#how we squee'd

[deadlittledogs]

bear whats your favorite pairing with alfred... i ship him with everybody tbh

I like to think him and Matthew have a weird psychosexual thing going on with each other that would make even Freud uncomfortable.

[chandelierslayer]

Finished Tri Force Heroes and Oracle of Ages today. Now there are only four Zelda games I haven't completed yet. I'm taking a break before I work on any of them though, because the only one I'm really looking forward to is FSA, and I'm probably saving that for last.

I DID say we would talk about Echoes of Wisdom, didn't I?

I... I love it. It is definitely the best Zelda game that's come out for... MANY years now. I was overrun by hype at first, but now that my hype has subsided, I'm able to form more sincere opinions. Some spoilers below the cut...

I love the world, first and foremost. I absolutely adore it. A Link to the Past is the Zelda I spent most of my childhood playing, and its world is sacred to me, and I will always hold it dear to my heart. So to not only bring that world into a larger scale, make it pop the way they did, but to EXPAND on that world, show us some stuff to the West and East of its boundaries, is truly a gift I have the utmost appreciation for, and will cherish for a long time to come, if not forever. It hurts to see some things different, but of course things are going to be different. I would have LOVED to go inside the Desert Palace, for instance, or to have the Tower of Hera still exist. Though I love that Turtle Rock is just a yeti's house, like, excellent usage for that. But there are so many nods to ALttP (and the classic series as a whole) in this game, and I've squee'd with joy more times than I can count!

As for the characters: I love Tri, I love this Zelda, I love all the non-binary Deku Scrubs, they make my heart happy. I love the NPCs in general, they're cute and it's wonderful to get a feeling for their personalities. I absolutely adore the main NPCs! Dohna is my number-one favorite! But they're all so wonderful!

The gameplay is super fun, I love creating armies of monsters. I wish there were Dodongos, but sadly, no... But at least I have Keese and Wolfos and all kinds of other wonderful monsters! I love how powerful Swordfighter Mode can become! The clockwork mechs are really cool, but I gotta confess, I very rarely used any of them. Much more effective to just use a monster. I love the dungeons in this game, the puzzles are super fun (for the most part) and there were some really cool bosses! The dungeons were mostly a lot less complex than I had originally thought, and it's kind of a letdown, but when you consider all the new kinds of puzzles, or new solutions to old puzzle types, it pretty much evens out.

The story was... well, a story. I loved getting to interact directly with the three Goddesses! And like I mentioned, the main NPCs are wonderful - they really made this game's story shine. But there was one thing I really, really disliked. And if you've finished the game, I'm sure you saw this coming.

When we finally reunite with Link and are about to start the final gauntlet, we just... give him his weapons back. Just like that. He gets his weapons back, and we get... nothing. I felt like this was the biggest failure of the game. A huge missed opportunity. I seriously thought that there was going to be an anime-like scene where Zelda awakened the true power inside her and got her own version of swordfighter mode that didn't rely on weapons (or something!). But the time went on and... nothing.

I've... seen a lot of arguments lately on whether or not this is sexist. IS it sexist to take away a woman's power and give it to a man without giving her anything in return? ...Yes. I don't think that's a controversial statement. But whether or not you think it's sexist, you've got to admit that it's messed up to treat Zelda this way, in the one game where she gets to be the main character.

I honestly had such a bad time of the final boss, because I felt like the wind was taken out of my sails. I got the impression that I could've just stood there and done nothing but dodge, and we'd still win. That's so ridiculous. The ending of this game could have been done so much better.

*siiiiigh*

With that one huge thing out of the way, here's my verdict: Echoes of Wisdom is a great game. I recommend it to everyone. I don't appreciate the final part of the game (other than the Lost Woods, that was really great), but the rest of it is a lot of fun. I can definitely see myself replaying it sometime this year. Does it go in my top five...? Eh... Not really. Probably in the top ten, though. And I'm really hoping we get more Zelda games with Zelda as the main character. She deserves the spotlight. More than anything, though, I want a Zelda that feels like classic Zelda, even more than this did. If that means more remakes, bring it on! I would love Oracles remakes. And I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Zelda II needs a remake more than anything else does.

