#and that me being a listener and people watcher is just fine

[babyleostuff]

happy birthday jeon wonwoo. thank you for showing me that there's nothing wrong with being the quiet one

[raichett]

joel commits a hit and run

During the Watchers' debriefing after the end of Wild Life, Grian gets himself an unexpected - though certainly not unwelcome - ride home.

Content warnings: intentional vehicular violence against non-human entities who are not hurt by said violence, vaguely referenced character death, memory alteration, and being non-consensually trapped and made to play death games. This is unrepentantly crack.

AO3 version.

-

JOEL COMMITS A HIT AND RUN

The empty space between is desolate, as always. The others aren’t here, thankfully, too busy being other people in kinder places than this, even if they do remember. Only their own victory, of course, their one game, unlike Grian who is unfortunate enough to remember them all, and unfortunate enough to be held here and made to participate beyond the role of a player.

It’s possible he deserves this misfortune, of course. They have such power, see, and he is only one Watcher trying to stem the tide of many, all of whom are so eager to take delight in their newest game series. If he can’t stop them then maybe he can help lessen the damage, have a voice in the planning process, take part as recompense. Harm reduction, that’s what it’s called.

They’re talking, and he’s waiting, only half-listening to the post-mortem, the debriefing, as they chatter about likes and dislikes, review the experimental factors, reflect upon the latest game like they’ve just walked out of the cinema or the theatre, buzzing with glee. It’s offensive, this almost innocence, this lack of comprehension of the pain they’re causing, too caught up in the storyline, and the character arcs, and the symbolism. Sun, stars, moon, all the rest. Fuck them, absolutely fuck them.

Grian doesn’t speak. He’s just – too tired. He nearly won again, but not quite, and he doesn’t really begrudge Joel the win, his friend had worked too hard for it – but he had hoped that if there started to be double wins, then maybe they would start getting bored, their attention drifting away. A game is only a game if people agree to play, otherwise it’s just tugging people about and laughing when they stumble, when they fall, when they collide into the arbitrary rules and get tangled there, strung up to be laughed at.

There’s a sound, then, like cave noise, and for a moment Grian thinks it’s just a glitch, some piece of the Universe snagging and then setting itself to rights, but the Watchers’ chattering stumbles, grinds to a halt, and –

It’s low, rumbling, but getting louder. Getting closer. It’s not cave noise.

There are no doors in this place, but there is a type of barrier, some invisible division between the Void outside and this little space carved here. Grian watches, frozen, heart rabbiting in his chest, as – as a car smashes through it. He knows that stupid fucking car.

The car vrooms, revving its engine as it smashes into the meeting circle and runs over one Watcher, two Watchers, swinging around to shove to the nebulous ground a third and a fourth as it screeches to a stop right next to Grian. Watchers are damn hardy, they’ll be fine, but it puts Grian in mind of bowling pins and that’s just – it’s – it’s so insane, it’s ludicrous, and a laugh bubbles up in Grian’s chest just at the absurdity of it, the incongruity that makes everyone too stunned to react.

The window rolls down. “Hey, Grian,” says Joel, grinning.

“Joel!” Grian replies, loud and shocked, but somehow not surprised – who else’s car would it be? – which feels like the only thing he can say.

“Heard you needed a ride home,” Joel says, bright and vicious, his eyes still red. “Come on, this place is cramping my style. We gotta get back to Hermitcraft.” He turns his words now to the surrounding Watchers. “Sorry, folks! Me and Grian got things to do, places to see, honey shops to buy and sell at, all that good stuff. Later, losers, hah!”

The passenger door opens on the back, behind the driver’s seat, and Grian scrambles for it, diving in and slamming it shut behind him, barely getting his feet out of the way in time. There’ll be repercussions later, he’s sure, but right now? Right now, they drive out – nearly running over two more Watchers, but they get out of the way in time – and Grian hasn’t got a seatbelt on, doesn’t know how Joel got here, or why he knew to come, where to go, but that doesn’t matter: it feels good to do something to get one over on the Watchers, and Grian understands the power and importance of small victories.

“I can’t believe you ran them over,” Grian says, and at his own words he starts to laugh.

“They’re so cringe, Grian,” Joel answers, also barking out a laugh, as the car rockets into the Void like a comet. “What losers. Stupid idiots. Now come on, us winners gotta stick together.”

“Even Scott?” Grian prods, though his heart feels like someone just dunked it into a warm bath, liquid comfort melting in his chest. Us. Joel recognises an us.

“Ughh!” Joel bemoans. “Maybe not Scott. He can sleep on the sofa, maybe, or whatever. Dunno if there’s a winner’s sofa, but – yeah, something like that. Something like that.”

“You’re so generous,” Grian says, his smile irrepressible.

“I am a king of humbleness,” Joel assures him. “You have never met anyone as humble and generous and handsome as me.”

The laughter that punches out of both of them echoes inside the car like music. Outside the windscreen, a trail of stars leads the way back home.

[lady-raziel]

long reaction to the update

ok. so they put out an update video! since i've been commentating for the last three days i might as well subject you all to more of my thoughts today.

main takeaway: this was a good apology video. i mean it. short and to the point, no overproduction, heartfelt and honest (and not a ukelele to be seen. thank god.) they took ownership of the situation, apologized, and restated how much they value their relationship with the fandom.

their solution is to make the watcher tv platform into kind of an iteration of patreon where content is available for early access before it is released onto youtube later. this is clearly a better option than paywalling everything for everyone. i'm not sure what the relative breakdown of costs turns out to be when you compare how much they were making on patreon after the platform took their cut VS how much it costs in overhead to run and maintain their own platform (how much it costs annually to contract via Vimeo, essentially). but i'm sure that's part of the calculation.

all things considered, that does seem like the best option out of all the alternatives. it allows them to not completely abandon any of the pans they have simmering over the fire for the time being. i don't think i ever thought they were going to just say "oops, forget about the streaming thing! let's pretend that never happened!" because at this point they've invested quite a lot of time and money into it, and i don't disagree that keeping it in some iteration may help them make up some of the funds they're lacking.

i would say, it's fine to keep the streamer. this is one of the ok outcomes, all things considered-- but if they're going to do it, they've GOT to do it smart from this point forward. listen to both the fans and the consultants intimately. both are going to have valid points, and both are going to be right. listening to too much of either side will sink this thing because each has motives and expertise that the other doesn't. if the fans say $6 is too much, listen to them-- but have conversations with business consultants about how much you realistically need to charge to make things work.

also, i'd use this whole situation as a learning experience. watcher is a young company, and it's literally inevitable that mistakes will happen. what's different is that the watcher crew haven't really been in a position before where they've been on the receiving end of the internet-angry-justice-hammer to this extent. it's one thing to watch it happen to others, but it's a position of extreme privilege (and a bit of hubris) to think "but that won't happen to me, because i'm built different." naw, man-- two things in life are inevitable: death and fuckups. the callout posts get us all in the end.

what's really important is that they use this as a wakeup call that even the most loyal fandoms will only follow you so far to the cliff's edge, and you don't want to push that. you have to strike a balance between the passion projects that you think are worthy and the stuff that maybe doesn't excite you as much anymore but the people want to see. a little fanservice keeps the lights on, as unfair as that might seem. i'm gonna make 50 markiplier choccy milk memes just so i can make one niche political joke once and a while for 6 likes. it is what it is.

i'd also use this as a chance to take a very careful look at company structure and finances. it's not fun to do and nobody likes it. trust me-- this is hard whether you're a single adult trying to pay the bills or the freaking US government (speaking from experience on both-- i have to read the president's budget for work frequently). but you all have to ask hard questions about the ratio of creative staff you take on VS staff for administrative and other business roles, as well as the costs and benefits of everything you spend money on. how many staff members are essential to location shoots? can this video be shot with 2 cameras instead of 3 and thus you don't need another cameraperson? you might even have to come to the decision that instead of pitching a new show it makes more sense to use those funds to hire your essential non-creative roles or contract firms or freelancers.

paying staff a fair wage with benefits speaks highly of what watcher wants their values to be. it's hard to find such a position in a creative role and still actually get to work on things you care about. but it would be much worse if watcher didn't make realistic decisions about finances and it lead to the death of the company and everyone losing their jobs. the whole watcher company can work, in my opinion, but not without some sacrifices. they're going to have to run it more like a business and less like a youtube-channel-turned-business in the future if they want to survive.

last thing i'll add is that while i do think this was a good apology video, i still think they hurt themselves by not putting out some sort of statement on Friday or Saturday just to say that they were formulating a response. As i've said in other posts, it's ok and in fact beneficial to not make a kneejerk reaction, but it's also very important to communicate that you SEE what's happening. you SEE what people are saying and THAT'S why you need more time to respond. saying nothing and leaving the angry public to wonder if you dropped your phone off the Hoover Dam or just don't care? that's a fumble. it's a common mistake companies make in a crisis, but that doesn't mean it doesn't erode trust fast.

this could have been handled better in many ways. we see that, and i'm glad watcher says they see that too. crucial going forward is taking all this and patching the errors that caused all this to fall apart and learning from the experience.

tbh at this point what i'm most sad about is that the watcher crew have probably been too stressed out and upset to appreciate some of the absolute bangers people have been laying down to clown on them. i think if it wasn't about them they might be touched by the collective attitude and creative spirit. /j

[thecoolerliauditore]

long post: the neck kisses playlist on joel's spotify is about jimmy (and kind of etho too a little bit)

it's not actually about jimmy it very much is not about jimmy. however I had visions when I listened to it and I know at least one person really wants me to put this into words so

"I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don't Wanna Die Anymore" is a pretty straightforward song about Awsten Knight's post-break-up life as well as his frustrations with his fanbase.

