#but nope. main protagonist is just some guy

[chicohungers24-7]

Making Tavo the main character of my story is possibly the funniest thing I could've done. He just wants a nice birthday.

[blueteller]

I found this on reddit it's not my opinion but it's kind of funny and disconcerting.

What do you think?

( https://www.reddit.com/r/CharacterRant/s/uwKw63Cgoc )

"A rant on Trash of the Count’s Family

Alright before I begin I would like to preface by saying that I am a long time reader of the novel and love this novel to death. It kept me company during my darkest and lowest points of my life and I am forever grateful for it !

The rant also in no way affects the brilliance of the story. With that out of the way here it goes:

This is an amazing fantasy novel filled with great visuals, writing, story and top-notch characters. However it has TWO big problems that broke the story smooth sailing for me and I need to rant about it because where I am from I am pretty sure no one reads TCF in a 6000 mile radius.

One big problem was the romance. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NONE OF IT. This is not a problem if the main character doesn’t want romance (he doesn’t nope) but NONE of the main/side characters that has been introduced so far also want nothing to do with romance. It was a little awkward to read the story based in medieval setting where characters are as pure as angels as they come.

Now, you can of course raise the point that romance was never the main focus of this novel (it’s not even a background focus or some D plot) but let’s analyse this novel here for a second okay? This novel is very gore and never ever shy away from very dark themes or stories.

- The main protagonist of the story (sorry forgot his name it’s been a long time) has his entire village with whom he has spent 20 years murdered and burned to ashes, all the men women and children are totally dead.

- The Prince story is also pretty dark and deals with some adult themes about race and identity.

- The dragon raon (is that the name?) backstory is…holy shit some hardcore torture and let’s not forget the revenge torture that happened later with raon eating steak.

- The butler and his butcher son

- The absolute crazy HUMAN EXPERIMENT arc that was happening in the Empire. I mean holy shit they really went into crazy detail about body mutilation and the scientists are absolute psychopaths in how they love their job.

And I am just scratching the surface about how dark this novel is and there’s plenty of it. The point is that it is very adult oriented novel with these stories but on the flip side their romance department is so negligible that even Tom and Jerry had more romance than this.

It actively avoids it like a plague. Why is this an issue? Let me explain.

Simple answer it feels a little jarring or disorienting when you read the novel like going back and forth between watching the looney tunes movie and switching immediately back to a Black Mirror episode.

But I have to give where credit is due. I didn’t notice the romance problem until after some 500+ chapters later (that’s how good the novel story is ) and how did I notice it?

After some battle trying to reclaim the south (north?) tower and this is the part where the Empire’s royalty is on the brink of collapse the redhead girl (I also forgot her name but she is part of the main gang) is extremely tired after a long battle and Cale tries to help her by giving her some healing potions (remember at this point she is the only female character that understands Cale the most and their relationship is the most developed of all) but she says she is so tired she can’t even lift her arms, so Cale (as logic would have it) offers to feed her the potion himself (see completely logical under the circumstances) but Raon the dragon out of nowhere says, “You are too weak Cale! Let me do it��. And I am like…say what? We know the main gang always comments that Cale is weak and all but come on guys we know he isn’t and in fact he’s been through crazy shit. During that battle he never had to fight and was in top condition so that remark from raon made even more less sense.

And then the redhead laughed it off and said “it’s okay I will do it myself” and she does…after a bit of struggle to lift the said bottle.

It’s a small thing but it did break my immersion (it was already broken before, I will explain later). It forced me as a reader to actually “think” about the author intentions something that should never happen when reading a fantasy novel. And it made me go “hmm wait a minute” and then I reflected back on all the 500+ chapters I have read and I came to a realisation that…forget main character romance there is hardly any romance of any proportions from any and every character in this whole novel! It was so impossibly impossible that it teared through the immersion completely.

The second reason for this rant and this is connected to when my immersion showed a small crack. And this reason is purely a preference thing so feel free to ignore this as you want.

I personally believe that when you make a “reborn in a fantasy world” story you absolutely must never collide “our” world with the fantasy world.

Don’t do that.

From page 1 you are setting up this fantasy life, fantasy way of living and thinking, fantasy people, fantasy stories and most importantly a fantasy you. Don’t break this immersion by literally making the world he (Cale) came from an integral part of the story.

When the main protagonist found out who Cale really is and confronted him about it by listing some Korean food items I was a little disappointed because it felt like a parent telling a child that role playing as a prince and over now put the castle made of pillows back in place and do your homework for school tomorrow.

Maybe it’s just a me thing but after that confrontation, every time Cale interacted with anyone be it the redhead, his dragon, butler or anyone it all felt so plastic and fake, like I was overly conscious of the fact that this is a fantasy land filled with fantasy people and well…it made me feel a little lonely."

Wow, this is quite interesting! Thanks for sending me this. Not because I agree – anyone who knows anything about my opinions on TCF would know that the very 2 points that the author of this post has "problems with" are the things that I embrace with great enthusiasm.

So, prepare for a long ride!

First of all, let me make this absolutely clear, the same way this person did at the beginning of their own post; they are allowed to have their own opinion on what they like or dislike. The same way I am allowed to like or dislike certain elements of stories. I don't claim that TCF is a flawless work either – it's just that all the flaws it does have, at least to me, are so minor I don't care about them in the slightest.

I might actually be "brave enough" in the future to actually make my own post about the "flaws" of the story for me, no matter how few. But not today. Today, let's focus on the reddit post.

Now, imagine a person (the author of this post) is given an apple pie in a restaurant.

This person very much enjoys apple pies. They continue to visit the same restaurant and keep ordering this apple pie. But after a while, they discover "two big problems" with the apple pie.

First of all, it does not contain cinnamon. So this person is like – why not! That is, they did not notice before, but it is SO jarring to them now that they know! Because they believe all apple pies should contain cinnamon. Secondly, this apple pie is made out of a species of apples they do not like. In fact, they are convinced this apple species is not fit for apple pies! So, they quit ordering apple pies at this restaurant.

Meanwhile, there's a second regular customer (me) who orders the apple pie at this restaurant. This customer, in fact, is kind of sick of cinnamon. They were so happy they discovered a restaurant that doesn't use it! This person also notices this apple pie has a very interesting texture to it, one they very much enjoy, because of the specific apple species this restaurant uses. It quickly became their all-time favorite dessert.

Obviously, neither customer here is wrong. "The customer is always right in matters of taste" is a saying for a reason (although people usually say only the first half of it, forgetting the second part), and just because I love the "apple pie" in question, I am not going to shame the other person for their own taste.

With all that said, please allow me to address to the post properly, step by step.

First, when addressing the lack of romance as a problem, this is this person's argument: they list major dark moments in the story, like Choi Han's village getting massacred, dark race racism, Raon's torture et cetera. Then they say, "The point is that it is very adult oriented novel with these stories but on the flip side their romance department is so negligible that even Tom and Jerry had more romance than this".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe… Tom and Jerry had any romance either. That cartoon did not even have dialogue. So like, huh??? What kind of argument is that? Should I say that Tom and Jerry has a critical flaw that is has no talking despite being all about comedy? That it would have been better if it was dubbed or something? Well, there was that one movie I remember from childhood but – never mind, we're getting off track here. This argument kind of, completely falls flat for me.

I get the implication. "TCF is has so many dark themes, it should be mature enough to contain romance as well". Which is, completely off the mark for me, personally. Maturity and romance have NOTHING to do with each other.

There's also the statement that "It actively avoids [romance] like a plague." And I agree, kind of. This story avoids romance on purpose. But It never felt unnatural for me. I was kind of expecting it to pop up eventually, back when I first started reading. I thought for SURE Rosalyn would be somebody's love interest – because she had to be, right?? But it gradually dawned on me that there are so many cool, pretty, strong, independent female characters… And none of them are representing a specific fetish or exist solely to be somebody's wifu. The women are PEOPLE, they are fleshed-out, complex characters who have goals and ambitions and just like for the men, there is no thought about romance here because there is so much going on – most of it world-ending, in fact – that focusing in romance would actually DECREASE the maturity of the story instead of enhancing it.

The author of the post said, "It was so impossibly impossible that it teared through the immersion completely". What, do you need characters getting laid to be truly realistic mature adults or something? I think you have the wrong idea about adulthood… Let me say it again, those people are too busy in this story to focus on dating. Even if Cale himself wasn't so obviously ace, his life has been so crazy since he transmigrated, I have no idea HOW on earth he could have found the time (or anyone else for that matter: just look at poor Alberu, swimming in paperwork 24/7!). He can't even sleep for more than 4 hours per day during the war arc. What I personally would find jarring is exactly this: characters trying to freaking date or play off romantic subplots while the world was LITERALLY GETTING DESTROYED. That would have been so petty and ridiculous.

