#did i understand only half the plot Of Course but the vibe was there and i enjoyed it...

[todayisafridaynight]

[reareaotaku]

Brother's Best Friend [BBF]

Summary: Your older brother's best friend seems 2 have gained a little crush on you. Pairings: Yandere! Mike Wheeler x Reader [Possible Lucas x Reader?] Tw/Cw: Perv Mike, Aged up Mike, Dustin is older brother, They're like a year apart, They have different dads, Eddie is alive still for plot, The boys are upperclassman, Panty stealing-, Slight NSFW themes Taglist: @fxchild, @milesfairchild2, @maxiscoolongg, @penguinsravioli, @totallynotafroggie, @jackass-1 [Part 2?]

You didn't know much about your brother's best friend, Mike, but he always gave you this weird vibe. Though, your brother was weird too, so of course he attracted weird friends.

Thankfully, he was never mean to you, unlike Dustin's other friend, Lucas. Lucas had always found a reason to taunt you just for fun, nothing ever truly cruel, but it did get on your nerves. Though, your mother would always reassure you he was just teasing you, because that's what boys did.

You thought it was just plain annoying. You didn't understand why boys being mean to you meant they 'liked you.' Maybe they were just fucking mean.

---

You looked at the clock before realizing that you might be able to sneak into the kitchen and get something to drink. Your mother was probably asleep and you were sure Dustin was at a friend's house, so you were in the clear.

Though as you make it downstairs, you hear voices, causing you to groan. You slowly walk down the stairs, before peaking around the corner. It was Dustin and his D&D [?] friends? You weren't sure what they were doing, but it looked like they were playing that stupid game.

You tried to sneak past, but those boys must have had some keen hearing. Mike nearly instantly notices you and you both make intense eye contact. You froze, hoping he wouldn't say something. Thankfully, he didn't. Unfortunately, someone else did.

Eddie was the first to acknowledge you and you couldn't help the annoyed/disgusted face that appeared.

"Aww, that's not a pretty face."

"It's past midnight- Why are you guys in our house? Go home."

"Chill out, Y/n. We're just finishing our game." Dustin says, not even looking at you.

"Yeah, Y/n. Calm down. We'll leave when it's over," Lucas says, "Besides it's not like we're bothering you."

"Whatever." You roll your eyes and head to the kitchen.

You hurry and get your drink, before heading back up to your room. Mike watches you like a love sick puppy, which catches Dustin's attention.

"Hey, that's my sister," Dustin whisper yells.

"You're only like half siblings," Mike says, not looking over at Dustin.

Dustin glares at him, annoyed, "I don't care if she's my third cousin two times removed, you still can't date her. Don't date your friends' family."

Mike isn't listening, his mind obviously elsewhere. Dustin smacks Mike on the back of the head, causing him to wince.

"What was that for?"

"You're being a pervert, that's what."

"No I wasn't. I was just... Making sure she didn't fall."

"Uhuh, come on, it's your turn."

"Besides," Lucas pipes up, causing both Mike and Dustin to look at him. "You don't have a chance with her in any world."

"Man whatever."

---

Mike knew he shouldn't. It was gross. It was perverted. It was awful, but he didn't care. He looked through your cabinets, opening drawers from your dresser, hoping to find the gold mine. His eyes lit up when he finally found what he was looking for. He was hesitant, but he decided screw it. He grabbed a pair of frilly panties before stuffing them in his pants.

He knew it was wrong. He really did, but god it felt so good. He applauded himself for taking a clean pair instead of a dirty pair. It was the only lenience he'd give himself of not being a nasty, disgusting pervert.

But he knows... He knows if he had had the time, he would have. It was a terrible thought, but he knows. He probably would have jacked off on your bed with some of your underwear on his cock, while having sniffing another pair.

---

Mike spots you leaving the school, quickly opening the car door and rushing towards you while calling your name.

"Y/n!"

You sigh, but ultimately stop so he can catch up. He leans over, catching his breath, before straightening up.

"Where you going?"

"Home?" You look at him as if he had just asked you the stupidest question in the world.

"Home- Yeah, that's where I'm heading too."

"Hopefully, you mean your own house and not mine."

"Yeah, of course. You know if you ever need help with work, I'm always free for you." He says balancing on his feet, while looking at you sheepishly.

"I'm in AP classes?" Your eyes scrunch together. "In fact, I think I'm above you in some subjects."

"If you want to come over, to work with someone, you can always come over."

"Yeah... Probably not, but thanks... I guess?"

You try and push past him, but he blocks your way, causing you to groan.

"I mean we don't have to do work. We can just hang out."

"Hang out? With my brother's friend. Oh my god, what a great offer."

"Really?"

"No. Now move."

He sighs, but ultimately gets out of your way. He turns around, watching you get into the car with some of your friends. He didn't know why you were playing hard to get, but he wouldn't give up that easily.

[helluvapurf]

Thoughts on latest HB ep "Ghostf**kers" (*now that I've regained a bit more energy post-Halloween weekend lol*):

So the newest ep of HB has came & went from what I've seen- aaaand naturally feels like the best time for me to finally ramble about it now that its settled in my brain some more .3. Thoughts (+Spoilers) below~ NOTE: Most of this -does- get a lil rant-y below sooo... read at your own risk lol .w.;;

First things out of the way to start things off on a good note, the Pros:

To start off with... FINALLY we got some Millie focus for a major episode plot (-or more specifically, focus that doesn't get revolved back to Moxxie somehow lol)😭👏👏. Even if Millie's spotlight here did have to be shared with Blitz for a good chunk of the ep, their friendship was actually genuinely sweet & compelling to watch (esp. their backstory & how Millie was allowed to stand up for herself, give him space, BUT also coming around to acknowledging the good in Blitz, when it all came down to it🥺👏). Which ngl, after these previous episodes reigning down HARD on this dude... idk, just felt refreshingly wholesome to see for this series, yknow?😊

New villain Rolando was pretty cool, and surprisingly spooky to watch as the second-half went on oml- .o.;; While I'm still a teensy bit confused how his powers/demon lore work (at least to what we already know about Hell limitations crossing to the human world, ex. succubi & their crystals), his underwater monster vibe gave some fun visuals to watch up until the climax. I'm not 100% familiar with John Waters' works, but damnnn he should take up voice-acting more often ngl~ 👀

FINALLY MAMA TILLA MAKES AN (on-screen) APPEARANCE 😭😭Her whole vibe & Blitz's clear love and regret over what happened to her... hhhhh my whole heart ;n; 💔

That pink client lady (Rita, I think her name is?) who assigned the hotel mission? I dig her vibe, its cute~ :3

I.M.P. feeling like a legitimate workplace family for once, with even Loona & Moxxie getting a nice lil moment towards the end?? More. Of this. Please. 👌👌

Even with the lil undertones of the Stol*itz drama from the past couple eps, I very much appreciate Blitz (+the show itself) acknowledging that what's been going is NOT a breakup ('cause... yknow, they never actually dated to begin with lol🤷‍♀️). It may not 100% fix how messy that particular narrative's been handled as of late (which I'll get to in a sec-), but eh... its a start in the right direction, I guess? .3.

Enjoyed all the colorful flashback looks given, never would I have thought I needed mercenary!Millie with a fluffy ponytail til nowww hlkjlk😩❤️

Aaaand as for the not-so-good bits (imo), aka the Cons:

Pacing felt kiiiinda all-over-the-place, I'll admit; like one min we've got a whole intro & a half to deal with Blitz's whining fest (+some other pointless banter at the hotel)... then the next it feels like we're breezing past Rolando's whole presence as the "big bad" villain. Which... idk, I guess I shouldn't be too harsh on given the production drama behind-the-scenes (aka: the leaked content that had to be cut & redone awhile back)... buuuut yeah, its just one of those things you can't help but take notice of, critique-wise lol 🤷‍♀️

The humor wasn't... exactly at its strong point here, mainly just a lil overdone in the sex joke department imo though I guess thats kind of "par-for-the-course" in the Hellaverse series nowadays, so lol

Now, idk if this may be an unpopular opinion or not; but was I the only one who felt like Blitz's month-long mope fest over Stolas was rather... OOC, all things considered? .-. Like, okay its one thing for Blitz to still be (understandably) upset over how the last two eps went down (but being the "boss" he is, continues working anyway to keep I.M.P. afloat, like in the latest HB shorts)... but for Blitz of all people to just randomly use ALL his company's funds on useless junk, force his daughter Loona to stay up all night/not go home, drive Moxxie in a panic from all the budgeting issues this past month was just... wut- 🤦‍♀️ ...Mind you, this is meant to be the SAME Blitz who not even a few episodes ago begged Stolas to not take away the Grimoire (aka the key to his + his employee's livelihood), clearly being willing to do anything to not lose all that he holds dear. You seriously expect me to believe he'd be the type to throw that all away (for a WHOLE month)... all to simply whine over some blue-blooded bird not noticing him? ...Yeaaaaah sorry, but I'm gonna have to call bs on that, chief- 🙄

