#doomed yuri but actually not really stick around and find out

[strawberri-marblee]

currently missing them to please take a fantasy au togachako as a late Halloween gift

might post more of this AU later we’ll see 👀

[diodellet]

ooohh that ask game has some interesting questions hmm how abt 16, 18, and 23?

i am realizing just how much this ask game is making me bare my soul goshhh (/not srs), thanks for sending me an ask, bibi!

16. What makes you immediately close a fic that otherwise seemed good?

hm...well, most of the time i try to stick it out even if i'm not enjoying the fic from the first few sentences. like, maybe it's just me but a lot of the first words of a fic tends to be the (for lack of a better word) "the gunk" that precedes the actual story? like some stories just have slow starts, but they do get gud.

but to answer the q, i guess stuff that makes me roll my eyes at a fic, in the context of x readers would probably have to be:

disclaimer: most of the time, i don't mind reading these. but there are just moments where they bother me as i'm reading

reader getting carried bridal style (i dont like it, i hate it. id rather be carried like a sack of potatoes. or id rather be carried like a goat by its shepherd. but i do like seeing characters getting princess-carried) just carry me like this instead 🤧🤧👇

royalty AU++CEO/office/corporate-setting AU (like secret princess of a kingdom or being a secretary, for example) i'm not a big fan of those kinds of settings. like ok sure a chara can look good in business formal or in some fine furs, but once the eye candy wears off thats when i exit the fic oops.

fics centered around marriage: i don't really enjoy reading proposals. also thinking of how the rings, the dresses, and the flowers look is hard bcs of my (partial?) aphantasia, but weddings Are Pretty Fun as a background setting. overall, i think what bothers me most is that the chara loses a bit of their personality after they get wed together with the reader.

^^actually in relation to this... im not that big of a fan of prom/dance settings, they both read very similarly, especially since the reader tends to be placed in the more passive role of being asked out. (but when you make it angsty or hurt/comfort, ok i will read it i'm a simple girl)

Oh and ig this is just me wishing for more in the Imposter-SAGAU genre of fanfic (i mean i'm still looking around, i don't feel desperate enough to write smth of my own), but i kinda wish the charas weren't so doe-eyed and quick to apologize to the reader. like, i get the feeling of wanting to write The Good Bits Immediately (e.g. being fawned over, getting to lord that blunder over the characters) but the potential of slowburn trauma recovery and developing a relationship from straight-up antagonism is Right There.

18. What media do you want to get into because of artists/writers you like?

i think i'd want to try reading more poetry? like, if i rb a lot of web weaving, i gotta know sumn other than "deep" pop lyrics (u wont find me saying nice things about ms sw*ft). so far i'm thinking of starting with ocean vuong and richard siken (basic ik but i mean, their works are good)

dunmeshi! i've been putting it off for forever 🙈🙈 (<-girlie watched frieren and forgor abt dunmeshi bcs they got yorushika to do the 2nd OP) but senshi,,,, SENSHI THE MAN THAT U ARE,,,,

Oh! and i'm rlly curious about alien stage! my sibling's dipping into it and he told me it was basically america's got talent x the promised neverland. and he said the magic words "toxic yaoi" and "doomed yuri," i Gotta watch it atp. (also like, carole and tuesday rearranged my brain, im ready to put a sadder spin on it😤)

23. What would you make a 5 hour video essay on, if you had enough time and motivation?

as soon as i read this all my hyperfixations have: left the server HAHAHA

maybe in terms of recent ones, i could try analyzing madds buckley's my love is sick. i wrote about that album for a final paper in a basic music elective, but i was constrained to only 3 pages so i only talked about 2-3 songs. but i could pretend to be a music major and regale ppl with how the leitmotifs tie together and completely destroy me add a new layer of meaning to the songs on subsequent listens. Also like, these songs just Get It (not sure what "it" is exactly, but there's smth related to first love and love lost*)

(but atm im just yoinking songs from there to use for fic/chapter titles, i plan on using one for this ruggie timeloop angst fic im plotting out anyway)

(art appreciation ask questions, please bug me to rb some underrated art and fic)

[actuallyjustabiscuit]

No no no. You are absolutely right. And that’s why Doomed Digital Yuri is unironically the best descriptor for them as a couple.