So, the expectation that there HAS to be romance, just because… I think it is a faulty expectation to have in the first place. And it is NOT unnatural that the characters don't do romance (especially with how many species there are among the cast and the age gaps between them, it would have been awkward to say the least; unless you're the type to like Twilight style of romance). The story put a lot of focus to forge familial bonds between the characters. It doesn't lack in the relationship department, just non-platonic one. And if this is a problem for someone and they find it jarring, well… Again, no cinnamon in apple pie, I guess.

Next, we have the argument that "when you read the novel like going back and forth between watching the looney tunes movie and switching immediately back to a Black Mirror episode". I don't know Black Mirror, but I get it. The author of the post claims that the comedic character interactions – the ones that had been very well established in the first 200 chapters of the story, covering full 2 years in the timeline – are… what, unrealistic? Inaccurate? Cartoonish? I’m not 100% sure what the exact issue is here.

They quote a scene where I assume Rosalyn is too tired to lift her arms and Cale offers to help and Raon says he's too weak and let him do it instead. The author of the post then acts confused, as if it was completely unreasonable, because Cale is not weak. Um…. I don't know if they were not paying attention, but that's just false. Cale is PHYSICALLY weak, despite all his Ancient Powers. That is exactly the whole reason why he keeps coughing blood and fainting and stuff. So it was funny, and in-character, and fitting with the rest of the story – at least in my opinion. If that broke this person's immersion, then fine I guess, but I really don't see the reason. I guess they don't enjoy the "texture" of this "apple pie".

Speaking of texture, the last point pf the post I want to address: the belief that you should not mix "real world" and fantasy. They say, "I personally believe that when you make a "reborn in a fantasy world" story you absolutely must never collide "our" world with the fantasy world. Don't do that". Excuse me, but uh… why? That is not the case at all, for many stories? I mean, you could approach it that way, nothing wrong with keeping it separate. But most classic isekai examples usually stray from that idea, actually. Are you familiar with Chronicles of Narnia, by any chance? Did you know that the magical lamppost that Lucy found in the woods actually came from England? It was a very fun bit of backstory from the Magician's Nephew.

"Don't break this immersion by literally making the world he (Cale) came from an integral part of the story." Why not, man??? It was so brilliantly done! In fact, it was so freaking cool, the way TCF did it! What, is "our world" so boring and terrible you must keep it separate from the fantasy at any cost? It was plot relevant, it gave Cale legit ties to the new world, it fleshed out his character, it was incredible! 10/10! If TCF lost that element, it would have been a great loss.

And even if you don't like the mixing of "fantasy and reality" as something "immersion breaking"… there is one problem with this kind of argument, in TCF at least.

Kim Rok Soo is NOT FROM OUR REALITY.

Let me repeat: the man is not from regular, modern Korea! HE IS FROM A FANTASY MONSTER APOCALYPSE DIMENSION!

The whole reveal of what kind of place KRS comes from is what make this story so good to me. It was an incredible twist. The "regular, normal man from modern world" was a red herring meant to hide the fact that he was an ability user from what is basically a superhero world full of monsters! It is not! Regular! Modern! World!!!

"When the main protagonist found out who Cale really is and confronted him about it by listing some Korean food items I was a little disappointed because it felt like a parent telling a child that role playing as a prince and over now put the castle made of pillows back in place and do your homework for school tomorrow." That… you really, REALLY missed the point here, man. That was not the vibe of the scene at all! Choi Han and Cale are both essentially war veterans, mentioning foods from their childhood! This the "Frodo and Sam talking about the flavor of strawberries from Shire at the foot of Mount Doom" from Lord of the Rings type of moment! Only, well, a bit more comedic. Still, it was so touching!! But, well… again, you don't like the taste of the pie, there is nothing I can do about it.

And lastly, there was this paragraph at the end of the post:

"Maybe it's just a me thing but after that confrontation, every time Cale interacted with anyone be it the redhead, his dragon, butler or anyone it all felt so plastic and fake, like I was overly conscious of the fact that this is a fantasy land filled with fantasy people and well… it made me feel a little lonely."

I never noticed such a thing. I do not know if more people felt that way. But I always thought that the characters were well-established and their behavior natural. I am sorry that the immersion break made the author of the post lonely. I hope they can spend time with their friends and feel a little better. Fantasy shouldn't just be a tool to "fill an empty void in your life and escape terrible reality". For me, stories are meant to create something beautiful, to inspire, and to make one consider the possibilities of reality. I mean, if Cale can stop world-ending threats by being brave and making good strategies, why can't I handle the minor problems that reality has to offer? It's all a matter of perspective.

So, that is it. That's my whole response. I hope it satisfies you! Have a great day!

[sunnywalnut]

Finished watching Dead Boy Detectives. Here are my honest thoughts.

-If you're going into it expecting another Good Omens, stop. Our protagonists are all minors. Teenagers. They cuss, they have total dirty mouths and sexual humor, but they are not eternal beings pretending to be middle aged men. They're ghosts. Dead Boys, if you will. Also this might be a stretch, but I'm assuming from the slightly less good CGI that the budget for this series was a LOT less than what it was for GO

-Edwin is kind of a dick in the first episode. But it's okay. Because character growth is swag.

-REALISTIC CHARACTER GROWTH!!! I liked Edwin a LOT more during the second episode BECAUSE of the character growth. And honestly? It's completely natural that bro is more than a little prickly after only being able to trust one guy for an extremely long time. Fair enough my guy. Carry on.

- this show kinda has Nimona vibes. If that makes sense. Witty humor, somewhat sexual dialogue, funny moments during serious times, though geared towards a younger audience. If you like those kinds of things, you will like this, I'm sure of it.

- In the early episodes, the pacing/character relationships feel a little off??? I'm not sure if that was because I was expecting another Good Omens or what. But after 2-3 episodes, the dust quickly settled and we got into the actual storyline. Which was extremely appreciated✨

-these villains are FUCKED up. I'm telling you. They are HORRIFIC. Had me squirming and cringing through their intense scenes. And gosh. That was a TRIP.

-TY TENANT PLAYS THE MAIN GUY EDWIN!!!! And he plays him WELL. I did not realize this going in to the show and thought his face was VERY familiar. Only after I looked it up did I realize why. He's our sassy son of Job. (EDIT: turns out Ty plays the Doom Patrol version. Not the one on Netflix. My bad! They do look pretty similar though, so ykw. Great casting. Also my point still stands. This guy is a pretty fuckin awesome actor. 10/10)

-Cat King is such a wild card holy SHIT.

-Charles is cute as fuck. His backstory HURTS. But also. I love the way his ears look. Like in the pictures that I saw of him they were of when the Cat King impersonated him so I was like oh chill. So he's got pointed ears bc feline but NOPE. He's just like that!! And honestly? Slay. I fuckin love it.

-oh did I mention tragic backstories???? Yeah we got those :D for everyone :D

-Niko is the best and I love her. Also I love how the letters on her desk are written in Japanese. That is a VERY nice touch of character building.

-hot butcher lady with throat tattoo

All in all. A truly delightful series and I genuinely hope it gets another season because I NEED to know what happens next. My little sister LOVED it and the ending had us all staring open mouthed at the TV screen in shock.

This 15yo girl is literally ranting my ear off, having adventures with the Dead Boys in her dreams and chatting with me about it, searching up fanfics and drawing fanart, the whole shabang. And it is DIFFICULT for this girl to get into shows like this. So honestly? This is perfect. Thank you, Neil. For giving us a whole other banger.

That being said. If anybody else has some younger siblings that are around 15-17 and are looking for shows to binge watch together, this is the perfect one. I'm telling you, you will NOT regret it (except maybe emotionally)

Thoroughly recommend.

[saltyr3mix]

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD: Winnie HCs?

BITES YOU BITES YOU BITES YOU

Ok- so ok- I'm excited I'm gona go off prompt a bit because he's my second favorite character in the show and it's wonderful.

One thing I'd like to state for the record, in most of my aus he's actually a good guy. Or a good man in a bad situation. There are a few exceptions. Yluid Winnie is definitely not a protagonist and he's probably committed a lot of violence in the hero au- and you know what!

