#I need people to see this horrible and beautiful dialogue

[wolfsong-the-bloody-beast]

[mcflymemes]

AS SAID BY IRON BULL  *  assorted dialogue from dragon age inquisition, updated version

hey, don't top from the bottom.

next time you're free, why don't you come grab a drink?

didn't figure you were the kind to bed your way to power.

love is all starlight and gentle blushes. passion leaves your fingers sore from clawing the sheets.

do you want your silky underthings back, or did you leave those like a token?

you're the toughest, wisest, most beautiful person i've ever met.

these big muscled hands could tear those robes off you while you struggled, helpless in my grip.

i will never hurt you without your permission. you will always be safe.

you don't need to be afraid... unless you want to.

you see us as this forbidden, terrible thing, and you're inclined to do the forbidden...

you want to watch, don't you?

make sure you undress him with your eyes... respectfully.

i'd offer to help you get rid of that frustration but, you know... i'm in a committed relationship.

next time we're alone, i'm going to pin you down and do things your body won't believe.

all that crap made sense to you?

i can't tell you how proud i'm gonna be, watching you out there, addressing them... with this big, old love bite on your neck.

wait, i'll flex a little for you. make it easier.

that staff's in pretty good shape. do you spend a lot of time polishing it?

i can see you don't want to talk about it. bet you looked good doing it, though.

how do you manage that while staring up at everyone's ass the whole time?

you and i are fine as long as you don't do any weird crap.

i'd pin you down, and as you gripped me, i... would... conquer... you.

oh, for shit's sake.

good. i like that energy. stoke those fires, big guy.

all i'm saying is... you ever want to explore that, my door's always open.

worked that out on your own, did you?

you're not as flashy as most mages.

wait, did you "forget" them so you'd have an excuse to come back? you sly dog.

i didn't say it was healthy.

you don't actually like thinking about hurting people, do you?

if you do that, everyone knows you're a spy.

still waiting for me to do something sneaky and spy-like?

we probably won't try down to burn down a city this time.

really not sad i missed that one.

you're lucky then. it was awful.

you only lack the will to get more blood on your hands?

enjoying the great outdoors?

this area's low on dancing girls, sadly.

i've always liked fighting.

i'm not sure you know what you're asking. not sure if you're ready for it.

well, that's a fucking relief.

i'm fine. hurt myself worse than this fooling around in bed.

so, you going to let me have it, [name]? or do i get to wait and wonder?

you really kicked the crap outta that guy.

it's pretty hot where we're from.

it's not a secret. it's just too big for a quit chat.

you get that thing i asked about?

maybe you should stand in front of me.

you ever get the asses mixed up?

you're a damn fine marksman.

i fell on a guy who tried to stab me in the gut.

all right, now you're just making it weird.

nobody fights well when their clothes are on fire.

i... didn't mean to offend you.

that hurts, [name]. that's hurtful.

i may have done it a couple of times on purpose.

i cold 'cause it freezes them, and then they break into little bits when i chop them in half.

with the magic, do you prefer fire, or lightning, or cold, or what?

you don't need to worry. i have no intention of trying to leash anyone.

are you gonna write me into one of your stories?

it's just daring somebody to try to attack it.

when that breaks, you fix it. like we're doing now.

in theory, they're no different from anyone else.

anyone who takes that burden and lives a good life with it has many respect.

you're pretty tall for a human.

the bloodstains are good for scaring enemies.

could you make it sound angrier? "love" is a bit soft.

tell me more about the coat.

i don't need a book to remind me that the world is full of horrible crap.

you're really good with that bow.

it's just friendly. i won't step in your business.

what i'm saying is, please stop stealing my kills.

we should get shirts. probably need different sizes.

i think you're confusing. how can you just pick and choose what parts you believe in?

you know, i really like hitting things.

who has sex smelling like roses?

hey, i don't hate you. you and me? we're good.

hey, no-pants fridays is a cause.

it's a difficult thing you've done, turning your back on one life to live another.

[burnin0akleaves]

Here's the draw six fanarts meme I decided to participate in 4 years late

In true burnin0akleaves spirit I didn't ask anyone for requests and just went ahead with all of the characters that have been the most impactful/important to me, so there is a high chance you've seen me draw these guys before.

By the way, unlike the rest of the blorbos here Siyra is an original character and belongs to @nineteen-rats!

Close-ups and rambles under the cut because it's my blog

Ohh the Dark Urge. My latest obsession. I love his design so much, I'm a slut for white/red color schemes, but I feel like it's a double edged sword that takes you out of the horrors he's commiting at the same time?

Durge is supposed to be murder incarnate, someone that does every fucked up thing related to death imaginable; but when you see a giant lizard eating babies or humping corpses, it dulls the effect a bit since you automatically view it as an animalistic act. Dragonborns are obviously a fully sentient humanoid race in-universe; but when the violence you're seeing is already toeing the line between horrifying and hilarious, seeing a scalie doing it just pushes it over the line. I still think it works really well most of the time and I'm very glad that this is the default durge we get! It's just funny to me that when you choose to play as the giant lizard, the dark and disgusting horror story turns into the hilariously edgy bloodfest.

Reminding everyone again that Siyra belongs to @nineteen-rats! I love this man so so so much. I am the Siyra fandom. I am the number one Siyra fanartist. He did nothing wrong and I will defend his every decision. I also hope terrible horrors befall him and that his actions keep him awake for the rest of his life. Pookie bear xoxo

COMING IN WITH THE STEEL CHAIR IT'S WILL TREATY

He is on my mind, always. I don't talk about him as much but he's probably still the fictional character who had the most impact on me as a person.

