and Lestat's relationship evolving from enjoying each others company and similarities, to detesting each other and competing for Louis’ affection. They didn’t spend enough time on Lestat and Claudia’s relationship in the show to fully demonstrate that, only a few scenes of them driving together and hunting together at the beginning. Even the two hour movie found a way to intergrade that better. Their relationship and the way Claudia is so starkly similar to Lestat when they move to Paris, is one of the my favourite parts of the book to analyse. Louis leaving Lestat and moving all the way across the ocean, only to be reminded of him in everything Claudia did. The show did have some purposeful parallels between Lestat and Claudia in the dialogue which I appreciate, I hope that continues in season 2.

Louis being in on Claudia's plan to kill Lestat and even being the one to finish off Lestat when it’s supposed to be Claudia’s idea on her own...?? Lestat's death is supposed to be an "ok, I guess that was necessary, time to move on with our lives now," moment for Louis. But he wasn't supposed to have the courage or the want to be the one to do it himself. He was hesitant and regretful in the show, but he still slit his throat... it was supposed to be Claudia alone. Credit where credit is due, the scene was beautifully filmed, the red blood on white cloth looked incredible and the entire scene captured the tone of devastation that the movie didn't. It was all very quick and emotionless in the movie.

Even though I hate Br*d Pitt's acting, his Louis was way more accurate to the book Louis. He basically was the embodiment of book Louis. Just sad and whiny the entire time. New Louis had more to him, I think Jacob Anderson even said in an interview that it was a purposeful decision to give Louis more grit. It's not a change I appreciated because it alters the original character too much. You can't change something that fundamental. Just ugh. In the show, Louis is more angry than pathetically sad, it’s very different to how the character was originally written. 

Sam Reid’s Lestat is pretty on the nose but still more serious than the original Lestat & Tom Cruise’s portrayal which was the perfect level of camp and eccentric. Tom cruise was playing Lestat from just IWTV but Sam Reid is playing him with the baggage of his entire life as written in the other books, maybe that's why he is different. Maybe his performance is even better because of it. I haven't read the other books so I can't really say.

I won't say anything about Armand (yet) because he hasn’t had his time to shine. We’ll see after season 2. I loved Antonio Banderas as Armand, and even though he was very different from how book Armand was, it was a change I liked. New Armand is going to be more accurate to the books I believe, but i didn’t like how Armand was there the entire time Louis was being interviewed… why...

Maybe I am one of the few that doesn't overtly appreciate the 'fresh' take of this story. Many of the things that draw me to the book and the movie have been taken away in this adaptation.

---

I recommend this fan fiction that explores the idea of Louis being a person of colour in the context of the original book's 1700s timeline. It explores the intersectionality of Louis' struggle with vampirism, queerness & race while still being authentic to the book. Go read it.

In the Author's words: This is NOT a rewrite of the AMC TV show, nor does it intend to be. This is us making one (subtextually plausible) change to canon in order to 1) explore underlying issues with the source material and 2) see how it affects the way the events of IWTV played out.

Ok that's it. Will maybe add to this when the second season airs. For months, this was just for me in my notes app but what is tumblr for if not to air out my locked away ideas.

[e-adlirez]

The last question you answer about violet having a grasshopper pet being stereotypical make me realize that the girls do be kinda stereotypical in the very first book…(which fortunately isn’t there anymore as the series progress). Though, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I would love to hear your take on the cultural aspect of the thea sisters books. In your personal opinion, do you think the books do a decent job in cultural representation?

It started out with a decent chunk of stereotypes, but what allows me to look past them and love them is the fact that they show the girls growing out of them. For example, Vi (the only one I can actually speak on) is very much the smart and shy Asian kid stereotype (and the occasional esoteric proverb or two), but I love her because she grew into the role of being the group braincell. She's the group braincell, the straight man, the nanny holding four leashes at once, the anxiety-riddled bean who wants to move out of her comfort zone but is scared to do so on her own and thus leans on her friends for support ohmygodshe'sjustlikemefr--

For a series made in the early 2000s, the representation is pretty good! Definitely not perfect (stares at the Chinese proverb thing and Pam being a sasslord with weird-ass slang), but it was very much ahead of its time! The girls did start out stereotypical, yes, but one thing that it did was expand the girls beyond the stereotypes they initially started out with. Violet started as the Asian smart kid, but her character was expanded (if I described how we'd be here all day); Colette started out as a diva, but grew out of it and became a proud girly girl who gets along with Pam even though their tastes in fashion are different; Nicky does have that crazy Aussie in her (which I love), but she's also a goofball and passionate nature advocate a la Steve Irwin (still crazy tho, see that one time she crawled on the roof of a moving train); Pam I think changed the most, seeing she started off as the sassy one with weird slang but is now more the comedic relief who takes charge of the girls culinary itineraries and keeps them grounded; and Paulina's stayed the most consistent, but I dunno if that's saying a lot because she doesn't get that much screentime compared to the others.

One thing I will also appreciate is the extra bit of character building that the girls have that tie the little bits together. Vi has many things she's into and is good at? She is a curious type open to new learning experiences and is also a perfectionist (with anxiety coding), said wumbo combo means she's pretty good at a lot of nerd-flavored things like art and strategy and attention to detail. Pam likes pizza? Her family runs a pizzeria. Nicky is crazy? Yeah she's crazy, she's really good at thinking on her feet even if it means jumping off the outstretched ladder of a speeding firetruck to catch a perp. Colette is a fashionista? She likes looking good and has a good eye for different fashion styles and how to elevate them (and is most likely the reason Pam doesn't just have the most basic of clothes to wear everyday). Paulina is an IT kid? She is also chronically online :D (:'D) and she uses technology to try to improve her corner of the world and remain in contact with her family, mainly her little sister.

Oh yeah and the plots of the books were not that stereotypical, either! Tho take my statements with a grain of salt because I'm not part of any of these cultures, their trip to Japan didn't involve a single ounce of sushi or origami or samurai-- it involved bunraku and a theme on tradition versus passion. Their trip to Hawai'i did involve hula, but that was because they were there to compete in totallynottheMerrieMonarchFestivalweswearsincerelyScholastic, and they do mention the whole volcanic eruption thing without having to talk about Hawai'i religion beyond the white dog superstition, with a little side comment of how business corporates can be more than willing to pull all the strings they can to exploit the natural beauty and the people of Hawai'i. They went to New York and the plot was intertwined very much with the NYC housing crisis in such a way that was easy to digest, even for kids! They went to India and not only set it in an underrated part of the country (Tamil Nadu), they didn't lean into mainstream media stereotypes about India and let the story tell itself as it deserved to! They went to Italy multiple times and, get this, they didn't make a single pasta joke. (Because it's an Italian series that'd be weird if they did.)

But yeah, they treated these cultures with a surprising amount of respect. Like I said, not perfect, but it is a relief how a good chunk of the books still stand up to the test of time.

If you're from any of the cultures they explored in any of the books, feel free to let me know ^^

[blanketorghost]

SIDE A:

I fell in love with the ideal person But as you can see They had to go And it is the love that tore apart my entire heart and soul When holding hands, In the park we kissed and tears fell On fallen rose petals And, sadly, they told me so: "I have to leave, And it's not because of me, my heart lies with you All the love of my insides, my chest and my soul I know one day I will return."

