#good news is that it apparently isn't covid...

[rimouskis]

what a horrible cruelty it is to get sick on a sunday... like we really couldn't save this for monday?

[pugetprincess]

reposting because i completely forgot i wrote this during covid for a wip chain game (those were fun).

bridgerton au ginny & draco:  

“No one,” Malfoy drawled, “And I mean no one, would believe you and I are courting.”  

Ginny smiled.  “No one our age maybe, no, but the older warlocks breathing down my neck?  The matchmaking mamas chasing you around the ballrooms and dinner halls?  They will believe it.”  

Malfoy looked down his nose at her, drumming his fingers along his crossed arms in consideration.  

“Not to mention my Aunt Muriel.  She keeps pushing me to dance with you at every opportunity, even after I told her what a total prat you are,” she muttered.    

Malfoy sneered down his nose.  “Weasley, you should be so lucky that I’d deign to show any interest whatsoever in you.”  He narrowed his eyes, “And just to be clear, my mother forced me to dance with you at the Patil Ball.  I certainly didn’t want to.”  

Ginny rolled her eyes.  “Whatever, Malfoy.  Look, I think this would be a great opportunity for us to solve both our problems.  Are you in or are you out?”  

His eyes drilled into her.  “We would pretend to court?”  He took in the state of her with apparent distaste, lingering on her hem.  

Ginny looked down at her ruined dress robes, sighing.  They’d been so beautiful, not to mention expensive.  She flicked her wand to vanish the mud, but the rips in the acromantula silk were another matter.  

“Do you know any good mending spells?”  

With an all-suffering sigh, Malfoy brandished his wand at her and drawled, “Sericum instaurabo.”

The fine fibers instantly re-threaded and before Ginny’s eyes her robes were restored to as good as new.

“Oh,” she lightly ran her hands along the silky material and raised an eyebrow at him, “Thank you, Malfoy.”  

“Any witch of title would be familiar with that spell.  I don’t know how you’re getting away with fooling the ton, Weasley.”    He had the audacity to smirk at her.

She scoffed, “I’m not trying to fool anyone, Malfoy, just – “

“Just fool everyone into thinking we’re courting?”  

“Y-yes,” she glared, “Exactly.  I’ll finish my quidditch tryouts, you’ll escape the matchmakers for a season. It's a fair trade.”

Malfoy considered her a moment in silence.

Ginny swallowed.  He was going to refuse, of course he was.  And then he’d tell everyone that she suggested this sham just to embarrass her family.  Oh Merlin, what would Bill say when he heard?  Was Lady Whistledown delivered in France?  

This was an idiotic idea. How stupid could she be?  

Just as Ginny was about to back away and mutter 'forget it', Malfoy spoke before she could.  

“Let’s say I agree. What exactly do you have in mind?”

Ginny froze with surprise that he might actually consider agreeing. "Isn't courting fairly straightforward?"    "I need specifics, Weasley."

“Well," Ginny shrugged, "We’d likely need to be seen talking and dancing at a few events to convince people right? And you should send flowers, of course.”

“A few events and flowers…?”  Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her again, “Do you even know how titled witches and wizards court, Weasley?  Especially someone of my pedigree?”  

He took a step closer to her, indignant and offended, though about what she had no idea.  She stared up at him in surprise.  

“… no.”  She jutted her chin up at him, refusing to be condescended to. “And I don’t know what pedigree you mean.  We’re both purebloods.”  

“If I were really courting you,” Malfoy drawled deeply and shifted closer to her, “You’d be so overcome by my attentions that you wouldn’t last a week.”      

Ginny stared up at him in disbelief, turning slightly pink.  

“Or maybe I'd just send a singing cupid over to your house?  I seem to remember you having a liking for those back at school.”  

Ginny turned bright red, remembering with embarrassment the singing valentine she’d sent Harry in her first year.  

His smirk widened.  

Ginny scowled, “Forget it, Malfoy.” She turned away, marching swiftly back towards the manor and muttering insults about slimey ferrets under her breath.   

Quite suddenly her feet locked to the ground and the rest of her momentum continued forward. Her upper half swayed and she fell, her hands landed on the muddy ground to brace the rest of her.  

“Not so fast, Weasley. We weren’t done talking.”  

Bloody hell.  She was going to kill him, strangle him with her bare hands if need be!  She pushed herself upright again and twisted her shoulders around with a snarl.  

Malfoy stood behind her smirking, holding his wand aloft, looking very pleased with himself and on the verge of laughing.  

Before he could blink, however, Ginny whipped out her wand. "Expelliarmos!"  His wand tugged out of his grasp as he desperately tried to keep hold of it, but it yanked through his fingers and arched through the air in her direction.  

It didn’t come straight to her hand and when she tried to reach out for the catch, her feet still frozen to the ground, she toppled over again and landed sideways in the mud.  

Malfoy’s scowl morphed into a howl of laughter.  “Sweet Salazar, Weasley, are you sure it’s safe for you to be out in society?”  

The mud squelched around her hands and arms as she attempted to right herself again.  

“Keep laughing, Malfoy,” she snarled at him, “You won’t think it’s so funny once I’ve hexed you.  Do you also remember my preference for hexes?”

She cast the counter charm on her feet and rolled to her side, ready to cast the bat-bogey hex – only to find him quickly closing the distance between them.  She gasped as he dove at her.  

“Don’t you dare, Weasley,” he lunged, pink in the face and grabbing for her wand arm, “If you hex me, I swear to Salazar…”

She twisted away from him, tugging her arm out of his grip.  “What, afraid to fight me Malfoy?”  

He all but jumped on her wand, trying to hold her still, “Of course not.”  

With the weight of his chest pressing her to the ground, she tried casting a hex only to have him point her wand arm away, directing her spell in the opposite direction.  

They both watched as the yellow spell sparked across the garden lawn and hit a marble centaur statue.  The gleaming white rock was suddenly covered in angry green bogies, diving angrily at the eyes of the centaur, growing more frantic as they bounced away from the rock.  

Ginny snorted and leaned back against the mud, breathing heavily, gasping for air underneath Malfoy’s weight.  

At her snort, his angry gaze swung from the bogeys back to her face.  He looked royally pissed and Ginny couldn’t help the laughter that began bubbling out of her.  

“Don’t be a spoil sport Malfoy, you hexed me first.”

[manjiroia]

𝐓𝐎𝐊𝐘𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ♡ hanma shuji, sano manjiro, ryuguji ken, haitani ran/rindou + haruchiyo sanzu

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ♡ timeskip!characters , fluff , petnames , crack , a little suggestive in hanma's , completely bullshited the coffee names (if they exist already, no they don't ^^)

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ♡ I AM BACK!!! I'm so sorry for going MIA - this past year has been incredibly rough for me, COVID, dropping out of school, fighting depression suicide and whatnot- but I'm making my return and coming back to tumblr. now, please enjoy ♡

半間 修二 → ᕼᗩᑎᙏᗩ was honestly just chilling, your legs thrown over his lap, one of his giant hands lightly massaging your skin as the other scrolled through his phone. it was at this moment, you decided to ruin the peace ♡

"shuji, do you think you can get me a cinnamon pumpkin treat?"

"..... a fucking what?-"

"it's a coffee! and it's a new menu item at that one café I like... can you get it for me please?"

".. now? but I just got comfortable-" cue your infamous pouting face with puppy eyes

"fine fine- I'm going..."

it was fine, for about 30 minutes- until you got a phone call. "aww baby... you sent me out for a coffee that doesn't exist to play a game? how about we play my favourite game when I get back, hm?"

