#I mean I CAN and it’s brilliant

[itspileofgoodthings]

I love Midnights and also she’s struggling so so much and I can hear the pain so clearly.

[gojuo]

THE STORY ENDED HERE AND NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENED TO ANYONE AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER

[bizarrelittlemew]

actually i'm just gonna assume Ed knows french. in S1E5 where he demonstrates "oomph" by threatening the french captain, it doesn't seem to be an issue for him that the captain answers in french. also why not

[everyryuujisuguro]

[omegalomania]

we do not know and might not ever know the full story behind mania and the circumstances under which it was produced but we know enough by now to understand that there was a lot of strife and frustration involved in the way it came about. the band has been clear on this much. the divisive reception upon release didn't help any. and we know the last time that happened with folie, it led to that record essentially being forgotten and aggressively sidelined for years afterward. the roughness of its reception was explicitly one of the things that patrick especially cited as difficult for him to look back on, and one of the reasons it took so long for him to embrace those songs again.

it took mania five years what took folie a full hiatus and double that time.

this too is healing.

[themiddleofthehill]

As an arospec person I am almost morbidly curious about romantic relationships. They're like unicorns prancing about in broad daylight and no one else seems to think it's weird.

"What do you mean? Everyone has a unicorn", they say. "If only they would't get me into so much trouble", they say. "Sometimes I wish I could stop the unicorn from eating my arm, but alas! there's nothing you can do about unicorns", they say.

How absolutely fascinating. And you see these "unicorns" everywhere? Tell me more!

Whenever I stare at someone for an extended period of time it's because I have left the physical realm and exist solely in a fantasy land doing something far more interesting than whatever was happening in the real world prior to said staring. And apparently for some other people that fantasy land intentionally includes the person on the receiving end of the stare?

There are sparks and butterflies and fireworks flying all over the place. Hearts are skipping beats and lungs forget how to breathe and the bones in your legs change their state of matter. Tongues are tied up and hands are shaking and brains are malfunctioning. And all of it is considered not only normal but desirable?

There are peope willing to uproot their entire lives for the sake of one person? There are people relating to the obviously fictional stories told in love songs and romance novels? There are people staying in toxic situations because they're in love, because they're told they are loved?

It sounds like magic. It sounds scary and inriguing and wonderful and absolutely crushing.

Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out. Sometimes I'm really glad I can look at all of it from the outside. Sometimes I wonder if people forget love exists outside of romantic contexts.

Everywhere I look there are unicorns frolicking in the bushes and no one seems to realise how absurd it really is.

It gets me every time. People actually feel like that.

[sysig]

Growing closer than expected (Patreon)

[wandering-tides]

IT's CHOCO-BERU!!!!

Screaming, throwing, Crying,

HE LOOKS SO FINE!!

Looking at him heals my heart, My Beautiful, Handsome, Pretty Prince :3

I love him so much, you have no idea 🥰

[hayaku14]

we should let kaito be angrier. that's boy's been through a lot let him lash out, let him be mad, let him say and do things he's gonna regret, and let him heal in the ugliest process possible. and let him realize that he will be loved despite it all.

[burning-sol]

You know what? I realise why the Sinsmas episode is pissing me off so much, it's because it's juggling so many different ideas that it doesn't spend enough time committed to a single one. Let me just break it down the way I see it...

The first idea we're introduced to is one about Stolas' depression but then when he sits down with Blitz we're introduced to the idea of Stolas' poverty.

The previous ideas are what you think that the episode might focus on until you get hit with the Octavia B-Plot. Okay! A-Plot is about depression and poverty, B-Plot is about Stolas not being able to contact Octavia... (I might be using those terms incorrectly, but you get the idea,)

But THEN you get Sinsmas introduced which is about the idea of indulging in your sins, which is shown to be important to the audience because it's expressed in dialogue, right? Wait, no, it's about Stolas's depression/poverty, okay then....

But THEN you cut to the office and we get a Millie and Moxxie bonding scene, so you think, "wait, is there going to be another DIFFERENT plotline introduced into this episode about their relationship??" AND YOU GET MORE ABOUT SINSMAS, multiple shots about the holiday and the idea of indulging in your sins!! So wait, the idea of Sinsmas IS an individual idea from the depression/poverty point? Or isn't it??