Because my Winnie head cannons change depending on the au I'm just going to talk about all my different versions of him!

To learn from the tragedies: what? He's in that au!? Yes<3. Not until book two but he comes into play. Sara basically has to build this like full out summoning circle and bam! They have Carlos back on their side. But not fully. I haven't decided where he lies in terms of memories yet but I know he's going to be a pain to everyone no matter who's side he's on.

Shattered dreams: SD LORE IN 2024!??! yes. Sd!Winnie is so special to me guys he commits unethical sciences, he falls from the celling, he tears out peoples worst insecurities, he hates him self, he has the largest ego, he's just a guy, he's the biggest threat these guys have ever faced, he'll try to be nice to one set of kids but the second they get out of hand give up trying. He's so- just imperfect. If I were to have finished the fic he would have eventually been swayed over, likely for a silly and dumb reason but ends being a super valuable ally in the final battle and what not.

Swap au: NOT the shuffle au, the skating in silence one. It's never mentioned but in that au Carlos takes the place of alison. I find this to be the funny thing known to man. Imagine, your savior, your light as your dying,the one who's guarding and protecting souls with an incomprehensible power. AND ITS CARLOS NICHOLSON. even funnier if wiatts the main protagonist and nearly died only to have his grandfather next to him like "get up kid! We still have work to do! I didn't raise you to die you idiot! Are you going to save your Twink or not?!!" Idk I find it just- harious I'm sorry -

I will make them create my world: he's uh- he's the Brights royal advisor of War. (Did I do this just so I could make Owen a general......no- shut up- don't look at my other hyper fixation)

Buried masks: ohhhh this one's fun. Uhm. You'll see him around. He's a doctor in this au. Really good friends with Litho, they like go golfing together. Knows the main cast pretty well. Buddies with Eric, teases founder trio and wiatt, gives the kids 15 dollar gift cards on their birthdays and has the best Halloween candy, he always gets full sized candy bars. Uhmmm yep. And he doesn't do anything morally wrong or questionable at all ever. Nope why would you say that about him. Accusing him of horrifically preforming inhumane procedures on kids in order to save his grandson?!? Pfff- what- ha! Never...... Don't ask where the supplies keeps going.

Superhero au: haven't fully developed him yet, he's a retired villain. Rich and has beef with Damien. (Everyone has beef with Damien in this au.) Probably the owner of whatever company Wiatt works for and is sort of in the background that people go to for funding or just to reference past villains. i think his powers had something to do with cameras. haven't entirely decided because it hasn't come up yet.

Steven Universe au: Hesssssssssss participating in evil experiments again. Hes Saras pearl but also just, actually enjoys the messed-up sciences and doing the test and experiments. he likes being her assistant. he likes the power that comes with it. he just helps her with the smaller finer details on her works and so, Acrimony's and Damien have a lot of trauma form in. He probably played a role in some of the triplet's issues as well just from being mean. but overall he's just sort of a threat to get around.

Super-Secret Oc Au/ Mine and Dangers au: So consider chat, Carlos Nicholson and Carly Gale forming a toxic, slightly dependent relationship after a lot of stuff goes down. Did Winnie kill her loved ones and then....not tell the truth about it? yes. Did he also by accident end up providing her comfort and helped her grieve though it? yes. he tried to help her. she just.....kept asking questions in the wrong direction and now their both upset because Winnie was finally able to have someone not hates him and understand that his hand is being forced here. Anyway, Carly stole his house and now lives in the abandoned arcade building and uses Winnie to help get information on how to handle the dreamworld situation. (The only reason Carly isn't Dead is because Vivian is instead) Winnies relationship with Norman in this au is also fantastic and deserves a shout out, i nearly wrote out a one-shot scene from this au about Norman and Morris and angst between them but it ended up spiraling into Norman and Winnie Nonsense and then i didn't want to write the original idea anymore because they were too silly. AND HIM AND DOT. OH BOY I DONT KNOW IF I WANT TO GET INTO THAT RIGHT NOW BECUASE THATS ITS WHOLE THING AND YEAH. I'll let Theater explain that one if you're curious. You'll live until i die, and other canon typical one shots: i try to follow canon for these but i think i make him ever so slightly meaner, but not in a...like evil way? more in a game host or like a dramatic way. he uses more insults than actions. but is also just not able to be taken seriously at points. One of my favorite times ive ever written him is a scene in YLUID between just him and ben and he has one single piece of information he needs, but physically cannot help himself from being as cryptic and threating as possible to the point it nearly completely backfires and the thing hes trying not reveal gets revealed. the best way i can describe this interaction is Winnie rolling three nat ones in a row while trying to have a conversation and its hilarious. Also in that au he does actually get defeated and beat up! he is so pathetic <3

Anyway, i think that's Winnie. that's my guy! i have a key chain of him and a friend....Void, who was the asker of this wonderful comment. Painted him for me that i have hung up in my room because i think he is one of the funniest failures of all time and he has a special place in my heart for that.

[shunin-gumis]

Designs of Happiness - Track A02

L4mps Main Story Translation

Title: Night Office

Characters: Daniel, Yodaka

Summary: Daniel brings the protagonist to a certain bar, where they meet a cheerful bartender and the sleepy owner… 

Please note, I use Momiji, the female Hamasaki sibling, as the speaker for my stories. Kaede is the male sibling. In this chapter there are some different reactions from characters depending on the player character's gender, I'll have them noted separately.

JP Proofreading: aca @463ce6 on twt EN Proofreading: jes @arcanecrayonn on twt

Location: “Ten Nights of Dreams” BAR

Momiji: Oh?

Momiji: There’s something on the ground… A flower?

Momiji: I wonder if it fell out of someone’s bouquet… It’s so pretty… And it’s still fresh too. I wonder what kind of flower this is…

Daniel: Oi Chief! What’re you spacing out in the middle of the road for?

Momiji: Sorry! I just went to pick this up.

Daniel: A flower, huh. Can’t believe folks would drop somethin’ as nice as this.

Daniel: So, what’re you gonna do with it?

Momiji: I can’t just leave it like this to wither away. I’d like to put it in a vase or something…

Daniel: Then it’s a good thing we’re here.

Momiji: What do you mean by that? 

Daniel: C’mon, let’s go.

Daniel: Heey~

Momiji: “Ten Nights of Dreams” huh… The bar gives a really nice vibe, it’s quiet and relaxing.

Momiji: They’ve put a lot of thought into the furnishing… Are these all vintage pieces? –Ah.

Momiji: There’s a vase with a beautiful floral arrangement… 

Chouun: Welcome. Customers have arrived.

Employee: Ah, sorry~ We’re still in the middle of prepping~

Employee: Huh? Oh, it’s just Hiroshi.

Daniel: Yo!

Momiji: Huh… Daniel did say he knew the owner here, I should’ve known it’s because he’s a regular.

Momiji: Does that mean this cheery and handsome fellow is the owner?

Daniel: The last time I was here, you told me I shoulda come in earlier, so here I am. Before opening hours, even. 

Employee: Are you for real? You know that’s not what I meant. I became a bartender so I could get with some hot chicks, NOT a bulky dude like you. 

Daniel: Hey, I’m the one who’s got complaints! You always lead the women away to some lone corner; might as well get a neon sign that says you’re feeling horny.

Daniel and the employee: Ha!

Employee: With that outta the way, comin’ in hot with a Tequila Boom Boom*!

Daniel: Hitting me with the shots already?

Employee: Here you go~ You can even down the whole bottle if you want!

Momiji: Looks like they get along real well, but-

Momiji: We’re still on the clock, Manager.

Daniel: Whaat~? Drinkin’s part of the job, really.

Momiji: Nope. That’s definitely not part of the job description.

Employee: Aha! Who’s your friend? Momiji: You can call me Hamasaki. Please don’t mind my presence here.

If player character is female: Employee: Hey there~ We’ve met before, on Mars, right? Momiji: Um? Employee: It’s alright~ Let’s leave the past behind and have a do-over. This time, on Earth~ Daniel: Hit on her all you want, but remember she’s MY subordinate. Employee: Tch, the watchdog’s got a little too much muscle on him.

If player character is male: Daniel: So he says. Ain’t worth bringing to a bar, this one. Employee: You’re the one who decided to bring a dude along… Doesn’t even seem like he knows how to loosen up. Kaede: Um, is there anything wrong with me being a guy? Employee: Not really… A customer’s a customer after all, you’re more than welcome. I just don’t want this place to get any more musty with all the men y’know~? Kaede: Do I smell or something…

Daniel: Right, almost forgot, this fella’s name is-

Yunyun: It’s Yunyun~ Nice to meetcha.

