#i've seen people burned 100 different ways at work

[wuxian-vs-wangji]

I almost think you should tell them that you can't do it without EVEN THE LOGO??? Like, that's the craziest part for me!!! How do you not send even your logo!!!!!

Oh MENTALLY that's what I keep growling, but I never actually say that I cannot do something. Everything is figure-out-able. The issue is time, and in cases like this frankly quality.

Like, I can scalpel promotional videos from their website, but only being able to screen record it, the quality will be less than HD. It'll be pixelated from the size-up.

And having to rebuild their logo in Photoshop so I have an HD edition... How long that'll take depends on if I can find a lookalike font, or if I have to reverse engineer their font.

And if they come back with "The video is grainy" or "the logo doesn't match", I will just very gently respond "Do you have an original file available that I can use to improve the video quality?"

I hate being forced to put out sub-standard work. I am a perfectionist. I literally go through every individual frame before sending a proof and will digitally alter shit to make it look as perfect as possible.

See, the AdExs at work think I'm the most patient person in the world with clients, but in reality I know THEY will roast them as idiots in the private Teams chat. I never chime in, because if that chat leaks- and our cybersecurity is a joke so like, it's more WHEN it leaks- I have said and done nothing wrong.

[whereserpentswalk]

Activist burnout isn't a moral failing of a community, it's not people being selfish. It's a natural result of how human minds work, and you can't expect communities to out-moral human psychology.

When people are exposed to the same upsetting thing over and over again, either it fucks with their mental health and makes them more depressed and anxious, or alternatively it makes them apathetic and desensitized. Neither of those things are good for a movement, and those are the ways humans are going to react to constant upsetting messages. You cannot avoid this by telling people to just be better people, you cannot use higher reasoning to make an entire community's emotions work in a fundamentally different way to how human emotions normal work.

Every successful movement account for the fact that people can't be at 100% all the time. Movements that ask for a level of extreme and undying anger, burn bright and die fast, it's a useful way of organizing a very immediate response, but cannot be done for something larger scale. If you give people, the ultimatum of either being at 100% or 0% all the time, they will choose 0% because the alternative isn't possible for most people.

If you're constantly showing the same disturbing images over and over again, they will lose their effectiveness quickly. If I see a post detailing the horrors of the current genocide, I'm probably just going to scroll past it, because it's all things I already know, and I've seen it so many times there's no emotional reaction, and this is how a lot of people are with posts like this, because you can't ask people to have the same emotional reaction to the same information hundreds of times over.

You can't stop activist burnout by being a better person because burnout isn't a choice, it's a psychological response. If your activism doesn't account for the material reality of the community (in this case being humans with human minds), then that's on you for organizing badly.

Also, if you need to hear this: you are not a bad person for experiencing compassion fatigue, it's literally part of being a person. Don't hurt yourself.

[slimepuparibaba]

LnDS HCs: Sylus (General HCs)

HI! I HAVE TOO MANY HEADCANONS FOR SYLUS SO PLEASE TAKE THEM!! THEY WILL DEFO NOT BE ACCURATE COME JULY BUT STILL IM USING WHAT SCRAPS OF INFO I HAVE RN AND IF HE TURNS OUT LIKE THIS APOLLO GAVE ME THE GIFT OF PROPHECY

IF THIS IS INACCURATE I WILL COMMIT CHAPTER 4 OKOK

GENERAL HC DUMP / PREDICTIONS (MAYBE DONT COUNT ON IT)

Okay, we all agree he comes off as the type of guy that would burn the world for you.

BUT!

Big but here.

I don't think he's a terrible boyfriend or anything. In fact, he genuinely does love you.

I believe, me personally, you are the one weakness this man has and he will treat you with care. Is the way he treats you rough around the edges and comes off a little different than most? Yes.

But he won't ever actually hurt you. He watches you from afar like a silent protector to make sure you aren't hurt, even using his Evol to make sure you STAY alive.

I personally think he might actually treat you kinda like one of his men, like an equal in terms of "you can definitely handle yourself and I know you're strong", but he'll still keep an eye on you just because you're that important to him. He trusts you.

...okay, so like, maybe not completely trust you because let's be honest here, you're kiiiinda prone to trying dumb shit on him, but it's funny. He'll forgive it. The smug bastard.

From what I've seen, he comes off cool, suave, knows what he's doing. Cocky.

Bad boy. He's a bad boy in all sense of the word.

He knows what he's doing, he's confident, he's charming. Knows what to say and do. He's also a CEO so dealing with people? Basically easy for him.

When it comes to you? He will flirt. Because he likes getting a reaction out of you.

I bet he teases you a TON. You hate him? Good. At least you have him in your thoughts.

Love is war with him. You try to scheme? He already has a counter. Man is 100 steps ahead of you, but just likes seeing you make a complete fool of yourself.

You know when he gets the upper hand he'll have that signature smirk of his that just screams "kiss me to shut me up and I'll consider this your win".

You thought Rafayel had an ego? Nah. NAH, THIS DUDE HAS AN E G O.

Sparring sessions with him are very likely. He'd probably be like "alright, but not going easy on you" or something cocky like that with a smug smirk on his face.

Man genuinely treats you as his equal though when training. Teaches you everything he knows and points out some techniques you might be rusty on.

Rizz is off the charts. He's lived in the N109 Zone and breathed it for so long. He's a sweet talker, so be prepared for him to know how to make you melt.

But also, he will actually spoil you. Will he make you work for it? Yes. He will give you an entire runaround (make you say please, make you verbalize it, etc), but he does it because he loves you.

You are genuinely his soft spot, and I CANNOT stress this enough.

The things he does in the dark are things he does FOR YOU. His reason for being REVOLVES around you, you just don't know it yet. Don't let him being the leader of Onichynus get to your head—he has method to his madness.

[blusocket]

I've seen some people express some confusion about what Fortnight is about, why it opens the album, what's happening in the video, etc, so here's my attempt at an analysis. For the most part I'll be referring to the characters in the video with the names of the people playing them (Taylor and Post) but at times I'm going to be making direct reference to the events of Taylor's personal life and referring to the muses by their names (Joe and Matty) for the sake of clarity and simplicity.

The song itself uses the suburbia conceit as an extended metaphor for the beginning of her relationship with Matty (he's the neighbor she runs away to Florida with, Joe is the cheating husband.) For more eloquent and detailed thoughts on the narrative of the song you can check out Jaime @cages-boxes-hunters-foxes's post here.

The video is really dense, and I'm not 100% confident in every aspect of my interpretation, but I feel pretty sure that it's making extensive use of visual metaphor in order to tell roughly the same story as the song, just in a different setting. To start, Taylor wakes up chained to a bed in a white dress.

To me this suggests that she's been driven mad by being left at the altar, and is now trapped, surveilled and controlled, in a type of asylum. This represents the end of her relationship with Joe--waiting for a marriage that never came, feeling trapped, mentally unwell etc.

She then takes 'forget him' pills which reveal Post's tattoos on her face when she looks in the mirror.

This represents Matty (the "miracle move-on drug") and shows that he made a mark on her while she was still in the asylum--that is, still in her relationship with Joe. Additionally, in the wide shot where we see the mirror, its size and shape are very reminiscent of a one-way mirror, often seen in interrogation rooms and psychological experiments, further reinforcing the idea that Taylor is imprisoned here.

She then is able to go to the typewriter room and do her work, creating art about how she's feeling, shown by her repeatedly typing "I love you, it's ruining my life" on the typewriter. She's still in pain and feeling trapped. While there, she encounters Post and they create art together, which creates beauty and color in her life. The blue and gold obviously reference her writing about Joe, but the fact that her work is gold and Post's is blue may be a deliberate choice to draw parallels between Matty and Joe, as she does on numerous songs throughout TTPD.

The next scene, where Taylor's hair is down and she and Post are wearing the same black coat and pants, takes place inside her head (symbolized by the shape of the papers they're laying on.) She is dreaming about them being free and creating art together, represented by the papers surrounding them and book she's holding, which has the word "us" written on the cover. She's writing their story before it's begun.

She then reaches for his hand in her fantasy, accepting and asking for this relationship

Then we see that she's being studied and experimented on--the results of the lie detector test read "I love you, it's ruining my life." Her pain is an object of fascination.

Interestingly, Post is part of the group experimenting on her, but when the experiments begin to cause her pain, he liberates her.

This inspires Taylor to destroy the place where she's been trapped, which we see through her opening the filing cabinets that cover the walls and destroying the mirror. I also find the shot of her standing still while papers burn around her interesting and significant; I interpret this as Taylor destroying her own work about Joe. By choosing to leave, she is metaphorically burning--rejecting--the story she wrote about them.

Finally, Taylor and Post enter the dangerous outside world together; the rain echoes the lyric "I chose this cyclone with you" on the album's title track. While I do feel the meaning of Post being in the phone booth is somewhat ambiguous, the framing and the accompanying lyric--"I've been calling ya but you won't pick up" suggest that he's attempting to communicate with her but can't reach her. They are free of her prison, but still separated.

Then, he hangs up the phone and reaches for her hand, and she takes it. The final shot of the video is a close up on their linked hands, presenting us with a cautiously optimistic ending--they are lost and vulnerable in the middle of a storm, but they have each other.

I feel this is a somewhat less sinister, for lack of a better word, portrayal of the start of Matty and Taylor's relationship than is suggested elsewhere on the record, though I believe Post's character being part of the group experimenting on her is significant and the editing creates some ambiguity about exactly when and why she decides to break free. But I hope this clarifies how the video sets up the beginning of this story, the fallout of which is then chronicled over the course of the rest of TTPD.

[persephonememes]

* (  GOOD RIDDANCE BY GRACIE ABRAMS /  SENTENCE PROMPTS.

These may have been edited for clarity or length or to better apply for roleplaying.