[funarisjournal]

Another chapter was released last night, looks like. Oh, I definitely squee'd from the interactions (and more Smiling Kasugas!), but, after going to bed and getting up early, I started getting more thoughtful about the theme of this chapter: Coming Out

Coming out is its own bag of surprises. But in the end, it's really your own, personal decision, if you want to be out or not. This is true in a work setting. Will it affect your environment? How will your coworkers percieve you? And can you handle it on your own or would you need to be sure you have that support network first (no matter how small)? Because if/when you decide to, things WILL change.

Positive or negative, the environment will change. Your mental health matters, too, though.

If I read my pages right (and I did have to use Google for it), Kasuga said she probably won't come out, but she'll support Nomoto if she decides she wants to do it (which she does) because "the closet" really IS affecting her mentally.

I remember when I came out to a job for the first time. It was actually forced. My boss at the time was starting to give me weird advice about not sharing my paychecks with my "friend" (Leigh) and I finally blurted out she was my girlfriend. Unfortunately, it changed the environment for the worst and I ditched that job and moved to another. And honestly, the jobs after that were okay with our relationship though prior to our move, my last job in OK had people who didn't quote get it but they tried lol

Eventually I said Leigh was my wife. I struggled to say it at one place because they were okay with girlfriend but were a little weird about us being wives ("partners" was okay though?) I did it at my current job. They didn't bat an eye! They just use automatically see Leigh and go "oh hey! It's Funari's wife!"

So yeah...Whether or not you want to be out, it's your choice in the end. And we (well, definitely me) will support your decision and cheer you on!

I got YOUR back!

Also lookit this adorable supportive gf moment aaaaaa

[wilwheaton]

Been going through older MMOs with friends recently, and we just did the Temple of Elemental Evil in Dungeons & Dragons Online, and I damn near squee'd when I heard your voice. That, along with the interesting level design and the "Wil Wheaton Talks D&D" bonus content made it one of my favorite dungeons in that game. Just wanted you to know how much that was appreciated.

Aw thanks! That was so much fun to do. I really ought to play it, sometime.

[whateverthedragonswant]

Big Sky: 3x02 Thoughts

This episode was interesting but I had lots of thoughts:

I'm curious as to why Walt is scared of Sunny but I'm thinking maybe we got a very minute glimpse of why when she gets mad at Cormac. And I also think it's intriguing that she doesn't want Buck or Cormac to know Walt is out there. Is Buck Walt's father? Does Cormac know he has a brother? If yes on both counts, where do they think Walt is now?

So Sunny thought by singing to the backpacker as he died painfully that that helped somewhat? Weird. I could be wrong, but I don't think Sunny wants Walt to hurt anyone (besides not wanting to be put in the crosshairs)

Okay, what is it with that girl Emily? Like, stop pulling your phone out to record every little thing! She's so nosy and I don't really care for that or her to be quite honest

okay I LOVE LOVE LOVE how Cassie literally calls Beau right up at Denise's suggestion of Jenny or "Beau-Beau", like literally no hesitation

even though I would love to see Beau/Cassie as a thing, I do enjoy their friendship/partnership as well - either way they have genuine chemistry (so much more chemistry than compared to Beau/Jenny imho) and I am delighted every time I get to see it - Jensen and Kylie have an unbreakable rhythm that just works, even right down to them sharing the same space on screen - I love that she sees right through his shit and has no problem saying so