SIDE B:

It was you who said goodbye And yet tears run down your cheeks If you are going to erase even the memory of yesterday like this, That's enough. Just smile for me. I sing and sing about love, one that's out above the clouds But I can't see it with my clouded mind No, no, we talk and talk about those regrets that grow day by day, and as the night swarms We forgive each other but there's no meaning to it.

SO HEY UH. LIL SNEAK PEEK OF THEIR BREAKUP ARC???

TW: for mention of underaged sex (??? only adding this just in case bc it all depends if you think their bio ages are counting their bdays during the school year the main story takes place so they'd be 17/18 respectively but I consider them to be before the school year so they'd be 18/19)

ANYWAYS HI

I decided to make their breakup so specifically heartbreaking i myself choke up a little when I imagine the scenes I'll have to write (I'll definitely cry)

So uh.

The inevitable happens and Yuu has to leave. The days leading up to his leaving date things are very tense between them. A lot of their conversations are thinly veiled arguments about Azul wanting Yuu to stay and Yuu telling him he has to leave even though he doesn't want to. Azul thinks that he's making excuses and wants him to admit that he values his life on earth more than their relationship─ Yuu just wants Azul to understand that he has way too many responsibilities and life issues he needs to tie up before he can even think about running away with him to another dimension where he has nothing to his name and could slow Azul's progress down (It also doesn't help that Yuu never actually tells Azul just how famous and influential he is on earth). Yuu also thinks that they could try making a long distance relationship work since Idia and Ortho are working on ways to allow Yuu to reliably travel since they've already managed to make phones work, but Azul is very against long distance because he thinks Yuu would fall out of love if Azul isn't physically there to be of use to Yuu. They always get out of these fights by apologizing and just expressing how sad they are they can't be together but they ultimately never decide on anything. It's actually so stress inducing for everyone because they were in their whole honeymoon phase before this.

There's a whole going away party the day before Yuu leaves and even though it's fun, everything is very bittersweet and I even have this cute scene where Grim asks to go to sleep on Yuu's bed like how they did before Ramshackle was fixed up pre ch.3 🥺

BUT ANYWAYS before the Grim scene, Azul texts Yuu to come to his room in Ramshackle (Yuu often gifts the dorm's spare rooms to friends including Azul ofc) so they can talk about what they're going to do. Yeah well the conversation gets derailed and they end up having sex for the first time as like a way of Yuu physically trying to show Azul that he will love him forever no matter what //sobs

Thats when Grim barges in after they're done and asks for Yuu to sleep over. With Azul's permission he goes and sleeps with Grim but he still feels guilty because they did something very intimate together and if able he would've wanted to spend the night with Azul instead. Yuu ofc can't say no to Grim because he also loves him a lot, though.

In the morning then Yuu wakes up and makes breakfast for Azul as like a way to apologize for not staying over+ maybe make up and talk more about what they'll do?? but when he goes over to Azul's room he finds out that Azul left even earlier in the morning and broke up with him through LETTER.

So uhm yeah Yuu is obviously very heartbroken about all this but he tries to keep a strong face for his friends since he is literally leaving today and doesn't want anyone to feel even worse than they are rn. All while Yuu is giving his goodbyes, he doesn't see Azul and thinks he just dipped and won't say goodbye in person. But Azul actually does go at the last second and they say goodbye, trying to leave their relationship in amicable terms despite everything and despite they're both crying like babies. But then Yuu kisses his forehead tells him he LOVES HIM so Azul decides to play the bad guy and say goodbye to him for good.

Obviously he eventually regrets that decision but in the meantime,

here we are

also fun fact!! Yuu's vc is Symag (alongside others- im trying to catch a vibe) and this SONG in Yuu's canon he actually writes it after their break up so legit this song is about Azul in Yuu's universe BYE

[humbledragon669]

Season 1 Opening and Closing Credits

This write up will likely end up feeling a bit scatty, partly because there are a lot of different bits and pieces to cover, but also because that opening credits scene is, to be quite honest, a little bit frantic. There’s a lot of stuff going on in there, despite the fact that it’s less than a minute and a half long. I’m intending on covering all of the opening credits scene here, so to make things a bit easier to digest, I broke it down into what I’m calling tableaus. The intent is to describe what we can physically see happening in each tableau before offering any observations on them in turn – it was the only way I could really see to break it all down. Lastly, there’ll be a quick summary of the music for each of the end credit scenes. Hopefully that all makes sense, and gives the opportunity to decide you’re not all that interested in the upcoming content before you get too far into the weeds with me.

Opening Credits

Before I get going with tableau #1, I thought I might offer a suggestion as to what I think the story is that we’re being told by the animation that takes place throughout the credits. From what I could gather, it appears to be telling the story of the consequences of Armageddon actually taking place. I hope that story arc will become a little clearer as we progress through each of the tableaus.

There’s one other thing I want to address before getting into the nitty gritty, and it won’t surprise you that it’s to do with the music. Something I noticed very early on in my GO-related brainrot journey is that the theme tune is written in ¾ time. That along with its very characteristic bass line accompaniment would qualify it as a waltz, which were predominantly used as courtship dances. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the music we come to associate with this show is representative of a genre of music that was banned in some places because it was considered to be sinful. Subtext on multiple levels there methinks.

Side note: the original theme tune for the series was intended to be Buddy Holly’s “Everyday”, but when David Arnold presented the piece that he’d composed as a potential replacement to Neil, it was love at first hearing. It’s lovely that we got to keep the Buddy Holly song in the show in season two, as it was apparently something that Terry was keen about having as a theme running throughout the whole of season one.

Tableau #1

Crowley and Aziraphale (with Crowley in the lead) are walking through the darkness.

Camera pans out to show a barren landscape.

Straight from the off, we see Crowley and Aziraphale together, very much like in the show itself. The animation leaves us in no doubt that these two characters are meant to be seen as a partnership. It’s noticeable that the ground they’re walking on is curved, which would suggest it’s Earth they’re walking across, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the barren landscape gives the impression that the two of them are striking off into the wilderness together. If we tie that into the timeline and story, this scene feels like this is a representation of the two of them as they leave the Garden of Eden.

Tableau #2

Crowley and Aziraphale have been joined by a small procession of two hooded figures and a small demonic-looking being.

The landscape in the background has more landmarks – rocks and bare trees.

The camera has adopted a closer position to the beings in view.

A warped tree grows as Crowley and Aziraphale pass a particular point in the scene. An apple springs from it.

The small demonic-looking being runs ahead of the hooded figures and picks the apple from the tree. He carries it out of the tableau.

The vegetation in the background grows more luscious as the scene moves into the next tableau.

The only observations I have about this tableau are unfortunately more like questions. First off, I don’t think I could say who/what any of the procession members are here:

Those hooded figures could literally be absolutely anything. And WHAT is that little thing at the back? It has a mohawk and sunglasses. I can’t recall any characters in the show that would fit that description. And why does he pick the apple and carry it away?

It’s almost like he’s trying to get Crowley or Aziraphale to take it (perhaps trying to tempt them with it?), but I don’t know why that would be.

Tableau #3

Foliage now thick, like a rainforest.

Flowers spring up from the ground as Crowley and Aziraphale walk into the tableau.

The procession has expanded with the addition of a bearded man, a nun, a different small being, and a priest.