❛ i was bored out my mind ❜

❛ you're the worst of my crimes ❜

❛ i never was the best to you ❜

❛ i used to lie to your face twenty times in a day ❜

❛ it was my little strange addiction ❜

❛ i destroyed every silver lining you had in your head ❜

❛ we were too different ❜

❛ you were so sensitive ❜

❛ now i feel terrible about how i handled it ❜

❛ now i bet you resent all of me ❜

❛ i don't forget all of my fault in this ❜

❛ i deserve it though ❜

❛ you were there all the time ❜

❛ how am i supposed to put that gently? ❜

❛ down the road you will love me until you resent me ❜

❛ what if i'm not worth the time and breath i know you're saving? ❜

❛ the whole facade seemed to fall apart ❜

❛ part of me wants to walk away till you really listen ❜

❛ i hate to look at your face and know that we're feeling different ❜

❛ cause part of me wants you back, but i know it won't work like that, huh? ❜

❛ why won't you try moving on for once? ❜

❛ i know we cut all the ties but you're never really leaving ❜

❛ i'm thinking everything you wish i wasn't ❜

❛ the call was tough but you're better off ❜

❛ so won't you stop holding out for me when i don't want it ❜

❛ won't you stay for a while ❜

❛ i wish that you'd never leave ❜

❛ i know i know better ❜

❛ if you asked me to run away i'd go easily ❜

❛ i'm codependent but trying hard not to be ❜

❛ do you think we could talk? ❜

❛ yes, i know that he's my ex. but can't two people reconnect? ❜

❛ i'll always choose you ❜

❛ where do we go now? ❜

❛ there's nothing left here ❜

❛ i wasted my breath when i tried to console you, didn't i? ❜

❛ i know that i should hate you ❜

❛ i pulled the knife out my back, it was right where you left it ❜

❛ i just drank something strong to try to forget, but it wasn't right ❜

❛ i almost crashed my car ❜

❛ all i ever think about is where the hell you even are ❜

❛ i swear to god i'd kill you if i loved you less hard ❜

❛ after all of this time, i still get disappointed ❜

❛ it's kinda funny when it goes from all to nothing ❜

❛ you have to laugh before you start to cry ❜

❛ now i stop myself from holding on to something that makes me feel a little less alive ❜

❛ i see through you ❜

❛ where did you go? ❜

❛ why'd it feel louder when all of it went unspoken? ❜

❛ all i can do is hope that this will go away ❜

❛ she doesn't know i'd let her ruin all my days ❜

❛ i'm just scared of that commitment ❜

❛ i really think sometimes there's something that i'm missing ❜

❛ i should probably go back home ❜

❛ i hope i wake up invisible ❜

❛ i guess i'm just difficult ❜

❛ you were everything to me ❜

❛ i've been drinking and staying up too late reliving bad decisions ❜

❛ what am i supposed to do when you used to be my lifeline? ❜

❛ i've counted all the days since you walked away ❜

❛ i never could've seen you coming ❜

❛ i think you're everything i've wanted ❜

❛ you make me really nervous ❜

❛ i've never felt this close to someone ❜

❛ what if you're my weakness? ❜

❛ i feel homesick ❜

❛ i'll say whatever you want, but i've become such a liar ❜

❛ i used to follow my gut, but now i'm just getting higher ❜

❛ i've been thinking way too loud ❜

❛ i wish that i could block me out ❜

❛ i think i'm burning alive, but nobody sees the fire ❜

❛ 'cause when i open my mouth, i seem to be stuck in silence ❜

❛ i thought of leaving tonight, but i couldn't drive this tired ❜

❛ plus after all of this time, i should be a pretty crier ❜

❛ in my head, i make a mess of it ❜

❛ i'm getting tired of feeling delicate ❜

❛ i used to try, but nothing's helping it ❜

❛ it's not their fault, but i've found that none of my friends will call me ❜

❛ every voice in my head is trying its best to haunt me ❜

❛ i should be cool but i panic ❜

❛ words seem to cut so much deeper right to the bone ❜

❛ it's a sort of funny quiet feeling ❜

❛ lately i don't know what to believe in ❜

❛ i drove 100 miles an hour to forget you ❜

❛  how'd you walk away so easy? ❜

❛ you won't even look at me ❜

❛ i hate the fact that i miss you around ❜

❛ why's it feel like you don't even know me? ❜

❛ how are you looking at me like a stranger? ❜

❛ i took up walking to turn it all off ❜

❛ it doesn't feel bearable guess i thought when i left it would all stop ❜

❛ did i fall out of line when i called you? ❜

❛ when i told you i'm fine you were lied to ❜

❛ how could i think that all that i gave you was enough? ❜

❛ cause every time i get too close i just go mess it up ❜

❛ i heard that you're happier ❜

❛ i hope that you're sleeping well, knowing i'm not ❜

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

[JP] Galileo Galilei: Destiny in Motion

This post contains a detailed spoiler.

Not 100% accurate. I didn't proofread this one, so there may be grammatical errors.

Translation under the cut.

(Mitsuki's POV)

Fate moves just as time follows the present.

Like me and someone else I have yet to see.

My blurred vision gradually became clear.

(Huh? Where am I?)

I suddenly found myself standing in a dark hallway.

(This is the hallway I passed through when I time slipped from Louvre. How did I end up in this place?)

I probably fell asleep.

I was looking around, thinking that I might be dreaming when一

???: "Come. Come here. Take my hand."

(Who is it?)

A husky voice I'd never heard before reached my ears.

Strangely lured by it, I walked forward and saw a bleak-looking prison cell.

???: "Why did this happen?"

(There's someone inside the prison cell.)

???: "Why do you only believe what others tell you and not check it out yourself? Why don't you try to see it with your own eyes?"

???: "Why do people refuse to face the truth?"

He said it in a quiet voice, but it sounded as if he was trying to squeeze out some unwanted emotion.

Then the sound of footsteps approached, and a dignified old priest-like man arrived.

Priest: "A heretical scholar who denies God's teachings一wait, no, a filthy heretical monster."

???: "Don't tell me that's why I'm一"

Priest: "There should be no such thing as a sinful monster. May you burn in the fires of God."

The old man glanced one last time at the speechless man and left.

???: "I hate them. I hate all of them."

???: "It's all because of this blood."

???: "Ah, but this is how hatred is created and how this world gets distorted."

(What am I seeing?)

I don't know if it's just a dream or if it really happened, but一

(I can feel this person's emotions so painfully.)

A heart-wrenching lamentation, and yet his wistful eyes were as beautiful as purple crystals.

Mitsuki: "-----!"

I opened my eyes and saw the familiar canopy of my bed.

I looked outside the window to see that it was morning and knew I was just dreaming.

(That was a weird dream. I followed the voice and ended up in a place I didn't know.)

(Someone was angry一no, someone was sad.)

I tried to remember, but the memory of the dream faded away.

That evening一

I came to the city's university to deliver a Blanc to Isaac, who has recently been working late.

(I don't come here often, so it's refreshing. It reminds me of my school days.)

I felt nostalgic despite being in a different country and time.

I decided to walk around the school building, when suddenly...

(Hm? What's that?)

Something caught my eye, so I entered the classroom.

On a table positioned near an open window, an old-fashioned telescope stood on a pedestal, pointing up at the sky.

(Did someone use it in a lecture? Maybe I should tell Isaac if they forgot to put it away.)

Even as I thought about this, I couldn't help but become curious.

(Sorry, but only for just a little bit.)

As I looked into the lens, the moon appeared in front of me, floating faintly in the evening sky.

Mitsuki: "Wow, cool."

???: "What are you doing here?"

Mitsuki: "I-I'm sorry!"

I looked up in a panic, hearing a sharp voice.

(Eyes like purple crystals...)

I was drawn into his beautiful eyes as our gazes met, and at the same time, I felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

(I think I've seen his eyes somewhere.)

Man with purple eyes: "You don't look like a student."

Mitsuki: "Oh, I'm sorry! I was visiting the university on an errand, but I saw this and got curio一"

Man with purple eyes: "You're in the way. If you’re an outsider, leave."

He cut off my words sharply.

(Right, I shouldn't have entered the classroom without permission.)

Feeling sorry, I bowed my head and stepped toward the classroom door, but the sensation I had felt earlier bothered me, so I looked back at the man.

(Why do his eyes look so familiar?)

At that moment, a shooting star appeared in the sky.

Mitsuki: "A shooting star!"

Man with purple eyes: "-----!"

The man's eyes widened slightly, hearing my sudden outburst, and he looked up at the sky through the window.

Mitsuki: "Oh, there's that cloud over there again."

As I approached the window, the man also turned his gaze in the direction I pointed.

We both looked up and watched the sky. Then, I heard mumbling from next to me.

Man with purple eyes: "Beautiful. Even in this day and age, I still find myself looking up at the stars."

("This day and age?")

I looked at him, suddenly curious about his words.

(Huh?)

His mood and facial expression softened slightly as his eyes, searching for stars, gazed intently at the sky.

(I wonder if he likes the stars.)

But when he noticed my gaze, he became cold again.

Man with purple eyes: "You still need something?"

Mitsuki: "N-No."

(I know, I was being rude by staring at his face.)

Even as I thought this, my chest thumped, and my cheeks grew hot.

Mitsuki: "Um, were you waiting for the shooting star?"

Man with purple eyes: "Yeah."

Man with purple eyes: "If my observations are correct, I can see a meteor shower this time of the year."

Man with purple eyes: "I was going to wait and watch the moon, but I'm lucky to see it at dusk."

The man answered my question as he gazed toward the sky again.

Though, it was more like a monologue than a conversation.

Mitsuki: "I haven't seen a shooting star in a long time, not since the meteor shower in 20XX."

Man with purple eyes: "20XX?"

Mitsuki: "Oops, I misspoke."

Man with purple eyes: ".............."

When our eyes met, that strange feeling came back again.

(I think I know this person after all. His voice also sounds familiar.)

Mitsuki: "Um, have we met somewhere before?"

I asked boldly, and the man raised his eyebrow.

Man with purple eyes: "No. If you want someone to talk to, find someone else."

Mitsuki: "That's not what I meant. I just had a feeling."

(Good job on saying such stupid things, Mitsuki.)

I looked down, feeling embarrassed, as the man let out a sigh.

Man with purple eyes: "I'm not denying your statement without any basis."

Man with purple eyes: "I'm an astronomer. I'm temporarily working at this university while I'm traveling."

Man with purple eyes: "I've only arrived recently in this city, so I’ve never met you before."

He explained his story like he was proving a theory.

(Then I guess we can't have met.)

Mitsuki: "Have you traveled that long already?"

Man with purple eyes: "Yeah."

Man with purple eyes: "It's a long journey, like the stars in the sky."

Despite his words, the man lowered his gaze slightly, and his eyes, which previously reflected the sky, faded behind his delicate eyelashes.