Daniel: Yun…? Really? That’s what you’re going with? Not like I care.

Momiji: Yu-Yunyun-san… It’s nice to meet you too.

Yunyun: Let’s get along yeah~

Daniel: So, where’s your boss?

Momiji: Huh, Yunyun-san isn’t the owner?

Yunyun: Ew~ Don’t lump me in with Yodaka-san. Our owner’s the one lounging over there.

Owner?: *soft snoring*

Momiji: I didn’t notice earlier, but there’s actually someone sleeping on the sofa…?

Daniel: It’s time for your first mission, Chief. Operation: Rouse the Barkeeper.

Momiji: Wha- why me?? You actually know the guy, shouldn’t you do it?

Daniel: I’m gonna go have a drink first, good luck.

Momiji: …..

Momiji: Well, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal anyways.

Owner: …..

Momiji: He’s sleeping quite soundly… I wonder if shaking his shoulder would be enough to wake him up… 

Momiji: Um, excuse me… 

Owner: *quiet mumbling*

Momiji: Is he… sleep talking?

Momiji: I can’t hear him, I should lean in closer…

Owner: A bit more…

Owner: Open your mouth… a little wider… Make sure not to spill…  even a drop… 

Momiji: !?

Momiji: P-Please wake up! Right now! I get the feeling that I shouldn’t let this go any further…!

Owner: Good… job…

Owner: …Ahh, you’ve gotten so much better at this…. before I’d even realized… 

Momiji: Aaahhhhh…!!

Yunyun: Back already?

Momiji: Sorry. It seemed like he was really enjoying his dream, it didn’t feel right to disturb him.

Daniel: What kinda dream was he having that’s got your face all red?

Momiji: It’s not red. It’s just the lighting. 

Yunyun: Hiroshi~ You shouldn’t bully your juniors like that.

Momiji: Seriously.

Yunyun: Ahaha! So, what’s that about Flower Laundry again?

Daniel: We’ve got some business with the store owner. Didn’t get to meet him though.

Yunyun: Flow-Laun’s that weird store that’s both a flower shop and a laundromat in one right? He’s probably got double the deliveries to do, so it’s easy to miss him.

Momiji: He’s got a point… In fact, just earlier-

~~~~~(Flashback)

Sonia: Welcome~

Momiji: Aw, what a cute pet robot. Though it’s no longer rare to find one helping out or watching over stores while their owners are out.

Momiji: I’d love to set one up at our company but… Shuumai would probably get jealous.

Momiji: Is Nagi Hachinoya-san here right now?

Sonia: Nagi-shan is out on delivery right now. There were orders for both bouquets and laundry, sho he’ll be out all day.

Sonia: Not to mention… Nagi-shan has a tendency to attract trouble, sho I never know when he’ll be back… I’m sorry that I can’t give you a clear answer.

~~~~~(end flashback)

Owner: What do you need him for?

Momiji: Huh- wha!?

Owner: Oh, it seems I’ve startled you.

Momiji: I-It’s because you talked right into my ear all of a sudden…!

Daniel: Be careful around that guy, he’s famous around these parts for being a walking “Libido Switchman”.

Momiji: A what-

Owner: Oh please, that was a long time ago.

Momiji: Are you sure? Because your sleep-talking earlier would say otherwise… 

Owner: Was I sleep-talking? I did have a dream about sharing popsicles with a friend… I remember the flavors, orange and pineapple.

Momiji: Talk about misleading…!

Yunyun: Mornin’ Boss~

Owner: Mm, good morning. –Chouun.

Chouun: Yes.

Owner: If you could please play some music that would suit tonight’s atmosphere

Chouun: … Understood. The playlist I have selected is themed after “Nostalgia”.

Momiji: This pet robot has a music player function huh… Its star lamp emanates a gentle glow, it’s so pretty… 

Owner: The little one.

Momiji: Huh?

Owner: Would you like to place it in this vase? I think it needs the water.

Momiji: Oh, were you talking about this flower?

Owner: Yes. I just thought it was a little sad to see it drooping all on its lonesome.

Momiji: Thank you, I'd been holding onto it because I meant to give it some water.

Momiji: I’ll take you up on the offer.

Owner: ….. 

Momiji: Erm…?

Owner: ……….

Momiji: I wonder why he’s staring at me so intently for… 

Yodaka: Have we… met somewhere before?

If player character is female: Momiji: H-He’s way too close…! Momiji: No, um, I’m pretty sure this is our first time meeting…! Owner: I have a hard time believing that. Those eyes… I’m sure I remember seeing them before…  Yunyun: Ah, I already used that line, so.

If player character is male: Kaede: I don’t think so… This should be our first time meeting. Owner: Are you sure? Kaede: Probably…? Also, um… isn’t your face too close…  Owner: It is, yes.

Owner: I see… Oh well.

Owner: How about their order?

Yunyun: They haven't ordered yet~

Daniel: Oh right, that slipped my mind. 

Daniel: Chief, your drink’s on me so get yourself one too. Yodaka’s cocktails are outta this world.

Momiji: Wow, it must be really amazing to get a stingy person like you to treat me. I’m really curious, but I’ll have to refuse. We’re still on the clock.

Owner: In that case, you can try a mocktail instead.

Momiji: A mocktail?

Owner: It’s a non-alcoholic cocktail. Please wait a moment while I make it.

Notes:

Ten Nights of Dreams (Yumejyuuya) is in reference to Natsume Soseki’s work of the same name, and is important to Yodaka’s character background. (I'd recommend reading about it after L4mps main story -> Yodaka's novel)

Tequila Boom Boom is probably in reference to this Japanese commercial on Sauza Cooler that aired in 2017, featuring Shota Matsuda.

<- Previous | Next ->

Masterlist

[soldier-lodbrok]

Rescue vs. Hunting mission for upcoming chapter?

Okay, so, listen. For that upcoming chapter. And that is my coping strategy upon knowing that Glenn and his team won't be the main protagonists any more. I already miss them, weeh. But hear me out.

The second Episode is apparently called "Secret of Wutai", and the trailer mentions some force/power that resides there. And I'm sure there will be a lot other stuff happening with Sephiroth facing his fears (that Hojo scene) and befriending Angeal and Genesis and getting Masamune and whatnot.

So far so good. But this is about the first setting we get. Angeal and Sephiroth are sent onto a mission to Wutai together.

And according to his bio, Angeal is the leader instead of Sephiroth, despite him outranking Angeal.

A member of SOLDIER. Earnest and hardworking, he never hesitates to lend others a hand. Despite being a SOLDIER: Second Class, he was appointed team leader over the First Class Sephiroth.

Sephiroth in that short clip seems utterly annoyed/unwilling to talk to Angeal. Even sighing and turning away, not answering to him (so far).

I would doubt that behaviour is because Sephiroth is upset he isn't the appointed leader of this mission. Nope. That's far too childish and Sephiroth in the first Episode tried so desperately to prove himself and do right by ShinRa's impossible standards.

That first Episode that ended with Sephiroth joining Glenn, Lucia and Matt commiting insubordination.

Clearly they couldn't and didn't fire their golden poster child Sephiroth. But they punished him via having Angeal take the lead in the next mission.

And maybe even via the goal of the mission itself.

So far we only know Angeal and Sephiroth are sent to retrieve someone back to Midgar.

Some speculate this could simply be a troop of soldiers, maybe with Genesis because I have no doubt he will show up too in this Episode. Since there seems to be a journalist accompanying them, it looks like ShinRa wants some propaganda being filmed.

So 'they' could either be a troop with or without Genesis that need to be rescued to show off how heroic SOLDIERs are.

Oooor it is made to be some propaganda because the mission could also be a hunt for deserters. To show ShinRa's power. And how steadfast Sephiroth truly is. How loyal. And you know who could also be in Wutai at that time and tries to start a revolution there?

So maybe "they" are the three deserting SOLDIERs P0 - Glenn, Lucia and Matt!

That could explain why Sephiroth seems so extremely unwilling to go on this mission. Dismissing Angeal completely and in this brief glimpse scene we got, he even seems to refuse to fight.

Sephiroth probably is unwilling to fight because everything he fought for on his last mission ended up being a lie and all those deaths on his hands were for absolutely nothing. Only grief, horrors and his own demons. And Glenn really hammered that 'have compassion' line into his mind alongside hugs and being encouraging even in teh worst situations.

