#boy howdy this is long

[99-devilz]

no patience for foolish machines... OH NO GABRIEL WATCH OUT

[nattikay]

the constant inner struggle of a Na'vi speaker/teacher browsing Na'vi OCs

[actuallyjustabiscuit]

Jax’s behavior is legit pretty fascinating

Yes it’s time I ramble about the purple twink.

Fast Food Masquerade did something crazy in that it actually got me to start empathizing with the asshole because Jax’s visible frustration throughout this adventure was too real.

And in fact, it’s why I think Jax was acting so “different” towards the latter half of the episode.

This adventure was Too. Damn. Real.

Now, Jax’s character is actually really simple. He even sums up his whole schtick in the pilot.

“I’m fine with doing whatever, as long as I get to see funny things happen to people.”

Then in a hilarious bit of instant karma, promptly gets hit in the face with a gloink

The “-who aren’t me” part of that self description pretty much goes without saying.

Immediately after this happens, Jax’s little laidback exterior gets so rattled that he suddenly feels the need to take control and starts assigning tasks to everyone. And his casual attitude only returns once he feels like he’s not in any position for ridicule, by redirecting the potential for ridicule onto others. This is his defense mechanism.

Jax needs to feel in control, so he deliberately controls whatever situation he’s in to get the results he wants.

Something that I’ve always appreciated about Jax from a meta perspective is that he’s a character who actively moves the story forward, usually because he wants to satisfy his urge to create chaos.

And that’s the main thing about Jax, he’s really destructive.

Like…almost pointlessly destructive.

But, y’know what? It makes sense. Because he’s in a video game.

Where else can you be as needlessly and excessively chaotic than in a game where you can do pretty much anything because nothing is real?

Jax can hurt whoever and wreck whatever because if he’s living by video game logic, then there are no lasting consequences to his actions.

Jax even goes so far as to refer to Pomni, and by extension the other trapped humans, as a “character” in the pilot. Which goes to show how little he wants to consider them as people.

You can’t really hurt a character. And if used correctly, a character can be entertaining.

And that’s all Jax really wants out of his new life in the Circus, entertainment. Because the worst thing you can be while stuck in a game is be bored.

But of course, even in games, your actions have certain consequences that are just unavoidable.

And Episode 4 really beat Jax’s yellow teeth in with that not-so-fun little reminder. Because this bit right here

Pretty much was the precedent for how bad Jax was gonna get it this time.

And it all starts with Gangle absolutely refusing to let his usual bullshit slide by personally making sure that there will be consequences.

This is the first crack in Jax’s mask, he’s visibly concerned and annoyed that he no longer is allowed to be himself lest he risks getting punished. And even more baffling is that for the first time, Gangle asserts her power over him. She actually does something about his behavior, ripping the wind right out of his sails. Not only that but she continually enforces her authority, making it harder on him to get the upper hand again.

Now his interaction with Zooble is really interesting, because it’s the first time we see him at his most normal.

I don’t think he’s trying to tease them here, I feel like he’s genuinely curious about Zooble’s way of “playing” the game, because remember, it’s been a long time since they’ve been on an adventure together, if at all. Zooble’s excuse of wanting to avoid punishment makes sense because they witnessed first hand that Caine’s unstable personality is capable of some legitimate danger.

Of course, Jax believes that there isn’t any real risk involved. The only immediate menace to him and his current desire to just get through the day, is Gangle and her new mask.

At this point he’s not trying to be destructive or disruptive. He’s fully apathetic, because being forced to act like a minimum wage salary employee is not fun in the slightest. He can’t make things fun for himself, so he refuses to participate entirely.

As the clock mocks him with every slow tick, his mask chips more and more.

Jax isn’t saying this to be calculatingly rude or hurtful, he’s not doing this to upset Gangle. He’s being sincere, which is why he’s not smiling.

Because Gangle is much easier to push around and go along with whatever he wants her to do when she’s in Tragedy mode. She’s more “fun” that way.

In other words, he really hates this new dynamic they’ve got going on.