PATROCLUS! PATROCLUS!!! SIR I'M YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN!!

I got into patrochilles and the Illiad in general thanks to "The Song of Achilles". It was one of the first queer books I got to have in real life and the prose captivated me instantly, I still have it on my shelf. After reading the Illiad itself however, I hate that book so much. I'm sorry it's genuinely beautiful and I get why people like it but I can never forgive that horrible Patroclus characterization after seeing what he was originally like. Achilles too for that matter.

Hades swooped me up into its arms like I was a sick baby bird and nursed me back to health with its portrayal of the two though and for that I am forever grateful. I can't wait for Hades 2, death to Chronos.

God Half-Life is such an important series for me. My dad would let me play through a few levels since I was a child, he grew up with the games, but I REALLY played through the entire series one summer shortly before dad moved out. He was there watching me play most of it and getting to enjoy someone actually translate the game's dialogue for him for the first time.

Gordon may not speak once but I like the hints of his personality we get throughout the games, most importantly from the way Alyx talks to/about him. I have my own characterization of him obviously but I do really think you can get a good understanding of the kind of man he is meant to be in-universe just by paying attention to his surroundings. Also another reason the games were so immersive for me is that I'm just as in love with Alyx as Gordon is. I must have let her get hit only once or twice the entire time just out of how protective I was over her. I'd topple the entire Combine empire just for her hand in marriage. I rewatched the ending of Half Life Alyx recently and cried.

I read the entirety of LOTR in one week in 11th grade, carrying that damn brick of a book everyday to school and back. I'm so glad I did honestly. Frodo and Sam are my important little guys and I find myself going back to them when I need something to calm me down in a way no other series except LOTR can. I've read most of Tolkien's work at this point, but nothing captivated me like those two little hobbits. Everytime I read a bad take about their relationship I sketch them making out.

People liked seeing my drawing process before so here's the original sketch and the little notes I wrote to myself trying to set the mood. I followed like half of them.

[bonefall]

I'm sitting and looking at somebody's take about the scene of Willow Tail's death

"Clear Sky is fabulous here, and the deaths look karmic. Willow Tail dies blind bc she was so blinded by her wish of revenge she put innocent cats under threat and led to deaths of a medicine cat and an innocent kit. And Wind Runner, who prevented Moth Flight from saving Tiny Branch, lost a life to an injured leg just like he did. Beautiful."

Ig I'll just leave it here like a tribute

"the deaths look karmic" is the only correct thing in this passage. Yes, the writers ARE obsessed with punishing women, gruesomely zooming in on how much pain and suffering they're feeling when those horrible bitches finally get their comeuppance. Glad they can at least recognize torture porn when they see it.

Go one baby step further-- why do the writers keep choosing to frame the women as primarily responsible when Clear Sky is the same violent, egotistical tyrant he always was?

Willow Tail does die blinded-- by Clear Sky. The way he is constantly brutalizing every woman and foreigner in front of him. Just like how he was smacking Moth Flight before he ordered Red Claw to go up into the tree to beat the shit out of Micah and confiscate medicine, because he doesn't care when people die of treatable illness.

But, sure. Sure, it's Willow Tail who caused the death of Micah, when she sees Moth Flight's face sliced open by a known serial murderer and jumps to her defense, and then learns that Red Claw has been ordered to attack a doctor.

For those who haven't read Moth Flight's Vision, btw, Willow Tail is revealed to be the villain all along because she was planting rabbit bones on the border. This made Clear Sky mad because Wind Runner said "make your cats respect the borders YOU invented, bc MY cats didn't eat those rabbits" and she didn't just accept his answer of "nuh uh."

That's why it's totally the WOMEN'S fault that Clear Sky was throwing this tantrum, and not his own. Being offended is a totally valid reason to deny medical treatment and do assault and battery. Why would you ever hold a man in a position of power accountable for his own actions?

Wind Runner also didn't kill Tiny Branch through medical neglect. Clear Sky did. Can't believe I'm still saying this.

HE was the one who prevented Acorn Fur from getting help. He keeps insisting that he never needed Micah or any other foreigner to heal Tiny Branch's ailments. He didn't want Micah when it was a cough, and he didn't want Moth Flight when it was a fox attack.

-Said in the Sap Confiscation Scene

-Said as Tiny Branch is dying, confirming that yes, he DID stop her from getting the help right away.

Wind Runner PROPOSED an embargo at a meeting that SkyClan was absent for, AFTER Clear Sky had already insisted on denying medical treatment to Rocky and got Micah killed. Wind Runner's hypothetical embargo was broken less than a minute later when it's revealed SkyClan was late by several hours because Tiny Branch got attacked by a fox.

Here's how long they're held up by Wind Runner, though. All 214 words, less than a full page in dialogue, of it.

How long would you guess this took? Was everyone here speaking at 0.025 speed? Did someone hit the slow motion button? Were they escaping out of a time bubble?

Why's Shattered Ice never mentioned as killing Tiny Branch, btw? The one who actually did physically hold up Moth Flight (but not the other three Medicine cats, Dappled Pelt, Cloud Spots, and Pebble Heart), even if it was for less than 30 seconds? When he's not even from Wind Runner's Clan? CURIOUS INNIT?

I need to remind you that he was also responsible for preventing Acorn Fur from being fully trained. That was HIS choice. HE closed the border. HE stopped Moth Flight from completing Acorn Fur's training. HE is in the middle of a book-length hissy fit about being told what to do.

And, yet, Moth Flight is held up for less than 5 minutes after Clear Sky forced Acorn Fur to save his son alone until signs of infection set in, and this is all Wind Runner's fault.

