#anyway. so so wish i didnt goof up posting this but ah it is what it is

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

Answering the questions from THIS ask game!! I am so picky about ask games but I just love all the questions in this ask game so much that I'd go bonkers if I didn't get to answer them all!! I'll just be answering for Finn and Axlerod though<3 I'll probably reblog it some other time so I can answer some for the others hehe!

Be warned for lots of uncontained rambling!!<3

Answers about Finn will be in blue and answers about Axlerod will be in green, for the sake of(hopefully) ease of reading :)

VERY Lengthy. I mean, it's my usual uncontained yapping amount but it's compiled with the fact im answering an entire ask game for two characters as well, so it's like a sit down and pull out a snack kinda read.

🥀 - has your f/o ever given you a bouquet of flowers? what kinds of flowers do they include?

Finn doesn't get me flowers very often, normally I'm the one gifting flowers to him, but the few times he does get me flowers it's typically normally roses! It's either a lot or a little, no in-between. Either two roses or thirty. Not that I mind either way, haha! Sometimes he'll try and pick out flowers that he knows I like that I've commented on before, but I think he enjoys the mostly universal gesture behind roses more.

Axlerod has gotten me flowers before, he asked me once or twice before at the very beginning for what flowers I like, and he's stuck to getting those flowers ever since. I love big puffy round flowers, so he always gets me those sorts like peonies, hydrangea, allium, those sorts! For some reason I can not for the life of me remember the name of my favorite one right now and it's driving me nuts! Also tulips, I quite like tulips.

🎉 - have they ever made a big, grand gesture for you? say, throw a surprise party, or go on an impromptu vacation?

Very big things can be tricky to navigate with me, especially if it's as a surprise, Finn is very well aware of this and tends to keep things on the low side with me. Actually, he nearly does the complete opposite! Many small gestures, he practically goes out of his way to make sure things aren't too big or overwhelming for me. Of course, I have very big feelings though, so his seemingly small gestures really mean the world to me. But he has a very big thing for spoiling me to put it lightly, and so he's made it very clear with me that he absolutely wouldn't mind doing anything and everything with and for me. Regaurdless of how 'big' or 'small' of a thing I asked him to do, he'd probably do it without hesitation for a multitude of reasons.

Axlerod has, technically twice, in a sense. For our wedding we jokingly suggested(I can't remember who mentioned it first) me dragging him back to the US(I'm American, he's British), but we actually ended up going along with it! Many tears of joy were shed by me when getting to show him around my home town and ramble on about all the culturally different things, or getting to taste American foods again that aren't over in the UK or the version in the UK tasting different or such. He also did however surprise me with tickets to a race, which led to me doing more happy malfunctioning and grabbing him and shaking him by the shoulders.

💖 - what's the nicest compliment they've ever given you? what's the nicest compliment you've ever given them?

Honestly, I don't know if I can pick this one for either of them! I know it sounds awfully cheesy but really any and all compliments they have said or given me has been the world to me.. and I wouldn't be too surprised if they said the same as well.

🌟 - have you ever stargazed with them before? if they're interested in it, where would you two like to go to see them?

Oddly enough, I haven't gone stargazing with Finn yet, even with as much as I talk about it! Though, we have gone on a night walk together before and it ended up being a very, very special night teehee. Definitely no big talk about marriage or getting engaged ensued, totally. No technical proposal or anything.

Again, oddly enough, no! Which you really think we would've by now with as much as I enjoy the nighttime and stuff😅 but I have spent some time staring out some windows and babbling a bit to him while we both look around out of it. It's so peaceful and relaxing..

🌲 - whats your f/o's ideal date spot to take you to? what's your ideal date spot to take them?

Finn is very sappy, but he also would practically throw away anything to make me happy, so his ideal date spot to take me is simply wherever he thinks I would fancy. He knows I have trouble with going out to eat/eating in public or how I don't like things like the beach and stuff, so on and so forth, so he knows what to avoid and what I do and don't like. I won't go into full detail or anything(cough cough shared bath/shower cough cough), but his ideal date spot to take me is probably my favorite sorts of dates to go on, little stay at home dates!! He knows I love those, and he's always so good at coming up with what to do, even if it's just relaxing and being close together while watching a show or him cooking something for me.