But this little comment, just makes things even worse for him because now Gangle goes from enforcing her authority to straight up abusing it by letting herself abuse him for a change.

It’s crazy how Jax’s main concern here is making sure this torture scene is just between them. He really hates being humiliated, more so than getting physically hurt.

The man has some serious issues, but c’mon we already knew that.

So Jax is finally getting a taste of his own medicine and it completely emasculates him. To the point where he just defaults to doing whatever Gangle tells him to do just to avoid feeling like that again. Now the mask is fully stripped off, he’s openly exasperated and powerless. On top of that he has no real impulse to ridicule or ruffle anyone’s feathers anymore, because for the first time in probably a long while, he’s even more miserable than everyone else.

And what does misery love?

Company

As someone who’s worked in retail for a while, nothing helps keep you sane more than having a little of bit of camaraderie when struggling to survive in corporate hell.

Something that really stood out to me in this episode is the limited use in background music, especially when in Spudsy’s, where you either get muzak to sell the ambiance of a public eatery or silence with the occasional machinery noise.

And yeah, that’d be enough to make shit as immersive as possible. It’s not a coincidence that the restaurant looks like a McDonald’s when Gooseworx even said it was directly modeled after it. It’s uncanny, how real this setup feels.

Uncomfortably uncanny.Jax seething at the clock is a relatable struggle.

The mask immediately comes back on once Jax no longer has any obligation to stick around.

But Jax can’t even enjoy his freedom. His day is officially over, but the sting of the experience still lingers. The adventure wasn’t just boring or frustrating, it was humbling, in every terrible way. This wasn’t a game, it was real life.

And I think the last kick in the teeth was this license plate waiting for him in the parking lot (Why did Caine make them drive “home”? That’s just extra)

One is the loneliest number

Jax doesn’t hide the fact that he’s an asshole, he’s almost proud of it. He practically relishes getting a rise out of everyone. He is well aware that nobody likes him, but I think this where he starts realizing that it actually bothers him.

Everyone has talked about that very brief moment where Jax’s expression changed towards the end of Candy Carrier Chaos, when Ragatha was talking about Kaufmo’s funeral and we get to see him actually get sad for a change, before immediately shaking it off and stomping away in irritation.

Jax showed no concern over Kaufmo’s abstraction in the pilot, so why would he feel sad about it in that moment? Does he secretly care about his fellow humans and just doesn’t want to admit it?

Maybe. But personally, I think the others choosing to morn those who’ve abstracted like they’re dead makes him seriously uncomfortable. Because it serves as a reminder that even in this world, there are still major consequences when some things aren’t taken seriously.

Jax doesn’t want to consider real life consequences. None of them even look like real people, so why should he bother treating everyone like real people?

So when he sees everyone else getting closer and being good to each other, it’s annoying and weird. The idea that they need to look out for one another feels pathetic. Treating abstraction seriously means it’s a real danger, and that would mean that he’s also susceptible to experiencing it one day.

And when you’ve built up a reputation over making everyone miserable, who’s gonna wanna remember you?

In a show that’s clearly all about building relationships, Jax’s destructive behavior is really gonna cost him.

[cocoa-rococo]

without giving away spoilers for the new vengeance saga from epic: the musical --

man, the second half of "six hundred strike" sure fits percy de rolo against orthax or sylas briarwood a little too well

[forgotmynametag]

That one time the wholeass sun came careening down

[kathrynmhahn]

i'd never tell. no, i'd never say a word. and, oh, it aches, but it feels oddly good to hurt. emily prentiss + jennifer jareau | she - dodie

@lgbtqcreators creator bingo | color

[blu3-j]

Welcome...Home..?

Overworked! Reader x Welcome Home Crew

Chapter 4

TW: Small breakdown (hinted at), character going nonverbal

I sincerely apologize for the delay of this chapter, fellow strangers! This chapter went through a lot of writing, revisions, edits, more writing, and more edits before finally making it here. But I finally have it done! I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! (Side note; I love the idea of all the characters giving the reader a nickname at some point that relates to them and how they see them in some form. It’s too adorable. I can’t resist it. I can now see Howdy calling the reader a nymph. It’s another name for larvae! Yes. Yes, I will now write Howdy calling the reader in any stories he’s in.)