The feelings post-break-up are described as freeing, hence the title ".. don't wanna die anymore" but the ending of the song hints at some nagging regret despite that, with the desperate repeating mantra of "but I think it's fine, it's cool"

While I don't think all of these songs signify chronology (and some I don't think are literal at all unless c!Joel has some weird daddy issue lore I'm unaware of), I do like to think the start of the playlist calls to pre-3L jimmy/joel, most specifically their relationship in x-life.

In x-life, Joel establishes a totally-not-cult religion he dubs "Jeremyism", Jimmy being his first member after he fails to trick Lizzie into joining. He later gives up his leader title, quote, "for content". Jimmy is unhappy with this development and begs Joel to stay, but Joel refuses. While their relationship in x-life would be hard to define as romantic in any sense, they were clearly fond of eachother before Joel eventually broke away.

Things get a bit hazy here since "for content" doesn't really translate to anything in-universe, but I think it's interesting to note that both the song and Joel mention an audience, specifically one that they feel the need to appease. Whether this is a metaphor or watcher lore or some secret third thing I have no idea but it sure is there 👍

In my mind, it goes like this: Jimmy and Joel meet, they hit it off, Jimmy is affectionate and Joel starts to catch feelings. Joel cuts Jimmy off for making him feel weird.

the second song in the playlist reinforces this, being a much angrier post-break-up song.

While this seems out-of-order (why does the immediate anger come after the song about life after the break-up?), I think it's interesting if you look at it from an angle of this not being fully Joel's feelings towards Jimmy, but Joel's frustration towards himself for messing it up.

with a little bit of frustration being placed on jimmy too:

pictured: joel in third life with a message from jimmy that he very much. does not answer.

personally I like to think Joel held a lot of resentment towards Jimmy in Third Life, both for homophobic reasons (i.e. you made me feel gay and now I'm gonna punish you for it) and for jealousy reasons (start of his number one scott hater arc)

this one's just in the wrong playlist first of all why does he insert this between two waterparks songs. whatever man.

anyway this song's interesting to me because it's literally just about a hot babe getting rejected by some fuck who refuses to be ball-and-chained.

there's two directions this could go imo: one is that this is, once again, evoking joel and jimmy's relationship. Joel acknowledges that he a life with Jimmy would be nice, but he refuses to settle down because it would rob him of his identity/freedom.

the other is that brandy is joel and the sailor is etho, since brandy shows an admiration for the sailor but also an awareness that he loves his job more than her

this storybook like description of how brandy saw the sailor's tales is very smalletho to me idk. very hand-in-hand with joel's child-like view of who etho is.

I don't have much for this one tbh it's pretty much just a love song and Joel really liking waterparks (king)

That being said, there's some fun imagery to play with here:

yellow = jimmy makes a lot of sense (blonde hair, canary imagery, yellow also representing people on their second life in the life series which evokes neither the assumed skillfulness of a late game green name nor the danger of a red name), as does green = joel (the green streak. shrek. yeahg. and while red joel is iconic "green like my insides" could also be read in this context as "deep down, I am safe to be around" which I think is neat)

"natural blue" is a bit harder to interpret (especially considering the original context of this being a joke about Awsten dyeing his hair) but blue is of course scott's colour. this could be read spitefully as Natural blue (was in love with jimmy first) vs scott's dyed hair or it's. joel saying that's he's gay idk man.

"at least I match your eyes" is pretty simple, with both of them having brown eyes, "jealous and hypnotized" once again alluding to some jealousy, likely towards FH again if you believe the blue line is alluding to scott.

however joel has plenty of people to be jealous of in regard to jimmy so. shrugs. hey you can even interpret this line as talking about jimmy's desirability. neat.

there's also this, which again might allude to flower husbands, implying in this fake world I've created that Joel doesn't view them as actually "married"

ok this is getting too long lmao see you guys next time i feel like writing about this stupid fucking playlist again

[musings-ofthe-unamused]

Not Mushroom for Love (Genshin Impact)

Pairing: Tighnari x reader

Word Count: 2.6k

A/N: I love Tighnari he's so cute i just wanna AAAAAAHHHHHH

Tighnari was a hard ass. It was for good reason, sure, but it didn't mean that it annoyed you any less. Another thing that annoyed you was how much you wanted to prove yourself to him. Not only did you want to be a worthy forest ranger, but you wanted to be someone worthy of his love. It was frustrating, not only to be in love with your superior, but to also know he'll never see you the same.

Love was never meant to be, when it came to Tighnari. It was like the two of you were polar opposites. He was smart, consistent, and stern. You were aloof, not the brightest, and tended to bend the rules. You honestly had no clue how you fell in love with him. Was it the way his ears twitched when he was reading a book? The way his tail swung happily from side to side when he was talking about something new he learned? Maybe it was the way he pulled his hair back while doing an experiment? Whatever it was, one day you realized you had loved him. And it was terrible . How can someone as stupid as you love someone as incredibly smart as him?

You had failed your promotion exam. It was the fourth time in the row you tried to become a Forest Watcher. Some people were fine with being Rangers their whole life. But not you. You wanted to make everyone proud. Prove them wrong. You weren't just some stupid Ranger that always got in trouble or made mistakes on tests. Yet here you were, sitting with Collei as Tighnari stood in front of both of you with his arms crossed. 

"You got more questions wrong than the last time," Tighnari shook his head. "I thought you were studying?"

You sighed in frustration. "I am! But for some reason, I can't- the material just doesn't stick."

"Well, it needs to. It can be a life or death situation when you're out there."

You rubbed your forehead in frustration as he turned his attention to Collei. This happened all the time. You barely were able to learn the material to become a Ranger. It was the field test that had given you your position. It was your ability to act fast in a situation and keep your calm that made you keep your position. You stared down at your test, seeing the big marks of ink that glared at you. Mockingly. As you read over your answers, you realized that you did know all of this. So why did your mind always blank when it came to testing?

"Are you listening?"

You were pulled out of your thoughts and raised your head. "Huh?"

"We need to talk about your rescheduled test."

"I can do it tomorrow."

"No."

"Why not?" You frowned.

Tighnari motioned to Collei who looked uncomfortable. "She needs to rest since she's been having more flare ups recently. I think it would be wise of you to use this extended time to think about your path."

"What about my path?"

"Well," His head tilted to the side. "You have been consistently failing in the tests. You don't seem to take in information like the others. We should consider keeping you as a Ranger instead of trying to become a Forest Watcher."

Collei looked between the both of you. She could tell that things were going to get heated. "Uhm, why don't we discuss this at a later time?"

"But Tighnari, I know what I'm doing!"

"Your test scores say otherwise."

"I know my stuff! Can't I have a field test instead?"

He shook his head. "We have standards that we need to uphold. Knowing things in the moment is good, but you need to be able to know this stuff outside of that as well."

"That doesn't-"

Tighnari said your name sternly. "You know we have rules for a reason."

You stood up. "You just don't trust me."

There was a pause. The two of you stared at each other. It would have been easy to follow what Tighnari was saying. He was smart. He knew what he was doing, saying, and teaching. But there was something inside you that left you feeling frustrated. So you wanted to challenge what he thought of you. 

"I don't trust you to go out there alone."

"That's all I needed to hear."

Collei and Tighnari's calls fell on deaf ears as you left. You weren't stupid. You can be trusted. It was your job as a Forest Ranger. You've been doing this for years, for crying out loud. You clenched and unclenched your fists in anger. The one thing you hated about yourself is that you cried when you got angry. It made you seem even more weak and stupid than you already were. You took slow, deep breaths to keep your cool and your tears inside their ducts. The scent of last night's rain made you calm down, only a small bit. You stomped down the path through the village.

"Wait up!" You turned your head to see Tighnari running after you. Your heart skipped a beat. "Why did you leave?"

You tried to not let your feelings for him let you soften. "I need to go for a walk." 

"Can I come?"

"Why?" You huffed as you continued to walk. "Do you not trust me to even take a walk?"

"No," Tighnari spoke in a matter-of-fact voice. "I don't trust you to go off into the forest on your own. You know, a Forest Ranger is even stronger in pairs or more. Not only that, but if something were to happen, you have someone to have your back."

"Forest Rangers go out on solo patrols all the time."

Tighnari sighed. The two of you were now walking precariously over a fallen log. "That's not what I mean."

"Of course not. What you mean is that I'm too stupid to go out on my own."

He stopped. "Is that what you think?"

You turn towards him. "It's what I know. Don't act like you don't want to get rid of me."

"I don't!"

"Liar!" You point towards his chest. "The disappointment in your eyes whenever you see my test scores, the sigh when we go on patrol, the constant lectures. Admit it!"

"Oh please." He rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic."

"I am nothing but a liability to you!" You poked at him again, slowly making stepping forward. 

"Watch it," Tighnari reached out towards you. "Just calm down."

"Don't touch-"

Your words were cut off as you lost your footing on the log. Tighnari called out your name, trying to catch you. Of course, this was why Tighnari didn't trust you to be out alone. Of course the wood was slick. The rain still didn't dry out. A log as big as that one would take a while to become safe to walk across. But it was too late. You crashed through vines and branches. The wind was knocked out of you as you landed on the hard ground. You desperately gasped, trying to get air back into your lungs. You stared up at the sky, the log you fell off of nothing now looking like a faraway stick.