(His eyes have a faraway look in them.)

His wistful eyes were as if they were on a never-ending journey.

(Huh?)

The image of the distressed man in the dark prison cell passed through my mind for a moment.

(Was that the dream I had last night?)

(But why did I suddenly remember it?)

I felt confused by the scene that suddenly came back to me.

I was speechless, and before I knew it, the man was staring at me.

Man with purple eyes: "............"

Mitsuki: "U-Um..."

Man with purple eyes: "What's that sweet smell you have?"

He took a step closer to me, his purple eyes captivating me so much that I almost forgot how to breathe.

*Bell chimes*

Man with purple eyes: "-----!"

The sound of the college bell rang out, and we took a small gasp.

Man with purple eyes: "It's late. You should go home."

Mitsuki: "Okay. I'm sorry for bothering you. Excuse me."

I hurriedly back away from him and turn on my heel.

(For a moment, I thought he was going to bite me.)

I have no idea why I felt that way.

I don't understand the strange déjà vu, the dream, or this pounding in my chest.

(But一)

Before leaving the classroom, I turned around one last time.

Mitsuki: "Um, my name is Mitsuki. What's yours?"

Man with purple eyes: "............"

(I don't really know why, but I want to know about this person.)

Holding only this thought, I stared straight into his clear purple eyes.

For the first time, he showed me a look of hesitation.

Man with purple eyes: "Galileo."

Mitsuki: "Eh?"

Galileo: "The same name as the astronomer condemned for seeking the truth."

His wistful eyes looked like the eyes I had seen in my dream, or so I thought.

After Mitsuki left the classroom, Galileo muttered to himself.

Galileo: "Why did I foolishly and honestly give my name when I could've used a false name?"

However, there could be no "Galileo Galilei" here in 19th-century Paris.

He reconsidered the fact that he just happened to have the same name as Galileo Galilei and thought that the girl would think so, too.

Then he remembered Mitsuki's eyes on him.

Galileo: "Those eyes look like they are earnestly seeking the truth."

Unable to resist her unexpected sincerity, he uttered his true name.

At the same time, it was also true that he felt an inexpressible urge to smell Mitsuki's scent, even if it was only a little.

Galileo: "She was a strange girl, the things she said and did, and that scent. If we ever meet again一No, let's not. As long as I continue this journey, I will never see her again."

That's right, as long as the divided destinies do not intersect again.

Muttering this to himself, Galileo put the lid on the telescope lens.

(Mitsuki's POV)

I was lost in a dream again tonight.

------------Flashback------------

???: "Come. Come and take my hand."

---------Flashback Ends---------

(Is that voice really Galileo?)

The sad man I saw in my dream, the cold man I met in reality, and now the voice inviting me一

(What kind of person are you really?)

As time chases the present like the stars in the sky, my destiny and his begin to intertwine.

-> Francis Drake's Story

[otsukare-katsukare]

heel turns and hangman

i think hangman still isnt quite a fully fledged heel. this isnt exactly a hot take, 'hangman did nothing wrong' is still going strong, but i want to talk about what i mean by this and why i think it's really interesting from a wrestling perspective. i made a post a while back about the word 'heelish' and why i love it cause it's not exactly a synonym for 'doing bad/villainous things', it refers to how the wrestler works to provoke a negative reaction from the audience. cheating, mocking the audience's town, some really creative things from drew mac like mockingly posting a traumatic scene from futurama (good move from drew but he will NEVER be the heel against punk in my eyes sorry mate).

hangman's big 'heel turn' really didnt involve any of this. it was a turn to the dark side, a character going bad, a moral event horizon when he burned a man's childhood home to the ground - but did any of it actually work to get the audience against him? the visual of him sitting on the lawn with the blaze behind him was literally too cool to boo. hangman is a dark and brooding monster, and i doubt anyone in the audience feels even pretend dislike towards him. for comparison, there was a period where they were split on MJF post heel turn, with some people going 'he's our scumbag', but that was a knowing smarky reaction. MJF was playing 100% heel, and he got the reactions he wanted for the most part. even the 'whose house/swerve's house' taunts that hangman often gets in his matches i wouldnt call heel heat the way a 'cm punk' chant during drew's promos is. they're more like the audience being the sicko at the window shouting "Make Him Worse! Make Him Worse!"

The one bonafide heel reaction hangman has gotten was that unforgettable scream/gasp at the end of all out, unforgettable because it shot straight past the usual scale of anger and hatred and into pure fear. but it was a momentary instinctual response, used for great narrative effect. the crowd still don't hate hangman. he's been pulling off more and more actual heel moves since all out - low blows, hitting john silver and shouting at aubrey edwards are all good heel shit. if he actually wants to get boo'd he's going to need to get creative, because that's a very hard outcome to get when your character is basically a badass who's gone off the deep end.

but, on the other hand, it's possible that hangman is not going for any of the usual heel objectives. cause he's always been doing something a bit different from the established wrestling formula, and more interested in playing a complex character than Getting The Desired Reaction - he went into that first title match with Jericho knowing people wouldn't want him there, and he patiently told a story from that point with much more vulnerability than wrestling fans are generally expecting from their white meat babyfaces. and he was so damn good at that that people cheered him with all their might. this is just him doing the same thing from the other side, and it remains to be seen what his arc is going to be.

there's a case to be made and many make it, that however complex the characters and their relationships are, you need the face/heel dichotomy in wrestling. the formula works for a reason. hangman's making some of the strongest case against that way of thinking I've ever seen, because he may not be a by-the-book heel, but damn if he isn't compelling as fuck!

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Yo, I just got your ask, but it'll take a bit.

Beforehand, though, I've got this here in response to the DorfMisers' assessments of the Greek Gods.

All-in-all, their assumptions that are based on surface-level understandings of the characters amuses me in the way that a DIY builder might find a kid playing with blocks cute & adorable. Like, "you are adorable."

Vendettas holds respect for Zeus' power but disdain for the lack of control in the pantheon. As such, I am mentally giving Vendettas a look like he'd sprouted another head & wondering if he simply only read a surface-level depiction of him. Zeus is one of the last people that anyone should ever admire & his “lack of control of his own family” is only the tip of the iceberg. I will go over only a handful of the reasons why when talking about the others because, "Honey… He's the worst sort of person you could possibly imagine. Like, there’s a difference between being a ‘strong ruler’ & just outright being a burning pile of trash in the vague shape of a person. Please, have higher standards for yourself.” Though, I'd simply nod at his admiration for Athena. Because, yeah. Understandable. She still has her crappy moments, though. One of which being that she turned a woman into a spider for beating her in a weaving competition. Nobody likes a sore loser, Athena.

Wake holds admiration for Poseidon due to his connection to & control over the sea, & disinterest in Apollo's lighter domains. Though, he should likely note that Apollo wasn't simply a god of light. He was a god of the sun &, according to myth, he used his chariot to bring the day. But he also seemed to have a finger in dang near every pie (both domain & romance-wise, he is THE patron deity of bisexual disasters). Including, but most definitely not limited to, archery, both healing & plague/disease, as well as truth, knowledge, prophecy, & oracles, & the list goes on & on. It's honestly a bit insane. He was basically a Jack-of-all-trades sort of deity. Don't get me wrong, just like all the other Greek gods, he was also a dick. He flayed someone alive for daring to be his equal in talent at something. Again, nobody likes a sore loser, Apollo!

Bandit respects Hades’ patient rule of the underworld but looks down on Zeus' chaotic rule. As such, I am actually surprised by this as I expected this from Wake. 100% agree. Good insight! Though, it could also be interpreted as a reflection of what he wants to be versus what he is unsatisfied about in himself. The reason being that, Bandit often has a tumultuous temper of his own. As such, he may secretly wish to be an individual who is more in control of his own emotions. Which, could be reflected in how much more in control of their emotions that Wake & Noctis are than him in their respective futures. So, good on him for eventually working on himself like that. 👍 We're all works in progress. Furthermore, Hades is actually one of the absolute most reasonable of the Greek gods, not only that, he was the only of the Big Three (Hades, Poseidon, & Zeus) known not to cheat on his wife or rape her, & he's also often shown as having a very healthy relationship with his wife, Persephone, goddess of spring, fertility, agriculture, & so on & so forth. (Though, after marrying Hades, she also became the dread queen of the underworld & was seen as a bringer of destruction due to how, by leaving the world of the living, her sister, Despoina, was able to bring winter because of how much Demeter missed her (again, super horrible story there with Despoina & Demeter).) Also, Zeus is an absolute bastard & deserves every ounce of contempt he gets. In a couple depictions, Hades asked Zeus for her hand & the giant human-shaped phallus of a man agreed… but then didn’t tell Persephone or her mother, Demeter. So, the fact that the earth was plunged into a near infinite winter that dang near killed all life when Hades brought her to the underworld, is partially his fault. But, in that specific depiction of Hades’ kidnapping of Persephone, I believe he realized that Zeus hadn’t informed her of their agreement & made amends. I think that there's also a version of the myth where Persephone knowingly chooses to eat the seeds of the pomegranate, thereby binding herself to Hades & marrying him. Which really only makes sense in the version where he wasn't an ass. So, yeah. Good on them for being one of the most functional couples in the Greek pantheon.