佐野 万次郎 → ᙏIKᙓY loved cuddling with you when he wasn't busy being the head of a criminal organization. you were his peace throughout everything happening around him- and you never asked for anything. which is why he gives you everything.

"mikey... I'm sorry, but can I get up? I'm thirsty-"

"no. tell me what you want, I'll have someone get it for you. you need to stay here with me."

"but- .... alright.. could I have a spicy apple with a double shot of vanilla? ... it's a coffee-"

"yes. you stay right there- don't move, alright? I'll be right back with it."

needless to say, it was a while till you got that coffee. what didn't take long though was mikey's voice to echo around the place- yelling at the other bonten exec's to 'find the recipe! y/n is thirsty!!'

龍宮寺 堅 → ᗪᖇᗩKᙓᑎ was in the shop, fixing up a bike while you sat pretty on a stool watching him work. it wasn't all bad, you both were spending quality time with each other (and you got to see him flex those nice pair of arms)

"ken.... do you want to take a break? I can go cook something for you?"

"hah? your not going to eat?"

"ah, no- but I am craving something. it's called a Russian twist, apparently it's a coffee-"

"no. your drinking something healthy, lets go eat lunch with water. too much coffee isn't good for you-"

... safe to say, the plan failed- but hey, now your being healthy :]

灰谷 蘭 → ᖇᗩᑎ was happily walking down the halls of the office, another day done- another happy drive home to meet the love-of-his-life and surround them with so much affection. walking out the doors to his car before he's hearing a familiar ringtone, rushedly pulling out his phone from his pockets to pick up your call.

"angel ♡ I'm just outside my car, on my way home now-"

"ran- I'm so sorry, but before you come home- can you get something for me?"

"of course doll, what is it?"

"it's called a surprise sunrise, it's a new coffee at that one place we go to for dates."

"ah, alright. I'll get it for you, I do need payment when I get home though~"

"yeah yeah... I'll see you when you get back then."

motherf*cker actually returns home with a coffee in hand, smiling brightly as he places it right in your hands. also has the gradient of a sunrise in it, 'so, about my payment-' , 'you charmed the baristas, didn't you?'

灰谷 竜胆 → ᖇIᑎᗪOᙀ was bored. insanely bored. the meeting being held had no context, he sat there with nothing to do. sanzu was popping a new pill in his mouth, his brother was talking his ear off- he just wanted an out, and thankfully- as if the heavens had heard him, your name was lighting up as a notif on his screen.

"rindou, baby ^^ are you doing anything right now?"

"no. everyone here is off the rails, please- get me out-"

"well, I do need something... but will mikey allow it? you leaving?"

"obviously yes, he's fine with it" (it wasn't a lie really, he was just sitting at the head of the oval table eating his dorayaki)

"ah, alright- well, I'm busy right now at home with unloading groceries. I completely forgot to get the new coffee I was telling you about, the hazelnut and almond crème? do you think you can go and get it for me?"

"yeah, I can do that. see you soon then" (an out!! yes!! he can get out of the unnecessary meeting and away from his brother!!)

the poor younger haitani... he spent a good 2 hours driving around Tokyo for your coffee, eventually he turned up at the house with a bouquet instead when you opened the door for him 'sorry baby... I couldn't find it.. think you might be able to accept these instead?'

明司 春千夜 → Sᗩᑎᘔᙀ was ecstatic, a day off from mikey to spend with his baby? the man couldn't be happier, he had the whole day planned out- solely and all prepared for you.

"ah, wait- can we stop at that café up ahead?"

"no no-! I just saw online somewhere that they're serving a new coffee, called the.. golden pineapple... I think? I wanted to try it-"

"why? do your feet hurt? I can carry you-"

"of course baby, anything for you-"

.... neither of you are allowed back into that café again, apparently sanzu holding the barista at gunpoint was a no-no. man was aggressively pouting for the rest of the day cause he couldn't get you that coffee you wanted :((

𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 ♡

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Okay, this is probably the only au for X-Men Evolution I'll make that isn't a reboot/reimagining. This idea, which I'm sure plenty of people have had, is this:

What if someone from our world/a darker version of our world ended up in the show?

Somehow the reader, who is from what I will call Earth 2020, ends up in X-Men Evolution, possibly dying on Earth 2020 and somehow being dropped into the series proper. And for the reader, they're a mix of emotions, but one stands out the most: Sheer, utter PANIC. They're likely dead, aren't anywhere they've been before, don't have any papers or documents, and are in a world set in 2000 where superpowers are real and adults try to kill kids on a near daily basis. Bby is going through a panic attack as they check what's with them, finding that the good news is they had all their saved money with them in their satchel, but nothing else of much use besides a calligraphy pen, pepper spray, and a ticket with a date that hasn't even happened in this world.

Reader knows they could try to get involved, could pretty much do whatever they wanted, help or hurt or anything they want with the knowledge they have... But... they'd rather do the right thing. They compile notes, writing down every major event of the series for both the X-Men and Brotherhood, warning them about things like Apocalypse, Sentinels, Hydra, Weapon X being back in commission, pointing out the things that should be avoided, such as brainwashing your daughter, tossing children off of cliffs, threatening a bunch of teenagers, manipulating everyone, etc. ... but reader also mentions ways they can change the worst of it from happening and begging them to help Laura and the Morlocks. And then adds final notes, the bad things that could happen throughout the next twenty years, from 9/11, the wars in Europe and the Middle East, the pandemic of Covid, the wildfires in North America and Australia, terrorist attacks in different parts of the globe, tsunamis and hurricanes and tornadoes, pretty much every disaster, they list it, when it was supposed to happen, and pleads to stop it, or alert someone who could... By the time reader is done writing down every disaster and crisis that they remember, they have piles of notes, even some with theories. And finally, the reader sends the notes, praying for the best. Then they promptly go to hide out in some small town far away from everything, because they fear what happens if someone finds out how they know everything and where they're from... If it doesn't end well for other people, who's to say it would end well for reader?

The X-Men and Brotherhood get the notes, and are more or less shocked, because what they have is about twenty years worth of disasters listed, with notes about what specifically happens regarding them. But, for some reason, they decide to listen, wondering if perhaps the writer of the notes was like Destiny, a mutant who could see the future... And somehow, things go better. Less tossing kids around and off of things, helping the Morlocks find a safer place to live, freeing Laura, and destroying the Sentinels before they are finished, it all happens, and everyone is relieved to know that they've avoided whatever was supposed to happen. Yet... where is the person who warned them? So begins the search for reader...

And reader ends up in Bayville, somehow. Apparently they're now in the foster system, developed a mutation (they wonder how that's possible, how would that work, they aren't from that world- ) and so far have been doing their best to get by. It helped that they lived through what was basically a dystopian world, since they know useful tricks for their survival, and with a mutation, hopefully that can keep them alive for just a bit longer.. They end up in the highschool, having to do everything in their power not to feel tense and have a break down. They're in the town where everyone else is in, they only have themself to rely on, and they have too much knowledge of everything around them, plus an ability that could alert others of them. They're glad they helped, elated even, but... anxiety still worms its way inside them. They don't know how to deal with their own thoughts and the world around them, every bit of knowledge sending them spiraling. Because if someone finds out it was them... then what? When do people ever take things like that well, that someone knew, that they're from a whole other world, and that they haven't done much else to do anything? Reader stays alert and tired, but keeps going. Besides all the crushing fear and loneliness, the 2000s are a lot better than 2020: lower cost of living, lower prices on food, less gun violence, less rioting, less noise...