After gaining back a semblance of normal breathing, your training kicked in. Wiggle your fingers. Check. Wiggle your toes. You winced, your left foot sending a shooting pain all the way up to your lower back. Ok, not good. You raised your arms. Some cuts and scrapes, new bruises forming. That was ok, something you can handle. You slowly, very slowly sat up. Your bones and muscles ached. You turned your neck from side to side. It seemed you had no spinal damage, which was a relief. 

"Oh, archons have mercy."

Your left leg was swollen and twisted in an unnatural angle. Adrenaline pumped through your veins, enough to keep the scathing pain of a broken leg away. You took a deep breath. There was no way you could set it on your own, but the least you could do was move it in its right position. The pain pulsated as you slowly turned your calf, and then your ankle. That was when the pain really started to flare up. Tears streamed down your face as you reached into your pack that was snuggly attached to your waist.

"I'll be ok," You whimpered to yourself as you took out an antiseptic balm and started applying it to your cuts and scrapes. "Just don't focus on the pain. Focus on cleaning the cuts. You've trained for this."

"Are you ok?"

Tighnari had already made his way to you. He kneeled down, his eyes searching your body for any terrible injuries. You started to sob. You felt like a child who had fallen and scraped their knee. Your hands tried to desperately wipe away the tears to no avail. Tighnari's arms wrapped around you, pulling you into a hug. 

"Hey, it's ok! It's ok. I'm here."

You clung to his sweatshirt. "I'm so stupid!"

"Shush, no you're not."

"Yes I am. Just look at me-" You pushed him away and sniffled. "I almost killed myself."

"Well," He looked at your arms. "It seems to me that you did exactly what you were supposed to. Now your wounds won't get infected. Good job, Ranger."

You rolled your eyes. "You're just saying that. I wouldn't be surprised if you want to kick me out after this."

"Why do you keep saying stuff like this?" His voice grew dark as he started to wrap your arms up in bandages. "It's- I just…I can't have you out here!"

"Because I'll just do something stupid-"

"No! I don't want you to die out here! Do you know how scared I was when you fell? I could've prevented that. I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't save you in time, and I failed at what I'm supposed to do as a forest watched. I thought…I thought that if you were to die, it would be my fault. Because I couldn't teach you. I was the one who wasn't good enough." Tighnari's ears lowered, and he hid his gaze. "Let me finish bandaging your arm."

Your eyes widened as you stilled. You couldn't speak. If you were more delusional, you would have thought he sounded like he was in love, more than a teacher and coworker. His hands were gentle as he finished fixing you up. He then sat back on his legs and looked at your leg. His breathing was shaky. You swallowed.

"I- uhm…"

"Are you in pain?"

"I would be lying if I said no."

He scooted forward. He took out a pair of shears and snipped up your pants. The gasp he let out sounded even more painful than your fall. "It's definitely broken."

You let out a weak laugh. "You should've seen it when it was all twisted. That was really bad."

"You moved it all by yourself?"

"I'm strong."

"You know you don't have to be," Tighnari looked around and found two sticks. You grimaced, knowing what was coming. "I'm here. I want you to rely on me."

"But I want to prove to you that I am capable of doing things on my own."

"You don't need to prove anything to me." He positioned the two sticks by your calf, pressing them gently against your skin. He took out a thick looking cloth from his bag. "I'm going to wrap some cloth around the ankle first."

"I do. It's because I want you to see me as an equal. Then, maybe, I can confess my feelings for you."

Tighnari suddenly wrapped the cloth around without warning. You let out a shout and fell onto your back, trying not to writhe in pain. Maybe confessing your feelings while he was trying to attach a splint was not a good idea. He glanced at you, then continued wrapping your ankle. He then moved on to the middle of your calf. You balled up your fist and stuck it in your mouth, closing your eyes. Don't pass out. Don't pass out.

"All done." You opened your eyes and saw Tighnari standing. "Ready to get up?"

Your heart sank as he didn't acknowledge what you said. You sat up. "Yeah, sure."

He grabbed your hand and slowly hoisted you up. You tried not to put pressure on your leg, or think about the extreme amounts of pain you were currently in. After wobbling slightly, you were finally upright.

"Lean on me," Tighnari whispered, his arm wrapping around your waist. "I'll keep you steady."

"Well, let's try getting back."

Tighnari didn't answer. Instead, his free hand reached up to grasp your chin and move your face towards his. The only thing you could think of was how soft his lips were. They tasted of a floral balm that you've seen him put on countless times before. You leaned into him and his grip on your waist tightened. It wasn't long before you were breathless. 

"Are you still in pain?"

You shook your head. "N-no."

"Good. Let's go. I'll make sure to get you back quickly so you can get proper care."

It was silent as the two of you started slowly traversing through the forest. Your lips craved his again. Your heart craved his affection, his love. It was full knowing that he had confirmed his feelings. It didn't seem like him to act like this. But love made people act out of character.

“Do you know when I first fell in love?”

"Hmm?" You glanced at Tighnari who decided to finally break the silence. A blush creeped across your face as you registered the word 'love'. “When?”

“When you became a junior ranger. We were on our first outing as a group. You always had a habit of straying, but seeing your eyes wide with wonder as you asked me every single question you could…how you listened with the utmost attention, the way you complained when I told you to be quiet, how you would recklessly touch something without knowing what it was-“

“Wait. Isn’t that something you hate?”

“I could never hate anything about you. Because it is you. I don’t want you to be different.” He looked off to the side as if this was something he'd kept hidden for a while. "You'd make a great Forest Watcher one day. I care for everyone. I care for you. But I guess love got in the way of me being an actually good teacher. I should have realized that testing just isn't the method for you to learn things. I should've taken a different approach. Because of me, you started to doubt yourself."

"Tighnari…"

"I have strong feelings for you. I want to go about it properly. Relationships are something that are built slowly. And I want to spend all my time with you."

"Are you asking me out?"

You forced out a pained smile. "That's very sweet of you, Head Forest Watcher."

"You sound upset. I also wanted to apologize for how I've been treating you. It wasn't fair."

"I appreciate that…" You trailed off. Ghandarva Village slowly came into view and you sighed. "I only sound upset because I'm in immense pain."

"Oh." Tighnari's ears fluttered. "Right. As soon as we get back, you need to be on bed rest for at least six weeks. After that, we can talk about your promotion."

You leaned your head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Tighnari."

"No complaints?"

"I think I'm going to rely on you a little more."

"I'll always be by your side." 

You smiled to yourself. Just like the forest, there needed to be a balance to everything. Tighnari was there to make sure you had someone to fall back on when you got in trouble. You were there to push Tighnari out of his comfort zone. Previously, you had thought that being opposites meant that you weren't compatible. But you two fit together like pieces of a puzzle. It was meant to be.

[anewnewcrest]

"It's persecution, I tell you!"

"What have you done now, Max?"

"Nothing! I did nothing wrong! And the university wants to suspend me!"

"... Max!"

"Well, I may have called Piper Jones a slut, but she is a slut! She's a product of fornication and adultery! She should not be going to university! University is for Watcher-honoring people!"

"You can't insult people like that."

"But it is the truth! I was only telling the Watcher's truth, why are they punishing me for that?"

"Because you're acting like an A-grade asshole, Max. You want to be a politician. You need to make people like you, not alienate Henrietta Jones."

"But she's a fallen woman!"

"What does that have to do with anything, Max? This is politics. And she's rich, she knows a ton of people, and you just made your life ten times harder if you want to get elected!"

"This is religious persecution! They are punishing me for being a real man, who tells the Watcher's painful truth! Like my father does!"

"Nobody cares, Max."

"But... but you're a follower of the Watcher! You have to care! My father..."

"Look, do you want to get elected one day, or not? Because if you want to, you have to cut that crap right now. I worked hard to make sure you're going to college, don't fuck it up."

"But... my father..."

"Max, your father is good at what he does, but he is no politician. If you want to be one, you have to listen to people who know what they're doing."

"But my father..."

"I'm sick of hearing about your father. Look where listening to him got you!"

"But... Prissy..."

"I married you, Max. You should remember that the next time you're doing something stupid, because there are perks to having a wife, and I can take them away."

"You mean... no sweet fellowship?"

"Exactly. And we're going shopping. I can't do a thing about you acting like an idiot, but by the Watcher, you won't look like one a single day longer."

Later...

"Ugh. Fine. Whatever. I give up."

[ethicaltreatmentofcowplants]

sulani: night of day four, household two's rotation - part i

note: completely au. featuring homebrand leo (with @akitasimblr's permission) - and a very special guest. cw for character death. thanks again to @ravingsockmonkey for bo, and for providing me with some input and ideas <3

"Oh, plum it all. First someone died, and then the very next morning I had to strike perhaps the most annoyingly decent person I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet with lightning. Which sounded funny in the writing room and she was fine but everyone was terrified. Watcher, why did you sign me up for this?"

(possesses)

"What the plum, Watcher?"

"Hello. I'm your worst nightmare. Also - boo."

"AHHHHHHH!!!! FUCK! Dude - why?"

"Also that is like the cheesiest line ever. You need to workshop it a little, is all I’m saying."

"The water on the rug, could you just not?"

"WELL I DON’T KNOW, ARSEHOLE, COULD YOU HAVE NOT LET ME DROWN?!?"

"LISTEN, THIS HASN’T EXACTLY BEEN EASY FOR ME EITHER."

"Oh, boo hoo, my death has been hard on you? Was striking Araminta by lightning and watching your brother cry over my grave hard on you too?"

"Well, actually-"

"Shut the fuck up, dude. You know, I thought that maybe being filthy rich is why you see people as disposable - like my mom did. But then I met Minty and she’s like the kindest person ever. And your brother turned out to be a good guy too. And your parents seem cool. So clearly this is you. All you. You chose to be this way."