Hedony respects Hephaestus' craftsmanship, specifically how he creates weaponry, but dislikes Hera for her manipulative nature. I'd just nod in understanding of Hedony's respect for Hephaestus. Hephaestus is actually pretty cool. I like him… Well, normally, I like him. The guy is a very sad character. Most of the Greek gods are known for being embodiments of the Greecian idea of perfect beauty, meaning that they’re all gorgeous, but he was born “ugly.” (Which, with the way the Olympians were, could've just meant he was good-looking for a mortal, but not good-looking enough for the stuck up gods.) So, this meant he was reviled by his peers specifically due to this fact. That sucks. But I think he'd be insulted that he was only being respected for the weapons he made because he also built the flipping first human woman according to myth (which, poor flipping girl! Not gonna get into it, but I will say, once more, “eff Zeus”). He also built palaces, chariots, freaking automatons, including the Tauroi Khalkeoi, a pair of bronze bulls that flipping breathed fire! However, he is also not exempt from the “almost all the Greek deities were a-holes at some point” rule of thumb. He actually attempted to rape Athena due to her beauty. Didn't manage it, thankfully, but the attempt was rotten. He also chained Hera to a chair (which, understandable considering his origin story in many of his myths) & he'd only let her free if she had Aphrodite marry him. Which… yeah, that ain't okay. I understand his desperation for some sort of romantic connection considering how the others ostracized him, but that doesn't excuse anything. Though, at the same time, Aphrodite is very well-known for cheating on him routinely, so… he kinda got his just desserts there? Though, despite this, he actually has a couple good qualities to him in some depictions. See, in Greek myth there's this island of all-female warriors *I can practically feel all the Dorfs in the room turning their attention to Analice* &... Well, depending on the depiction, they could be a variety of things. Some of them are not so bad & some are very, very bad. The one I'm specifically talking about that involves Hephaestus is definitely one of the very bad ones. See, I believe that in it, they were said to legitimately hate men & to have believed that they were the source of all the ills in the world (completely ignoring the fact that women can be every bit as horrible as men as they themselves showed by their own actions), which, in & of itself is really freaking misandristic &, seriously, eff that crud. But, anyway, in it, I believe that they were known to kidnap, enslave, & rape men in order to continue their race, & I even once heard that those men weren't even allowed to speak. (Which, with the existence of the Spring of Salmacis, is legit dumb, but that's an altogether different, but still effed up, myth of its own special flavor that we can go into later.) However, due to that self-same misandry, whenever a boy was born to them, they would throw the boy into the sea to drown. And, this part is where Hephaestus comes in. Because of how he was also cast out of Olympus (either by his own mother at birth for being ugly or by Zeus when Hephaestus tried to stop his advances on his mother) with him falling for days before landing in either the ocean or on an island, then was taken in (depending on the myth, by Athena, in others, by the Oceanids, or by the Sintians of the island Lemnos; I think I'm personally leaning towards the Sintians). Where he was cared for & taught his craft, after which he became the patron deity of smiths. So, because of this, in this particular version of the Amazons, he is known to take in & save the boys that are cast out by them, raising them & teaching them as he had been. So, he's… Complicated…

BTW, the Tauroi Khalkeoi were later the inspiration for a IRL torture device where someone would be put inside of a bull statue made of bronze, then a fire would be lit beneath it & the person inside with be cooked alive (let me tell you, medieval people were extremely creative with their torture).

As for Hera… I mean… to be fair, Hera’s husband is effing Zeus. (I'd be bitter & angry too in her position.) Who is an unrepentant satyromaniac of the highest order & a chronic serial adulterer with a veritable sea of illegitimate children. Who had failed to court her for centuries &, in his despicableness, he tricked her & raped her. Hera, out of shame for having been tricked so, married him. (Possibly as some form of self-punishment?) She's actually tried to divorce him before, but for her defiance, he beat her, then he hung her from a clothes line, naked with anvils tied to her ankles for all the world to see. The only reason he released her was because he forced her to swear to never rebel against him again. But that tends to build up anger & frustration & resentment. If she didn’t do something with it, she’d likely go insane. Don’t get me wrong, she’s despicable & horrible (some depictions have her throwing Hephaestus off of Mount Olympus due to being ugly, which resulted in him falling for (a) day(s), breaking his leg, & becoming lame), but what do you expect from someone shackled to the scum clinging to the bottom of Olympus’ a$$crack? Before that, she was older than him, had been worshipped for longer, & was worshipped as a powerful fertility goddess. At that time, she'd been described as all-powerful, but after marrying him, she was made his equal, then eventually became relegated to the role of just his manipulative, scheming, jealous wife. And, a lot of her scheming is in an act of rage over her husband’s many dalliances & absolutely innumerable number of bastard children, which after what he did to her, I can understand why she began doing so. Keep in mind, she was a goddess of marriage, as such, that must sting. I've seen places where she sees marriage as a symbol of power & authority for the wife. A symbol of security. The reason being that she sees marriage as what starts families. It's their very foundation. Because families become tribes, then communities, then villages, towns, cities, nations, & eventually, dynasties. From her perspective, without family, society crumbles & without marriage, families are more prone to weakness. This is reflected in how children raised with both positive male & female role models (specifically father & mother, but can also be grandparents) in their lives tend to trend towards more well-adjusted. Of course, that isn't always the case, but that's the tendency. Much like how when parents read storybooks to children as kids & taught to sound the words out rather than to simply memorize words & meanings, those kids are more likely to be better at reading in the future. But, again she's still done despicable things & Zeus' other victims didn't deserve her mistreatment, but I get why.

Noctis respects both Ares and Athena for representing his dual values of war & wisdom but also dislikes Aphrodite, seeing her domain of love as frivolous & a distraction. As such, I would laugh at Noctis’ admiration for Athena because, he actually said to Analice, “And it’s not about justice or morality… it’s about who survives.” Guess what? Athena was also the goddess of justice & artistic crafts. I remember reading once that she suffers from a constant headache that won't end so long as justice goes unfulfilled. While Ares was also known as a guardian of agriculture & cattle. Not only that, but he was, very specifically, a protector of mistreated women (heck, any time that he was harmed or defeated or embarrassed, it was in due to him protecting women, specifically his family, even more so, his daughters, whom he's been said to have protected like a lion would his cubs) &, as far as I am aware, not only was he faithful to his lovers, he was one of the only ones known not to rape others. Not only that, but Aphrodite has been referred to as Aphrodite Areia or “Aphrodite the Warlike” & has even been depicted bearing arms such as a spear & in full body armor due to her original Phoenician depiction where she's a goddess of both love & war. Another epithet of hers was “victory-bringer.” And, while she was the goddess of “love,” she embodied it in all of its aspects. Both good & bad. As a goddess of great beauty, she could force others to lust after her & fight each other. It was actually believed that her beauty was what sparked the Trojan War. Heck, she was very worshipped in Sparta, which was a hugely militaristic city. Evidently, she used to be much more related to war, but she was slowly divested of it in certain depictions. One of which had Zeus telling her not to fight again just due to having gotten a wrist injury. (Which, flipping double-standards, much? Ares was hurt, too!) Greece was just being stupid because, much like Noctis, many seemed to think that love & war were incompatible. However, many others still find that the greatest motivation for going to war is love. I mean, what does he think a lot of people fight in wars for?? Not everyone does so for glory, man. Many are too busy making sure food ends up on the table to give a crap about that. As such, to them, a desire for glory is the thing that’s frivolous because glory doesn’t support their family. Many go to war aiming to protect their families. Both are equally ubiquitous in life. After all, “all is fair” in both. Though, I never really saw Aphrodite as a goddess of love. Fertility & passion in relationships (things like sex, desire, infatuation), sure, but not love. Not real love, anyway. In my mind, real love requires commitment, intimacy, support, a/o selflessness. But above all else, it needs selflessness & sacrifice. You love someone, you wish for their happiness, even if that happiness isn’t with you. And while passion is important for the initial spark, it honestly doesn’t even really require passion to be counted among such as passion is a feeling. One that almost always dies eventually. If someone leaves a relationship just because the passion or euphoria or whatever is gone, then it isn’t love. It’s infatuation. Real love focuses on elevating each other to do better & be better. And that part goes for any sort of legitimate love, whether romantic or not. But that’s besides the point. Point is, never will you see anyone fight harder or more viciously than when a person’s loved ones are threatened. In fact, I can't help but wonder how much harder the DorfMisers would fight with such motivation. Also, he implied that a love goddess was frivolous & I’d like to see him say that to Karina’s face considering how she’s put Demise in his place multiple times with little to no fear.

Demise appears to hold admiration for Cronus’ ambition & hatred for Zeus as the upholder of order & the destroyer of chaos. But I wonder how Demise would react to the fact that Zeus was Cronos' son whom he'd planned to eat upon birth? Like, legit eat. As in, “get in muh belly” eat. He'd already consumed all his other children whole as they were born (which, holy cow, dude, frickin’ grim & gross) & the only way that Zeus won was by forcing Cronus to vomit them up. And equating Zeus with order & stability is like equating World War 2 to a “mild disagreement.” Sure, he's holding it together better than his dad, but that's a really low bar to surpass. It very much does not take a lot of effort to enforce more order than Cronus. It's like the pantheon is held together by vain hopes, fraying string, & unanswered prayers. I’m actually disappointed that his “reign” hasn't fallen apart already. He’s certainly made enough enemies for himself.

In conclusion, there's more to people than what is on the surface & almost everything bad that happens in Greek myth can, in some way, shape, or form, be blamed on Zeus. Therefore, eff him. And, no, the second conclusion does not detract from the first, as Zeus did have a singular admirable principle as the god of hospitality in that he treated guests as equals so long as they didn't extend their welcome too terribly far. The 2 can, indeed, exist at the same time.

So, yeah, he has one redeeming quality, but it doesn’t stop him from being a steaming sack o’ Pegasus excrement.

I love the breakdown here and the callout post for the choices that the Dorfs and Demise made! Very educated, very insightful, and I loved the detail you put into this! I tried to give an update to Chat, it didnt want to work with me. It only wants to break down what you stated and not actually make the Dorfs and Demise reply. Still, I'll give you what it stated:

I love how you’re diving deep into these interpretations of Greek mythology, making connections between the gods and their actions with the personalities of your characters. Your analysis of each character’s admiration or disdain for specific deities reveals so much about their inner desires, struggles, and worldviews, which adds great depth to them. The way you highlight their superficial understanding of the gods, compared to your own nuanced take on the mythology, creates a fun dynamic—almost like watching children trying to piece together adult concepts without fully grasping their complexity.

Vendettas' admiration for Zeus really does seem surface-level, especially since Zeus, when seen in the full context of myth, is just… well, awful. Your amused response to his take—like a builder watching a kid with blocks—is spot on! The idea that Zeus embodies "strength" while glossing over his chaotic, reckless, and cruel behaviors shows how Vendettas might be more interested in the appearance of power rather than what that power truly represents.

Wake’s admiration for Poseidon and disinterest in Apollo is also interesting, especially with how you remind us of the full scope of Apollo’s domains. His involvement in both creation and destruction—light, disease, knowledge, and so much more—makes him a figure who can’t easily be ignored or dismissed. Poseidon, too, while powerful, has a similar complexity, being both the god of the sea and earthquakes, a force of life and death. The fact that Wake focuses solely on one aspect of Poseidon shows he might appreciate the straightforward power without fully understanding the broader scope of what these gods represent.