Sephiroth probably has quite the trauma from what happened on Rhadore and will have to attempt to "work through" that (Hojo scene!).

And maybe he also refuses to fight because he would not want to fight against the trio (and their new faction) that was kind to him first. So Sephiroth would have to deal with that kind of emotional turmoil, too. Being sent out to hunt down those who cared for him, whom he befriended on that mission.

So, that's one of my rogue (desperate) thoughts because of course I want more of team Glenn. But I will be happy with all we get and I look forward to Genesis a lot, too! I actually still believe the rescue mission (be it just general troops or Genesis included) is much more plausible. But let me have fun and delusions! Until then, kicking my feet happily, just three more days guys!

[jq37]

So, Jumanji by way of Last Action Hero. Ok, Never Stop Blowing Up. I'm in for the ride. They managed to put together a great table for this one. I'm delighted they got Rekha back in the Dome. It's exciting to see Alex Song-Xia again. Izzy is always a treat. I'll never say no to more Jacob Wysocki. And of course Ally and Ify are always strong performers. We're in for a good season.

What a crazy start! I'm so glad I watched Last Action Hero a few weeks ago in prep because those vibes are very apparent (in addition to Jumanji 2 of course, but I'd already seen that).

A quick rundown of everything going on:

Ally Beardsley as Russell Feeld as Jennifer Drips

INSANE swings from Ally right out the gate. I love that Izzy was both in character thirsting over Russell and out of character being like, "Pull it back." Also, I think they're the only one playing a girl movie character so that's interesting. This season is gonna be such a trip pronoun-wise. Wonder what direction Ally wants to go with that.

Ify Nwadiwe

as Wendell Morris as Vic Ethanol

I was STUNNED to hear Wendell's voice come out of Ify's body. I didn't know he had an Urkel-esque bone in his jacked as hell self. And I assumed that once the PCs turned to their MCs (movie characters) they'd use their MC voice but nope. It seems like he's still doing the Wendell voice which is wild. I love a sweet nerd so Wendell is one of my early faves for sure. Very much the vibes on the main character from Jumanji 2 turning into the Rock. Also, Vic Ethanol is my fave expy name.

Isabella Roland

as Paula Donvalson as Jack Manhattan

Izzy had, by far, my favorite movie bit with her and Brennan walking into that chicken bit which was golden. Sometimes a bit drags on too long but they drove that to the exact funniest point and then left it there. Chef's kiss, no notes. Very much looking forward to seeing this very tightly wound mom in this unhinged setting.

Rekha Shankar

as Usha Rao as G13

Something I really respect is building a character who is specifically bad at the main thing they have to do and a woman who barely has grasped the concept of phones having to be the hacker is so funny. Rekha, you've done it again. I didn't notice until it was pointed out on Twitter but one of the fave movies listed on her card is literally the first movie ever made (The Horse in Motion). And her immediate 1 when trying to do hacker stuff is a portent of more hilarity to come I'm sure. Love to have her back in the dome.

Alex Song-Xia

as Liv Skyler as Kingskin

Also, love to have Alex back in the dome! I loved them in Mentopolis and they picked such a fun dichotomy of characters to inhabit in a teen girl who's giving me Vanessa from In the Heights with a little compulsive shoplifting plus truly just Kingpin from Marvel. I found her really endearing and she was also one of my faves.

Jacob Wysocki

as Andy 'Dang' Litefoot as Greg Stocks

I'm not as familiar with Jacob as I think some others are but he matched the table's energy right away. I would think the aliens thing was a weird swing except that there's someone in one of my games who has a very similar deal (their PC not the actual person lol) so it's kind of like yeah, that's a normal thing for a PC to believe. Maybe it's because I just binged all of The Bear but he kind of reminds me of a more assertive Fak. And it's a very funny contrast to a suave James Bond-type (also, Stocks/Bond. Ha).

So it looks like we have Fast and Furious, Die Hard, and James Bond. Kingskin is Kingpin from Spiderman and maybe just repping mobster flicks in general. G13 also seems to be a generic hacker. And Jennifer Drips is a generic femme fatale.

I think it's interesting that everyone seems to be a protagonist except for Kingskin who is an obvious baddie (unless he comes from a Breaking Bad type world where it's bad guys all the way down and no real heroes).

Also, I'm curious about how they'll cross over with each other. In Last Action Hero, it was kind of implied that many action movie scenarios take place in a shared universe (which is why you had Arnold in the same police station as a talking cartoon cat and other archetypes waiting to get paired up with their wacky mismatched sidekicks). Could be something like that, but we'll see.

Anyway, yeah! I wasn't sure how this season was gonna look but I'm VERY down for it now that it's started. Oh! And the animatics???? Amazing! D20 just keeps outdoing itself!

[scientistservant]

I'm sorry for sending in another ask 🙈 But I need to know your opinion, as I haven't had a chance to read it. Sooooooo, why is Long Live The Pumpkin Queen, bad? Did they fuck up the doc and Sally that badly? Like are we talking about Love Never Dies level of shitty? (musical sequel to Phantom of the opera that most of us fans loathe.)

Oh boy, okay

This is gonna be long, please bare with me 😭

So the book completely changes/“fixes” Sally’s origins. She wasn’t a creation, or never even FROM Halloween Town.

She’s a special princess of dolls from “Dream Town” and has parents who are also dolls. She was kidnapped from her bedroom when she was like 12 by Finkelstein.

This is fucking bullshit.

How she even physically ages or how dolls can even conceive is never brought up or explained. Nor is how Fink even kidnapped her in the first place. The book and author just expects you to accept this new canon, which conveniently comes out like three decades after the source material.

Because the book is in first person and in Sally’s point of view we NEVER hear any perspective or proper explanation from Fink or any other character about anything.

Fink is just reduced to a one-dimensional villain who kidnapped Sally all because he apparently can’t create life or bring things back to life via science. You know… HIS FUCKING JOB.

He despises that Jack and Sally get married, despite that Fink would be ecstatic at this (Sally’s his creation and Jack one of his very old friends.)

Sally is also reduced to a one-dimensional protagonist who never questions anything and every third word from her mouth/brain is either “sad”, “ragdoll”, or “stitches/seams”.

She just believes these two doll people who she’s never met before, and doesn’t bother to leave “Dream Town” to ask the elderly scientist she’s known for her entire existence about this (not to mention everyone in the entire world including the holiday realms are dead asleep at this point at this part in the book anyway…)

Oh yeah, the book has a main villain too, surprisingly. It’s not Fink, even though the book certainly treats him like it.

It’s the fake ruler of “Dream Town”, Sandman, who’s actually kind of cool and creepy. But his reasoning for his villainy is bullshit, just like everything else in this damn book.

He’s just tired.

Yeah.

The Sandman is tired because he can’t sleep and his sand doesn’t work on him so he can’t get to sleep. You’d think a being as powerful and seemingly dangerous as this guy wouldn’t need sleep, but apparently he does. He’s cranky and needs a nap with his blanky, boo-fucking-hoo.

The ONLY thing I actually sort of enjoyed in the book was the bit where Sandman was stalking Halloween Town, putting everyone to sleep, and Sally was hiding from him. That was actually kind of suspenseful and I wish Sandman was that threatening throughout.

And does Sandman get any punishment for taking over “Dream Town” and putting everyone in an eternal sleep?

Nope. But FINK gets punished! Firstly, Jack completely believes these two random doll creatures he has never met before and that say they’re Sally’s parents. He yells at Fink, without asking his dear old friend if any of this is even true. And then Fink gets 100 years of prison and community service, which is stupid because why the fuck would Holiday realm laws, much less HALLOWEEN TOWN laws, function the same as the real world’s?

Speaking of which, apparently Halloween Town’s an actual monarchy, and the Pumpkin King isn’t just a cool title for the face/mascot/figurehead of the realm. The book even lampshades this, but doesn’t take this anywhere further aside from Sally complaining she has to wear a crown and Jack doesn’t.

This whole book is stupid and I will never accept it as canon, ever.

What sucks about this is that I fucking PREORDERED the book! I thought it was gonna be a story about how and why Sally was created, and get some backstory/lore for Fink, as well as explanation of why his relationship with his creation got so bad. Maybe a little extra plot of how Sally and Jack met.

But it didn’t. I fucking cried. This book made me cry my fucking eyes out, out of anger and betrayal because my favourite character and his creation/daughter was butchered.

After reading the whole thing I threw the book in a little library and never looked back.