So he later kidnaps Moth Flight, expecting Wind Runner to just trust that THIS time he takes a hostage he's not starving them like he did to Jackdaw's Cry, and not launch the two Clans into war. Redemption arc, btw.

And then he gets to be framed like a hero even though he is 100% responsible for every single one of his actions and escalated the situation at every turn. ZERO consequences for him, because him letting his own baby suffer and die was "punishment enough."

The bloodthirsty tyrant, child abuser, woman beater, and known liar was totally justified because It Made Him Sad When Wind Runner Didn't Trust His Word :( This was all actually an evil, scheming woman's fault for planting bunny bones, lol. So she totally deserves getting her eyes ripped out.

At MOST, the narrative considers Wind Runner and Clear Sky "Equally Bad", but only Wind Runner and Willow Tail get personally punished. With death and agony. Surely, SURELY this is not because of writer misogyny? In the Arc of 7 Fridgenings? Perish the thought.

Anyway, glad that I've curated my dash enough to not see that take out there in the wild. Who would even write something so ridiculous, Gray Wing?

[chaoslifeforme]

It has so many beautiful cgs, funny moments (and really horrible angst either in the past or present and future depending on your choices). And the characters are so sweet and interesting. So many moral quandries. Just oh my god I have to recommend it. (Today was the last day of the sale though).

I can't gush enough about "Bewitching Sinners" by Miss Xero. I already got 26 hours out of it, that was all the routes (including the one horrible bad end I went against all my morals to see). I will definitely play more, and I've added at least 4 of the cgs to my wallpaper rotation.

The story for Bewitching Sinners is just so good. I literally did not feel the need to complete a romance route in my first playthrough. (And romance routes are usually necessary for me to get enough detail to connect with a character).

But with Bewitching Sinners I felt connected to every character I interacted with more than 3 times. Also, even though I was using a guide I was still discovering huge, game changing choices in my sixth playthrough.

The side quests you do or don't do affect how the main plot happens. There's kindness, curiosity, and honesty meters that affect what dialogue is available to you.

Just speaking with the random people around campus can give you more dialogue options/ quests. Also, there's a fun fishing mini game.

I'd say Bewitching Sinners is a good example of mixing styles too. It sticks to the normal UI, except some important moments will switch to comic style and return to usual User interface fairly quickly/ just for a choice.

TL:DR- Bewitching Sinners is awesome. I did 8 routes, 4 romance, three other endings than the true one, and one without romance. The true ending for the main story is the best and the romance or lack of romance will change it.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 11 – A/B/O

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: AvengersNewB

When I'm in the mood for some really great A/B/O dynamics, I always turn to Ven. She really has a gift when it comes to turning tropes on their heads and making them her own. And I love, love, LOVE the way she writes omega Tony in particular. She's incredible, and her fics deserve all the love in the world.

Here's some of her work that I think you should check out:

Must Be True

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 8,793 Tags: Lingerie, Praise Kink, Protective Steve

Summary: When the stakes are too high, Tiberius Stone offers his omega, Tony, as a little side incentive to close important business deals. Tonight’s business is an arms deal with the Avengers, and the alpha they’re meeting is Captain America.

Reasons why I love it: Ugh, Tiberius is such a piece of shit. Ven really captures that essence here. And oh my god, poor Tony, but at least he makes the best out of a horrible situation. I'd read a million more words in this universe, and I really hope you give it a shot too, because it's awesome!

Braid

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 2,378 Tags: Vikings, Arranged Marriage, Sharing a Bed

Summary: Viking Arranged Marriage AU - Young omega Tony is traded to the Vikings by Stane, for safe passage and gets married to alpha Steve Rogers the captain of the chiefly vessel.

Reasons why I love it: This one is so goddamned sweet, it almost makes me want to cry. I never knew I needed to read about Tony braiding Steve's hair, but I did, and Ven made the perfect version of it. The whole setting is amazing, and Tony's insecurities and doubts feel so real, it's like they're jumping out from the screen. I love this one more than I can say, so please go and experience it for yourself!

Never Enough

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 4,639 Tags: Insecure Steve, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Mpreg

Summary: "Tony, what I'm trying to say... I think you should have a baby even though I apparently can't have one. At least in the near future. I think...I think…" He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath." I think you should get bonded again"

Reasons why I love it: It's honestly refreshing to see a fic where Steve is the one who is completely insecure in their relationship. Their emotions read very true to their characters, and I love how Tony is so quick to reassure Steve that all his doubts are unfounded. Plus, the ending is so sweet it makes me want to scream into a pillow. This fic is amazing, so go ahead and read it!

Restless Gravity

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: M Words: 10,929 Tags: Warlord Steve, Temporary Amnesia, Cyborgs

Summary: Omega Tony Stark gets bonded to a human-hating space warlord, to get his people a new home after the destruction of their planet. Warlord - Arranged marriage AU, with a bit of a twist.

Reasons why I love it: This fic has it all. Amazing worldbuilding, a great plot twist, identity porn, incredible characterization and wonderful dialogue. I love this one to pieces, and I hope you go and read it, because it deserves all the love in the world.

Love of Inconvenience

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 4,856 Tags: Marriage of Convenience, Immigration, Mutual Pining

Summary: Tony had a plan; bond with Steve to keep him from deportation until he could find Steve's childhood friend Mr. Barnes. Temporary. For convenience. The plan did not entail falling for this perfect beautiful omega.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, this fic just makes me want to grab them and smash their faces together. It's so good! The way they finally get together in the end is so satisfying, and the journey there kept me hooked the whole time. I love this fic so much, please go and give it some love!