Last we left off, Y/N had just gotten home from a busy day, and after a lot of emotions and events, began a trusting relationship with the crew of Welcome Home. One hurdle has been conquered, but there are still plenty more before our journey comes to a close.

Chapter 1 l Chapter 2 l Chapter 3 l Chapter 4

Groaning, you rose up from your spot. As you did so, your arm jolted forward to catch the warm blanket that fell from its precarious position on you. At first, the blanket wasn’t familiar. This isn’t the blanket you keep on your bed. Curiously, you looked up to find an unfamiliar sight waiting for you. The birds outside chirped their worries away as the sun began to rise and paint everything in a golden glow. The house was peaceful and still, like an old grainy photo hanging in an equally old and yellowed window. And sat in the middle of the living room was you.

Why were you sleeping in the living room? 

The events from the day previous flooded your memories. Your head darted around, desperate to see if maybe it had all been a dream. It must've been...right? You wanted to believe it had all been a dream, that you wouldn't have to worry about any of the problems that came with this. That maybe that night you fell asleep watching that show you just dreamed it all---and maybe hallucinated the small yellow puppet talking to you from just being that exhausted.

But in the end, you couldn't deny what was in front of you.

There the puppet cast was---sprawled along various places in the room. Across the ground, in chairs, and even on the couch next to you. Some even piled on top of each other, even when there was space for them all to have their own spots. All fast asleep.

Confetti was strewn across the floor and on furniture, paper straps and ribbons to games you had long since forgotten the rules of lay wherever there was room, and fake swords and feathers you had never got to see used rested haphazardly on the nearby coffee table. Looking back up, you saw the banners and balloons still hung from the ceiling. To you, it was quite a sight to behold. And even more strange and unfamiliar when you haven't had a mess like this since your high school graduation party all those years ago. Or had anyone else in your house like this since your moving in celebration, which ended up in a sleepover with your friends. You had almost forgotten what it was like to have company around.

Coming back to the present, it occurred to you just how cartoon-like and comically this cast was. Barnaby and Julie snored louder than a whale, and Wally....could you even call that snoring? You watched him as he lay curled up on Barnaby's chest, his face buried in the blue spotted fur, mumbling away a mantra over and over and over again.

"I'm sleeping...I'm sleeping...I'm sleeping..."

It was a wonder how the others slept with the noise, and even more of a wonder how you slept with all the noise. You were usually a light sleeper due to your schedule, but unlike then, this time appeared to be an exception. You didn't even wake up to your alarm. Wait...what happened to your alarm? Did you sleep in?

...

Sleep in?! Your hand desperately searched around for your phone. When you didn't feel that familiar rectangular gadget by your side, you jolted up from your spot. Finally turning back to the spot you were previously sleeping, your body froze. Now with a better view of where you slept, you realized who you had been sleeping on. Originally unbeknownst to you, you had been curled up in Howdy's arms as he laid against the arm of the couch, the both of you dozing away without a care in the world. As it turned out, he was the comfy cushion you had passed out on.

He groaned as he began to stir from the sudden jerky movement, and he opened his eyes. His drowsy gaze met yours, and for a moment the two of you just stared at each other. You, with no clue as to how to react, and him…most probably still registering what’s going on. Outside, the birds continued chirping away their cheery song. A small lazy grin crept onto his face.

"Howdy, there. How'd you sleep, kiddo? You passed out during Sally's play last night." He adjusted himself to sit up more as he spoke in a hushed voice. "You looked so peaceful and I know how busy you are, I just couldn't bring myself to wake ya up." Your voice was caught in your mouth. You're talking to a puppet. Again. It's actually real. A living---maybe not so much breathing---but living puppet. And you just woke up from sleeping wrapped up in his arms, no less. He was still a complete stranger to you, and acting so casual with him despite the recent events was something you could not handle.