Stolas sobs on the phone, there's a very obvious depression/poverty breakdown, but then we get MORE NEW SHIT introduced because it's about Stolas' cheating. And I understand that that's meant to tie into Octavia's B-plot, but there's a subtle difference between that and THIS that adds another layer of shit on top (elaborated on later).

Which, BTW, I just wanna point out how this idea is contradictory to the Sinsmas idea since CHEATING is about INDULGING in LUST - as is established in your PREVIOUS. IMPORTANT. SEASON ONE FINALE... So WHY would you make a character shame a sin that's meant to be in the process of being celebrated which confuses the Sinsmas idea and was also the CORE of the Stolitz will-they-won't-they before now?? If it was to trigger Stolas' breakdown you already HAD the poverty story beat, this is just needless and confusing redundancy??

So then we actually get to Octavia and we get a scene about the idea of Stolas and Octavia not being able to get in contact with each other - the B-Plot - and followed by her introspective song and the discovery of Stolas' pills. And now we suddenly feel like we're back to where we were MEANT to be, with the Octavia B-Plot taking a pause to cut back to the Depression A-Plot. This builds up tension as we naturally feel the two characters drawn together.

And theeeen it cuts to the I.M.Ps and I'm banging my head against the wall because you're like, "Oh! The Millie and Moxxie relationship idea! This is going to be about them!"

But then OH MY GOD a NEW idea is introduced about Blitz wanting a FAMILY WITH STOLAS. I want to shoot someone because the cheating was a set up for Blitz to fantasise about wanting a family??? Is this meant to be a parallel to episode 1??? Am I meant to feel like Blitz has developed as a character?? In an episode that has been about every character OTHER than Blitz???

And then it's meant to be likeee like about Millie's pregnancy because she wants to kill the family instead of leaving them be, but it's also about Moxxie's relationship with her, but it's ALSO about being "demon enough" (WHATEVER THAT IS, IT'S NEVER ELABORATED ON), but it's also ALSO about Sinsmas.

Okay! Okay, back to the REAL plot except- Wait, Octavia walked in??? Wait, so this plot is now about Blitz wanting a family and he's going to bond with Octavia?? No! NO because they don't have any emotional connection and so there is no reason for this scene to exist if either way Blitz was going to know where Stolas went and Octavia was going to end up there as well anyways.

And can you tell I'm tired of writing at this point? Cus I'm losing my mind. FINALLY the A-plot and B-plot that should have been the center of the episode all along gets a fuck ton of screentime and it's beautiful and it's the peak of the episode.

And theeen it's back to Millie and you think, "Okay, so a big part of the pregnancy plot is clearly meant to be about Millie and Moxxie's relationship based on all the scenes we've gotten between them! That means that Millie and Moxxie are going to have some sort of important dialogue-" And then she WALKS OUT on him and she has her emotional moment with her sister! Which isn't a bad thing but need I remind you she isn't even in the center a FULL LENGTH episode, she's from a SHORT... WHY would you NOT integrate Sallie into a proper episode if she's going to be key to a future INCREDIBLY important plotline??

The episode ends with Blitz and Stolas and the credits roll blah blah blah...

This post is basically expands on some of the points of my post about my first impressions, because I just wanted to give a run down of the structure properly so you can understand why this episode is making me feel like I'm losing it. And I get it, if you put in the effort you can get an idea of how all the ideas were meant to tie together... But it doesn't! It's badly written! It makes me want to rip my hair out!

Ideas are established and then sit there uncomfortably without resolutions to them! Like even the shit. That was meant to be the main shit. The poverty and depression stuff? NO conclusion. Stolas says, "you don't have to refer to me as your highness" I guess?? But like, nothing to show him settling in with everyone else in the celebration to show he's like. Poor? And okay with it? By partaking in the holiday of those that are meant to be "beneath" him? No mention of his medication???

Just!! Okay. To understand the way shit in the writing could have been better, let me list some ways you could change the episode to be more coherent or cut down on redundancy if my points have so far not landed.