"Listen please. I’m sorry. I am so, so sorry. Just please please please let me get some sleep so that I can actually try and figure all this out. I’ve been having nightmares as it is."

"Oh, poor little rich boy up in his swanky suite having nightmares due to his own fuck up. Why don’t you go down and complain about how hard your life is to your brother and everyone else currently sleeping on the ground and scraping for food on a deserted island? Why don’t you discuss your nightmares with my uncle, who had to watch me die on TV?"

"At least you still have a life. And I’m going to make it a misery…"

(screams in sheer terror)

"Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a starlight accolade award to haunt…"

"WHERE IS MINTY???"

"Watcher, why on earth am I here?"

[minicy]

Really resent my culture's relationship to food. Food as a commodity, as something to be grown not to be eaten but to be sold overseas and to rot uneaten in fields and behind grocery stores. Food as a comfort, one of few things you get to actually choose and indulge in, and the least healthy choices are the ones that are easiest to buy and consume. Food as a point of control, you can't buy food if you don't sell at least so many hours of life to the Machine, and then what you do get as someone at the bottom of the hierarchy is dictated by others- paternal lawmaking, or arbitrary restrictions, or food given that is unpalatable or outside of your culture or that you don't know how to prepare. Food as a product, what you want is what we have paid for you to want, the food choices you make dictate your marketable lifestyle, the things you eat and drink show your allegiances and your subculture and your sub-subculture, you must eat this much to enter.

Food as a tool for shame is one of the worst offenders. You shouldn't have eaten those things, you should eat this thing instead, why aren't you doing what you're supposed to? You listened to those advertisements and ate what we designed to be as delicious and consumable as possible? You're disgusting. Why won't you eat what you're given? You're ungrateful. Why would you have that carb? Sorry, why would you eat that meat? Sorry, why would you eat anything besides meat? Then, food as a punishment: you must eat the unpleasant thing in unpleasant ways, or else you are irresponsible and deserving of great cruelty. Or, you must not eat anything, or else you are weak willed and deserving of great cruelty. Or, you need to get better, since eating disorders are a feminine problem, a mental health problem, a physical health problem, and being unhealthy is immoral, and unhealthy people are deserving of great cruelty. Why can't you just be normal? By the way, your entire workplace is going keto this month. Your friend is intermittent fasting. Your parents are back on Weight Watchers. Why can't you just be normal?

Then, the way white supremacy permeates it all. Different is disgusting, new is untrustworthy, flavor is unhealthy. I feel like I've been so much better since I started clean eating. That MSG gave me migraines. No, I don't mean from chips, those are fine, I mean from all the stuff they put in Chinese food. Not sure if I want to go in on some tacos, my stomach can't handle it, haha. You know that fried food is always unhealthy, right? And unhealthy is always immoral. Did you eat your vegetables today? Oh, no, of course curry doesn't count. Those vegetables were seasoned and cooked. Processed vegetables don't count. You should have a salad with that, then. You should try this quinoa salad I made. You should really be using agave instead. You should really try out this cleanse.

Food as an entitlement, too, for those with the power in this culture. Violence waged over tropical fruit. Panic over access to anything wanted at any time being interrupted, not even halted. A lack of willingness to change even the smallest amount of their diet when they find out it's killing our planet to farm this many steer, or catch this many fish (and their habitats and the bycatch), because I want steak god damnit, it's a free country!

We're sold poison for our binges and diets for our purges. Our options are growing slimmer, as time is stolen and markets are shuttered and prices continue to go up while packages continue to shrink. Health is kept behind paywalls and sickness is moralized. And somehow, you're the one who's wrong if you don't buy in.

[inthelittlewood]

I'm confused by Grian's motivations. During the Q&A you mentioned the boogeyman being what caused him to disagree with the Watchers which, sure. But that would mean he was fine with trapping people (many of whom being his friends) in death games to harvest negative emotions in the first place which seems contradictory to past statements and brings into question why he was in Third Life at all? I'm trying to figure out if you misspoke or if that was the intended meaning

Sounds like I misspoke probably. This is why I continually answer asks and doing the post season lore streams to hash things out is a good thing, as I'm no kind of trained or practiced author. I have some big narrative beats to hit but aside from that it's as improv as the Life series is to an extent. I'd have to be giga brain to have written all of this just after 3rd Life ended lol

The way I see it currently is Grian was taken on as a Watcher from EVO and at that time, the feeding on emotions was a normal activity. An even spread of good and bad emotions were drawn from, not overly impactful to the player.

As time passed the other Watchers began feeding more on negative emotions and in vastly larger quantities which began to take a toll. Not only were they causing small fragmentation of people's souls but they were stripping away emotions in such a rapid fashion that players lost the opportunity to practice things like forgiveness, empathy and recovery. So they lost out mentally as well as soulfully (is that a word? ha)

Grian was in 3rd Life as a player after he'd decided to part from the Watchers that inducted him. They'd run a few deathmatches already (no idea how many) and it didn't sit well with him the directions things were steering.

His goal so far has been to lighten the mood of these games to 'sour' the feast for the Watchers who at this point, will only accept negative emotions and if at all possible, help liberate the players once and for all.

It's a similar goal to the Listeners, but not exact, so there's been zero communication between the two so far. I think both Grian and the Listeners see each other's meddling as beneficial to the other. They're each making small progress as opposed to a stalemate if they faced the Watchers head on.

Those cracks in the control and armour for The Watchers heightened this past season with the soul channeling of Cleo/Pearl and is why Grian's aura was disrupted and he ended up in a vacant state (during the afk episode)

Does that make sense?

I'll definitely contradict myself at times but it's why I do lore dumps publicly so people can fact check me. This is all just for fun, so keep prodding me y'all :)

[theeldritchcorvid]

TMAGP 21 Thoughts

spoilers below cut

So I actually had to use the transcript for this one instead of listening to it because it's got the sound of a limb being removed and I couldn't take that risk - the one element of Archives that really freaked me out was the bit in Takeaway where a man gets his achilles tendon severed with bolt cutters. It's my one serious content warning - moreso even than spiders. If I can't SEE the spiders it's fine

ANYWAY

Complicated immigration status? this HAS to be TMA Celia. And also YES Sam backstory! He used to be in law!

Okay. Chester Institute Incident. Really need to make the 'what's in the incident and who hears it' post now. And it's SAM'S workstation too! My god! FREDDIE is sending Sam after the institute, just like we thought!

Leonardo Jennings - Treasurer, Institute. Dr Welling (and team) - research of some kind, unknown. possibly spooky

Harnessing potential power in an exhibition is big ritual energy, I'll be real. And in the MILLENIUM DOME TOO?! Wow. Apparently the constellations and astrology are very involved in their research - someone should def get on that connection to the alchemy.

The project is apparently UNIVERSAL TRANSMUTATION. Again, this feels like verse-hopping or a Big Ritual like before. Bigger even than the Watcher's Crown, though much less involved. It may not even be the powers this time.

'Both optimism and despair' implies POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE powers, just like Lena mentioned earlier. We are NOT dealing with the fears this time, I think. We ARE dealing with different powers! The institute cannot be confirmed to be aligned to the Eye any more, put those theories aside.

And there's something already there, too. Another power. Linked to soil toxicity causing people to age to death. This power seems to be entropic in nature. Corruption with respect to time, not our Corruption at all. And there is, the big words:

GRAND RITUAL.

And Alice has clocked it, too. I think her deleting this incident is setting her on a very different path to the others. And she's right, though - but it annoys me. It's like a call of Cthulhu player who refuses to engage with the spooky bits. Then again, she's not aware of her genre. Also, FREDDIE seems to be able to hear her? We knew that, though.

And now to Gwen. So Ink5oul can control tattoos. Any tattoo. Interesting! (and there's the arm-sawing-off - yeah no we're skipping this one for audio. Reading is fine though)

And it's [ERROR]! It can teleport, it seems, and it COMPELLED GWEN. We've only known one thing able to do this... ARCHIVISTS. [ERROR] is an Archivist! And it's linked to the tape recorders!

also this is the first recorder we've seen capable of VIOLENCE. The tape recorder biting Ink5oul is the only spoiler I saw and it's fantastic. And we know the tape recorders are definitively Web.

It is therefore my belief that [ERROR] is from the Archives universe, and is an Archivist captured by the Protocols Magnus Institute to research multiversal transportation. I like to imagine it could be Emma Harvey, as wielding the tape recorders as a weapon suggests joint web/eye affinity, but again - no Powers, that we know of. Yet.

[bridgeportbritt]

Creeksbrey Palace | Umbrage, SimDonia | 10 Days Until the Wedding

Gianni: Family, we have arrived!

Gianni: Oh, you guys are all... at the door... waiting. I guess I should've known.

Bria: Of course, we're all here to greet you and your guest, Gianni. That's not weird.

Gianni: Sure, well. Everyone this is Jennifer. Jennifer, let me introduce to the crew.

Gianni: Starting with the siblings, this is my #1 Pain in the butt, Ella.

Ella: Ugh, ignore him! I'm his most awesome sibling. Hi!

Gianni: This is Rose, my youngest sister.

Rose: Hi! You're pretty! Want to see my new kitchen playset?

Gianni: Later, Rose. And finally, the reasons we've flown out here, my brother, Grayson and his fiancé, Olivia.

Olivia and Grayson: Nice to meet you!

Gianni: And finally, the 'rents. Mom, Dad, you know.

Emmitt: Welcome, Jennifer. Thanks for coming all this way.