Still, you couldn’t ignore his expectant stare. It came out small and late, but he remained quiet for your answer. "...It was..okay." Your hands absentmindedly fiddled with each other, and you turned your gaze away as you corrected yourself. "Actually, it was the best sleep I've had in a long while. Too long." A chuckle slipped its way past your lips.

Your breath hitched. "Oh, no!" Adrenaline shot through you. Howdy flinched at your shrill exclamation—as did you, and the two of you froze. A loud snore from Julie echoed throughout the room, and you recalled how comically loud a few of your other “guests” were. If they could sleep through that, then they could sleep through just about anything. The two of you let out a relieved breath.

"I gotta find my phone! What time is it?! How long did I sleep in? What day is it?!" You rambled incoherently—your voice much more soft than before—as you searched the couch more thoroughly for that little precious device of yours. The green caterpillar snorted, bringing one hand up to his head and another to his mouth to stifle his giddy giggles.

After he managed to hold his laughter at bay, he talked once more. "It's Wednesday. Don't worry, kiddo. According to your calendar over there---" He pointed to the familiar paper calendar hung on the wall. "You don't have to worry about work today. Or any of your classes." A green hand patted onto your shoulder. "You have the day off!"

Another hand dug into one of the pockets of his apron and out he pulled your phone. He held it awkwardly in his hand in an attempt to mimic how he had seen you hold the device. It looked tiny caressed in his hand compared to how it looked in yours.

"It took a while of trying to figure out how to use this silly thing, but I turned off that doggoned alarm. Every busy bee needs their sleep every once and a while, after all!" His smile twitched to a frown as he stared deeply at it. "What is it, anyway? I never did ask. Is it some futuristic alarm clock or something? Why do you take it with you everywhere you go? And where are all the buttons? Shouldn't something like this need a buncha buttons? How did you make it so it works with just touching the glass here?" He tapped the phone and the screen came to life.

You were forced back to your nostalgic memories upon seeing the lockscreen. Displayed was an old memory of you and your friends not too long after your high school graduation. All of you were grouped together in a booth, laughing the night away at a karaoke restaurant. Things were so much more simple then. And a lot less lonely.

Above it was the clock, harshly contrasting in color to the photo. It read 8:23 AM. Below it sat a single unbothered notification.

"Day off!!" It read. He was right. You let out an exasperated sigh as your body eased and—without realizing just how relieving this knowledge was to you—plopped down harshly on the couch next to him. He softly chuckled as one arm of his leaned back on the arm of the couch.

"I know that look!" The tall puppet ruffled your hair. "Before I owned the Bugdega, I used to work a lot at a job I hated. Extreme word, but it’s true! You should take this day to just cool that jet of yours. You'll break down if you overwork yourself, nymph!" His eye caught yours, and the two of you shared a small smile in the peaceful moment. Before any more conversation could be had, however, a small movement in the corner of your eye caught your attention. Wally was now wide awake and peacefully watching the two of you talk.

Howdy waved and quietly called out to the little yellow puppet. "Howdy, shrimp!" The blue haired puppet remained quiet, only widening his permanent smile and waving back for a moment before shuffling himself off of the large sleeping dog. Mesmerized by his form, you watched as he moved and carefully made his way over to the two of you. Carefully, he tip-toed in between each colorful member of the cast on the floor, only stopping by Julie for a moment to dodge her arm she roughly threw to the side as she dozed away.

It was simple movements, and exactly like a regular human's, but something about it was...off. Perhaps it was just the knowledge of knowing he's a puppet and shouldn't be moving at all, but something about him felt....unnerving, in a way. You brushed the thought to the side. Maybe that's a thought for another time.

Wally crawled up on the couch next to you and into your lap. As always. But you didn’t push him away. In a strange way, it comforted you. The tension that had slowly been digging itself deep into your core melted away like snow on a warm sunny day. Your inner child pleaded to hold him dear, but you refused. It was a hard fight, but you managed to resist the urge.