I'd say my ideal date spot to take Finn would be wherever I think he'd enjoy! I tried taking him out to a nice restaurant once before because I know he'd love that sort of stuff, but he doubled down on it saying that it would be at my expense, which would stop him from enjoying it if I'm not enjoying it as well. I quite like doing things for him kinda like when I first asked him out, where I brought him flowers and some gifts I think he'd like,, we don't go out very often, but when we do I always end up gifting him plenty of things!

Axlerod is quite similar to Finn's, he knows what sort of things I do or don't enjoy for date locations, Axlerod already doesn't leave the house very often asides from when he's going to do work things and such, I think he quite enjoys throwing little stay at home dates for me, or making small dates out of things like going shopping together or going to the park and such! He's not a very particular man, so wherever he thinks I'll enjoy will do.

Like I said, he isn't very particular, so it can be a little tricky trying to navigate his favorites or super likes and super dislikes sometimes, but that man just seems happy over anything we do together being so much considered and called a date! My ideal date spot to take him would be wherever I think he'd enjoy best, but he's not very picky, I think he just likes being around me. Heck, part of me even questions if he does have any preference for dates!

🦑 - would you two ever go on an aquarium date together? who's idea was it, and which fish is their/your favorite to look at?

Veryyyy funny and long story, but *technicallyyy* me and Finn did go on an aquarium date of some sorts together, it just... didn't end very well, to no fault of ours. I mean, I suppose you could argue if it was a date or not since it was technically before we were even together, really😅. This kinda rings true for both of them, but I love love love aquariums and museums and that sorts of stuff, but I always struggle going to them because a lot of the time they are crowded and too overwhelming for me :( maybe I just have bad luck, but it makes me so upset, so it's hard to go on them as much as I'd truly really like to. It'd probably be my idea in the sense that I'd suggest doing it sometimes, but Finn would be the one that actually gets the tickets for it/sets up when to go. My favorite to look at would be the sharks if they have any, or like jellyfish or stingrays! Maybe a flounder or something. Hmmm.... I'm not sure which Finn's favorite to look at would be! I feel like he'd be oddly enamored by the touch-tank, though. I like to think he has quite an enjoyment for all sorts of aquatic things so I think he'd like it all in general :) We have little inside things about like shrimp or lobsters, but I don't think we'd find any there...

I'm restating it here again as well just in case, but I love aquariums and museums! But I can't unfortunately go as much as I'd like cause whenever I do they're always crowded or such for some reason and it gets too overwhelming for me :(. We haven't ever actually been on one together, but it would be absolutely something I would love to do sometime. I wouldn't be surprise if he'd ask to rent it for a day and cover any business loss the aquarium might lose if it meant just the two of us could go and spend as long as we'd like there heheh. I think it'd probably be my idea since I'm the one that enjoys aquarium dates so much! Like I said, my favorites to look at would probably be like sharks if they had any, or things like jellyfish or stingrays! He'd probably say something silly, like his favorite is the sea urchin or something. I'd giggle about it, but I would not be surprised one bit if it was geniune.

🥪 - picnic time! what do you guys bring? do you pick them out together, or pick them out separately and surprise each other?

Screams. aAUQUAGHH PICNICK!!!!!!!

I think Finn likes it better when we go to pick out what stuff to bring together, cause then it's like one big mega date cause we spend time picking out all the stuff and still have time to spend together at the picnic. I have so much fun picking out things or like decorating things and so I absolutely get carried away with things like what picnic basket or blankets and little cases or boxes to put the food or goodies in. I'm not very good at eating infront of other people, it makes me very anxious which just makes it even harder for me to eat, but that kinda adds to how special it is cause either A. I feel comfortable enough infront of Finn that I will mind less nibbling on a few things, or B. I know Finn is understanding, and even if a big center part of picnics is..the food, I know he won't mind whether I do or don't end up eating infront of him, so long as we just enjoy our time there. Especially cause he seems so much like the kind of person to really enjoy restaurant dates and things I feel a little extra bad about it on top of usual, but he says that he really doesn't mind, and it'd be pointless to go on a date that only one of us would be enjoying. Also games, though. We bring like chess or something and he flawlessly beats me every single time, but we're just having fun with it and I am not one bit very experienced with chess, so there's a lot of laughing. Plus, leaves my hands more free for spoon/hand feeding everything to him. Which absolutely gets to him and I love it. The food we'd bring would be like very charcuterie styled stuff, and maybe a few extra chocolates as well, and things like cut up fruits or berries.