Just…allow me to be feral for a moment

The entire reason I love these two characters and by extension their relationship (romantic or platonic) to each other is because I find the tragedy of their dynamic so fascinating.

I just find the fact that they have the potential to be really good for each other if it wasn’t for the fact that their individual goals directly oppose one another.

It isn’t so much that Ragatha doesn’t care about leaving the Circus anymore, it’s that she fully believes that there is no way out.

We know she’s been there the 2nd longest out of everyone after Kinger. So she’s seen time and time again what happens when someone obsesses over trying (and failing) to find a way out. They essentially just stop existing. That shit, especially when it becomes a consistent trend, is traumatizing. And here comes another one and uh oh, she actually really likes having this one around. So much so that the thought of her falling into the same trap as the rest and disappearing forever because she failed to keep her sane would absolutely destroy her. So she does everything to convince her new friend that it’s better to just forget about going home.

But Pomni can’t just forget about it. Because she’s new, her will to escape is still fresh. And something that I feel no one talks about regarding Pomni’s character is that she’s stubborn. Like, really stubborn. You know that scene in the pilot where she goes through the “Exit” and she just keeps opening door after door after door and not getting anywhere fast. I feel like that scene demonstrates the definition of insanity so well and it really highlights how fragile Pomni’s psyche already is. Any rational person would have given up after like the fifth door and think of a new strategy. Not Pomni. She just keeps doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result each time she opens another door.

We’ve already seen Pomni drive herself crazy in her desperate attempt to leave, so Ragatha’s fears are completely justified. And this is where resentment can start brewing.

Ragatha would want Pomni to take better care of herself; i.e. not do the one thing that she knows from experience will only make her worse, and Pomni would want either Ragatha to be completely on her side…or stop holding her back and get out of her way.

I also think that Pomni would unintentionally abuse Ragatha’s kindness and people pleasing tendencies to further her own goal and not realize that she has become a part of the problem. That problem being slowly whittling away Ragatha’s self worth.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if after so long Ragatha does consider the Circus home. She’s been trapped there for years, how will she be ok when she leaves? Does she even have a good life to go home to? Maybe it’s better to stick with what you know.

I…I dunno I just think that’s neat.

ragatha x pomni

it’s a cute ship dont get me wrong, i love it. But, i feel like there would be angst. Like pomni’s fixation is on the exit, while ragatha doesn’t really care anymore.

[mst3kproject]

Conquest

This movie has long been something I wish MST3K would have tackled, but I figured they never would because there are simply too many gratuitous boob shots in it.  Imagine my delight, then, when Avalanche introduced us to the Titty Drones!  I imagine they'd get a hell of a workout from this one... perhaps in a host sketch they'd end up lying exhausted on the table while Jonah and the bots sing a song to inspire them to carry on.  Other than that, the movie is just one long, foggy, dubbed, what the fuck am I watching sword-and-sorcery experience with Jorge Rivero (yep, Yuri from Werewolf) as our hero.  Bring it on.

A young man named Ilias has decided to set out on a quest.  The wise old elder of his people gives him the Bow of Kronos, which can shoot arrows of light, and off he goes in search of some Hero Stuff that needs doing.  Y'know, monsters to slay, maidens to save, that kind of thing.

I did not alter that screencap.  That is what the movie actually looks like.

Anyway, he arrives in a country in the thrall of a topless brain-eating sun goddess named Ocron and her army of coke-snorting wolf-men (I swear to you I could not make this up if I tried). In a drug-induced vision, Ocron sees herself being shot by a faceless hero wielding a laser bow, and decides she'd really better nip that in the bud.  Her first attempt to ambush Ilias is foiled by the wandering barbarian Mace, who wants the magical bow and needs Ilias to teach him how to use it.  The two become fast friends – indeed, Ilias is the first friend Mace has ever had in his life, so when Ocron finally succeeds in killing the kid, Mace decides to take up his cause and avenge him.