Howdy watched the two of you, a gentle grin on his face, before he lifted himself up from his seat and walked around the couch. You glimpsed at him and jumped when you saw him looking and motioning you to follow. You glanced between the two puppets, unsure, before quickly picking Wally up like he was a toddler and carrying him with you and obeying the insect puppet’s wishes.

Wally, of course, quickly fell limp in your arms. You recalled his attempt to comfort you last night, and it occurred to you that this was most probably another thing he didn’t know how to really…react to. One awkward pause later, he leaned against your shoulder and buried his face in the crook of your neck. Instinctively, you gave in to that inner child that pleaded for a connection, and nudged your head against his.

Howdy led you to the kitchen where he began rummaging through the cabinets. Now away from the rest of the colorful puppets sleeping away, his voice became a lot louder and clearer from his previous mumbling."This is a nice place you got, nymph." He bent down to a cabinet and began shuffling through it, only finding pots and his laughter echoing back to him. "I'm still having trouble finding everything, though! Where do you keep your pans? This place is like a maze!"

The two of you talked the morning away as you directed him to the right cabinets for everything he needed. Slowly, one by one, the other puppets awoke and walked in, each joining your conversation. Some chose to seat themselves at the table while others opted in aiding Howdy in cooking breakfast.

Sally was the first to walk in. She was cheery and energetic, and each step of hers had a bounce in it. For a moment, you almost thought she was quite literally glowing. But the allusion dashed away as soon and fast as it had made itself evident. The little starlet chose to occasionally aid Howdy when requested while she recited and re-enacted scenes to numerous plays she had starred in. Most of it was nothing more than dramatic improvisation, but you couldn’t resist applauding her and watching her eyes light up every time you did.

Barnaby and Poppy were the next ones to walk in. Both were generally drowsy and calm, quietly jabbering away as they walked in. Poppy clamored if everything was okay from all the racket she had heard, but Barnaby assured her and joked about how loud Sally was being. After her worries had been quelled, Poppy stationed herself next to Howdy to converse and help cook when she wasn’t too scared to do so. Meanwhile, Barnaby gladly seated himself next to you and Wally at the table.

Finally, Julie skipped into the kitchen, holding the hand of a drowsy Frank holding the hand of an upbeat Eddie. The trio questioned the commotion, but quickly seated themselves at the table and joined in the ever growing conversation upon seeing the six of you joyfully conversing.

For a while, you all acted as though there was nothing wrong. Like you had all known each other for months and everything had already been resolved. But tension remained. And finally, when the conversation died down and came to a pause, Poppy spoke up.

"So..." She hesitated, glancing to you for help. The large bird curled a little in on herself and hid herself with her wings. "What do we do now?" The others murmured. The tension was much thicker than before. You furrowed your brows and looked down. Wally was still in your lap. His expression remained the same, but he was silent. His gaze followed the others to you.

Over the past two days, you noticed something about the puppets. Something so extremely small, but made a mountain of a difference in the way you saw the colorful cast.

When looking at something, the puppets' pupils never twitched back and forth like humans'. Theirs never moved subconsciously to take in as much information they could like yours. This was the first time you noticed Wally's was.

A small part of you wanted to panic and run away again. A large part, actually. You had as much of a clue of what to do as they did. But just as you almost gave in, bright pink fabric in the corner of your eye caught your attention. The fabric of her dress.

"Then I'll be brave with you."

You promised.

You're going to be brave.

You swallowed the urge down as far as you could. "I'm...not sure," You started. "I mean, we all already established you'll be living here until you can find a way to...." Your voice drifted off.

Eddie piped up. "Home."

"Home, right." You turned your attention to a topic a little less stressful, opting for casual conversation to stall you time to think. "Wait, is that what you call that place? It's just...Home?" Julie jumped up, her expression relaxing a moment.

"Yeah! Oh, that's right. You haven't met Home yet."