Same thing with Axlerod in the sense that I don't really like eating infront of other people, but I'd be a lot more relaxed doing it infront of him, or he'd at least be very understanding about it and wouldn't mind. It's like when you get a new cat(or dog perhaps as well) and they're so nervous at being in a new home and are too skittish to be around you or eat infront of you so you just gotta leave out a bowl of food and monitor it every now and then to see if the food is going down and that they're eating it, haha! Axlerod definitely uses the picnic as a way to try and get me a lot more relaxed about indulging in things that I like without worrying over how others will perceive me. He brings like coloring books and colored pencils or crayons, and like bubbles, just silly things to mess around or play with. Yes, there will be Hello Kitty coloring books. Yes, because Hello Kitty is white and you can't really color something white when the page is already white, we will be making our own Kitty's with different fur patterns and colors. Yes, I said "we". He still purposely brings some foods or goodies he knows I like a lot just to encourage me a bit, but worse case scenario we bring it back home and I just eat it there as usual. Probably brings a book or something and asks me to read it to him. 50/50 chance it's actually a book he or I know, or that it is some random book he grabbed off of a shelf or online(he'd probably grab something about history or mechanics or like cars/boats/planes/racing/etc., stuff he knows I like and wouldn't have to worry about whether it'd contain a topic that would make me uncomfortable or not).

💍 - you two go pick out matching lockets to keep a picture/piece of hair/memento of the other in! what do they look like? what picture of theirs do you keep?

Hm.. we probably wouldn't keep a picture of each other in lockets, but definitely something that reminds us of eachother. Finn is probably a bit harder about this because, being a spy, he's not very keen on carrying around things that easily identify his friends/loved ones. It's partly why the few names in his phone contacts are(seemingly) completely random things and change spontaneously to something else. It'd probably end up being something that ties us together, a two havles of a whole thing, each of us having one half. Our wedding rings both have a heart shape ingraved on the inside of them, perhaps something similar to that.

Me and Axlerod would probably put a piece of paper inside each other's lockets, with our handwriting on them. He'd have his name in my handwriting and I'd have my name in his handwriting. Cause I'm sure there's something so sweet and perhaps poetic about having someone else writing your name that isn't you. I also just love thinking about their handwriting so so much and I have no clue why. I feel like so much can be poured out into pen to the paper.

🧁 - you bake something together! what do you bake? how does it turn out? is it the best thing you've ever tasted? or does it suck ass?

If me and Finn are baking together, I am absolutely letting him "lead", because he is far more advanced than I am. We'd probably end up baking whatever we simply feel at the time, whether it be baked goods or a nice meal for dinner. With Finn at the helm, assuming whoever is with him doesn't completely butcher it behind his back, I don't know if it's entirely possible for it to turn out horribly, give or take a few very, very unlikely scenarios. I know I'm no incredible chef, but I'm confident enough that I could be decent at following along, so long as it's not something horribly complex. He'd probably ask for some notes from me while making me some American dishes(assuming he's not saving it as a surprise), and I'd probably show him my scones recipe or follow along and be a good assistant(aka taste-tester)((I will also help but yknow)) while he's making some sort of roast dinner or such. I probably ask him how to cook something or ask for the recipe for something I know he enjoys just so I can make it for him while he's not looking and bring it to him.

If me and Axlerod are ever cooking something together there will be a lot of giggles and laughter involved. We aren't awful, but we aren't that far beyond mediocre either, so what we did cook would be fairly simple stuff or things we already know how to make, give or take the few moments of "this is going into the bin and we are getting takeout. What do you want to order."/"It's not BAD.... but this is going to take trial and error recipies to perfect." I at some point make scones for him and of course he'll want to help along a few times, and he probably curses a few times that there is no white gravy that can be store bought for biscuits and gravy cause we're in the UK. Though I feel like there are a few recipes and dinners that he knows how to make quite well and it always surprises me a little bit.

"Kane, I can just illegally import it-"

"-NO."(followed by a questionable internal maybe.)

🎃 - have you guys ever carved pumpkins together? do you visit a pumpkin patch, or buy one from the store? or maybe you grew it? what would your pumpkins look like?

Last Halloween was a little messy for me, so unfortunately I didn't get to celebrate it the way I wanted to, but luckily this Halloween will be much better :) or at least I'm hoping!! It seems to be headed in that direction!