[astheworldgoesonitswickedway]

I don't like the ASoUE movie with Jim Carrey. I don't like it at all. But I really wanted to! Let's be honest, it's a mess in so many ways, but didn't it have so much going for it? (Although, its worth mentioning, the choice to put three books in one movie was just horrible, will always be horrible, will never ever work no matter what series you are adapting and that was set to ruin everything from the start because, how could you include all the necessary plot, and if you did, how would you give it the necessary screen time to do it properly???!!!) Anyway, the series is comedy and Jim Carrey is so famous for his comedy, and he looks a bit more like the book description of Olaf then Neil Patrick Herris (though Netflix did great with his look too) The sets were beautiful and really fulfilled the gothic vibe. The cast mostly fit my exact vision of the characters, and the costumes were beautiful, if a bit steampunk. (though I will forever hate the decision to take away Klaus' glasses???!!! I mean, what was their plan for the Miserable Mill, SKIP IT???) It should have been good right? But there was such a fundamental lack of understanding the true plot and the meaning behind it. Which is the main problem behind every noticeable problem the movie has. They took a dark story and repeatedly tried to make it less dark? Overwhelming the script with Jim Carrey humor (which I usually like) and taking away the proper dry humor that EMBRACES the series' tragedy. And "punishing" Olaf only for him to escape? Why bother? This meant the entire plot got muddled, and things didn't make a whole lot of sense. Speaking of muddled plots, seriously why did the train scene even exist? Why was the marriage at the end of the whole thing? Acting like the whole series is over by "consoling" us about the Baudelaires in this confusing dialogue about them "having each other" only for it to all end up in the air? Don't we want an official cliff hanger if there will be more movies? Why did we need that? And are we seriously trying to say V.F.D. only existed as a group of people trying to figure out who was responsible for a few fires? Olaf was never a part of V.F.D. but instead the reason it existed? Not a multi-generational, trauma-filled, child kidnapping secret society that suffered a great schism? All this might have been excused, well not really excused, but maybe I could have still enjoyed it in a way, if they had only gotten Olaf right. What I'm about to say may be controversial, but, I feel like he is kinda the main character. I know we see more of the Baudelaires, I know we are rooting for them and Olaf is horrible. Being the main character certainly doesn't change his status of villain, but the entire plot of all thirteen books is kept in motion by his actions. Olaf's character is ridiculous and Jim Carrey certainly delivered on that, but unfortunately, in all the wrong ways. I don't know, maybe it was because the script they gave him. Olaf is ridiculous because he wants to be for a variety of reasons, not because he is a genuine idiot. Violet remarks that he is a CLEVER, unsavory, drunken brute. Beneath his exterior of chaos and stupidity is supposed to be an undercurrent of devious cunning and above all, cruelty, malice, and hatred. We are meant to see and hear that underneath about everything he says and does. All I see in Jim Carrey's performance is an idiot who is selfish enough to do anything to get what he wants. Which is something that certainly applies to Olaf, but he is meant to be much more. More wicked than someone who is simply willing to do horrible things and laugh about it, someone who takes deep, psychological and messed up pleasure in hurting others. Someone who hates the Baudelaires for a reason. (Though not a good one) I'm not saying Jim Carrey is the entire reason the movie failed. Again, the problem might have been the script and dialogue, maybe he could have delivered that menace if given the chance. But all in all, the way it turned out just doesn't work for me.

Also, I don’t mean to bash Jim Carrey, he is a great actor. Just maybe not the right fit in this instance.

[notmorbid]

twin peaks: season 2 (2/2).

dialogue prompts from the second season of twin peaks.

show me something that i don't already know.

no one ever really stays there long.

of all the people in the world, the best and the worst are drawn to a dead dog.

scared you, didn't i?

i know what it's like to be alone.

i think that we should think about doing business together.

this is for you. i stole it.

i did good, didn't i?

i'm living my life, i just don't like it much.

what are you doing here, sitting alone in the dark?

the keeping of secrets seems less meaningful to me now.

my life used to make sense, you know?

you're the last thing i think about when i go to sleep at night, and you're the first thought i have in the morning.

despite everything i know about you, i find myself here with you.

you have a wonderfully honest face. just looking at you, i can tell exactly what you're thinking.

a business relationship is like a sacred pact. equaled only by the closest of personal relationships, where nothing is held back.

i think it's time i start correcting a few of the mistakes i've made.

i will be in the shadows, if you need me.

you can always shoot later. talk first.

have you ever asked yourself how i really survived?

you look like you've had a hard night.

if you were ever gonna tell the truth, now would be an ideal time.

one man's crisis is another man's opportunity.

you really like to make everything sound pointless and stupid, don't you?

the truth hurts, doesn't it?

if ___ wanted to kill me, i'd already be dead.

you're testing my well-worn modesty.

what is the greatest gift that one human being can give to another?

i'd rather be his whore than your wife.

to beginnings and endings, and the wisdom to know the difference.

i wanted us to go someplace we'd never been before.

i've been a part of all the horrible things that have happened. i want to be part of something good now.

my resurrection remains a well-kept secret.

well, we can talk about ___ or we can feel good about things. i vote for plan b.

let's just let the rain fall as it has been.

maybe we'd better just whistle on our way past the graveyard.

i was apologizing, and you were apologizing. we were both real sorry about something.

don't knock small towns until you've lived in the city.

wow. no one's ever sang a song for me before.

i don't inspire much singing.

i don't think anybody really knows me.

it's so cute, the way you get embarrassed.

the man who doesn't love easily loves too much.

have you ever, in your entire life, had an experience that truly changed you?

pick three cards.

sometimes making up for things only makes it worse.