Then, I guess with the help of Caliban or Jean, maybe even Xavier, the reader is discovered. And the two groups have to take a minute. The person who wrote the notes... is some scrawny teenager who trembles whenever someone talks to them, and jumps at the slightest noise? It's confusing. They were expecting someone older, maybe a time traveler, not... whoever this is. And the moment any of them try to approach, the kid just gets wide eyes and tries to get lost, avoiding anyone in the school like the plague. But, they finally are able to corner them and talk... And what they find is... terrifying.

From what they're able to find out from the reader, who's trembling like a leaf and trying not to cry, they're not from around there, they saw things happen, bad things, and thought if they gave a warning, it might help. And what Jean and/or Xavier can read from their mind is downright nightmarish, images of violence and memories of hate, of people hurting them, of destroying others, of a world filled with violence ad wars and plagues running rampant, anything and everything seemingly out to end their survival... Even how they ended up there, a hazy, near-forgotten memory of water and silt in their lungs and the world fading to black, a hand holding forcing them under... And all they can feel for them is sympathy, empathy in some cases, horror at what absolute H*ll they lived through... They offer aid, thanking them for helping them...

And the reader is just... relieved, that no one wants them dead. Hoping that this world truly doesn't want them dead, that they can breathe and not fear for their life...

The characters are glad that the reader is on their side, and isn't some evil genius bent on the destruction of mutants... but it isn't easy to know that the person who helped them lived in a world that sounded and looked like H*ll, and then eventually died, in one of the worst ways to go... And they can't help but feel a little protective of them, a little worried. Sure, their new ally is also a mutant, but they also barely know anything about their powers or how to handle normalcy, used to fighting for themself among peers... Not to mention that their new friend had to explain the reasons they kept a calligraphy pen with them, and the reason scared them, because who knew a fancy ink pen could be so dangerous-

Over time, they all grow to be platonic yandere-ish, if not fully platonic yandere. Reader helped them, it's only fair they repay that kindness. And they don't have to worry about them going back to the h*llscape they called home. It's not like they were going to let them go back, even if they could. Best to not think too deep on leaving, though. They aren't leaving, ever...

(I've been wondering about this idea for awhile now, and I plan to make a playlist for this au, simply because why not? Expect plenty of Panic! At The Disco, and a song from Lemon Demon😊💛🧡)

Bonus:

Reader, staring at the handful of adults for the Brotherhood: For Best Parent of the Brotherhood, at least in the original timeline, I think?, I nominate... Lance

Adults: What? Why him? He's a teenager!

Reader: Well, originally, Mr. Lehnsherr seems to only showed up when he wants something, instead of being there to help his kids, let alone everyone else, and leaves the kids on their own, Mystique had threatened them, left them on their own with no supervision, and tried to toss children off of cliffs, and Mr. Victor doesn't have kids as far as I know, but if he is related to Mr. Logan, I'm not sure he had been a good parent or brother or whatever he is, due to capturing him for the person who put a control chip in his head, and also trying to kill him. So, that leaves the other acolytes. Who are never here. And also tried to kill the kids. Yeah, so, that leaves the actual Broterhood teens. And the only one who has acted anywhere near enough to keeping them alive and taking care of the group's needs is... Lance. So, by default, if not by actual execution, the winner of Best Brotherhood Parent is Lance. Good job👍

Adult Brotherhood Members: Wait, we did WHAT?!

Acolytes: Thank heavens we aren't parents

Erik: I did WHAT to Wanda?!

Mystique: I tricked my own daughter, and lost both her and Kurt?!

...

Victor: Wait, I'm Logan's what now?!

Reader: That might only be a theory, I'm not sure...

One DNA test later...

Test: positive

Victor:😳☹👀

Reader: Well... in my defense, I only thought it was a theory... Um... Should I say sorry, or congratulations?

Extra Bonus:

Reader, presenting each character with a gift: This is hand-made, so I did my best. I'm sorry if you don't like it🎁

Everyone: It can't be that bad opens their gifts

Everyone:

Reader: Do you like it? I'm not the best at this stuff, but, I did read three different books a few months ago... And spent the last three weeks working on these...

Everyone, holding an oddly-made crocheted scarf with their theme/colors: trying not to cry Its... nice puts it on🧣😭

Also them: Don't ever leave, please🥺☹

Reader: Um... I wasn't planning on it

Everyone: Good... because we aren't joking. If you leave, we will find you

Reader, realizing that maybe something might have just changed: Um... that's... sweet... worrying now if they're in danger😟

Everyone: 😊🥰😍💖

[oodlyenough]

6-3 turnabout... whatever

i finished this case a couple weeks ago but i've been super busy and now also have covid so i haven't gotten around to it. but for posterity. i must document.

this one really tested my patience lol. WHAT a mixed bag.

the good:

maya... i missed u so much .... it's so unbelievably stupid they wrote you out for so long. welcome back babe

the investigation days were genuinely pretty fun. i loved having rayfa as an "assistant" lmao, reminded me of nick investigating with franziska in 3-5 which was PEAK, and i find rayfa herself is perhaps the most compelling new character aa5/6 have thrown at me. phoenix works really well with a horrible little girl having an existential crisis. she is actually imo quite a well-characterized character having a coherent emotional journey that i am interested in. groundbreaking

the lore around khurain and spirit channelling and how the feys are apparently superior to everyone here lol, like, it's all very silly but... i guess.jpeg. there certainly Is a plot at least. the bar is on the ground courtesy of dual destinies

i think the twist at the end here was ... interesting at least. i don't recall having "actually it was a suicide" as a plot resolution before, so kudos for breaking new ground, lol. the puzzles were mostly a decent level of challenge. that there is gameplay and puzzle solving at all is, again, a huge victory over dual destinies.

i don't know what's going on with ema and nahyuta but honestly it's cracking me up. i keep imagining ema consulting the lesbian masterdoc trying to decipher her feelings

however

the bad:

i made a post about it while playing but phoenix is so fucking dumb now!!!!! it used to make me so irritated that fanon treats him like a dumbass but now it's literally canon. grown ass man needs a 14 year old to tell him what moss is. it's SO goddamn annoying to see a plot resolution / twist / answer / whatever four hours ahead of the playable character, who most of the time now never even gets there himself, bc his 1 personality trait now is "bluff". christ. phoenix baby i'm sorry all your traumatic brain injuries are catching up to you it's not your fault this isn't the real you

what is WRONG with the pacing in these cases. honest question. why is it i can go from being like "this is pretty fun" while investigating to "actually i think we should just take the death penalty, nick" in trial. something so so so tedious about how this new guy handles testimony and i can't pinpoint what it is. there were certainly times in the og trilogy i found cases tedious and trying, especially the third cases lol. but this feels... worse? it was that way in AAI1 and DD too so i think it's this particular writer.

speaking of whack pacing: it's insane that after this obviously arc-heavy case, which leaves khurain in disarray and should have given rayfa and nahyuta existential crises, we're going to do a pointless tutorial-style case with athena and blackquill in japanifornia. why the hell. i like athena, but capcom clearly doesn't, and it just makes everything with her kind of excruciating.