I talked about this like a while ago in an older ask game and I loved answering it, but I would sooo so so love to carve pumpkins together. I love carving pumpkins and I love the whole process of getting them and picking them out and everything. I will flat-out argue with Finn over getting a pumpkin out of one of those big boxes in the middle of grocery stores that normally hold like watermelons or something. I normally am all for the upgrade of things if you can afford it and it'll make you happier, but at this point it's part of my tradition to go to Walmart and be told every pumpkin that I want is ugly and I have to tell myself to only touch one pumpkin cause for some reason every single one I touch I get attached to and I cannot let myself(for several reasons) come home with like six different pumpkins. I know the UK doesn't have Walmart, we will make due. I'm sorry Finn. But we are absolutely carving pumpkins, I still have no clue what I will carve into mine but he'd totally do like a traditional classical little spooky jack-o-lantern face.

I won't retype out all the stuff I mentioned to the answer with Finn, but essentially: yes yes we are absolutely carving pumpkins, I am making him carve a pumpkin with me even if it means just getting one and sharing it. He definitely tells me he hasn't ever carved a pumpkin or hasn't carved one in like the past 25~ years and I lecture him in his own living room about WHY. WHY WOULD YOU DO SUCH A THING!!!!(He knows I'm just being playfully dramatic and teasing him). He normally doesn't have any issues with texture or sensory of stuff but I feel like he would not enjoy the feeling of the pumpkin guts and it would throw off the whole thing for him(he'd omminously stare at it in his hands until he derailed himself), so he'd probably just watch me closely as I did it. I tell him he has to be the one to name it then. He's probably call it something silly to humor me, like Fluffy.

🎄 - if you celebrate Christmas, what does your tree look like? what kinds of decorations would your f/o prefer? do you decorate it together, or does just one of you do the decorating?

Finn probably gets a real tree for it each year and probably does the same decorations each year of white lights and assorted white ornaments and buables. Probably some white puffy tinsel as well. I would love to decorate the tree with him! Maybe hide a little silly thing in it hehe. I am now giggling cause depending on the size of the tree he gets depends on if both or neither of us could reach the top of it(without a stool, at least). His stuff for Christmas is very white or white and silver, someetimesss on a very rare occasion there will be some blue as well. He really likes Christmas, so it's one of the more special-er things to him. I could go on about his Christmasy stuff for a while, really, hehe! I'm not as avid about Christmas, but I've certainly warmed up a lot more to it and I very much encourage it for him since it makes him so happy.

Axlerod, like most other holidays, he doesn't really do much for it, he's never been particularly excited over a certain holiday so he's never really felt a need for getting decorations or stuff about it, regaurdless of if he's on his own or not. If he did get any stuff, it's probably because I swayed him a bit because either I mentioned I liked/wanted something, or he figured it would be something I would enjoy and got it for me. He'd probably get one of those fake trees that can be like reassembled each year. For some reason my Christmas trees always end up looking a little rainbow-y with all the multi-colored lights and different colored ornaments, I feel like that would rub off on him a bit as well. Same problem situation with Finn where depending on how big the tree is depends if we will both be too short to reach the top of it or not without a stool! I think it'd be nice decorating the tree together, we probably wouldn't put too much energy into it to make it spiffy, but it'd be nice and warm and cozy.

Neither of them are safe from me wrapping them in the lights at least once.

🍝 - you guys go to a nice fancy restaurant together! what does your f/o order? what do you order? do you guys order a dessert? perhaps, to share?

I kinda practically answered this one a little bit earlier with the picnic thing, but I feel bad cause I don't like restaurant dates cause I don't really like eating infront of other people, and restaurants are such a staple date to go on.

I think Finn would be too busy fussing over me to be able to enjoy himself, even if it was just him that ordered food, he'd be super avid about going on a date that we would both enjoy, because that's partly what dates are for, and it'd be pointless to go on one that only one of us was happy about. I feel a little extra bad about it with him cause he seems like the kind of person to really enjoy restaurant dates, but he insists that it's alright and doesn't mind, so it's okay. I still make sure to get him very nice foods when I can, though. Some high-end places allow me to go in and just pick up the food, so I still make sure to get Finn good stuff 😋😊

Axlerod is very very indifferent when it comes to a fair amount of things, and this is one of the things where simply doesn't have a preference on it(or so he says, at least). But, similarly with Finn, he'd probably lean towards not wanting to go, cause he'd probably want me to be comfortable and/or happy as well. If for whatever reason we did have to attend one like for a meeting or whatnot, he'd probably be squeezing my hand the whole time or let me play with his fingers to keep me happy, maybe depending on how I'm feeling afterward or how much energy is in me, he'd offer to go somewhere or do something that I might enjoy a bit more. But it's infrequent that we have to go to one in the first place anyway.