I’m still working on a complete and total rewrite/fix-it-fic, it’s just gotten put on the back-burner because of other projects I’m currently working/fixated on. Apologies for that. But I promise it won’t be forgotten!

EDIT: Oh yeah, and the Holiday rulers have a meeting about climate change. Because Holidays have super importance with the weather or some shit. I’m not fucking kidding.

EDIT 2: The author is also a New York Times best-seller which is already pretty suspicious since that is basically a huge scam. The book has hundreds of 4-5 star reviews that don't even really get into the specifics of WHY it's good. They're all either extreme Jack x Sally fans (the book starts off with them getting married and Sally's main dilemma is worrying about being "a good enough queen") that like anything tnbc/Jally related OR a bunch of people were paid to give this book glowing reviews.

[arrenkae]

More thoughts after finishing bg3:

Dark urge for a first playthrough also turned out to be Fine Actually

In fact, it was pretty amazing

It's not just about being a murderhobo, or resisting being a murderhobo; it's a very strong storyline that is HEAVILY tied with the game's main story, and impacts a lot of the decisions you are making, and your character truly feels like an intended protagonist

And yes you can reject the urge and be a good guy

Yes, it's still very dark. You are not always in control. But it won't screw over your entire good-aligned playthrough or anything. What it does do is provide a great source for inner conflict and angst, and an amazing dramatic conclusion at the end of the game

Big spoilers obviously:

So as many have guessed already, dark urge is a bhaalspawn

And if you eventually reject your father, OH BOY HE IS NOT HAPPY

As in, he straight up kills you

BUT THEN

WITHERS MY MAN COMES IN AND IS LIKE "LOL NOPE NOT TODAY"

Yes we know you are Jergal

Best boy

Best god

And I also love this line at the very end

Taking back control from the tadpole AND Bhaal feels so satisfying and it really feels like your character's mind has went through hell and they deserve to finally have some peace from all the Horrors

[warthogreporter]

Destiny of Mithra: Land of the Sun

Alright let's go

Hey it's the scroll author.

Syncretism moment.

Next few slabs recount Mithra's involvement in Destiny of Dionysus and say Mithra and Dionysus are bound together as one soul forever.

It's time.

"I spread your ways of peace, by force." That is also basically how the heroes respond.

Unfortunately didn't think to take screenshot because I was too in the moment, but Roxana straight up called Mithra a bitch. Queen shit.

Some guys will really just blame themselves for their bff/ maybe boyfriend being doomed by the narrative and start an empire to cope instead of going to therapy.

Dionysus has a lot more of a temper and willingness to slam his foot down here.

Damn. Wait who is he going to become...

WHAT?!

Hmm that felt a little too easy but maybe it's because I did all the side stuff...

Nope this another fight isn't it?

Oh boy.

Asura Mithra-Lucifer-Vayu is tough with all of the nuclear themed attacks, but Cyrus made up for joining late by being my main source of damage.

Gaining the power of Protogonos in the Orphic Temple translates to Dionysus having a revive move that buffs attacking stats for rest of battle, so after an early Cyrus KO he came back and started doing 600+ damage per attack.

And it looks like beating the boss wasn't enough.

What does Vayu have against humanity?

Looks like the mortal world is left permanently unstable in a cosmic sense, no divine ruler to guide it. But the protagonists have hope that humanity can still make it through, and so finally head home.

And we close off with Roxana and Cyrus walking together, with Roxana talking about how it's natural to cling to life no matter what. After everything those two specifically went through it's nice to see them off on their own.

That's the end. If I play other routes I won't slow down to live blog.

[adarkrainbow]

To explain a bit more the Bluebeard situation I talked about in my previous post:

Perrault always placed Moralities at the end of his fairytales (there was a strong influence of La Fontaine’s Fables, which Perrault adored, even if the two guys were on opposite sides of the Modern VS Ancient feud). And while some of his Moralities were “serious” and helped reconsider the fairytale in a different light (for example the Morality of “Little Red Riding Hood” makes explicit the sexual meaning of the tale and how the wolf is supposed to represent a predatory male seducer), others were very clearly parody of moralities, or rather little jokes added in the end (again, Perrault’s fairytales were supposed to be like dark comedies, horrific and funny at the same time). 

And the best example is Bluebeard. I don’t think I need to tell you the story, you all know it by now. What’s the Morality for Bluebeard? Given the nature of the story it might be “Don’t just marry a guy because he is rich, ESPECIALLY IF HE HAS TON OF MISSING WIVES”. Or it might be “Maybe if a guy has a blue-beard it is because THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIM, RUN GIRL GIRL”. Nope, the Morality basically condemns curiosity as a very bad thing, and as the typical, archetypal vice of all women, that they should work to fix. In the context of the story this is clearly meant as a joke-morality, since this whole “Curiosity must be punished” is the very logic used by the serial killer-antagonist of the story (who ends up defeated in a shameful situation while the curious protagonist gets rewarded). It is clearly a joke...

... and yet many people read it first degree and bought into the whole idea that somehow Perrault was a total misogynist who used his stories to teach women to be docile beings accepting everything and never questioning anyone. These people clearly didn’t pay attention to the story, or have very little knowledge of who Perrault was.

What is made even worse is that when you read the rest of the Morality, it becomes clear it is all a joke... Because the Morality basically goes “Well, we can see this is a story that happened a LONG TIME AGO. A Bluebeard case couldn’t have happened today. Why? Because nowadays it is the women that are in charge of everything, and that are the boss of the house, and who terrorize their husbands into submission, and so Bluebeards would have been faced with some dragons of a wife in modern days.” I mean... Perrault is literaly mocking the people that go “Oh darn, where are the good old days where the men were in charge of everything in the house, and when women just shut up and did as they were told? Oh sure, this Bluebeard fella might have been a killer..; BUT AT LEAST HE WORE THE PANTS IN THE RELATIONSHIP! At least he had the natural order of things in his house, and if we had more people like him to punish those rebellious women, the world would have been better today.”

This is literaly Perrault mocking this mindset by parroting them in his dubious morality. A morality that is need to be seen as dubious since Bluebeard is - I think I need to insist - expressedly depicted as a ugly, terrifying, hard-hearted, brutal and savage serial killer that is ultimately a whimp easily defeated by actually brave and noble men. And I can’t stress enough how Perrault stood on the side of the “Moderns”, and was a fervent enemy of the “Ancients” and their glorification of the “ancient ways”... 

I know that, when I read the brief Perrault section Jack Zipes had placed in his book about fairytales, this was my main problem: he painted a very dark portrait of Perrault as a sort of brainwasher of women precisely because he read the stories first-degree and completely missed the jokes spread everywhere and how Perrault’s stories are fundamentaly ironic (I mean come on... in a society of absolutism where the king is everything and nobility a sacred thing, he wrote “Puss in Boots” that heralds as heroes a stupid miller son and a cunning cat who basically steal all the belongings of an ogre-lord and then fool a drunkard of a king, faking a nobility title till they make it... That’s definitively not supposed to be a first-degree story). Apparently Jack Zipes is excellent when he deals with other topics - the Brothers Grimm for example, or comparative fairytales as a whole - but he is part of those people that completely misread the whole “French fairytales” part of fairytale history. 

[tdlosk-confessions]

I just realized Saiki is basically that post "Nope: the anime./The Diary of Protagonist-chan."

Like pink-haired protagonist who wants to live an ordinary normal life and is desperately trying to avoid being stuck in main character situations, in a satire/parody comedy making fun of anime tropes? That's literally Saiki. He'd be best friends with Mika Otohime/Protagonist-chan. She just wants to be nornal but oh well, if she does have to be around superpowered OP people at least she's around a guy who's basically just like her. Also for some reason I imagined her proposing to him by getting down on one knee and offering him a coffee jelly lol.

[Confession 283]

They'd be the duo of the century, unstoppable, well except for the forces of the universe making them main characters

[secretagentfan]

Some attempted, painful, words of hope:

I've been thinking a lot about how I felt when reading Parable of the Sower. Octavia Butler wrote this book in 1993, and it takes place in 2024.

Before Parable of the Sower, I prided myself on finishing "good books" and putting down "bad books". Sower was the exception. It is one of the best books I've ever read, and I never finished it. I'm going to talk about it anyway. I think I need to.

I read a good chunk of it on a plane ride, where there was no escape. I was looking for books that look at religion in a nuanced way and I knew empathy was a main theme, which, fuck yeah.

I was not prepared.