I do wonder if Beau will mention the Cormac thing to Cassie at some point; he definitely clocked that little look between them & the show made sure that we as the audience saw it just like Beau

and enter the reason Beau/Cassie will never be a thing: the whole Beau/Jenny thing they're pushing (insert eye roll here, Jenny and Beau are literally the same character, the only difference is Beau has been brought in to soften Jenny up some, if his constant prodding at her about Tonya is anything to go by, even though he's literally going through his own issues) - Elwood, Mr. Showrunner dude, you're making it so obvious: Jenny being in soft colors around Beau, always looking good (and a little softer), sometimes even matching shades of colors in certain items of clothing without full on matching; Jenny's little look when Beau mentions that Cassie called him to help her and he's going so Jenny is stuck helping Tonya; Jenny sitting on Cassie's couch next to him, shoes off, all relaxed, arms back, and looking comfortable; Beau not introducing Cassie to Emily even though she and Emily exchanged a smile; "Sounds like you two had a day." "Getting to be a thing"; every time we see Beau and Jenny walking side by side in frame, the framing itself clearly shows a pairing, matching in looks and sometimes pace (like when Beau comes back to the station from the campsite, they're literally move in sync)

The scene between Beau and Emily was sweet; he loves his daughter very much and he's struggling, a lot of jealousy with Avery (and with what happens with Avery later on in the episode, I wonder how things will play out with him and Carla when she finally comes into the mix; Jenny did say he was still in love with her back in 2x18 and he didn't deny it but confirmed it in a roundabout way)

I think it's very interesting that Emily, Avery, and the other two girls were talking about the lyrics to Alanis Morisette's "You Oughta Know", especially considering this is after Beau has left and not to mention they then discuss the missing couple

Idk much about Donno (haven't seen season 2 yet) but I find him hilarious sometimes

Yes, I may have squee'd when "Sunny" met "Beau" - yes I have a weird thing when my faves/fandoms collide...don't judge me

omg RAVI you DID NOT!!!! - yes, I know he's Luke in this show, I'm kidding, but I have to give the actor credit, it's nice to see him change it up

I now wonder what Luke and Paige's real story is and why Avery is so interested in what they're doing - is it possibly something similar or related to the case of the week story we got in this episode? Like they have this $ and someone is looking for it and "will never stop coming" for them or is it just Avery being a busybody like Emily? He seemed way too interested in that journal that appeared to be in some kind of code?

oooo why do I see a possible confrontation between Sunny and Emily in the future? "Never get between a mama bear and her cub"

the SPN easter eggs/nods: alright, this is most likely an unpopular opinion but honestly, I wasn't too crazy about them - the first one with the US Marshall and Beau saying you'd be surprised who tries to act like a fake Federal agent was an appropriately veiled nod; the second one with the salt - unnecessary. We already had one in the episode and the supernatural has nothing to do with the show or even Beau as a character. I appreciate that they want to give a nod to the possible SPN fans watching but it's not necessary more than once - this isn't Jensen's show that he's executive producing or something, this show existed before Jensen, has its own story, and I don't like it when it becomes so overt in the narrative that it takes me right out of that story - I don't see Dean or Jensen when watching Beau, I see Beau - I don't want to be reminded of either the actor or another character the actor played once upon a time, that tends to ruin the story for me and take me out of it and then I can't take it seriously - the US Marshall thing was enough - I hope they don't continue this trend

okay the first few times Beau mispronounces Poppernak's name were funny but now it's starting to get old; either pick a nickname or call the guy by his name, no more variations please

Cassie, my love, I get 20 years is a long time, especially with no recent crimes to show a pattern, but that case was worth looking into, if for nothing else to rule it out

LOVE the housewarming scene - also LOVE how Jenny brought the right gift (no offense to Beau) - though I winced when Beau got worried and Cassie says "I would have told you if I thought you should be worried" (I do wonder if that's going to come up when he has to go all "Liam Neeson" later on); my heart broke for him when he got that undelivered text back (Jensen played this scene very well, I thought he once again shined here; I am really thinking Beau's loss definitely had to do with the cartel he mentioned before and his brother; that reaction Jensen played speaks to me as not just a worried or overprotective parent but also one scared to lose their kid/anyone else & to something they can't/are helpless to protect them from)

Emily, you busybody you, here's a tip: you should have run before taking a picture after seeing the blood on him; and if for some reason you thought he was possibly hurt, why not ask him rather than taking pictures - girl needs to learn to mind her business and keep safe, she's way too nosy and that's going to get her in trouble at some point (hence the cliffhanger)

Hi Writers, me again, just a few more logistical questions:

1) How did the "drunk" get in with a needle? Isn't it standard police procedure to make sure someone is unarmed when taken into custody? How do you know the drunk didn't have a gun or a knife? Not to mention finding out an identity of said drunk?