i'm fine. i'm weird, actually.

you asked me how i am. i'm not supposed to say how i am. i'm supposed to say, "i'm fine, thanks, how are you?"

if i thought you were strange, i would tell you.

i really don't know how to be good.

i have no idea where this will lead us, but i have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.

it all began with a pair of tattoos.

man, i would love to see the world through your eyes.

you told me there was gonna be a party.

i've been thinking a lot about the future.

beautiful people get everything they want.

dream on. i have tables to wait.

when i talk to you, i get a tingling sensation in my toes and in my stomach.

you are beautiful. use it to your advantage.

sometimes the urge to do bad is nearly overpowering.

i will strive to be understanding.

i always felt closer to nature than i did to people.

i lived in my head, mostly. there are some pretty strange neighbors.

hiding from your fear doesn't make your fear go away.

i'm trying to learn how to trust my instincts.

you just don't know your own value.

meeting you has been more than a privilege. it's touched my heart.

love is hell.

i've never known your mind to wander.

my symptoms suggest the onset of malaria, but i've never felt better in my life.

something's troubling you. would you like to talk about it?

i've been seeing your face in fried eggs all this morning.

i guess a simple goodbye was out of the question.

there are many cures for a broken heart, but nothing quite like a trout's leap in the moonlight.

you can't promise me, but thanks for wanting to.

i could kiss your pointy little head.

i can see half my life's history in your face, and i'm not sure i want to.

i'm really tired of you talking to me like i'm a child.

if you're going to kill me, why don't you get it over with?

you and i have an appointment at the end of the world.

when you see me again, it won't be me.

[zalrb]

are you going do analysis of all 3 seasons for the bear or at least summary why you ranked them that way

Uh, sure. So, the reason why I put season 3 as the last one is because I personally don't care for when shows address the themes they explore explicitly through dialogue. I like to see it demonstrated, very much into the "show don't tell" adage (of course, there are times where you must tell) and I found that this season seemed to be a summation of the previous seasons, so like, everything we witnessed in season 2, it felt like season 3 rehashed but with characters directly saying This Is What The Show Is Illustrating like how at the "funeral" when different chefs discuss their experiences and one says [and I'm paraphrasing] that it's terrible working with horrible bosses and the trick is to not recreate the toxic environment or carry it with you and then it flashes to Carmy shouting the same type of verbal abuse in The Bear that he endured in New York. I don't like seeing the lines drawn so directly like that because I don't think it's necessary.

This season was almost ... elegiac, before the finale I wondered if they were considering ending the show after three seasons, I wouldn't be surprised if they were ending it at four so while there were of course some great moments, I really like the way they explore The Bear as family this season, like in the premiere when they were talking about how a few of the waitstaff quit because they couldn't work in a "dysfunctional kitchen" and they shout something like "what kitchen isn't dysfunctional?" it's very much like "my family isn't normal" "what family is?" they did some really interesting things with the concept of legacy and home, and I love that we got more of Tina this season and her backstory, but I also didn't feel like we moved much and I think that part of it is purposeful. They very clearly slow down the energy, which is emphasized in Tina's episode when we see The OG Bear and the different type of kinetic energy that came with it that Carmy has kind of sucked out of his new rendition of the place because he forgot that cooking is about people so there are very deliberate things that the show did that I understood and it was still a great viewing experience but in comparison to the other seasons, in the context of the other seasons, I couldn't help but be a little underwhelmed,

Season 2 is my favourite season and the one I consider to be the best season because like I said, I think that all of the themes that season 3 rehashed, season 2 delved into. Season 1 introduced them and hinted at them and season 2 was a deep dive. Season 2 was a season of character development whether it was positive or negative, it was a season that explored the various ways food can be tied to your emotional or psychological state, it was a beautiful exploration of family and visceral exploration about trauma. I find it to be the magnum opus of the series so far anyway.

Season 1 is my second favourite and I think the second best because it was a fantastic introduction to these characters and to this place, it dropped you right in and let the energy of The Bear, of these people immerse the viewer. It's a very strong first season, quickly establishing the dynamics between everyone, teasing the idea of trauma and how it affects you and the people around you, exploring the tension between the need for change and the resistance to it, the desire for inspiration and the fear of failing, it was just very, very strong.

[lurkingshan]

BL/QL Ask game : The Ugly, the Bad and the Worst

Tagged by @clara-maybe-ontheroad to start some trouble. There are a lot of these, so I'm mostly going to do quick hits and maybe expand on a few that really get me going.

The categories are:

Worst soundtrack / weirdest song choice in a BL

It would be easier to list the BL soundtracks that are not horrible (offense intended).

Most cringe-inducing line (cute)/Most cringe-inducing line (actually bad)

I'm so bad at remembering specific lines of dialogue unless I think they're beautiful/heart-wrenching, so I got nothing.

Most stupid decision made by a character

In a BL?? Baby, I do not have all day.

Worst plot line

Hmmm I'm gonna give in to recency bias and say faking amnesia to get your fiancé to love you again after you iced him out and denied him sex for four years because of your tiger attack-related PTSD (no I am not making that up, never change actually Naughty Babe).

The most problematic show you've watched

Problematic is in the eye of the beholder, so honestly who can say.

A show people love but you find bad

LOLOLOL. There are. So many. Probably the one with the wildest fandom fervor :: Shan personal enjoyment ratio is KinnPorsche.

A show people find bad but you will defend

Theory of Love and y'all stay wrong about this. It is easily one of the best early Thai bls and the writing, character development, and narrative structure are all excellent, but people hate slutty characters so they can't deal with it.

