#Special branch rewatch

[trollsluvr]

I am so plagued by branch thoughts it's crazy. He is literally such a good character like legitimately one of the best representations of being having trauma and how if effects you methinks. His color palette changes because everyday hes at a different point mood wise, he still has trauma because it never goes away, but each day is different. He still carries those issues because they r so intertwined with who he is but he's found people who accept him for who he is. Idk it makes me just a little emo maybe!!!!!

[bamboozled-distress]

i never thought that I would be crying at 2:01am because of Justin timberlake giggling and yet here the fuck i am

[linghxr]

Why you should watch 乘风破浪 and 披荆斩棘 to learn Chinese

What are these shows?

Both 披荆斩棘 and 乘风破浪 follow the same basic format: 30+ celebrity contestants, mostly actors and singers ages 30+, form teams and compete in singing and dancing over several rounds. Viewers vote on their favorite performances and contestants, and 1-3 contestants are eliminated each round. The top contestants form a temporary "group" and appear on a follow-up reality show.

Why you should watch

1. Exposure to different accents

Contestants come from all over the Chinese-speaking world: Dongbei, Sichuan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and even Malaysia. I can personally say that watching these shows has vastly improved my ability to understand the Hong Kong Mandarin accent.

2. Pop culture knowledge

Because the contestants are celebrities, you'll be introduced to dozens of famous actors, singers, etc. Also, you'll hear the many iconic songs that they cover. I've impressed several native speakers with my with knowledge of pop culture and music.

3. Branch out to new media

These shows serve as a gateway to Chinese music, movies, and TV. if you really like the contestants who are actors, you can check out their shows and movies. If you enjoy a certain song or like a contestant who's a singer, you can explore more music.

4. Casual and formal registers

You’ll get to hear casual, unscripted speech while watching the behind-the-scenes and rehearsal clips. But you’ll also get to hear more formal speech when they’re announcing rules and also from the MC who hosts the actual live performances.

5. Incredible talent

Also, you should watch for the awesome performances and general fun. I love seeing the contestants' friendships, and I’m also obsessed with the amazing sets. There are some incredibly talented performers on these shows, and I love getting to see them shine.

Where to watch

All seasons are free to watch on YouTube! Sometimes clips may be muted or missing, probably due to YouTube's restrictions. But the vast, vast majority is available, and when a clip is missing, you can usually do a separate search and find it. I also pay for a Mango TV subscription, which is $1.99 USD/month.

乘风破浪 full episode playlist links:

乘风破浪的姐姐1

乘风破浪的姐姐2

乘风破浪3

乘风2023

乘风2024

披荆斩棘 full episode playlist links:

披荆斩棘的哥哥1

披荆斩棘2

披荆斩棘3

披荆斩棘4

To help you get started, below is a YouTube playlist of my some of my favorite performances (5 per season, except for the most recent season of each). Cause why not! Also, below the cut I'll put more details along with direct links to my favorite performances.

And if you're a fellow fan emotionally preparing for the 披荆斩棘4 finale 🥲, feel free to message me and commiserate!

See similar posts: I watched all the Chinese idol survival shows so you don’t have to (but you should anyway) Tips for finding Chinese-language media you like

Sisters Who Make Waves

Chinese title: 乘风破浪的姐姐 (S1-2) / 乘风破浪 (S3) / 乘风 (S4-5) English title: Sisters Who Make Waves (S1-3) / Ride the Wind (S4-5) *I call it Sisters for short

This series is the original, having started in 2020. The focus was on female empowerment, particularly of women 30+. A lot of the celebrities had slowed down in their careers, and the show served as their reintroduction to audiences. While female empowerment is still a theme today, I do feel it has lessened in prominence.

Season 1

The original, iconic season. You can tell they had a limited budget and not a ton of space, but it doesn't detract at all thanks to the incredible talent and energy of the contestants. And they had no idea what a phenomenon the show was going to be! Many of my most rewatched performances come from the season.

得不到的爱情

大碗���面

相爱后动物感伤

FLOW

新物种

Season 2

This season has a special place in my heart as the first one I watched! It's the only one I've seen twice (when it originally aired and rewatched with friends). Compared to season 1, you can definitely tell they had a bigger budget and started to refine the format. Also, some of my all-time favorite contestants are from this season.

现在不跳舞要干嘛

归零

快乐宝贝

给自己的歌

我

Season 3

This season was the first with the show's "modern" and fully-developed format, which remains to this day. For example, they started to include more complex sets and recruited more diverse contestants, such as dancers, an athlete, etc. Also, my favorite performance of the entire series, 雾里, is from this season.

雾里

梦中人

山海

孤独颂歌

有吗炒面

Season 4

This season was the first time I felt there wasn’t improvement over the previous season. I think the stage design took a step backward, and I didn't love the international focus. It was hard to identify my favorite performances because I didn't feel strongly about many. That being said, my friends and I still enjoyed this season.

从头

千里万里

下个，路口，见

归途有风

I'm Not Yours

Season 5

Though this season has already ended, I'm not done yet. I watch with friends, so we move at a slower pace. So far, it seems largely in line with season 4. I'll update this post after we finish.

Call Me By Fire

Chinese title: 披荆斩棘的哥哥 (S1) / 披荆斩棘 (S2-3) English title: Call Me By Fire *I call it Brothers as a nickname

A show about female empowerment gets a male spin off? Out of skepticism, I did not plan to check out this show when it premiered in 2021 (after Sisters S2). But at some point I changed my mind, mostly because I had to run out of other shows. Little did I know I would arguably become a more devoted fan of this show than the original!

Season 1

This season had too many iconic performances to count, and in particular, the Hong Kong contestants really took the world by storm. Due to scandals, they edited out 2 contestants (Huo Zun and Li Yundi), which admittedly does make for an awkward viewing experience at times, but you should totally watch anyway.

凄美地

MMA

飞云之下

达拉崩吧

如果还有明天

Season 2

Looking back, season 2 did not have as many stand out performances as season 1, but it does boast my favorite performances of the entire series, 新地球. It also features a fantastic group of contestants, probably my favorite overall cohort of the show.

新地球

袖手旁观

私人生活

理想

凤毛麟角

Season 3

This was the first season to air after I started watching, though I didn't watch it live because I was still on season 2. While it's probably impossible to top the iconic status of season 1, I think season 3 was an improvement over season 2 in terms of memorable performances. We also got the iconic 0713 (2007快乐男声全国13强) contestants.