Kiiiinda tying in the last point, but as much as I enjoyed the tense thills gained from the "Rolando enters Blitz' mind to make him see his own flaws/past mistakes" sequence... I do have a few issues with some of these other "flashbacks" added to the mix: 1) Loona's groin kick towards Blitz in "Seeing Stars" (*wasn't Blitz's fault since ALL he did was tell her to be nice to clients... and was right about to apologize to Loona just seconds before the kick 😒*) 2) Blitz pushing Stolas' hand away in "Ozzies" (*which Blitz only did after Stolas hide his face/didn't defend Blitz during the song*) 3) Stolas' hurt expression at the end van scene of "Ozzie's" (*mind you, taking place while Blitz is rightfully standing up for himself/telling off Stolas for being a privileged creep all of S1*) 4) Stolas trying to present the Asmodean Crystal gift in "Full Moon" (*a whoooole mess in of itself I already covered prior-*) 5) Stolas angrily walking away from their pool fight + trash-talking Blitz in the "Motherf**kers" song + drunkenly dumping his problems on him + making out with a whole other dude in front of Blitz (*again, a huge mess I covered prior but TL;DR... most of that WASN'T fully-Blitz's fault in those instances??😑*)

Like... I dunno man, I don't mean to sound like I'm just ragging on Stolas per-episode as of late... but these last few points just keep giving me mixed signals than any genuine idea as to WHY Blitz even has these "feelings" growing for Stolas, atm?🤨For any canon couple in fiction, I WANT to see reasons for why they work best together, what kind of interests/aspects they've got in-common, what special "spark" is there that helps them stand out above all the other dynamics in-canon... but from what I see so far on Blitz's end (& the narrative continuing to guilt on him being "the problem")... it honestly feels more like he's only now fallen for Stolas out of pity... not because of any genuine affection or attraction :/ Which... ngl, sounds like a really sad precedent to send for a main-endgame couple, regardless of series genre imo... 🤷‍♀️

-------

Soooo yeah, all that rant-y rambling aside... not a bad ep in the grand scheme of things! 👍👍Here's hoping the last few remaining eps (+possible shorts) for S2 keeps up the good work! 🙏

[ritz-writes]

@asleepyy so sorry for tagging u twice in one day and i hope im not bothering u with my brain rot 😅

but yes, i did actually dissect the lyrics. yes, i am actually insane. and yes, i love this au quite a lot.

here are my notes and what i think each song represents, tho its mainly just the vibes i get. i made notes as i listened to them (note: i see songs almost always in animatic form. idk if that will effect how i imagine what each song means, but i thought it might be worth mentioning)

join me as i lose my mind over the course of an hour and a half

say what you think: def making me think of them both in heaven and jophiel wanting to ask questions.

running up that hill: AHH this one hurt. very obvious as well. jophiel seeing that azazel shouldnt be a demon. "And if I only could I'd make a deal with God, and I'd get Him to swap our places." i am sobbingggg

what difference does it make?: at first i was going to say its jophiel wanting to figure out what went wrong but azazel makes them promise not to, but i think its better suited for azazel understanding hes a demon, but he cant help but still have faith in the almighty

please please please let me get what i want: fuckkk is this about azazel being a demon but still wanting to do good 😭 short but still painful

ever fallen in love (with someone you shouldn't've): my first reaction to the title alone was like the second image of the kambucha girl meme. anyway i think this one is about them becoming friends (or more?? 👀) but knowing its seen as wrong. "And if I start a commotion, I run the risk of losing you and that's worse" makes me also think of jophiel talking to the metatron and realizing he shouldnt ask about azazel lest he risk the poor thing being smited.

nothing critical: ohhhh this one gives hella vibes of jophiel not trusting heaven and knowing "something isnt right here" in regards to the fall-- HOLD UP "I know, someone had to go, If not him it'd be me instead" HELLO??? aziraphale asking for jophiel??? is this like after he finds out what azazels name used to be??

flowers never bend with the rainfall: hmm... i feel like this is a plot point song. not sure why. but "And I hide behind the shield of my illusion" makes me think it pertains to azazel

bird in space: oh this ones a bit tricky. i think ive reached the songs that no longer fit the lore we've been given thus far. so the only thing i can think rn is jophiel enjoying earthly pleasures? not rlly sure

angel, won't you call me?: oh fuckkk is this about a fight they have? "I fled at the face of my rival. When I felt his breath at the back of my neck. Angel, won't you call?" theres no way that isnt about azazel saying smth and then leaving, only to be scared he severed his tie to the only person thats been nice to him.

the stranger: first of this is a bop and im loving it. very groovy. the first thing that comes to mind is the "choose your faces wisely" prophecy. ooo is this about jophiel trying to convince azazel hes still meant to be an angel? that he wasnt meant to fall? also, the last verse is sticking out to me... not sure why

all i think about now: fuckkkkk this is giving me the vibes of jophiel finding out azazel Fell cuz of him and feeling guilty about it. "If I'm late, can I thank you now?" FUCKING OW?? oh yeah for sure this is about jophiel finding out and being sucker punched with guilt

ill be your mirror: oh goddd this song. i know crowley listens to this song but i cant remember what its about so lets see. AH SHIT YEAH THATS RIGHT. okay so jophiel reminds azazel that he is inherently good, regardless of if hes a demon. thats what im getting from this (also just tihnking of that ask i sent about the reflective sunglasses bthwjegkrw)

me and my husband: okay all im getting from this is "they r down bad". they r very very very much in love. getting vibes of this being after they stop the apocolypse. or maybe their feelings developing thru the centuries

time in a bottle: oh man this song always gets me. okay so, this and the last song r giving the oh-shit-i-might-be-in-love vibes. but this one is with jophiel's pov, while me and my husband is azazel's

ritz note: the last couple songs have been cute and lovey and i am now terrified of what the next ones r gonna be. cuz i know this fandom. and i am not ready for the pain. i am afraidddd

lonesome town: i fucking called it i knew the happy wouldnt last 😭😭 they had a fight didnt they. yeahhh they had a fight. FUCK why is this so sad but so pretty

across the universe: is this one sad too??? hang on theres a bit thats not in english, what does that mean... "Hail to the Heavenly Teacher." okay so i assume this is an azazel song. this is just making me think of the bookshop fire, but its azazel thinking jophiel died 😭 ....i am staring at the lyircs. i am glaring at the lyrics. this song MEANS something. i just dont know what. but its important. im squinting at it very hard (note: i came back to this song and am STILL glaring at it. its like. its like im seeing it covered in sand but i know theres gold underneath. i cant SEE the gold, but i know its there. this is driving me nuts /pos)

no wonder i: hm.. im not rlly sure with this one. OH?? is this azazel finding out heaven isnt that good?? "Suddenly I'm not so sure. That intentions can be pure." hmmmmmmm

what do they know?: holy shit okay this is a completely different kind of song than the others. im.... glaring at these lyrics too. feels like a plot point but cant tell what it is. i think its about jophiel? maybe heaven too?? idk im grasping at straws with this one

sea of love: oh yay a happy song again 😌 okay this is just short and sweet. gives me forgiveness and/or confession vibes.

who are you, really?: this one sounds important and i am glaring!! makes me think of "we dont need heaven we dont need hell" and also "a demon/angel that goes along with hell/heaven as far as he can". also just makes me think of jophiel speaking.

the moon will sing: i fucking love this song but i dont think ive ever looked at the lyrics so lets goooo. right away i see "I could have been anyone, anyone else. Before you made the choice for me" and think of aziraphale asking and falling for jophiel, and in a way making the choice of jophiel staying an angel. "Instead, I made a bed with apathy" jophiel trying not to care about a random demon. "I shine only with the light you gave me" jophiel giving azazel ideas on how to do "good" while being "bad". also with that line, thinking of azazel saying that to god and being sad about having fallen AUGHH i have a whole animatic in my head with this song and im losing my mind

matephor: hnnnn another important sounding song. jophiel vibes. fight song perhaps?? "Don't look too hard 'cause you won't like the scars he left in me" azazel vibes??? this one is elusive to me but i love it. okay im slowly getting more azazel vibes. like azazel trying to convince jophiel that he is a demon and fell for a reason

providence: right away getting "heaven and hell r bad" vibes. OHH okay okay this is giving me hella jophiel vibes, but specificly snarky and sassy jophiel vibes. of being like "oh yes heaven is oh so great, we kill children! but its for the greater good, of course. gotta beat hell and all that, even at the cost of innocents. all for the almighty and her ineffable plan." (this song is a bop omg)

earth angel: oh i know this one but only with crowley and aziraphale, so im excited to listen to it with an oopsie omens mind set. omg wait why does it hit HARDER. love sick azazel is such a cute image 🥺🥰

what more can i do: hmm.. them being in love but knowing its "forbidden"? cant tell who i imagine with it more

starman: this is just them. classic good omens song, regardless of the au. love to see it 💖

a pearl: AH FUCK ANOTHER SAD ONE. mitski whyy. hm.. azazel song? jophiel?? i think jophiel... tho my mind might be turning to mush at this point so im not sure. one of them is sad

duvet: oh def azazel vibes. oh maybe some jophiel vibes too?? i can see it swaping povs. i think it fits azazel more tho.