There is an awful lot of nudity in this movie.  Even with the titty drones, they would still have to make some deep cuts to get PG-13 out of it, and Jonah would probably face some awkward questions from Crow and Tom.  The nudity ranges from the very matter-of-fact to the extremely leering, and weirdly most of the latter is saved for the villainess.  The camera lingers on her nipples and groin as she writhes in the throes of precognition, while a phallic snake crawls up her abdomen.  Yikes. Elsewhere, other topless women appear to be completely incidental. A scene in which a near-naked girl is torn to pieces by the wolf-men is much more about the absurdly artsy violence than the nudity.

There is an equally shocking amout of fog.  Not a single frame of this movie appears to be fog-free.  I think it's supposed to create atmosphere.  Mostly it just makes me want to clean my glasses over and over like I’m searching for Robert Denby.

As thick as it is, the fog cannot disguise just how much the movie's visuals suck.  Ocron's army of werewolves are on the same believability level as bear-headed Ivan from Jack Frost, and leap from above like the cavemen in Starcrash. Mace's bird friends look like if Birdemic had used terrible puppets instead of terrible CGI, and make the same sound.  Night-time is represented by a blue filter so intense it looks like we're filming through jell-o and the exact same colour is used for an underwater scene.  One entire sequence takes place in pitch blackness, and all we hear are monster noises.

And that's not even getting into what these crummy effects are depicting. Angry grass, swamp zombies, a caveman nunchaku fight, chirping cocoon-people... every time you think you've seen the weirdest possible thing, Conquest throws you another curve.  Mace's long hair and the angular symbol tattooed on his forehead look like they're supposed to remind us of Charles Manson, but I can't imagine for what purpose.  There are loving close-ups of oozing pustules covered with flies.  The laser-arrows look like something out of Tron. The music falls somewhere in between 'funky disco' and '80's mellow synth'.  It's all so weird.

You can enjoy the movie purely on that 'wtf' level.  It's especially fun to show it to friends and watch their facial expressions as the movie piles oddity upon oddity.  But if you want something to think about, this movie is actually full of themes and commentary!  Mostly, it's looking at the 'hero's journey' motif and pointing out the weaknesses in it, but there's also an element of Greek tragedy, in that it's impossible for Ocron to escape her fate even when she's the most powerful woman in the world.

Ilias sets out on his quest with no specific goal in mind.  It seems as if he wants to be a hero, but he hasn't yet settled on a heroic deed – he'll take whatever comes his way.  His first attempt at a 'heroic' act is saving a girl from being bitten by a snake, and then he pouts when she laughs at him and runs away, rather than sticking around for the kissing he assumed would follow.  Then, once the action begins, we quickly find that Ilias is terrible at heroing.  He gets his butt kicked by Ocron's trolls, and Mace has to save him.  It is Mace who finds them a way out of the cave when they are lost and trapped, and Mace who goes to find healing herbs when Ilias is poisoned.

This is all totally understandable, though – Ilias is in a strange place, and has no idea where he's going or what he'll do when he gets there.  Although he's a good shot with his bow, he has no combat experience and growing up in peaceful agricultural society has not prepared him to survive in this wilderness of lawless hunter-gatherers.  When Mace warns him that Ocron and her goons are more than he can possibly handle, it seems like he has a good point, and Ilias eventually comes to think so as well.  There is a point when he nearly turns back, actually getting on a boat and setting off for home.

The moment of lost hope is a common part of the hero's journey story.  As the Death Star prepares to fire on Yavin IV, it seems that the Rebellion will be unable to destroy it in time.  The Fellowship of the Ring is nearly broken by the death of Gandalf.  Moana tries to throw the Heart of Te Fiti back into the sea.  In all of these stories, this moment is followed by a turn as the characters find a source of inspiration: Luke hears Obi-Wan's voice telling him to use the Force, and is able to destroy the Death Star.  Aragorn urges everybody to continue on to Lothlorien, where they can rest and regroup.  The spirits of Moana's ancestors show her what she has already accomplished and give her the strength to try again.  Ilias, too, remembers his original goals – vague as they were – and turns back, arriving just in time to take care of the cocoon-people who have crucified Mace and thrown him off a cliff.