行走的鱼

爱人错过

Joker

走麦田

有没有一首歌会让你想起我

Season 4

This season is sadly coming to an end, although I have not started the finale yet. I'll start this weekend and update this post in the future after I've had some time to gather my thoughts.

Now I have to go finish 披荆斩棘4 episode 11 so I can watch the finale. Bye!!!

[leighbaylee]

— BEN’S BUNKER

written by mina leigh 𝜗᭪ , losers club 𝔁 f! reader | wc 2300

summary. spending time the your bestest friends in the world, in ben’s surprise hideout for the losers club. a stronger bond flourishing inside!

labels. feminine reader, happy go lucky girl, shy cute girly girl reader, no definite description of reader, she/her pronouns used, reader is closer to richie toizer & eddie kaspbrak.

‧₊˚ ୨୧ mina speaks. hey everyone! i was rewatching it 2019 and me being the self indulgent person i am, i started fantasizing about us (readers) being with the losers! lots of love.

summer days in derry had a special kind of magic, one that was even stronger when you spent them with the losers club. today, ben had promised a surprise, and you couldn’t wait to see what he had in store. the air was thick with excitement as you all made your way through the woods, your heart fluttering with anticipation.

❝ are we there yet? ❞ richie’s voice rang out, filled with mock impatience. you were walking beside him, as usual, and his playful energy was contagious. you couldn’t help but smile.

❝ yeah, ben, how much further? ❞ eddie added, swatting away a mosquito with a grimace. you could tell eddie was getting antsy, but his curiosity kept him moving forward. you gave him a reassuring smile, hoping to ease his nerves. richie noticed and nudged you with his elbow, his grin wide.

❝ you know, eds, (y/n) here could probably carry you if you get too tired, ❞ richie teased, earning a light smack on the arm from eddie.

❝ shut up, richie, ❞ eddie muttered, but you could see the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried to hide a smile. you laughed softly, loving the way they always managed to make you feel at ease, even when they were bickering.

finally, ben stopped in front of a large thicket, and your curiosity peaked. he pushed aside some branches, revealing a hidden entrance. ❝ here it is, ❞ your eyes widened as you stepped through the opening. inside was a large, cozy space, bigger than you’d expected. there were shelves full of books, soft blankets, and a huge hammock strung up in one corner, large enough for several people. the place felt like a secret clubhouse, one that was just for you and your friends.

❝ ben, this is amazing! ❞ you exclaimed, your voice filled with awe. you turned to look at him, and he blushed slightly, clearly pleased with your reaction.

❝ yeah, ben, this is awesome, ❞ mike added, already exploring the different corners of the hideout. ❝ you really outdid yourself. ❞

❝ i thought it would be nice to have a place just for us, ❞ ben said, his voice warm with affection. ❝ a place where we can hang out and just be ourselves. ❞

richie immediately made a beeline for the hammock, his eyes lighting up with excitement. ❝ dibs on the hammock! ❞ he shouted, flopping down onto it with a dramatic sigh of contentment. you laughed and followed him over, sitting down on the edge of the hammock.

❝ you’re such an ass, ❞ eddie grumbled, but he couldn’t resist joining you both. he climbed onto the hammock, settling in beside you with a huff. you found yourself sandwiched between richie and eddie, feeling the gentle sway of the hammock as they playfully jostled each other.

❝ careful, you’re gonna tip us over, ❞ you warned, your voice filled with laughter. richie just grinned at you, his arm draping casually around your shoulders.

❝ don’t worry, (y/n), i’ve got you, ❞ he said, his tone teasing but affectionate. you leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. on your other side, eddie was muttering under his breath about how richie was being annoying, but you could tell he was just as happy to be there.

as you lay there, the three of you fell into a comfortable rhythm. richie and eddie kept up their usual banter, tossing playful insults back and forth while you relaxed between them. their voices became a soothing background noise, and you found your eyelids growing heavy as the hammock rocked gently beneath you.

❝ hey, richie, do you ever shut up? ❞ eddie grumbled, though there was no real bite to his words. he was more focused on making sure you were comfortable, adjusting a blanket around you with a careful hand.

❝ only when i’m asleep, eds, ❞ richie shot back, his grin widening as he caught your eye. ❝ and even then, i’m sure i’m the most entertaining sleeper around. ❞

❝ if you say so, ❞ eddie muttered, but you could see the fondness in his eyes as he looked at you. ❝ (y/n), how do you put up with him? ❞ with an exaggerated sigh.

you just smiled, feeling the warmth of their friendship surrounding you like a protective shield. ❝ i guess i’m just lucky, ❞ you replied softly, your voice filled with contentment.

eventually, the steady rhythm of their voices and the gentle sway of the hammock lulled you into a peaceful nap. richie’s arm was still draped over your shoulders, and eddie’s presence beside you was a comforting anchor. as you drifted off to sleep, you felt completely safe, knowing that your best friends were right there with you.

when you woke up, the sun had shifted, casting a warm, golden light through the small windows of the hideout. you blinked sleepily, realizing that richie and eddie had fallen asleep too, their heads resting against yours. the hammock was still gently swaying, and for a moment, you just enjoyed the quiet peace of the moment.

after a while, you carefully extricated yourself from the hammock, trying not to wake richie and eddie. they both stirred slightly but didn’t wake up, so you quietly tiptoed away, leaving them to their nap. as you looked around the hideout, you noticed bill, stan, and mike sitting together on a pile of blankets, engrossed in their books.

❝ h-hey, (y/n), want to j-j-join us? ❞ bill asked, glancing up from his book with a welcoming smile. you nodded, making your way over to them. you sat down beside stan, who gave you a small, shy smile as he handed you one of the books from the shelf.

❝ thank you, stan, ❞ you said softly, returning his smile. he nodded, his eyes already back on his book.

you opened the book and quickly became absorbed in the story, losing yourself in the world of words. the four of you read in companionable silence, the only sounds being the rustle of pages turning and the occasional soft murmur as one of you reacted to something in the story.

after a while, you felt a gentle tap on your shoulder. looking up, you saw beverly smiling down at you. ❝ hey, (y/n), can i steal you for a bit? ❞ she asked, her voice warm.

❝ okay, ❞ you replied, closing your book and setting it aside. you stood up and followed bev over to where ben was working on some project with a hammer and nails.

❝ we could use some extra hands, ❞ bev said, handing you a hammer. ❝ ben’s been teaching me how to build stuff, and i thought you might want to join in. ❞

you smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude for beverly’s thoughtfulness. ❝ i’d love to help, ❞ you said, taking the hammer and kneeling down beside ben.