ritz note: OKAY the next song is in a different language and for a split second i legit thought i was having a stroke when i pulled up the lyrics ngl bgkewrrkjq

différent de toi: no idea what this song is about but its pretty 😊

oh thats all of them! i think the first half is more coherent observations, while the second half is just... rambling a bit lmao. idk if any of this makes sense. i might also be looking for things that arent there with these songs, but oh well. this was fun!

and now, after looking back at them all, i really does just slowly derail near the end lmao

[television-overload]

Final thoughts on X-Files: Perihelion: [potential spoilers below, I'll try to keep it minimal]

(analysis below the cut)

The first half. I wasn't the biggest fan. I liked a few Mulder/Scully moments, of course, it was interesting to see what they were up to. But it all felt a little watered down. Like corporate fanfiction, a little colder and sanitized, emotionally. I think it comes down to having not enough time or space to properly flesh out the characters, and ultimately relies on the reader's preexisting understanding of specific details from seasons 1-11, as well as who these characters are, both individually and together. Having them basically planning to coparent and be roommates? That was a bit of a stretch. Suspension of disbelief getting tested pretty hard.

The side characters. I get it, they had to be introduced and given their time, but I found it difficult to get through. I don't know if it was too much time spent on them, too much detail, or what, but I found myself skimming through their bits at a certain point. Something just felt off there. There was a whole storyline that ultimately ended up being a red herring, and I sort of see it's purpose, but also I think it could have been cut back. It continued Chris Carter's weird pregnancy/violence pattern though, so make of that what you will. I just think it was a bit excessive. The first 2 incidents would have been enough.

Skinner. This is one area I think we didn't explore enough. More on that later.

Also, in my head, Scully moves back into the Unremarkable House, I'm rejecting this reality, even if it does make logistical sense to live in D.C. since... you know... that's where they work. But I have grown immensely attached to that house, so I will keep being unrealistic in my own personal headcanon.

The second half, once the mess of different perspectives and plot lines starts to converge, it got easier for me to read. As much as I hate CSM, his brief appearance drew me in, and I think they did that in a creative way. But that also wasn't explored nearly enough. Same with Mulder's dreams, and everything Vane (smoke guy) told Scully. Again, more on that later.

Another thing I expected to see come back: That slimy company Mulder got offered a job at. I guess it was just to demonstrate his unwillingness to compromise his character in the name of providing for his family, which I guess is fair.

Another warning for [spoilers] here, because I need to talk about this too:

I just didn't vibe with the overarching story of people developing superpowers and mutations from alien DNA and viruses. Much less it happening to Scully. Wait yeah, hold on. I'm adding that to the pile of things to talk about at the end. I just found it weird, which yeah, this is the show where vampires are pizza delivery men and a dude can squeeze through pipes in your building, but this for some reason was pushing too far, to me. It was hard to tell what we were supposed to make of these mutated people. I think what it comes down to is the sheer volume of loose ends, which is what I'm working toward here. Maybe it would be better if it were a less visible mutation. I get what they were going for, with the mutations getting out of hand, especially in a world that barely blinks when UFO's are confirmed to be real. But part of the allure of X-Files was them being the sole witnesses to a lot of this stuff. They were the only ones in the know with the willingness to fight back. I liked the idea of using gene editing to develop a virus that could reverse the damage, but again, I'd have liked it better if the mutations weren't so X-Men/Marvel Inhumans. It for some reason made me cringe 😂

Before we get to the loose ends and my thoughts on the final few chapters, I just wanna have a chuckle at the other cringe moments for me. Maybe it's just me being unused to reading things set in the modern day, but there were SO. many. pop culture references haha. It was maybe excessive, but correct me if I'm wrong. Mulder's new informant, especially, felt to me like a self-insert character in a teenager's first ever fanfiction 😅. I hate to say it, but that's how it came across. So much detail that read as "She's not like other girls/informants 😎." And then noting that Mulder actually kind of liked her 😂 it's giving 2014 One Direction Y/N fanfiction. Then there's all the nicknames for shadowy Syndicate stuff. I think the only way the original show got away with goofball stuff like "Cancer Man" and "Cigarette Smoking Man" was because it was established in a way that made you really fear the character, and that's a testament to William B. Davis' performance, too. Trying to repeat something like that that shouldn't have worked in the first place is tough. Feels like a bit of a reach. "The Inheritors," "The Executive," and also Scully and her friend coming up with code names for suspects or projects. Ehhhhh, just didn't come across naturally to me. It's hard to describe, but I've been thinking about this kind of thing in regard to fanfiction lately. How sometimes a determination to emulate the source material through callbacks or overly specific references can take me out of it, remind me I'm reading a derivative work instead of something that builds on it. These thoughts are only half baked in my own head, so I won't try to elaborate on them here.

Okay, now loose ends. There are. A lot... So much so, that they HAVE to be planning a second book. Or something, right? (🤡🤡🤡 season 12 where they get some basic, less interesting exposition out of the way via book release and then pick up there???)

In no particular order:

Scully's electrical super powers

Telling Mulder William might still be alive

Telling Mulder that William is possibly actually his son

Telling Mulder that this new baby is probably also his child and wasn't a science baby

TELLING MULDER SHE MIGHT MAYBE BE SORTA IMMORTAL KINDA?? TELOMERES???

Whatever the heck is going on with Skinner. Ya can't just leave him in a coma forever.

Alien DNA virus spreading throughout the earth / coming up with a reversal to get things back to normal (Skinner and Scully included, they haven't even really mentioned that)

Dr. Jones (Scully's friend) agreeing to help them save the world, at great personal risk to herself

That one lady can channel the dead. Yeah, I feel like we should dwell on that a little longer. Neither of them really fully accepted that was what had happened

Robin Vane and aforementioned lady relocating their little retreat full of mutants, under increased supervision by the Inheritors

Yeah. The Inheritors. No way they just leave that how it is. And Vane killed that guy and said "The Syndicate sends its regards" when here he's been taking out lingering members of the syndicate for years. What's up with that?

WILLIAM. I will say it again. WILLIAM.

So yeah, as you can see, this is clearly half of a whole story. I'll be intrigued to see if they continue this. I did like the second half a lot better than the first. Mulder and Scully looking forward to parenthood was cute, especially when they finally started talking things over. Talking about William. Acknowledging the loss they had suffered. Finding out the sex of their baby 🥹

I've read fanfictions that had Mulder and Scully feeling more in character than they did here, but it wasn't by any means *bad*. Again, might be a limitation of the medium, here. This isn't an MSR fanfic, it's a real book. There has to be a story and other elements than the two people we all came here for. It was still a worthwhile read, I think. If only to see what future Chris Carter has approved for his characters, and written by a genuine OG fan and member of this community of fans. How crazy is it to write a book and get emails from the creator of this series after having spent so much time in the 90s writing fanfiction for it?? I'm sure it was a dream come true for the author. I'd say it's what every fanfic author dreams of, but I think for some of us, it would be mortifying 😂 (though I've often thought it would be fun to be a writer on NCIS, because that show's writer room needs some help these days. I CAN FIX IT, CBS, CALL ME) ((I have no television writing experience))

I've gone on long enough. There's probably more I forgot to mention, but these are my thoughts, while it's fresh in my mind.

Now back to my regularly scheduled fanfic programming 🏃‍♀️‍➡️

[tio-trile]

Hi, I read your answer to that ask, describing what happened in season 2. Know that I completely respect that you don't like it (I loved it). But you have a few things wrong or don't know about them (maybe?).

So, Aziraphale is a landlord but he really doesn't care. He forgives Maggie 8 months of rent for a few records that are worth like 20 pounds. He's chill.

(Yeah Crowley throwing the books was a bit ooc but it was also hilarious, i laugh so hard when he did it a second time.)

I kind of agree with you on the Gabriel x Beelzebub, they were a bit cringe and quite sudden (I ship them in fanfic but they are meh in cannon). I thing their relationship was more about getting rid of Gabriel for plot reasons. So Aziraphale can be involved with the Second Coming.