There is a large cherub statue in the background.

A butterfly lands on the vicar’s hand, before flying across the shot.

The flowers springing from the ground is the second instance of foliage growing where Aziraphale and Crowley pass over, and it makes me wonder if the growth is either inspired or commanded by their presence. The apple has now disappeared from the tableau, but we have no indication of where it went, especially since the demonic-looking being that was carrying it has either changed or transformed into a completely different small being, one that looks an awful lot like Shax!

I realise this could be a representation of Madame Tracy, but there’s something about the sunglasses that makes me feel that’s not right.

Knowing that nothing ever makes it into this show by accident, I find myself wondering if the butterfly in this scene has been put there to suggest transformation.

We certainly know by the end of the season that both Aziraphale and Crowley go through actual physical transformations in the body swap, but the personal growth of many of the characters throughout the show forms a very important theme in the story too. And speaking of transformations, the device used to “transform” us from this tableau to the next is a large statue, which appears to be the back of the same one we can see in the background, or at least an identical one.

Tableau #4

Crowley and Aziraphale are sharing a glass of red wine whilst seated at a table.

The cherub statue from the previous tableau is still present in the background. Our point of view appears to be revolving around it.

The table is in front of a phone box.

The Bentley is seen in front of the bookshop.

There is a fire blazing in the upstairs window of the bookshop.

The instantly noticeable difference between this tableau and the ones that came before is that Crowley and Aziraphale are no longer marching as part/the head of the procession. In fact, it looks like they’re sitting at a table in a very lovely garden, what with the shady tree and the verdant grass in the forefront of the shot. What’s more, we can see the procession relentlessly marching away over a hill in the background. This tableau suggests to me that we’re at the point in the storyline where our hero pair have subconsciously abandoned their Heavenly and Hellish duties, happily settled in their own side, and with that in mind, I would say that this tableau represents the “present day” of this season as a snapshot in time. The flames in the upper floor window of the book shop are of course foreshadowing of what’s to come, and I do find it interesting that it’s there at all, major spoiler as it is, but it’s pretty fleeting as with the collage device used in episode 6, so perhaps the hope is that its presence won’t register with most audience members.

Tableau #5

An ark is resting on a building in the background.

The procession has had a few additions:

A brass band.

A hooded figure on a horse holding a scythe – Death.

A man in a top hat.

The alien being from episode 4.

A duck.

Something that looks like a rat.

A nun.

A second bearded man.

The procession is watched over by a demon (looks like Usher, the small demon that was used to test the holy water in episode 6).

Towards the end of the tableau, the procession starts to proceed up an escalator.

From certain angles, the building that the ark is resting on (or has crashed into) looks a little like the building that hosts the entrances to Heaven and Hell, though quite why this would have happened, I’m not sure.

There’s a change in the music in this tableau too, to what I will describe from this point on as theme #2. It’s probably most recognisable as being the tune to the lullaby that Aziraphale sings to Adam, although it is used throughout the season for a multitude of other scenarios. Interestingly, the change in tone in the music isn’t accompanied by a change in tone in the animation.

We see the first appearance of one of the four Horsemen in this tableau. In a sort of round-about-face way, the first we see in the opening credits is the last we meet in the storyline, the last to be called, and the last to be dismissed on the tarmac in Tadfield. I do like that Death has been put on a horse in this setting, making him a literal horseman as well as a metaphorical one.

This is the first tableau that Aziraphale and Crowley are nowhere to be seen in. If my theory about the story being told is correct, perhaps this is to show events continuing without their awareness, but I feel like that’s a bit of a stretch.

Tableau 6

Procession now proceeds along a moving walkway.

Additions to procession membership:

Weird tall being that looks like a bear.

Something that looks like it might be from Atlantis?

A short being of human appearance.

Small being carrying an “END IS NIGH” placard.

Somebody in a hazmat suit.

Something wearing some sort of face mask.

An additional dark figure on horseback – Famine.

Another unidentifiable short being.

The short demonic-looking being from the procession in tableau #2.

The backdrop now is of a night sky containing nebulae and galaxies.

Crowley arrives from the left and hovers over the procession.

The UFO from episode 4 appears and collides with Crowley, who is thrown of course. The UFO, now smoking, begins a descent into what will likely end in a crash.

I don’t have an awful lot to say about this tableau, other than it being the first time we see Crowley or Aziraphale without the other. It’s also the first time we see the transition into the next tableau being led by movement downwards, instead of from left to right.

Tableau #7

UFO crashes through a layer of cloud to reveal a descending escalator carrying, what appears to be, a procession consisting of a different set of people.

Aziraphale is hovering above the escalator and observing the descending procession.

Aziraphale deliberately flies into the UFO, causing it to explode into a shower of fish.

A single being can be seen ascending the escalator, against the flow of the procession.

It was at this point that I realised that if the escalators were supposed to represent the entrances to Heaven and Hell, with the beings on them going to their final place of rest, Aziraphale and Crowley were in the wrong places. You’d expect the angel to be watching the beings on their ascent to Heaven, wouldn’t you? So I actually think this might be a representation of the start of the war between Heaven and Hell, with forces from Hell ascending (perhaps invading?) Heaven, and vice versa. The presence of Crowley watching over, or perhaps feigning participation, would be more fitting in this case.

Unfortunately, the procession on the descending escalator is too far from the camera POV to make out individual members. The being going up the escalator instead of down is the mysterious little Shax-lookalike we saw introduced in tableau #3.

I’d quite like to know a) how that being got there and b) why they’re going against the flow of traffic. Perhaps they’re just late to the invasion of Heaven.

The shower of fish is a nice little callback to something that was used as a device on more than one occasion in the book, and was even intended to be used for the show in the original script but was unfortunately cut. It’s good to see it as a little Easter egg here in the credits.

Tableau #8

Backdrop is now of a wood or forest. The remainder of the shower of fish can be seen falling through the trees and into water.

Aziraphale and Crowley are now together again, with Crowley leading the way.

A military ship comes into view. It holds a lot of passengers, and definitely has members of the first procession on it. There is now a white figure on horseback present – Pollution.

The camera POV pans under water to provide the next transition.

It’s unclear whether the passengers on the ship are of members of both of the processions we’ve seen (mostly because the only shot we’ve seen of the second procession was too far away from the camera to make out distinct characters), but they seem to be mostly from the first procession. It’s also unclear as to whether Crowley and Aziraphale are simply observing the ship and its passengers, pursuing it, or even trying to overtake it.

Tableau #9

Backdrop is now of an ocean floor, complete with a kelp forest.

Crowley and Aziraphale are hovering over the procession in the same formation as the previous tableau (with Crowley in the lead).

The procession is now very large, with many members carrying placards and signs.

The kraken appears in the background, watching over the procession.

The procession starts an ascent up a hill, leading into a destroyed cityscape in the background.

Crowley and Aziraphale deliberately exit this tableau, accelerating out of shot.

The camera point of view focuses in on the head of the procession.

There is now a red-headed figure on horseback present – War.

The procession is now being lead by the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

There are some objects that we can see floating through the ocean during this tableau.