❝ thanks, (y/n), ❞ ben said, giving you a grateful smile. ❝ we’re just reinforcing some of the shelves and adding a few more. it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. ❞

❝ definitely, ❞ you agreed, already feeling a sense of accomplishment as you began hammering nails into place. as you worked, bev chatted with you about all sorts of things—clothes, movies, and boys. it was nice to have some girl time, and you found yourself opening up to her in a way you hadn’t before.

❝ you know, (y/n), ❞ bev said, her voice turning a bit more serious, ❝ i’m really glad you’re part of the losers club. you bring something special to the group, and i just want you to know that you’re really important to all of us. ❞

you felt your cheeks flush with warmth at her words, and you looked down at the hammer in your hands, suddenly feeling a bit shy. ❝ thanks, beverly, you said softly. ❝ that means a lot. ❞

she smiled at you, her eyes filled with kindness. ❝ it’s true. don’t ever doubt it, okay? ❞

you nodded, feeling a swell of affection for your friend. as the two of you continued working, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for the bond you shared with the losers club. they were more than just friends—they were family, and you knew that no matter what, you’d always have each other’s backs.

after finishing up with the shelves, you and bev stepped back to admire your work. ❝ not bad, ❞ ben said, clearly pleased with the results. ❝ this place is really coming together. ❞

❝ it really is, ❞ you agreed, feeling a sense of pride in what you’d accomplished. ❝ i’m glad i could help. ❞

❝ you did great, ❞ bev said, giving you a friendly nudge. ❝ now, how about we take a break? i think we’ve earned it. ❞

you nodded, feeling a bit tired but happy. as you made your way back to the main area of the hideout, you noticed that richie and eddie had finally woken up and were now bickering playfully as usual.

❝ hey, sleepyheads, ❞ you called out, giggling as you approached them. ❝ have a nice nap? ❞

❝ the best, ❞ richie replied with a wink, stretching his arms above his head. ❝ but we missed you, (y/n). it’s not the same without our favorite girl around. ❞

❝ yeah, we woke up and you were gone, ❞ eddie added, his voice mock-petulant. ❝ don’t do that again. ❞

you laughed, feeling the warmth of their affection wrap around you like a cozy blanket. ❝ don’t worry, i’m not going anywhere. ❞

the rest of the day passed in a blur of laughter, stories, and moments that you knew you’d treasure forever. by the time the sun began to set, casting a warm golden light over the hideout, you felt completely at peace.

as you all gathered together in the hideout, huddled close on the blankets and bean bags, you couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky you were. the losers club wasn’t just a group of friends—they were your home, your family, your safe haven in a world that could be so full of darkness.

and as you sat there, surrounded by the people who meant the most to you, you knew that no matter what the future held, you’d always stick by their side as much as they stuck to yours.

© MINA LEIGH 2023 - 2024

[thinkeral]

Yokohama’s politics are mildly horrendous when you think about it. There’s literally a slums region (read: Despair Pit of the Poor). No one is doing anything about it, there’s active crime and gang issues in this area but it’s not a priority in the city. Somehow making sure the layman doesn’t know about any of the silly wacky bullshittery that happens with the supernatural is more important than a literally pit for people to rot in.

Just some things I’ve been thinking about since my last rewatch/reread of BSD. The ADA and ability users are known as a myth to the general public (see Atsushi’s reaction when he first learned about where Kunikida and Dazai worked)

The government literally pays an entire branch to to cover up special ability related incidents. (Image ripped right off the bsd wiki btw)

I think it’s safe to say the government funnels more money into this division than poor relief. I know the city is still recovering from major conflict and effects of war but m a n. Nobody should live here, it’s hilariously bad.

[distracted-and-diffused]

DBDA Rewatch Fridge Horror Moments: Opening the Ghost Post

(This moment brought to you by many rewatches, but primarily by rewatch round 12).

"Who would send us a box?" -- Charles Rowland

The Ghost Post is fascinating in and of itself — how does the Postman always know where they are? — but it's also fascinating… and a little troubling… how Edwin and Charles handle it.

In Episode 08, the boys are back in the office, and everything seems to be wrapping up. The post arrives, and they have a small package, presumably addressed to them, but with no sender. Immediately curious, they open it before even looking at the rest of the mail.

The scene works beautifully for slowly re-building the tension in the episode — Edwin reaches his hand out for a letter opener, opens the box, hands the letter opener back to Charles, and pulls out a much larger, longer box. He rips away the tape, and as he opens the box, they both lean in...

And the surprise they get is quite unwelcome, at the time, even if it all works out, in the end.

In retrospect, however, it's a bit unnerving that they don't seem to have any protocols for how to deal with packages from unknown senders. The package is clearly magical in nature, but they don't appear to take any special precautions as they open it.

We don't know if the boys have any known enemies — other than the immortal witch the team just defeated — who might, for example, use magical means to take them out of commission. But it doesn't seem unlikely that they might attract some, as they go around solving cases other people won't or can't.

And it's not that there aren't ways that even a non-magical package could hurt ghosts. We know that there exists, for example, a highly toxic ghost fungus whose luminescent spores cause blindness and pain if they get in the eyes. (Which Edwin and Charles know about, and of which they appear to have first-hand experience).

Given Charles's question, it seems likely that this is the first box they've ever received in the decades since they've opened the agency. But they appear to have become increasingly (internationally!) well known, and they are poised to branch out and take on regular cases on behalf of a larger and well-known client.

So hopefully the Agency will be a little more careful, when accepting packages in the future.

[thatscarletflycatcher]

I rewatched Agent Carter 2x04, and it was worse than I remembered!

No matter how high up Michael is, it is very difficult to believe that the SOE would recruit within Bletchley, because codebreaking work is a very specialized kind of work that requires a particular set of skills and interests that... do not seem to overlap at all with those of a field agent-spy. Besides that, it would duplicate the costs, as it would require covering the costs of SOE training for Peggy AND for her replacement at Bletchley. It's nonsense. Even if Peggy had been asked for for ciphering (which is clearly not the case because the series is trying to explain why and how she ended in the SSR), it doesn't fit because ciphering depended on its own special branch of the army and was, for obvious reasons, different to the one used by the Germans that Bletchley was trying to decipher.

Michael, Peggy, and her fiancé are freely chatting in a public place about government secrets. MICHAEL, PEGGY AND HER FIANCÉ ARE FREELY CHATTING IN A PUBLIC PLACE ABOUT GOVERNMENT SECRETS.