Watching your eyebrow furrow, Sally joined in. "Home's a living house! That's where Wally lives." She hummed to herself. "I wonder why Home isn't here. Are they still in the neighborhood?" Her gaze wandered to a few of the others, each shrugging in response. Frank stepped forward as he adjusted his bright yellow bowtie. You quickly turned your attention back to him after brushing off seeing the bowtie flutter in a strange movement. That’s a thought for later.

"I've been doing research on this strange world," Frank began. His unibrow furrowed further as he slowly spoke, his tone growing in intensity with every word. "...And so far..I have no idea how we could've gotten here. There's no record of these things happening before!” His hands curled into fists. He stammered further and further with every sentence, his pupils twitching back and forth towards nowhere in particular. “Which..is preposterous! We couldn't have been the first instance of this happening!" He stomped his foot down as his face grew red, and much to your surprise, his head spun. Spinning…spinning..and stopping when Eddie lightly grasped onto it and held it in place. Frank sighed and glanced at the mailman before continuing. "I'm sorry, Dear, it's just---" His brow furrowed as his face grew red again. "I just don't get it! How could we be the only ones for this to happen to?! I-I don't---" he paused again as his glare turned towards the ground. His voice turned quiet as a few strands of hair drooped in his face. The harsh shadows kept you from seeing his face. "I don't understand. I don't know how to get us back to Home." Things were quiet as Eddie turned him around and hugged him close. Frank didn't hug him back. Just kept silent.

Glancing at the others, you found one by one, they all looked back to you. There were no more smiles. No more laughter.

You couldn't tell what they were thinking by looking in their eyes. But you could tell they were lost. Lost and scared.

…Just as much as you.

So you inhaled a sharp breath, and pulled yourself together. "Alright," You started. Peering over to the bright-eyed girl, you watched a small glimmer return to her eyes. "I don't know what to do either." Your gaze connected with each puppets' as it wandered over the group. "But that doesn't mean we can't throw ideas until one sticks!" A small twinge began to form in your stomach, but you continued. "We're all lost…a-and confused, and scared. But we're not alone." Finally, you looked back to Wally. "We're in this together." Determination inflamed you. "And if there's anything I know, it's that if there's a way something can happen, then darn it, there's a way to undo it! I don't know how...but I'll help you find a way home."

"To Home." Frank mumbled into Eddie's shoulder. Your mouth twitched up at his response.

"That's the spirit!" A small round of chuckles came around the group of puppets. “We’ll start throwing ideas and making investigations soon, but first, we need to take some time to get ourselves calmed down. A panicking mind isn’t the best for getting out of bad situations.”

A clacking sound caught your attention. Eggs and hashbrowns---organized in a way the eggs formed eyes and the hashbrowns a smile. Peering back up, you saw Howdy.

"You sure know how to bring people up, kiddo." He ruffled your hair before turning to the rest of the puppets. "I've got breakfast fixed up for you all, so you better come get your fixing before it gets cold! Like Y/N said, we'll get this figured out, but first we have to take care of ourselves!" The cast cheered and grouped around the counter Howdy had set with various cooked foods. You watched them with curiosity as they gabbed away and piled food on their plates.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a familiar blue hair strand, and looked down. Wally hadn't moved from his spot. Rather, he watched the crew with you. "Are you going to get some?" You questioned him. His eyes met yours, half-lidded as always, and his stare unchanging and unmoving. It was quiet as you waited for his response. Distantly, a small tik-tik-tik was heard.

"Okay." He hopped off your lap and walked over. The others quickly noticed him and helped him grab a plate.

Things were back to how they were before the topic changed. And once again as you watched the group, you felt a small pang.

You were so different. And in those differences, alone. Just like always. You decided to push that feeling down.

Now's not the time.

You sighed as you turned back to your plate.

Now...how in the world were you going to get them back to Home?

[kef-meister]

So anyway, cite your fucking sources or Harris Bomberguy will post an essay on you.