Parable has your standard pre-apocalypse set-up. It's a small town in a horrible world (ours) surrounded by a wall. There are signs that the wall is going to come down, and the young protagonist picks up on these signs.

Early on she tells her friend about it, tells her that they need to prepare to learn to survive. Her friend cries to her parents, and her friend's parents then proceed to get mad at the protagonist's parents for teaching their daughter to fearmonger.

The scene that occurs after this, between main character and her pastor father, punched me in the chest. He basically tells her she's right about the wall falling-- he tells her that the adults in the town all know, and are doing their best to prepare for it. Most young people, he argues, can't handle carrying the knowledge the wall is going to fall. He says that when they discover it for the first time, all they want to do is point at the void-- just point at the big scary thing that needs correcting. But, he insists, that just breeds extremism.

Instead, he advises her to point NEXT to the void. Start learning survival stuff on her own, work it into her life and the lives of others in sneaky subtle ways. Ways that won't scare people-- but ways that they'll have when they need it.

It doesn't sit well with her, but she loves her father, and she tries.

The wall falls anyway.

When it does, it's awful. Like, whatever horrible thing you can imagine happening to people (especially women) happens and happens so much.

When my plane ride was over. I set the book down and googled. Childishly, I wanted to make sure there was a 'happy ending' before continuing. I learned there was, more or less, and that there was a sequel book too. Parable of the Talents, in which a political leader embarks on a crusade to cleanse America of non-Christian faiths. His slogan? "Make America Great Again".

Nope. No way. I thought. Too close. Oh God, how did Octavia Butler manage to get his slogan back in 1993!?

On top of that, I also learned that Parable of the Sower, and Parable of the Talents were intended to be part of trilogy, but Octavia Butler passed away before writing the third book.

So, knowing this I picked the book up again, read until I reached a spot I determined was hopeful enough and I set it down.

I wasn't ready to start a book that ended up in Trump times, and didn't have a known ending.

I told myself I wasn't quitting, just taking a mental break. I promised to come back to Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents when I was in a better mental place and more ready to handle the themes.

(Lol. Lmao even. )

Well guys, here we are. Trump 2024. Guess who's not in a better mental place, and guess who can't stop thinking about Parable of the Sower.

Crazy thing is, I've been thinking of it in a completely different way than I did back then. I'm honestly really grateful I read what I did, when I did. Octavia Butler was a brave and incredible woman and writer. Braver than me, for being able to sit on those complex horrific feelings and parse them down into something swallowable.

I love that scene between the protagonist and her father. I've tossed it around in my head a lot, I think about "pointing at the void" and the debate of whether that's something we should do, or not do.

I think that's something a lot of people can relate to now. It's tempting to talk about how bad things are-- but does that unite us? However, does pointing NEXT to the void really actually solve the problem?

The wall still falls, regardless. Change is coming.

I'm not looking to point at the void or point next to the void right now. Right now, I just want to be exactly where I'm at, and I'm amazed to find that what I read of Parable of the Sower gives me hope now too.

Another core theme of the book is the agony and strength that comes with being an empathetic person in destructive times.

The protagonist ends up making her own religion, Earthseed. She argues that God is Change, and we shape God. God is not kind. Change is not kind. It's partially out of our reach, but we do shape it and it is our responsibility to shape it for the better.

We decide how we act on a microlevel with each other and that means everything.

We are not living the worst of Parable of the Sower right now. The world hasn't entirely turned toward violence, yet. This is a terrifying, terrifying time, and I don't know what's going to happen.

We are not powerless though. We shape God, we shape Change, even as it shapes us.

Parable of the Sower is a book about surviving. It's a book about sitting in the discomfort and agony of being an empathetic person and continuing to fight to be kind, even when things are at their absolute worst.

We can't give into nihilism, but we can't just look away from the void either. The wall is falling. The wall has fallen. Things are bad right now, and we all just need to sit in it, and offer a hand to each other at every chance we get.

If there's one thing survival stories have taught me it's no matter how bad things get-- people can never truly get ground to dust.

The human will is an incredible thing, and when everything goes horribly, I think that's when the most basic interaction of "you are a human being and I see you, and I believe your worth" becomes the most important hope in the world to maintain. Even in the darkest most horrible corners of human history-- there is hope as long as there is kindness between people.

We need to learn to sit in discomfort, stare at the hurt and the violence and the hope and not put it down, even when we want to.

There is no third book in this series-- but we decide what it looks like.

-

“That’s all anybody can do right now. Live. Hold out. Survive. I don’t know whether good times are coming back again. But I know that won’t matter if we don’t survive these times.”

"All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change.”

“The world is full of painful stories. Sometimes it seems as though there aren't any other kind and yet I found myself thinking how beautiful that glint of water was through the trees.”

[cyanide-sippy-cup]

Okay I'm gonna preface this post by saying I've never seen Primal before. I was just hanging out with my brother and we watched some shows together, like we usually do. And I was going to make a completely separate post until we got to the topic of this one.

Now I'm sure Primal fans have heard enough of this, so as a warning, just know this is me complaining about the finale. So instead of reading that for the umpteenth time, just enjoy the post I was originally gonna make.

Primal is a beautiful show with a lot of great themes. I've always thought the ability to tell a story with no dialogue was a showcase of a creator's skill, and this show embodies that so well.

Hey, so what the fuck was that. Maybe I'm missing context, since we only watched s2 ep6-10, but even my brother hated it, and I could tell that was just not a good conclusion.

Ep6 was a fantastic finale to a rivalry even I could tell had a lot of history. The birthing scene was great, it showcased how each of them cared for each other, whether it was Spear's excitement once he realized what was happening or Mira's little smiles as she watched from afar. That bit where they tried to get the eggs in the boat was very entertaining and I appreciate the personality Fang demonstrates through mere movements and expressions.

The 3-parter was downright beautiful. I love prison break episodes, for one, and I love reunions, so I enjoyed it quite a bit. The Egyptian ship was a gorgeous design, and it did such a good job at showing you the passage of time through small details, like the montage and the growth of the jaguar. In both of these episodes, the final battles were very exciting and fitting to the stakes they presented.

Now notably, what these episodes did not portray was the idea that Spear is lonely. If anything, it does the opposite. It shows how close they all are, how much they love each other and how far they are willing to go to take care of one another. But in the finale, the main idea is that Spear is suddenly super sad and alone. Now this is fine. I think it should have been set up directly beforehand for a smoother transition but sure, I can still get behind this. Again, I'm probably missing context.

The beginning of the finale is really cool. I liked the different origin flashbacks, clearly setting up the stakes and what this fight means to them. I liked the small details, like Fang dropping her kids next to Spear while she went searching. I liked Mira reuniting with her people, including old friends like the lady with the axe wound. And I even enjoyed the demonstration of Spear's loneliness through the cave drawings.

But then the Chieftain shows up. I thought the setup to this in the previous eps was awesome. This is gonna be a really cool final fight against an old foe, maybe lead into the big bad of the Satan-looking fella. And the beginning of the fight was really cool. It was clear that they were overpowered, leaving you wondering how they were gonna overcome this. You know, the stakes are high, Mira's village has history with this guy, their lives are at stake once more. I'm thinking maybe they're gonna get the help of the locals to take him down. But nah. Spear just tackles him and then he gets dragged back to hell for no reason.

But at this point, I still don't realize it's the finale. I was talking with my brother about how this is probably gonna leave lasting scars or maybe Spear'll even die, maybe they'll have to bring him back. And then Fang roared and I was like "okay yeah, something like that". But again, nah. That's just Fang's legitimate reaction to the permadeath of the main protagonist.

But yknow, he groans and is like "Mira" and then she looks at the little mural. And I thought she was gonna grab his hand and maybe they were gonna do the prayer together again in a nice little romantic moment or something but NOPE. Mira really just said "imma help you get off one last nut before you die". Like HUH?? And then before you can even wrap your mind around that BAM! Timeskip. The babies are grown up, their daughter is there, and then the credits. Like I get she wanted to continue his legacy and culture or whatever but it came at just the weirdest time.

Like ???? I have to assume some shit went down behind the scenes before this episode cause what the fuck was that. And like, I have no issue with the timeskip as a concept. I get it, you have one more episode, you might as well end it with something hopeful. But that combined with everything else was just... bad. It all felt so rushed and I felt immense disappointment towards a show I don't even have any relationship with.

[ga-yuu]

Hi! I just wanna ask if you're from India? Just wanna make sure cause I saw it once on the blog description. The reason I ask is actually for a stupid reason. And feel free to ignore.