Last and least but still bothers me, unless they were lucky in the "recycling an old bridal dress" department, Peggy's wedding dress is nonsense. Yes, clothes weren't rationed until 1941, but that doesn't mean fabrics weren't much more scarce and expensive before that, because of... you know... sea warfare and Britain getting so much of its resources from overseas. Besides that, she's engaged to a soldier, meaning she is to get married whenever he gets leave. Ain't no time for making much of an elaborate dress, or leisurely try ons. Because besides that... SHE'S A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE IN ONE OF THE MOST INTENSIVE BRANCHES OF THE WAR EFFORT.

In a more realistic setting, Peggy would have probably been recruited directly into the SOE -where did Peggy ever show a knack for words and numbers and puzzle solving in the way codebreaking is?- and if you want to preserve more of what was written for s2, you can make it so that her recruitment has to do with something her mom thought was unfeminine in her, have Michael support her, and her breakup with her soldier fiancé being about... well, her joining the SOE, which would have been incompatible at that point with marriage.

[spooky-pop]

After rewatching How to train your Dragon 3, I was wondering what your headcanon was in your Broppy universe on how they got married. I could see Peppy being his senile self and just drop the M bomb like Gobber in HTTYD 3 XD But I'm interested in what your headcanon is :D I remember Ivy was an oops baby, but not if Poppy and Branch were already married, if you even said it.

Haha! I can see that too, friends and family making funny remarks to poke them about when they're tying the knot.

Hmm...I'm re-working the timeline in my AU, since everything revolves around Ivy being entirely unexpected. I had it written that they got married right after the events of the third movie, and while settling into their new life together suddenly there's an egg. BUT, thinking about it more, I find it more interesting if maybe they weren't married yet, just engaged. (and the engagement was special, Branch involved every person who was special in Poppy's life and shared this moment with them) And with a wedding coming up, both of their families want to help them with preparations and it's just a happy time for everyone, because Branch and Poppy are happy and there's so much joy surrounding the future king and queen. Viva excited to help Poppy look beautiful, Branch's brothers teasing him because their baby bro is getting married. And while they are deep into planning a wedding and working out their living arrangements, and discussing their future, oops: baby appears. (I have so much written about the events of the day/night Ivy's egg appeared, but that is for another ask ;} )

And baby Ivy gets to play a small part in their wedding but I just think it would be cute if she was there? Yeah. That's how I think their wedding would take place in my parent AU!

[fandomkicks]

TROLLS: The Beat Goes On; S1:E2 thoughts.

Two Party System:

Something that TBGO did stick with is that poppy wants so badly for things to go perfectly all the time and won’t accept that sometimes they won’t. We see that in the first segment of episode one. (a new burgen-ing)

Poppy cares to the point where she neglects herself for it. She doesn’t sleep and she nearly blows herself over it! All to make sure Bridget and Branch extra special on their birthdays.

The very IDEA that Bridget won’t get a special day that’s all about her sends poppy into a frenzy. (Despite being told that burgens don’t really celebrate birthdays. (Which I think has something to do with the fact they spent so many years thinking they could only be happy if they ate a troll but that’s neither here or there.))

Fun Branch:

Fun branch is always a fun branch centric segment to rewatch, even if JUST to analyze him! We start off with him asking where everyone is, which is SO important to me. Now I might be reading into it (again, I’m autistic. I do whatever I want.) but the fact that he’s seeking out other trolls after purposely being the most anti-social and unneighborly troll for ten years shows SO much growth.

Branch’s first instinct being to change his entire personality, likes, and dislikes just to fit in….HAVING THOUGHTS!!!!! (He’s my blorbo. Just in case that wasn’t obvious.)

Poppy being like 😐😐 “stop, this is ridiculous, you know you can’t handle it, and you KNOW you don’t want to do it. I can just talk to them and tell them how you feel” branch being like “:(( I want them to hang out with me because they LIKE ME.”

Poppy being stressed out the entire segment because branch is digging his own hole.

[owladaptive]

Pls share your thoughts on Huey Duck I would eat them up so fast

Hello yes I would like to talk about him.

Huey's sweet and kind and responsible and everything but I also think sometimes he will be pretty insufferable when he puts on his know-it-all hat and you know what good for him.

On that note; I'm pretty sure while Huey is absolutely a balm on the salty wound left open after having so many gratingly sarcastic and rude characters be the foremost autistic representation in media.... the kid's probably got a mean streak buried somewhere in there next to The Duke. Like I don't think he'd take a hard insult to his intelligence or anyone in his family lying down. And he wouldn't play nice with someone who really deserved a dressing-down I don't think.

I'm talking cutting words. Biting. He's smart, he could have some truly nasty comebacks locked and loaded for whenever a day comes that someone makes him mad enough.

In this interaction,

Huey says "are you really going to let our family get hurt because you're afraid to get hurt?" And I love it. It's kind of blink-and-you'll-miss-it because the scene immediately turns into a mad dash toward the sounds of lasers firing, but I caught it the other day and it stuck with me.

In moments like these, where a member of the main cast is put in the role of an advisor or counselor, we actually get a glimpse of their own psyche (when it's well-written and in character), as they attempt to transfer what they believe is The Right Thing To Do into the mind of the advisee. In this instance we, briefly, hear Huey speak one of his own core values. He speaks this idea of putting service/care to your family before your own means - before your own goals, discomfort, fears or limitations. Dare I say it's even a little sacrificial?

This message Huey presents is founded upon all of his strongest traits: responsibility, empathy, rationality and maturity. And for that reason (the coolest thing) this message Huey gives to Louie has a subtle through-line from the beginning of the show all the way to the end. Mt Neverrest is a strong example for this message being one of Huey's core values; wherein he instantly abandoned his personal quest to ensure the family's safety. And it pops up in so many little moments upon rewatching episodes.

I just think it's neat.

I think Huey's sadly not as strong a fighter as Dewey or Webby, about on par with Louie most of the time despite his y'know. Internal rage. He's saved by his quick thinking and ability to take advantage of any openings his calculating little science eyes spot.

But I also think branching off from that idea that Huey is a bloody dirty fighter and when I say he "takes advantage" I mean there will be zero hesitation. Sure, he can't fight in long, drawn-out brawls super well because 1 he's a little book boy and 2 he just doesn't have the spirit for fighting. But what he does have is logic - and not a lot of time to plan. So if Logic says that he only has a three fifths of a second to dig his fingers into this undead swordsman's eyes and pull out his optic nerves before he runs somebody through with his deadly sword than. You know. He does that.