[legionofpotatoes]

All other criticisms of modern Star Wars aside, the thing that gets me the most is how every single story is being written to fit into some Avengers-level grand finale that just isn't laying a solid enough foundation to make it worth the wait. Regardless of whether the individual stories are good or bad, what makes them fall so short, imo, is that there's usually no real payoff within their own runtimes (unless you count cheap callbacks or loose promises of More, which you shouldn't)

Like, I already knew halfway through Ahsoka that we were in for a cliffhanger and it's just like...alright, guess we'll see how this ends in about 5 years? Even Mando, which had a great first season and was poised to stand on its own two feet and ride off on a rootin' tootin' bounty huntin' adventure, has ultimately become yet another dusty path on the road to the current Big Plot with an indeterminate due date. That's not deliciously addictive media, it's a dry-ass carrot on a spindly little stick, lol

Of course, this is a problem that many franchises are happily getting cozy with lately because everybody wants to have their own Infinity War / Endgame moment, but I guess it seems a bit more egregious with Star Wars because, ironically, it used to work best because it had less overall focus. Like, sure, we had concurrent movies, animated series, and games, but they were always happy to do their own things and tell their own stories with definitive conclusions. Now it all has to funnel into the Big New Plot and, man, I honestly just can't bring myself to care when it feels like an endless waiting game

I definitely need to get around to watching Visions at some point because, every time it pops up, it sounds like the lifeblood that Star Wars sorely needs atm

Yeah the setup-and-payoff a-to-b type dramatic clarity that seemed so entrenched into the very bones of cinematic grammar - up to around the emergence of streaming, wink wink nudge nudge - is sorely missed in star wars atm. sure maybe downsized writers rooms fidgeting with limited series formats instead of doing actual seasonal TV has something to do with it, but even that is probably such a small piece of the larger issue that spins all this longform storytelling bullshit ferry wheel around.

Another part is certainly chasing the MCU business model of it all like you said. Carrot on a stick is verbatim how I've often described these things myself, the endless promise of another promise of another promise instead of forming a complete thought with a beginning and an end. servicing the plot before story at all costs. another part still is reverence towards the aesthetic trappings of the source material instead of its themes, trying to nail the exact texture of tatooine's huts and dial in the perfect balance of lightsaber choreography and pay homage to a thousand iconic shots before articulating something true in the text.

And like it's an endless laundry list, this confluence of capital-I Issues both industry-scale and creatively-driven that seem to be flaying the skin off the bones of whatever star wars even "is" nowadays. no one can answer that in the context of billions of dollars made off toys and storylines centering around this one moment in fictional history about sons and fathers and empires and rebellions. so they just keep twisting in the wind filling in any gaps within that period. I don't know nonnie, it's all so bleak. ahsoka and obi wan and even mando tbh. as charming as season 1 was, it truly felt like it coasted on its incredible restraint to avoid muddying its aesthetic with cameos, and lucked into effective storytelling as a result of that utterly unintentional alchemy. that's obviously well and truly gone now as its true optics have reared head.

what star wars is by itself is such a pointless discussion, right? andor argues it's a perfectly functional heightened universe that can support incredibly nuanced and dramatically charged stories of grassroots rebellion and the bureaucratic strain of fascist regimes. visions argues it's a world beholden to the force, an endlessly mutable and elegant metaphor that can support infinite monomyths and fairy tales. both are equally fantastic at executing on their takes, despite being in diametrically opposite extremes of interpreting the source. so it's not really about that at all, why the other stuff sucks this bad.

they're just bad at the craft of it, that's really it. whether it's auteur worship or business decisions rotting that fish down, it still rots all the same. maybe the new writers' guild contracts can shift the winds a little, because I was so securely done with star wars and then the aforementioned 2 shows came and affected me. so, so profoundly that I'm back on the hook again. like a lil sucker!

[sea-buns]

Holy fuck, man. What a trip Fearne has been on, huh?

You tell her how grateful you are to have her in your life, you flatter her, you tell her you need her, that you have to do this together. You have her make a promise that has this woman, born of chaos and fey, agreeing through shaking hands and a trembling voice.

You make her deceive your friends; you make her follow where they cannot know; you make her help you into this contraption; you make her feed this thing into you despite the fact that you both have been warned extensively of the risks. You make her watch you crumble and splinter and shatter and fracture and burst and implode. You make her watch you die, over and over and over and over, for a minute in agonizing bullet time.