A show that is just objectively bad but you enjoyed it/were horny/because of that one character

Why r u? What can I say, I'm a Fighter/Tutor girlie.

A bad show that you kept watching because you were intrigued/fascinated

Hmmm I usually just drop it if I'm truly not having fun. I guess you could count me finishing Minato's Laundromat 2 despite knowing any hope for it was over at the end of episode 9. I just needed to see how mad I was going to be in the end (pretty damn mad).

A bad show that you would still recommend

There is too much BL nowadays to be trifling with the bad shit.

The character that ruined a show the most/most awful character that you hated

PLERN PLENG (Together With Me). cc: @bengiyo the co-president of the Plern Pleng antis.

Most awful character that you loved

Boston, a beautiful chaos demon (Only Friends).

A character that wasn't awful but that you just don't like

Anyone played by Podd or Jimmy (it's their faces I can't stand them sorry to those men).

A hero that should have been a villain

This is an interesting one! I’m not sure this counts, but I’ll just say I did not love the way The Untamed white washed Wei Wuxian and removed his culpability for all his worst choices (I recognize this was largely due to censorship). I much prefer the more morally complex and deeply flawed version of him we got in MDZS.

A morally bad character you're into/you're not into and you wish people would stop being into

I don't believe in holding fictional characters to real life moral standards. Bad behavior makes for good stories.

The show that disappointed you the most

Let me take this opportunity to drag Plus & Minus again, a show that had all the right ingredients to be a top tier friends to lovers narrative and absolutely blew it to do some beyond clichéd noble idiocy and breakup bs that violated character and undercut the relationship to such a degree that I can never rewatch or enjoy anything about it again.

The Worst Show of Them All Because of Your Own Reasons

Hmm I do not have one. It's rare for me to not be able to find something of value in any media I consume.

Tagging @chickenstrangers @sorry-bonebag @kayatoasted @blmpff @twig-tea in case you want to play!

[rowanthefierce]

all right so I've played 6 hours of veilguard so far, here are my initial impressions!

stuff i am enjoying:

very pretty. the world and environments are gorgeous. i love walking (or lightly jogging, in the bioware tradition) around and just marveling at the sky

i really do like the level design. i'm not super clued in with gaming trends, but it reminds me of both "modern" god of war games, which i played and enjoyed: fairly linear levels from point a to point b, almost always with areas to come back and unlock once you're progressed in the story or character skillset. the pseudo-open world level design, if you will. personally i am a fan. it keeps me going and focused, knowing i can always come back to grab whatever the thing is behind puzzle door #3

the amount of customization for difficulty and settings is great

i appreciate that they dropped level requirements for gear

the blight??? is so gross. way grosser than inquisition (how was it in prev games? someone lmk). and i dig it. it is the right level and pitch of horror and gore / grossness. even if i go "yuck!!" every time i see it

stuff i am neutral on:

character designs are fine. they look more stylized, but like? who cares. they don't look like pixar characters to me. i think that's a over-simple exaggeration. they fit into the world, they look decent, and that's all it really should be imo.

dialogue is fine. i don't even know if i was expecting anything here. people talk about the dialogue like it's horrible, and yeah, it's a little basic or the text on the wheel doesn't align 100% with what Rook says, but it's not trash. do people expect disco elysium level lines to be coming out of these characters?

stuff i am 'meh' to displeased with:

combat is ok. the one thing i didn't really like about the new god of war games was the combat, esp ragnarok. this is a very personal one because i have always historically struggled with any sort of precision or timing-based input (why i don't play fighting games). precision parries and so forth are usually things i don't ever accomplish or build on. veilguard is (so far) not at the same level as gow but i'm already a lil frustrated with it. again, this is highly ymmw. once i figured out inquisition's combat, for ex, i was having a blast, so maybe i just need more time with veilguard (and i did 100% the first god of war despite my griping)

the varric narration. was this in any earlier games? i am not sure i like varric doing voiceover wink wink nudge nudge at me for plot development stuff. the art is beautiful for these sequences, but i can't say i'm a fan so far of him chiming in after quests and conversations. feels a bit jarring. sorry, varric!!

looking forward to playing more! overall, it's fun and a comforting sort of game, and i am very drawn in by the plot

[jamiesfootball]

1, 20, 53 - any or all three for the ask game, whatever you feel like answering!

From this ask game if anyone else wants to do it.

1. Favorite place to write.

BED! It's so horrible for my back but it's my default-est of states. This was how it all started, tippity-tapping on my laptop at night all through high school. It just feels right.

Bonus shout out to my kitchen table with a cup of coffee. If I can ever manage to drink coffee in bed without spilling any, it's all over- the world will never see me again.

53. What does writing mean to you?

Writing is the super condensed form of all the things I love combined. I love to paint, so I shall paint a scene! I shall describe in loving detail all the smallest impressions and the expansive wideness of the beautiful everything. I love songs! Noise! My characters will rattle with loud noises, they will hear the faintest whisper of a sound in the other room, they will listen listen listen to the people around them when they talk. I love language and so I shall play with sentences, I will listen keenly to how people talk and try to carve it out in dialogue. I love cooking! So I shall feed my characters, I will give them love and gratitude in the form of delicious fucking meals. I am tactile- and so the world I write will have edges and textures and grit and dirt and damp and dry and heat. I love ideas, complicated little puzzles, surprising jokes, knowledge, and so my writing needs to have all that too.

Most of all I love sharing. To me, writing is sharing. It's sharing all the little details and and visions and noises and sensations and moments and jokes and twists. It is sharing the experience of living. I am always seeking to share with my writing. With who? The possibilities are endless! It could be people I know now, or it could be people I won't know for ten more years. It could be myself on a bad day. It could be the self I turn into, who will look back and go 'who has those thoughts? I could never think of this now.'