🪩 - you guys attend a party together! perhaps it's formal, maybe a ball? perhaps a masquerade? what are you wearing? do you/your f/o enjoy it?

Funny this is mentioned! Because this is actually technically how me and Finn met! It was for spy stuff and we hadn't known each other at the time, but we were assigned to meet up with each other(probably BECAUSE we weren't familiar), it was quite formal, Finn wore the suit that he always wears and I wore the same button-up, vest and bow tie that I always wear, and with a bit of help from Leland we were strung together. Finn, story wise, is one of the few that I fell for right from so much as looking at him(was reciprocated by him, however he was far much more..composed than I was, to say the least), so it was nearly my downfall when we momentarily had to dance together. Nothing big, just some fancy waltz stuff, which was my luck because that is the one dance I know a few things for and I really enjoy waltz music. I was nearly too distracted by all the new sudden things to even really process that perhaps the whole event was a bit overstimulating to me. Truthfully, I'd be completely okay not attending anymore in the future for.... a multitude of reasons.

Willingly? You probably won't ever catch me at a party willingly, and even then I'd probably have kicked and had to be dragged there. Regaurdless of if it's frat house level party or a pristine elegant formal one. I can't imagine Axlerod ending up in too many scenarios either where he is attending one and is properly enjoying himself while at it. Party life, regaurdless of what kind, just simply isn't for us. We can still dance together behind closed doors, though.

🧸 - it's valentine's day! what stereotypical valentine's day gift does your f/o give you? a box of chocolates, perhaps a stuffed animal?

Finn is going all out for Valentine's Day, he loves that holiday, and he will encompass a multitude of classic things and things catered just towards me. Absolutely he'd end up getting me some assorted box of chocolates that he'd think I enjoy, and probably one of those cute stuffies that are holding like a heart or something, and I wouldn't be too surprised if he got some flowers as well. For some reason we have a repeated gesture of running baths/getting showers started for eachother, he'd probably get one going for me and set it up how I like, with all the lights off and a scented candle lit. He probably wouldn't let me step a foot too far away from him the whole day and he'd be glued to me, mumbling a bunch of praises and compliments and endearments the entire time(I am absolutely weak to this, and I enjoy holding him in my arms and petting him while cuddling).

I feel like Axlerod would be a little lost with what to do for Valentines Day. He'd probably grab a few Valentines Day themed candies, and maybe order me one of my favorite meals or something, but he'd probably end up asking me what I'd like to do and how I'd like to spend the day. And, I don't mind one bit at all just spending it together with him and staying inside together.

📺 - what movies do you guys like watching together? is there any specific movie that comes to mind?

Now, I normally do not really watch many movies, heck, I don't really watch a lot of things in general at all really, but it depends how loose we would like to be with the definition of "movies" here. Cause I am very much subjecting my loves to those Jerma streams that I love watching. Maybe we don't watch it all at once(some of them run on up to 8 hours) in one sitting, but we still watch them together.

If you want a legitimate answer I just had the brain light bulb of remembering a movie that I DO watch and enjoy a lot enough that I would(and have) rewatch is the Bob's Burgers movie. Very good movie, I love the songs in it and it hits me right in the feels.

Finn normally likes watching movies that I wouldn't be comfortable enough to watch, so unfortunately what we could watch together is very limited(but that's how I am with nearly all media, it's why I can be hesitant when watching anything with anyone that I don't already know). He isn't very...keen on Jerma, to say the least, he thinks Jerma is a bit..absurd, but there have certainly been times where he will intentionally turn it on for me if he knows I am not feeling well or if I am having trouble sleeping. He "endures" it for me. I know it's not entirely his cup of tea, so I don't mind at all letting him curl up to me and be in his own world while I rub his back or play with his hair and I watch.

Axlerod doesn't mind Jerma as much, he actually will actively watch it with me on most occasions and will make comments on it quite often(which I don't mind at all), but that doesn't mean that there aren't any moments where he gives me funny questionable looks about it. Axlerod's im-indifferent-to-almost-everything attitude comes into play here a little bit. He normally doesn't get too carried away with shows or movies, so it gives him a bit of something to do when he can watch it with me.