And he DOESN'T get wrestling so he'd absolutely get disqualified or something for doing some crazy non-wrestling stunt like idk kicking someone in the throat.

Speaking of sports, we know Huey tried to get into football it seems and oh boy idk if that would have worked out well for him if he was in any position other than being the water boy. He'd either have panicked and gotten trampled or Duked out and gotten suspended..... tbh it more likely would have been the first.

We don't talk enough about how Huey sits at the proverbial "adult's table" in the family a lot of the time. Sure all the kids are treated as equals in skill and value by the adults but Huey's behind closed doors with the grownups, in the finale, the other kids actively being excluded from the planning circle he gets special privilege to be a part of like ISN'T THAT A BIT TOO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY?? He's a child???? Speaking as someone who used to be "the reliable/good/peace-keeping child" of my extended family, it can get pretty isolating being the one the adults trust the most with "important" business. I actually have a fic idea aaaaaaall about this that I started writing a while ago and I really want to finish it some day.

That's about all I could think of for the moment.... I've been dying to talk about some of this stuff, so thank you!

[earthbovndmisfit]

I've been seeing lots of takes lately with people feeling hatred towards part 2 Speedwagon for being a greedy capitalist who probably exploited people and done some shady stuff to become wealthy because there was '''no way he could have become rich just from oil money'''... thoughts?

it's so disappointing to see some bad takes about the Speedwagon Foundation being some "acshually nasty organization" and about Speedwagon supposedly becoming some heartless rich man popping up again. And like, I shouldn't even be surprised at this point considering how the average "Jojo fan" mistreats Part 1 and 2 and alllll the misinformation they love to spread about them and about some characters in particular, often bastardizing them into wildly out of character versions and pretending those fanons are canon for whatever reason (being Speedwagon one of the characters that gets bastardized like that the most), sometimes just to make Blorbo Of Their Choice look better by throwing every other character under the bus, sometimes just because people can't be bothered to pay attention to the og if there are no punching ghosts on sight (and even then, Jojo parts featuring stands get misinterpreted a lot too).

This is gonna be long, so let me start by saying that if y'all really believe that Speedwagon somehow became some nasty ass rich man, then you're completely misinformed and you (and I say "you" in general and not specifically you anon) might benefit from rereading/rewatching the source material and actually paying attention to the plot and details this time.

Like, I've seen people assuming that the Foundation only researched the stone mask and eventually stand stuff, and completely forgetting that one of the literal main goals and also one of the biggest things the Foundation does is seeking for the betterment of the planet as a whole (preserving nature, wildlife, etc) as well as for the betterment of medicine and health care, actually seeking for the best for all humankind, this in addition to all the secret branches it has for the research of supernatural phenomena like stands, stone masks, pillar men, and so on in order to prevent as many incidents with them as possible and prevent the loss of as innocent lives as possible.

Sure, the people working for those latter branches might get into deep trouble sometimes whenever some jerk with a stone mask or a stand starts some shit, but, another thing jojo fans tend to conveniently forget is that those employees are working for the secret/non-public branches of the Foundation. We as audience know about them because we are let into seeing them working as part of the narrative, however, the public in general within the story DO NOT KNOW about the existence of those branches or what they do. Pillar men, stone masks, stands and the research around them are kept in secret in order to prevent any sorts of chaos and ensuing panic, among other safety reasons.

The people working for those branches are specialized or at least have some prior knowledge on those fields they work in (you'd think it is a MUST considering they are being let in on sensitive information that could be super detrimental for the planet and for humankind if it fell in the wrong hands), meaning that those employees already know and are fully aware of the kind of stuff they're going to deal with there from the start. They weren't deceived into it, and the fact that the employees remain loyal to Speedwagon from start to end and respect and follow his will, even long after his death, denotes that there was some deep and mutual respect and appreciation there, something you can't earn through exploitation, and definitely something these people wouldn't have done had Speedwagon been the heartless tyrant rich old man some people with a lack of media literacy want to believe and make others believe he was.

If people paid just a wee bit more attention to earlier Jojo parts, they would have realized it was all spelled out from the beginning too! Speedwagon expressly states from the very start his disgust and hatred towards the rich, being the Joestars the only exception to that due to them being genuinely kind persons, unlike most other wealthy people out there. He was also implied to have been dirt poor for most of his life and was also stated to have lived in the slums at least up to PB's main timeline. There were never any indications or signs that showed that he ever betrayed those roots of his by siding with the rich against the poor over the years. Instead, he's been using his funds to make the whole world a better place for everyone, not only by improving health care and access for all people as well as the environment (which would actually show a sense of duty from him as he is counteracting whatever negative impact his oil company may have had on the planet), but also providing all the aid he can against supernatural threats.

And not just that, but he's also kept some of his connections with the crime world over the years. However, rather than using those connections for selfish goals, he makes use of them to workaround the system in cases like Lisa Lisa's, where he used all those influences he had to help her go successfully into hiding after killing the zombie that murdered George (an undercover zombie that was actually a higher up within the army and who everyone believed to be a regular human, hence their chasing after her to make her pay for that "crime" she had supposedly committed). Additionally, if you know anything about big companies and organizations, you'll know that the law is also not always there to protect regular people, and sometimes, it will cater to the more profitable goals, as well as some businessmen actively being shady af and "hindering" their rivals for their own benefit. The Speedwagon Foundation being an organization that vouches and actively works for the wellbeing of people would have probably ruffled countless feathers among those who seek for a personal gain, to say the least (think of the hijackers that tried to kidnap him, as shown in the flashback in BT, i.e). This is also where those connections he keeps with criminals come into play, as there are never any mentions about Speedwagon doing shady stuff through them nor using them to pursue some personal goal, which hints at the fact that he keeps and uses those nexus as means of protection against actual enemies. Defense rather than offense, if you will.

Also, lets not forget that Speedwagon found his reason to change his ways when he met Jonathan, and that a lot of the things the Foundation does are things Jonathan himself would have gone into had he not passed away (the archaeological research, the deep studying of the stone mask -which eventually led to the discovery of the pillar men just in time before their awakening-, all in order to prevent more incidents like the whole thing with Dio from happening, and so on). It's downright silly to think Speedwagon would even think of betraying Jonathan and his memory by using not only the second chance he received from Jojo himself, but also using the literal monument Speedwagon built to honor the deep bond and mutual affection the two had back when Jonathan was alive for some selfish goal.

And also, lets not forget how disgusted he was with Dio and every single vile thing he did to everyone. Do you really think he would want to follow a path similar to his, in which people are just another step for him to walk all over?? If so, then you sure are completely wrong about who Speedwagon really is like.