[thenightling]

Semi-irrationally angry at some of the Good Omens fandom

I haven't been feeling well so it may be effecting my mood. (I just got out of the hospital last week with something similar to shingles, a new IBD diagnosis, and then caught Covid in the hospital). Anyway, recently someone asked Neil Gaiman (on Tumblr) if being gay is a sin in the Good Omens universe. Of course Neil Gaiman said no. However, this weirdly earned a backlash in the fandom where some fans pointed out that there are anti-gay slurs in the Good Omens novel. ...and? That doesn't mean that they are right and that being gay IS a sin in the Good Omens universe. To me that's like saying "But this story has racism so that must mean the racists are correct and that race IS inferior and deserves to be oppressed." In the very first season of Good Omens (the one based directly on the novel) we have God, herself, narrating. And it's pretty obvious that God ships Aziraphale and Crowley, it's all part of her "ineffable plan." What disturbs and angers me is the strange sense that some of these Good Omens fans WANT that entire universe (including God) to be anti-Gay / anti-Queer / homophobic and yes, being gay is a sin in that universe. But why? Why would you want this? This isn't just wanting angst for your fan fictions. This is saying "I want this entire group to feel that they should not exist." It's not being an ally. And I can't wrap my mind around other queer people wanting this. It almost feels like an oppression kink. "No, no. no. EVERYONE needs to hate them, even God! I want my fan fic to be sad!" This weird and apparent desire to want homosexuality to be portrayed as wrong BY people who like Aziraphle and Crowley as a couple is very harmful. There's enough real-world bigotry from human beings. We don't need a fantasy world where God hates gays. And I'm ashamed and disgusted by the behavior of some of this fandom.

[genericpuff]

in this week's episode of "sometimes life really goes for the balls"-

so last week was a nice little break from working on Rekindled, and my PLAN was to 1.) chill from working on comics for a lil' bit, and 2.) prep sketches for future episodes (I'm currently about 5 episodes ahead when it comes to storyboards)

but then i got sick ( : so the first half of my week off was wiped out by being stuck in bed

THANKFULLY it wasn't covid, just a nasty cold, but i've still got a bit of a cough that acts up 1-2 times a day

but w/e, i'm feeling better and it's time to work on the next batch of episodes-

and my tablet has stopped working.

the screen still functions fine, there isn't any problems when it comes to the display, it's just the tablet pen itself that isn't registering. I've tried uninstalling the driver and re-installing it, nothing. I've managed to jerry rig it back into working a couple times just by swapping the USB cable around but today i haven't been able to get it functioning at all, the device connection is just dead.

the irony is that banshriek was literally just dealing with tablet issues a few weeks ago that required them to replace the entire thing, so of course whatever force is at play here was gonna come for me next

i'm hoping it's just the USB part of the cable, i'm like 99% certain it's that because it doesn't work when i plug it into anthony's laptop and Windows keeps popping up the "a USB device has malfunctioned" prompt (and the few times i've been able to get it reconnected, the pen and screen have worked fine, it's literally just the USB portion of the cable).

unfortunately because it's a display tablet, i can't just use a different USB, it's a whole system of cables made up of a power cable, HDMI, and USB, so i ordered a new cable.

it's apparently not going to show up until the 8th/9th.

so this means no episode this week either, it'll be up September 16th instead. I'm really frustrated by that because I was really excited to get into the next few episodes and I really, REALLY don't like going back on my word. I'm really sorry if this is disappointing to hear. I'm incredibly annoyed by this whole situation, my tablet couldn't have chosen a worse time to shit itself (literally why couldn't it have malfunctioned last week when there wasn't gonna be an episode anyways ffs), but I know there's nothing really that can be done beyond replacing the cable and hoping that solves the issue. Shit just happens sometimes and I'm trying to be okay with that.

So I'm gonna be spending this week just getting back to asks in my inbox, writing up LO critical stuff, maybe I'll put out some pencil sketches. Might also try and script out the rest of S1 (hint hint).

I'm so sorry again for the inconvenience, thank you all so much for your patience. This has my brain firing in all directions right now and it's not being kind to me. Please send good luck my way, I'm desperately hoping it's just the cable and I don't need to replace my entire tablet. If you have any fun asks, send them and I'll get back to them ASAP !!

[steampunkforever]

Almost every American has thought about the prospect of a second Civil War. Considering the man hiding pipe bombs around DC last election year, it becomes clear why this would come to mind. Which is why this election season is the perfect opportunity to release a movie about a modern civil war written by an Englishman who quite apparently doesn't know anything about American culture, politics, or small unit tactics.

Alex Garland's Civil War is a movie about the fall of democracy as the US is shattered by a violent military conflict as its fascist President violates the constitution in order to retain power, but it actually wants to be a movie about a cozy witch in a small German village in the alps. Ok not really. This is a movie that promises to be about political violence in America but is really about War Journalism. It tries to do both and does none of them well. But first and foremost it's a showcase of regrettable AR furniture and trite culture war references.

After January 6th, 2021, I was discussing the Capitol riots with some right-voting blue-collar workers, and the most memorable takeaway from that conversation was being told "it was our turn." This one sentence told me everything about American cultural rage that this film completely misunderstands.

Every now and then I come across a film that's very good from a visual and structural standpoint but completely falls apart thematically. This is Civil War. Alex Garland knows how to make movies, and this is a solid film that knows how to position needle drops and position the camera to really Say Something About America. Except it doesn't do that last thing.

Politically, this is a film you could make if you fed the AI bot that writes Nancy Pelosi's campaign donation emails ten thousand hours of January Sixth footage and asked it to write an article for The New Republic. Close readings reveal that this is a film about Covid, particularly journalism, but Garland shoehorns the story he wants to tell about journo ethics Cloverfield-style into a much more complicated narrative. It's simply intellectual laziness to make a movie about a morally and politically complicated war and then handwave it away with a simple "it doesn't matter." You're releasing this on an election year! This is a movie that needs a spine! How does Micheal Bay have a more biting criticism of American presidential candidates in his movies than you do?

The movie isn't politically neutral necessarily. Nick Offerman looks exactly like a certain 45th president of the United States (he even dissolves the FBI). There's a proud boy/boogaloo boy militia committing war crimes. One of the main battles we see is fought in Charlottesville, a city that saw little fighting during the actual Civil War but is infamous for the 2017 murder of a counterprotestor at a confederate statue rally. And let us not forget the film's much-quoted "what kind of American are you?" segment so prominently displayed in the trailers. The movie displays the prototypical NPR host handwringing, and this level of political commentary only serves to make the film feel even more out of touch, made all the more lukewarm at the film's halfhearted play at neutrality in the pursuit of something that #makesyouthink.

The film is like Apocalypse Now! if Coppola really wanted to shoehorn in a thematically irrelevant main plot and never answer any of the questions raised by the much more interesting events that make up the movie's backdrop. It's like Children of Men if the director didn't really care about the atrocities his characters were witnessing as much as he just wanted to make a roadtrip movie. It's not bad, it's lazy, and this makes me angrier.

This is a movie that reminded me about Greta Gerwig's Barbie. A very well shot film with a solid director, great cinematography, and no idea what its message is. Except Garland didn't have a feel good montage at the end to save the movie for him. Just underwhelming combat. The only thing this film got remotely right about a modern American Civil War 2 is the fact that the Ford Excursion is the perfect vehicle to take into a war zone.

No matter how gorgeous the cinematography, don't let this movie fool you.

The White House isn't so cartoonishly simple to storm. Attack Helicopters would not be performing air support roles that close to buildings. M4 pattern rifles have a much sharper report. An abandoned JC Penny doesn't mean that America has fallen, it just reminds you that the Shopping Mall was never a sustainable business practice. The sniper scene is really good, I'll admit, but also not how any of this works.

This movie lacks the spine and the conviction to say anything real about the American Condition in any meaningful way other than "they own guns and experience cultural polarization," a take much too bland to be worth the price of tickets + popcorn.

[kyistell]

Wow me, drawing Jersey? Craazzzyyyyy

Anyway, I had an original design for this type of look on the Ipad, ended up not looking at it once since I apparently have memory. Kinda glad I didn't since I could go just by memory and figure it out as I went along ya know. (ps, for those who don't normally read tags just like, please do, i put so many lil things in there lolz)

Okay SO, I have this lil headcanon, nothin big, that Jersey didn't used to wear shorts until like 2000 or something, maybe a bit before then. This is because he has some scars on his legs, just from over the years, and wearing shorts not only shows those but also make it easier for him to get scrapes and such.