They look quite like plastic bags to me, so I wonder if this has been put here as a social commentary of the seemingly incessant need for humans to pollute the oceans. I think this tableau, with all four horsemen leading the procession, is representative of Armageddon having actually occurred, with the procession consisting of beings who are all now marching forward to be judged. Interestingly War was the last of the Horsemen to join the procession but the first that we are introduced to in the show, and the first that would be called upon in a nuclear holocaust situation.

Tableau #10

Backdrop is now of a destroyed cityscape.

The Horsemen of the Apocalypse are now at the rear of the procession.

Madame Tracy and Shadwell ride Madame Tracy’s scooter across the tableau, in front of the procession.

Aziraphale can be seen observing the procession from the top of a road sign signalling the M25.

The repositioning of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse suggests that their roles have shifted from leading the procession to ushering its members. This makes sense, given the backdrop of this tableau suggests that Armageddon has happened by this point.

Tableau #11

The procession continues up a rock bridge.

Backdrop has become a stereotypically “Hellish” landscape.

We can see the back of Aziraphale and the road sign he sits on as we pan into this tableau.

Crowley is floating above the procession, apparently observing.

The Shax lookalike demon can be seen running against the flow of traffic at this point.

The procession is being watched over by hellhounds (one in the background, an additional one in the extreme foreground).

We can see parts of the rock bridge crumbling under the weight of all of the beings in the procession, which brings my attention to the fact that there have been sound effects added to the soundtrack for certain things – these crumbling rocks, the flutter of wings, the pop of the UFO as it explodes into a shower of fish, and the roaring of the hellhound as the camera passes by. It adds to the impression that this isn’t just a credit sequence needed for logistical purposes, but that it is telling a story in its own right. It’s also possible to see that the procession participants not only look distinct, but have different walking styles too. It’s a tiny detail that would go amiss by so many, yet would have taken a lot of effort to implement. There hasn’t been anywhere for me to give credit to the animators in my write ups prior to now, so this is their chapeau – well done all, little things like that really add to the richness of this show.

Tableau #12

We see a view of the end of rock bridge and a bright white light in the sky.

The supporting pillars crumble as the camera approaches the end of the bridge.

I don’t have a lot to say about this tableau, partly because it’s very short but also because it has the least amount of content to it. As the penultimate tableau in the credit sequence, it’s the only one that takes place from the point of view of the procession.

Tableau #13

Point of view returns to a side view of the procession.

We see the front of the procession approaching the end of the rock bridge.

The Shaz lookalike can be seen, once again, running against the flow of traffic, away from the end of the bridge.

The camera perspective changes as it passes the bridge’s supporting pillar. It’s now further away and the light in the tableau is much stronger.

Members of the procession start to fall off the end of the bridge, some gaining wings and flying upwards, others falling straight down.

The camera pans out to show the title card for the show whilst procession members continue to march off the end of the rock bridge in the background.

That weird little Shax lookalike is busy running away in this shot, not once but twice. Once before the camera pans across the bridge’s supporting pillars:

And again, right after:

There seems to be a bit of a continuity error here, as those two gifs lead literally one into the other. What I really want to know though, is who or what that being really is, what its purpose is and why is it almost always travelling in the opposite direction to the rest of the procession.

And so we come to the end of the road (quite literally) for the procession. We can see the outcome of the judgement for each of them as they either ascend to Heaven or fall into Hell. Strangely, Crowley and Aziraphale aren’t present to see any of this – it makes me wonder if they’ve decided to flee to Alpha Centauri after all, seeing as in this series of tableaus it looks like they failed to avert the end of the World. Perhaps the halo over the “O” and the little devil tail on the “M” of the Good Omens title card is meant as a representation of their presence, albeit transformed somewhat.

End credits

Episode 1 end credits

Description: “The Theme That Got Left in the Car”. Queen-style symphonic rock of theme #1 from the Opening Title music.

Notes: links to the episode through the introduction of Queen as the music mascot for the show and its general feeling of impending doom. It’s orchestration also sets the scene for the epic nature of the show. One a personal note, and I know I’ve mentioned this before, this is HANDS DOWN my favourite piece of music in the entire season. I love absolutely everything about it – the wailing guitar, the operatic piano, everything about is JUST AWESOME.

Episode 2 end credits

Description: string quartet fugue-style of the Opening Title music. Has an extended theme #2 section and a variation on this theme before the return to theme #1. Not included on the OST album.

Notes: this version of the end credits theme offers an incredible contrast from the thickly layered version from episode 1. Its tone brings to mind an Austen-style ball, and although that would link beautifully with some of the concepts in season 2, I struggle to find how it connects with the episode content here. It’s beautifully crafted nonetheless.

Episode 3 end credits

Description: 60s instrumental style setting of theme #1, complete with Hammond organ and hand claps. Has an exploratory middle section and a distinct “Tarantino” feel. Not included on the OST album.

Notes: links to the episode through the 1967 flashback scene. There was, of course, a whole host of historic periods David Arnold could have chosen to use as the theming for this particular instance. Perhaps this was just the most fun to write.

Episode 4 end credits

Description: sounds like circus music! May use a calliope, or uses instrumentation to achieve that type of sound. Encompasses the entirety of the Opening Title music and includes a key change in the theme #2 section (the only end credits music that does). Not on the OST album.

Notes: I would argue that this piece offers the most obvious representation of the characteristics of a waltz, despite its very different instrumental setting. As with the episode 2 tune, I struggle to find the link to the dark episode content with this version, which is cheerful to the point of insanity.

Episode 5 end credits

Description: pipe organ fugue. There is a choir that joins to punctuate the phrasing towards the end. There is no other instrumentation. Not on the OST album.

Notes: I was told by the head of department when I was doing my music degree that the most evil instrument in all music was the pipe organ. He argued that if you ever ask somebody to think of “evil music” they will instantly summon the sound of a pipe organ, most likely the first movement of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, which I think this piece is heavily influenced by. It links beautifully with the cliffhanger of impending Armageddon at the end of the episode.

Episode 6 end credits

Description: “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square” by Tori Amos. ‘Nuff said.

End credits general notes

The breadth of styles encompassed in the 5 different treatments of the Opening Titles music is, to be frank, astonishing. Each one is entirely convincing as an example of the style its written in, which really just goes to show, at least as far as I’m concerned, that David Arnold is nothing short of a genius. It’s really unfortunate that only one of these can be found on the OST album - I can only assume that this is due to a need to keep the album to a certain length. Honestly, I feel like each one deserves its own full musical critical analysis, but it does not appear that the score is available.

And there we have it. I said it might be a bit scatty, didn’t I?! Also long. Sorry about that, I didn’t think it would take as long as it did to analyse one and a half minutes of opening credits! As ever, questions, comments, discussion: always welcome. See you next time 😊

[not-a-perfect-metaphor]

(Hardcore hatting post with wives + fauxmance content. Please do not continue if you know that’s going to rub you the wrong way.)

————————

Today in the world of J2-tinhatting:

Things that make you go ‘hmmm…’ 🧐 number 5,63877 -

————

Jared and Genevieve choosing October 24th, 2008 as the day they fictitiously decided to enter into a ‘serious’ relationship with each other.

I’m sure it seemed like it would add an extra little boost of significance to the timing of their staged engagement on October 24th, 2009.

You know…like the proposal was a tribute to exactly one full year of ‘mutually exclusive commitment’ between the two of them.