Those "he became some nasty capitalist lol", pretending that Spw became some heartless and selfish wealthy man along the way for no reason, all despite the heaps of constant evidence the canon has presented, even long after Speedwagon's passing away in the story, that shows that that was never the case only go to show that people are lazy and that paying attention to the story and the details in it is just something some Jojo fans will actively refuse to do and then will make the worst bullshit takes up about it.

Also?? People do realize that it's possible to become rich and not be some piece of shit?? Like, sure, I do agree that most wealthy people irl ARE shit and scummy af, but there will always be a few exceptions, you just don't always see them because the real kind ones don't go around telling everyone about every single kind act they do, they just put their money to good use to make their own employees lives better, or invest/donate money every chance they get to some organization of their trust and so on. Adding to this, do you all even realize people can't just throw money out of the window and that as a business person you always need to keep some capital to actually make your business thrive and so you can continue helping other people out in this case where BIG SUMS of money are being put to use in favor of actual civilians and people from all walks of life??

((Edit to add yet another Very Obvious display that Speedwagon never sided with the rich, not even in his older years: Smokey Brown! The kid is literally a mirror of Speedwagon’s own younger self in that both were criminals from the streets in a large city (London in Spw’s case, NY in Smokey’s), immersed in crime and poverty and most likely having to resort to crime as a mean to survive in a society that was even more classist (and also racist, and this can actually be seen in BT when one of the mafiosos starts spewing shit towards Smokey due to his skin color) than it is nowadays, both having no known parents or family either and having been most likely orphaned/abandoned. Had Speedwagon been this nasty ass rich man, he could have simply ignored Smokey or treated him poorly, or could have even turned him to authorities, considering Smokey’s criminal record just for the sake of “preventing him from stealing from him” or whatever. There was literally nothing Spw could benefit himself from by keeping Smokey around like he did, which is a core trait in abusive/exploitative people. However, he never did any of that. Instead, and despite the reigning classism and racism at the time, Speedwagon along with Erina always embraced Smokey from the start and basically became his godparents, never letting the kid go back to his life in the streets, providing him with everything he needed and making sure he received a proper education, which was something very few people of color (black people, specially) could receive. And yet, Speedwagon and Erina made it happen, very likely using some of Spw’s influences to allow Smokey go to the school (and eventually college too) of his choice without any stigma or trouble at all and covering all expenses for him. -end of edit-))

If this was, idk, the Metal Gear series or some other media that revolves around the topic of politics, then the whole "cRaPiTaLisM!!! >:O" thing would have some weight and be plausible as it directly impacts the main plot of the story. But here?? In Jojo's?? Where the main focus as stated by it's author himself is the strength of the human spirit overcoming obstacles in the face of actual evil??? Try harder.

And, before I get That One Type of fans yelling at me that "people don't just get rich without exploiting people in real life!!"… do you guys realize we're talking about animanga series where vampires, funky stone masks with spooky powers, pillar men, stands, people who can use some ancient sunpowered martial art, plankton that can turn into a sentient person, and so on can happen, right? And yet I don't see anyone whining that "tHaT DoEsN'T hApPeN iRl!!".

And like, if this whole claim stems from disliking Speedwagon, just say you don't like him and move the fuck on. You don't need to try to justify your disliking for him or for ANY other characters, let alone making up wildly out of character bullshit about them to try to prove to yourself and to everyone else why according to you the character is "bad". I promise you it is not a big deal to simply not vibe with a character.

[wackybuddiemewbs]

Buddie Moodboard - Criminal Minds AU

So yeah, I've started rewatching that show. And of course, Buddie jumped right back into my face and wouldn't let go until I moodboarded this. So... the moodboards have won yet again. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Cheers!

Looking back, Eddie Diaz never thought he'd join the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. After his time in the war, he took a long time, figuring out where to fit in, what to do with his life now that he is out of the military. So no, becoming an FBI agent, moving to Los Angeles to join the BAU sub-branch there, as a single dad, and to dive into dangerous situations on the daily is not the first choice that comes to mind. Less so if you asked his parents.

But there is only looking forward, so Eddie is taking his chances with the team under the lead of Special Agent Robert "Bobby" Nash. While everyone on the team is undoubtedly capable and undeniably nice to him upon his first day, one of the agents just returned from some time off seems less than pleased. In his opinion, they don't need anyone else on the team.

It doesn't take a profiler to figure out that the guy's got the heart in the right place, just a bit afraid of change, of people leaving – and someone allergic to being called by his first name. Though after their first together, Eddie and Buck don't just find a common ground, it doesn't take them long to develop a strong friendship.

One of the odd things about being surrounded by profilers is that it becomes all the harder to keep your private life private. Not only do you spend so many hours together, but you are surrounded by people whose job it is to figure other people out. So it's hardly surprising to anyone that each of the team has their very personal demons haunting them: Be it having lost loved ones to unsubs they didn't catch in time, or having found themselves in an unsub's hands and be saved by people of just that profession.

Buck also has his special reasons for being there. And as Eddie finds out early on, this job is so much more to him than a job is to most other people. He considers it his true purpose, more so because he feels like he owes it to Bobby that he ever got there. He used to be a regular police officer who just "tagged along", until Bobby consulted on a murder that happened in the town he was stationed at. Bobby picked up on Buck's innate talent to get inside an unsub's head and his dedication to the cause. Or as Bobby puts it:

"You can teach crafts and skills. But you can't teach talent and attitude. And Buck's always had both of these things."

So Bobby gave him his card, told him to try out for the BAU's special program. And Buck did. While it's taken a lot of effort, he eventually managed to join the team. Which is why he is not only protective of his friends at the BAU, for him, this job is his life. And he will defend that till last.

Buck's life is turned upside-down more than once when his sister Maddie steps back into his life. A few years back, he wouldn't have noticed that something is off, but as a profiler, he knows. He is no longer the kid stuck in a loveless home, believing every soothing word his sister says to keep him out of harm's way. This time, he vows to himself, he will protect her from her abusive husband, he will make her stay. So he helps her land a job at the FBI, filling the empty space his ex Abby left.

Things seem to be moving all the right directions once Maddie breaks out of her shell and dares to fall in love again. Chimney and her are as happy as they can be. That is, until Doug comes back, nearly kills Chimney, and abducts Maddie. The team races to save her, which, thankfully, they manage.