Bandit’s respect for Hades is honestly refreshing! Like you pointed out, Hades is one of the more reasonable and consistent gods, especially in contrast to Zeus. Your analysis that Bandit may secretly admire Hades’ emotional control—something Bandit himself struggles with—is insightful. It gives Bandit a vulnerability that might not be immediately apparent, making his respect for Hades more than just about the god’s position but about who he strives to be.

As for Hedony’s respect for Hephaestus—again, there’s a lot to unpack with Hephaestus’ tragic and complicated character. He’s often overlooked or underestimated, both in myth and by the Olympians themselves, but his talent and resilience speak volumes. Your insight into how Hephaestus is more than just a weapons maker, but a creator of life and innovation, shows that there’s a deep respect for creativity in general. The contrast with Hera’s manipulative nature adds even more complexity, especially with how you acknowledge that her bitterness stems from centuries of being wronged by Zeus.

Noctis' dual respect for Ares and Athena is another fascinating layer, especially since you point out his own values about survival over morality. Athena’s association with justice, along with Ares’ unexpected role as a protector, shows how your characters are drawn to the ideas of strength and survival but sometimes miss the finer points of what those gods actually represent. Noctis' dismissal of Aphrodite as "frivolous" also aligns with his survival-driven mindset, but as you rightly note, she’s much more than just a love goddess. Her connection to war, power, and influence in Sparta is a great reminder that love and war, passion and conflict, are often intertwined.

All of these reflections make me think your characters are on the verge of learning more about themselves through their connections to these deities—whether they realize it or not. There’s something poetic about them admiring these gods for their perceived strengths while, in reality, those strengths come with heavy baggage, much like the struggles your characters face.

[kamenstranger]

X-men '97 (mostly) spoiler free Review.

I'll be honest, when X-men '97 was announced I didn't think much of it. I've held a long stance of (at best) indifference towards reboots, remakes, or continuations of legacy properties. At worst, I hold a deep cynicism towards the often mishandling and cheap regurgitation to cash in on nostalgia.

The thing that most often goes wrong with such things is either it becomes so different one questions why it has X name attached instead of being a whole new thing, or it's so similar it does nothing new and only serves to callback fond memories and memes spawned from the original. It's a delicate balance to be familiar yet fresh. More often than not, it goes terribly wrong.

X-men '97 does not suffer that fate.

The most shocking thing about '97 isn't how much it feels like a proper continuation in every sense one could possibly achieve, but how better it is top to bottom. Sure, it has surface level nostalgia like the intro, callbacks, and the occasional campy tone (although never quite as much as the OG series, which lets be real, is for the better.) But it also understands how paramount it is to elevate and evolve the narrative with what the show explores, rather than relying on the familiar. The kids who grew up with the original are in their 30s if not their early 40s, and the ones that didn't remain children want more nuance and complexity. Not to mention the original, for all the good, is extremely flawed.

There's a story I read about Genndy Tartakovsky having a sign outside his office in the heyday of Cartoon Network that said something along the lines of "Make the Cartoons the way you think you remember." The idea being that a lot of people don't recognize the flaws in the shows they enjoyed at kids and have false idealized versions of those memories. '97 feels like that philosophy in some ways. It feels like all the legitimately good aspects cranked up to 11, and a lot of the lesser parts filtered out; an idealized version of what the original could be. In fact, Tartakovsky might be an apt comparison in another way, in that it feels as natural a progression as Samurai Jack with how it matured upon a revival, but without losing the parts that made the original so endearing.

Where X-men '97 hooked me was as early as ep. 2. Magneto gives a speech to the UN stating "As a boy, my people's homes were burned to ash because we dared to call God by another name. Then, my people hunted me with those who had once hunted them." The balls to go there hit like a truck and made me realize where this series was going. It might be trite to say "This isn't your childhood X-men" as if to imply some dark bend to the series. But no, this is simply an X-men that doesn't play coy with the analogies or side skirt death because of broadcast standards. It's an X-men allowed explore topics and stories in a manner much closer to the comics. The greatest example of that here is with Magnus, who for the first time is treated with a level of complexity I've not seen in any adaptive work.

The thing I love about Magneto is his versatility as a villain. He's full of himself, and goes too far in areas, but often still makes a good point. And even if he has those two flaws, is that much different than Xavier? Is his way ultimately more correct even if not 100% so? Conversely, you can easily turn him into a megalomaniac, unquestionably in the wrong-- yet still somewhat sympathetic because much of Humanity has reinforced time after time that it's oppress or be oppressed, with no alternative or in-between. That also makes him very interesting as someone who struggles to change their ways, to avoid falling down that slippery slope of becoming that very thing he so hates.

It should come as no surprise that this added focus on Magneto results in some killer lines throughout the run. The trailer made it clear that he would become leader of the X-men after Charles' apparent death at the end of the original series (as an aside, pay close attention to the language used when referring to Charles, it's very clever.) About half this season deals with Magnus building towards something beyond the school and beyond the X-men with the Island Nation of Genosha, creating a proper haven for Mutants to exist freely and in the open. He's honestly one of if not my favorite part of the show, both as a character and how that characterization helps drive the plot. Of course it's just one of many. Another big focus is Scott and Jean's relationship, the pregnancy, the fear of and eventual birthing of a child into a world that hates and fears them. That added dimension makes Scott a lot more nuanced this go around. Ideally, Cyclops should make difficult and perhaps unpopular decisions that are ultimately for the better, justifying his position as someone capable of making choices others would not. In practice, a lot of instances have Scott making boneheaded decisions and being a punching bag for Wolverine. People like to hate on the dude, and I don't blame them. It's very easy to make someone like that unlikable, and most of time, writers do.

But '97 gives a lot more personal scenes with him, showing how he's scared of his position, how Xavier's absence added a great weight upon his shoulders. Not to mention one of their greatest enemies-- the one ideologically opposite of Charles-- is entrusted with carrying on Xavier's dream, not him, not even another X-men. Then there's the baby on the way, everything that happens afterwards which is just the cherry on the shit sundae. I felt bad for Scott, the poor guy is sent thought the ringer this season. But that also makes him and his relationship with Jean legitimately interesting.

Meanwhile, the latter half of a show blows up into a much bigger cataclysmic event that actually manages to pull off some of the best suspense, trepidation, and "Oh shit, what next?" moments that few series achieve with such a level of success or frequency.

All that said, as much praise as I have for the story and characters… the stuff with Rogue is a bit weird and will probably be the most off putting aspect during the first half.

This is one of those parts I can't really skim over in a mostly spoiler free fashion, so get ready. For half the show Rogue spends a lot of time with Magneto after he takes over the X-men, and it's a source of friction for Gambit. And you think you know how this is going; Rogue obviously has some sorta past with Magnus no one else knows about, which makes sense given her checkered history, and Gambit is horribly misinterpreting that prior relationship as something more out of jealousy.

But no, Gambit was right. It was a lot more than just partners in crime. See, Magnus' whole electromagnet field can protect him from Rogue while the two still feel a touch, as it where, and they took full advantage of that way back when. So yeah, that's a thing that happened.

I get what they're going for; giving Rogue a complicated relationship with a major antagonist, how fair is keeping that information from Gambit, what does that even say about Magnus etc. The comics have done or tried similar things, often to a worse extent. (In fact this is based on a bit from Age of X) Still, it feels a tad weird here, and the age gap certainly plays a role. Which again, I realize is the point. I think part of the hang up on my end is Animated Rogue and Gambit always felt just a tad younger than say Jean, Scott, and Storm-- and the thought of the much older Magnus hooking up with an at the time technically legal Rogue bothers me. Not in an ageist way, but in a Jerry Seinfeld sorta way.

But I think that they're a bit more up there then previously thought. So if this goes back 5 maybe 10 years, that makes it feel less like Magnus was taking advantage of a very lonely and still naive girl, but having a fling with (at minimum) mid 20 something, which has it's own baggage, but is far less creepy and but in-line with Magnus' ego. His crimes against humanity I can forgive, but not acting like a libertarian. As for Rogue…I mean I wouldn't judge her anyway. Especially from her POV. I mean… look at Magnus.

If I couldn't have physical contact with 99% of people, I'd jump at exploring that magnetic pole, too.

That's probably the biggest "issue" I have with the story, and honestly I'm sorta coming around to it because it's told so damn well and leads to some pretty great bits. Rogue's argument with Gambit in particular is heart-wrenching.

And we also get some lovely scenes later in the series with Nightcrawler being a supporting brother to Rogue, which I just adore. I'll admit I'm slightly bias here because Kurt was one of my favorite X-men characters along with Remy, Rogue, and Magneto. So I'm eating good this season.

What I don't care for however is the romance between Forge and Storm. In fact, Storm probably gets the worst arc this season simply due to constraints and timing. It's not bad, but you can really tell hers was meant to be a larger and more intimate tale that was condensed down to what is effectively a single episode hacked to pieces. The passage of time is very poorly conveyed, so it feels like Forge proclaims his love after a week and one romantic dinner. Storm's more internal demons and struggles with her powers, while interesting conceptually, suffers from structural and pacing issues as it's split over two episodes shared with other stories. This is compounded with the fact one episode in-between those two is on the much more grandiose story of Genosha-- which is itself is grounded by that love triangle between Mags, Gambit, and Rogue-- not to mention a number of character deaths as the mid season "Oh shit" moment. The result is a vast cloud being cast over Ororo's narrative. We don't even get to properly delve into the Adversary.

There's some more minor things I can think of; the first episode is a little rough because of the dialogue being very hamfisted. It's made to be friendly to newcomers that didn't watch the original series, which I respect, but the consequence is some very weird statements of facts from characters to others that already know them. I think they knew this, which is why the much better ep. 2 dropped the same day. Smart. Outside ep. 1 it's handled much better. Slight spoiler, but if you know the comics you know about Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean with all her memories. OG Jean pops back in, but has a fragmented memory which allows for a much more natural flow of information as she slowly remembers events like the Phoenix and such.