2) if Emily is really a busybody (she is) and she likes to catch everything on her phone, wouldn't it make sense that she would have muted her snapshot sounds when taking pics on the DL? How else could she get discreet pics of any drama for her podcast? Everyone would know she was taking pictures

3) Are you telling me that Poppernak not only let Jenny run into that cell but also stood back and watched as the "drunk" tried to stab her with the needle? And she only had Donno as backup? Not to mention, when Donno yells for help before they open the cell, are you telling me that not one single officer or detective in the precinct ran to help? That they didn't hear the same sounds Jenny and Poppernak did before rushing into the room?

4) Why on earth would Avery allow Emily to go check out another trail on her own? Two people from their party are currently missing, Sunny and Buck have warned them all not to go alone anywhere and that they use a buddy system, she's sixteen and doesn't know the area nor is she an experienced backpacker nor does she have any gear with her...so why would he leave her alone?

5) Even Paul said it, do they really only send one officer/agent to take someone into Witness Protection? Especially since Beau even offered an escort, meaning he even knew that one agent is not the usual? Meaning shouldn't that have been questioned more than Beau calling to verify who she is? Especially since he sends Poppernak to follow them?

6) Alright, I know this is a little complex and tangled so I get it but if Beau found the water bottle, looking around with Cassie for this backpacker in an official capacity, how is that not brought back to the station as evidence? Especially with Beau saying to Buck and Sunny "and sometimes people make them disappear"? I get that maybe this is not an official missing persons case at this point in time, and nothing is definitive yet (like the two different tracks), but that seems weird to me, that he would let her keep it at her PI office, because once the truth comes out about the backpacker's death, that's going to be considered evidence that should have been tested (which is exactly why Beau grabs it the way he does & Cassie holds onto it the way she does, then has it in a bag) that if charges are made against a suspect, the defense can literally argue it was tampered with/collected by non-legal, non-official means

7) Why was Paul willing to go into Witness Protection right then and there if he had Camille waiting back at the cabin? I get he might have thought he didn't have a choice but how would he have gotten word to her? How would he have thought she wouldn't be found by Tonya eventually?

I enjoyed the episode, I really did. I'm glad we got some Beau and Cassie time; I enjoy their dynamic immensely. It's also nice to see Beau settling in and how it affects all of the other dynamics around them. It should get even more interesting once his ex shows up, Emily is in danger, and we find out whatever is going on with Avery.

[sockdreams]

Hello hello, finally went and browsed the thigh-high selection on your site once more, found the Magical Kawaii thigh highs, and almost squee'd. I love them they're so colorful!!!! I'm keeping my eye on the yellow and pink ones, I have a yellow outfit that would Absolutely benefit from those.

Hi there! I'm so happy you love them! We were so excited by how beautiful the Magical Kawaii Thigh Highs were when we first saw them! We took photos very soon after receiving the first batch and put them on the site as quickly as possible, and we had no idea that our Dreamers would love them so much, too! They've been selling super quickly, and our mills are hard at work restocking the out-of-stock colorways! We’re also working on new colorways! What dreamy pastel colorways would you like to see, Dreamers?

[whateverthedragonswant]

So I rewatched the season 2 finale of Big Sky (I highly doubt I'll have time to binge the first 2 seasons before next week tbh) and idk I just had some thoughts.

Putting them all under the cut. I think it pretty much goes without saying at this point: if you don't like, don't read.