He was fine wearing shorts around NY, Del, and Rhode, occasionally Mass as well if he happened to be around at the time. He couldn't wear them around anyone else for a long time, some scars had Memories(tm) attached to them, some good most bad, so he just never wore shorts.

He's gotten a lot more comfortable wearing them around the other states over the years, mainly because of Covid where Mass unfortunately wouldn't let him keep wearing the same two pairs of pants. So he's fine now, if still a lil uncomfortable around some states (the west mainly), you just won't see him wearing them until it's the first day over 60 in state.

Anyway I love NJ but this isn't surprising, I live here. I am NOT a simp for this bitch, he's my state, I have to like him, 'sides who else would I attach to? Pennsylvania? Florida? Or god forbid NEW YORK!? Absolutely not, that's sacrilegious that is.

[livingandthriving]

A year ago today I went to see my doctor, hoping to get some answers (and treatment) for my increasingly severe respiratory issues. She ruled out asthma and sent me to the ER to get some tests done. Little did I know I'd end up hospitalized for 3.5 weeks.

(This is going to be long, sorry.)

They tested me for Covid and allergies, and when those came back negative they did a CT scan, and that was when they saw I probably had some type of lymphoma. They did not tell me this right away, just that there was a lot of fluid build-up around my lungs, among other things. Getting that drained was Not Fun (I almost passed out). I was admitted to the hospital proper after that, and spent 10 days in the Pneumology ward hooked up to O2 and getting the pleural effusion drained every few days while waiting on an official diagnosis. They did tell me on day 2 that they'd found what might be tumor and needed to do a biopsy to confirm, so when the diagnosis turned out to be Hodgkins lymphoma I was not completely surprised, but it still felt unreal. (Mind you, when the hospital psychologist came in with the doctor to break the news, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be good.)

The doctor was quick to reassure me that my prognosis was good, but there was clearly no time to lose since I was promptly transferred to Lyon to start chemo. I got my first helicopter ride out of the deal: they were concerned about potential traffic jams on the highway and didn't want to risk it while I was still on oxygen. My best friend's response when I messaged her to tell her this was to suggest I hum the Mission: Impossible theme while in the air. I didn't, but the crew found her suggestion hilarious. 😂

I made it to Lyon without incident, and my parents arrived shortly after I did (traffic was fine after all) to find that I was already something of a celebrity: apparently they don't get many patients come in by helicopter. Upon learning this, Best Friend's sister requested my autograph. (There's a reason I'm good friends with this family.) 😆

The next day was a blur of procedures, culminating in getting hooked up to my first round of chemo that evening. I was a little concerned about potential nausea, but thankfully the anti-nausea meds they gave me beforehand worked beautifully. I was still exhausted afterwards, though. That would be my default state for the next few months.

A few days in, it was determined that poking a new hole in me every 3-4 days to drain the pleural effusion was highly impractical, especially since it was going to take a while to go away, so I got a drainage tube put in. It was Supremely Uncomfortable (I was on morphine for several days), but within a few hours they were finally able to take me off oxygen! Being able to breathe normally never felt so good.

I got to go home in between rounds of chemo, which was very nice, even if I wasn't back in my own room (I had twice-daily nurse visits and it was easier for me to be in the guest room downstairs).

Going back for the second round was definitely different: no helicopter, I was able to walk in, and I knew what to expect this time - well, mostly. I didn't anticipate having to stay a couple of extra days because getting a new Picc line put in proved challenging. It's always something, isn't it? 😅

Thankfully that was the last time I had to stay at the hospital for more than a few hours: the PET scan I got a few weeks later showed that I was in remission, and I was able to do the rest of my chemo as an outpatient at my local hospital. Aside from two sessions getting postponed due to illness/low white blood cell count, that all went smoothly and I had my final session in January.

Early February I got another PET scan which confirmed that I was in complete remission, at which point I could focus on recovery. This is definitely going to be the longest part; I was told it can take up to 2 years to get back to normal. The fact that I'm already back at work, albeit part-time, is pretty good, all things considered.

So, how did all this affect me emotionally? The first few days in the hospital were probably the hardest, because something was obviously very wrong, but I didn't know what. In spite of that, I had a sense of peace and that God was in control (the song The Goodness of God was stuck in my head for days). That peace persisted even with the diagnosis, which is definitely a miracle because I'm generally prone to anxiety and jumping to the worst-case scenario. Instead, my reaction was, "Welp, this is gonna suck, but I'm going to make it." It helped that I had lots of people praying for me.

Even so, there were some rough moments. Losing my hair a few weeks in was especially difficult. I knew it was going to grow back, but I think that was when everything really started to sink in. Having to cancel my travel plans for the fall was another hard pill to swallow. Not being able to go to church was probably the hardest.

How am I doing now? Well, I'm still processing everything (hence this post), and likely will be for some time. It still feels a little unreal to tell people I had cancer. It's not one of those things you ever think you'll have to deal with, at least I didn't think I would. But here we are. I will say the fact that I'm starting to really process it all now is a good sign since it means my brain is no longer in survival mode. Hopefully that will continue.

I could go on, but this is already very long (kudos to you if you made it this far) and it's late, so for now I'll just say I'm grateful to still be here. Oh, and if you start having weird symptoms, don't wait to see a doctor.

[goldenpinof]

Gonna tinhat in your asks just because

I feel like it really WAS supposed to be a hiatus. They stepped away from the gaming channel and joint content bc Dan had a lot of projects he wanted to work on (the more serious content like big, the YouTube show, maybe even the solo tour) just to stretch his creative limbs and bc they needed to sort out the house/move, and uploading through all of that would be stressful. They were probably thinking 2-3 years tops. And then the world blew up and half of Dan's plans blew up with it

I feel like this return is GENUINE, like they've wanted to do it and just haven't been able to yet because Dan wasn't done with his stuff

i see that you have good points. it was very convenient to not have a gaming channel when they ended up living in a filming apartment with 0 space. but Dan constantly saying (through Phil sometimes) that he doesn't want to make that type of content anymore and doesn't want the gaming channel to return... it was very telling. only Phil was saying "maybe" because he was the only one actually wanting and needing it. that "maybe" was saved in case everything else went down. like a safety blanket that they always could pull out. which they did.

i understand Dan wanting a hiatus of sorts. he was burnt out. 2018 was a crazy year! it's just.. the vibes we started getting right after were very final. "Dan doesn't want it" was a final statement. and maybe he didn't want it because of other projects. he basically killed DanandPhil brand at some point, it was very apparent that he wanted to get out of that label. that he wanted a name outside a very successful duo they built throughout almost a decade. and it was fucking hard for him, you know. i understand that. the 1st project was ruined by youtube and covid. the company that he gave 10 years of his life let him down. it's a rough fucking start for a name building.