And to clarify, they didn’t mention any of this; meaning the specifics of when they had officially become a ‘serious couple’ until after their engagement went public, and that was just one of the many necessary milestones they would swiftly need to fabricate (and then remember, which…don’t even get me started) as they pieced together a ‘dating timeline’ that would hopefully be convincing enough to sell their completely out-of-the-blue engagement and marriage.

And when I say out-of-the-blue…boyyyy do I mean it, because for anyone who wasn’t paying attention to the comings and goings of the Js way back then (christ…fifteen years…good grief), the Jared/Genevieve ‘reveal’ happened essentially like this:

Jared vs. romance, post-Sandra McCoy: he’s single, single…single, yada yada, single some more- (except obviously he’s ‘secretly’ with Jensen, and by ‘secretly’ I mean the entire universe knows it…*AHEM*), but yep…still single, sinnngle, wow these gay rumors sure are gaining a sudden huge amount of traction, but anyway…single, sin-

-BOOM, now there’s this one stray article speculating that he mayyy (or may not) have a girlfriend, and…wait, huh? Who dat? What’s-

Oh okay, I guess he really DOES have a girlfriend, and wait, they-they…they’re actually super girlfriend-y/boyfriend-y, or…

They’re engaged?

Yes, they’re engaged!

DUH.

It’s Genevieve. Genevieve and Jared. And, in fact, they’ve been serious and lovey-dovey lovebirds for quite a while, now.

So, um……..psych!

Yes, this is 100% normal, because whether you know it or not, you did actually know about it the whole time.

Yes you did.

NOPE, DON’T EVEN.

YES YOU DID.

YES.

YOU.

DID.

…….

Seriously, though.

I cannot overstate the bizarreness of watching it all unfold in real time…of witnessing the way this relationship that ABSOLUTELY WAS NOT ANYWHERE TO BE FOUND…EVER was being framed and talked about as if it had been right there, right in front of us…progressing normally and not at all suspiciously to the point where it was just like finally, it’s finally just time for these two crazy kids to stroll down that aisle and tie the knot.

……

When meanwhile, in real life, it was pretty much just a giant -

Plus throw in everything that was suddenly going down with Jensen and Danneel AT THE SAME EXACT TIME (like…no joke, though…and then both engagements materializing on the same frickin’ weekend for christ’s sake??)

🙃

———

*By the way, the Jensen/Danneel fauxmance unfolded in a way that was equally as dumbfounding and twilight zone-ish as the Jared/Genevieve fauxmance but for completely different reasons, which I’ll rant and rave about in another post, because I have a LOT (a lot a lot) to say about that, too.*

———

But back to the Jared/Gen fauxmance and the dates I started this whole thing with.

Because remember the journalist who authored that epic article after interviewing the Js in which she famously wrote that they “share more than just a mortgage”? (they were still publicly living together at the time)

That lovely little chat happened to occur in late December of 2008.

And…but-…but…

Hmmm…🧐

According to Jared…during that interview (again, in late December, 2008), he was “very single.”

He wasn’t even just “single.”

He was “very single.”

He wasn’t “maybe casually seeing a girl.”

He wasn’t “dating a girl” but just not quite ready to name names.

He wasn’t “well…you’ll find out soon enough *wink wink*.”

Nope.

He was living with his best friend (*cough-HUSBAND-cough*) and “very single.”

Lol. So, um, then…

Well, fast forward to Jared and Genevieve’s engagement, October 24th, 2009…

-shortly after which we were informed about the whole October 24th also being the one year anniversary of the day they both decided it was time to fully commit to each other as a long-term, exclusive couple thing.

Except…two full months PAST that special day -

(October 24th to late December)

Jared.

Is.

“Very single.”

[mightnotfeelrealbutitsok]

Lorelai and Luke's songs on The Tortured Poets Department: loml

It's self-explanatory; Luke is the love of Lorelai's life and the loss of her life. This song is about the devastation of them calling off their engagement and cancelling everything at the end of season 6.

I felt aglow like this never before and never since. Obviously, this is about how Luke is unique amongst Lorelai's boyfriends (because he is, in fact, the love of her life).

you and I go from one kiss to getting married... It seems like the straight-forward way to interpret this lyric is it meaning that the progression from first kiss to marriage is rapid, but I think to me it means more that the progression is smooth and natural. They are so right for each other that from the first kiss it was inevitable they were going to get married, and it's no surprise for it to happen, so that it could seem like it passed in the blink of an eye. And I feel like that applies to Lorelai and Luke.

in your suit and tie, in the nick of time; you lowdown boy, you standup guy. I honestly just love these simple little lyrics. And think I can relate them perfectly to Luke. (he wears a suit and tie. and it's the nick of time when he finally makes a move on Lorelai at Liz' wedding) (he's a lowdown (secretive) kind of boy) (he's a standup guy)

you told me I'm the love of your life... I think when Luke told Lorelai how he waited 8 years... he was basically saying she was the love of his life.

what we thought was for all time was momentary. Yeah ouch

you cinephile, in black and white, all those plot twists and dynamite Just for fun: (Lorelai is a total cinephile)

TALKING RINGS AND TALKING CRADLES I WISH I COULD UNRECALL HOW WE ALMOST HAD IT ALL I am dying. They had all those conversations and plans about marriage and moving in together and having kids... they both wanted kids... they had this life ahead of them that slipped from their hands...

it was legendary. it was momentary.

what a bland goodbye... 'I slept with Christopher' and Luke driving away was painfully bland.

I'll never leave - never mind. What happened to 'I'm all in'????

you're the loss of my life. Losing Luke was a whole lot of a bigger thing in Lorelai's life than losing anyone other guy. She didn't necessarily act like it, but the people around her did (like Rory or Sookie), and it was losing a friend too and losing an element of her life (Luke's coffee), and it was losing what had been her best chance at a forever relationship.

[beskarandkyber]

I must say that Bo Katan's conversion to Din's "cult" has got to be one of the worst things I've seen in tv recently. For many reasons. It was so terrible in fact that it has well and truly kicked my interest in the show down a terrifying hundred degrees.

I know a lot of people are up in arms about this season. And I'm devastated to be thinking so negatively of a show that has only ever brought me joy. Writing for The Mandalorian has never been amazing, but I was okay with that because I love Din and his weird little attitude and position towards the galaxy. The characters on the show were enough to keep it alive and fun and carry it without relying too heavily on a fantastically written script. And scenes that were meant to make you feel something did. Stakes were good, and the story progressed just fine. It was a fun, heartwarming show with some badassery tossed in. But holy moly and pie.

To start I can only guess at this point what the point behind Din being excommunicated was. He was obviously messed up over the fact that his family and clan let him go so easily but he understood and accepted the creed. I was excited after he had taken off his helmet and broken the Creed because it opened up this new way to explore the clan and the possible problematic aspects of how he was living and how the the clan worked. This in turn exploring Din's identity as a Mandalorian with the knowledge he's gained from Boba and the other Mandos from season 2. Maybe there is more than one way. Tie this to Bo Katan and her vehement dislike for the clan and the fact that they were together when he broke his own Creed we could have had a huge a fun and impactful conversation about mandalorians, his Creed, where Din stands when he's placed in the gray area of the Mandalorian identity. I'm not saying that the clan is inherently problematic or evil, none of that because subjectively, it's not, but there should have been some type of nuanced conversation that affected Din and his place in the galaxy and the fact that he had a foundling. Not only this but the fact that he had recently come into ownership of the dark saber which places him by Mandalorian tradition and culture at the head of Mandalore. Perhaps predictably I thought that season 3 would contain his battle and internal and external struggle as he's fitted into this place that he never thought he would be in. I was excited to see his relationship with his clan completely changed especially as he sees that he has a new place in the galaxy and starts to perhaps grow away from them which could have led to either an antagonist in Bo Katan or a reluctant ally, or both!