Yet even this is kind of a failure, as Ilias is unable to save Mace from downing in the ocean at the cliff bottom.  Instead, friendly dolphins come to Mace’s rescue (in yet another what the fuck moment), and shortly thereafter Ilias is killed by a cave monster! The Callow Youth ultimately fails to defeat the great evil, and it happens because he is a Callow Youth.  Mace, who is rougher and tougher and used to looking after himself in this country, ultimately succeeds because he has the skills and experience Ilias lacks!

Meanwhile, Ocron's own fate is as coldly inevitable as that of Oedipus in Sophocles' play.  As the story begins, she and Ilias have never even heard of each other.  When one of her minions mentions her by name, Ilias doesn't know what he's talking about and has to ask Mace. Ocron herself never even learns Ilias' name, always simply calling him 'the Wanderer'.  She sets out to kill him not because he has actually caused her any trouble, but because her visions tell her that he will in the future.  Yet it is Ocron's attempts to get rid of Ilias before he can threaten her that first bring her to his attention and make him a threat, when he decides this is the great heroic task he's been chosen for.

But Ilias is not the one who defeats Ocron – his death, instead, spurs on Mace to kill her, and this fulfils another aspect of the prophecy.  For one thing, Mace is far more of a 'wanderer' than Ilias is.  Ilias comes from a settled society and intends to return there when his task is done.  Mace, on the other hand, is some kind of outlaw, with the mark on his forehead to denote that he is 'everybody's enemy'. He has wandered for many years and sees no end to it.  Ocron's prophecy is entirely self-fulfilling, and as in Oedipus Tyrannus, it is the efforts to avoid it that make it come true.  She even has a harmatia, a single mistake that seals her doom.  When we look at her visions in light of the ending, we recall that the warrior she saw had no face. It is, instead, the bow of Kronos that is fated to kill her.  Her fatal error was focusing on the wielder rather than the weapon!  

There's way more I could talk about here.  I could go into more detail about how the film uses Ocron's nudity to dehumanize her, covering her face and nothing else. I could write paragraphs and paragraphs about the homoerotic love story between the two heroes and its derivation from the Greek tradition of erastes and eromenos (the names in the story, Ilias, Kronos, Ocron, are almost all either Greek-derived or just intended to ‘sound Greeky’). I could contrast their positive philia with the film's negative depiction of eros as embodied in Ocron. I could boggle over the fact that Mace uses strangers as target practice or wince at Ilias shooting trolls in the crotch.  Conquest is as endlessly fascinating as it is endlessly weird.  I'm pretty sure Lucio Fulci failed at whatever it was he was trying to do with the movie, but man, he failed with style.

[drink-n-watch]

  It was snowing yesterday but today is sunny and warm. Seems the universe is confused in my little corner. We’re also slowly considering unquarantining in these parts which I am a little unsure about. I understand the economic pressures but we aren’t exactly in clear waters yet. If you are someone who has to go back to work physically, you have my sympathy, and thanks for keeping things going. I’m going to stick around my home a bit longer. I get sick really easily and there’s no point in clogging up our healthcare system if I don’t have to. 

How about you Crow? How’s the weather and the news where you are?

  We had a hard freeze last night, which is really unusual for Ohio. Though weather extremes are becoming a bit more frequent… We’re talking about reopenings, too, and like you, I am concerned. My wife sent me a great discussion of the topic by someone who’s not only credentialed, but who is really lucid and articulate! Basically, I’ll work from home as long as they let me. I, too, have no desire to clog up the health care system.

Let’s talk about more pleasant things. And what could be more pleasant than My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!? It’s a trick question, don’t worry about finding an answer.

I’m not entirely sure a show like Villainess can have filler episodes but if so, I would say this was one. It’s the middle of the season and I figure the series wanted to take a little breather with this small collection of vignettes. Everything was in tone with the show but it’s the type of episode you can skip and not really miss anything. Except for the very end but we’ll get to it.

This said, just because I didn’t think the episode served much narrative purpose, doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. It was a nice little vacation and it’s always lovely to see these characters. Any opening thoughts Crow?

Alan, Mary, and Nicol had some interesting moments in this episode. I’ll be interested to see if you mention them! I’ve been trying to get a handle on what Nicol’s thinking, and we might have gotten a peek!

Full disclosure, I don’t really have much to say about this one and even though I just finished watching it, I’m going over my screencaps to remember what happened.