i'm simplifying a lot here, bear with me :))

i think the wad tour opened Dan's eyes a little bit. and i will take it as a win in the end of the day. it was starting very well and promising. the concept and 1st promo materials were well done. but then everything started wobbling and neither Dan nor his team was ready to deal with problems fast enough. and in contrary to how fuckups didn't really make a difference during ii NOW they made a difference. Dan couldn't make a name between 2019 and 2022, so he started going back and forth with his content. sometimes it wasn't clear who was the main target for videos, announcements and promos. i still don't know who initially was the target audience for his book. it can't be us! we know everything he wrote there. but marketing was so non-existent, it's scary how it could flop if he didn't have an audience based on DanandPhil™. his tour had somewhat of an audience also only because of the branding he was so determined to escape. although, there was a moment when he tried to advertise it for a wider audience, wasn't it? especially in the UK, where they had actual posters in the cities outside the venues. i remember having questions about why marketing shifted throughout the tour (while the script stayed the same! loser). i can't say that dystopia daily even had a target audience in mind rfbhfjekeeo

what i'm trying to say is, something changed in Dan's mind. there was a series of events that made him realise that coming back to dnpgames wasn't actually a bad idea. the European leg of his tour was the biggest mess i've ever seen. the fact that Dan explicitly threw shade on people he worked with only confirmed how bad things were. the search for a new management team, constant postponing of wad dvd, Phil's recycling content, and god knows what else – maybe it made him realise that a familiar content on a channel that everyone loves so much and will give views (and money) is what's best right now. new projects are always a risk. dnpgames isn't. and he still can work on something alongside. especially if he finally has new managers who will fight for his interests and property communicate with people they happened to work with. (allegedly. we don't know if he actually got new representatives).

if he actually had a 2-3 years plan (even 5 years plan, idc), the communicative language should have been different. but the only vibe i was getting from him right till yesterday was "i don't what to do what y'all are suggesting. period." and then he is talking about hope on twitter?! bro, as if it wasn't in your hands all this time 😭 i love him and i wish him all the best, and i'm rooting for his career more than for my own. but damn, does he not make it easy 😂

P.S. if turns out i'm wrong, forget i ever said anything. Thanos your memory out <3

[enthusiasticsincarazshipper]

Contrary to what popular media would have you believe, having autism and/or ADHD is not actually super fun, it doesn't make a person all ~quirky, and it is absolutely not a super power. You know what is it? Fucking disabling is what.

Like, yes, I know I joke that the reason I've been able to write SO MUCH fic since August is because of the ADHD. And yes, it is. But then what needs to be taken into consideration is the cost. I'm hyperfixated on tennis, on Jannik, on the RPS side of things - all separte hyperfixations combining into one mush in my brain. When I start writing, I then hyperfocus on that at the expense of pretty much anything else. I've stopped all my other hobbies, I normally read c.10 books a month and I've read hardly anything in months. I haven't touched the new Stardew or Palia updates. I'm struggling to concentrate on schoolwork because my brain full of tennis. I've had to get an extension on my first assignment because of it. And like, it's never mattered before if I don't do the housework because I live on my own and no-one sees... except now there's another person and expectations and feeling like I'm letting her down.

But hey, I'm writing loads of fic!

It's all I can think about. Which is fine when I'm hanging out in the online bubble, when I'm on Tumblr, or chatting on Discord, or (and I can't believe this one because its very un-me) when I'm having conversations with the friends I think I'm making in fandom. Because we're talking about tennis or fandom or fic. That's fine.

But outside of fandom spaces? At home? Or in work? I don't feel like I know how to talk about anything other than tennis because it's all I can think about because it's all in my head and its getting super fucking frustrating to be quite honest.

And Li's a fandom person, obviously, and she's a slasher. But tennis isn't her fandom and she doesn't do RPS and I don't know how she isn't completely fed up of me right now tbh

I've always been relatively masked at work - don't get me wrong, I've never been 'normal' but I've always done a relatively good impression of 'person who works in an office'. I lost my mask during COVID and uhh the people I work with have had to deal with an unmasked hyperfixated Cassie who - on the second day of their new job - got up at 4am to watch Jannik in the USO. Like, logically, I recognise that this was not a sensible decision. However...

I understand the how and why of the hyperfixation. I lost my job, I got a new job, I left my flat, I moved 200 miles and moved in with Li. I lost my physical safe space. I'm still working on curating my physical safe space - it's getting there but I don't have one and there's still a big part of my brain that gets super upset and just wants to go home.

So my brain *created* a virtual safespace. And it's apparently called Jannik Sinner.

I also have what my therapist calls 'a low uncertainty threshold', and I'm really not good with things not going the way they're expected. So like I preplan any journey, if I eating out I've checked the menu before and know what I'm going to eat and it's a little world ending if they're out of whatever I've picked.

Lets take today's tennis for example. Carlos did... pretty terribly, lets be honest, and Clippy (he's trying to help but he gets it wrong... so Clippy. Yay anthropomorphosising my anxiety/depression/neurosparkly) did not know how to cope. He (and therefore me) kinda just stuttered to a stop, I had to run to the office loo to have a cry and then spent the best part of two hours doing soft-office-level stimming to process an unexpected. There was chair spinny and playing with my infinity cube and listening to some happy Cassie music. Two hours of brain struggle. Because *checks notes* a boy lost a tennis match.

Logically, recognise that this is kind of ridiculous and over reacting. However brain just could not process the unexpected event.

So yeah. Not a super power. Kinda disabling. Really fucking annoying.

[marnz]

2023 review

an extremely long post re: thoughts on this year

2023 was an extremely weird and fun year of a lot of personal growth! Late last year I had to take leave from work due to some health issues originating from burn out, and going into this year I was extremely nervous about returning to work. I was also determined to do more events and activities this year, which was my ~covid resolution~. And this year turned out to be way different from anything I could have imagined! Not only was returning to work successful, I could quickly tell that the time I took off was instrumental to my health going forward. The skills and perspective shift I practiced and worked on quickly proved themselves to be really important and I felt much better in just about every situation with them on board. I don't want to pretend that this year wasn't difficult--it was, it was stressful and full of a lot of hard work and uncertainty because I did a lot of stuff I had never done before, and tried a lot of new things, and also tried to make some decisions regarding my future. But all of that growth led to some really good things, which I wanted to document.

Good things:

got my driver's license

started doing yoga, which has been great for stress relief. now at the point where I have started to do it independently instead of relying on a class

got back into knitting and knit my first sweater!

saw several shows this year! and I went to a lot of them with friends

befriended some people at work! I always find it challenging to make the leap from work-friend to friend, but turns out going to concerts with people makes that happen. This is also nice bc a lot of my local friends have moved away due to cost of living

made a lot of training progress with Piper. Walking her is so much easier & enjoyable now, and I think our relationship has gotten even better. This has been a multi year project.

read 63 books this year, 13 more than last year. Audiobooks have been a life saver, and reading didn't feel like a chore the way it did at the end of last year.

returned to work successfully, started working on cool projects at work, and have gotten some recognition for it!

went to europe! on a sort of delayed honeymoon

wrote a couple more short stories and worked on original long term fiction a bunch

spent more time kayaking! and more time outside in general, hiking, walking piper, running, etc

got elected VP of the union and became a shop steward, which has been both very rewarding and very challenging

set clear financial goals that I am making progress towards

started being able to eat eggs again! not sure how this happened but it's been a life saver. thank you, immune system.

survived getting covid 😩

started adderall and oh my god....a game changer.

got better at setting boundaries

next year, I would like to work on:

becoming a morning person! I used to be a morning person and then when I got really depressed I lost that power. I know it's possible for me if I take the right steps. I've already started working on it because i'm a masochist

running. I hear it's so good for stress relief and it is so common in my field, plus it is a more attainable form of outside time than hiking (requires driving long distances, waiting for weekend, etc) or kayaking (seasonal, requires buying kayaks, waiting for weekend). my psych also told me that apparently exercise helps stabilize mood and adhd! two things i could def benefit from. i started running today and uhh we'll see how it goes lol. also, i don't drink, i don't smoke, i don't use substances of any kind, give me that fucking runner's high

driving more. driver's license or no, driving still scares me! i want to get to the point where I feel comfortable driving long distances alone, such as being able to take someone to the airport if the train isn't running

continuing big projects at work. honestly I am still considering law school and these projects will give me the chance to think deeply about whether complex litigation is for me.