Though this is far from the only crisis the team has to face. One particular event changes everything for Buck and Eddie. After Eddie nearly dies at the hands of a sniper, nothing is as it was between them. Buck doesn't just feel like he failed his best friend. He feels like the feelings he's been trying to put off, those romantic feelings for Eddie that have no space in their world together, are shattered like glass, too.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Eddie quits the BAU. First for his son's sake. Later on, actually for his own. Eddie finally has to reckon with his past traumas, all the things he pushed down over the years. And he can't do that while working a job that forces him into swallowing it all down.

Though Eddie misses his job. He misses the team. He misses having Buck's back. Sure, he is around, but it's not the same as it used to. To top it all, Buck seems to be withdrawing more and more from them for reasons Eddie can't yet fathom. Eddie is hesitant about returning, though, fearing that Christopher won't take it well. After all, he nearly lost him once, and the fear of losing his father is all too painful and all too real in the line of work they do.

The whole world stops turning for Eddie one evening, though. Because he has to watch footage of Buck bleeding out on a street, held hostage by a kid seeking revenge on Bobby, with a suicide belt on and the trigger in his hand. It is then that Eddie decides to follow his heart and join the team as they race to rescue Buck...

Find more moodboards here.

[fordarkisthesuede]

Heyyy…so, about where I’ve beeeeen… 

I considered doing a silly little poll to have you guess, but... Oh, what the hey! Let's do it!!!

Anyway -

While a lotta y’all had "Brat Summer", I had "Slowly-Being-Consumed-By-Moss" Summer.

And GA summers are real fuckin’ long.

Every year I seem to go through a phase where I decide I’ve had enough of endlessly scrolling through tumblr and feeling bad about not getting things done. Sometimes this is combined with the incredible gloom of coming onto the only social media I partake in and finding nothing but tragic news. Only this time it combined with the very-dreaded Election Season Panic (US version). (Please hold in your derisive laughter.)

Pictured above:  a representation of me, circa…like, April 2024.

I should note the things that I tend to over-use tumblr to avoid aren’t things that have “real” deadlines, but I feel more and more guilty when I don’t do them, or else carve out time to do them. These are usually “replying to messages” and “writing my epic fanfic”, but can even branch out to “making stable diary entries” and the like.

My fellow writers - at least some of you - know what I mean. We clean our living spaces or sort things or bake to avoid writing, because for some reason when we look at the proverbial page our brain nopes out. Sometimes it’s because of the fear we’re not writing well enough for our stuff to actually be liked. Sometimes it’s because we’re veeery stuck with where we’re at and looking at the stupid spot we’re stuck at for the millionth time is exhausting. Sometimes it’s cuz we’re plum outta ideas ‘cause the stars haven’t aligned.

But this past summer was…particularly bad in the writer’s block area. So much so that another fic I was writing from back in February to combat writer’s block with BtTTS: S5 was even getting big ol’ roadblocks! Which is really dumb. It’s mindless self-insert fun for a fandom I’ll probably never write for publicly, yet I’m struggling? WTF.

So most of the summer, I experienced Lethargy. No melancholy, no anger or serious anxiety, no hopelessness or real lack of sleep or feeling over-tired. So not depression, I don’t think, but no real enthusiasm or energy for creative stuff, nor video games for some reason. I went to work, read the news, worked my way through most of a One Piece rewatch, caught up on some manga, and went through a list of movies I had been meaning to see. (Man, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf was wild. You guys see that? De-licious drama. Incredible. I’ll def see it again in like 5 or 10 years.)

I thought about coming back to do a Book of Bill post. I pre-ordered it ages ago. It arrived, I read through it over the span of a few days, I spent time working out most of the puzzles… But I just couldn’t bring up the enthusiasm to do anything for it. It was fun ‘n’ all, but it’s not like a lot of the stuff in there is revolutionary or anything. Besides, by the time I got around to reading the book I already knew all the puzzles were solved and posted online by like day 2 of release or something, because the GF fandom is feral when it comes to puzzles. The Blacklight book was special because of its limited run, and I felt the need to share it so everyone could see. The Bill book you can find in any B&N or e-book store. The thought of typing up anything on it just felt like work.

And THEN…come late July… 

Like ol’ blue eyes lyrics, something came shakin’.

It was like the rubber-band that somehow wound around my brain SNAPPED and went

It wasn't exactly a surprise, yet it was. I've been waiting for like, a decade now. And I finally had means, motive, and opportunity,

It took every single one of my weekends from August to mid-September to find and settle on a place. And then it was every single weekend from then to mid-October to find and store furniture and start packing, all while juggling the UTTER NIGHTMARE that is the mortgage closing process.

Oh, and that hurricane. That certainly didn’t help any. (I'm fine.)

Anywho, that’s why I’ve been hermiting it up. Just been trying to clear my head and get a sense of independence - while I still can -while crafting my own little Ha-Hacienda. And even in light of recent…world-changing events…I’m clinging to my projects with my sharp, sharp nails and my primitive canines, because while the world is clearly always awful I’ve got to enjoy some small slices of life on this absolute bitch of an Earth. Hope I didn’t scare any of ya with my absence. ❤️

P.S. If anyone wants to fill me in on what tumblr-centric and Batman-universe things I missed this past 6 months, the askbox and replies are open. Wrong answers, vague answers, and hieroglyphics accepted, as long as you cite your sources.

[oswildin]

Thoughts on DP&W if you've seen it? Esp you-know-who's role? :)

(Spoilers, obviously - for anyone who hasn’t seen DP&W yet)

I think it was one of the better more recent Marvel releases. I thoroughly enjoyed GOTG3, thought The Marvels wasn’t as bad as people made out (but let’s be real, that was mostly rooted in misogyny for most negative reviews from the GP). Quantumania was… I don’t think as bad as I remember? (I’ve only watched it once).

This is all based off my (maybe bad) memory of DP&W, I’ve only seen it once when it first came out.

I think some of the jokes got repetitive/overdone, I don’t need a crude joke every 5 seconds, y’know? Like, I understand it’s the character, but it really felt like it was slapping me in the face every 5 seconds in this one compared to Deadpool 1 & 2.

I liked the use of the TVA, even though Paradox infuriated me bc of the events of Loki S2 and it felt like a slap in the face, but hey, I suppose that means the writers did their job, right? But, I did enjoy his sass and back and forth with Deadpool.

B-15 in the film should’ve been used more imo, but I guess it’s just meant to be a nod for the fans who watched the series without making it too complicated for the GP (a criticism Marvel are clearly now trying to fix with the multiverse stuff). I really enjoyed the new set for the TVA, it felt cinematic (but OG TVA will always hold a special place in my heart).