Bria: Yes, welcome! We are so happy to have you. Love your outfit.

Jennifer: Thank you! Wow. Hi, everyone! Thanks for the warm welcome and letting me be here. I'm excited to get to know everyone better. You have a beautiful home.

Ella: We're much more excited to get to know the girl that actually likes Gianni.

Gianni: Don't start, Elle.

Bria: Well, bring it in for hugs. How was your flight? Sorry, we couldn't send our jet. They're being real sticklers lately.

Gianni: No worries. Dad's old one is fine. Well, guess it's mine now.

Jennifer: It was great! I've never flown in a private jet before.

Rose: Really? How do you fly to far places?

Ella: Oh my, Watcher, Rose. You can't just ask someone why they don't fly private.

Bria: Please don't see these crazy children as a direct reflection of me.

Jennifer laughs nervously: No, it's okay! An honest question.

Bria: Rose, some people don't have their own planes, so they fly with other people... on other people's planes. You know what, listen to your sister.

Ella: Oooo, that's rare. While I'm up, would you like to see some embarrassing photos of Gianni?

Jennifer: Oh, sure!

Ella: I have so many!

Gianni: Oh my, Watcher.

Grayson: Not regretting this already, are you?

Gianni laughs: You're lucky I like you, man.

Grayson: It's nice to see you, G.

Bria: Ella, stop embarrassing your brother!

Ella: Dang. Don't worry I have plenty more. Another time.

Gianni: Soak it in because you might not be seeing me for a while.

Olivia: Hey, Gianni! Thanks for flying out!

Gianni: Aw, I wouldn't miss it. How's wedding planning? Do you even know what it's going to look like or is that all in momzilla's head over there?

Bria: I heard that.

Olivia laughs: It's going well! Honestly, it's nice having help. And we've been able to... come to compromises.

Grayson under his breath: Not enough.

Bria: Heard that, too.

Bria: Now, while you're here, Jennifer, please let us know if there is anything you need. We want you to be comfortable here.

Jennifer: Thank you, Your Royal Highness!

Bria: Please, all my friends call me Bria. I can tell we're going to be friends. Anyone that makes my son as happy as you seem to is a friend in my book.

Jennifer excited: Of course! Your son makes me so happy, as well! You clearly raised him well.

Bria: Thank you for saying that. I worry about that one. But, if he could pull a girl like you, maybe I didn't fail him!

Jennifer laughs nervously: Thank you.

Gianni: Alright, can we break up this welcome wagon?

Emmitt: How about you two head up to your room and get settled?

Bria: Yes, we've still got work to do. The rest of the fam will be trickling in in the next couple of days.

Gianni laughs: Back to work, people. There she goes cracking the whip!

Bria: You'll be working, too, sir! Don't get too comfortable!

Before departing, Bria and Gianni share a look which conveys a message only they can hear.

Gianni: So?

Bria: I like her. You did good.

Gianni: Thanks, I do, too.

[ghostlspirit]

|| male!Yandere x gender neutral!reader ||

------------------------

tw: Yandere tendencies (it gets worse progressively yet still pretty tame maybe probably) Embarrassing moments, semi-stalking,

notes: PART 2!! My exams are killing me but this was fun to write lol. Maybe a little cringe at the end, but I'm still new to this so whatever! English is not my first language so sorry for any mistakes or errors. Hope you enjoy~

Masterlist

------------------------

You became friends

Well.. If you could call this wierd relationship "friendship". Maybe it's more like "still strangers" or if you're generous, "acquaintances". You haven't spoken since that one morning, not that you minded. If every conversation with him is that awkward and uncomfortable, you'd prefer it the way it is right now. I mean, you still don't know his name and he doesn't know yours.

You still see him regularly by the train station, and when your eyes meet, you give a small smile to acknowledge his presence, sometimes combined with a nod. He always smiles back, with a nod on his own. It's kind of become your greeting. Yet that's all there is, no desire to approach each other or strike awkward conversation, as you guys still mind your own business.

When you're in a good mood, and don't lack the confidence, you even give a small wave or show a peace sign. He always seems to smile brighter after that. You got used to him, and he slowly got used to you too.

What more is there to desire?

Fabian finds you wired, in a good way though? You're just so... normal? Maybe even below normal, but still nothing that strikes you as abnormal. At first, he thought you might be a stalker, or some wierdo with a crush on him. But after the whole spiel of you avoiding him, he thought otherwise. You're just some random person, with a painful case of social anxiety. Like, he judges you, compares you to others and such. Fabian tries to find a reason to stop finding you interesting, trying to find a reason to ignore and avoid you. He kind of has a reason already, (that being your awkward encounter) but he denys it. It doesn't count.

And just when he thought he figured you out, you suprise him the next day. Like today. He thought you were more of a cat person, yet you seem to stare at the golden retriever a little too enthusiasticly. "Maybe you like animals in general?" Or the other time - your habit of drumming with your hands - he thought he figured out your usual rythym, as it seems to be the same one every time. "Maybe your favourite song?" He tried to memorize it, even to a point where he repeated it throughout the day absentmindedly, trying to find the song it's supposed to fit, and annoying his co-workers in the process. Yet he couldn't find it. And the next month it was another rythym, faster and wilder. "Just what songs are you listening to?" Or the one time you nearly fell asleep in your seat, barely being conscious. The next morning you seemed perfectly fine. "You have an inconsistent sleeping schedule...?"

No, this isn't wired. He's just cursed with observant eyes, always noticing the littlest details people often try to hide. No, it's not like Sherlock, and yes, he does have hobbies. He just likes watching people and judge guess what their life is like. What kind of people they are, and what makes them tick.

Because of that, he exells at marketing and sales. He knows what people want or what their dislikes are, and can adapt quickly to that. He's in high position in his department, but not the CEO. Just a well paid office job overseeing and managing the lower ranks. You seem like a mystery to him though. Maybe it's because of his job that he's fallen into this... dilemma...with you. He's never really done this outside of work. Fabian compares this as bird watching, you being the bird and he's the watcher. He's also a perfectionist, obvious by his style - neat and tidy. He doesn't like mistakes or incomplete things, reason why he hasn't quit observing you. He's sometimes upset when you appear with your messy morning appearances. "Another rough morning for you? Or do you just not care about appearances that much?"

Fabian nearly collapsed one morning when seeing you. With your pant zippes open. You're just so??? He wonders how you are still alive! And you seem so oblivious to it too!! He doesn't know if he's supposed to laugh or cry as you give him your signature greeting smile. Your hair is a little messy and your eyes look tired, yet your smile is still very bright in his eyes. He bitterly smiles back, unsure what to do.

Was he supposed to tell you? He can't even imagine how he'll start the conversation. "Hey stranger I sometimes meet in the morning. Your pant zippes are open." - Yeah no way. He has a feeling that with your anxiety, he'll chase you away and you'll avoid him again, permanently this time. But he can't just leave it, right? Who knows when you'll realise, and he can imagine than when you do, you'll never show yourself in public ever again.

Maybe he shouldn't interfere at all. It's not his business after all, right? You both are still strangers, bonded over a simple "Are you okay?" but that's it. It shouldn't concern him that much. He shouldn't care that much. He shouldn't be drawn to you like this.

...

He can't resist, huh?

He can feel himself waking up instantly, using his brain to think of a plan, a strategy. If he doesn't approach you with a plan - who knows what'll happen. You're so unpredictable to him! He takes in other passangers position and determents if they also noticed you too. Seems good, everyone is on their phones. Alright, next. You're sitting, your bag besides you, also on your phone, Headphones in, would it be rude to start talking to you? Maybe it'll worsen your mood. Your pant zippers still open on full display. Wait, are those striped underwear...?

He looks away, blood rushing to his head, not something that happens often. Shaking his head he settles with hinting at it and hoping you get the hint. No-one will see the Interaction hopefully as they're all distracted on their phones. He starts with trying to catch your gaze. He stares, waiting for you to feel his eyes on you so you look up, as that seems to be a skill you have. It doesn't take long and you soon have a staring contest again. You can tell he's trying to communicate something, his gaze serious, but you're no psychic so who knows what he wants. "Is he sick or something?" You tilt your head, showing that you have no clue what he's saying. He uses his hands this time, moving and making silhouettes, you still have no idea what he's saying.

He feels blood rush to his cheeks as he shakes his head. Fabian takes a breather, and thinks again, frustrated that you didn't get the massage. "Better to rip of the bandage." You can tell he's contemplating, and when he makes his way over to you, you just confusedly look up to him. He looks at you again, and you can tell hes kind of... nervous? He points at the seat besides you with your bag, probably wanting to sit down. You make space, maybe he's dizzy?

"Are you okay?" you ask quietly, taking out one headphone as this is a very strange situation, again. You looked worried, perhaps he needs to go to the hospital? "Yeah," he quickly answered, licking his lips, shit you're so nice "Just uh,-" he leans over to you, quickly invading your personal space. You move back a little by instinct, making him stop as he whispered relatively close to your ear, goosebumps rising on your neck "sorry, please don't panic. But uhm, You're, uh, pant zippes are, are open...". Your eyes nearly jump out of their sockets, having a physical reaction to the news as you flinch and instantly check, hunching over yourself trying to hide. Yup, he's right.

"Fuck."

"Sorry" he answered, still whispering, as he places his bag on your lap. It's big but relatively light as it hides your whole lower half. You can tell it's expensive. "Here. No-one has or will notice a thing." He looks away out of respect as you take this opportunity to zip your pants finally shut. When you move his bag to him, he noticed your shaking hands. He takes it and sees you instantly hide your face in your hands, ears flushed and bright red. It's like you want to hide from the whole world.