20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on.

From the post-season fic:

Roy could see what the artist had been going for. In the picture, they've drawn an exaggerated figure from a low angle. The figure stood in a spotlight, with dramatic shadows drawing attention to the arm raised in a fist, the proud face that looked determinedly into a middle distance. From the jutted chin and blown-back bowl cut, it was clearly meant to be Jamie. Below the figure, four vaguely person shaped people had been shaded in. All of them struck a similar pose, but Jamie was the only one in focus. The tagline, in small block letters, read, 'A man above the rest.' Combined, the overall impression the image gave was severe and heroic. Two words that absolutely did not belong anywhere near Jamie Tartt, let alone his hair. Yet scanning the picture, one detail stood out that Roy couldn't make sense of-- "If they're taking the photo indoors, why do you have to go all the way to Brazil?" "Ugh," Jamie and Keeley said at the same time, two sets of eyes rolling at Roy for daring to have a lick of common sense.

[philcollinsenjoyer]

movie asks: get back (its on letterboxd, we're in a free world, let's count it....), sleeping with other people, saw X, and se7en

get back : never seen | want to see | the worst | bad | whatever | not my thing | good | great | favorite | masterpiece | new one it's more complicated than that

get back you will always be a beautiful normal regular sensible 8 hour long movie to me... the thing is i can't rate it objectively anymore like you're just sat there watching 4 cunts argue for 8 hours until the fungus hits... it's not a film to me it's a friend i'll just put it on for background noise or when i'm cooking or something it's been driving me to madness for nine months and i'll never give it above 3 stars on letterboxd. more seriously i have issues with some of the editing mostly of the dialogue i think it's very hard to understand what exactly they're saying and some of it is the editing's fault because there are conversations that are perfectly palatable in 1970's let it be and complete word salad in get back and i think peter jackson needs to let shots breathe a little cause it gets very annoying after a while to always cut away every 2 seconds esp if you're trying to look at someone's face when they're talking to try to get what they're trying to say (because the dialogue is all over the place)

sleeping with other people : never seen | want to see | the worst | bad | whatever | not my thing | good | great | favorite | masterpiece

i was so surprised by this one i was expecting to not like it at all and it made me cry like three times it was such a lovely and heartbreaking romcom i love when people become best friends before falling in love it's so beautiful and the scene where she takes his hand before saying goodbye cause she's moving away and he kisses his hand once she's left made me scream like william darcy dead in a ditch rn.... i can almost forgive that dumbass masturbation scene it's that serious

saw x: never seen | want to see | the worst | bad | whatever | not my thing | good | great | favorite | masterpiece

i was so happy that i got to see it in theaters i had such a blast and i was so happy to be back to a great saw movie in the franchise. i obviously see its flaws but it's so much of what i wanted for a movie with amanda & john. showed the love and showed the manipulation what John is ready to put amanda through and how amanda is getting more and more disullisioned with the ideology . john's constant disregard for addicts, his carelessness. fascinated by just how sympathetic he was being made to be while being absolutely the bad guy. the hello zepp reveal was stupid but when hello zepp starts olaying i'm on my feet no matter what so i did not ! care

se7en : never seen | want to see | the worst | bad | whatever | not my thing | good | great | favorite | masterpiece

the only other fincher to this day i did not care for. i'm not sure what exactly did not click for me but i found it gratuitous and uninteresting not to mention horribly previsible . i didn't know going to it this was the what's in the box movie i really was unaware but the second you meet brad pitt's young beautiful charming blonde wife you know she's dying and she does which just takes away all the emotional core of the scene and i didn't care for brad pitt in it found him annoying and stupid. morgan freeman was good though and i'm still really into the idea of the hellish city where it rains all the time

[omniblades-and-stars]

choose violence asks 4, 12, and 18? :3c

what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person? -

This is like the least dramatic thing, but I just block people. If shit sucks, hit da bricks, and sometimes I just don't vibe with someone and so I block. I haven't had anything dramatic happen in ages.

The most interesting time I blocked someone in fandom was a hundred million years ago (like … 2012-2014, thereabouts), I complimented someone's gif edits with quotes and scenes from a character that at the time I was generally ambivalent to. I told them that their work actually had the profound effect of making me care about the character, and they and a bunch of their friends launched a harassment campaign against me because what I said was very mean I guess? I tried explaining what I meant better, but they wouldn't relent. I put up with it for like 2 weeks before I finally said "enough" and just blocked everyone involved.

And then I also left the fan space for several years.

the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them -

My joke answer is that no one cares about the trash compactor on the Normandy SR-2, and that you should love her because of her beautiful glass viewing window and wonderful buttons.

My more serious answers are going to be one, Ashley. Maybe it's because I'm an older sister who grew up religious. But I find her story very compelling. And I think if you really think about how her family and herself have been continually blacklisted in the Alliance because of her grandfather's legacy, and how I wonder if maybe after she got made a Spectre when Shepard is trying to stop Udina and there's that tense moment between the two of them, is she wondering if this is just another way someone is trying to get in the way of her success? I have a lot of feelings about Ash and you all should ahve them with me. (But also, how unpopular is she, because all of my new friends like her.)

And I think we should all love Jacob more for what he could have been. If you have the storywriter's constitution, you can see the threads of an excellent story and character in his dialogue, that just never … mattered. We should all take some time to explore the motivations that Bioware didn't and I have ideas tumbling around in my head for that so maybe one day I can get to it.

it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on… -

Shavik. There needs to be more Shavik.Shit, not even necessarily a romantic pairing so much as just the two of them as mirrors. I am a mess about that horrible bug man and everyone else should be too. The differences between the two of them, how something about Shepard must be familiar because of how they were changed by the beacon, the similarities?! He is a tragic force of violence and vengeance and I go absolutely feral thinking about him experiencing what hope looks like through.