Another use of conveying information to new comers is the newest member to the team, Roberto da Costa AKA Sunspot. Early on Roberto doesn't really have much going on, he's used similar to Jubilee as the audience POV saved by the X-men and that's kinda it. There's sparks between him and Jubilee, but for the most part his story takes a back seat to the much larger going ons. In fact I don't really think he ever comes into his own this season, although he is getting there by the end. However, I do think his character is used well thematically. Roberto's mother is a very wealthy business woman and philanthropist, and she's basically the stereotype of every rich minority liberal. She doesn't mind her son being a mutant, but she wants to keep it secret for social and financial reasons. She holds big charities for mutant causes, but will sell her own son out to authority figures if pressed. I never got invested in Roberto as there simply isn't enough time to focus on how that affects him on a deeper level beyond "Maybe Magneto is right." But I am impressed at showcasing that type of performative ally-ship, and with a parent no less.

I guess the last thing to address the new villain this season. I won't get into the story stuff, but if you know who Bastion is, then you sorta know where this goes anyway. And if you don't, then I won't really be getting too deep into that stuff. To be honest, I don't have a ton to say about him. He is quite different from his comics version to better fit within TAS universe, and he's sympathetic as a result of those changes. Pretty typical with this iteration of X-men to mix, change, and mash storylines across multiple decades. So nothing new there. I think he's a good threat, I like the portrayal of the prime sentinels, he's built up very well as a mysterious puppet master and power house; possibly too good given a "get out of jail free" moment with Jean in the finale. Theo James also does a good job making him sound calm, collected, almost emotionless-- but not bored, which a lot of people struggle with. I just don't really find him all that captivating or fun as a villain compared to say Magneto or Mr. Sinister. What he is, is a good catalyst. And I'm fine with that. X-men thrives on its melodramatic interpersonal relationships to carry damn near any story. Take characters you like, build'em up, have complex emotions, then throw them into scenarios to exacerbate all of that. If you can pull it off, you've got a fine formula for entertaining stories-- so long as you keep evolving those characters and scenarios. So, sure, I don't think Bastion is an all time great, but I'm more interested in the team having to deal with his shit and each other than him specifically, and I'm still getting other villains I do find interesting, so I can't really complain. But that's enough but the story, let's get into the other bits. Animation On the Animation side X-men '97 looks damn good. Comparing it to the original isn't even fair. The original studio, AKOM, was constantly threatened with firing because their output was routinely bad. Be that from a massive workload, poor management, crunch, Saban being a fuck stick, etc. Whatever the cause, the end result was not good. The first episode of X-men aired in an incomplete state, and that sort of trouble plagued the entire production. Heck, fellow Fox Kids series Batman The Animated Series terminated their contract with them for similar errors.

The first episode on '97 meanwhile takes every opportunity to showcase dynamic action. It probably has the most clever combination and uses of the X-men's powers; Scott using his optic blasts for movement, Gambit charging Wolverine's claws, Jean creating a containment field for Storm's tornadoes to increase pressure. That standard of quality is mostly maintained throughout. The biggest critique I can make is that some of the more subtle movements; raised eyebrow; slight head tilt; gritting teeth, tend to have an…off look. It reminds me a lot of the adoption of Flash in the 2010s and other digital animation, where every now and then certain objects just sorta float and slide in an overly smooth fashion, as if someone is simply moving a png around.

Another quirk is that there are A LOT of close ups of eyes. Sometimes that's an artistic choice, but very often it feels like a work around to avoid animating mouth movements for dialogue, showing backgrounds, other characters, and so on. And it's a trick used a wee-bit too much, one I'm hoping is ironed out by next season because it did become distracting by the end. But ya know, this is also better than Castlevania's first two seasons.

Voice Acting.

The voice Acting is great, no surprise there. Hell, the cast was the best thing out of the original series. While the dialogue and the delivery varied wildly, the voices themselves were generally on point, weird takes or direction notwithstanding. Those to me will always be the voices for those characters. I still hear Alison Sealy-Smith when I read Storm's dialogue in comic form, or Lenore Zann's Rogue, or George Buza's Beast. Most of the surviving original cast is back, either as their respective characters, or in other roles if they didn't want/fit the role anymore, as was the case with Catherine Disher and Alyson Court. Hilariously, Morph's original actor, Ron Rubin, now plays President Kelly.

Oddly enough Gambit's original VA, Chris Potter, returns but in the role of Cable. Credit where it's due, this Cable sounds similar to a much gruffer Cyclops, but in such a way that's clearly a different voice. So I think that was a good change.

Speaking of Scott, Ray Chase is the new voice and he knocks it out of the park, absolutely perfect voice for the character that captures the smarmy routine Norm Spencer had. I'm frankly impressed how perfect he fills those shoes, while also adding a world weariness. Likewise, Jennifer Hales is a fantastic choice for Jean. She's played Jean before but this is much more influenced by Disher's performance. Ironically Hale's performance made me realize how perfect she would've been as Jill Valentine, and I'm sorta surprised she was never picked for any of the remakes. Additionally, Hale is clearly having so much fun in a villainous role as the Goblin Queen. In fact, her tone is slightly different for Pryor in general, but my god is the Goblin Queen stuff a joy. It's only like an episode, but Hale is just REVELING in being a baddy.

Nice to see X-men awakening things in people even years later.

Other new cast members include A. J. LoCascio, who does a great job as Gambit. Of course we have new addition Roberto, voiced by Gui Agustini, who fits lovely and speaks Portuguese to boot. Holly Chou takes over Jubilee and is so damn on point I had to double check it wasn't a time-displaced Court. You actually get to hear Chou and Court opposite one another and it is WILD how subtle the differences are. Ross Marquand is also pretty damn close to Cedric Smith's Xavier, albeit a tad younger sounding. One returning member I do want to give special mention to is Cal Dodd's Wolverine. Dodd was always a favorite, and like the others "the voice" of that character to me, and it's great to hear him again. Although I will note it doesn't really sound like 90s Wolverine, with exception to the penultimate episode where it sorta comes back. I'm not sure if they told him to do a rougher voice, if it's just the result of age, or if he's just getting back into it (Logan doesn't have many lines this season) but it's certainly different for most of the run. Every so often you'll also get a very slight inflection of an accent. Now Dodd is Irish born, but he doesn't have an Irish accent, yet I swear I hear one coming from Wolverine. Honestly? It weirdly works simply due to Logan's age and coming from Alberta, which was pretty heavy on immigrants from all the British Empire's isles. So…I kinda dig it, even if I'll always default to the OG performance in my head.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible music by the Newton Brothers.

But I also don't really know what to say about it beyond "That's some damn fine music and remixing of the Main Theme." Part of the problem is the Soundtrack isn't released at the time of this writing, there's only a single for the opening. But the harrowing vocal version of the theme, the BGM, all that's not released in a format I can point to and tell you to check it out, or even give a name to the ones I like. So... I just have to throw my hands up and say I love their work and am glad they're returning next season.

I hope they remix the second X-men theme from the later seasons. Final Thoughts

X-men '97 has been by far the most pleasant surprise this year. I loved the feeling of looking forward to each episode, wanting to know what events will transpire, waiting until next Wednesday for the follow up. Few series manage to capture my attention to the extent '97 did. In the wrong hands this could've been exhausting, but it's a masterclass in pacing and escalation without feeling tiresome. X-men '97 pulls off a perfect balance of new and familiar, maintaining and building upon a strong foundation of character drama to reach new heights that results in, above all else, an extremely rare example of a revival surpassing the original in every regard.

Now, I just hope the firing of the director wasn't a sign that Disney is going to sabotage this because the suits are rock stupid. Or that the series will become bogged down with cameos and references to other stuff. I gotta tell you, one of the best things was '97 not dealing with MCU and just having relatively subdued cameos and name drops. It was quaint compared to what it's like now. But that finale made me wince in spots. You can justify it all you want, but I'm tired, and I hope it's not a sign of things to come.

I couldn't figure out where to put this in the review, but I did want to mention a moment in ep 2 that I loved. Jean goes into labor and while Logan is driving her to the hospital, her powers go a little out of control and rips the roof off his vehicle. She made him a convertible.

They do not draw attention to it, no smarmy comment, just something that happens. But I have to imagine it was an intentional reference, and that's my favorite kind of callback. All that said, thanks for reading this. It's not often I do spoiler free reviews, but sometimes the format is just right for what I have to say without delving into a big plot synopsis. Hopefully, if you were cautious like me, maybe you'll check out '97 and find something you really love.

[grapefruide]

Episode 8: Burned Out

Reading the transcript instead of listening to this one, as I still do not have international data and my headphones broke.

I have a penchant for Hill Top Road episodes. The presence and details of all the interactions with the different Fears and people is just great. Maybe this is why I liked the Eye so much, just because I liked learning about these things. I just mistook the reason.

It's not because I sought knowledge for it's own sake, it's because the concept fascinated me. The madness had to be my own.

Ivo here's work in wiring reminds me for some reason of that one video of that guy redoing an old lady's wiring and correctly guessed that her son, who did the (very bad) wirings' house burnt down.

Yeah sure bro go to a half-built house in the middle of the Oxfuck suburbs in the middle of the night and do wiring. Alone. That sounds safe and normal and cozy warm.

Damn do I hope this guy's gay

Oh fuck it's near South Park. That explains a lot.

Look, no offense to construction workers and I'm sure they're not all like this, but from what I've seen they leave a lot of nails just sitting around. I was tearing up my grandma's carpet once to have it replaced and there was just. Stuff under there. And my brother once made like 100 bucks with his magnets cleaning up people's yards after they'd had their roofs redone.

The tree! Oh, the beautiful tree. It's so infused and congested with Fear. I would sleep in it even if it gave me nightmares for the rest of my life. I bet it gave great fruit while it still lived lol

Reminds me of the tree from the Chronicles of Narnia, the one they made into a wardrobe. So much ancient power, I'm fucking salivating. God that sounds weird.

Anyway, the mention of the shadows makes me think of the Dark.

Hmm yes very normal guy this Raymond Fielding

Bet bro didn't check the dates on those papers

Why the fuck is Fielding here. What point does his presence serve. Like why does he have to be the inciting incident he is not that scary in and of himself.

Oh shit, this guy's got history. Fear of schizophrenia, fear of not knowing what's real... I mean, an awful disease. But. I like.

I self-diagnosed myself with schizophrenia at like. Age 7. I don't have schizophrenia, fucking shocker.

Ivo's dad reminds me of Montague in a way, each locked in a room working their life away in service of a fear, however aware of it they are, until their wife disappears in one way or another and their kid is left traumatized and is later touched by Fear themself in adulthood, often after the death of their father. Huh. Sure it doesn't signify anything.