As for the last 15 minutes of ep6. There is a LOT of things, of subtext and miscommunication and physical expressions and whatnot, between Aziraphale and Crowley as well as for the kiss. There were different things they were both thinking the other said and meant. I'm not good at analyzing shit, but if you scroll down the good omens tagg (if you wanna) there are amazing posts doing just that.

As for why this season feels different, and that they are "retconning" Aziraphales progres from the book and season 1, they aren't, really.

Season 2 is just a bridge between seasons 1 and 3. So don't worry, we will be probably getting the South Downs Cottage.

And Aziraphale did realise that Heaven the system is wrong. But he still has that idea ingrained in his mind that Heaven is good, God is good. That it could be good again, only if someone could change it from within. He was definitely manipulated by Metatron. He basically got pulled back into a toxic/abusive relationship by being given everything he though he wanted. It's complex and it's deep, and again, I'm not the best person to describe it (there are many great posts). I think it's similar to Zuko’s arc from ATLA season 3 and 4. Aziraphale has to see from within the toxicity and wrongness of Heaven. (at least this is kind of my theory, sorry for rambling)

Again, I completely understand and respect your dislike of the season. Different people like different things. I just don't want you to write the show off too hastily. I really hope I didn't came on too strong and rude (if I did, know it wasn't my intention, sorry).

Okay, bye.

Thank you for being so polite and objective about it! Again, publishing some views from the other side. The landlord thing I was honestly half-joking too -- it's just fun to make fun of landlords (they're David Tennant's archnemesis, amiright /j), and honestly I can maybe see Aziraphale being enough of a bastard to do that 😂

I don't agree that "season 2 is just a bridge" because what happened this season didn't make them have no progression or stayed in the place at the end of season 1/the book -- it actively changed a lot of things. Like I said, a big one for me is Aziraphale and Crowley knowing each other as angels. That changed the beginning of the book and S1 and nothing they can do in season 3 is going to backtrack that. Getting the South Downs Cottage isn't really my ultimate goal -- I want the story, themes and vibe to feel really Good Omens, and this season just isn't doing it for me. Of course we may have different understandings of Good Omens, and I also respect that other people can have their own opinions. Thank you for understanding and respecting my dislike, you didn't come off as rude, but I'm just completely checked out now.

[gogandmagog]

so what are your favorite books/authors besides lm montgomery...I maybe just maybe am tailoring my goodreads tbr for next year 👀

“I love a book that makes me cry.”

– Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

And apparently me too??? I’m just over here adding this grossly popular quote right at the top of this list after having wrote it up, because when I look back over these all-star books that rushed to be highlighted, I realise that… every last one of these moved me to tears.

But I’ve read them all half-a-dozen of times, at least! 🥺 So, here we go, here we go!

Beloved by Toni Morrison. This one knocked me out, good and proper. It’s such a masterpiece. It starts in the 1870’s of Ohio and follows a former slave and her daughter. It’s got a strong Haunted House vibe (there is a ghost), and it opens up with both something quite Maud-would-appreciate-this-ish and quite chilling; "124 WAS SPITEFUL. Full of a baby's venom. The women in the house knew it and so did the children. For years each put up with the spite in his own way, but by 1873 Sethe and her daughter Denver were its only victims." Mind, some people haaate this book, and feel quite strongly about it — but I like prosey books (this is the top complaint as far as I can tell), and this one is certainly that. Some very harrowing descriptions of the abuse of slaves, to be sure, but I personally have never been one to turn away from that ugliness, because remembering and understanding its weight feels important.

Stoner by John Williams. This is a little bit like ‘life sucks, and then you die’ — hyper precise about mundanities and is frankly a huge red flag to see sitting on a dudes bookshelf but… I loved it so much. 😅 It’s quiet, but poignant, and in its simplest rendering is about a very bored English Professor falling greatly in love with someone who is not his wife. Keep in mind, I’m hardly a girl who thinks infidelity is either cute or excusable… but this book firmly lodged itself in my heart, anyway.

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. I’m a HUGE BIG HUGE BIG HUGE Baldwin fan. And this is the book that started it, for me. Like, this novel will fully pull you apart, and give you a wallowing. I’d say it's even a great atmospheric read for winter, and I also even want to go ahead and say this book is considered a classic, but I could be making that up; maybe it’s just a classic to me. The plot surrounds the struggles of a bisexual man in late 1950’s Paris; he’s just proposed to his girlfriend, but he goes on and has a relationship with a male bartender. There’s race, misogyny, and class issues here too, but this book isn’t so heavy that it becomes cumbersome to read. It’s actually quite beautiful. 

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Another prosey book. Maybe the most prosey book I’ve ever read… you don’t really get a break from it. But it’s so lush, and visceral, and the word play is sometimes so genius that you don’t mind getting fully lost in it (at least, I didn't!). This book could be labeled “tragedy” because it’s sometimes rather bleak – it's about fraternal Indian twins, Kerala history, and the lasting impact of childhood traumas, as well as the exploitation of the weak, really. But, there’s high points too!

Elsewhere if you haven’t read Peter Pan as an adult, I urge and beg of you to. J.M. Barrie (that’s James Matthew Barrie, and I will never stop conspiring that this is intentional of Montgomery and James Matthew Blythe) is right up there with Lucy Maud in the realm of exquisite and sweet storytelling that transcends age.

Of course Shirley Jackson, but you’re already a reader there! Fanny Howe has been an obsession of mine lately, too — I think I’ve posted her twice here and here — despite her being a poet, which is something of a fault that I’m being very charitable about overlooking (only half-joking, I really usually don’t care for poetry [except you Mary Oliver], not even LMM’s or by extension Anne or Walter’s either). Eve Babitz and Joan Didion are close personal friends (okay, it’s one-sided).

Anyone else that I read over and over are so classic that it’s almost white noise/nonsense to list them. I think the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is my all-time never-to-be-defeated, and Lolita (despite its very uncomfortable content) by Vladimir Nabokov is a close second (I once saw Lolita cited as being ‘a love letter to the English language’ and I frankly agreed with my whole chest), and Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (his essays are things of brilliance too) takes bronze. I also obviously throw myself at the feet of the likes of C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll and Fyodor Dostoevsky and Virginia Woolf and Kafka and Sylvia Plath and Charles Dickens and James Joyce, and all of Those Guys too. Genuinely. I also wholly stan Washington Irving. He’s most famous for Sleepy Hallow, which I’ll link right here because if you tap on it and read even a single line, I think you’ll be like, ‘oh right, he is sensational.’ And this quality continues throughout his catalogue!

Signing off with a true and sincere hope that you’ll consider sharing your TBR list with everyone, and maybe some recommendations of your own, too!!! Your opinion means worlds!!!

[pentition]

Sometimes I feel like a character like Pen has almost too much potential for a game like mtas. There is only so much you can do with him in that setting otherwise they game might get too complicated. Although I'd love a game in the my time universe as complex as bg3 i doubt that will ever be a thing. But Pen would have been perfect for such a game.

I feel you on this, tbh. I've seen a lot of characters be 'too big' for whatever story/media they were in and not given the proper attention they should have had.

However, I do think because of that, it had spawned some amazing things from within the community. Potential and imagination go hand in hand so well! So even if Pathea drops the ball down the line, at least there's that.

What I love about the My Time series is it kind of gives me that same vibe that Adventure Time initially did. Colorful, silly, never taking itself too seriously - but there's still a serious plot going on and still serious things with the characters. Pathea doesn't lean into that seriousness or horror elements like the show did, but it could certainly stand to do so at any time and it wouldn't feel strange, imo.

We already have strong talking points in the series. Humanity's history (war, technological growth, fallout), artificial intelligence, the apocalypse and what it did to humanity and everything else that got mutated from it, nonhuman sentient species (both as enemies and those we think to be enemies, like Geeglers). The Church of Light usually is where most of the seriousness surrounds, due to why it was established and their beliefs revolving around the fear of history repeating itself if humanity is left unchecked.

Then on a character level, we get serious themes like with Gust and Ginger. Or, of course, Pen. To bring it back to the main topic, haha. But I can see if Pathea wanted to add a little more seriousness to their games as the series progresses, it would work just fine and they wouldn't lose anything. All the ingredients are there and I didn't even list them all.

I fully agree that Pen's potential is more than what MTaS could allow for, which is sad. And it's also why I would have loved a DLC/expansion for Sandrock to continue with him. But I also understand he's being reserved for a future installment, which is also exciting. I hope by the time he returns to the series, they have figured out a way to maximize his potential better. It may not be in full, but I'm hoping the reception (both players that adore him and players that don't) is all taken into account for him and his development.

And yes. I would LOSE IT to have a My Time game with BG3 levels of detail. Pen would be so incredible in that type of game. The character who joins the party, you roll your eyes at his one-liners in combat and don't take him seriousness until sometimes arises that makes you reevaluate him in your party. Then you realize you don't actually know the guy. He's just loud when others are looking his way but somehow oddly quiet and to himself when it comes to sharing anything of depth. It would be so cool to unravel the mystery of Pen is that type of game.