Love the idea of the show. I've never actually seen it (outside of Jensen's episode I mean) and never knew it existed before then but man do I love Kathryn Winnick. She never disappoints. And I had never heard of Kylie Bunbury but omg do I love her. Both women have incredible chemistry and the whole cast seems to be pretty well settled in from what I could tell in 2x18. Janina is a power house, I truly enjoy watching her. And Constance, LOVE her. (I know it's not likely but I really hope we still get to see her in the future)

Now for the story...big sigh. To be fair, I have no idea behind the story other than what I could put together watching that episode, and obviously there was a lot going on with Scarlet's story with Phoebe, Cassie and Mark, Jenny and Travis, Beau coming in as a replacement for Tubb, Ren dealing with her father and brother - all of it. But sometimes, idk, the pacing felt...off? Like maybe it would be a beat too long in one scene, and then too short in the other if that makes sense? I don't know how to put that vibe into words but it just kind of had me going 'hmm'.

Like the whole thing with Jenny and Travis. I get there's a backstory there that I am only getting a glimpse of but it's obvious there was some involvement between the two at one point. What gets me is that okay this thing is going on right now in the show with them and sure enough, she lets him go so he can go find this former girlfriend of his. It hurts her to do it but she does it. But my issue comes with what's so obviously being set up in the story at the same time this is going on (again, the writing). Beau comes in and it's obvious from the get go that he's going to be one of the main sides coming up in the show (even before the announcement of Jensen becoming a season 3 regular), right behind Jenny and Cassie. And that's all fine and good, but sure enough, they make it obvious that he's going to be something for Jenny. And what kills me is not only did it feel like Beau had more interesting chemistry with Cassie that felt like it could have gone somewhere (I know, in the story she's already involved with someone else, I'm not saying that should be broken up), cringe-worthy tension between he and Jenny even after they started to get along that felt a bit...forced (this is not a reflection on Kathryn or Jensen btw, it's the writing and tbf to the writing it's ABC so I'm giving it that benefit of the doubt), but in their car dialogue she literally points out that he's still in love with his ex-wife (which he doesn't deny but instead confirms in his own way) after he tells her he moved to Montana to be closer to her and their daughter. In the same episode Travis can't let go of the memory of the former girlfriend (before he found out she might be alive). I don't know much about Jenny yet obviously, but it felt like they were literally having her jump from one guy with issues to another guy who has possible issues, and that's messed up imho. (listen, I love my girl Kathryn, okay?)

I just hate seeing that type of stuff, especially when it's indicative of possible patterns in the writing. But to be fair, I've only seen the one episode so I could be completely off base. Either way, I'm willing to give it a shot and see what happens.

And coming from Jensen himself, the show appears to be looking to "shake things up" in season 3 and now that Reba has come on board (LOVE LOVE LOVE Reba, I literally squee'd in delight when I saw that announcement, I tend to turn into a bonafide fangirl when two of my faves cross paths, don't ask me why), I'm excited to see what's in store. I love the character of Beau (and not just because it's Jensen). There's something really intriguing about him and his story that still remains to be seen. Maybe it is that whole Texas coming into Montana vibe, like being a fish out of water (pun intended especially with the episode name), jumping from one lake into another. Or maybe it's his back story with his ex-wife and daughter, and I think he and Cassie talked about grief counseling? (makes me wonder if he lost someone on the job or if there was another family member, just sayin') I'm curious to see how his role will unfurl throughout the season. I really also can't wait to see Reba's character, Sunny, and find out exactly what is going on beneath that wholesome, friendly facade she's got going on. I am curious to see how things will develop with Beau and Jenny (though ngl, trying to get keep that vibe from above out of it as much as I can going forward), and I am beyond happy to see more/hear more of Beau and Cassie's friendship. The promos look great, so does the cast. I'm feeling better about going into the next episode.

Regardless of whatever happens, I think it's going to be one hell of a fun ride and we'll have to see where it takes us. I wish Kathryn, Kylie, the cast, Reba, Jensen and the show good luck in its upcoming season. I'll be watching.