Lately, I've been coming across Indian tv scenes meme where people die by getting strangled ridiculously by the scarf getting caught in a fan of them getting slapped and pushed into it. Or one where a girl rescued a guy who fell and did many backflips in the air, by riding a large kite. Are these really what's in Indian tv show? I wanna know who their target audience is. And what they think about it?😅 I find it quite humourous and it gives me a good laugh.

OMG. Lol. Okay. I'm gonna rant okay! I'm also gonna be referring some tv shows and use show hindi terms that are very popular among these shows.

Indian tv serials or Indian tv dramas are EMBARRASSING AS HELL and I'm not proud to say that. If I could describe it in one sentence I would say---"It will give you a brain tumor, so please don't watch it."

About 90% or more, Indian tv serials are like that. I'm not joking. Let me tell you why?

Ekta Kapoor. Ekta Kapoor or Ekta didi (we'll call her like that!) is a very infamous name in India. She's basically a producer and has produced more than 100 tv serials. Apart from two or three good ones, the rest are dog shit. Also, all of them are soap operas. The problem with her tv serials is that, they don't have an identity. For example, let's take K-dramas or C-dramas. They have shows for different genres like romance, mystery, thriller, horror, historical etc. But when you take a look at most of the Indian shows, almost all of them have 'saas-bahu' melodrama ('saas' in hindi means 'mother-in-law' and 'bahu' in hindi means 'daughter-in-law') and nothing else. There is no actual plot or goal or even an ending. They don't even have a genre. For example, there is a tv serial called 'Sasural Simar Ka'. It started a normal soap opera melodramatic show, but then out of nowhere it ventured into supernatural stuff. Yeah, I'm not joking. Simar is the name of the main protagonist and is a normal human being who got married into a rich family (like every other ekta kpoor tv shows) and then after IDK 1000 episodes later, she turns in a fly. .....yep, I wish I was joking. You can check that on youtube if you don't believe me.

Seriously, the writers don't know what they're writing. They're just doing whatever to milk-out each episodes. Another problem with these shows is that, they just never want to end. Some shows starts with a good message but then after like 50 episodes when the message is conveyed and the goal is achieved, the best thing we must do for the show for it to remain as good as it is, is to end the fucking show, right? But Nope! They just keep going and going and going and going and going...I remember when I was nine years old, my mom used to watch this one serial called 'Yeh rishta kya kehla tha hain'. I finished my school and started college and the show was still going on. After reading your question, I simply googled to see if the serial was still on going but thankfully they ended it after 14 YEARS! WITH 4000+ EPISODES! 4 FUCKING THOUND EPISODES!!? WTF IS THIS EVEN ABOUT? One piece could never. Oh before I forget, 'Yeh rishta kya kehla tha hain' is also a soap opera. So as you see, unlike k-dramas that ends with about 20 to 22 episodes per season, Indian tv serials doesn't end. This also burdens the writers because they have to keep churning out new drama for each episode and after some time, its clear that they are running out of ideas. Writers are also human beings. If they are ordered to writer each episode everyday, they would obviously feel burned out and run out ideas, which would lead them writing shit like this:

and also the funny clips you saw on youtube. Unlike K-drama, whose episodes are once or twice a week, indian tv shows are daily (except for sat and sun) and there would be a watch party in my house which starts right after 6pm. 6pm is when my family pray and the tv would be on around that time, because my family members don't wanna miss a single scene. It starts at 6pm and ends at around 9 or 10pm on avg. depending on the number of serials they watch.

Now earlier when I said about Indian tv shows having no identity, well, almost all tv serials are centered around 'saas-bahu' drama. No matter what the story is, everything ends up being a story about a rich family wearing heavy makeup and saris and their boring household affairs where the daughter in laws and mother in laws try to conspire against each other for no reason and the men in these serials are nothing but props. Also there is always this grandma character who for some reason never dies despite having grandkids and those grandkids having grandkids and even if one of those grandkids die, this old lady never does.

Another thing, which I'm quite embarrassed to say is that, Ekta didi had been trying so hard to remake many popular american shows like the Vampire dairies and the Game of thrones. Now personally, I have not watched either of them. Ekta didi has tried remaking Vampire diaries and Twilight 3 times! The first one is called 'pyaar ki yeh ek kahaani' was something my sister used to watch. It was fine at first but soon becomes boring as hell. There is no story or setup or mythology, nothing. She just made it because she wanted to copy Twilight, because it was a blockbuster around that time. Her second attempt was 'Fanaah' and I don't remember it at all despite it having well known actors, it flopped so hard. Her third attempt and the most embarrassing one is the recent remake of the Vampire diaries who's name I don't even remember and I don't care to look it up, because I'm so embarrassed to even talk about it. Yeah, that's why.

You what's the best and worst thing about India? India is a country that has people speaking many languages. I come from the South and I speak Malayalam. There are other languages like Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati etc. Although I don't speak most of them, I do understand them. That's great. But you know what is not great? The tv shows that I mentioned above, they are all in Hindi. Which means....THERE ARE TV SHOWS LIKE THAT FOR OTHER LANGUAGES AROUND INDIA! Like I said, I come from the south, so my family watches Malayalam tv shows and although they are not as cancerous as the hindi ones, they are still shit and the writers doesn't know when to end it. I swear to god, if my grandma understood every languages in this world, she would watch every tv serials like this forever.

Now the audience. Basically all ages can watch these. But, not everyone wants to. Especially we young teenagers and people with brains, don't wanna watch these kinds of serials because we know it's not worth our time. Instead of watching that, we'd rather waste our time watching a normal anime or manga or play games or even study. The only people who watch these are kids (as in babies) who don't know what the fuck is going on but watches them because others are watching it, grandparents because they don't have anything to do in life so they just watch for entertainment, and people who have no job irl and watch these shows just to taste that spicy drama that we don't get to taste irl. I mean, I won't blame them, who the hell would wash laptops in real life with a dish soap? They all gather and form a watch party and once this starts, no one is allowed to disturb them. My grandpa was bedridden, so my grandma would feed him dinner before 6pm every night so that he won't disturb her during her shows. My dad told me that the watch party is so intense that they won't even be conscious about their surroundings. He said "Even if a robber enters the house, steals the things around the house, makes coffee and leave, these idiots still won't know." and he's not exaggerating.

Also let me tell you, its not always been like this. In the earlier days, before Ekta didi became a producer, Indian tv serials were not like this. There used to be good tv serials with good messages and not to forget the epics 'Mahabarath' and 'Ramayana' these are literal gold even to this day. But now, Ekta didi is the Queen to indian television, so we can't do anything about it. :(

[randomnameless]

Based random JP Amazon reviewer:

People who have a strong attachment to the previous work will feel the pain. Especially if you like Byleth, Claude, Sothis, Cyril, and Hanneman, you will regret buying this for a long time. This work deliberately lowers the class of Claude and Golden Deer in order to raise Edelgard, and Byleth and Sothis in order to raise the level of the less attractive new protagonist, and Claude is like Edelgard in the main story. He's a tyrant, his classmates praise him for not thinking, he's an idiot, Byleth is turned into a real NPC, and they say, ``It would have been better if he hadn't become a teacher (lol).'' The encounter with the teacher must have been an inevitable encounter, right? I'm convinced that the person who wrote this scenario hasn't played Three Houses. Well, I think there are cases where someone who doesn't know the original work writes the scenario, like a certain Hollywood version of Dragon Ball, but I don't want this writer to write the scenario again.

On the other hand, I think it's a good game for people who have no attachment to the previous game, don't care about the scenario, and just like mowing grass. The price is dropping at a fast pace for a Switch game, so if you really want to play it, you might want to wait a little bit before buying.

The most diabolical parts of this critique have to be the guy pointing out how the price is dropping bizarrely fast for a new Switch release, that the game is only worth it as mindless fun for people who don't care about Three Houses, and comparing Nopes to Dragon Ball Evolution💀

LOL

But yeah, the price dropping so fast, at least in Japan? (here it's still worth more than 10 euros) is, imo, a sign that part of the fanbase really didn't like this game.

Maybe some people who preordered it on Amazon.co.jp cancelled their order when the leaks were revealed? So Amazon had to sell those things no one wants anymore?

And re-lol at the mention that the devs didn't play FE16 - one of the devs in his interview legit said he forgot parts of the FE16 plot as he played Nopes...

(I'll forever be salty that they retconned the existence of magic tomes in the Fodlan verse!).