Also in a My Time game. The good news is, Pathea does learn from their games and audience feedback. It may not be perfect, ofc, but I'm hoping that continues to track and they take Pen more seriously as a character. I hope 'fans not being disappointed' isn't for fans who hate him and want Logan (and Howlett) avenged - but for people who like his character already.

Which I think is an important thing. People who like his character already. It's something to keep in mind if you're someone/a team that relies on the audience's opinions or alters content based on audience opinion. To be fair, I love it half the time. Cause at the same time, when it's not evenly fair across the board it's not the greatest feeling for fans that are left out.

But man, now you really go me thinking of Pen in a BG3 style game.

[crehador]

quickfire thoughts on fall 2023 now that everything i'm watching has had at least three eps out

EXCELLENT

sousou no frieren: still very easily anime of the season, beautiful in visuals and in story. a quiet, subtle look at loss and grief, and life continuing beyond that. the structure is working perfectly imo, it never feels like there are too many or not enough flashbacks, i feel connected at all times to both the present day party and the himmel-era party

migi to dali: still doing an exceptional job of balancing creepy and funny, i said before that the only thing i can think of with a remotely similar vibe is the movie hot fuzz and while i think there's a different flavor of comedy here, i still stand by that (and that's a compliment bc hot fuzz is an excellent movie)

kamonohashi ron no kindan suiri: although i wouldn't say this is mind-blowingly outstanding in any single way, it's very well-done in just about every conceivable way and comes together as an extremely solid series

BORDERLINE EXCELLENT

overtake: after four episodes i'm so tempted to put it with the 'excellent' shows but have to admit it's just not objectively on that level, it is subjectively one of my current favorites of the season though. silly at times, fairly simple story, but really effectively done so far

ADORABLE

s rank musume: feel like this one is largely going to slip through the cracks because it looks like your typical fantasy-action/adventure series, but doesn't stand out in that genre. the cute/soothing family moments are what stand out to me, but understandably that's not what most viewers of the genre are looking for. remains to be seen if a more action-y plot will build up, have doubts about how effective that will be

yuzuki-san chi no yon kyoudai: VERY CUTE with some very real moments and struggles, the cr subs debacle in the first ep however did it no favors

atarashii joushi wa dotennen: VERY CUTE i almost wish they'd cast literally anyone except umechan for shirosaki bc with him the similarities to cool doji danshi are just too much lmao however umechan is in fact perfect for this character so why not let him play it twice i guess

hoshikuzu telepath: moe yuri that isn't afraid to say rocket science is for autistic lesbians, what could be better?

wataoshi: YURI OF THE SEASON SORRY HOSHIKUZU TELEPATH HERE'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE BETTER i actually would put these two on a similar tier but wataoshi gets the edge for me because rae is so unapologetically, exuberantly gay and that is just so nice to see

SEQUELS

houkago shounen hanako-kun: tragically only four half-length episodes but it's nice to see these kids again, ogata megumi's hanako voice just hits in a way the jjk yuuta voice doesn't, for me, so very glad to hear it again

arknights s2: i'm liking the art even more than i did in s1? not sure if it's actually changed/improved, and imo s1 was already good, but anyway just really enjoying seeing all the faves moving and speaking!

spy x family s2: still cute of course what more can i say

b-project s3: MAN I'M TORN i don't dislike this season (we are getting so many kitakore shots) but i am so stressed out for tsubasa and i just want to see her catch a break! i'm sure the season will end in an uplifting way, but all the stress she's under right now makes me want to punch things

dead mount death play s2: it was good and is somehow still getting better, s2e3 which just came out is one of the best yet imo

GOOD FOR THE ACTION BUT NOT TERRIBLY MUCH ELSE

undead unluck: i kind of... don't like anyone here lmao but the over-the-top, high-octane action is not badly animated, it's just not gripping me on any level beyond that. it does however have the op of the season

ragna crimson: again it's failing to get me really invested in the story/characters but the action is not bad i guess, cast for this one is absurdly stacked so i'm not going anywhere

shangri-la frontier: this one's doing a GREAT job with its pacing and action imo, it's introducing the game mechanics in a way that doesn't feel too fast or too slow. only issue is there really... doesn't seem to be any stakes? like at all? which is not a problem for me personally, it just feels a bit like we're waiting for another shoe to drop

WATCHABLE BUT...

bullbuster: i'm kind of vibing with this after three episodes but i really can't imagine it finding an audience, it's not mech enough to really appeal to mech fans and it's not... typical office drama enough to appeal to typical office fans. it's a strange little combo that just happens to work for me, personally

NOT GOOD BUT I LOVE IT

kawagoe boys sing: this is a ridiculous series, i would say not as wild as number24 but kind of getting there. like number24 but more vanilla, less homoerotic. i loved number24 and I'M LOVING THIS TOO there are some genuinely interesting characters already and though i still currently want to punt kick that teacher into the sun i remain cautiously optimistic that he'll see some character development. at some point. maybe

NOT GOOD. JUST NOT GOOD. SORRY.

bokura no ameiro protocol: really feels like some late-2000s/early-2010s male wish fulfillment dramedy. lots of weird and unnecessary het nonsense going on. honestly would consider dropping if it were 24 episodes but since it's only 12 i guess i'll stick it out. for kimuryo. who is unfortunately playing such a rancid character

[oddygaul]

The Boy and the Heron

God damn this movie is a hot mess. The pacing is all over the place; the tone is all over the place. It feels like it’s trying to be a metaphor for a dozen different things, but none of them come through particularly well, and it ends up being a big, unpolished jumble of ideas. Plus, in its eagerness to foreground those deeper themes, fundamental things like character motivations, goals, and narrative cause-and-effect are left by the wayside, leading to much of the movie feeling like a disconnected series of events with little tying them together.

I understand the desire for an artist to make something that’s solely for themselves, or to write a story with the primary goal of deeper thematic resonance; in my opinion, though, if what you're writing has gotten to the point where the basic A to B plot of your story doesn’t really make sense, I think you may have gone too far.

Now, a work that’s all subtext, no plot can work if the vibe is there - that’s pretty much the definition of a tone piece, and I fuck with a lot of tone pieces. In this case, though, I did not think the vibe was there. The tone bounces from a measured, somber meditation on grief, to a wondrous journey through a strange land, to a fast-paced goofy caper when the parakeets get involved… I didn’t feel much of a coherent tonal throughline.

Okay, so fine, the themes?

A lot of people are saying the whole movie is about Miyazaki’s struggle with leaving behind his legacy without a direct heir. While that’s a compelling idea, that subplot is introduced roughly… *checks notes* 5/6ths of the way through Boy and the Heron, so you wouldn’t exactly call the movie a very effective vessel for that message, would you?

Was it about Mahito seeing his mother again, to move on from her death? She miraculously appears but they barely talk. Is it about accepting his stepmom into his life? Well, she’s gone for half the movie. Is it about rejecting fantasy / escapism to live in the real world? Well, okay, but the stepmom is the one that went in there in the first place and Mahito hated it from the jump, so no one really changed their minds here.

Speaking of the stepmom, it’s weird as hell that Mahito’s process of accepting his dad immediately marrying his dead wife’s sister is treated like a personal journey. No, that’s a weird fucking thing to have happen to you, and you better believe a kid is gonna be fucked up about that for a while. I understand this isn’t out of the norm for the setting / time period, but it clearly bothers Mahito. I don’t see how a lonesome, magical journey to another world is the right salve for those feelings as opposed to like, a frank and open conversation with his dad.

—

Miyazaki once famously said that the problem with the modern anime industry is that no one draws from real life anymore - that character designers learn how to draw anime girls only by copying other anime girls, turning the entire industry into a grisly moe ouroboros devoid of any authenticity.

What the fuck is this, Hayao? Did you design this by looking at a real human being? Or is this a baachan based on a previous Ghibli baachan which was itself based on another Ghibli baachan? The moe ouroboros tolls for us all, Hayao. It tolls for us all.

—

Having vented those frustrations, there’s a lot of gorgeous stuff in this movie, of course.

The stepmom’s house is so neat - the modern, western-style house built straight onto the classical Japanese architecture, Winchester-mansion style.

As opaque as Mahito was to me, it’s funny as hell how aggro the kid is. It was fuckin on SIGHT with the heron, bro.

Everyone is so stoked about these birds shitting on them all the time

The world of the tower had a very different vibe to Ghibli’s classics that was pretty cool - a very Greek / Elysium feel to much of it, a place stuck between life and death.