writing. to be honest, while I still think about my writing projects almost daily, writing just isn't a priority right now. And that's fine. I want to give myself some space and time. i would not have been able to say this a year ago...

using my phone less! something I've noticed is that my phone sometimes makes me feel pretty agitated or i feel overwhelmed by notifications? and that I am happier and able to focus better if my phone is in the other room. for example, when i take a bath I typically put my phone in another room and then i am able to read for hours. I would like to work on this.

continuing creative hobbies. such as knitting, doing more wood working, learning how to sew, etc. brain feel good...

moving & creating a home. we are moving early in the new year, which I am stressed about, but I'm also really excited because it will be a great new space and the location is really, really good. i want to work on making sure this place is as cozy and happy as possible, and also set it up so we can host guests so loved ones can come visit more easily

continuing to build a wardrobe i am happy with! I think I have written before that a lot of my work clothes make me feel like I'm wearing drag, and I'd like to fix that and also continue to knit myself customized pieces I love. like, a sweater vest to wear with a white button down, etc. gender wise i am just vibing but I like menswear more and I would like to continue exploring that

this year I have spent more time talking with my dad and my partner about the future, and while I am still considering law school everyone, including me, is worried about my health w/r/t that, let alone financial shit. my thoughts on this are...I need to have a solid stress management infrastructure in place to be a happy person, regardless of what I do in the future. Knitting & yoga & taking Piper on very long walks daily, plus having stuff to look forward to (shows), has really helped me this year, so I would like to continue exploring that.

as far as work...well I would like it to dictate my life less. right now I'm working from home (office is being remodeled) and I feel like the most boring person alive because I am just. home all the time. I do find work novel because last year I was doing high stress complex litigation and absolutely falling apart over it and this year I'm so chill while doing the same sort of thing. mainly because I have spent so many hours building stress management processes, working on perfectionism, getting perspective, and i've recovered from burn out. game fucking changer! my workload is way too high really high right now, which I don't love, and I keep being put in extremely challenging situations! but that's okay.

anyway. I don't want to misrepresent my life and claim it was exclusively wins this year...there were some really difficult months. December in particular has been so hard. but I'm really happy that I tried so much new stuff this year and I'm excited for 2024.

sending love to y'all! <3

[lumslittleland]

Not Been Well Recently - Sorry (Covid x3)

I apologise for not having been active for quite a long time.

I have been struggling with ill health, work and personal life problems for quite some time. My new medication is taking quite some getting used to, and it's efficiency depends entirely on how and what I do, eat, breathe and sleep.

It works wonders, but it's like a master lock on a bloody safe to get it to work just right, and I'm finding it difficult because I've never had 'tightly wound and intricate' issues to deal with before - like food allergies or asthma, or shit that needs extreme care. So I'm not that good at being patient, or meticulous.

Then I've had Covid about 3 times, with the full blown rash, and everything that comes with it, and I'm starting to wonder if I've got it longterm now as it's caused me to have a few seizures and eating problems and (what might be, but prob isn't) early signs of mild skin cancer, so my GP has asked me to be part of a research program for Covid.

At this rate, I feel so ill I frequently wonder whether life is worth living - and yet nobody seems to understand as they just get up in the morning and 'feel good.' Even on a shit day, there's plenty they can do. I'm stuck like this for life, and it interferes so much with everything it makes living nearly unbearable.

Sorry for this little self-absorbed rant.

I had to get it out in the open, because sometimes I feel like I am struggling alone... and then there's this major dickhead on this game pretending to have cancer to get attention, when in facts he's alienated everyone from him because of his hateful behaviour, and normally I would just ignore that because I just haven't got the time or energy to be bothered about some twat on the internet lol.

But apparently he's now asking for gifts and money, and someone close to me died from cancer, and it kind of makes me angry to make light of a subject like that...

Anyway my Twitter username has changed, and I'm going to be posting updates on there more frequently than on here, because it's just easier.

So if you want to give it a follow, I'll be posting updates on my fanfiction and any fan arts that people gift me. I wanted to run a full Stobotnik Tumblr on here, and maybe when I have more time I will do. But for now, I just want to sleep, get better and do the absolute bare minimum...

I've also deleted a lot of my comments on the new Sonic trailer, as I realise that there's more to it than what I previously saw, and I think that's because I didn't fully grow up with the Sonic franchise.

There's still a lot I hate about it, and possibly even when I see the full film will still hate about it.

But as I don't want to ruin it for you guys, I've started afresh. Have fun xxx

[randomfoggytiger]

React: "Return to Me" (from the POV of Someone Averse to RomComs, Part I)

This is rambly, so buckle in y'all.

Return to Me. Ahhhh, a romcom, a hallmark of the 90s. Having skipped most of the 90s offerings-- older media was entertaining enough-- the first time I heard of this movie was a couple years back when YouTube put up some free movies (and promptly ripped them back down when COVID produced 1000 and 1 streaming services.) It was advertised over and over and over again on my second dash. Did I ever click it? NOPE. I didn't even know who David Duchovny was at that time (though I admired Minnie Driver in An Ideal Husband.)

X-Files led me to read David Duchvony's and Gillian Anderson's press; and finding them admirable chaps, I got into the specifics of their acting (or more broadly: working) goals. DD's mentality clicked with mine, and I got to work pawing here and there into his other projects. I've read a few books (excellent-- I prefer his written word even to his acting, but that's a tough call), seen a few clips from his other gigs, and, finally, worked myself up to this moment.

And here we are! Thanks to @baronessblixen and @dd-is-my-guiltypleasure for the final encouragements in this direction. All the fun you can glean from my reactions and windy diatribes should be credited to in part to them and my curiosity of their curiosity of my own thoughts.

**Note**: I have nothing but good feelings for this film, but I process new, out-of-my-wheelhouse experiences with outlandish humor~.

Here We Go

"Forgive me and please say you are mine--"

I'm actively squashing that self-protective side. I will enjoy this movie because I know I will and I will not listen to the scream of "cheese alert" lalalalalalalaaaaaaaaaa~~~.

All right, Bill, he's going home, see ya buddy.

...Who are you, Bill? Apparently different from the other buddy called Big Mike (my Arcadia meters are off the charts) who also gets a "see ya" from Bob (BOB? BOB???? I hate the name Bob. I have a feeling this movie will endear me to it.)

There's the gorilla DD talked about... its name is Sydney? Okay, cool. (...Why couldn't it be called Bob and DD be named Sydney? I don't care if it's a girl-- is it?-- she could sacrifice herself to the cause. My anti-Bob cause.)

Sydney (who IS a boy) is set up to have a very special bond with the lady-wife-character-- I'll bet they use that later with Minnie Driver. Seems the cosmic thing to do.

FORGET ALL OF THAT BOB HAS A DOG. Toweling him off: "Get under, get it under-- LET'S EAT." And he's jumping up so fast the dog can't even process the change.

Aye, there's a reason why that dog loves you.

...Okay, the dog doesn't want to eat, nevermind. It's got more willpower than I would--

DID BOB JUST JUMP IN PLACE TO ENTICE THE DOG??? And the dog didn't respond??

That dog is this movie's version of a straight man, isn't he?

And Bob dries his pants off with a hair dryer and he pulls a prank and fake leg kicks his doting wife to distract her nerves?

I see, I see. I'm filling in the big picture here.

Bob is a man of energy. Bob is a man to waste energy having fun. Bob has too much fun with his wife and the dog has none at all. Dog wants to vibe and spray water all over the house and not eat and stand at the door until the other human walks in because the first human just didn't get the "she's at the door" signal.

The dog is me. I am the dog. What is his name? Tell me not, for it makes him less of a stand-in and more of a dog.