Din felt too listless over the entire situation. That was his family the people who raised him, the people he had sworn his allegiance to, were so quick to dismiss him without hearing him out. But nothing really came out of it, no emotion no internal battles, no anything. We were simply told that he needed to go and get baptized to be redeemed.

I struggle also with the concept of bathing in the living Waters and Bo Katan joining the clan. Baptism is just bathing if there is no intent behind the action. Din was baptized because of his intention and he has a little like prayer thing he said. Bo Katan on the other hand went into the waters to save him and nothing more. There was no intent behind her actions, in the ritualistic sense that there was for Din, which means she was not baptized. And technically, at least in my eyes, it should be null and void the fact that she went after him into the water. And if the show simply was implying that the water held special magical properties the whole thing feels cheap and fake and I hate it.

I think perhaps a lot of my discontentment with this season and Bo Katan's sudden acceptance into a clan that she had previously considered a cult, looked upon with disgust and disdain, came from the fact that we did not get to see this change resonate enough within Din, not even in the book of Boba Fett. Her being accepted so readily into the clan cheapened everything that we were supposed to care about when it came to Din and his redemption. It was humorous in the way that it felt like a slap in the face and salt on the wound, I can only imagine how frustrated I would be if I were in Din's position.

It also cheapens Bo Katan's character as well. What was the point in never showing us any kind of character development in her and then suddenly sticking her in this clan and making the audience think that that was natural and fine? If this was where her character was going since we introduced to her in season 2 I never saw it coming and I find it a strange diminishing of her character, when she could have been a wonderful foil to Din, an antagonist a roadblock, but also someone who he would eventually have to confide in in order to properly handle his new position with the dark saber and eventually maybe it would lead to them having a dual where Bo Katan could win back the dark saber and everything before worked up to put her back on the throne and she learned valuable life lessons made her more tolerable of more people in the galaxy.

Or maybe she would see how much of a failed leader she's been and would come to accept that Din is the Mand'alor. I don't know. And I never will get to know.

I would say more but I think I have too much to say truthfully. All I know is for the first time I've felt disappointment and disinterest in a show I absolutely adore and it's heartbreaking. But I'm tired of accepting poorly made choices in writing for shows this big though. I'm sick of being told to sit and enjoy it and stop complaining when it genuinely sucks. No matter how much I love it. I'm not happy with it and as a viewer I deserve more than half baked plot points and non existent character arcs.

[studies-in-the-art-of-deduction]

Chess and Deduction

Okay so, this blog is meant to be the place where i put a lot of my more fluid ideas, things like rants about a specific concept or theory in deduction, or posting some deduction that i made. I tend to use @amateur-deductions for more article-like posts explanations so here's a bit of a rant for you about what deductions can look and feel like.

So recently i've been answering questions about how to squeeze information out of the things you observe, how to break down what you see into information that can constitute as actual deductions. And while i was in that mindset to make one of my last posts, my Youtube feed blessed me with videos of Levy Rozman, (Gothamchess on youtube for those of you who don't know), and i've started to draw some parallels between chess and deduction.

Now, i'm by no means an amazing chess player, i've been more into it recently since i have time, but it's not really something i dedicate a lot of practice to. That being said, Levy said something in one of the videos i watched that caught my attention: As he was explaining very basic chess concepts, he mentioned how once you start pushing your pieces forward and entering the middle-game, the moves you make in the opening start tying together.

Essentially what he pointed out is that, once the opening is done, your pieces start to naturally intertwine with each other, they protect each other and take control of a plethora of squares, so many that sometimes you don't realize it until the game starts to develop more. You start to notice that the knights you moved in the opening can attack a certain way because the rooks that you also moved in the opening are conveniently in a position where they can cover the attacking pieces. Or you notice that as the opponent pushes pieces to attack you there's no reason to panic because a piece you'd moved during the opening is conveniently guarding the area the opponent is pushing into.

Now, you may be wondering what the hell does this have to do with deduction. Well in the same way that you don't always have to think about every single little implication about your moves during a chess opening, and even if you don't, you still can start formulating a plan in the middle-game with what you built during said opening, in deduction you're not necessarily always looking to make a "plan" from the beginning, or to set up your observations a specific way to get to a specific conclusion.

The way that deduction works a lot of the time is, you just start observing, maybe drawing small conclusions like someone's handedness or their extraversion level, and then as you start piling onto these conclusions you start to realise that a lot of them conveniently tie together, you start to notice that you can make forward progress because a new conclusion that you might consider happens to be supported by an observation or conclusion you made in the "opening". In the same way that, in chess, as you start to get into the middle-game you realize you can attack with certain pieces because other pieces are now set up in a way that can defend them. You're looking to realize that you can push forward in your conclusions because previous observations and simple deductions have been set up to defend these conclusions.

So taking a deduction from Sherlock for example. As you look at someone's phone and start to realize that it's expensive, and that it has an engraving and scratches, you start to draw small conclusions, like "huh, this is a gift because this person is clearly not in an economical position to buy this", or "huh, this has had a previous owner". This could be considered the "opening", you're sort of just going through each piece, developing it, getting control of the center of the board, and just scanning around for your next moves.

Once you have a solid footing, once you have a solid opening position, you start pushing forward, and start realizing that the pieces that you've set up can start moving and tying together, so you make a move that looks optimal with the piece set up (the information) that you have, something like "well if the phone was given to him by a previous owner, and that previous owner is a close family member, why not move in with them? hm, maybe they don't get along". And as the deduction goes on you try to keep making these optimal moves, moves that are supported with what you've already uncovered.

And like a chess game, yes, sometimes you blunder pieces, sometimes you reach a conclusion that isn't supported by any evidence, and it leads to you loosing the game. Sometimes you make a counting error and you realize that your pieces are not as protected as you though. Translating this from the example, sometimes you think every conclusion you're drawing makes sense and is fully supported, only to be corrected and realize that you didn't account for something, or that there was another, simpler explanation for what you've found, and this leads to loosing the game.

And when this happens the next move is to plug the chess game into an engine and see what you did wrong and what you did right, did you blunder anything? did you make a move that was horrible but the opponent didn't notice? did you miss a mate in one? or in 3? or in 5? In other words, did you reach the right conclusion with the wrong reasoning? or did you miss a clue that would have led you to a massive deduction? or did you just jump to a conclusion without a good base for it? As always the goal is to analyze this and make sure these are not mistakes you make in your next game

Here's where i'll leave this rant, i do hope it was informative (hopefully it wasn't confusing). If you have any questions feel free to send them over in my asks.

Happy Observing!

-DV

[readthephible]

Damien x Shayne Ship Questions (2) (from @zillaphoneswag)

Who pulls the other closer while sleeping?

Damien

Who picks something up, says a pun with the object, then laughs as if it’s the funniest thing they ever heard?