You make her do all these things, because when she tries to back out, when she tries to not be the one who let you do this—how could you do this—

you tell her, "YOU PROMISED."

Because if there's one thing you know, it's that the fey do not break a promise.

[ravenwolfie97]

i don't want to fully give away my game as i'm editing this but

look at these beautiful boys

[spookythesillyfella]

i need to know more about this au so i always did wonder if you had some songs you associate with anyone here? i think music inspiration is so fun to learn about!! :DD of course on your own time. i know there's a lot going on for you currently but i seriously rock with you talking about high voltage when you do!!!!! ily !! /p (take care and know you're never alone!)

doll . dude . each character playlist i have is over 5h in length . some are even pushing 10h – to say that i have songs that i think correlate to the guys is an understatement

buuut fear not !!! while i could certainly make this three thousand posts that are excruciatingly detailed . i think i should just give you a general gist of some of the things that go on inside this here head of mine !!!

Tracey : "Mezes 72" – Patron [as the subject of the song] . "Konton Boogie" – jon-YAKITORY [for the lyrics and very rambunctious tone of the song] . "Animo" – The Sukis [for the lyrics nd vibe also] . "Comet" – Steven Universe . "Worst Beat Ever Created (Number 10)" – DistantCry [this one is here mostly as a joke ; itz the type of music they'd be making without the help of the others ≠w=]

Brendon : "Blow My Brains Out" – Tikkle Me [suuuper fitting for him in all seriousness ; i love him] . "Kanjou wa Zaikogire" – Dobu no Awa [extremely underrated and extremely fitting] . "Keep Your Mind" – Sitcom [another super fitting one] . "I'm the Rain" – INABUKOMORI . "Composing the Future" – N25 cover . "Lotus Eater" – Aoris

Shrig : "Exorcism" – Creep-P [genuinely one of the hardest songs ever made ever in the history of ever and also very fitting for him ¥_^] . "Fata din Roman" – Patron [im sure you can already guess that this is here only partially because hv shrig is romanian but I SWEAR IT FITS !!!!] . "Love Bug" – Jack Stauber [i know the title is very on the nose but again IT FITS I SWEARR !!!!!!] . "FAKE SMILE - REBOOT ver." – Kairikibear . "Fear & Delight" – The Correspondents [fitting in the context of bedbug]

Tony : "Who Is She?" – I Monster [very fitting given his lore again] . "Tondeku Anata ga Mawaru" – Dobu no Awa [another lore one that im MAD is underrated] . "Heat Abnormal" – Iyowa . "BAKENOHANA" – NAKISO [yeah you should've seen it coming] . "You will never forget me" – Dobu no Awa . "Crack Baby" – Mitski . "Cigarettes out the Window" – TV Girl" [in the context of digitaltime] . "Uncanny" – Ghost and Pals ; special shoutout to a NOW DELETED DOBU NO AWA SONG "Please Kill Me" THAT I LOVED AND PLANNED TO DO AN ANIMATION TO

i could keep going for a LONG . LONG while but i don't think you want to read any more of this ahaha

[curioscurio]

Reading some more books about autism ! I don't quite know if I'm on the spectrum (a lot of tests seem to lean towards yes) but still! A lot of them make the very lonely person inside me feel seen and understood a little more than before :]

[moe-broey]

FUCK RECENT BOOK JUST ENDED?!?!???!!

[urne-buriall]

july 19, 1997

The Hearts & Spurs Stampede is on! We have rodeo events, trick riders, delicious tacos, and of course, the Big Dance. Giddy-up.

and we’re back! with our first of two days at the Hearts & Spurs Stampede, where anything could happen

[scribefindegil]

Lower Decks was my "Wow, sometimes Star Trek is Good!" moment, and now I'm watching TNG (from the beginning, so I know it gets better) and getting to experience the crucial oppositional emotion of, "Wow. Sometimes Star Trek. is Bad."