I almost cackled at DD's pic with Sydney, brb, have to go back for a screenshot.

(The XF viewer in me says "Sasquatch" but the there-is-more-to-life-than-the-X-Files side of me says plastic rubber monkey.)

Wait, what's the wife's name again? I'm calling her Jane Bennett because she's a sweetie and blonde.

BTW, I am enjoying myself and I'm only 7? minutes in.

Oh, boy.

To sum up Bob during his wife's charity fundraiser speech:

Bob celebrates by boppin Jane Bennett to the tunes while singer man goes ham--

and then we cut over to a dying Minnie Driver.

The plot beginneth to thickeneth.

Friend of Minnie Driver is upbeat and maternal (in the "mom of the friend group" way), keeping the optimism alive.

Traveling life and dating hot men. Ahhh, there's the foreshadowing.

"BOOOOOOOB!"

Save this man (he actually tried to run for it.)

...What is Bob's friend's Charlie's date doing. What is she... what is she doing.

BOB WHAT ARE YOU DOING.

The Bob Man signed up his buddy Charlie to put old codger's portrait in the monkey house just so he can pawn off the discussion and make his escape. "No, no, you have a lot to discuss--"

Charlie knows he's been sacrificed (and his "A mural" in response to old codger is priceless.)

Ahhhhhh, a Tuscany name drop. "You have to come out there sometime..." rando lady tells Elizabeth (Jane Bennett.)

Well, that's morbid and foreshadowing.

Bob really plays into the wild caveman angle with his wife whenever she brings Sydney up. ...No, I will not be making those jokes.

Aw, Jane Bennett is a vulnerable sweetheart.

No wonder this movie killed her.

Bob's gonna build Sydney a new home because his wife is teary over his tiny cage. Also, Italy mentioned again.

And he surprises wife with an "everyone look at us" dance. And there's the Return to Me song.

Singer's back.

These actors are having tons of fun.

And she's in the hospital while the music plays.

Here we go, gang.

Nope, old men time.

WAIT got a computer thingy to update, etc., brb.

Gotta close up shop for now-- I'll update as soon as I can~.

Enjoy!

[youhavenoideahowbadiwantthis]

I've been waiting to watch The Outwaters since I heard about it a few months ago. I love found footage and I love cosmic horror. Mash them up and you've got yourself a stew.

I found a few days ago that it was available on VOD so I got it for $13. That's a pretty sick part of the COVID film release trend. Love when brand new horror comes out to own for the price of a movie ticket.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

I'm going to just say the very common disclaimer: "this film is not for everyone."

A bunch of friends go out to the desert to film a music video, apparently. There are constant mysterious booms and shrieks. Desert animals exist around them. A bloody axe man chases them around and kills them. The cameraman/main character (Robbie) wakes up in a pool of blood and looks for his friends and there appears to be a time loop and maybe he's the axe man. There's an, apparently, big, practical effect creature that makes noise at him. Then he finds his dead friends' heads and cuts off his penis and disembowels himself with an animal tooth.

End.

So, if you're reading this, you're probably frustrated at how lazy and lackluster that synopsis was. Right? Now you know how I felt watching almost 2 hours of it.

I promise I will discuss WHY I feel this movie is one of, if not the biggest piece of shit I have ever watched in my life, but first, I want to dissect this movie through other people's words.

"Banfitch has a clear talent for character development, which is thrown out the window as soon as the true horror begins. Yet, getting to know his cast of characters only makes watching their annihilation more gut-wrenching in the end." - Grace Detwiler, Rue Morgue

If you think this character development is outstanding, I'm excited for you to watch literally any other movie, ever. He attempts to create the candid, real characters or Benson and Moorhead films, but they end up one dimensional, typical found footage characters. Think Paranormal Activity characters, but not even douchey enough to be interesting.

"...will likely be most effective for viewers who are strongly affected by the power of suggestion." - Grace Detwiler, Rue Morgue

Lol. I mean...yes. Correct.

"...[transforming] the found footage format into something far more transgressive..." - Meagan Navarro, Bloody-Disgusting

If the boundaries that are being crossed are "good overall filmmaking" into "bad", you're still wrong. Many found footage movies have done that. This is uniquely bad, however, so maybe there's a point there.

"...the film is more interested in immersing us than it is in answering any questions. In this regard, it completely succeeds as it spends longer and longer getting lost in the landscape that has become distorted." -Chase Hutchinson, Collider

Ok, let's talk about this, specifically.

At no point, was I immersed in this movie. The first 20 mins are the, supposedly incredible, character-building, that can really just be boiled down to the phrase, "hurr durr, you reminds me of your parents." I promise, you may relate to the dialogue between these characters, but you're better than them. Seriously. This entire build up is filmed with the tightest camera work I've ever seen. This man forgot to zoom out and he moves the camera quickly and often. You will get sick.

Then they're in the desert. The camera is slightly better because you have a vast landscape behind people most of the time, so it isn't as disorienting. But God help you, he will manage to examine every nook and cranny of a bush and the inside of their tent and the one girl's face, over and over again.

The night time shots are so much worse. Half the time, he's filming with a normal light source that illuminates a large enough area to provide tension so that you only recognize so much of what is on screen. The other half is lit by a gas station pocket flashlight using batteries from the early 2000s. I, like many other people in this day and age, have a large television. So when I have a 65" TV (1809 Sq. In.) and about 1/6 of the movie is filmed through a 3" diameter pinhole, I'm gonna be upset. The power of suggestion does not trump the power of wanting to watch a fucking movie.

Apparently, there was a large, maybe practical effect monster. Couldn't tell you, because it was filmed through this dipshit pinhole. If I spent the money to build a monster for a movie, YOU WILL FUCKING SEE AT LEAST 20% OF THAT MONSTER FOR A FEW SECONDS.

The story was run of the mill. The themes and characters were as deep as a teacup. The cinematography was fucking trash, even for found footage.

This was like a visual representation of a Chainsmokers song, but they were trying to make a black metal song, but the only black metal they've heard was Deafheaven, but the only Deafheaven they've heard was Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, but they recorded it in mono.

Also, a lot of people are comparing this to Skinamarink. Stop. Both films are frustrating and work on the power of suggestion. However, Skinamarink actually leans into the suggestion. It gives you vague pieces to tell yourself a story. Outwaters gives you a story and then lazily slops out blurry garbage that has been done better many times before over the course of almost 2 hours and then just kind of ends. I was not a huge fan of Skinamarink, but in my opinion, it is far more worthwhile than Outwaters and it's insulting to Skinamarink to conflate the two.

I will not say that I could make a feature length film. I don't have the talent or creativity. It's easier to sit and judge than to actually do something. Maybe Banfitch should take a break to reassess his influences to see what makes them worth watching, because this movie is evidence that he has missed the mark.

I hope he gets better.

If you want to watch the movie, sure, go ahead. If you want to watch something that will actually entertain and/or challenge you, might I recommend the following:

Resolution, Spring and The Endless are all wonderful pieces of eclectic cosmic horror by Benson and Moorhead. Good characters and intriguing concepts without giving away every detail.

Banshee Chapter by Blair Erickson is an incredibly underseen cosmic/conspiracy horror film that predates Stranger Things by several years, and in my opinion, does it better (horror-wise).

Bellflower by Evan Glodell is not exactly horror, but is a film that I feel Banfitch to inspiration from. The character development is on point and organic and it has sort of the mumblecore feel that I felt Banfitch was trying (and failing) to develop in the first 20 mins of his movie.

These are just suggestions that I think all do a significantly better job in every respect than Outwaters.

Just my opinions.

Thank you for listening, though I'm not sure why you would.