After a few moments you gained the ability to speak again. "Thank you. Than you So. So. Much." You say with a shaky voice "You saved me again, huh?" Your words are a little rushed and slurred. "thank you.". He tears his gaze away and after a few moments he start to chuckle, then laugh. You shrink more into yourself "Is he LAUGHING at me???? SERIOUSLY?!?" He's holding a hand to his mouth, trying to hold in his laughter.

This is just funny to him. Hilarious even. The way his heart is beating rabidly, the rush of euphoria, your face, voice, messy hair - the whole situation with the zipper. "Sorry, haha - it's just, Its just - Phahaha! Why- why are we like this?" Why is he like this? He looks at you with crinkled eyes, face flushed, he has never felt anything like this before. You frown and reluctantly ask "Like what?". He shakes his head, trying to calm himself. Seriously, this feels like out of a comedy show. He kind of doesn't want it to end. "Awkward, embarrassing, uncomfortable, everything!" He proclaims, moving his hands to prove the point. You groan, now hiding your face in your own bag. If you could, you would have punshed him, but he did basically just helped and looked out for you. "Sorry" Is all you could muster - why must you always be so clumsy? Fabian's laughter died down and he takes a deep breath. "No, it's okay. Glad I could help." he reassures as he looks foward again, his head feels hazy after all that laughing. He really can't predict you, just how he never could've imagine his morning going like this. You're just so unique, so different from others.

You shift uncomfortably in your seat, feeling like you're being crushed by the world. You feel like you could cry, the humiliation weighting you down. Your heart stings painfully. Taking in a shaky breath you move your body away from him, so that he doesn't see the tears that are threatening to fall. He notices your movement from the corner of his eye and watches you. He really wants to know why he's so drawn to you, but he can't just ask something like that, right? Did you put a spell on him or something? Seconds pass and he pulls out his phone.

You rub your eyes, tears nearly falling but when you open them again there's a screen in front of you. Fabian leans in, shoulders nearly touching as he holds his phone to you, and playing on it is a...cat video? Your tears are forgot as you look up to him, noticing his calm face. "Science when did he smell that nice?" He notices your gaze and answer "Watching funny videos always helped me cheer up. Here, this is my favourite."

You put in the headphone he offeres reluctantly. It plays a cat that tries to jump up a snowy car, yet it failed miserably. The cat leaving a quiet meow as it mades the jump this time, puffing up with pride. But after the cat takes a few steps in the direction to the owner the cat slips and falls again, leaving you snickering at the face it makes. You lean in, shoulders are now touching as he notices your scent. His breath catches and becomes a little uneven, his personal space suddenly dissolved, welcoming you in, as you both start watching the compilation of funny videos.

You let your shoulders relax, the morning sun engulfing you two in a nice blanket of warmth. You bask in this moment of kindness from the stranger as you feel cared for and seen. A stark comparison from the treatment at work you get. His stop is coming soon and before he leaves you leave a genuine "Thank you, I really owe you one."

"It was no problem. Enjoy your day. And...be careful."

With a chuckle, a wave and another thanks from you, he leaves by his stop. He doesn't know when you get off as he doesn't stay longer on the train as necessary, but he wished he stayed longer. The moment was gone too soon. He still doesn't know your name, but now he desperately whishes he does.

Would you two be considered friends now?

------------------------

Yay! Part two done! He's oblivious to his actions, what could possibly go wrong? I'm gonna start working on part 3 tomorrow and hopefully get it done quicker than this. And thank you for reading! Have a nice day!

------------------------

[landscaping-your-mind]

Hello, @a-mag-a-day. Apologies for the deception but I rather wanted to make sure you started reading, so I thought it best not to announce myself. I'm assuming you're alone; you always did prefer to read your statements in private. I wouldn't try too hard to stop reading; there's every likelihood you'll just hurt yourself. So just listen. Now, shall we turn the page and try again?

Statement of landscaping-your-mind regarding episode 160 of The Magnus Archives.

Statement begins.

So, from all the stuff I scheduled for today you can probably tell I really like episode 160 of The Magnus Archives, right? Like, good lord, it is... it is a time. (Also, the words were really good (and also there's poetry) so :D incentive!)

Firstly, though, I have to say something. It's not the Watcher's Crown. The Watcher's Crown is the ritual Jonah Magnus attempted years ago. This is unnamed in canon, but Jonny said it could've been called The Magnus Archives.

Secondly... I would like to draw your attention towards the description of the youtube version of this episode. (to paraphrase)

The Magnus Archive discovers that some escapes are a lot easier than others.

Ahahahahaha AHAHAHAAHAHAH WHAT-

I hate this so much. Like, with a burning passion. "The Magnus Archives discovers that some escapes are a lot easier than others" COME TO MY HOME AND KILL ME YOU COWARD! It just hurts, it just... hurts.

He can escape London, but he can't escape his ✨ purpose ✨

You ever think about how The Magnus Archives follows the story of Magnus' Archive? I do. A lot. I haven't even started listening yet, god, this episode am I right?

MARTIN (Joking) Or, (huffed laugh) or it is, and she just cleaned it up really well. (They both make uncomfortable chuckles) ARCHIVIST …Yes. (The Archivist makes an uneasy noise)

THEYRE BOTH SO AWKWARD THEY HAVEN'T TALKED TO A NORMAL HUMAN IN OVER A YEAR

Just their really awkward laughter, oh my godd they're so endearing your honour, I'm so glad this episode and TMA ends at the 5 minute mark (< in denial)

ARCHIVIST Hopefully a long way out there. (soft) But I think we’re okay

THEY ARE IN LOVE YOUR HONOUR

I just love how soft Jon's voice gets around Martin, like, like, eeeee i just love them i love them they're the reason im aro bc i know i will never love someone romantically as much as jmart loves each other /j

MARTIN Oh, n-no, not yet. I was actually gonna head down into the village to go pick something up?

Ooooh yay I get to share my "where are they in scotland" headcanons! I think they're near Dunnet, because it's pretty far north and in the Highland area, and it's also got allegedly the only full time gunshop north of Inverness, and... yknow, it is Daisy's safehouse.

ARCHIVIST Anyway, don’t tell me the phonebox down there doesn’t appeal to your retro aesthetic.

your honour they're lightheartedly teasing each other <3

ARCHIVIST I’ll be fine.

SOFT!

(update im wrtinging with a cat on my lap now hes big. im balancing my computer on my leg.)

MARTIN I assume it’s her attempt at a- a, a varied diet? Eating your greens, you know? ARCHIVIST (Amused) Probably. (reassured) I’m sure it’ll work fine

hhh them <3 it's just like they're so... they're happy. they're so happy, and it's like nothing gold will stay or whatever

they had such a short amount of time

i wish they were ok

MARTIN …I will give you some privacy. Go for a walk. ARCHIVIST (Warmly) Let me know if you see any good cows. MARTIN Obviously I’m going to tell you if I see any good cows.

I'm...

them being happy is almost worse, right. because what once was a surprise we now know will happen, we have to deal with the dread, and it's all bitter now, the happiness is rotten because of what lurks after.

some people can listen to the first five minutes and feel okay, but me?

for me it just hurts.

ARCHIVIST (CONT’D) (Pleasantly) Statement of Hazel Rutter regarding a fire in her childhood home. Original statement given August 9th, 1992. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, The Archivist. Statement begins.

He sounded so happy... he sounded so happy.

This is the first time he's happy before he reads a statement. He was happy, he was hiding from the police and the hunters and Daisy and Not!Sasha with his boyfriend in Scotland. And then, and then Jonah Magnus comes in and decides to end the world like a bastard.

I don't want to hit play. I don't want to know what comes next. I want to stop listening. I want Jon and Martin to be okay. I want it to be the real statement of Hazel Rutter.

I just want it to be the real statement of Hazel Rutter.

I get it, right, horror tragedy! This was the desired effect. I am supposed to be feeling these emotions. These emotions being very sad. Well done to Jonny, lovely writing. Fantastic! I love TMA with my whole heart. I think that it's fantastic. I don't want to hit play though. I'm here for the characters suffering, I got in through The Hermit Archives, I wanted more of the horror! I am here for suffering! I'm here for the suffering. I'm hitting play.

Statement of Jonah Magnus regarding Jonathan Sims, The Archivist. Statement begins.

He could have just ended the world. Like, the whole... forcing Jon to monologue about all the times he was manipulated into furthering Jonah's plan? That's fucked. That is fucked. Just put the ritual there you slimy piece of shit!

It’s rare that you get the chance to monologue through the voice of another, and you can’t tell me you’re not curious.

*me to my dog, in the "talking to a dog" voice* You wanna kill him too! Hey! You wanna kill him too!

Like, okay, so you're Jon and you're reading this statement and you can't stop, and this bastard says "you can't tell me you're not curious." Tell me that's not going to make him think that if he tried a little harder then he would've been able to stop reading. Tell me that's not going to make him think that a part of him wanted to end the world, and that's why he's still reading. Tell me that's not going to make him blame himself even more.

The only way to ensure I did not suffer the tribulations of what I believed to be an inevitable transformation was to bring it about myself.

He's so bloody arrogant. He puts himself above the entire world. It makes sense, he's from Regency era England, but like, it's still... really awful. Awful person.

Beyond that, I was getting older, and mortality began to weigh more heavily on my mind. How much in this world is done because we fear death, the last and greatest terror?

When I fear death I distract myself, not try to end the world. Like, this guy is just so evil. His only redeeming quality is being funny sometimes.