[lattewithatwistoflemon]

I’ve been reading random X-Men comics that I found at the library in no particular order. I had never seen this man -Cloak- before, but he made a really big first impression on me. I love his design, at least by this particular artist. He has the vibe of the strong, silent type that I see a lot, especially in manga. But the thing that stood out to me immediately was the way he talks. In a manga, it’s normal to see people pause and think about what they’re going to say next. But in that case, there will be breaks where the next part of the sentence is in the next word balloon or even the next panel. This is different. This isn’t something I usually see in American comics. I could tell that this was very intentional. That the character was specifically talking in a methodical way, as though having trouble getting the words out. And I’m really glad I picked up on it quickly. Because it turns out it’s a big part of his character. I wondered if he had some sort of disability, so I immediately found his Wikipedia page and read that he had a chronic stutter. He had a best friend who tried to help him fix it, but one day, due to his inability to articulate to call for help, his friend was murdered. This hit me particularly hard, because I’ve always had trouble with communication. I especially have a hard time raising my voice when the need arises. When I got into an accident years ago, I tried to get the attention of the police officers across the street, but my voice wouldn’t come out, especially since I was nervous. I couldn’t yell for them to hear me. So I have this huge fear of not being able to speak up during a dire moment, and I’m terrified that something horrible could happen because of it. So seeing a character like this… is very sad in a relatable way. But it’s also beautiful to see the way his dialogue is written, and how had he trains himself to talk meticulously, so that something like that doesn’t happen again. It creates this beautiful, vulnerable element to this character that otherwise looks strong and maybe even intimidating with his grim reaper cloak. It makes him feel very human and warm. I hope to find more media of this man.

[jimmycarterghostland]

Writing multiple point of view fiction: How to give each of your narrators a distinct character voice

My current writing project is a multiple point of view web novel. I've done some research on multiple POV writing, and I am better at it than I was years ago(I hope). So I want to give some tips to aspiring authors, because I don't want you to write horrible multiple POV fiction like I used to do.

1 Before you write multiple POV fiction, you really need to know each of your narrators. Is he or she arrogant? Or are they humble? What are their hobbies? How do they see the world? How old are they? If one of your narrators is a seventy-year-old man, and the other is a five-year-old boy, they shouldn't have the same narrative voice.

Picture a 70-year-old man named Doug. Now let me write something:

Doug walked past the huge building.

Now picture a 5-year-old boy named Tony:

Tony walked past the big building.

See how these two narrators don't read the same? Doug is an old man who referred to the building as huge, while the kid Tony referred to it as big. Doug and Tony don't have the same character voice. Doug has a larger vocabulary. Tony is a young boy who knows less words than the older narrator.

Doug would see two dogs mating and knows that they're breeding. While Tony might see the same thing and thinks they're playing with each other.

When you write multiple POV fiction, give each of your narrators a different vocabulary than the others.

2 Now, let's see how character personalities affect things.

Suppose one of your narrators is an arrogant, narcissistic character. How do you think his narration would read? It might go something like this:

Ricky was a great man, and no one was better than he was. No one would ever be better than Ricky Smith.

Can't you just tell that Ricky is arrogant and thinks so highly of himself? Meanwhile, if Ricky was a more humble person, his narration wouldn't read as arrogantly as the above.

3 What are their hobbies?

Picture Jack, who loves to skateboard:

Finishing the test would be easy for Jack. It would be as easy as doing an ollie.

See how Jack mentions a skateboard trick in his narration? That's another great example of character voice. Jack is a skateboarder, so he mentally thinks about how finishing that test will be as easy as doing an ollie.

Also, a narrator's career can affect his or her character voice. A police officer might use similes involving handcuffs or high-speed police chases.

4 What are their opinions?

Picture a character who hates cats. While a character who loves them might refer to one as "the beautiful cat", the cat-hating character might refer to that same cat as "the stupid cat". Let your narrators' opinions affect their character voice.

5 Insults

One good thing to do when writing multiple POV fiction is give each of your characters an insult only they would use. If one character calls people "fool" a lot, have that word appear in his dialogue and his inner monologue. Something like: Bob punched the fool.

See how Bob doesn't just call people fools, but he refers to someone else as one in his narration?

...

You have to make your narrators unique. You have to know how they think, their life experiences, their hobbies, etc.

One author who has mastered writing multiple POV is George RR Martin. His A Song of Ice and Fire series has unique narrators with their own unique vocabulary. I've read other multiple POV book series, but Martin is the only author I've seen write multiple POV fiction well. He understands his characters, and he does a great job at making their personalities, views of the world, etc. affect the way their chapters read. A Bran chapter definitely doesn't read like a Cersei one, for example. If you need more help with making your narrators each have a distinct character voice, I suggest you read the ASOIAF books and see how Martin distinguishes his narrators from each other.

The tips I made can even be used for writing distinct character voice in general. It could help you with your single POV fiction, if you're writing in that category.

When I was a younger, less skilled writer, I used to do a terrible job at writing multiple POV fiction. I made all my narrators sound the same as the others in my works. It was awful. But I've gotten much better at making my narrators unique. I've gotten better at writing character voice in general.

I want writers to be better, and I want to read better multiple POV fiction, so I hope my tips will help you.

Writing multiple point of view fiction can be hard, but it doesn't have to be. It's never too late to improve your writing. Just remember that.