I think my favourite part was the opening tag. There is something so fun and so “Catarina” about having a fake snake artisan make her replicas and then practicing the throws with the actual thing. For someone so oblivious, Catarina sure is prepared. And I adore her poor exasperated maid! And her mom. Catarina is in fact a lot like her isekai mom despite having different sensibilities and I like that a lot!

That little scene where the maid and mom were reflecting on how much better everything became after little Catarina planted her forehead on the paving stones was really interesting. I figured the maids and butlers would have been happier with Catarina’s change. I didn’t realize that even mom (and apparently dad) felt so much better off, too! So far, it’s like Catarina is making the world a lot better! Though a few ominous hints showed up later in the episode. Well, as ominous as this show can be.

The lake scene was fine. It was cute and Marie got to throw in some yuri. I realize that although we see him often, Geordo doesn’t ever get the chance at any proper development. 

His biggest development? I am starting to feel sorry for him! Nicol even said that his smiles are more open and honest now that Catarina’s with him. But no one’s letting him be alone with her. Not Keith, and not Mary. Mary in particular seems to be getting kind of fierce! Gotta say I am a fan.

However I did call it last week when I said they might want to give Nicol some air time. This was more fun than I thought it would be. To me, all the boys’ character designs are pretty much equal and it’s just a question of your particular hair colour preference, but that show has made it clear that Nicol is supposed to be much more attractive than, everyone really… Still I always sort of forget about it and seeing Catarina physically swoon was pretty funny! I’m also starting to dig the running joke about how inexpressive Nicol is.

Don’t get me wrong, he still doesn’t stand a chance. However, I’m glad that he went from an unrealized prop supporting character to a slightly developed one.

I’ll give him credit. What he said to Catarina and how he said it was really romantic! I thought it was hilarious how Sophia urged him on, then was shocked to find Catarina practically catatonic in reaction to his near confession!

And then we had Alan’s time in the spotlight, both as the vignette was about him and as he quite literally was in the spotlight. From what we know of Fortune Lover, this is probably the biggest sign that he is no longer the same character as in the game. That Alan would never have had all the attention on him like that, and even enjoyed it. 

I guess it indirectly speaks to the growth in Geordo’s character as well, since he’s letting his brother take the glory and not interfering in any way.

That was a great scene, wasn’t it? I could even feel the romantic tension when Alan’s eyes locked with Catarina’s! So could Mary, too, I think — or at least she suspects.

Often these types of episodes will have something to tie back into the main plot and get the viewers excited again about the ongoing narrative. This episode was no exception. At the very end, we got a small flash of Catarina’s previous life while discussing Fortune Lover with her classmate.

Her school friend is really cute. My favourite design and I’m sorry we see her so rarely. 

It’s really common practice for dating sims to have a secret or true route that is unlocked only once you’ve finished all the other routes. Frequently that route will not be openly advertised although most experienced otome players will spot it right away. More recent games also have DLC routes that come out later. It’s a smart business model. That’s what was implied in Catarina’s memory. I think Sirius is the unlockable character. That line about him not liking anyone was given way too much importance for it to just be random dialogue.

And it’s clear that Catarina has gone from rival to MC, so guess she could play that route. What do you think Crow?

I think you’re on to something. The scene was really prominent, and his expression too neutral to be trusted. And did you see the crowd of young women glaring at him as he watched Catarina join Geraldo to dance? They were furious. I think there’s some trouble brewing there, in fact.

Though with the caliber of people surrounding Catarina, I think she’s safe.

I’m impressed by the staying power of the premise. Sure, the series is somewhat repetitive, but 6 episodes in and I’m still really enjoying it. The charming cast helps that a lot, but the story itself has more to offer than I would have thought. Way to go!

Even the repetitive jokes, like Catarina completely misunderstanding why Keith and Geraldo were fighting over the boats, still works. The setup is clean, the characters are true to themselves, and the timing is good.

I think we need to keep an eye on Mary, though. Looks like she’s starting to feel a bit desperate — and that some of her plans are starting to go awry. I wonder what part that’ll plan in the coming episodes?

      My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! ep 6 – The Devilish Count Makess His Move It was snowing yesterday but today is sunny and warm. Seems the universe is confused in my little corner.