Everyone dies, Jack Magnet, you just chose to be a bastard about it.

Of course, I had to make sure the location was kept under my control while I worked on revising my plans, and so I moved the organization I had founded to assist in my research down to London, and the Institute as you know it, was born.

Right, so The Magnus Protocol's Magnus Institute was located in Manchester, and I'm not an expert on the geography of the United Kingdom, and basically know nothing about Manchester, bar that it has the... football, I want to say, team Manchester United? I don't know how I know that. But it seems as though Jonah Magnus didn't attempt his ritual, or attempted it some other way in that universe.

You see, the role of Archivist has been part of the Beholding for as far back as my research can go. This isn’t uncommon for the Powers; most of the beliefs around them are guesswork and fallible human interpretation, but there are certain through lines and consistencies that can be spotted, regardless of the trappings.

I wonder what the others are. The Dancer could be one - The Dancer in The Unknowing. I think Jonny said in a QnA, but you know, the author is dead, he's speaking to us posthumously, that The Architect could have been one. Not sure what others. If y'all have any ideas... 👀

More than once I thought she must secretly be of the Hunt; but there was never that sick joy in her, that thrill of predator and prey. She had simply decided that this was her position in life, and went about it with a practicality that even I found disconcerting at times.

Ok, Mr. Jonah "orchestrates twelve traumatising events for this one guy and gets him to end the world" Magnus. He cannot talk, he cannot talk at all. Sure, she sacrificed people, but she wasn't malicious. She did it for a cause. Did she believe she was good? I'm not sure she cared.

Jonah Magnus is just awful for his own self gain.

You see, the thing about the Fears is that they can never be truly separated from each other. When does the fear of sudden violence transition into the panic of hunted prey? When does the mask of the Stranger become the deception of the Spiral? Even those that seem to exist in direct opposition rely on each other for their definition as much as up relies on down. To try and create a world with only the Buried makes as much sense as trying to conceive a world with only down.

Gerry's colour explanation makes a lot of sense if you don't conceive of it as a traditional colour wheel. They're growing out in every direction, they all overlap with each other.

Sure, the fear of The Eye may seem in direct opposition to the fear of The Stranger, but let's take Jon, for instance. Is it not sort of Stranger to have some guy in a coffee shop staring at you with his autistic eyes, a person you don't know, but who definitely knows you?

What about the fear of The Buried and the fear of The Vast. Episode 195 covers that pretty handily. They're all interconnected with all of the others. Separating them makes them easier to understand (and invertedly makes them actually separated), but it isn't them, not truly. They are connected intrinsically.

Even the coffin! The fear of being alone in the dark is a part of the coffin.

Because the thing about the Archivist is that, well, it’s a bit of a misnomer. It might, perhaps, be better named: The Archive. Because you do not administer and preserve the records of fear, Jon. You are a record of fear, both in mind as you walk the shuddering dread of each statement, and in body as the Powers each leave their mark upon you. You are a living chronicle of terror.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this. The Archivist is something... defined by how they feed their patron, but The Archive is defined by how they've been hurt to bring it into the world. He's not defined by even a person-like role, he's something molded by Jonah Magnus' desires to end the world.

I wrote a little poem about it, which I shall share here, because I am cringe but I am free, unlike Jon. RIP

He's not a person with a name, He's a vessel of destruction, He's not a person who feels pain, It's necessary for production, That he's scarred and marked, By things that lurk in the dark, Believe himself useless, Or it'll be fruitless, And at the end of the day, He's no person, no name, He's a plan that has come to fruition.

Also, he calls himself The Archivist, perhaps viewing himself as... something that hurts others, rather than something that is hurt for a purpose.

I’ll admit, my options were somewhat limited, but my god, when you came to me already marked by the Web, I knew it had to be you. I even held out some small hope you had been sent by the Spider as a sort of implicit blessing on my whole project and, do you know what, I think it was.

"I chose you" "I'll admit, my options were somewhat limited" Mr. Magnet, he was chosen by the web. Jonah's just not afraid to be puppeted.

So, when Jane Prentiss attacked, I watched eagerly, one hand on the gas release from the start.

This line fucked me up. "One hand on the gas release from the start." Just... like it just sticks in my mind. How he held all their lives in the palm of his hand, how he let Sasha die, and Tim get eaten by worms, because he wanted his bloody perfect Archive.

One hand on the gas release from the start, while all of them almost - or did - die(d).

Like, what gets me is how fucked up Jon was afterwards, how he was asking everyone for their statements, shutting them up before they got to the part where they'd mention Jon and Tim getting eaten with worms. What gets me is how Elias was there and Jon was what, looked like a bloody mummy! He didn't have second thoughts when he saw...

He knew everything. He saw everything. He saw how fucked up Jon was over e v e r y t h i n g. (everything)

That's what gets me.

Between the stabbing and at least two desperate flights into its door, you’re marked very deep by the Spiral.

And, you know, the manipulation, the gaslighting, the betrayal. I saw an interesting post on this, but I can't seem to find it. I'll look in the posts I've rbed tagged TMA meta, I'll link it in a reblog if I find it.

Honestly, I had nothing to do with Melanie and her Slaughter adventure, but when I saw the situation, I made sure to trap her here, so whenever her rage bubbled over you were right there, a ready target.

You know after Jon's second kidnapping that could have totally been resolved how Jonah made Jon stand in front of Melanie while she wanted to kill Jonah with a knife, and how it's like oh, right, yeah, use Jon as a bloody meat shield to get her angry at him, make him the scapegoat, that was intentional. It was intentional to destroy everyone in the Archives' interpersonal relationships, and then have Jon. A ready target for hatred and vitriol.

How is Martin, by the way? He looks well. You will keep an eye on him when all this is over, won’t you? He’s earned that.

I think that Jonah Magnus should eat shit and die.

The power of the Ceaseless Watcher flows through you, and the time of our victory is here.

If you replace the Ceaseless Watcher with Determination then it reads like an Undertale save.

* The power of Determination flows through you, and the time of our victory is here.

Don’t worry, Jon. You’ll get used to it here, in the world that we have made.

This also ties in with the above, I hate that he says "our victory" "the world that we have made." Jon didn't consent to this, Jon didn't want this, Jon was made to be an unwilling conduit of the apocolypse and Jonah Magnus is insinuating that he chose it, the victim blaming little prick!

You who watch and know and understand none. You who listen and hear and will not comprehend. You who wait and wait and drink in all that is not yours by right. Come to us in your wholeness. Come to us in your perfection. Bring all that is fear and all that is terror and all that is the awful dread that crawls and chokes and blinds and falls and twists and leaves and hides and weaves and burns and hunts and rips and bleeds and dies! Come to us. I OPEN THE DOOR!

GREAT INCANTATION! 10/10! And it's actually recitable, unlike the TBI one.

ARCHIVIST Look at the sky, Martin. Look at the sky. It’s looking back.

That is a fucking fantastic final line of the episode. All of it, four seasons leading up to this moment. Look at the sky. It's looking back.

Fuck dude!

(The Archivist begins a fractured, delirious, humourless, laugh that does not end)

That laugh.

That laugh is just... haunting. I love it so much. It makes me want to cry. I used to have it saved on my phone and I'd just listen to it over and over and over again and get more and more disturbed and heartbroken.

That laugh. That broken, horrific laugh.

I can't get over it.

And thus ends season 4 of The Magnus Archives. With a broken laugh in front of a window, leading out to the doomed world.

Episode 160 is quite possibly my favourite metaplot episode of The Magnus Archives, the way the whole plan was revealed, the awful manipulations that were exposed... that laugh.

I leave you all to think on this. To think on the Archive née the Archivist née Jonathan Sims, laughing at the world he has unwillingly and unwittingly doomed.

Goodnight, a-mag-a-day, goodnight. /ref

[kogurazu]

I'm just gonna rant my chest out regarding the recent Watcher's announcement because I'm still trying to process wtf has just happened & it's pretty late at night. (For the record, I'm one of their international viewers from a 3rd world country.)

It sucks that I cannot buy their official merch that is already expensive (due to conversion rates) + not being able to deliver in my country when I've some spare cash. That's fine by me.

It sucks that I cannot go & watch their live shows being available at certain countries that doesn't cost a damn fortune (plane tickets, hotel bookings, converting currency, etc.) + not in a million years they'll stop by SEA to do tours/live shows. That's also fine by me.

However, the way how they hyped up the announcement mentioning big things are coming only to just drop a video saying "Hey, we're leaving Youtube as the money ain't flowing much to cover our 'extravagant' expenses & all future contents will be locked behind a paywall. So if you're unable to watch most of your beloved shows because you can't pay then toodles!" That's NOT fine by me, let alone anyone else in the matter.

Even if I've a fuck ton of money to spare, I'm still not buying their monthly/yearly WatcherTV subscription because it's JUST. NOT. WORTH. IT. Who wants to buy a monthly yet alone yearly subscription just to watch 1-2 episodes of a show I like being put out weekly per season & then waiting for some time before another new season of another show that has a 50-50 chance whether I enjoy it or not pops up to fill the void? Not me, that's for sure. Damn, I rather subscribe to Netflix or buy YouTube premium if I could because the money spent is worth the content I can get on a monthly/yearly basis.

I get putting exclusive contents such as BTS, special interviews/podcasts, early access to episodes, etc. behind a paywall since they're just nice bonuses for fans who're able to support them but locking REGULAR YOUTUBE content that's not being released consistently & have nothing much to offer behind a paywall? I think you're losing your crackers on this one chief.