This is the bougiest way I’ve ever seen someone drink water

these weird fucks

—

When taking the lore at face value, it’s wild how this movie is basically an Annihilation + Bloodborne lovechild. So basically an extraterrestrial meteor crashes from the sky, and begins terraforming the area around it; as it does so, it distorts not only space, but time itself. Much like the wildlife in Area X, the parakeets enter the tower and are drastically altered to serve their environment’s needs. The way the tower seems to hold onto alternate versions of people that have entered and keeps them there, stuck outside of time, is reminiscent of what happens to the Southern Reach trilogy’s research team.

And then on top of that, we have the great uncle calling Mahito’s stepmother inside the Nightmare of Mensis, excuse me, the tower, so that she can give birth inside, allowing the child to ascend and become the ruler of the realm?

Oh Amygdala, oh amygdala! Have mercy on the poor heron.

Just saying, ‘the Heron isn’t actually magic, it’s merely a lookalike biological simulacra of a heron created by the reality-warping crash-landed U.F.O.’ wasn’t on my bingo card going into this movie. lol

[poohsxhunny]

I finally finished season 3 part 2 of bridgerton! I feel like I didn't hate this season like how everyone else was talking about it, but it def had its issues. I kind of just want to ramble about it just for myself (I've never read the books).

Pros:

I liked Penelope owning up to being Whistledown, taking pride in it, and her lowkey outsmarting the queen.

I appreciate Penelope and Portia bonding over the trauma of being a woman in society and the way they fixed their relationship

Love the queer rep this season!! I clocked Francesca as gay the second she showed little interest in marriage. I am sure she loves John as a friend but it'll be heartbreaking to see Francesca having to confront her realization that she's gay and has feelings for Michaela. Also, of course Benedict is bi but I'm also curious what they'll do with him. I still can't see him getting married ever! tbh he gives off aro vibes but I can also see him being poly - just can't picture him being happy in a monogamous relationship. And finally Eloise is 100% aroace and i hope she never marries.

Kate and Anthony's few moments were the highlight of the season. I was literally kicking my feet and giggling when Anthony was so concerned when Kate said their marriage isn't perfect while trying to comfort Colin lmao

Love the Featherington sisters, no notes

I did like Cressida this season and how she juxtaposed the Bridgertons and even Penelope. Similar to Penelope, she doesn't have the same privileges as the Bridgertons in terms of both money and family support, but Cressida takes that pain and bitterness and shows it very openly and is quick to be a mean girl/call people out as herself while Penelope is the same but just hides behind Whistledown. I liked how she called out both Eloise and Colin on their privilege!

Generally enjoyed the plots with Lady Danbury, her brother, and Violet!

Cons:

It took Penelope way too long to accept the part of herself that is Lady Whistledown. I thought most people loved Lady Whistledown?? And I actually think gossip is important!! I was surprised why Penelope was so ashamed of being known as Whistledown?? I get her not wanting Colin to know since he hates Whisteldown but I'm surprised it took her several episodes of her to be proud of that part of herself. Girl you are a published writer making BANK and are calling people out on their shit to the point where you are going toe-to-toe WITH THE QUEEN!! WEAR THAT NAME LIKE A BADGE OF HONOR! I wanted to slap Pen when she told the clothing store owner that she doesn't think she deserves Colin because she's whisteldown. GIRL YOU ARE THE PRIZE!! HE NEEDS TO GET ON HIS KNEES AND THANK THE LORD HE HAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND INTELLIGENT AND POWERFUL WIFE!

I dislike Colin and don't see what Penelope sees in him. I didn't hate him in the first half of the season except for his weird rake behavior. I did see him as the romantic sweetie in the first half of the season but that disappeared so fast in the second half. I get that he was mad about the Whistledown thing, but I hate that he immediately iced her out and for so long at that instead of trying to understand why she became Whistledown and what it means to her. He clearly doesn't understand Penelope or his own privilege as a man. In a society where women have little power, gossip is the only power they have! imo he should have been on his knees apologizing to her and begging her for forgiveness for that behavior the second he understood where she was coming from!!

And with all that being said, I didn't like Polin's story. I feel like Penelope and Colin's chemistry and tension fizzled in the second half of the season. After the carriage scene, I was excited but everything got stalled and awkward because of the Whisteldown reveal drama. By the end i was neutral about them getting together. Tbh I was more excited that Pen made up with Eloise and her mom and got the notice of Lady Danbury compared to her making up with Colin. IMO the whistledown reveal should have happened episode 5 itself and then they should have made up before the wedding and then worked together as a team to figure out what to do. I just can't believe THE QUEEN FORGAVE PENELOPE BEFORE COLIN!! THAT IS LOSER BEHAVIOR!! I just can't comprehend enjoying a romance plot where the man isn't simping over the woman for most of the story. We only really saw him simping for Penelope episodes 3-5. That's not enough!!

I hated Cressida's treatment by everyone else. WHY DID NO ONE HELP HER???? WHERE DID LORD DEBLING GO?? SOMEONE SAVE HER!! WHY DID ELOISE JUST ABANDON HER??? ELOISE YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HER WITH YOU!!! FUCK YOU ELOISE!!!

I'm saying this again because I just am so annoyed by this, women will only enjoy a romance if the man is more in love with the woman and simps over her and is absolutely feral for her. Penelope clearly loved Colin more than he loved her and I just can't get behind that. COLIN IS A LOSER!!! I LITERALLY KEPT SCREAMING AT THE SCREEN IF HE DOESN'T WANT HER I WILL TAKE HER!!!

[jq37]

Oh, my god. I think my soul almost shat itself when Lou landed that Nat 20. Snow better not have done anything to Scheherazade and the Lines-Between Squad or I'm....gonna stew in impotent anger behind my laptop cause I'm only a viewer. And last but not least, if Tim is the Golden Goose's human-sona, who's the Ganders?

What an INSANE moment. This season has been all over the place but geez, I think this goes up there with the other legendary Dimension 20 Nat 20s. I seriously thought they were toast when Brennan set the minimum DC to 25. What a crucial moment for the dice rolls to go your way. Absolutely wild. 

This was one of my fave episodes from a storytelling standpoint because I feel like there was a lot of positioning towards a conclusion. The Goose investigated what it is that the PCs actually want to do which I think is important. They don't really have a big overarching thing that they've decided is their goal since their plan initially was to just join up with the princesses and that super didn't work out. Now that they have the book back, they've gotta figure out what it is they actually wanna do (and I would say some of that lack of direction is due to lack of understanding of the holistic situation but we are so close to the end of the season at this point so I'm not even gonna harp on that).

We're also finally getting back to the Lines Between stuff which is like a split "yay!" and "oh no!" situation. Yay because we're finally checking back in with Scher who is one of my fave if not my fave NPC but oh no because it's not like she's drinking pina coladas and having a good time. Clearly they want to use her for the princess plan--which points to a specific princess not being needed if they can just swap out Roz and her. I do wonder how much of an element of buy in they need. Like, the vibe I got is that snatched Scher, not that they convinced her. She doesn't seem the type to be like yeah, sign me up for the death cult (though neither did Cinderella with her "don't lay the sins of individuals on the entire world" talk) and the princesses are totally chill with lying or withholding elements of the truth.  If they just need a body and no buy in, they possibly could have just grabbed her. If they need buy in/wanna play nice, they might have half lied to her like they are presumably doing with Elody.

I will say, if she is kidnapped in the traditional sense, Scher has a LOT of experience being imprisoned by a captor who plans to kill her and changing their mind, so as annoying as this is for her, it is also her favored terrain so to speak. If Brennan wants, he could very plausibly have Scher do some of the princess schmoozing that the PCs utterly failed at. Just for story efficiency's sake. I'm getting the sense of, "We are getting to the end game so let's get all the pieces where they need to be on the board." So Tim gets his book back. Tomas and Henry returned. Scher back in the main story. Muffet and Itsy Bitsy in the book to tie up those loose ends. DM housekeeping. 

I don't know if the Gander HAS a human-sona. The Goose has Tim as a human-sona because in stories the "Mother Goose" character is sometimes a person who rides a goose and sometimes a large anthro goose (usually with a bonnet). It's interesting though because in the main mother goose poem it says that Mother Goose rides "a very fine gander". Which just makes me wonder how that connects. And then of course, there's the saying about what's good for the goose is good for the gander. There's a thread that Brennan has mentioned a couple time but no one's followed up on seriously. About what is the gander when it's not stuck in the Neverafter. We don't know exactly what the Gander represents. It's not death or the end of stories because that's the wolf. My best guess is that the goose is like positive (for the protag) plot developments and the gander is bad ones. So I'm wondering if, for example, the gander was to move to the horror section of the library, would it just turn into a creepy killer clown or a ghost or something?  I dunno, just spitballing.

Anyway, looking forward to tonight's ep! Maybe we're finally gonna get an answer on those red beads!!!