[daisy--sorbet]

heyyy, hope you’re having a good night!! if you have the energy and feel okay answering, what’s up w taz graduation? i haven’t checked it out yet but i was thinking ab it. just asking bc you’re the first person i saw talk ab the show having serious issues, but also feel free to not answer this!! hope you have a good week!

i took a nice hot bath, had a strawberry kiwi capri-sun, and did a nice face mask and i’m feeling pretty good - so, y’know what anon? let’s talk about it. 

for anyone who likes taz grad who sees this post: it’ll be tagged with “taz grad hate” (although i feel hate is definitely a very strong word - it’s for the simplicity of tagging it) - so please block the tag if you don’t want to see this post (especially because i put a readmore on a post before and it didn’t show up on mobile and instead gave the full post). mobile tumblr has a tag blocking system, so please feel free to use it! i don’t mind haha

anyway, so this is... probably going to be a lost post, and i wanna go ahead and preface it: this absolutely isn’t any hate on the mcelroys themselves. i love the brothers and their dad a lot, and while i doubt any of them would ever see this (or have it sent to them, or shown to them, because im pretty sure they try to distance themselves from this sort of thing), i just want to make it clear that criticizing a product is different than bashing a person. which brings me to the point of if i do end up sounding as if im bashing someone - please call me out on it! it’s not my intention to target anyone.

with that said, let’s talk about this campaign.

so my problems are as thus: the railroading, the shipping (a fandom problem, but it’s present in the podcast), the NPCs, and some misc problems others have addressed better than i have.

which. i know. that’s basically the entire podcast. (i promise i’ll bring up some positive points to balance it all out). keep in mind i’ve only personally listened to... what, six episodes? and it was enough for me to drop it. some people dropped it first ep, some dropped it ep four, and others are still forcing themselves to listen.

the railroading

there was a time i could handle travis and his railroading [making sure the story goes exactly the way he has planned], because it was the very beginning of the podcast and that’s what you can kind of expect from a plot-heavy podcast. hell, i wouldn’t mind it if the interactions and goofs weren’t a huge part of why i listen to TAZ in particular (which, by the way, is why amnesty still stuck out to me - even if there was a direction griffin wanted to push them towards, the interactions between the players (or players and npcs) made up for any railroading). it’s kind of hard to not railroad a little when it’s story-heavy and you’re trying to built up a world that you’ve put a lot of thought into. however, a huge part of d&d is the spontaneity. 

it’s kind of why i think balance was so popular. while there was railroading towards the end, there was the presence of improv that made it all good. most mcelroy content is enjoyed because of the goofs. the magic brian moment is memorable. the jenkin’s fight still stands out because it was funny (albeit a result of some bad rolls). the boys teasing angus sticks out because the four would play well off of each other. even without that - griffin had talked about how he had to roll with things (the fact he had planned for a fight atop the train, but ditched the idea for what his family members came up with instead). even in amnesty, a couple moments that stick out to me still are ned with the jetpack taking out a pizza hut sign, and the scene with the water where jake was trapped inside. they aren’t as fun, but they still stand out as “things i didnt expect to really end the way they did.”

with grad, it’s just. one after another. the thundermen want to subpoena a xorn? cool, let’s run with that until actually the xorn gets fed rocks and goes home and who cares about the subpoena now. fitzroy wants to keep his cloak? lets talk about it for a while and you also get no rolls to even try to keep it. fitzroy goes to meet higglemas in his office? oh, why are you here fitzroy? im going to keep asking you until you answer fitzroy? you arent getting out of this scene until you answer me, fitzroy, so just tell me why you’re here already, alright, fitzroy? 

and even later in a episode i read a transcript of: hey argo, remember how you have this whole secret motivation? fuck you, im gonna talk about it here in your dream and reveal it to listeners and remove any tension you had building up, and you dont get a choice to talk about it because this all-knowing villain knows all about it :)

and even NOW in the latest episode, there’s a comment that “we should cap argo’s skills here” instead of just... making the checks higher. rogues are good at certain things and usually arent the best in battles. better hope argo never makes it to level 11, because who knows how people are gonna handle the fact that he gets a skill that’ll make it so certain skills can’t have a roll below 10 (reliable talent). 