After watching the announcement video, I feel plainly numb & disappointed that this is the route they're going for. I understand they need the funds to make videos, pay people & also wanting the freedom to make content that you want to make without adhering to the restrictions of advertisers. I get it.

But what I don't get is this mind numbing decision to spit at the faces of people who can't afford to fork out some cash to enjoy their once free favourite shows that helped cheer them up during the tough times. It's even more disgusting what I heard from Coffeezilla's recent video about Watcher mentioning that they don't even give out a free WatcherTV subscription to their Patreon members as a way to say thank you for your patronage is really saying something eh?

_____________________________

4 years ago, I found Shane & Ryan via Buzzfeed Unsolved just like everyone else randomly being recommended to me on Youtube. I binge watched all seasons of Buzzfeed Unsolved exactly at the same time they're announcing their departure from Buzzfeed to go do their own content at Watcher. What's this? A channel where I can watch the ghoul boys do their own thing? Hell yeah, sign me tf up.

It's really nice to see Watcher growing & trying out new different shows. I'm aware not all the shows they put out matches my taste & that's fine by me. Probably there's an audience out there who enjoy these shows that aren't for me.

I remember the time I was excited when they bring in Ghost Files & Mystery Files which can fill in the Buzzfeed Unsolved void. Are You Scared? & Too Many Spirits are the shows I enjoy listening to them as background noise so that I can focus on my work.

Puppet History & Top 5 Beatdown is where I enjoy the chemistry between the talents & guests. Weird, Wonderful, World & Tourist Trapped is where I enjoy seeing cool places run by passionate people & is like a nice, come hangout with me type of video blogs.

4 years later, this is where I'll be hopping off with the knowledge that I can't no longer be able to enjoy all these shows anymore like I used to just because I can't afford to whip out some measly cash to pay for regular content that I can easily find on Youtube for free.

Even if you leave up the old videos on Youtube (after you've backpedalled your decision to remove all the videos entirely in the first place due to the backlash & gaslighting us into thinking we misunderstood but your Variety article says otherwise), the whole ordeal just makes the experience to re-watch all the content that I used to love & enjoy feels awkward & left a sour, bitter taste in my mouth.

With a very heavy heart, I say thank you for the fun shows you have been putting out these past 4 years & farewell to Team Watcher. I don't know how're you going to recover from this but I wish you a best of luck moving forward.

[quaranmine]

Missing 411 guy?

David Paulides, the guy who is the creator of "Missing 411" which is basically a conspiracy about suspicious clusters of people going missing in National Parks in the United States. He is also the bane of my existence for the past year as someone who is researching a story about someone who goes missing in a National Forest.

To start with, if you've ever been even on the fringes of "irl spooky stuff" videos on YouTube, you might have encountered this. There are a lot of youtubers and podcasters who cover this guy's content without understanding What and Who they are giving platform to. Sometimes, people don't even mention him but will relate the cases that he covers in his books or use the same conspiracy points as him. I would not be suprised if you watched a Buzzfeed Unsolved/Watcher video (which are fine btw) and then got recommended something related to Missing 411 in the sidebar since it's a similar genre. It's super popular to the point where its outgrown its creator. I can't stress enough that many of you have probably encountered this content, at least in passing, without knowing what it was.

So to recap, Missing 411 documents cases of real-life people who have disappeared or been found dead in national parks, national forests, etc and claims that these cases are unusual and mysterious. It frequently talks about missing person "clusters" and things like that. There is often an overt, if not outrightly stated, implication that something supernatural, crpytid, or UFO/alien related was involved. For starters, David Paulides has written a ton of books trying to prove the existence of bigfoot. Now, I have no issues with people believing in bigfoot, or cryptids, or aliens, but I do have an issue with people co-opting real life tragedies and twisting information to push this as conspiracy. I simply do not think it is helpful or respectful to talk about missing and dead people (and children!) like this. Also, with the high prices of his books ($100-200) he just reeks of grifter to me.

To me, Missing 411 "criteria" is a stretch at best. You will see cases "mysteriously" connected because both of these people wore red when they went missing. Both these people's bodies were found near water (as if many National Park do not have water features.) Both these people's bodies were found near granite rocks (like, the most common rock type in mountains lol.) All these cases involve the weather turning bad! (um, yeah, that's a big reason why people get in trouble?) He frequently claims that bodies being undressed is highly unusual, without ever acknowledging paradoxical undressing. Or he claims laughably weak connections between people like "these two women who went missing in different years are connected because they both had three letter names that started with A." I haven't personally listened to this talk but there is a data scientist mentioned in his Wikipedia page who examined the case data and found nothing out of the ordinary in them. If you don't want to watch a video (I don't either right now) then he also wrote this article. From a different person, this article from a podcast is also good.

David Paulides does not present Missing 411 cases with accuracy. He has been known to cherry-pick data and purposefully omit data to make them seem more unusual. Many cases he covers are either already solved, or have extensive information available. He does not retract information or admit when he is wrong. Even if he does present a particular case accurately, he has such a bad track record with reliable research that he cannot be trusted as a source. There used to be someone on reddit who would deconstruct cases he covered. In this post they found several instances of cases of Paulides missing sources and coming to incorrect conclusions.

Note there's a few differences in the sources I just linked. The data scientist and podcast skeptic both said they found the data to be accurate, while the redditors have found evidence to the contrary. The data scientist also says he found Paulides' presentation of information respectful, but I personally find all of this highly disrespectful. But despite these differences I think we can all agree....the claims of Missing 411 are pretty ridiculous.

Also, let's talk about David Paulides himself. Before becoming a writer, he was a cop in California. He was a cop who was fired for corruption (well that's hard to do), because he was caught soliciting donations for a fake charity he set up. That's straight from his Wikipedia page. He continues to use his past as a "dectective" to attempt to make his claims sound more reliable. There was also a redditor who pulled up some other career highlights from when he was a cop in the 80s, by looking at court transcripts and news articles. His job used to be entrap gay men by pretending to be gay, getting them to invite him home with them, and then arresting then. He and his unit were also accused of police brutality many times in the 80s, with Paulides testifying in defense of his unit. And he has not changed btw, he's a Qanon stolen election covid denier type of nut right now on his YouTube channel (according to reddit. I am not watching this man's videos.) So yeah, I think his character speaks for itself.

Anyway, I'm tired of hearing about this guy and seeing 411 related content pop up around YouTube, Reddit, Tiktok, etc. Pay attention if you watch things related to "creepy and unexplained real life disappearnaces." I do not think he is a good person, I do not think he can be trusted, and I do not think that his work actually benefits the families of the missing persons in question. These are real people. He turns them into spectacles to push ~unusual~ circumstances and paranormal activity.

[spaceorphan18]

Hi, so I've been pretty removed from the glee fandom for some time - you're actually the only glee blog i still follow. So I wanted to ask, what's going on in fandom that makes you want to remove yourself?

Hi Nonny!

I'm so glad you're still here!

I think that a combination of things last week just kind of hit hard -- and it was on top of some real life things that were going on. Tumblr, Glee, this blog are a source of fun and relaxation. And when it descends into drama I just want to back out and not be here. And it's frustrating because this is what I want to do in my free time -- for the fun of it.

First there was the spamming of the episode tournament. In general, people are entitled to their own opinions, but it's kind of got me down that zero episodes in season 4-6 people are championing for. So it's hard enough to watch that -- but then people cheating for really no reason because those episodes were already winning -- just feels like... I don't know. Not fun.

I'm letting it continue, and will keep it going, but my enthusiasm for active participation has waned. It's weird when the shipping tournament had less drama around it.

Then there's the revival of Klaine vs Brittana, which is just so stupid. Ship what you want to ship. And even more, people can like both ships. One isn't actually better than the other. And while I think most Brittana people are fine - there's been a rise in things like --- people saying if you don't like Brittana you hate women? Are lesphobic? (despite Brittany being bi but whatever). Telling people to kill themselves if they don't prefer Brittana? Like -- what is going on? Why do people think that's okay?

Plus, the ramping up of Blaine hate is out of control. It's always been there - but good lord people are going out of their way to hate Blaine. It's too much. It used to be more balanced where you could find as much good as bad. But I'm seeing less Blaine fans (and Kurt fans) in general, which is a bummer.

This new group of watchers just don't connect to Klaine/Kurt/Blaine like the old crew did. And that's fine - people connect to what they connect to. But there's so few people left, it's just a bummer.

And I mean, there are some great people still around. I do appreciate the fic writers and the poll givers and the gif makers. They're good people. But I do miss more discourse around the show. I don't see a whole lot of chatter or discussion or commentary like I used to.

But also, tumblr is smaller and reaches less people. I'm sure there are a ton of people on TikTok. But I have no desire to go there. Not only am I old, but a lot of the TikTok takes I've come across have given me rage so I should probably not.

Sometimes, I'm like -- have you guys even watched the show? And then I get Nonny messages that state people have only watched the first three seasons. Why? Why only like half a show? I don't get it.

And that's fine.

Plus, the unfortunate mess of Kevin and Jenna's podcast. I think at some point, I'd like to listen to it to hear what they have to say, and hear the interviews (which I've always enjoyed). I just tire of fandom either grilling them for not understanding or using them as a piece of validation. They're two people just talking about their experiences. why do we need to make a war out of everything?

That all said (and it was nice to get out), I don't hate it here. I'm not really going anywhere -- I'm not one to skim on out because other people want me to not be here. Sometimes I just need a break.

And I've been thinking about ways to do fun things again -- I've been thinking about maybe doing an episode appreciate thing, where I talk about the good in every episode.

Idk. I suppose we'll see, but that's where I'm at.