[festive-unserious-fellow]

OMG WE'RE RANKING HAZBIN SONGS!?!?!?!? MY TURN MY TURN MY TURN!!!

Respectless: Carmilla and Velvette both have such satisfying voices omfg. Also the beat goes sO HARD- it catches your attention and DOESN'T LET IT GO! Also it moves the plot forward very effectively which is actually really important for songs in musicals to do so. That's nice. Tbh it's only flaw is being too short-

Stayed Gone: VOX MY BELOVED- this song is so fucking catchy. It also kinda gives me Will Wood vibes, and I love Will Wood so ofc I'm gonna love the Will Wood ass song. Love how petty Al and Vox are, like it's so fucking funny. The lore drops are also really interesting. Aaaaaaaand Alastor's bit at the end reminded me of the Nowhere King and I love Centaurworld so :)

Loser, Baby: Pretty obvious why this one's so high up; Huskerdust, Keith David, cute bonding, has a message I needed to hear tbh, and its catchy as FUCK

Hell Is Forever: God I love all the different genres they play around with in this show- like I was NOT expecting a straight up ROCK BALLAD in the FIRST FUCKIN EPISODE but god Im so happy we got it. This song goes so fucking hard. Alex Brightman should be allowed to sing more Rock n' Roll.

Poison: Once again, this song is catchy as hell! Blake Roman's vocal preformance is also phenomenal, like that man can fuckin SING!!! Of course he can he's been on broadway and releases his own music bUt you get it. Also that final verse... man. In the context of the episode this song is emotionally devastating, out of context it's uh. Still really sad tbh but it's easier to bop along to it cause you don't have the visuals- Idk it's just a fuckin banger man. Though speaking of the visuals VOX WHAT WAS THAT FUCKING LOOK WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO CONVEY HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ANGE- *gets shot dead*

Happy Day In Hell: Honestly? Pretty neutral on this song. Love Erika Henningsen's voice, I think it's catchy(no duh), and the Disney Princess vibes are IMMACULATE. Not a huge fan of the random shift in the music I wanna say half way through? But otherwise it's a good song I think, conveys Charlie's motives really well.

Whatever It Takes: Okay okay look. It's a good song. Does it's job in the episode. It's just not for me. I think it goes on a little too long, and I think that, while Daphne Ruben-Vega's voice fits the song PERFECTLY, Stephanie Beatriz was singing too high in her range to a distracting degree. Like I think there was something wonky going on because that shit gave me the same whiplash I got when Marinette started singing in the Miraculous movie, and it just. Doesn't fit the style of the song. Like Vaggie's part should've been more belty or something. Idk man I might be too out of my lane w/ this for my critique to be valid, because I have literally never written a song before, and music is VERY subjective so I don't think I can even be objectively right here, but still. Oppinions.

It Starts With Sorry: Look, I know this song is supposed to be a joke, but the first time I saw the episode that did n o t click with me, and without the understanding that it isn't entirely serious this song just feels so fucking out of place and really falls flat. Like it feels like somebody took a song from My Little Pony: FiM, made an AMV with Hazbin characters, and then threw it in the episode, y'know? And like don't get me wrong MLP has some FUCKIN bangers(Say Goodbye to the Holiday, This Day Aria, etc), but a lot of the musical numbers are still really bland and samey, y'know? So uh yeah it's a decent song and a funny joke but def my least favorite so far.

[fictionz]

New Fiction 2024 - August

"2 Machabees" ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

We did it! We're out of the Old Testament! Two and a half years and 75% of the Catholic bible complete! Now moving on to: Jesus.

"Helicopter Story" by Isabel Fall (2020)

Brilliantly done, and I'm the kinda dense that wouldn't get it in the first take so that's impressive that I could pick up what the author was throwing down. It's a shame the community couldn't be chill about it.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White (2018)

An absolute game changer. It's beyond a different lens of understanding. Everything clicks and Frankenstein isn't the same story afterward.

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi & trans. Jonathan Wright (2013)

Now an assemblage representing the spirit of a place, that's an idea.

Return to Ghost Camp by R.L. Stine (1999)

I, er, huh. No connection to the previous Ghost Camp title, besides a camp as the setting, and a disconnected series of events. These books can get loose with plot but they need to make it up with more outrageous happenings.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko by Derek Tyler Attico (2023)

At first I wasn't feeling the childhood and teen years, but it's an autobiography, of course we need this. And now it's my favorite part. Understanding the man as we came to know him would require understanding who he was in the beginning.

Under the Magician's Spell by R.L. Stine (1996)

The magic of these books is in the bizarro places and monsters that make no narrative sense but make for interesting turns of events.

"For the Anniversary of My Death" by W.S. Merwin (1993)

Wave goodbye.

"Rootin', tootin', toil n' shootin'" by SERENDIPITEAart (2020)

Mashing up genres is the only logical course.

"Worry" by Kiana Khansmith (2024)

They grow up so fast.

"Harlot's Web" by Nicholas Gurewitch & Evan Keogh (2018)

Get the message.

Excuse Me Sir dev. Molly Moonn, Airdorf, Jesse Cox, Torple Dook, Trevor Henderson (2020) (missed this in June)

The mirror could have been the start of something great.

Ultimate Frankenstein vs Evil Necromancer dev. Polo Builder & Aedrine (2020)

The assembly process is as critical as the deed.

Poetry Frankenstein dev. DianeDesign (2023)

But does each new creation differ from its siblings?

Frankenstein Dating Simulator dev. GamerGirlNextDoor (2023)

The most obvious solution should always work.

Frankenstein Dating Simulator dev. lmurray045 (2024)

Always choose the beach.

Frankenstein dev. Unknown (1981)

Assembleman doesn't have the same ring, does it?

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus dev. willsmartin (2020)

Find me in pieces.

The Frankenstein Place dev. Mandy J Watson (2020)

You don't need to be going up there anyway.

The Ultimate Frankenstein dev. Obre (2023)

About time Elizabeth gets her video game due.

Volume 2 Chapter 2 (Frankenstein Remediation) dev. adamaboelmatty (2023)

Alternate tellings make us feel like we tried our best.

Return to Castle Frankenstein dev. SolarCompost (2023)

Very good vibe.

POV: You Are Felix DeLacey - A Frankenstein Story dev. camkins (2023)

Do you really think he would have chosen differently?

Dr. Frankenstein Creates a Dragon dev. hannahscholtes (2023)

That dragon wouldn't hesitate to burn it all down.

Frankenstein's Assistant dev. samanthag168 (2023)

Love a cute little pixel guy.

Frankenstein's Monster dev. dino niko (2023)

Give him a shot.

Frankenstein's Monsters, Inc. dev. Sam Atkins (2022)

Great tension in this monster business simulator.

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown dev. Eurocom (2006)

The more I ponder it the more I respect the decision to pick the funniest and smallest little guy and make him the star.

Trap dir. M. Night Shyamalan (2024)

Good instincts until it comes time to end the thing, then the explainer within takes over and drags it out.

Kneecap dir. Rich Peppiatt (2024)

It needs to get out of you in some way.

Eighth Grade dir. Bo Burnham (2018)

Part one of this month's teenage cringe. It's incredibly well done and ya gotta have the sense of humor about being 14.

A Place Called Silence dir. Sam Quah (2024)

A methodical approach to ruin.

Cuckoo dir. Tilman Singer (2024)

Ancient things are on the brain lately. Perhaps we need there to be ancient things beyond our control.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In dir. Pou-Soi Cheang (2024)

It takes the gritty martial arts drama of previous decades but throws in a high budget style we've gotten since the 00s.

Dark Feathers: Dance Of The Geisha dir. Crystal J. Huang & Nicholas Ryan (2024)

A bit disjointed but I dig its indie aspirations. It reminds me of a lot of smaller productions I'd see in the 80s and 90s.

Dìdi dir. Sean Wang (2024)

This movie's cringe goes hard and I respect it. Too real.

Frankenstein dir. Jed Mercurio (2007)

The bioengineering angle still feels like a stretch. An assemblage at the genetic level is just another genre altogether.

Depraved dir. Larry Fessenden (2019)

Better than anticipated, and a far more nuanced creature than most of the movies I watched recently.

My Penguin Friend dir. David Schurmann (2024)

I had a heck of a time trying to figure out who would be the main villain/obstacle.

Alien: Romulus dir. Fede Alvarez (2024)

Too many strings attached for it to breathe comfortably, but it has its moments.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs dir. Carlos Saldanha & Mike Thurmeier (2009)

I don't know that spinning off jokes from the first movie into their own movies was the right approach, but I applaud them for trying. And the cast sure starts to balloon.

Ice Age: Continental Drift dir. Steve Martino & Michael Thurmeier (2012)

The geography of the world is really all over the place.