Shayne

When one of them gets a new outfit, how does the other react?

Shayne probably knows about the outfit already because he is there during the steps to get to that point. (Damien is indecisive.) But the few times he does surprise him, Shayne showers him in praises and compliments. (I might write this…the suit with red and black tie he posted on his most recent birthday, RenFaire, D&D movie premiere) Shayne also likes the jewelry a lot.

Damien, being the more tactile one of the pair, is probably more on the side of being speechless and just wants to touch. How the fabric stretches around his skin, the slopes on his chest, he touches his jaw to stare into his eyes because he swears certain colors make them stand out. He tends to buy oversized clothes for comfort anyway, but is happy when they fit Shayne and he can see how he looks in them.

Who tries to playfully scare the other person and who always knows where the other person is?

1) Damien 2) Shayne

Who runs up and hugs their partner while the other catches them?

1) Shayne 2) Damien

(I’ll die with the Damien-can-carry-Shayne hc.)

Who presses their nose against their partner’s cheek before kissing them?

Damien

Who accidentally snorts when they laugh and it just makes both of them laugh harder?

Damien

What are some things they do for their partner because the other knows they hate it?

This is a hard one! I can see Damien not being dirty but being a lil messy just with like clutter (me…) so Shayne being a little better about it, just to avoid tiny arguments about never putting stuff back. But also Damien has OCD and I don’t so idk what that experience is completely like. Maybe Shayne catches on to how Damien likes things and fixes them before he can notice.

In the hc that they’ve moved in together, I can see Shayne setting up appointments for Damien because he hates it, and Damien taking care of the cats since Shayne isn’t used to it.

In the pleasant little AU where nothing could go wrong, they do everything for each other.

Who giggles uncontrollably when the other picks them up?

Shayne

When did they fall in love with each other?

This is debatable especially because of that one agree to disagree video, so to quote John Green, “I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

(Like Damien catching on to little things about Shayne that he really likes and enjoys: his laugh, his smile, the lil stretch where he puts his hands on his forehead, predicting jokes…and getting that inner urge from his love language being touch of just wanting to hug and caress and poke and kiss and everything…again, tactile.)

I think for Shayne it would take a little longer, lots of self doubt and questioning. Based on this podcast, as well as the agree to disagree video I linked before, Shayne is very heavily demispec coded, both romantic and sexual. (I often have a hard time distinguishing crushes vs someone just paying attention to me, don’t date around because it sucks, have attachment/abandonment issues, don’t have a lot of experience…maybe I’m self projecting but I have felt like emotionally connected to Shayne in that way, like our views on things, anxiety etc. are very similar, that’s also why he’s one of my fave cast members. Oops tangent over-) Anyway, it would take him a little while to come out of his shell bc he would feel like a different person, then just realize their relationship has slowly been progressing into different territory anyway and just let himself enjoy it.

What was their first kiss like?

Ooh, there’s so many ways this could go. One in the middle of a monologue about how they feel about the other? A passionate movie kiss where everything just melts and they feel all warm and cozy in each other’s arms? A confession of feelings one? A quick one that seems accidental, one waiting for the other’s approval, then it turns into more? Or it doesn’t turn into more, and they have a long, emotional, sweet conversation afterwards? So many possibilities.

If they argue and there’s a silent treatment, who breaks it first, apologizing and begging for a hug?

Shayne (clingy!Shayne is another fave trope of mine)

Who makes the other blush without even trying and they find it super endearing?

Shayne (Damien’s already just a blushy guy)

How do they hold each other when the other asks to be held?

Damien - scoops Shayne up and carries him as long as he can, loves to feel him weighing down on him like a weighted blanket.

Shayne - can’t do much because of the height difference, will still initiate hugs from behind and stand on his tip toes to reach Damien’s shoulder, lets Damien use his chest as a pillow to lay on, etc. Any opportunity Shayne gets to seem like he can hold Damien, like if he’s taller in a chair while Damien’s sat on the floor and he can tackle him, he takes.

Who breaks out the first aid kit when one of them gets a paper cut?

Damien

Where did they first say “I love you?’”

Once their outside-of-work hangouts started to become much more frequent

Height difference or age difference?

Damien is slightly older and slightly taller.

Who likes to stargaze?

Both. Damien provides the space facts, Shayne provides the puns.

Who buys cereal for the prize inside?

Both nerds

How do they handle plane rides together?

Shayne likes the opportunity to read, Damien reads over his shoulder, leaning on him if he manages to fall asleep, if he does get nervous tics, Shayne picks up on it and is able to calm him down

Who accidentally becomes a meme?

Shayne

If they went to couples yoga, how would they do?

Shayne tries to take it seriously, but Damien squinting and tilting his head at questionable phrases/positions or staring at him in awe would be extremely distracting.

Who is in love with the other person’s laugh?

Both

Who would run a bath for the other person?

Damien

Who runs their thumb over the other person’s skin to comfort them?

Damien

Who covers the other person with a blanket when they fall asleep anywhere other than the bed?

Both

*NSFW: Skip to the first fluff headcanon if you don’t want to read it* (For me this is only from fanfic reading/writing experience, heads up for inaccuracies)

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to them during sex?

Knowing them; a funny noise, innuendo, one of them referencing a meme or tweet, or one having brain fog and forgetting what they were doing. I would hope that nothing would be so detrimental they never wanted to bring it up or be together again considering they literally joke wrote/read fanfic of them fucking.

What is the song they’d listen to during rough/hard/kinky sex?

Probably alt rock but I have absolutely no idea leave suggestions, please

What is the song they’d listen to while making love?

I hc 90’s R&B or Fleetwood Mac adjacent

Are they into roleplay or dress up during sex?

Nerds (a little, but it would be hard to take each other seriously. or it would be like Dio!Shayne, not Shayne is Dio)

Do they prefer sex in the tub or in the shower?

Shower

Is there anything they do together after sex?

If it’s after an intense d/s situation Damien is quick to bring in the aftercare elements. But mostly cuddle, talk, make each other laugh, sleep, maybe play a calming easy game like Stardew or Animal Crossing

What is something that will never fail to turn them on?

For Damien, I hc: Shayne dancing, working out, stretching (like showing midriff/happy trail), getting dressed/undressed, his chest.

For Shayne, I hc: Damien’s voice, hands/arms, ability to dirty talk, sensual gazes, certain touches that feel more than just playful, and real big acts of kindness that give Shayne that fuzzy feeling that turns into lust

What’s their favorite body part on the other?

^

*NSFW Over*

Who showers their pet with affection?

Damien

Who can lift the other up?

Damien

Who is better at Mario Kart?

Damien

Who is touch starved and while it’s funny at first the other realizes that their partner hasn’t had much physical affection in their life?

Damien

Who gets jealous easier?

Damien

Who feeds the ducks at the park?

Damien

[dark-titi]

Day 0: I found this odd puzzle on my bookshelf. All the easiest parts had already been put together, it took me little time to reassemble it, only the sky remained unfinished.

Day 1: Today I didn't made much progress on the puzzle, but it was raining outside so I blame the light.

Day 2: It's way harder than I expected, I sorted the pieces by color but very few seem to match. I wonder if that's some kind of prank.

Day 3: I'm starting to understand why the puzzle was dusting in a corner never to be touched again. This thing is way too hard, but I have my pride at stake.