This is my review on Letterbox’d straight after the film:

“I will admit, I have never seen x-men or Logan so I have no context really for wolverine or the other cameos (I know who they are, but as characters and what they have been through or what films they were in, i’m not well versed on), so take this with a grain of salt lmao.

Once it got half way through I felt it was dragging a little. The start and end were really good though, I really enjoyed the climax of the movie with the time ripper machine (I think that’s what it’s called I can’t remember). I think the void stuff was okay, it was cool to see Alioth and expand upon the world of the void. 

I felt the plot was a bit meh, it was simple but I suppose after everything Marvel has been doing they wanted to strip it back somewhat. It wasn’t bad necessarily, just felt half baked? I don’t know if that’s even how to describe it. Plus, I’m so confused, what do the TVA do now? We were left with them protecting branches and not pruning, keeping an eye on Kang (lol) variants etc… Yet in this one they still seemingly prune people? B-15 was ready to send Deadpool back to the void with no hesitation when she very much changed her stance by the end of Loki S2… That’s my issue with the different writers etc for each project, it creates (albeit small but still annoying) inconsistencies.*

Overall, it was a fun film, I did feel some jokes fell flat but some did really get me. I don’t know if it’s a film I’d pick to rewatch any time soon, but I understand why people did enjoy it and feel the opposite. Loved the climax, loved the cameos, loved the ending with Wade and Logan.”

*I guess looking back, maybe they still prune ANY variant who could be seen as a threat to the multiverse/branches etc.

[bobafett]

stealing this because the boops made me realize how much i miss tag games.

How many works do you have on AO3? A grand total of 14. I am not a prolific writer.

What’s your total AO3 word count? 63,880. Please see above answer.

What fandoms do you write for? Batman and Star Wars. I have a little bit of Supernatural fic posted on an alt account, and I've been turning over an idea for an OW fic in my head for a while, but it takes me a long time to figure out how to write in a fandom in a way that still captures the "vibes" of the source material (which is always one of my goals). So I rarely branch out.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? New Cornerstone (suitless!Vader AU from a million years ago), Brothers in Arms (Jon starts to get an inkling that his best friend has perhaps not had a normal childhood), Setting the Bone (Selina Kyle: reluctant parental figure), In This Twilight (Damian and Jason brotherly bonding, first batfam fic I ever wrote), and Try to Sweep the Darkness Out (batfam Christmas special that I've almost orphaned 10 times because I hate the writing choices I made in it so much). None of the fics I'm actually proud of are on this list. Tragic.

Do you respond to comments? Irregularly and unpredictably! I will if I feel like I have something to say and it catches me in the right mood.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Uh, that would be High Water Mark since it starts with a scene of Cody contemplating suicide and ends with the instant right before Order 66 kicks in.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably Problem Solving since it's the only fic I've ever written where I was actually trying to be light hearted.

Do you get hate on fics? Never, thankfully.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? If I thought I could do it successfully, I would. But I'm not, so I don't.

Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Basically never. There is a Doctor Who/Sherlock fic buried on my old FF.net account. There's also a Super Smash Bros fic on there that I wrote in 2009, which I suppose also counts.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? I can't imagine why anyone would.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, and I never would. I'm too much of a control freak about my writing. Writing, say, shared universe stuff might be fun, but actually co-authoring something would drive me nuts.

What’s your all time favorite ship? What a question. I come back to Jaime/Brienne a lot for reading, but I don't think I'd ever write it. I write a ton of BatCat, but rarely read it because I'm particular. I like Lois/Clark, but I almost never write OR read it. I'm honestly not very ship motivated. Most of the time I filter for a ship because I'm in the mood for its attendant tropes, and if the writing is good, you can sell me on just about anything.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Hmngh. New Cornerstone again. There's 20k of an expanded version of it on my hard drive that I haven't added to since probably 2017. There's something very fun about suitless!Vader as a character because he's such a sparking, destructive livewire of a person, but also I'm experienced enough now to realize how difficult doing justice to that premise is. Also, I'd have to rewatch TCW to get Ahsoka's voice down, and I just don't got time for that shit.

What are your writing strengths? Description and sense of place. Also pretty good at dialogue.

What are your writing weaknesses? Fucking. Long fic. Plot in general. I'm horrifically bad at it.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I'm usually inclined to keep all my dialogue in English, but it would depend on the context and the effect I was going for.

First fandom you wrote for? Purposefully? Inuyasha. Without having any idea what fanfic was? I created an Artemis Fowl fairy OC and stuck her in Indiana Jones when I was 10 years old.

Favorite fic you’ve written? They Don't Sing Songs For Me. No contest. It's perfectly captures what I think is the ideal form of fanfic: two characters who have absolutely no business interacting with each other building a compelling relationship dynamic over the course of 9k words.

I will be tagging @panharmonium, @apostatefrog, @dead-ghost-walking, @ryehouses, @yellowocaballero, @lazuliquetzal. Also anyone else who wants to. I will bring back tag games by force of will, so help me God.

[exilley]

hi exilley.. wondering if i can get your take on disco elysium playthroughs? thinking about watching one as an alternative because i can't play the game, is de a game that works as a playthrough and if so do you recommend any? don't know the details but it seems some options are going to be unavoidably missed and there are paths you must choose individually.. is this a matter of choosing a good playthrough (political alignments come to mind) or is it a game better reserved for personal interactive playing?

HI JEMM I'M SORRY IT TOOK ME OVER A DAY TO RESPOND. i was lost in the sludge. sad!

unfortunately it is as you speculate: DE is not an experience well-suited to be relegated to a playthrough. the game's core mechanics are built around player agency and the machinations of thought. you accumulate skill points and assign them to different skills across various categories and navigate the story by uncovering new insights based on the political and interpersonal leanings you opt for Harry. there is foundationally no way for any two playthroughs to be the same. THAT BEING SAID. all this means is that Disco Elysium's thematic content is built on its replayability. while i think it's impossible for something to substitute the experiential factor/metatext of the game's merits, i don't think it's impossible for people to engage with the story on its face. start with watching the full playthrough linked, then branch out and look for more specific scenes/sequences that people have uploaded to youtube. rewatch parts you've already seen before, compare different playthroughs from different people, and if you want to commit that sort of time and energy, this is a great resource to reference specific lines for analytical purposes.

this game is something very special for a lot of people and from what i know of your interests you'll really like it! Disco Elysium is essentially just a glorified text adventure, so its gameplay is 90% reading anyway. just dont go into the tumblr tags until you've seen at least a full playthrough of the game though. trust ^_^