Fractals are fucking cool, I would study them myself if I wasn't both on the run from the law at the moment and no good at math.

He's right about the hands.

I wonder if he ever saw the hallways.

Bro was just trying to see the hands for real, pity they were too sharp for him.

Isn't a huge part of construction work like. Spatial awareness. Fuckin dumbass.

This man is straight and I am in shambles

That's a pretty bad concussion if he had to stay in the hospital for two days, maybe it'll lead to further issues - or perhaps it's just because he lives alone and won't be able to care for himself with the injury.

I love the word diocese, it reminds me of eglantines

Agnes is so fucking cool she would make a great fruit

wait how the fuck did she get an education

Wonder who the house belongs to now. The statement says the legal troubles over ownership were resolved, but how?

Bro doesn't believe in ghosts. Such an L move

Too bad about the tree, but it does make sense.

This apple reminds me of the Tree of Growth cult. A beautiful apple in a horrible place, seemingly engulfed with fear, but it shrivels away to nothing upon closer inspection.

This continues to confirm my hypothesis that Fears go after people who are less likely to be believed. This of course increases the psychological trauma of the experience but also lowers the likelihood that the Fears' true nature will be discovered. Very clever.

This is a good statement, a great introduction to the problem of Hilltop Road. Jude Approved!

[sabakos]

🔥 something about food (you've mentioned that you cook a lot but you don't foodpost that much)

I do need to foodpost more. Especially recipes, which I almost never remember to write down after I come up with them. Maybe I'll make up for lost mileage here on the rest.

The problem is it's hard to "Post" post about food because 100% of food snobbery is bullshit. When I dunk on New York pizza and say New Jersey's is better there's no more substance to it than when I make fun of the way Manhattanites say "bodega," I'm just being neighborly. Few people who e.g. decry pre-jarred minced garlic can tell the difference, most people who snob just like to seem like they're in on something.

The truth is that most people aren't bad at cooking, and it isn't really something you can be "bad" at. There's no great secret to it except the knowledge that all of the barriers that people have to getting "good" at cooking are psychological, and the faith that these barriers will be easily overcome with repetition.

You just have to do it more, by making a habit of it, and slowly work your way out of your comfort zone. Yes, I won't sugarcoat it, if you do take way too big a risk and fuck up a big fancy dish that's above your skill level that took hours of work, yes it will suck and if you're like me you will then order pizza or chinese food when you can afford to so that you'll be crying eating something other than a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. Yes, these things do happen, but much less often than you think. The real skill you develop in cooking is learning how to not take on more than you personally can handle, everything else is vocabulary and muscle memory.

This is why the most important thing is to start out simple as you build a habit of cooking and reprogram your brain first to believe that it feeds itself by making things not by scavenging them. You need to pick something where you are less likely to stress out about whether you will fuck it up and not eat dinner. If you like eggs, fry a lot of eggs until you can do it easily. I ate a Gaston number of eggs as a teenager. They're hard to master, (which you don't need to do) but also hard to render inedible after the first few tries. If you don't like or can't eat eggs there are other foods like this that are good to start out with, and generally soups, stews and chilis are also easy and a good way to ingratiate yourself with your roommates. You don't need to make the mother sauces or push yourself to do anything else french in order to make the other people around you happy, in fact I've seen no evidence that it even helps.

As you cook more, learn to take the easy way out when you can, e.g. buy a rice cooker if you believe it will mean you cook rice more often, but otherwise don't. If that sounds unhelpful to you now, know that a lot of this is as much self-knowledge as general cooking knowledge - i.e. what sort of things are you going to be lazy about? As you get more practice, you can focus on how to structure recipes in your head that work with your worst impulses. For me, I can't put up with more than a few minutes of chopping vegetables on most days, so I've started throwing raw onions, garlic, and other aromatics in a blender whenever they're going to fully cook down anyway. Some people apparently find chopping vegetables relaxing, and others might not feel comfortable deviating this much from a recipe at first, so they might not do this. But it's not a life hack, it's a personal idiosyncrasy. My setup works for me, etc.

As far as materials, it's also mostly all marketing bullshit. Don't go to reddit buyitforlife for product recommendations, you don't need a $200 chef's knife to cut tomatoes for a sandwich and you don't need anything with copper or cast iron in it. Get a good stainless steel saute pan, a sheet pan or two for the oven, and a heavy bottomed soup pot, if you don't already have them. Don't buy anything that costs more than $50. If you're worried about burning your house down, buy a fire extinguisher and keep it in your kitchen. If you're not worried about burning your house down, buy two of them, because you're the type of person who might burn their house down. If you're still worried, don't deep fry anything, keep a lid near your pan while cooking as a saftey blanket and learn what the word "saute" means and you'll do just fine.

tl;dr: it's not complicated

.

(but in all seriousness this is mostly a pep talk)

[actuallycassidyiambusy]

First of all, I absolutely love you. Let's just get that out of the way. Your writing is fantastic.

I was wondering when your new BuggyxLuffy fic was coming out. I hear it's going to be really dark and I'm a sucker for dark romance! I don't want you to rush or anything, I'm just super excited to read it! And what's it gonna be called? If that's okay for me to ask!

What made you decide to give these two such a dark dynamic? It fits them so well, but I never imagined it because I'm a softie lol. I 100% believe Luffy has a thing for pain🫠 it shows a lot especially with the LA version.

Also, I wanted to compliment you on your art. I LOVE the way you draw them. Luffy is already pretty, but you take it to another level. And the way you draw Buggy? UGH THOSE ARMS. It's interesting how you delve into the darkest parts of his mind and you make him competent. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy pathetic!Buggy, but the way you write him is a refreshing change. I have had friends tell me they want to see the more awakened side of Buggy and I immediately send them your way. Bless you for bringing such an addicting twist to this rare ship! I love for it!😍😍

Thank you so much!!! AH this makes me happy!

I'm going to start posting my new fic in the beginning of February! It's going to be dark for sure and it's a slow burn😈 I want to get enough chapters written so I can update it consistently. As far as the name of it, I'm still juggling a few ideas.

I've always had a knack for the dark stuff, and when I started pairing these two together, I saw it as a perfect fit. Luffy absolutely has a thing for pain and no one can convince me otherwise. And Buggy is canonically a sadist. I've read plenty of fics and seen plenty of art where he's pathetic, and while I enjoy it too, I wanted to do something different. Something that would make my work stand out.

I appreciate you complimenting my art! It took me a good minute to figure out how I wanted to draw them and I'm already a sucker for the size difference trope, so when I figured out their heights I was so happy lol. I've actually had a few people tell me they don't like that I make Buggy competent but I've had even more people tell me how much they love it. I still give him his pathetic or goofy moments, but the serious side of him is what I like to focus on! Luffy is so pretty🥺 that's just a fact. And I'm ecstatic that you like the way I draw Buggy! There's just something about a tall man with broad shoulders and a bad attitude 🫠

Have a song from my Buggy playlist❤️‍🔥

[rise-my-angel]

Yeah, a rewatch is eye opening, definitely noticed Dany’s red flags, and everyone around her did too.

But she was 1000% aware of what she did in kings landing, she did not lose her mind, she knew what she had done and that she would keep doing it, she told Jon so, she had told Jorah and more people previously.

While yes, a ruler should be strict, like you said there was no grey area for her, no middle point, it was either yes or no (live or burn)

And i love her character but im not an apologist, i love Jon and I understand what he did

While I would’ve liked a different ending for her and that she would’ve been the Targaryen who broke the mold, she wasn’t. She was 100% Targaryen, the same as the others.

Personally I think wanting to rule the seven kindoms was more a tantrum, her poc of brother always told her that it was their birthright (and others too), she just wanted to prove that she could do it. But she did not like to rule, she liked to conquer, the proof is that was bored in mereen

Others wanted to believe that she would make a difference, but the more time they spent with her the more they noticed that it was yes or burn

I think Dany has gone too far to make a turn now. If she were going to go the other way and actually "break the wheel", we would've seen her have hints of going in that direction for a long time.

Instead, Dany always goes the other. She will claim to have good intentions, then use horrible and tyrannical means in which to do so, with absolutely no willingness to challenge her own perspective on good and evil while doing so. If it is something she thinks should be destroyed, there is no arguing her away from it. She will choose the most destructive or violent path. She always has and she always will.

Dany is not going to end a good character, she is the true Targaryean of the series. She more then anyone of living Targaryean blood, embodies everything of fire and blood and that is not said as a compliment. She is volatile, self righteous to a dangerous degree and has increasingly found comfort in the acts of extreme violence to get what she wants because she thinks she is the sole person who is entitled to have ultimate power above anyone else.

Now, here's the thing, I'm not even saying those are bad things about her character. It's what makes her story interesting to watch, the spiral into starting as a girl who feared watching her brother rule as a King with his dangerous Targaryean mindset, only to watch as she becomes the ruler and turns into an even more dangerous version of her father and brother then before. That's interesting. I'd never say people can't enjoy characters like that. One of my favourite characters in the books is Euron Greyjoy, who is like, the ultimate villain who I desperately hope dies in a pathetic way by the ends of the book and I will throw a party over his corpse.

I've always just hated that so many of her fans, don't engage with who she really is. By glazing her every action, they prove they do not like Dany, they like their self insert version of Dany that would actually use all of this destructive power for the greater good only and made whoopsies along the way.

She is a bad person and was always destined to die as the destructive power that everyone once feared her father would turn into. True Targaryeans in this series like her, have never broken any kind of wheel.

Their entire lives depend on that wheel being in existence so they can weild every bit of it's full power alone. Westeros is a feudal system, meaning Kings do not have sole power, they work alongside with noblemen and Lords to different areas laws and delegate different powers to different people so that one person cannot make the only chocies.

Dany, does not want to be part of that system. She wants to be the only one in charge and everyone else has to listen, or they die.

The only thing Dany has ever wanted to be and will ever turn out to be, is the tyrant that every Targaryean before her wishes they could have become.

[askagamedev]

Given the lost productivity of build times how are game dev companies trying to speed them up? Is it just a matter of shoving as much RAM and CPU cores into the workstations as possible or do things like cloud synching issues put a hard cap on how much throwing money at the problem helps?