Ice Age: Collision Course dir. Michael Thurmeier & Galen T. Chu (2016)

The formula is really stressing the limits by now.

Strange Darling dir. JT Mollner (2024)

It's designed to keep you guessing from the get-go, and it mostly pays that off. Just some motivation issues that tripped me up at the end.

Stream dir. Michael Leavy (2024)

Listen, Jeffrey Combs.

Whisper of the Heart dir. Yoshifumi Kondou (1995)

The drama Ghiblis are compelling. The pacing is ponderous and the hints of fantasy few, even though the setting is gorgeous in the Ghibli architecture sorta way. Spinning this off into another movie is even more compelling.

Blink Twice dir. Zoë Kravitz (2024)

Awful dudes being awful, but making it hard to watch was the idea. Should've been an Outer Limits episode #1.

The Wasp dir. Guillem Morales (2024)

You push and push and can't accept the fall.

Slingshot dir. Mikael Håfström (2024)

Spacemen sure do be succumbing to relationship angst. Should've been an Outer Limits episode #2.

Afraid dir. Chris Weitz (2024)

No hope at all, huh? Should've been an Outer Limits episode #3.

The Acolyte (2024)

Cowards. They deserved more than one season. The first season showed a potential that will seemingly now go unrealized.

Night Gallery - Season 3 (1972-1973)

Kind of fizzles out, and it sounds like things were crumbling by that point. But a few stories still had the gusto.

[queenvreads]

REVIEW: Hollow Heathens by Nicole Fiorina

3/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This story started off strongly but declined as it progressed. I managed to finish this book in a day, but I did skim through a lot. The story seemed to drag on towards the end; it didn't need to be that long.

Fallon is lured back to the town she was born in to take care of her ill estranged grandfather. There is a magical history in this town, prophecies, and cursed individuals.

She meets Julian, who is a Hollow Heathen, someone who has been cursed. She doesn't belong with him, but of course, they are drawn together.

I do love this type of story, and I was fully invested for the first half of the book. I loved the angst, the darkness, the natural pull between Julian and Fallon. It was great! Until it wasnt… I just suddenly stopped caring.

I just finished reading "Her Soul To Take," and I found that the plot was really similar. So it didn't feel that fresh. ' A girl comes back to hometown she hasn’t been since birth. Mysterious parents she never really knew, dark evil forces that have plans for her because she’s part of some prophecy.. A monster man who grabs her heart'… sounds familiar? LOL I also found the story a little reminiscent of "The Vampire Diaries," not the same at all, but the town had very Mystic Falls vibes, full of lies and secrets, and of course, I love that!

Where the story started to weaken for me was the back-and-forth between Julian and Fallon, him pushing her away but then needing to be with her. He was acting so pitiful, tortured. Like we get it, he’s this MISUNDERSTOOD dark figure that has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he’s a monster, yadda yadda. But dear lord, the forbidden-ness became very irritating at some point. Everyone knew they were together, yet it was still such a problem. Also, when Fallon first met her grandpa, I found their interaction so weird. Like she came for him, to care for him, and he was just grumpy about it, telling her she shouldn't have. I know we find out later in the story about that disconnect, but any normal person would have said, "Hey man, you wrote to me to come here, what are you bitching about?" LOL

There were a lot of useless conversations and scenes that, as I said, dragged the story. Not only that, but I skimmed through those parts and really pushed to get to the end to understand the CURSE and how Fallon & Julian are tied, and... Yo, that ending was SO RUSHED. It was like… boom and then ‘the end.’ The story should have been shorter, and the ending better. I also felt like the characters acted so young, like it read like YA at times, but they are supposed to be in their mid-twenties. I also found some of the romance scenes a bit cringey? Like their first time, which was also Fallon’s first time... Julian just sort of told her “this will hurt” and literally kept it going, and she was thinking, "I hate this, why do people have sex?" Yikes. Idk, I’m torn. Like I said, it was good until it wasn't.

Overall it was ‘good’ I finished it, but I did skim a lot towards the end. But not the best, just very familiar in many ways to better stories.

[livvyofthelake]

obligatory disclaimer that i have not opened a tid book in a decade and yes that will affect how i rank them… be serious no one comes to my blog for objectivity come on now

lady midnight my most beloved for all time!! it’s a revenge story it’s a murder mystery it’s forbidden romance it’s secret trysts it’s about freaks and gay people and my friends clary and jace are there and they’re treated like gods because emma lovesss them so bad… it’s excellent

city of ashes! i don’t CARE that this is the incest book you can lock me up if that’s a crime!! it has clary inventing runes! it has simon turning into a vampire! it has luke and maia and more magnus! it has a really interesting and easy to follow without being boring or too much plot! and ok perhaps i have nostalgia bias. don’t care!

chain of gold, just really nicely set up the trilogy! now. let’s not talk about it as a nice coherent trilogy because it’s not but if it were this would have been a really great setup! and i personally love the limited amount of pov characters in here. it’s mostly restricted to only cordelia lucie and james, which really works in the narrative’s favor i think. i feel like too many povs at a certain point starts feeling clunky. and in a first book that would have been sooo bad i mean we can forgive it in a third book but this was number 1… and i liked it!

city of bones. a classic is a classic….

lord of shadows. i know i just called this one “midbad” but like the thing is all my buddies are in here! let’s not talk about the plot. or the ending. um. well my buddies are in there that sure is true…!

city of glass, i think this was the perfect trilogy ending for a book that was neither an ending nor part of a trilogy <3 it’s such a great wrap up to the valentine half of tmi and also a great intro to the sebastian half… it’s just really well done i think! and clary and jace are there… and they’re in idris! and jocelyn comes back… and izzy finally starts being a bigger character!

city of lost souls, i mainly just. do nottt care for sebastian. like at all… but i do loveeee clary and simon in this one sooo bad… they’re doing bff telepathy while clary is undercover trying to save her not possessed but sort of possessed boyfriend! team good and team evil! it was cunty!

chain of iron. well i loved it in the moment and all my buddies were there and lucie and grace were kinda homoerotic for a bit which was awesome and there was a plot at least that was kind of cool even though in the end it was a bit annoying. really though this is the book that made me start to realize i just don’t fuck with james herondale that much… as lydia said. cassie didn’t let him have flaws so he was boring to read about! and it sucked! he sucked! but i did like reading this book in the moment aside from that actually

queen of air and darkness. i don’t know how to get into this. book without a plot for real. i don’t know what the plot was…. it’s not like i forgot anything i remember all of the stuff that happened in this. it didn’t come out that long ago i was there i remember it all. but. what the fuck was that seriously… just vibes i guess. just vibes and 30 different character povs and like 800 pages. it was crazy at the time of course we loved reading it at the time. also it has the malec wedding which is true and beautiful even though i don’t even really fuck with malec the way fandom bitches fuck with malec (meaning i like them and i’m normal about them… idk why EVERYONE else needs to act like that about them fr you’d think they’d never seen gay people before. which ok. i mean if you read about them in middle school maybe you hadn’t seen gay people before idk. but grow up) (i apologize for that hater ass shit i just said. you all should know by now i have a crazy aversion to popular things. and no i don’t understand how i’m a swiftie under these conditions idk what happened there)

clockwork angel. this series. straight up does not exist in my mind mostly idk what else to say. it’s been a decade since i’ve opened a tid book fr. i know i liked this one though because i always tried to slowly reread it every week at church. um sorry god for reading at church… i’m sure you can understand big guy you know i was 13 at the time! um anyway. i liked tessa’s introduction!

city of heavenly fire. listen. the thing about her is that she is so LONG. she’s a mammoth! i’ve actually never reread this one. like chronologically. i’ve reread sections of it! but that’s it. it’s just so damn long… but at the time she was huge of course. did you know this book came out ten years ago TODAY. and at that time. it was huge!!

clockwork princess, again i barely remember this but i know i liked it at the time, loved when they were fighting the benedict lightwood demon worm! rip rupert blackthorn </3

chain of thorns. i just. i just didn’t care for it. in the end. i feel like i’ve bitched about this one enough let’s not get too into it i just didn’t care for it in a lot of ways

clockwork prince. she didn’t stick out to me. i couldn’t tell you a single thing that happened in this book fr

city of fallen angels. been a certified hater of this one for ten. years. you can’t get me to stop! i just don’t like the jace possession arc because it makes me sad and i don’t like the simon cheating era because it makes him look bad and i don’t like that magnus and alec aren’t there because that paired with jace being possessed leaves us with only three of the six main characters. and simon was flopping and clary was sad the whole time because her boyfriend is possessed. leaving izzy to carry everything and of course she slays but that’s not enough to make the book good. and i never cared for the marlene plot.

the eldest curses excluded because um i haven’t gotten there yet. working on it!

tsc books ranked. a post i could theoretically make after i take a shower rn. lmk