Establish Sallie towards the BEGINNING of the episode and her dynamic with Millie, and show how that compares to her relationship with Moxxie, and show WHY she would call Sally instead of talking with Moxxie first. If you're going to make the episode about family btw, this would be the point where Millie could bring up HER family and how much she values them or something in order to establish that as being important. Also, use this to explore what Millie and Moxxie's feelings on having a baby WOULD be, so that if there's conflict there then you have more understanding of why Millie made the decision she did.

Use the actual environment in the background of the montage to show the passage of time instead of it suddenly being Sinsmas. Have demons setting up holiday decorations, in the stores put up discount signs about a "Sinsmas sale!" This makes the story flow more naturally, as well as adds characterisation and makes Stolas' depression more real as he's shown to be so absorbed in his own world he doesn't even realise it's the holiday until Blitz brings it up.

Octavia's phone and the device she listens to music on is the same (I checked S1E2 to confirm it), which causes a sloppy writing issue. Like. If the episode is meant to show Stella is controlling and it's not Octavia's choice not to get in contact with Stolas, then you need to explain why she hasn't called him despite having access to her phone when Stella isn't around. If it were me, I would have had Stella lock it in a drawer that Octavia picks the lock on so she can listen to her music. THEN you can keep the original scene, OR (this is what I would have done) have her check her phone logs so you can see not only how many times Stolas has called but how much time has passed. Maybe this could also be used as another reason to drive her towards the closet as she hides from Stella and Andrealphus. Maybe this could be used as an interesting metaphor about her desire to leave but she doesn't know what she's going to do once she picks the lock on the door... Like how she could call her Dad now that she has her phone but she doesn't know what she'll do when she does... Something like that.

DON'T have Blitz and Via meet up if they're not going to interact. That entire scene is fucking pointless as is and I hate it. Either dedicate a PROPER amount of time and dialogue into making Blitz want to and try to connect with Via, or have them not talk at all. Cut out the whole thing about Blitz wanting a family with Stolas honestly, it's just not well explored enough.

Again with the sloppy writing, the gang did NOT need to stumble into a room of weapons to have weapons. That's pointless. They're assassins, they've been established to bring a stash of weapons with them to fights before. I can think of something much funnier where Moxxie is surprised by Loona's transformation and there's a joke made about her being a noble steed and Moxxie pulls out a sword only for Millie to be like, "Why did you bring that?" And Moxxie says something about how it's a posh weapon cus that's his thing. OR you could have some badass impromptu weapons the gang makes from the ice or they use Sinsmas decorations scattered around. IDK.

Already made my point about Stolas and the poverty idea. Show him settling in with the others during the celebration and him opening up to the idea that he's no longer rich or well respected. The "you don't have to refer to me as your highness" would work if the text bothered to show his mental state properly, instead of him just looking depressed and like he kind of hates everyone there.

Have Blitz PLEASE react to Stolas' depression. Like. Acknowledge it. And share his feelings about it. AND GIVE STOLAS HIS MEDICATION FFS he clearly has clinical depression!! Blitz is sooo head empty in this episode, PLEASE give him more internal thoughts other than :) I'm holding my head in my hands.

And I'm so tired of writing at this point I'm going to stop it there but I hope that was thorough enough to get across my points. And if not then I guess that speaks to how loopy this episode made me that I can't even articulate myself 100% because dear god.

[laterkatersays]

Ashley Johnson is ruining my life (but I still love her to the moon and back)

Sometimes it feels like being a callowmoore shipper this campaign has been an exercise in frustration.

Not only are we fighting against a dedicated section of people who never got over the shard incident and still believe Ashton hasn't apologised enough (four times in one conversation was not enough, apparently) or done enough to be forgiven (despite the work they put in to open up to the party, make commitments to be better and actually follow though).

Then there are those who vocally insist that callowmoore is being forced and that Fearne has better chemistry with Chetney or Imogen or Teven or Braius. I honestly don't care when someone ships Fearne and Ashton with other people (and while I am not, a lot of callowmoores are multishippers, or want Ashton and Fearne to be polyamorous). The only time I mind is when someone starts bad mouthing callowmoore because they weren't paying attention to the way they've been flirting with each other since episode 1 (then I care long enough to roll my eyes and find the block button).