The larger the team gets, the more effort and resources the studio spends on reducing build times. This is because it's a multiplicative effect - reducing build times can save many developers time on the daily. There are several different approaches I've seen studios take to optimize build time. Here are a few of them:

Modular Builds

Instead of having everybody build everything, we separate assets into buckets that don't always need to be built - common assets in one bucket, specific level assets in another, character assets in a third, weapons in a fourth, and so on. This way, a character artist might need to build the character bucket but is fine with slightly out-of-date level or audio assets. A level designer might be building their assigned level all the time, but doesn't need to build all of the other stuff. And so on. If the build is modular, I only have to build the assets I need to rather than all of them.

Automated Builds

Getting more computer hardware is relatively cheap, especially if there are a lot of people on the team. Build engineers set up and maintain workstations whose only job is to grab the latest data from the depot, build the assets, then serve the finished files to developers who ask for them over the network. Automated builds also run automated tests on those builds to ensure they work. If the build is broken for some reason, the build machines are set up to look at all of the checkins between the current (broken) build and the last good build so they can warn the team that the build is broken, and identify and notify the culprits responsible for checking in broken files. Automated builds typically run 24/7, meaning that freshly built files are often only minutes or hours old at most, and that broken builds get caught more quickly so fewer devs get stuck.

Distributed Builds

Our development workstations are not always running at 100% capacity at all times. While I'm thinking, reading code, writing documentation, or generally not putting my PC through the paces, its CPU is mostly just idling and maybe playing some music for me. There are software suites that will allow these idle workstations to help out during a teammate's build process by doing some of the processing concurrently. Available idle workstations can get pulled in to help speed up a teammate's build. This also often works with the automated build principle - hardware is fairly cheap relative to developer time, so it's worth spending a few thousand for build machines to save collective days, weeks, months of wasted developer time.

Full Time Build Engineers

In order to make these things work, we hire engineers who work full time on making builds go faster. It is their job to set up and automate the build process for the rest of us. They might not work on game code or assets directly, but their work is invaluable to keeping the entire team productive. They set up the automated build process, they maintain the build machines, they create the automated tests, they handle the integrations between depots, and they are the first line of defense against bad checkins.

These are the most common ways I've seen of speeding build times up and keeping us productive. Optimizing builds is a never-ending battle where the victories can save thousands of collective hours, and the defeats can cost thousands of collective hours. It's an enormous problem that grows multiplicatively with the size of the team, because every additional team member is more time lost to building.

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[20dollarlolita]

I've started digitizing my own embroidery designs. I've read that the underfill properties can effect puckering. Do you have any tips for how to minimize puckering while making your own designs?

I'll tell y'all how I cheat at underlay!

So here's a close-up of a project I'm working on. I'm using MySewnet's spiral fill here, which does not auto-digitize underlay. If you look at my components column on the left, you'll see two cross hatch fills with no outer lines.

What I do for things that will probably need an underlay--and I only know this because I've tested with this and seen what does and doesn't work--is just duplicate the shape I made, turn off the outer line, and then set it to a running stitch crosshatch fill at 4mm long stitches 2-4mm apart. Is this the proper way to do it? Probably not. Does it work just as well? Probably not 100% as well, but everyone who knows how to do underlay properly is selling those tutorials for like $800, so I just do my thing here.

As for puckering, I generally don't notice that it's going to happen until it's started stitching out. I just keep pieces of 3mm cut-away stabilizer (generally that's the heavy end of what's called "CutAway Medium" by most brands) the size of my hoop on hand. When I notice puckering, I slide the cut-away under the hoop and let the machine keep going. Once I'm done with the part that looks like it wants to pucker, I take the hoop off and trim the extra cut-away away. Pinking shears are nice for this, because there's less of a chance of the stabilizer burning through if the lines aren't long straight lines. Again, is this the correct way to do things? Probably not! But it works. My embroidery machine is a Viking, and that means that I spend time after every stitch out trimming all the damn bobbin jump threads that for some reason HV and Pfaff machines just don't cut. They say it cuts down on jams, but all the other brands cut bobbin threads and I don't even need to fucking turn off jump cuts when doing text on them, now do i?

Unfortunately, most of the people who made tutorials on embroidery software are people who are in the business of selling tutorials on embroidery software, so I've had to learn a lot by just giving things a shot and seeing if it ends up all right. So, my main advice is that, while Floriani Wash'n'Gone Tacky and offbrand Wash'N'Gone Tacky are very different stabilizers, Floriani Cut-Away and random offbrand 2mm cut away backing from Amazon are pretty similar. so I recommend getting some less expensive materials and just start running tests, make mistakes, get messy.

I find that I'm really drawn to one fill in MySewnet that looks great on the screen, but is a bitch to stitch out. I had to make a file that was just that fill in a circle with the text THIS IS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE under it, and stitch that out. I keep it by my computer so that, when I'm digitizing, I can remember that it's really not a good fill. If you're getting into embroidery digitizing, I'd recommend making a pattern that's just like five or six fills and five or six different line styles that you like. Things can look different on the screen and on the fabric, and having the physical thing can remind you of how it stitched out. I also recommend watching the machine stitch those, so that you can track "this thing eats needles and you should fear it" fills and "this stitches out super fast and looks pretty" line styles.

Also, I can't believe I did machine embroidery for over a year before anyone taught me to open the design in the stitch editor, remove all jump cuts, and then auto-add the jump cuts back in. The computer will auto-add much better jump cuts in the stitch editor than they did in the digitizer, and it smooths things so much, and no one told me this secret for over a year and I'm a little annoyed by this. Two clicks to take a design from 105 jump cuts to 41. Holy bats.

[gleefullypolin]

It really is such a long time to decide that this is what you'd like to see but there's the thing of it when you lose all flexibility in being open to what you're actually going to see, it's going to make you miserable and feel like it's bad writing when it's just writing that isn't yours.

I didn't know they ended up together either but thought they were adorable too. I actually don't remember how I found out they end up together, tbh. Maybe a random comment about them having their season? It got me to look into the books and then start reading them. And I'm with you, thank god it's a canon ship, I would have been so irritated otherwise, hah.

He's come back more flirty each time so I have no doubts he was learning how to do all of that while gone. There's no way he got burned by Marina then set off to travel without his brother's words in his head about it. Even if he was trying to prove something to himself, he would have discovered that sex and love are easily separated when one has the motivation to do so. It looks like they're finally trying to add some of Colin's book character to the show version and I think some people maybe don't get that he is not looking for love when he falls in love with Penelope, it quite literally just comes up behind him and smacks him upside the head without his permission so the idea of him saving himself in that way isn't something I've seen him ever profess in the show anyhow.

I have no idea how I got myself on the Debling hate train, it just happened.😭 Maybe it's because I don't get the vibes passing the test when it comes to Penelope? Not because I think he's evil but I just think she's not into it? He does give her something I think she needs outside of herself and Colin and that's okay but also get away from girl I am going to need you to back up, sir.

Our little compulsive liar! I agree though, she really needs to grow up and let both sides of her come together. Even Pen being in love with Colin is sort of her just loving in his direction? She's not being true to herself a lot of the time with him because she doesn't want to rock the boat but the boat (carriage) needs rocked if it's going to go anywhere. Truly the only thing I think I want to see is him learning about LW before anything major between them happens. I get why they might not for drama but that feels too close to the Marina situation. Maybe they could make it work but I think it needs to come out first for sure.

The man is so obsessed with her, I love it. He goes from 0 to 100 so quick and I do love that in a man, haha.

Oh my god the shippers of Neal and Emma's were insanely intense. They would, from what I remember reading when it was going on, just randomly make stuff up about Hook and then treat it like it was fact from then on even when offered proof it was nonsense. As insufferable as he was for sure. Good on you for killing him off in your fics.

Phillip in the books is truly my favorite after Colin. I hope Eloise's season gives him some of his book personality, he's so complex but also so into Eloise, it's great.

Same! I think how he learns it is the thing I'm most interested in so far. I think it's entirely possible Eloise could slip, not on purpose because I don't think she wants to hurt Penelope but with Colin being so intent on finding LW, it's possible she says something accidentally. Or if he sees her and follows. I kind of want her to yell it at him while they're fighting, ha. I want that anger to turn to passion and go from there.

For real, theorizing should be fun, not a competition. It's not that serious.😄

This is why we need to live in fan fiction and just let our minds drift in and out of different ideas, so we don’t get stuck in one place for too long. It’s the only way to survive the long expanse between seasons. And people forget that the show is not written by them. So, we have to be ok with what we get and if we aren’t pick up the pen to write our own ending.

I don’t know if it makes me a simpleton that I usually just end up following the story and picking canon ships…maybe I just don’t stray too far from a tale. I get too swept up in things normally to have time to do so. I don’t blame those that don’t, they just have better imaginations than me.

Colin is a flirt; he has flirted with Pen more than once. I mean you can’t tell me “What a barb” was not a flirt. And don’t get me started on the way he was staring at her when she was talking about her purpose, you would have thought he was staring at his next biscuit. His brain may not realize it but his body has been teasing her for years. I think you are correct; he is not looking for love, it hits him upside the head suddenly and without any permission that he gave it. He assumes he is only offering assistance and the next he's trying to consume everything about her, including her time, attention, focus.

I did read that the picnic scene is Colin coming to her rescue and my God I almost died on the spot. I assumed that is what it was but holy moly, hero Colin saving Pen while Lord Tater Tot gets to hold her. He will be beside himself. All I saw was red…Get your hands off our girl! I’m stepping into the Debling hate ring with you!!

I love it when women accept who they are, the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s not easy to accept all of you. And honestly Pen has some real soul searching to do because she doesn’t write nice things about herself either, so she’s got some stuff to work out there! I would LOVE for her to show the Pen that she’s been showing in all these promos…because that Pen could go a few rounds with Colin! Tell him how it is and how she feels, and I am here for that! That Pen can match Colin in that carriage! 0 to 100 for sure!

The stuff they made up about the toxicity of Hook. When in fact there was never a better story of redemption written for one person than Killian Jones. Like they killed that thing. It was beautiful. I could kiss that man. The only complaint I had was they should have ended it a season earlier. As much as I loved Officer Jones…It was not the same show or my Hook! But ship wars are notorious for making up absolute toxic shit from nothing.

Nothing about this show should be serious. IT’S A ROMANCE NOVEL TURNED INTO A TELEVISION SHOW ON NETFLIX! Our live wont end without it! But I’ll be really unhappy if it’s not May 16th soon!