Day 4: I'm starting to lose my mind. I've lost count of how many hours I've spent on this. I found myself rushing my meal to get back to it.

Day 5: Couldn't sleep last night. Every time I close my eyes I see puzzle shapes, It keeps me awake.

Day 6-7: days pass, I barely it but I'm not hungry, I've started to eat the tin can in my basement. I don't cook it, I don't have that time.

Day 8: I feel like something is wrong, I manage to put some pieces but whenever I take a step back it seems like I made no progress.

Day 9: I started to see patterns in the pieces, some sort of low, I'm not sure yet but I believe there this puzzle is 'deeper' than it seems.

Day 10: I'm sure of it now, I counted all the pieces and there is too many, but there all different and yet seems to belong to this puzzle.

Day 11: I've seen it! I've seen it! On one of the edges, the space was curving! There is more surface hiding somewhere.

Day 15: I've nothing left to eat, it doesn't matter anymore, I feel like time stopped somehow. I've been doing my calculation for quite some time now, but strangely I've not been disturbed for ages now.

Day 23: I've done it, I managed to estimate the 'depth' of this puzzle. According to my calculation its dimension it's surface is close to 1.65. From the outside, it seems normal but it is in fact some sort of fractal.

Day 27: I started to feel the gap between dimensions bit by bit. It takes me a lot to keep focus but I enjoy it. I feel like I'm going to finish it.

Day 56: No…. there is no end to this. At first, I though I could finish but I have a strange feeling that there is an infinite amount of pieces yet to be placed. Every time I put one two more take the place.

Day 67: I had to be sure so I recorded it. I couldn't believe it but pieces seems to have their 'own dimention' but are still bound together. If I pull one, another piece can pop out of its dimension somewhere else.

Day 145: I just noticed that it's blanc outside. Not snow nor day, just blanc like an endless cloud. It matters little, the light is fine that way.

Day 343: I don't know how I'm able to count days since there is no days anymore. I've started to hear some voices coming from the puzzle. It says to not worry because I'm close to the end.

Day 870: I'm not sure I'm alive anymore. Well in a way I am but I feel like my inner time has stopped. Of course, I noticed it long ago, I keep feeling my heartbeat but each pulse is identical to the previous, like a clock.

Day 1456: I got good at thinking in multi-dimension. I understand it, the way it flows. I started seeing new ones everywhere. At first, I thought they were barely visible but I just didn't knew how to look properly.

Day 24650: I see things in that puzzle. Sometimes it's me, really me. It's like watching your limbs and there is your face on it. I want to touch it…

Day 90001283: I see time. And I see the puzzle. Not as a surface or a volume. More like an endless shape, snapping from one dimension to another, somewhere stacking on itself, and the moment after it's larger than the universe. What a fool of me to think I would ever be able to complete it. Might be easier to tie every atom of the universe in an endless rope.

Day ?: Time doesn't make sense anymore. I think I'm way after the end of it. I can't tell. There is no more light, no more space, only me and the puzzle. And the eternity to finish it.

Day &+%: somehow I feel close to the end. How? There is no dark anymore, I'm seeing myself. From everywhere, every angle, every second, every choice. I think everything is getting closer to me.

Day: There is no more time. My thoughts are in the past present and future at the same time. This is the end. I keep telling myself to not worry. That I'm close to the end. Eventually, the universe will let me go and I may finally fade away….

Day -1: I'm not one anymore. We are many, scattered across space like stars, bound together. I cease to exist but We will carry on. We sense it. Time is flowing again, we sense it, in an unexpected direction but it matter not, we will be part of it, this is certain.

Day 0: Some of us felt something, like a little displacement in our dimension. Light, again, suddenly! Something is staring at us, we feel it even though we can't describe it. Names matter not, they never have. The thing is trying to put us back together but we don't want to! We're not afraid, it's been a long time since we're able to move through dimensions. Some of us will get caught eventually, but it's barely our edge. None can understand how we are, and no one will, we'll make sure of that…

[nikrei]

May Comics Round Up!

I didn't think I got all that much read this month, but it looks like there's a decent amount!

Swamp Thing (71-90) (1988-1990)

Swamp Thing tells a good story as always, and is delightfully messed up in many ways. Intertwined a bit with the start of Hellblazer at this point, so read them together!

The Demon (1-4) (1987)

Missed this mini last month, so grabbed it this time around. A pretty good sequel to the 70s run, and ends with Etrigan kissing Blood on the mouth as they break up, so I think it's a success.

Invasion Event (1-8 + all tie-ins) (1989)

This is a fun event! It is also where the term 'meta-human' originates, so check it out if you wanna get that history.

New Guardians (6-12) (1989)

Sort of a mediocre run overall. Definitely groundbreaking, but you can tell that the guy with the vision left after the first couple of issues (because dc wouldn't let him be as progressive as he wanted to be with the story). Makes me wonder if Tom continues to be a fully enlightened being when he shows up in GL issues after this (if he doesn't they're all cowards)

Plastic Man (1-4) (1988-1989)

A fun gag comic mini. Good for an intro to the character, and it's neat how each issue starts with detailed "serious" comic art that then becomes v stylized and fun.

The Spectre (21-31) (1989)

Oh boy did this go places in the finish. The first half of this run has an entirely different vibe then the second half and neither of them really do it for me.

Dr. Fate (1-14) (1988-1989)

Look the new Dr Fate is sooo wierd, they are just wildly going places with this whole thing. Old Lord of Order Nabu is now a grumpy couch potato, the new Dr Fate duo have no idea what they're doing and consist of a kid that's been aged up to adulthood and his v young stepmom, and also they are soulmates. No idea where they at gonna go with this after they've killed Eric off.

Hellblazer (1-26) (1988-1990)

I like this one a lot, as serious titles go. It really is amusing the difference between Constantine in this title and in Swamp Thing. In his own title he struggles to travel around England, hitchhiking and train hopping and the like, compared to how he's jetsetting around the world in Swamp Thing.

The Question (Annual 2-33) (1989)

The Question is always quality, and also Shiva showed back up!! Many things happen, and also Hub City is literally the worst. Gotham and Bloodhaven think that they are the worst but it is 100% Hub City sorry guys.

Action Comics Weekly (609-641) (1988-1989)

Or at least the bits that were Black Canary/Dead Man/Phantom Stranger/Nightwing/Speedy/The Demon/Phantom Lady (i am not immune to the power of tits okay). These little stories were all really fun, and super easy to miss if you don't have a reading list to follow (I was following a Roy list, then backed up to catch the Dinah stories story) However, the Demon story there at the end had Jason and Etrigan back together already, so I looked up a reading list for him and discovered:

Cosmic Odyssey (1-4) (1988)

Read this to find out how Etrigan and Jason got back together. I love the fourth world. I have many things to say about it and I have written out some of that already. Jim Starlin is my enemy.

Secret Origins (26-38) (1988-1989)

Catching up on folks changed backstories for the post crisis era pretty much

Green Arrow (14-16) (1989)

Only just got started on Arrow at the end of the month! I'll read more now!

Bonus: weeks 5-9 of the Comic Kon superboy reading club! We've finally made it to the Superboy solo! But boy, does that start off getting caught in every big event around, the extra credit has to work hard!