But to get back to my thesis statement, despite the fact that I adore Ashley Johnson in a way that one can (entirely platonically) adore a stranger that you will never meet, she has consistently driven me up the wall this entire campaign with her insistence that she can't share what Fearne is thinking and feeling without exploring it at the table first.

Don't get me wrong, it's an approach I admire. I would not be capable of it in that situation. I would be much more of a Liam, admitting to having romantic feelings in a 4 Sided Dive a good while before it was revealed at the table. Even Taliesin is sharing Ashton's feelings about Fearne now, I suspect because some of those feelings are easier for Ashton (which I plan to explore in another post because fuck it, let's ramble on the internet while the world falls apart).

Everything we've ever gotten from Ashley has been eked out in miniscule portions. We had one initial (and, I suspect, accidental) confession during a 4SD that Fearne might have deeper feelings for someone (back in October 2023, a month before the shard incident). And then ever since we've been living off crumbs.

I suspect that Ashley even asked before the final 4SD that the rest of the cast not bring up Fearne and Ashton (which is why we had a whole conversation around Caleb's tower without actually addressing why the tower configuration specifically caused issues that episode, namely that Fearne and Ashton had trouble finding somewhere private to fuck) because Liam made that little joke, almost underneath the rest of the conversation, "Enough about your callowmoore," as if it was in reference to a prior discussion.

I've been shipping these characters for two and a half years (July 2022, episode 28, Fearne fell in the hole, Ashton tried to pickpocket her while helping her out again, and I suddenly realised pickpocketing was flirting for people who were bad at feelings), and don't get me wrong, while there were some hard times, the payoff of watching these two emotionally stunted people find their way to each other has been brilliant. There is a unique joy in picking a ship before anyone else is paying attention and then being right (and hopefully getting to see them have a somewhat happy ending if they don't all get murdered by Predathos/Ludinus/the Gods in the next episode).

So I'll wait for the resolution we get in game, when Ashley and Taliesin do their thing and work out how Ashton and Fearne fit together when the fate of the world isn't at stake. And I'm sure it will be brilliant, because those two have already captivated me with this small story, this bare beginning of a romance, told in fragments of moments, within the hundreds of hours of Campaign 3. I think about callowmoore every day, when I'm supposed to working, or cleaning my house, or sleeping. So much so that I've somehow written 14 callowmoore fanfics, and I'm currently working on 4 more (2 of which are 40k+ words each).

But fuck me, if they don't dive into it, really dive into it, in the campaign wrap up, if Ashley Johnson doesn't finally reveal Fearne's thoughts and feelings, and the changing pattern of them across their friendship turned romance, I am going to... Well probably be really fucking sad and then write a bunch more fanfic tbh.

[freebooter4ever]

This is SO laughably absurd??? A social media manager / PR person's job is to follow the team and spin the season's narrative to the fans, allowing that inside peek at behind the scenes that fans get so curious about? If nyc management is going to be this archaic about it, why not just hire a man and let him actually do his job -_- because you know. Those slutty slutty suductresses are gonna go have dinner with players if they stay in the same hotel. This is so fucking stupid, what is this the 50s when women weren't allowed to travel unchaperoned. And at the RINK too??? Like wtf lol. This explains why the rangers social media has gone from homophobic but good to paltry and superfluous.

[lesbiancosmicowl]

there are So Many small lisa swain mannerisms and like. ways in which she moves around and interacts with the space and people around her that make me sooo curious abt how much of it is direction and how much of it is just. vicky myers being brilliant.

[wheeloftimedevourer]

memories seeping through every fibre of her being from that fucking touch.

[sieglinde-freud]

oh im obsessed with this actually… who ever wrote this one i am kissing u on the forehead and hugging you real tight… inigo is such a loverboy im kkkhhhhhhijnsdnfng

[kilgarraghforever]

Data's poetry is objectively great. No one on the Enterprise has any taste.