(griffin, thankfully, calls travis out for that, but still - travis, why would you even imply that, considering you should be aware of how rogues work considering magnus multiclassed into rogue and you played one on tiny heist?)

and in the newest episode, their Big Bad chaos (which, god, i personally hate that name) straight-out says “dont do this” to the thundermen. travis tries to say, on twitter, “a character saying “dont do this” is different than me saying it” but i need to point out that it’s one thing if you’ve said “no” in character but worked with the PCs doing otherwise, but the railroading says differently.

the shipping

ill try to make this quick, because it’s nothing to do with the fandom (ship however you want, man) - but i really feel the need to draw attention to this.

fitzroy, as confirmed by griffin in a ttazz episode, is asexual. not aroace, but ace nonetheless. and i find it... troublesome that the idea of rainer and fitzroy having a relationship is still pushed nonetheless, despite the fact that fitzroy (to my knowledge) was never once shown to reciprocate any feelings. not to be that person, but i really hope that grad doesnt have any sort of romantic relationships in it (at least - not between NPCs and PCs unless they’re actually like... warranted?). 

i dont know, man. one of my closest friends is ace, and i know she wants a relationship, but i think it would reassure her a lot to see an ace character who isn’t pushed into one in case she ever changes her mind. someone once mentioned that they hope fi/tz/ra/in doesnt happen because theres relationships that have that “oh, you can just date” and it goes upwards there to “oh, you can have sex just to please them <3″  (which, to be honest, is kind of a gross mindset - if someone isnt interested, they arent interested).

also, uh, the TTAZZ where griffin states this, there’s kind of the mention tht the whole sexuality question was posed in relation to the episode “creative thinking” (the dream one i mentioned earlier) - which. uh. i don’t know if anyone caught this, but... rainer straight-up wrote fitzroy a letter in the dream like “are you going to accept my proposal? a girl doesn’t like to be left waiting” which. leaves me with some gross feelings because uh.

if... if the whole thing about fitzroys sexual orientation was addressed here, then why would you push your ship anyway? feels kinda iffy, man.

to which i want to say: fitzroy can date. he’s allowed to date. griffins allowed to do whatever he wants with his character. but when a lot of the flirting is met with nothing, i’m not gonna see the chemistry there. just because travis ships it doesn’t mean it’s canon.

the npcs

ah yes. lets talk about the npcs.

there’s... a lot. a lot a lot. i think travis trimmed down how many were present in a scene, but uh. there’s still a lot. and... uh... i kinda wish there wasn’t?

look, i know im going back to balance/amnesty, but just. hang in there for a moment. chill with me. vibe. 

balance didnt have too many NPCs present at all times in each mini-arc. gerblins had some big names like barry, klarg, gundren, killian, yeemick, and magic brian. rockport limited had angus, jess, graham the juicy wizard jenkins, and all of the tom bodetts mentioned. 

amnestys first arc had mama, barclay, jake, dani, pigeon, kirby, minerva, and that was about it for like. big names? and not all of them were present in each scene. 

in the first episode of grad alone: gary, hernandez, jimson, rolandus, zana, rhodes, buckminster eden, rainer, leon, tomas, hieronymous, higglemas, stuart, jackle, bartholomeus, mulligan, groundsy, germaine/victoria/rattles (the skeleton crew). and those are the ones i wrote down (minus groundsy, who i just. ignores. idk him).

like holy shit, my english prof got onto me for having too many characters in my first chapter and i didnt even have half the amount listed there! 

it’s just a huge cast. does this take place in a school? yes! theres bound to be a lot of students present - but you don’t have to name every single one of them, at least not in the first episode!

the miscellaneous

i don’t know if travis ever actually addressed it, but wheelchair users have actually like... said that rainer’s introduction bothered them, because she was like “please ask me abt my wheelchair :)” when travis saying she was in an ornate chair would have sufficed. 

uh. the colonization vibes people have discussed within the centaur arc. mentioned here, the replies here, and this post (and its replies) here as well.

the overall lack of d&d when the campaign was kind of advertised as a return to d&d if i remember correctly

also no one seems to be taking literally any criticism at all which like. ignoring the petty shit, sure, but people have stopped donating to taz and their listener-ship must have dropped some during this entire time - you’d think that maybe someone could say “we need to find out why people dont like the thing and fix the thing” consider this is. yknow. their livelihood.

anyway uhhh 

tl;dr: travis railroads way too much (even now), the shipping in-game has become pushy and gross (especially bc its shoving a relationship onto an asexual character), theres too many npcs that dont stand out well enough, and no ones taking any criticism about the major issues with grad.